Fall Faux Fur Serenity

FAUX FUR SWEATER : ASHLEY
DRESS: MYSTIC
GLASSES: GUCCI

BOOTS: ROBERTO CAVALLI

PHOTOGRAPHY: FRANZ SWANTKO

EARRINGS: VINTAGE

Hello!  You may have already heard, but the pantone colors for the year 2016 have been released.  I am super excited about this because they have a lot of fantastic tones coming up for this year.  One of the colors is called "serenity" and is this shade of blue I am wearing in this lace dress.  I feel it has a really calming quality to it and I thought with the cooler weather coming in, it was perfect for this post.  What do you think of "serenity"?  Do you already have a lot of this color in your closet or will you be purchasing more items in this color?  I just bought a new Steve Madden bag in this color too!  It was too cute to pass up and was on sale.  Can't wait to bring it out and show you:)

My outfit for today is old, but this color is actually on trend, so I thought I would bring it out to show you a little bit of something more current.  I usually wear this dress around the fall season because it has the chocolate brown woven into this lace and goes great with brown fall boots.  These boots are a gift I bought as a present to myself many, many years ago when I was working literally six days a week!  I was a workaholic back then and so I thought I deserved it:)  This faux fur sweater goes perfect with just about anything you put under it.  It can be worn dressed down with jeans and a tank, or dressed up with a dress like I am wearing here.  These earrings were an awesome vintage find. They are made of iridescent crystals with an unusual geometric shape that I thought would pop this outfit.  I am a huge, huge fan of iridescent crystals because they have almost every color of the rainbow reflected in them.  

I hope everyone's week is going well.  I know I have been behind on my social media.  I do apologize.  I'm working on it this week:)  Hope you are taking some time for yourself to relax and are not letting the stress of the holiday season get to you.


XO Joanna

Jamberry Winter/ Holiday Wraps

Happy Holidays!

Happy Monday to you!  The holidays are in full swing and boy have I been busy, how about you?  Are you done with all of your Christmas shopping yet?  Or have you just begun?  With so much going on, I haven't had time to get my nails done.  However, thanks to Jamberry, I can do them myself!  If you haven't tried these yet, you should definitely look into trying them out.  They are super easy to apply and they have so many fun styles to change up your look.

This season, show your festive side with a Jamberry manicure! Check out Jamberry’s beautiful Fall and Winter themed wraps: There are so many designs to suit any style.  Pick up some for holiday gifts and some for yourself.
  

You can shop directly on this website: here.  If you’d like a free sample or have questions about any Jamberry products, you can contact my Jamberry consultant Ginnie Lee via email here: vlg.jnconsultant@gmail.com.

Looking for gift ideas: Check out Jamberry’s Holiday Gift Sets.

Jamberry Juniors are great for kids and tweens.  Jamberry even has Mommy & Me prints: share the Jamberry love with the little ones in your life!

Can’t decide?  Most Jamberry wraps are Buy 3 Get 1 Free!

If you like gel manicures (like myself), Jamberry has its first ever Gel Manicure system. It is the only 5-free gel system on the market (Free of the 5 toxic chemicals found in other polishes and gels). The system uses an LED bulb which has the lowest amount of UV that can be offered, making this entire system the safest gel manicures you can get which sounds like a very good thing to me.  Also, you can mix and match it with your wraps, apply clear gel over your wraps for an even longer hold, or use it over Jamberry lacquers. Awesome:)

Of course, lacquers are always available.  If you buy 4 and make your own Color Suite, you save 10%!  These are 5 free, as well (free of all 5 toxins found in most polishes) and they dry really fast! Look at all these beautiful new colors!

Hope you have some fun with Jamberry Nails this holiday season.  What a great holiday gift for all the lovely ladies in your life!  

XO Joanna

*Photos compliments of Jamberry

Pumpkin Spice Suit

Suit: Vintage

Shoes: Enzo Angiolini

Scarf: Tattered

Glasses: Gucci

Earrings: Vintage

Handbag: Anne Klein

Photography: Franz Swantko

Hair: Jennifer Ehrke @ Salon Pop

Makeup: Elizabeth Jones @ No Labels, Just Beauty

How do you feel about pumpkin spice?  And how many pumpkin spice coffees have you had since fall started?  I've had my share ha ha:) Pumpkin spice is one of my all time favorite flavors from coffee to pie.  So, going with the pumpkin flavor theme, I decided to wear my old vintage pumpkin colored suit for this post.  I have worn this suit before, and people always tell me it's so Jackie O.  What do you think?  The bottom of this wool jacket is also cut straight, so I thought it would look a bit more modern to add a belt with gold hardware.  The reason why I like belts so much is because it helps make clothes less boxy and adds more of a silhouette.  Do you have any pumpkin spice themed outfits?  How do you feel about wearing pumpkin this fall?

XO Joanna

Thank You

Happy Thanksgiving!  

I want to take a break from the hustle and bustle of daily life to say "Thank You".  Some of you may be celebrating this holiday with friends and family and eating lots of yummy turkey.  Of course, this is a nice way to celebrate, but what I wanted to focus on is being thankful.  When I stop to think about what I am thankful for, I realize that I am blessed for so many reasons.  

Even if you are not celebrating Thanksgiving today, I wanted to encourage you to take a moment to make a list of about 10 things that you truly thankful for.  You may find that you have a lot more to be thankful for than you previously thought.  You may even realize that you have taken some of those things for granted.

Here is my list of things I am thankful for:

1. My sweet family
2. My thoughtful boyfriend
3. YOU for being such supportive blogger buddies:)
4. My education
5. The opportunity to work in a field where I can help people
6. My adorable cats
7. My close friends
8. Working with awesome co-workers
9. Working with several sponsors this year
10. Being able to work with wonderful and talented people on my blog
11. A roof over my head
12. Food on the table
13. Having an outlet to express myself artistically through this blog
14. My freedom
15. Clothes to wear
16. Sunny California 

What are you thankful for?

Please feel free to share your list in the comments below.

With Thanks,
XO Joanna

Jamberry Nail Wraps, Style Boxes, and Holiday Gift Sets

Hello!  Hope everyone is having a fantastic week:)  I certainly am.  Today, I thought I would talk to you about nails.  There are so many fun ways to express ourselves in the way of nail art, but have you ever seen nail wraps?  A friend of mine gave me some of these awesome nail wraps to try from a company called Jamberry.  She is a consultant for Jamberry, and if you enjoyed reading this post, you may purchase them directly through the links in this post.

These wraps are made of flexible material that can last up to two weeks even through showering and washing your hands.  Neato!  I tested them out and they sure do last.  They also come in a variety of different designs (over 300), so you can choose what nail wraps best express your personal style.  I put them on myself and I felt that they were also really easy to apply and remove.  

Here is a step by step process of how to apply the 

Jamberry Nail Wraps:

 1. Clean unpolished nails with alcohol wipe and push back the cuticles.

2. Wrap nail to the wrap that best fits.

3. Peel of nail wrap and warm with a mini heater or blow dryer for 3-5 seconds or until soft and flexible.

4. When warm, press the wrap onto the nail.  Apply firm pressure around nail to adhere the wrap to the nail.  

Use rubber cuticle pusher to seal the wrap around the base of the cuticle.

5. Trim the top with scissors and file off remaining wrap using a downward motion to remove excess.

                  6. Apply heat and pressure to the wrap again until it is bonded to the nail.

Photography By: Franz Swantko

Voila!

The removal process is super easy too!

If you are interested in purchasing some pretty decorative wraps, Style Boxes, or Holiday Gift Sets for this upcoming Holiday Season, please take a Look At Her Website and Order Them Here.

Hope you have a Wonderful Week!  

*This is a sponsored post and I received a sample kit.  However, all opinions are my own and I was not paid for a positive review.

XO Joanna

Pink October-Breast Cancer Awareness Month

Hello!  You may already know by now, but October is National Breast Cancer Awareness Month.  This post is especially important to me because my mom battled this disease for twenty-one years.  I wanted to post this to spread awareness and show support for a battle many women are still fighting. 

Photography By: Franz Swantko

You can check out The Pink Ribbon Shop to find many cancer support items whose manufacturer and distributor makes a monetary donation to breast cancer-related organizations based on the sale of those items.

 

Photography By: Franz Swantko

This is a "pink" vintage dress that was gifted to me from my aunt.  Although this was hers, it somehow fits me just fine.  She's such an awesome Aunt!  Thank you Auntie!  In honor of pink October, I thought it would be appropriate to wear something pink as my ootd to show my support on the blog.  I was excited to get the word out on breast cancer support and awareness, so I threw on a pink feather boa...What do you think?

Photography By: Franz Swantko

I purchased this beautiful Paul Mitchell Limited Edition Pink Paddle Brush from Paul Mitchell who has partnered with Bright Pink, which is the only national non-profit organization that focuses on early detection and prevention of breast and ovarian cancer in young women.  When you purchase Paul Mitchell's Limited Edition Pink Styling Collection, this allows them to initiate life-saving conversations, drive awareness and encourage women to inspire those they love.  Please show your support by adding the hashtag #PinkOutLoud to a pink lipstick selfie and add it to your social media feeds to support the Pink Out Loud Campaign.  You may also make a monetary donation on their Donation Page.  

Image Source: Paul Mitchell

Photography By: Franz Swantko

Photography By: Franz Swantko

Photography By: Franz Swantko

 I purchased these adorable "pink" Autotex wiper blades to help "wipe out cancer" from Valvoline who donates a portion of their pink wiper blade proceeds to the  National Breast Cancer Foundation to help women by providing help and inspiring hope to those affected by breast cancer through early detection, education and support services.  For a list of locations, click here.  These were my second pair and I think I will make them my yearly purchase for the cause.  I also have to mention that I have been going to Valvoline for about five years and always have a hassle free experience when I do my oil changes.  They consistently do a wonderful and quick job!  They also have such awesome customer service too:)

Photo By: Joanna Joy

This Pink Jiffy Steamer is a "must".  I literally don't know how I survived so many mornings without this.  Throw away your irons ladies, the Jiffy steamer has arrived!  I purchased this Commercial Jiffy Steamer about 10 years ago, and it is still steaming!  It's one of the best investments I have ever made.  When you purchase a "pink steamer", Jiffy will donate 10% of all direct retail sales of the "pink steamers" to help hundreds of women in Jiffy Steamer's home town of Union City, Tennessee access the preventative cancer care they need, but may not have been able to afford.

Photography By: Franz Swantko

I purchased a set of these Pink Ribbon 207 Uni-ball Signo Retractable Gel Pens.  Uniball donates a portion of the proceeds from these pink pens to City of Hope for breast cancer treatment, research and education.  It's a lovely pen to write down all of your beautiful and creative blog ideas, and is a pretty reminder of your support.

Photography By: Franz Swantko

The Look Good, Feel Better Organization is a wonderful resource for women who are battling self-image issues related to cancer treatment effects.  Look Good Feel Better's free workshops, run by caring, volunteer beauty professionals, teach women with cancer to manage the appearance side effects of treatment, including instruction to address changes in skin, hair loss and nails, as well as tips on wardrobe/ styling to cope with weight gain or loss, and surgical changes.  When my mom was undergoing hair loss, prosthetic acquisition, and wig styling, I attended a Look Good, Feel Better event with her.  It was an eye-opening experience to see how much love and compassion this organization puts into each woman they serve.  I remember that it took a lot of courage for her to attend this event because she had to show vulnerability.  And to me, that was both strong and beautiful:)

Photography By: Franz Swantko

I hope everyone has a nice week and don't forget to contribute to breast cancer awareness by purchasing something pink from a brand that cares before October ends:)  Thank You!

Dress: Vintage Dress

Glasses: Gucci

Necklace: Vintage

Hair: Jenn Ehrke @ Salon Pop

Makeup: Elizabeth Jones @ No Labels Just Beauty

Photography By: Franz Swantko

Denim Dress from Dresslink

Makeup By: Elizabeth Jones @ No Labels Just Beauty

Dress: Dresslink

Necklace: Liz Claiborne

Glasses: Gucci

Jeans: J Brand

Sandals: Chloe

Hair: Jen Ehrke @ Salon Pop

Makeup: Elizabeth Jones @ No Labels Just Beauty

Photography: Franz Swantko

Hello!  I hope everyone is enjoying the weekend as much as I am:)  Recently, I have been doing a lot of thinking about basics and versatility in my style choices.  A material that comes to mind is "denim".

Today, I am wearing a very thin and lightweight blue denim dress from Dresslink.  Dresslink is a company that offers a wide variety of clothes at reasonable prices.  When I ordered from this company, the item came very quickly within a few weeks.  This dress is perfect for really hot weather and for those who are also working with a tight budget.  Denim can be worn as jeans, or as a summer dress as you see here in this post.  Denim acts as a basic building block for many outfits and is very versatile.  It can be made into so many types of garments, which is why I chose this dress from Dresslink. You can wear this denim dress with heels for going out, with boots and tights for fall and winter, or wear it over jeans with a few accessories to make it pop.  When I was in college, I was working on a very, very tight budget, so Dresslink would have been a good online website to buy lightweight summer clothes at very, very low prices.  If you are looking for clothes at very low prices, check out Dresslink.com.

Have you ever purchased anything from Dresslink?

*This is a sponsored post and I was provided a dress from dresslink.com to review.  However, I was not compensated for a positive review.

How to Style Your Dad's Old 70s Shirt

How to Style Your Dad's (or Granddad's) Old 70s Shirt

 To be "stylish", look no further than your dad's closet!

Yes, you heard me, your dad's old 70s shirts can actually be considered "stylish" in the year 2015.  Shocking!  I know.  You should see the smiles that come across their faces when you start pulling out their old burnt orange polyester bell bottom pants, lime green leisure suits, cornflower blue and olive green checkered or plaid printed pendleton jackets, a festive linen guayabera shirt, or a fun paisley print polyester button down.  Trust me, there's a whole Sunday afternoon of stories and family history in their closets.  

For this post, I paired this old polyester vintage 70s shirt with a highly embellished belt over black flare leg pants. This shirt can also be worn layered with a black lace camisole (Free People has a ton of cute ones) underneath or over a tight black long sleeve shirt.  This print was so fun, I couldn't pass it up!  I paired it with these beaded fringe earrings and bag to give it that extra flare.  How does it look?

Today's post is not a actually a photo with my dad's old 70s shirt (because my mom made him throw those old things out ages ago), but finding this amazing shirt inspired me to write this post because of the time we spent sorting through his old clothes to make room for new "modern and stylish" clothes.  If I knew my dad's old 70s style would be on trend in 2015, I just may have saved a few.  If you don't know how to be stylish in 2015, just ask your dad what he used to wear, then make him go shopping with you to pick out some old polyester 70s shirts:)

Do you own any fantastic 70s clothing?

Shirt: Vintage

Belt: Vintage

Pants: Bebe

Bag: Carlos by Carlos Santana

Shoes: Saks Fifth Avenue

Earrings: Free People

Sunnies: Gucci

Hair: Angie Williams @ Flaunt Salon

Makeup: Elizabeth Jones @ No Labels Just Beauty

Photography: Franz Swantko