Category: review

NEW Warby Parker Frame Home Try-On

This post contains affiliate links 🙂 
Have you tried Warby Parker’s Home Try-On service? It’s FREE (you do need to add a credit card juuuuust in case you don’t return them on time), and you get to choose 5 frames, sent to your house, to try on. I cannot even tell you how important this is in the world of buying glasses online. I’ve bought many frames online, as well as many in-store, and there is nothing like being able to try a frame on, to feel it, to see how it molds to your face. Dimensions online are all good and well, but it’s hard to know how those dimensions match up on YOUR face. Even uploading a picture of yourself so they can superimpose the frame on your face is not a great option.
Every few seasons I order a box from Warby Parker and show you the frames, to give you an idea of how they look on a real person, with a heart-shaped face, brown hair, green eyes, and 80 million layers because it’s January in New England. This time, the frames I chose were: Welty (Whiskey Tortoise), Rosemary (Rose Crystal), Sims (Petal Tortoise), Millie (Birch Tortoise), and Turner (Chestnut Crystal). Without further ado…

This frame they sent me was very crooked, so I had to tilt my face differently to get it to look sort of normal 😉 It looks like this frame may not currently be available in the petal color.

I actually like ALL of them, which is unusual for me. I think my favorites are the Rosemary Rose Crystal and the Turner in Chestnut Crystal. The crystal ones seem to be the winners this time around! Which makes me happy, because I’ve had my fair share of dark, heavy frames lately. I wasn’t interested in trying any of the wire-framed ones quite yet…they’re still a bit too hipster for me, and besides, I had ones very similar to those during all of my elementary school years, and I’m not sure I’m ready to relive those, ha. 
Which do you like better for me? Do you have any of these frames? I’d love to know your thoughts in the comments!
Don’t forget to order your own FREE at-home try-on box from Warby Parker…you’ll love it! 
xo 
Natalie

Boss Lady Jumpsuit

Posing during a book signing at The Toadstool Bookshop in Keene, NH
GUYS. This BOSS LADY Jumpsuit is just perfect for summer Happy Pretty Messy book signings. I love how it is structured and work-appropriate (for me), but also just fun and carefree. It’s ideal. AND IT HAS POCKETS. And, um, did I mention its only $14? Yeah, you heard right, it’s only $14 from Tobi. They sent it to me for free to review. My honest review? LOVE. IT.

Wearing the pink clogs mentioned in Happy Pretty Messy, of course! 

$14 you guys. Pockets. Strapless or straps. Perfection.

I love it. You will too.

You’ll shine it in, I know you will.
Get your boss lady (jumpsuit) on.
Love,
Natalie 

Le Tote Review and FREE BOX for YOU!

Le Tote Free Tote
I have had my first LE TOTE box for 1 month and the second one is on its way to me…I am TAKEN by this service! I LOVED every single piece they sent me and wore each piece 2+ times. You can see the items they sent me and my initial impressions in my Unboxing Vlog HERE and you can try it yourself for free by clicking here! (affiliate links!) 
Some of my favorite outfits with items from the box: 

Tarte top and Octavia necklace

The Tarte top had a racerback and HIGH tulip hem! 

Wore several times, but loved it with these J.Crew floral shorts and blue sandals!

Next up is this gorgeous blue and black striped swirly wrap skirt! 

So very chic! I loved this and the way the wind made it move. Also wearing with the necklace (I pretty much didn’t take this necklace off all month).

Tunic dress with great details…little tiny feathers all over! 
And the hem is longer in the back. AND no surprise I’m wearing the necklace again!

I also received a zebra scarf I wore on chilly nights. I really loved how everything in my box was coordinated and I could easily make outfits out of them all month. 

I can’t wait to see what I get in my next box. The SECOND the post office scanned my return bag (so easy and free), Le Tote emailed that they saw it was on it’s way and they were starting to style my next tote.
You can purchase any of the items at a discount, but after much mulling I decided to send all of these items back and rent some more!
YOU can try a Tote for FREE for 14 days using this link and code (affiliate link):


I hope you try it and LOVE it as much as I do!

Le Tote First Box Free


Warby Parker Try-On Winter 2015

It’s that time again! Time to try a new batch of Warby Parker’s deliciously quirky and writer-y glasses. Warby Parker’s Winter 2015 Collection Oh what fun it is to tryyyyy on WarbyParkerglassses! (you have to sing it like that to make it fit into the Christmas song but hey! why not!)
(this is NOT a sponsored post but clicking on these links may earn me a commission at no cost to you–thanks for supporting GGS!)
My best friend and I both ordered Home Try-On program boxes, so here you get to see me try on NINE!!!! options 🙂 (one just looked so very terrible on me that I couldn’t even share the photo, sorry friends! for reference it was the Nedwin in lime green). 

I have a HEART-SHAPED FACE for glasses if you’re trying to choose glasses for your face shape.(To find yours, stand in front of the mirror and trace your face with lipstick or a dry erase marker directly on the mirror (pull your hair back first).

 So these are my picks from the Warby Parker Winter 2015 collection for heart-shaped faces and brunette hair. See past picks here and here. 


Here they are, in alphabetical order: 

chiltonWP
oliverWPggs
uptonWPggs
 
My top three favorites are (in no particular order): 

What are your favorites FOR ME and FOR YOU? 
If you haven’t tried Warby Parker or aren’t sure which frames work for your face, try their Home Try-On program for FREE (both ways!). They sent you FIVE pairs to try on for five days, risk-free. It’s awesome! If you’re ordering from Warby Parker, let me know which pair YOU chose and share a picture if you want in the comments 🙂 Love me some discussion about WPs! 

Elsa Schiaperelli: A Shocking Life

I received this book from the Blogging for Books program in exchange for this honest review.
Have you ever heard of Elsa Schiaparelli? If you’re in the fashion world, the answer is probably yes. In her time, Schiaparelli was a more famous couturier than Chanel, her contemporary. She is perhaps most famous for her invention of the color “Shocking Pink” and the corresponding “Shocking” perfume. Her inventive clothing designs captured the spirit of the times and the art movement of Surrealism at the time (she was a great friend of Dali’s), becoming art themselves. Giant lobsters skirted the bottom of dresses, and don’t forget the parsley sprinkled here and there, on a dress worn by Wallis Simpson, the Duchess of Windsor, in her wedding trousseau. Buttons were foreign coins, giant bugs, or other strange ideas. Her clothes were expandable, sometimes even three-in-one, or featured unique hidden pockets, trompe l’oeil details, or fabrics of her own creation.
Schiaperelli’s 1937 Lobster Dress, designed with Salvador Dali, 
currently in the collection of the Philadelphia Museum of Art

But before Schiaparelli was a famous couturier, she had a unique and perhaps upsetting life, one that set her up for her surrealist escapades and her utterly unique entree into the fashion world. She learned business lessons by hard scrapes, had a disabled daughter with a conniving husband she later divorced,  and somehow made her way into the top tier of Paris fashion. The second World War saw her star waning, perhaps due to a nagging interest the FBI had in her whereabouts (was she a spy? we may never know). Schiaparelli lost her footing in the fashion world, but her legacy continues today with inventions such as the wraparound dress, dresses with matching dinner jackets, swimsuits with built-in bras and the ahead-of-her-time split skirts. And, of course, her call of “Dare to be different!” and that ever-so-lovely shocking pink.

{hover to pin}
This lovely book, a tome to be admired and set on a dressing table, is a triumph of the story of the shocking and madcap dress designer, none other than Madame Schiaparelli.

A dash of the unexpected, indeed!

Happy Reading!
Natalie 

Real-Life Devotional Bible for Women

{This book was provided by BookLook Bloggers for my honest review}
It’s a rainy day here. Quiet, gray, begging for quiet time with my Bible and an English Breakfast Tea Latte.
I’ve been needing a new everyday Bible. My old one is literally from elementary school and falling apart, loved as it is. The only other Bible I currently have is a travel version with my name on it that was a gift, and I cherish it, but find it a bit cumbersome for regular reading. So when I saw this lovely edition with real-life devotions by Lysa Terkeurst and the team at Proverbs 31 Ministries, I was super excited. I adore Lysa and Proverbs 31 Ministries. (you should SERIOUSLY follow them on Facebook…their posts are always timely!)
This NIV Bible is a Compact size, which is the size of a larger paperback book, bigger than my travel version but small enough to tuck into my purse. The embossed leather and smooth leather in lovely robin’s egg blue and a deep turquoise are stunning. The pages have silver edges and blue pages for the devotionals. There are 365 devotionals throughout the book, one for every day. The devotions are focused on family and children, but the lessons are applicable to everyone. 
This Bible would make an absolutely lovely gift or a gift to yourself. It’s a real beaut, and so is the box, a perfect box to keep cards or notes in.
Do you have a hardcover or softcover Bible? 
This is actually my first softcover one!
xo
Natalie

Fascinator Giveaway with Vivo Masks-CLOSED


Exciting News!
I’m so thrilled that Vivo is letting me give away a fascinator to one of my lovely readers! This is the perfect opportunity for entree into the fun world of wearing hats and fascinators!
 I’m giving away one of the under-$50 fascinators (the winner’s choice!), which are smaller and more manageable for wearing to Thanksgiving, a school dance, a holiday party, or a birthday. Or even just because, if you’re like me! Vivo has an amazing selection and I’m sure you’ll find one you’re in love with! Here are some of my favorites…
Favorite VIVO fascinators under $50
I think the hot pink one is my most-favorite. How about you?

Please enter and share!
 I’m so excited for this opportunity for another lovely lady to wear a Vivo fascinator.
Entry closes at midnight EST on Monday, October 13th.

Let’s All Be Brave


Let’s All Be Brave. 
by Annie F. Downs
* 1 star
(Disclosure: I was given a complimentary copy of this book to review by BookLookBloggers. All opinions are my own and I was not required to post this review.)

I really wanted to love this book by blogger Annie F. Downs. It’s the first book of hers I’ve read, and I loved the concept and title. I NEED more bravery in my life right now! And I know several good friends who really enjoyed this book.

So I was disappointed when I found this book to be lackluster from the very beginning. It was far too personal, as the entire book was simply “essays” about times in her life (some random examples, I thought) of when Annie tried to be brave, that were confusing, muddy, and convoluted to the uninitiated reader (i.e. anyone who is not very close to the author). I felt that this book tried too hard to be hipster by including the coffee shop where each piece was written. The pieces were not chronological, which made following Annie’s travels and stories confusing. The stories were more like mini therapy sessions for the author, in my mind, with a,”So be brave! Like I sorta was!” at the end of each “chapter.” Not what I was looking for. The writing style was also far too young for me, very adolescent-oriented and not quite deep enough for the subject matter. The sentence structure was very stylistic. That might suit others just fine, but it just didn’t jive for me. I also found it disconcerting that Annie talked about the writing process a lot, making reference to the fact that she was writing a book, and in one or more cases, spending at least a whole page talking about how nervous she was to be writing what we were going to be reading on the next few pages. Bravery? Maybe. Good reading? Not in my book (ha, a book pun, get it?).

Sorry Annie and friends, I really am. But this one only gets 1 star from me.

Happy reading!
xo
Natalie

Winners and Life Lately!


eyeglasswinners

Email me and I will send you details and your code 🙂 YAY! Can’t wait to see what new specs ya’ll pick out! Be sure to tweet or instagram me 🙂

Around here it has been all vintage dresses and wonderful picnics, just the way I like June! Don’t you agree?

picnicGGS
 {vintage dress complete with pockets!}
picniccooler
{my favorite vintage cooler shaped like a picnic basket}
picnicdrinks
{his and hers drinks…mine was the DELICIOUS Strawberry-Rhubarb agave soda, and his was the grapefruit San Pellegrino}
picnicfoods
{cold cuts, sharp cheese, homemade potato salad, chips and fruit snacks}
PS. You can find more of my summer adventures on my brand-new instagram! 🙂 
We also had a stack of magazines to read and played Frisbee. Perfect summer evening. 
Here’s to many more picnics this year!
And more giveaways with more winners!
🙂
xo
Natalie

KIND Healthy Grains Bars Review

KIND so kindly (crack myself up) sent me a bunch of their brand-new Healthy Grains bars to review. We all know how much I love their regular bars (see my review of those here), so I was more than happy to try these out. They have 5 flavors: Oats & Honey, Dark Chocolate Chunk, Peanut Butter Dark Chocolate, Vanilla Blueberry, and Maple Pumpkin Seed. I love how creative the folks at KIND are with their flavors!

The Vanilla-Blueberry (one of my favorite flavors) was a great mid-morning snack when I was running errands, sending birthday mail and picking up presents. Such a filling snack and a cheerful burst of flavor to keep me going.

I also enjoyed the Dark Chocolate Chunk while writing out some notes. The Maple-Pumpkin Seed was my least favorite and, surprisingly, the “plain” Honey & Oats was actually my most favorite. 
I love KIND’s marketing and philosophy. “KIND Healthy Grains Bars are all natural granola bars made from ingredients you can see and pronounce.” Well, this one does have amaranth and quinoa, so that might be a stretch for some of us, but you get the point. Real food here. Nourishing snacks. Something to fuel you not make you feel guilty. And don’t worry about that dark chocolate…I’ve done my research and it’s definitely good for us 😉 #seriouslythough
Overall, these are crunchier than the regular KIND bars, which is good and bad. Good if you like crunchy. Bad if you like to throw it in your purse and carry it around for 2 weeks before you eat it (like me), because they break into a million tiny pieces. Some were drier than others, and I’m not sure why, but I liked them when they weren’t toooooo dry. I would definitely pick up the Oats & Honey and the Vanilla Blueberry bars again. I’ll just be sure to keep them in a secure pocket so I don’t end up licking crumbs from the package. Don’t even try to pretend you’ve never done that 😉

Thanks so much to KIND for letting me try their new goodies! Pick a few up and let me know what you think in the comments! 
xo
Natalie