Category: reviews

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


Le Tote Trial

Hi guys! I FINALLY filmed another vlog…the unboxing of my first LE TOTE ! Le Tote is a clothing rental subscription company. They send you 3 pieces of clothing and 2 accessories and you can wear them as many times as you want in a month before sending them back (dirty!) and getting another selection next month. Or if you send the items back sooner, you can get another box the same month. It is $59 a month, and if you like something, you can keep it at a reduced price. I’m SUPER excited by the items in my first box and can’t wait to wear them. Have you tried LE TOTE ? What did you think? This is NOT a sponsored post but the links are affiliate links 🙂 Try it free for 14 days!!

  Le Tote First Box Free
Enjoy!!
Natalie 

Freelance + Freshbooks

This is an affiliate-sponsored post. I may also receive a small commission, at no extra cost to you, if you click links below or make purchases through them. Thanks for your support! 

As my freelance business has grown, I’ve really been trying to keep up with the growth and create systems for my workflow.

One thing that makes this so much easier is FreshBooks, a cloud accounting, invoicing and expense-tracking system that I really love. I’m an affiliate for them now, because I use them so much, so if you click through any of my FreshBooks links and decide to sign up, I get a commission at no charge to you!

I used to make a new Word document invoice every time for every client, and email it. FreshBooks lets me send out recurring invoices, lets me email it as a PDF or Word, and they will even print it out and mail it for me (they include a return envelope)! It’s awesome! My invoices have my logo and are easily searchable by client, and I can track paid and unpaid invoices. Clients can even pay me by PayPal or credit card, an option I never had before.

I also love the automatic expense tracking. Once you import the bank info (totally secure) for your business checking and credit card accounts, they automatically import your expenses and categorize them for you. So easy!

There is also a time-tracking feature, which is awesome for my bigger projects (like book writing). My favorite feature here is the real-time TIMER button, where you start and stop the timer and it automatically adds the time to your invoice. Woah-hey.

The mobile app lets me snap a picture of a receipt and add it to expenses so I can ditch the receipts crumbled up at the bottom of my purse for “sorting later” (you did that too, right?). And P&L statements? Literally click a button. I just love that I can access this anywhere, too, since being mobile is part of my freelance business.

NEW for 2019: Retainers! Freelancers, rejoice. Freshbooks has added a new feature in 2019. You’ve wanted it for awhile, and they’ve finally heard. Retainers are here! No, not the kind you put in your mouth. The kind you collect from clients to keep your business at a regular monthly income. Retainers are win-win for clients and you, so this feature is a great new addition to the already-fantastic Freshbooks suite. You’ll be able to do so many more things, such as tracking time spent against time allotted, collect recurring payments automatically, forecast monthly income, manage project progress, and automatically invoice. This is such a great new feature, particularly for IT/tech freelancers, designers, photographers, and any time of consultant or coach. FreshBooks Easy Invoicing Page

FreshBooks is priced at $15/mo for up to 5 clients up to $50/mo for 500 clients. Trust me, this is nothing compared to the time and frustration this saves, which means I can add more billable time and projects to my week instead of spending it on invoicing, adding expenses, etc.

I truly love FreshBooks and if you run your own thriving small business, encourage you to check it out!

Reading Lately

I’ve been on such a reading kick lately, with the rainy mornings and quiet afternoons galore that Spring brings. 
copy provided for review by Blogging for Books


Find Your Extraordinary 
by Jessica Dilullo Herrin
4 stars ****

This was a GREAT book on business and lifestyle by the founder of the Stella & Dot companies. I wasn’t familiar with Jessica Dilulo Herrin’s accomplishments before I picked up this book. I found her to be inspiring, pulls-no-punches and tough-love in her words, but with an absolute conviction that she wants YOU to be able to live an extraordinary life. And living an extraordinary life requires a fire under your tush, which Herrin is happy to give you. It took me awhile to embrace her voice given those things, but once I did, I found the book very inspiring and one I will keep on my business shelf for awhile. I will also check out the Stella & Dot companies in more detail. 

copy borrowed from my book illustrator!

Big Magic
by Elizabeth Gilbert
4 stars ****
Big Magic has some great insights into the creative process and the nature of ideas. However, it is mixed with a lot of new-age mumbo-jumbo, so the Christian must read it with a strong grounding in the truth that creativity comes from God, the Creator of the Universe. with that in mind, you can certainly unearth some real gems here from Gilbert. This is a book that invites you to ruminate on the creative process long after you put the book down. And that cover! That cover is just all sorts of goodness. Grab this one and read it at a coffee shop sipping something delicious. 
copy from the library!
Do Over
by Jon Acuff
3.5 stars ***1/2 
Jon Acuff is one of those writers I WANT to like more than I do. Truth be told, though, I find it…grating at times, and a little too over-done. Now I’ve had the pleasure of seeing Acuff speak in person and I know that is just his way…the over-the-top enthusiasm makes him who he is. This book is chock-full of useful advice for those stuck in a career rut, but I did find it more geared towards 9-5ers instead of those of us in the creative field. Which is fine, since that’s Acuff’s background, despite his switch into the author/expert category. This is worth a read, as it’s a quick read, but I won’t be buying it for my own collection. Although that awesome cover makes it tempting….
provided by bloggingforbooks
Full-Color NKJV Study Bible
5 stars *****

This is a GORGEOUS full-color study bible in paperback. I could not be more thrilled by this. If you combined every huge Bible study tome on my shelf, including the giant Illustrated Bible Dictionary I have from Nelson’s, this Bible would be their child. It’s gorgeous, easy to hold in your hand, and somehow very manageable for the wealth of knowledge it contains. From extra articles, timelines, word studies, maps, and notes, this Bible far surpasses any others I’ve seen. I feel this would be a great gift for any man in your life, perhaps a recent graduate, because it seems to have a bit of a masculine feel, but of course I love it too. The personal size really keeps things manageable and I like that is is soft-cover, although they also offer it in hard cover. A true keeper and a must-have for your Bible resources shelf. 
Happy Reading!
Natalie 



New Firmoo Glasses + New Coat

Oh the little things in life are so good, ya’ll, so good. New glasses make such a HUGE difference for a girl’s confidence and selfie-game #amiright?! I was about to grab some new Warbys when Firmoo reached out and I just couldn’t resist getting a pair from them. 

Then throw in my CRAZY-AMAZING new J.Crew Stadium Cloth coat and a girl is 
all sorts of heart-eyes gahhhhhhhhh. 

Super in love with this cognac and tomato color combo, aren’t you digging it? This is a thrifted vintage Hanae Mori handbag that is so much fun. The handle on top makes it.

Now, these Firmoo glasses. I’m loving them. Firmoo glasses are always high-quality. My last glasses are Firmoo, too, and they’ve both been great quality frames. While it can be a bit hard to decide online, the prices are so low, even if your pick isn’t a total-win, it’s not the end of the world. I’m still deciding how much I like these, but they grow on me daily. I was looking for something more “writer-y” and I think these nail that vibe. These frames are $19, ya’ll. There’s no arguing with that. 

How good is red lipstick + writer-y glasses + fur hood? 
#sogood
Thanks, Firmoo! 

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! 

Reading Lately

my copy of this book was provided by booklookbloggers

Divided
by Bill Delvaux
***** 5 stars
Oh this book. I’ve dog-eared and highlighted it to near pieces. “When the Head and Heart Don’t Agree” is the subtitle, and I think one of the biggest problems facing our generation. But let me make that more personal: It is one of the biggest problems facing MY LIFE lately. Oh oh, how hard it can be to bring the head and heart into agreement sometimes, and how erosive the damage is. And sneaky. Sneaky and erosive, and darn destructive. This book unpacks the distance and WHY it is there, why our human spirits are so susceptible to this great divide, and how Jesus wants to bridge the gap. There is useful information here, life-changing information, and I HIGHLY recommend this book. I often joke with my friends that to be intellectual, creative and a Christian is an impossible trio. Pick two! Ha. This book helps me hold tighter to the God I love and know, in both my head and my heart. To bring them both into alignment with Him, and at the foot of the cross. Oh yes. More of that.

“I will teach you and tell you the way to go and how to get there; I will give you good counsel, and I will watch over you.” Psalm 32:8
AMEN. BOOM. THAT’S THE GOD I SERVE!


my copy of this book was provided by booklookbloggers


Anything 

by Jennie Allen
****4 1/2 stars

I love anything by Jennie Allen (see what I did there?). Jennie Allen is the real-deal, a sold-out-for-God girl-next-door that you want to be your best friend to do life with. In this book, she shares the prayer that she humbly (not boldly) prayed to God, and the ways it changed her life and many others. Letting God do ANYTHING in your life…wow. I mean, I know we say it all the time, right? God, YOUR will be done. But to surrender every single area of our lives to that REALITY…that gets messy right-quick. Follow along with Jennie as she walks the path, hand in hand, and gives us projects to prepare our hearts and minds for all that God has prepared for us to do. That verse above? Fits perfectly with this book, too. If God goes with us, we will get there. Wherever scary-sort-of place there is. God never says it will be easy. Quite the contrary; He tells us it will be hard. But then He goes before us and beside us. Never leaves us, never abandons. Through Anything.
xo
Natalie 

Monday {Makeup} Vlog!

I have a treat for you today! A Monday vlog, featuring my daily summer makeup routine! I haven’t done a daily routine makeup vlog in ages, and for some reason the last one I did is totes MIA online, so here’s a refresher with all of my favorite CURRENT products. Featuring the Physician’s Formula “Nude Wear” line that I’m loving, this is a long tutorial but shows you the process beginning to end, and is at least a little entertaining along the way, tee hee. Enjoy and don’t forget to follow me on YouTube for the latest updates!
 
Published
Categorized as reviews, vlog

Lenovo Bluetooth Speaker, New Studio & *GIVEAWAY*!

speaker5words
Today I am so thrilled to partner with Lenovo to show you my new studio AND my new Bluetooth speakers that make working in the studio so fun and easy. Gotta have me some tunes spinning to get in my writing groove. And for Friday Deadlines-are-Done Dance Parties, DUH. Enter this slick little baby, which is only 1.6 pounds and can sit horizontal like I have it or vertical, and offers a 270-degree sound experience.


speaker8
I absolutely LOVE the portability of this all-in-one speaker (major plus for this biz owner: it turns into a microphone + speakerphone for taking calls!). It offers up to 4 hours of wireless listening, then just plug it into your computer to keep listening and charge it up.

studio7
This is where you’ll see most of my instagram outfit selfies…my giant awesome Art Deco antique mirror. This is the real-deal, a true antique with so much pizazz it makes the whole room dazzle.
studio5blank
Where the writing magic happens. One of mom’s paintings hangs above my desk (she is a fine artist and shares the other half of the studio with me). Since the Lenovo bluetooth speaker has such power and is so easily portable, it can head over to visit mom’s side of the studio for a field trip. But that’s another post entirely! 
studio2
Pretty dresses hanging to keep me inspired, with Audrey keeping a watchful eye on things, of course.
speaker3
Office essentials: Iced coffee, pink pens and my Lenovo bluetooth speaker. I love how sleek the speaker is, it just melts into the surroundings with a modern look. 
speaker2
More office essentials, including the “Open” sign I made with a paint pen and a leftover-Ikea-cabinet door-piece-random-thing.
speaker1
How much are we loving this vintage needlepoint I picked up? I think it’s so great how the 70’s needlepoint, the classic clock and the modern speaker still look good together. 
In the other corner is this odd curio cabinet, built-in, but at an angle. I’ve filled it with very necessary things: 
curiocabinet

What girl doesn’t need a grown-up pair of pink sparkle mary-jane’s in case of party emergency? (rhetorical question, I know)

speakergiveaway

SPEAKING OF PARTIES, and speaking of speakers (I crack myself up), I get to GIVE AWAY one of these fabulous speakers to one of my fabulous readers! This couldn’t be more exciting!
Somebody turn up the Lenovo speaker with the dance music!

Here are the details, with up to FIVE entries per person:

I was selected for this opportunity as a member of Clever Girls and the content and opinions expressed here are all my own.

L’Oreal #UltimateStraight Hair Care Review

L’Oreal Paris Smooth Intense Ultimate Straight Kera-Tourmaline Review from Natalie of Good Girl Style on Vimeo. I received these products free from Influenster to test and review. All opinions are my own. 
First vlog in aggggeeesss! Comin’ atchya from the NEW STUDIO with #ULTIMATESTRAIGHT hair like it ain’t no thang. 
Yes, I’m a bit #caffeinecrazy this morning. And the sun is shining after a week of gray/rain.
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Categorized as reviews