#BLOGMAS: Fantastic Gifts & Where to Get Them

in

Every year, I always get asked by family and friends where and how I come up with innovative gift ideas that are well suited for just about anyone. I know that sometimes this can be quite the tricky venture for many of us since we don't want to come off as seeming like we put no effort into a gift. So this year, I decided to share some of my favorite gift ideas that are well suited for both ladies and fellows (and that won't break the bank)! 

A Travel Press

This gift is really a gift that keeps on giving, or should I say brewing? This travel press is a perfect choice for that coffee and/or tea lover in your life. It's perfect because it allows them to brew on the go and doubles as a travel mug. (This travel press also perfect for a certain girl who will be returning to college for her spring semester. You know, those of us who will be walking around downtown Pittsburgh, taking photographs for their internship during the chilly months of January and February. Mum, if you're reading this, hint, hint!)

Burt's Bees Fabulous Mini's Gift Set

Much like in my gifts list article from last year for Dose of Vitamin F Burt's Bees products are still one of my favorite gifts to give simply because they are practical and everybody can use them. This set in particular is great to fight the damaging effects of winter weather due to all of it's nourishing assets, which will keep your skin from getting rough and dry this season. This set includes travel sizes of the following: nourishing cream cleanser, intense hydration day lotion, soap bark and chamomile deep cleansing cream, naturally nourishing milk and honey body lotion,  coconut foot cream, and Shea butter hand cream. 

Wishing Ball

For those of you that don't know what a wishing ball is, it's a neat little decor piece that you can leave a small notebook by to write "wishes" on and then place them into the ball. However, this could also be used as a way for guests to leave kind messages and wishes of well being to the owner of the home that the wishing ball is placed in. The reason I feel this is such a great gift is because it spreads positivity and doubles as a great decorative piece.

A Watch

Firstly, in case some of my readers haven't entered my JORD Watch Holiday Giveaway yet, you can enter to win a watch of your very own as well as receive a 25% off e-code instantly just for entering! (You can get all the deets HERE, get your 25% off e-code HERE, and enter the contest HERE.) But really, the reason I feel any of JORD's watches would be a wonderful gift is because they are so well crafted and look beautiful for any occasion. Trust me, I got John this gorgeous timepiece for Christmas and he loves it!

Wine Tote (Glasses Included)

As my long time readers know, I love wine. Aside from scotch, it is actually my drink of choice, but that's not the only reason I feel this wine tote is an excellent gift. The reason I chose this wine tote is because I feel that the best gathering take place with loved ones around a dinner table at home. This being said, this tote is a very nifty way to serve guests their beverages. (I don't know about your families, but I know the Fesh and Barry households both enjoy their vino at family gatherings!!)

Succulents

Lastly, this is actually a little gift I want to get myself when I return to college in a few weeks, (That announcement coming soon--though I won't be on campus until fall, I am taking a few online classes and have been accepted into a pretty big internship that starts January 1st! And if you follow me on Instagram, you know exactly what internship I'm talking about. *wink*) just to add some extra life to my room. However, the reason I say succulent plants are a great gift for anyone is because much like the wishing ball, these little plants make great decor pieces and are easy to care for too. 

What are some of your favorite gifts to give during the holiday season? Let's chat about it in the comments below or you can tweet me at @StarkRavingChic! Later babes.

Xx, Bree

JORD Wood Watches: Holiday Campaign

in ,

As we all know the holiday season is just about upon us, which means two things: 

1. Style minded individuals like myself are beginning to plan all of our outfits for holiday events, regardless of the fact it's weeks to months in advance.  

2. Pretty much everybody is trying to figure out the perfect gifts for their loved ones. 

This being said, though I will be sharing some fun styling ideas later this month for all the seasonal events I will be attending, today I am thrilled to announce that I have partnered with JORD Wood Watches for their holiday campaign!

JORD Wooden Watches

Before I dive into the details about the campaign and giveaway (yes giveaway!) first I'd like to tell you a bit about JORD as well as showcase the beautiful watch that their representative Stacy sent me to review and keep free of charge! 

Image Provided by JORD, watch pictured: Dover Series, Zebrawood & Dark Sandalwood

Image Provided by JORD, watch pictured: Dover Series, Zebrawood & Dark Sandalwood

Firstly, JORD is a watch company based in St. Louis, Missouri specializing in luxury, handmade, wooden watches. Their watches are beautifully crafted and are made of the finest materials including a vast selection of different woods, several different skeletons, and lastly the faces of the JORD watches are made of sapphire glass, along with custom engraving services. JORD also has a year long warranty for any repairs that you may need and also offers repair services after a year. And lastly, though JORD is based here in the USA, they ship internationally so my international readers can get in on the goods too!

My JORD Watch: The Frankie Series

As I stated earlier, JORD representative Stacy, was kind enough to reach out to me to collaborate with JORD for this campaign. And in order for me to fully participate, they sent me an absolutely gorgeous watch from their Frankie series! 

 Image Provided by JORD, watch pictured: Frankie Series, Dark Sandalwood & Emerald

 Image Provided by JORD, watch pictured: Frankie Series, Dark Sandalwood & Emerald

The first thing I noticed when I unpackaged my JORD watch was not only was the watch itself beautiful, but the box that it came in was remarkably crafted as well! The watch box was quite heavy and had a beautiful JORD stamp on the top of it. The watch was clearly packed with extraordinary care and was securely placed in the box with an extra touch of packing foam to guarantee its safety while traveling. 

IMG_3804.JPG

Then when I carefully began to inspect my new timepiece, I was not surprised to find that the quality of this watch was impeccable. Obviously there wasn't a scratch on it, the links fit together perfectly, and the clasp is an incredibly easy to work with design--especially compared to my Movoado. 

Wanna see more from my Instagram stories? Feel free to check me out on Instagram @StarkRavingChic! 

Wanna see more from my Instagram stories? Feel free to check me out on Instagram @StarkRavingChic! 

The face of the watch is a very deep emerald green which looks absolutely stunning against the dark sandalwood body. Also the gold accents of the numbers and hands are dazzling and glimmer gorgeously when in sunlight, and also make the watch easier to read due to the contrast.

In my most recent outfit of the day post, you can see that I styled this watch with a nice, casual look. Though in that post, the details may be over looked so in this post, I've decided to include a few close up photos just so you can see for yourself how lovely the watch is. 

For the outfit I recently styled it with, I just felt it paired beautifully with the khaki color of my skirt and earthy tones of the rest of my attire. It gave the watch a fun feel for all.  

And then, the second outfit I styled it with (which will be live on the 22nd, along with another announcement about another awesome collaborator I've been working with!)  was a more street style based look just so I could show this timepiece's versatility, which all my readers know is a very important thing to me. 

Shopping Guide 

Considering this campaign is geared towards the holiday season, I thought that I would give you some tips on what kind of watches would be good for every person in your life. Also, it's a nice perk that JORD has so much variety, considering anyone can find something they like! And with that being said, especially with the giveaway JORD is hosting (the details are below I promise!), why bother going out for Black Friday when you can just shop from home in your pajamas? 

Women's Watches  

The three watches below are my top picks out of JORD's women's watches. The reason I chose these three specifically are because I thought they were the most unique and each are perfectly geared towards three main styles I feel the women purchasing them would fit into and those are: professional, classic, and bold.

The Professional Powerhouse:

The Sidney model is prefect for the professional woman in your life. This traditional design with the added accents and rose coloring of the wood gives this piece the perfect balance of style and business. 

The Classicly Chic:

This Cora Series timepiece is perfect for the classicly chic lady. This piece has hints of romanticism with it's accents as well as a very feminine vibe due to it's rose gold face.  This is one watch that is perfect for the Audrey Hepburn's of the world.

The Bold Beauty: 

Do you have a wild child in your life? If so I'm sure this loud, but beautiful, Frankie Series plum colored watch would definitely be a staple accessory to any of her outfits. From the eye catching gold accents to the rich color, you can't go wrong by gifting this timepiece to the bold beaut in your life. 

Men's Watches

Much like when choosing my top picks for the women's watches, my choices for men where also the most unique but still geared to the most popular style niches for shoppers. These in my opinion were the traditional, the luxurious, and the modern.

The Strictly Business: 

Do you have a loved one who is a workaholic or just prefers a traditionally styled watch? If so the Conway Series model is the perfect choice for him! It's traditional design makes is a stylish choice to any business man who would like a distinguished look. 

The Sharply Dressed: 

If your guy is anything like mine, this Frankie Series watch is the perfect choice for him. As an early gift this year, I bought John this timepiece because he's had his eye on this model since I received my frankie watch! And though he hasn't received it yet (sorry beau, you have to wait 'til I come visit on the 24th!) he is very excited because it suits his classic, but laid back style very well. 

The Modern Man: 

This Dover Series watch is definitely a timepiece for the modern fashionisto. It's trendy, gorgeous, and incredibly modern. So it is perfect for the man who want's to stand out in a crowd. 

GIVEAWAY

FINALLY the part of this post I am sure you have all been waiting for: THE GIVEAWAY INFORMATION! 

First, this giveaway starts today (Thursday, November 10, 2016) and is running through Saturday, December 16, 2016, so everybody has a little over one month to enter the giveaway. And just to be clear, the date's this giveaway is running are as follows:

Starts: Thursday, November 10, 2016

Ends: Friday, December 16, 2016

Now that you have the dates, you should also know that JORD ships internationally so ALL of my readers can participate! So what will you get from this giveaway? Well compliments of JORD everyone who enters will instantly win a $25 e-gift code that they can use to shop from JORD. To sign up for this part of the giveaway, just click the photo below and it will take you to JORD's sign up page:

WAIT THERE IS MORE...

Now, though I will still be giving away a JORD watch, this part of the giveaway is strictly on me considering I always try and personally host a holiday giveaway for my readers because I love you all! This being said the reason I am pairing my personal giveaway with JORD's is simply because I was so impressed with my JORD watch that I thought my readers would love one too, so here is what I am awarding one lucky reader:

Since John and I adore our Frankie Series watches so much, I will send ONE lucky reader a Frankie Series watch (including the Frankie 35s!) of their choice. There are seven "Frankie" to choose from and you can find them HERE. And then there are four "Frankie 35" to choose from which can be found HERE.

My giveaway will be running for the same dates as the JORD sponsored giveaway, and to enter this part of my  giveaway all you need to do is comment below with your name, email, and which Frankie Series watch you would like to try and win. Then bright and early on December 17, 2016, after everyone has had a chance to enter, I will announce the winner in the comments and promptly email them to get the necessary information to place their order (e.g. Wrist size, which I will send you a PDF so you can take your measurement, and of course I will need your mailing address so I can send you your gift!) and ship their watch to them, which I will also be shipping internationally as well. 

Final Notes: 

To all of my readers, I would like to wish you all good luck and I can't wait to see who wins! Also, to those of you who also enter the JORD sponsored part of this giveaway (which you all should because they're a great company and you get $25 towards ANY watch of your choice!) I cannot wait to see what you purchase and how you style it!

And lastly, I just want to say THANK YOU to all my readers, from the longtimers who have been with me from the beginning to the newbies who might have only came here for this post. All of you though are wonderful and I would not have this success or be able to work with such great companies like JORD without you. So thank you so much for your support, and again good luck.  

Xx, Bree

Spring Wardrobe Essentials (Feat. SheIn)

in

The sun is shining, the weather is warming up, and everyone is hoping that Punxsutawney Phil's prediction is correct. That's right everybody: Spring is right around the corner and I literally cannot wait! So in my anxious anticipation for warmer weather and all the plants blooming, I figured why not share my top wardrobe essentials that you'll be seeing throughout spring. And I figured what better place to snag some of those awesome spring duds that have been calling my name, than from my totally sweet sponsors over at SheIn!
 

1. Statement Necklaces

One of my favorite ways to dress up an outfit is by wearing a big statement necklace. The reason why these accessories are a must for spring in my opinion is because they're bright and fun! And in my book, they're even more favorable if they're nature themed. Love these necklaces? You can find more from SheIn's necklace section.
 

2. Fun Patterned Dresses

Much like the fun statement necklaces, another way to brighten up your wardrobe for spring is by wearing some light and patterned dresses. And another cool way to incorporate a nature theme while dressing a little flirtier is to try a lacey cut out dress. If you like any or all of these dresses they can all be found here!
 

3. Cute Graphic Tees

Ahh, one of my favorite parts of spring! It always means it's that time of year when it's time to shed our winter coats and sweaters and slip into some adorable tees. Why is this my favorite part? Because tees are basically the tell tale sign that summer and warmer days are on the way! Wanna get some cute tees for yourself? You can shop every kind of tee from bands to TV shows here.
 

4. Dainty Little Purses

This little bit has to do with spring cleaning. One reason I feel a smaller purse is a must for spring is because they get rid of all the clutter that our winter totes hold. I myself received the most adorable little bag (you can see it here and buy it here!) from SheIn and haven't stopped using it ever since, and I must admit, simplifying my life even in the smallest of ways has really put me in a spring mindset! You can shop all of these bags here.
 

5. Boyfriend Jeans

Untitled-2copy.jpg

Boyfriend jeans: A spring staple that will never get old in my book! Much like the graphic tees, to me when I start seeing other gals sporting their boyfriend jeans I just know the laid back pace of the spring and summer months are on their way. Need a pair? You can find them here!
 

6. Block Heels

I don't know what it is about these fun and funky heels, but they're simply a spring must. Though they're not killer and sexy like some of the styles we see in the summer and fall, they're just so sweet and laid back that they're a perfect look for spring. Love 'em? Then embrace your inner Spice Girl and shop 'em!
 

7. Patterned Button Downs

Though I seem to find blouses essential for every season except winter, one season you simply can't go without them is spring. The reason why I specifically say patterned blouses though is because they are so fresh, and you guessed it, fun. What better way to brighten up the dull office than with a cute bright blouse? You can find all of these styles here.
 

8. Fun Skirts

Yet another thing you won't see in my closet unless it's spring time! Much like the blouses, skirts are a great way to send off a spring vibe as well as add some color back into your wardrobe! Love them? Get them!
 

9. Pop of Color Heels

Out of all the ways to add color to your wardrobe I always found shoes to be one of my favorites! There's just nothing quite like a bright, unique heel that makes me feel unstoppable. If you agree and love shoes as much as I do, you can check out SheIn's spring selection here.
 

10. Denim and Army Jackets
 

These two laid back and casual light jackets are something my spring wardrobe would just not be complete without. Both are just so comfy and are simply perfect for wearing on the chillier spring days. Agree? Check them out here and here!

What are some of your spring wardrobe essentials? Let's chat about it in the comments below or tweet me at @StarkRavingChic. Or if there's a piece you just have to show me, feel free to tag me on Instagram @StarkRavingChic!