tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-88260204638566880162024-03-18T02:03:28.395-04:00Love, Lydia - Notes from a geeky, plus sized artist.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05147063157842791065noreply@blogger.comBlogger123125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8826020463856688016.post-22825697943042600342017-10-21T16:22:00.003-04:002017-10-21T16:22:56.417-04:00Coming Back to Life<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Hey friends,<br />
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It's been a really long time, hasn't it? Sorry about that, but I've been going through a lot this past year and it's left me unable to deal with a lot of things the way I'd like to, or how a normal person would, much less keep up with a rigid schedule of blogs, social media, and videos. And I've learned a lot from the experience and wanted to share some of what I've gone through and catch up with you all.<br />
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So this time last fall I was starting to feel symptoms of anxiety, I didn't know that's what it was at the time, but I did get around to realizing it in the past few months. Mostly this left me feeling like I couldn't handle much socially whether that be in person, returning messages to many dear friends, or writing blog posts or doing other things I love. Some of that's depression too, and as Bryan has said to me before, sometimes it's hard to tell where depression stops and another issue like anxiety pops up. I thought the anxiety was mostly a side effect from depression, and I tried to do the best I could. However I found it harder to keep up with everything as the holidays came closer and I started retreating more often.<br />
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The same time as all this was going on Bryan and I had been trying to have a baby for about 3 and a half years, completely unsuccessfully. It had been taking a toll on our relationship and how confident I felt about myself after so much of what is perceived by society as failures. We'd done tests, tried some medications, and more and nothing helped. We finally got to a point where we talked to family members about it some and started to talk seriously about adopting while we hadn't quite stopped trying either. To us it makes more sense to adopt than pouring a lot of money into something like in-vitro fertilization or other techniques which disrupt your life and procedures and hormonal nightmares while still offering no guarantees. 4 years of trying leaves you very stressed and discouraged. It's enough to cause depression by itself, so in some ways I'm not surprised a bit that I was having trouble.<br />
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After the new year started Bryan and I finally had a good talk about things, with lots of tears and coming to a better understanding of how we both felt let down, pressured, and unhappy with each other and the silent expectation we thought we had to live up to, but never feeling like we could acknowledge it properly. After that conversation we knew it was time to stop trying. I'd dealt with a lot of pain each month from my periods and was very glad to go back on birth control to manage it. I've looked into it as we had all the tests for fertility done, and there's a decent possibility the pain is caused by endometriosis, but there's no way to know for sure without surgery. My doctor doesn't want to resort to that without better reasons than we currently have, which were mostly unexplained infertility and enough pain that I had to go on birth control back in college because otherwise I'd miss classes regularly since no pain killers can help on my worst days.<br />
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Around the same time I'd had my yearly physical and had my blood glucose test come back in the pre-diabetic range. I'd not worried about this too much in the past, but with all the was going on I had gained some weight over the holidays and wasn't in a great place. I was told to try to be more healthy, and come back for follow up tests in a month or two to assess whether the blood glucose reading was an anomaly or something to worry about. In some ways this was a wake up call since I do have a family history of diabetes. Somewhere between the two visits I made the decision that I wanted to be healthier, and was serious about it.<br />
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That spring proved to be a very hard time though, and while I did get healthier metabolically I also got sick a lot, several times with stomach bugs, plus the normal cold or two, and between it all I threw my back out horribly. I didn't really recover from it until mid April, but during that time I did start walking more, because that would help with my back some. I honestly got so little done at home during that time that it left me feeling very guilty, and I backed away further from friends as I found sitting up to use a computer hurt. I had started back on birth control in February and found it lifted a lot of my depression, though I still have the occasional bad day it's much less often. And when I went back for follow up testing things were better! I had started to change how I thought about eating and pay more attention to my eating habits in general so I'd be more sensible and balanced.<br />
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The summer was a bit of a mixed bag as I tried to find some balance between the healthy habits I was trying to make, more going on with family, and trying to deal with things around the house again and contemplating art again after depression led me to abandon it for several years. Often I felt like I'd take two steps forward and one step back, but things were slowly getting better.<br />
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As fall has started I've been dipping my toe into a lot of things, remaking habits to create, socialize, and hopefully run my business again. I've been doing it all with a much different approach than before, where I tried to do too much, imposing perfectionistic ideals that led to cycles of failure, depression, and self sabotage. Now when I start something I ask myself a lot more questions about the process with the thought of making sustainable habits, and making myself healthier mentally along the way.<br />
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You're probably thinking that's a lot of mental health jargon and not a lot of concrete goals. But it's been helping me. I've been tackling the Inktober challenge; it's a trend that started for artists to create an ink drawing each day for the month of October. I've been taking it with a more forgiving attitude, allowing myself to take more time on some pieces, and get caught up on others. And sharing these pieces has been getting me back into talking and posting on social media, as well as working on refreshing <a href="http://lydiasdesigns.etsy.com/" target="_blank">my Etsy shop</a> to include the new pieces and put more polish on what's already there. Once I get through with Inktober I'll be working on serious pieces more often too. Right now I've got one watercolor going to get back into practice. I do have to admit that putting things down for so long has left me rusty. On the flip side starting over has given me new ideas and left me feeling more refreshed in many ways than I have in a long time. I kind of wonder now if what made me stop wasn't just depression, but a bit of burnout too. In any case, it's good to be back.<br />
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I'm not quite sure what that means for what I'll be writing here on the blog, but I hope you'll stick with me as I try to find out. I know two things though, first off I want to work on projects that leave me feeling satisfied, maybe that means I'll write about fashion some, or art more, or subscription boxes sometimes, I'm almost sure I'll write about books, and probably a lot more. That overall leads me to my number two...<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxv9K5YjXLK1q4EZAZDWP_IOd10UNNxVBPM3t4lSKw9lBmxYPbddsYUXmjU6jUHavGe0JWYcfJNOLqgpj5gofpAFWCXQB7XhBVScj1JGhzP12fjHNwlRaxvzlMmZd3A45FwXDDx578qxEF/s1600/coming+back+to+life.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Coming Back to Life, David Bowie Quote, love lydia, lydia dickson, lydiasdesigns, etsy shop, etsy artist, artist blog, depression blog,coming back to social media" border="0" data-original-height="1333" data-original-width="1600" height="531" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxv9K5YjXLK1q4EZAZDWP_IOd10UNNxVBPM3t4lSKw9lBmxYPbddsYUXmjU6jUHavGe0JWYcfJNOLqgpj5gofpAFWCXQB7XhBVScj1JGhzP12fjHNwlRaxvzlMmZd3A45FwXDDx578qxEF/s640/coming+back+to+life.jpg" title="Coming Back To Life (David Bowie quote)" width="640" /></a></div>
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Thanks for reading everyone, and until next time.<br />
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05147063157842791065noreply@blogger.com27tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8826020463856688016.post-19858512063728313382016-09-09T00:16:00.000-04:002016-09-09T00:16:51.757-04:00Let's Play: Molkky<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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Hello friends,</h3>
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I've got a lot of exciting things in store for you this month as fall brings things back into focus. Today's post is a fun review of a game called Molkky. The game's maker, Tactic Games sent me a copy of the game to try out and review for you all (Nope I'm not paid to review it, they just saw I write about games sometimes and thought you all would like it!). Molkky is a game that originates in Finland and is one of the most popular lawn games in Europe. You can read more about it's <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/M%C3%B6lkky">history here</a>.<br />
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Molkky</h2>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgywqCnIGzQXH4FeYLD-hbAKDOovsS5Ir617Av3LatO1Ig3HxWX6Q39C-uj3YQGq6k5I6CKZ176lhMPz2l3tCkMnN0LSLMn5KUAwJDJqgr6rI07m8oCqVT18x7riDcO9KvfynbjTFgDQ_dX/s1600/molkky.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgywqCnIGzQXH4FeYLD-hbAKDOovsS5Ir617Av3LatO1Ig3HxWX6Q39C-uj3YQGq6k5I6CKZ176lhMPz2l3tCkMnN0LSLMn5KUAwJDJqgr6rI07m8oCqVT18x7riDcO9KvfynbjTFgDQ_dX/s400/molkky.jpg" title="Love, Lydia... Lat's Play: Molkky game review of the family lawn game from Finland" width="400" /></a></div>
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I was hoping to try it out with family before or during Labor day weekend, but nature had other plans and sent us some rain with the remnants of hurricane Hermine. But take a peek at the video to see Bryan and I playing and enjoying this game! It gives a much better view of the game pieces in action.<br />
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My Molkky Experience</h2>
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In terms of the quality it's nicely boxed up in a very sturdy cardboard carrying case with a comfortable plastic handle. The wooden games pieces seem to be made of a sturdy, but lightweight wood, probably pine. The whole set is built to last well, and I think families will not only get a lot of use out of it since it's a game that's easy for all ages to learn and play, but also keep coming back to it each summer. (Or if you're like us you can play indoors with bad weather!) It's not as complex as some of the board games I play, but I really like games like this that can be played at parties and family get togethers. If you'd like to get a game you can <a href="http://amzn.to/2cGQAVY" rel="nofollow">find them here through my Amazon affiliate link</a>. And you can check out <a href="http://www.tactic.net/product.php?lang=US&kl2=1&category=13&k1=&k2=&k3=&Product_number=41061&kuvanro=1">Tactic's site here as well</a> for more information.<br />
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Thanks for reading! Let me know if you have any other fun board games or lawn games you want me to try out in the comments. I'll have some more posts coming up soon.<br />
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05147063157842791065noreply@blogger.com21tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8826020463856688016.post-16609905871943093162016-08-24T00:00:00.003-04:002016-08-24T00:44:51.251-04:00August Book Reviews: Love of the Sirens and Batgirl Vol 2 Family Business<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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Hi Friends,</h3>
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Yet again it's been a while, but this summer has definitely been a long, hot, and sad one in the news. So I hope you all can understand my absences, as they have honestly been for my own mentally health, not because of you all! I'm doing ok, but sometimes being online too much when there's bad news almost everywhere is just hard for anyone. So I took a rather impromptu break....maybe I shouldn't have because I really enjoy writing. It makes me glad to be back. But let's get on to what you came here for, the book reviews!<br />
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August Book Reviews</h2>
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I've got two for you today, and I want to keep up with at least two interesting book reviews each month. I know some of you readers love it, and I'm really glad to share anything interesting I've read with you all.<br />
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Love Of The Sirens</h2>
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The Love of the Sirens by Edith Zack is a little bit off my typical path of fiction and comics, but I really loved the format of small historical biographies of women in music. If you get to know me well enough you know I enjoy my history and women's studies. So this book is a fantastic combination of both. It allows many of the women who were well known in their time to be made known now to modern music and history lovers despite the fact that many history of music textbooks leave these ladies out.<br />
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There are twenty different women profiled in the book, all in historical order from 1098 CE to the last who was born in 1931. There's also a nicely written prologue that gives a bit of an overview of women in the world of music and what has at times kept them from being as popularly known as their contemporaries.<br />
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I'll be honest, I haven't read all the stories yet, but none of them are terribly long. It just right for a lunch break or before bed reading. The women detailed are all what we might think of as more classical musicians or composers and lived in the western world. There's nothing too crazy or exotic among them that I've discovered, but the fact that there aren't any women I could name meant I had to read this book to find out more! I was given a copy of the book for free by the publisher to review, but as always this review is my own thoughts. If you'd like to check it out <a href="http://amzn.to/2bLZqkv" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">you can find out more here through my affiliate link on Amazon.com</a>.<br />
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Batgirl Volume 2 Family Business</h2>
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Some of you may have read my somewhat frustrated review of the first Volume in this series The Batgirl of Burnside. There was some rather sexist bits in what was otherwise a great story, and it left me conflicted. It took me a while to get back to it, but I decided I'd add it to my birthday list, and then I did indeed get it for my birthday a couple weeks ago!<br />
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It's a much better volume, with a lot more emphasis on character development, and it includes some really fun storylines as well. Barbara has to deal with family and friends who she wants to protect instinctively, while also learning to allow them to choose their own paths. There's less drawing for the male gaze too, I really only noted it one or twice, whereas the other volume seemed to include it in every story! If you're interested you can <a href="http://amzn.to/2bdYTfZ" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">find this book on Amazon via this affiliate link</a> or in your friendly local comic book store.<br />
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But Wait There's More....</h2>
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I've got a lot of exciting things coming up, including another post about another amazing subscription food box. It's not really the kind it's easy to just do a video about either, so I'm looking forward to sharing it here on the blog with you later this week.<br />
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Thanks for sticking with me. I'm really excited to get back into the swing of things with you all as summer is finally winding down. See you again soon!<br />
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05147063157842791065noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8826020463856688016.post-33404579730101040842016-07-30T19:11:00.000-04:002016-08-09T20:59:05.336-04:00Let's Try: Japan Funbox<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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Hi Friends!</h3>
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I can't believe how busy this month has been or how fast it's been flying by. I've been trying to get caught up on life and feel like the news has just been so negative. Maybe not all of it....but it's overwhelming to think about too much, so I haven't been online as much because of it.<br />
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Japan Funbox</h2>
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However I do have this bright spot to share with you via a video post. I was contacted by a representative from the Japan Funbox and asked if I'd like to try their mini box and share it with my audience. If you've caught any of my other snack box reviews you probably know Japanese snack foods are some of my favorites. One of the most unique things about this box is that it's packed and shipped straight from Japan! I found the snacks to be a little fresher because of this and it felt really special to be getting mail from Japan too. While Japan Funbox sent me a free box to review all opinions in the review are my own.<br />
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To find out more about the Japan Funbox click <a href="https://japanfunbox.com/a/20/" rel="" target="_blank">my affiliate link here</a>. And be sure to tall me what you think in the comments or let me know if there's another interesting subscription you'd like to see me try for you all.<br />
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Thanks for reading. See you all again soon!<br />
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05147063157842791065noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8826020463856688016.post-44217873881772474232016-07-09T02:17:00.001-04:002016-08-31T10:12:54.796-04:00News + My Nerd Origin Story<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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Hi Friends,</h3>
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This week has been a crazy one, with lots of good and lots of bad to report. Honestly it breaks my heart to think about it all too much. However I'm going to try and write about some of it and we'll see what happens from there!<br />
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News</h2>
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Giveaway</h3>
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First off I'm pleased to announce a winner to my giveaway (<a href="http://www.lydiadickson.com/2016/06/where-am-i-and-sister-spy-book-review.html" target="_blank">found in this post</a>). Congratulations to Melissa K! Her prize will be shipping soon, and if you missed this giveaway please stay tuned to my blog. I'll be hosting another in the near future!<br />
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I'd also like to thank everyone who entered my giveaway. I loved reading your ideas for what I should be writing about and noted many folks want to see more about plus size fashion and reviews. I can't wait to bring you more of this!<br />
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Liebster Award</h3>
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Last week I was nominated by my lovely colleague Sadie at <a href="http://www.sadiebydesign.com/2016/06/liebster-award/" target="_blank">Sadie By Design</a> for a Liebster Award! The Liebster is an way of giving bloggers a better platform to tell their story to the world. I wanted to acknowledge it in this post even though I haven't had time to fully address all that goes with the nomination yet. I'm thrilled and flattered to be featured this way and can't wait to write more about it. Please watch for a more in depth post about this in the next few weeks!</div>
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#BlackLivesMatter</h3>
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This is just exhausting to keep track of, and the more hate that builds as people start to see race as an issue to take sides on the more sick I feel. I can't think about other people that way. 506 black lives have been lost so far this year, and now more are being added from the police force thanks to a few renegades who are taking things into their own hands. One of the 506 was my cousin a few months back.<br />
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I keep thinking things will change for the better, and then there is only more violence and tragedy. It leaves me an emotional mess, feeling guilty when good things are happening in my own life and others are experiencing so much loss. Guilty for being white and having the privilege to go and do what I want without being anxious for my life. I feel bad that the best I can do most days is simply have dialogue with you, my readers, or the other folks I know in person or online. It just feels like nothing I do will be enough to help. And for that I am sorry.<br />
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However I try to read and stay educated about what is going on. I don't just block it out with my own moderately happy life. If this strikes a chord with you and you'd like to learn more about concrete ways you can help find peace and ensure a better future for everyone in this country please <a href="http://www.maximummiddleage.com/right-now/alton-sterling-philando-castile-how-to-be-an-ally-to-black-people" target="_blank">check out this amazing article</a> featuring a list of practical ways to become an ally.<br />
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Pokemon Go</h3>
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This has been the happy thing of my week I have been enjoying this app I have eagerly awaited the past 8 months. I'll be writing more on this in the near future, including a full review! For now I have my Bulbasaur, a gym next door to my house (First to claim! Though it's already been taken over and....well, I'll come back to that later). <br />
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My Nerd Origin Story</h2>
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My friend and <a href="https://nerdilyblog.com/" target="_blank">fellow blogger Mickey</a> came up with this writing prompt and opened it up as a bit of a group project within the Geeks & Beauties community I'm a part of. I think it's a great topic to think about as we get introspective about life because it helps us look on the bright side of things and view our own life as a story that we get the power to write. Just as some of our favorite superheroes lives were shaped by adversity so are our own at times. And as with superheroes, sometimes we keep our nerdy identity a secret from the general public. However, today I'm opening up about it to you all.<br />
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My own story starts when I was learning to read. I was homeschooled and my mom had some curriculum to help that included a series of books with stepped difficulty and little racetrack to move along as you read each. I remember after the first dozen or so I think I completed the rest in a day, and then started begging my mom to take me to the library. From then on I loved reading and would get a dozen or more books each visit, multiple times a week. When I was 10 years old my mom, brother and I spent some time living with my grandmother and great grandmother to help them out. As soon as we realized we might be there long term the library visits started there too, and in some ways reading became my best friend when there was no one my age to play with. While I love my brother, when you're cooped up in a house together you get sick of each other eventually. Books became my escape from that, and later my comfort as I had to figure out how to make friends with kids again when I had left a kid and came back to my hometown a middle schooler. Fantasy books were my favorite, from retellings of fairy tales to waiting for each new Harry Potter book.<br />
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I was the kid who while perhaps 13 walked to the mall on black Friday to buy myself a Game Boy when they were finally cheap enough to be affordable to my family, and then patiently wait to receive it on Christmas day along with a cartridge for Pokemon Blue (my brother got Red!). We had an old Nintendo we shared and played the first few Super Mario games on, and I vividly remember playing all of the Legend of Zelda on a 6 inch black and white tv. As he got further into his teens my brother took over most of the gaming systems in our house, deeming me unworthy to play them as a female. But I was already hooked.<br />
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Growing up we had a closet full of board games, stocked by my mom that we used often. Before she homeschooled my brother and I full time she had been a librarian at a university, and before that a high school biology teacher. She loved learning and finding us new projects to work on that stimulated our curiosity. Even when we watched tv with my parents they would often be watching Star Trek or other science fiction shows. On Saturdays my dad would take us on walks to 7-11 to pick up some small item the family needed and buy me a Barbie or Strawberry Shortcake comic. I didn't realize how nerdy this all was until much later in life. I just took joy from reading about gardening and teaching myself to grow roses, or learning to identify birds, trees, and insects. I never thought of myself as an outdoorsy kid, but I loved nature and the science and beauty of it. To this day when I'm creating art or decorating my home themes from nature are constantly finding their way into my work.<br />
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Later in high school I wanted to run my own website for a church group I was in and learned to code some in HTML. We didn't even have a computer at the time, just a WebTV unit that allowed us to do very basic web surfing and checking emails. But I figured out how to make it work, and later when we did have a computer I was the one keeping that up and running for the 5-6 years we owned a desktop the family to shared. And I almost ended up in the field of graphic design, except I fell in love with darkroom photography and preferred it to sitting in from of a computer for long periods of time. And now my work involves a computer (or smartphone) all the time!<br />
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For most of my life I didn't think about myself as a nerd, I just did the things I loved, which happened to be geeky. Nowadays when I'm looking for new friends or trying to find my tribe I often go straight for the nerdy girls first. And most of the time that's exactly what works best.<br />
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If you'd like to hear some other great nerd origin stories please go <a href="https://nerdilyblog.com/2016/07/07/nerding-out-the-origin-story/" target="_blank">read Mickey's here at the Nerdily blog</a>, <a href="http://www.sadiebydesign.com/2016/08/sadie-origin-story/" target="_blank">Sadie's at Sadie By Design</a>, Andrea's at <a href="https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC2GyMOaAkzshiIXXzqQk0TQ" target="_blank">her YouTube channel Chibi Drea</a> (coming soon), and <a href="http://priincess-eevee.blogspot.com/2016/07/my-origin-story-how-i-got-into-cosplay.html" target="_blank">Evelyn's at Princess Eevee</a>. I'll update these links to go straight to their stories, but for now you can check out their sites and get to know these lovely ladies.<br />
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What's your nerd origin story like? Let me know more in the comments! And as always, thanks for reading. I really appreciate all my visitors.<br />
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05147063157842791065noreply@blogger.com20tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8826020463856688016.post-70720745295634092892016-06-21T04:49:00.000-04:002016-06-21T13:15:57.466-04:00Where am I? And "Sister, Spy" Book Review<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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Hi friends!</h3>
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I know I haven't been around much lately, and I wanted to give you an update as to why. For the first time in what feels like a long time many of the reasons are good. And I'm happy to share some great things on the horizon too!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2BgsMP7Bg4of3NQyKydvd90oJJM8-cxOPw3FrAWR8NSaGzwj7kF5jfOfYTonB2UnYVKAdSo_ojA7ebChN7Hy3IBVg6the_Cu689QAlS0wf4LbbOoT1gABNHWwb-0pu2LBorFyOpEnIP6P/s1600/Where+and+review.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2BgsMP7Bg4of3NQyKydvd90oJJM8-cxOPw3FrAWR8NSaGzwj7kF5jfOfYTonB2UnYVKAdSo_ojA7ebChN7Hy3IBVg6the_Cu689QAlS0wf4LbbOoT1gABNHWwb-0pu2LBorFyOpEnIP6P/s640/Where+and+review.jpg" title="Love, Lydia Lydia Dickson Where am I? Life post. Book review of Sister, Spy by Menahem Misgav and a LuLaRoe Plus Size Clothing giveaway TC Tall Curvy Leggings and cat and owl socks" width="640" /></a></div>
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Where I've Been...</h2>
First of all May kept me busy, I've been in a great group coaching course called the Own It Academy, led by Jessica Rasdall (She's amazing! Her story is unique and moving; <a href="http://www.jessicarasdall.com/" target="_blank">definitely check her out </a>if you want to learn how to convey your stories to folks!). The class has been a fantastic experience that's had me writing away as I learn more about how to tell my story to you all. The idea behind the course is boldly owning up to your story for the world to see and telling it effectively, so your audience can be encouraged, learn from what you have to say, and understand what it's like to be you. We're about 2/3 of the way through the course now and along the way I realized the writing I've been doing there has honestly sapped away at my creative energy for posts. So I'm sorry I haven't been around as much as I usually am, but I'm happy to be learning a lot, which I'm excited to start sharing with you all.<br />
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One of the biggest things I've discovered is how I've been looking for balance in my life and failing to find it. Mostly because I push myself so hard to reach goals that are unrealistic. I imagine you all can relate, you set great goals that when you look at each one individually seem quite attainable, but when you look at the big picture you realize you're trying too hard to be superwoman. Honestly, my goals have been ambitious, and that's not taken into account how I deal with depression or other areas of my life I want to respect.<br />
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It's made me re-think my plans and goals for the future. I'm prioritizing being happier and not being down on myself because I've set a course that's impossible to follow and be healthy. It means that instead of trying to post 3 times a week I'll try for 1-2 really great quality posts that will help you, my wonderful readers, much more. I love spending the time to research topics, creating great images, and fully writing out my ideas to give you the best I can. I'm looking forward to doing more of that. Right now my biggest problem is that I have loads of great ideas to write about, and have learn to put some of those ideas on the back burner!<br />
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Other than that I've been doing a lot with family, like having my parents visit, attending my brother in law Davey's wedding, and spending time with my husband. I've dealt with a nasty cold, and some other health issues, which are thankfully getting better, though I'll touch on them more in a future post. And in the past month my husband, Bryan, had been waiting for and finally received notice that the job he'd been contracting for the past 6 months is hiring him as a permanent employee. We're super thrilled about that and starting to think ahead for some new developments in our personal life related to the increased stability we'll be so lucky to have.<br />
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Sister, Spy - Book Review</h2>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYruUDaoeEfBvk7xfyK_0a6-Jhxb7km5rzZcF2DxX8JSLaYz3YoI_jz4MJZKpIdfjidM05LsE9oWxko1ztZUKswl8E1WUIjksXQDadgKtG6FuwzKuHk7-VgD-3FxLbV3aHv9PSo3e5DPFl/s1600/FullSizeRender+%252816%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYruUDaoeEfBvk7xfyK_0a6-Jhxb7km5rzZcF2DxX8JSLaYz3YoI_jz4MJZKpIdfjidM05LsE9oWxko1ztZUKswl8E1WUIjksXQDadgKtG6FuwzKuHk7-VgD-3FxLbV3aHv9PSo3e5DPFl/s400/FullSizeRender+%252816%2529.jpg" title="Love, Lydia Lydia Dickson Life post. Book review of Sister, Spy by Menahem Misgav and a giveaway. Holocaust, Cold War, Spy fiction WWII" width="400" /></a></div>
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I love finding new books in a variety of genres, and while normally spy stories aren't my thing the premise of this one captured my interest. And luckily I was given a copy of it to review by the publisher. "Sister, Spy" by Menahem Misgav is about a pair of siblings who survived WWII living in monasteries and were recruited by the Soviets to spy for them in the fledgling country of Israel.<br />
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The first third of the book starts with a situation where the brother is killed, then we learn more about his family and how they lived the war. A good amount of the next third of the book is about how he and his sister came to be spies. (Including a chapter on the sister's sexual awakening and subsequent relationships, which was a little graphic for my tastes, with all the parts of the story before it being focused on the family it was a little jarring.) Finally in the last third of the book we get to see why the brother was killed and what his sister and father will do now that he's gone.<br />
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Overall I enjoyed the author's writing style quite a bit and found a fast and engaging read. Other than the sexual content the only other fault I might have would be with some light mistakes in editing, all homonyms that snuck through the editing process. I feel like this happens with many recently published books I read, since publishing now relies so heavily on spellcheck as an editing tool. Perhaps this means I should take up editing? In any case such a common issue it's hardly worth mentioning if I weren't such a grammar nerd. I think most people with an interest in Holocaust survivors, spies, or Cold War fiction will enjoy this novel. <a href="http://amzn.to/28O77po" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Please check it out here on Amazon through this affiliate link</a>.<br />
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Coming Soon</h2>
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More book reviews!</div>
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A follow up article with more reviews of LuLaRoe clothing than the popular original post (found here).</div>
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About a dozen videos, including lots of unboxings of beauty, geek, craftsy, and food boxes, plus my first fashion review on film!</div>
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And last but not least here's a brand new giveaway if you scroll down, because it's been too long since I've had some fun with you all! Thanks and I'll see you all again very soon.<br />
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This giveaway includes a pair of LuLaRoe leggings in size TC (Tall & Curvy, fits sizes 12-24) 3 pairs of owl socks, and 2 pairs of "invisible" or "floating" style cat socks. The owl and cat socks can be found <a href="http://amzn.to/28PClgV" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">here (owls)</a> and <a href="http://amzn.to/28PD1mt" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">here (cats)</a> through my Amazon affiliate links. LuLaRoe clothing is sold through local or online consultants, you can buy leggings through my consultant, <a href="https://www.facebook.com/groups/lularoebynicolefitts/" target="_blank">Nicole's Facebook group here</a>. None of the companies involved paid me in any way, I just wanted to share some fun clothing with you all in this month's giveaway, which runs until July 4th!</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEij0CP0c8bkQ05kPPABEC4iQlPFBDNMWSLWE5puXsJXUdySGKXw6fdAghIJZGy7hMTvx2XPERRS9j12u5YeX3VrsYnzJCEzFDWGHADg9KfS3NU6ujYWiOZoMbTZ3tL9dmFSZNJNDw-Uz51k/s1600/june+giveaway.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEij0CP0c8bkQ05kPPABEC4iQlPFBDNMWSLWE5puXsJXUdySGKXw6fdAghIJZGy7hMTvx2XPERRS9j12u5YeX3VrsYnzJCEzFDWGHADg9KfS3NU6ujYWiOZoMbTZ3tL9dmFSZNJNDw-Uz51k/s640/june+giveaway.jpg" title="Love, Lydia Lydia Dickson a LuLaRoe Plus Size Clothing giveaway TC Tall Curvy Leggings and cat and owl socks win ethical fashion for free" width="640" /></a></div>
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<a class="e-widget" href="https://gleam.io/seTaM/lularoe-leggings-and-cute-sock-giveaway" rel="nofollow">LuLaRoe Leggings and Cute Sock Giveaway</a>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05147063157842791065noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8826020463856688016.post-52432934968896449002016-05-07T02:55:00.001-04:002016-05-07T02:55:40.482-04:00Let's Try Ethical Review: Elegantees<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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Hi friends,</h2>
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It's been a crazy past couple weeks since my last post and I've been dealing with some health issues that kept me stuck in bed much more than I'd like. However, I'm really happy to share this short note with you all today.<br />
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As many of you readers may remember I've been trying to make more ethical decisions as I buy clothing, which is part of what led me to trying making capsule wardrobes. You can read about that process <a href="http://www.lydiadickson.com/2015/07/the-capsule-wardrobe-aka-fashionyface.html" target="_blank">here</a> and <a href="http://www.lydiadickson.com/2015/09/my-fall-2015-capsule-wardrobe.html" target="_blank">here</a>. Now I'm adding some pieces to my wardrobe by retailers who chose to pay their employees fairly, whether they're in the US or abroad. I've been researching clothing brands who make ethical plus size lines, and you can find all the one I know of <a href="http://www.lydiadickson.com/p/ethical-plus-size-fashion.html" target="_blank">on this page</a> (also up in the toolbar). I hope you all will fall in love with some of these brands the way I have so we can make a difference in the world by each piece of clothing we buy! Today though, I'm sharing a new brand I recently learned about on Instagram and am reviewing for you all since I got my first order this past week.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgs9jCo513z0wFNkegawAekqTzHB1h97MhBtjpNHcoQsRaN0D_XcKZGV25CxvDblNiUhYe_h9uJiLDJdo8EmalD5cxfKC5D2fQsQCefH7af4SVvBvL1eaeerKA-jV7BmX4NMgjCM4I-yb2w/s1600/Elegantees.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgs9jCo513z0wFNkegawAekqTzHB1h97MhBtjpNHcoQsRaN0D_XcKZGV25CxvDblNiUhYe_h9uJiLDJdo8EmalD5cxfKC5D2fQsQCefH7af4SVvBvL1eaeerKA-jV7BmX4NMgjCM4I-yb2w/s640/Elegantees.jpg" title="Elegantees blog review Love Lydia ethical plus size clothing tops tees casual wear business casual 2X" width="640" /></a></div>
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My Elegantees Plus Size Review</h2>
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So, first off a bit of background on Elegantees - They work with women in Nepal (thus far) who are coming out of sex trafficking situations and becoming independent. Elegantees helps train them and gives them jobs to support themselves and their families by creating comfortable tops and dresses. The women are paid fairly and given a hand up into a new way of life. You can <a href="http://elegantees.com/pages/into-the-sewing-center" target="_blank">read more here</a>.<br />
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Elegantees also prioritizes their clothing being accessibly priced so the sale items in plus sizes are $25-36 and regular prices ones range from $34-64. Their sizing goes from an XS-2X, or up to a size 20/22. Additionally they host trunk shows where you have your choice for earning credit to spend for selling to your friends, giving back to the job training program Elegantees runs, or using the funds for your own charity events such as missions trips or adoptions! I love this idea, and think it's a beautiful way to get the word out about a brand while making the world a better place.<br />
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I wanted to go with a couple nice basic pieces from <a href="http://www.elegantees.com/" target="_blank">Elegantees</a>, and selected two great tops that were on sale as the ones I'd try. First up is the "Amy" top in black. I wear their size 2X in both tops, and comparatively I wear a 2X from Torrid or Lane Bryant, and a XXL or 1X from Target in similar fabrics. I really liked this top even though it's a tiny bit big at the shoulder (my shoulders fit slightly small to average in most brands), it fits well everywhere else on me. I love the front tie detail that cinches the waist in and the double layers at the peplum are darling! I kind of wish I'd gotten this top in the medium blue instead of black, but the black will be much more versatile, and serves as a great piece for the transitions between cold and hot weather.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLwga2WNrhyphenhyphendDkAvmF7J6krReP7lNqikhjNIMvn8-s-7OCVPU2kV_IIM8X1CpjTMEPgIkp_cckM5K6MOGg97by5QNXelObXPaT0Kg420L_Gi0-BLGiJ7uCu52vQEZv0aPDjCQnl8eS2TDU/s1600/IMG_7663.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLwga2WNrhyphenhyphendDkAvmF7J6krReP7lNqikhjNIMvn8-s-7OCVPU2kV_IIM8X1CpjTMEPgIkp_cckM5K6MOGg97by5QNXelObXPaT0Kg420L_Gi0-BLGiJ7uCu52vQEZv0aPDjCQnl8eS2TDU/s640/IMG_7663.jpg" title="Elegantees Amy 3/4 sleeve tie bust peplum top in 2X plus size review by Love Lydia blog" width="640" /></a></div>
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Next up is the "Namra" tank top in navy. I ran into essentially the same problem with the shoulders being a little large on this shirt. It's not really noticeable except because the neckline buckles a bit instead of laying flat, but the armholes are a cut larger, which does expose my bra if the fabric is stretched at all as it might be if I sit down. However, I know that won't be a problem for everyone, it's more of my own issue. On the good side of things the length is longer than expected, making the top a lovely tunic length. In the picture below I've paired it with some Tall & Curvy size leggings from LuLaRoe and was really happy with how it falls at the hip. The fabric on both tops is ultra soft and stretchy, though I feel like in the "Namra" tank it didn't need as much stretch, and would have draped even better without it.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFO2Ijt_fMiKjHuR0Z85Q8WJZduVFbYYvxS4mXi7qGK6DSgDvI9LgGfFBdKm6rp1ybwCIlze-B2UN7v1saWQXbjQwVFlLpZ597C_5KkOSfj6J3MxK-a0d07ww0LcL2tZw_iNXbpMmPLqyK/s1600/IMG_7700.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFO2Ijt_fMiKjHuR0Z85Q8WJZduVFbYYvxS4mXi7qGK6DSgDvI9LgGfFBdKm6rp1ybwCIlze-B2UN7v1saWQXbjQwVFlLpZ597C_5KkOSfj6J3MxK-a0d07ww0LcL2tZw_iNXbpMmPLqyK/s640/IMG_7700.jpg" title="Elegantees plus size review Namra tank top shell in 2x by Love Lydia blog" width="640" /></a></div>
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Overall I'm pretty happy with these tops, the quality is awesome and the price ($22.50 for "Amy" and $16.67 for "Namra" with their current sale code) is just great! I'm glad to know what their fit is like going forward, and would definitely buy from them again. I decided that because having a good fit is important to me I will be passing on the "Namra" tank top in my Poshmark shop, but my husband and I both love the "Amy" top! I can't wait to see the new plus size items in their summer offerings.<br />
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Thanks for reading, and please let me know what you think about Elegantees on the comments!<br />
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05147063157842791065noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8826020463856688016.post-71379735231449298092016-04-22T23:07:00.001-04:002016-04-23T14:19:20.648-04:00My First Video Roundup! <div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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Hi folks!</h2>
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I love all you readers and I've missed you all over the past few weeks. I've been working away on a bunch of different projects, but haven't been writing as much here as I've processed it all. Plus, you may not have noticed yet, but I started making videos in the past couple months, though I don't post all of them here. I started because while interacting with a lot of great YouTubers in the Geeks & Beauties Group they got me curious enough to try it out back around Christmas! <a href="https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCLtZbyKW2jwNXDKPfRcBEFA" target="_blank">You can find my channel here</a>, I would love it if you stopped by to take a look at what I've been making and subscribe if you're interested.<br />
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Since then I've found that it's the perfect place to share my unboxings when I get various monthly subscription boxes. I felt like some of you wonderful people might not have been as interested in seeing all the snacks, beauty products, and other crazy boxes. I love trying new things and exploring what great options are out there. And I bet some of you are also interested in seeing what's available in subscription boxes too.<br />
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I got started trying boxes because I never really wore a lot of makeup, and until recently I hardly even owned any! But the artist in me loves to experiment with colors and play with the new tools. I love learning how to use the beauty basics so I can feel a little more confident if I want to create a particular look. Boxes have been a great choice to find new products because I get curated items chosen for me sent to me door that I might not know to try otherwise.<br />
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I've branched out to try snack boxes for healthier options and to have fun trying out some foreign treats I might no otherwise try. I've also been testing boxes that have interest based items like the Bookish box. Because sometimes the novelty of it all is just so much fun.<br />
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With all that in mind I'm going to be doing roundup posts about once a month to collect all the videos where you can easily see them if you prefer to just follow my blog and not go to YouTube. And it'll keep the videos to a minimum if videos aren't your thing. Without further ado, here are the February videos you might have missed:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpQnHEEMKlOUt5NI0MEy21cRP20rJLhAKmW9bIE08qBs_4uvJkRrNlUA1VCKwpxFoj_7rHBPNhaiWvRaNAumSQXrk4zW1nQ3bwy7HRDieoPP413MACYjN616eCgjDUomAHRIEbuPkcdum1/s1600/feb+video+roundup.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" border="0" height="356" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpQnHEEMKlOUt5NI0MEy21cRP20rJLhAKmW9bIE08qBs_4uvJkRrNlUA1VCKwpxFoj_7rHBPNhaiWvRaNAumSQXrk4zW1nQ3bwy7HRDieoPP413MACYjN616eCgjDUomAHRIEbuPkcdum1/s640/feb+video+roundup.jpg" title="Love Lydia Lydia's Designs February Video Review Roundup Glossybox Ipsy comparison birchbox lip sync kit love with food japan crate doki doki crate love goodly bestowed bookish box julep maven unboxing makeup beauty plus size shirt" width="640" /></a></div>
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February Video Roundup</h2>
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Birchbox</h3>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; line-height: 17px;">In this video I'm unboxing the February Birchbox, The Lip Sync Kit (6 lip products!), plus 4 more bonus lip colors! There's lip balm, lipstick, lipgloss, sheer, shiny, and matte. Talk about a haul!</span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br style="background-color: white; color: #333333; line-height: 17px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; line-height: 17px;">For more information on Birchbox click here - </span><a class="yt-uix-sessionlink " data-sessionlink="ei=jN8aV_PNLIf2-AXt0ZR4" data-url="https://www.birchbox.com/invite/2vtm9" href="https://www.birchbox.com/invite/2vtm9" rel="nofollow" style="background: rgb(255, 255, 255); border: 0px; color: #167ac6; cursor: pointer; line-height: 17px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">https://www.birchbox.com/invite/2vtm9</a></span><br />
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Julep Maven Box</h3>
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Unboxing this February 2016 Julep Maven box. I have an It Girl profile so I get all nail polishes and today, I get 3 in this box.<br />
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If you want to find out more about Julep click here - <a href="http://www.shareasale.com/u.cfm?d=327859&m=49325&u=1184057" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">http://www.shareasale.com/u.cfm?d=327859&m=49325&u=1184057</a> ◊Please note this is an affiliate link. On the good side you can get your first box free!<br />
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If you'd like to find out more about manipulating colors in what you wear <a href="http://www.lydiadickson.com/2015/09/all-about-color.html" target="_blank">my blog post about it can be found here</a>.<br />
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Ipsy Glam Bag</h3>
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The "Pretty In Pink" February Ipsy bag has some pretty great selections. Come take a peek with me!<br />
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If you'd like to find out more about Ipsy's $10 a month subscription click here - <a href="https://www.ipsy.com/new?refer=1pict" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://www.ipsy.com/new?refer=1pict</a><br />
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Japan Crate</h3>
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Let's open up this box of Japanese snacks and see what's inside. Learn how to open ramune soda, which uses a glass marble as a seal on the bottle!<br />
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You can find out more about Japan Crate here - <a href="http://www.japancrate.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">http://www.JapanCrate.com</a><br />
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Bookish Box</h3>
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I'm so excited that Appraising Pages sent me one of their great Bookish Boxes to review! It was given to me for free, but all opinions expressed in this video are my own. Let's see what's inside this February box!<br />
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For more information on how to get a Bookish Box subscription click here - <a href="https://thebookishboxx.cratejoy.com/refer/Lydia-TTINQNUW" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://thebookishboxx.cratejoy.com/refer/Lydia-TTINQNUW</a><br />
and use code WELCOME to save $3.50.<br />
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Glossybox</h3>
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Isn't February's Glossybox the cutest? Take a peek at what I got and tell me what you think. I do want to note that the Teez lipstick does NOT last the 8 hours they claim, it was easily rubbed off as soon as I started eating, though maybe it lasts better in combination with some type of primer they make.<br />
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To find out more and get your own subscription to Glossybox click here - <a href="https://www.glossybox.com/referal?CI=MTUwNjM0" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://www.glossybox.com/referal?CI=MTUwNjM0</a><br />
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Love With Food Box</h3>
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This is my first Love With Food box, let's open it up together! Be sure to let me know what you think in the comments too.<br />
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For more information on subscribing as well as 50% off your first box click here - <a href="http://www.shareasale.com/r.cfm?B=701546&U=1184057&M=53869&urllink=" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">http://www.shareasale.com/r.cfm?B=701546&U=1184057&M=53869&urllink=</a> (Love With Food is an Affiliate to Love, Lydia, which means shopping with them through my link will support me!)<br />
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Doki Doki Crate</h3>
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This Miyazaki themed box is my first and last Doki Doki Crate. Watch to find out why! Since filming this they have made efforts to change their boxes, but I just didn't think it was a good fit for me.<br />
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For more information on Doki Doki Crate visit <a href="http://www.japancrate.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">http://www.japancrate.com</a><br />
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Bestowed Box</h3>
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I open my third Bestowed box for this February unboxing. Inside are great healthy goods to give you creative new ideas for meals and snacking.<br />
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To find out more about Bestowed Box click here -<br />
<a href="http://www.shareasale.com/r.cfm?b=649575&u=1184057&m=43962&urllink=&afftrack=" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">http://www.shareasale.com/r.cfm?b=649575&u=1184057&m=43962&urllink=&afftrack=</a> ◊Affiliate link! And get 10% off your Bestowed subscription with coupon code LOVEHEALTHY.<br />
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Love Goodly</h3>
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Love Goodly is an every other month box of women's lifestyle items from makeup and accessories, to snacks and home goods. Each box gives a portion of its proceeds to charity, a different one each month!<br />
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To find out more about Love Goodly click here - <a href="http://www.lovegoodly.com/?refMemberID=-831081382125750200">http://www.LoveGoodly.com/?refMemberID=-831081382125750200</a><br />
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I know February is a while back, but I wanted to start with it because there were too many videos I wanted to share. March will be up pretty soon, I'm tying to get caught up with publishing everything, but April is in the works too. So hold on tight! <br />
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Please let me know what you thought of this post format. Do you like the videos from each month put together like this? Would you rather have individual posts that include videos? Tell me in the comments so I can give you more of what you like! I'll see you all again very soon for a new fashion post!<br />
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05147063157842791065noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8826020463856688016.post-88612941769585155312016-03-26T03:42:00.000-04:002016-04-09T18:57:39.257-04:00Geek Week Fashion Challenge<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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Hi Friends!</h2>
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Sorry I've been on a bit of a break from writing. I've been going crazy producing videos on <a href="https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCLtZbyKW2jwNXDKPfRcBEFA" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">my YouTube channel</a>. I'm going to create some posts here for them to make them all available for you all very soon though. I have a ton of things I want to write about too, so I'm excited to get to it. I'm just trying to find balance between writing and making videos. This month videos won, but next month should be better. I'm not going to go into it all too much though, or I'd be here all night.<br />
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What I'm really here to write about today is the Geek Week themed challenge I've been doing this week with the <a href="https://plus.google.com/communities/107998709790192678091" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Geeks & Beauties Community</a>! Different people approached this from a bunch of perspectives, and I decided to go with a fashion one. First because I love making geeky fashion choices and it's been a while since I touched on the subject despite that being the last thing I wrote about technically speaking. So let's take a peek!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_6NMMoaR6eR4DIuEj4teqs_rN3mVq4mar4FLouHDeIvAbRe55g08_TOqdb5s1osBDI0VJ4gKU6__vx1sKp5UQsYm07tKRAFEhyphenhyphene2npV6JA5EEoQm6Dsp5A84TdCXZoO37qOMQlsDMW2vg/s1600/geek+week.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_6NMMoaR6eR4DIuEj4teqs_rN3mVq4mar4FLouHDeIvAbRe55g08_TOqdb5s1osBDI0VJ4gKU6__vx1sKp5UQsYm07tKRAFEhyphenhyphene2npV6JA5EEoQm6Dsp5A84TdCXZoO37qOMQlsDMW2vg/s400/geek+week.jpg" title="Geek Week Fashion Challenge by Love, Lydia with plus size fashions my closet old capsule wardrobe items" width="400" /></a></div>
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<h2 style="text-align: left;">
Geek Week Fashion Challenge</h2>
<h3 style="text-align: left;">
Look #1</h3>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgd4rQtgXYoeD1ELFF1ULJYG6Q9X2W0e_gqxfUUjcnV6DaRF1rpcT1zlwj67GL7AFsWZOHVzgpbI2byd56kwfUvIL7X2bKLfdGmG78R7VgYx1sOWQnhSor9dFDr6LJkBBdoRtai3vwa3x3s/s1600/IMG_7362.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgd4rQtgXYoeD1ELFF1ULJYG6Q9X2W0e_gqxfUUjcnV6DaRF1rpcT1zlwj67GL7AFsWZOHVzgpbI2byd56kwfUvIL7X2bKLfdGmG78R7VgYx1sOWQnhSor9dFDr6LJkBBdoRtai3vwa3x3s/s640/IMG_7362.JPG" title="Book and fairy faerie tale themed outfit with Threadless Torrid Hot Topic items Love, Lydia plus size fashion geeky harry potter lotr classics disney little mermaid" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This book and fairy tale themed look includes a short sleeved shirt from Threadless.com, undershirt from Walmart, jeans from Torrid, and socks from Hot Topic.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<h3 style="text-align: left;">
Look #2</h3>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuFV8Z3b3NyEoUsM35qHC1My4zjjO65gO6GjhSUJvTK0Ir17GiJufgPpZhRMmr_mzUTOJnbBA1yStiC7ntZ9Yki7RQqiFxq2DB_i5olBumUkxeD1cKxvqiTQWcpsPPVhvj2bu3gZLvAl8_/s1600/IMG_7375.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuFV8Z3b3NyEoUsM35qHC1My4zjjO65gO6GjhSUJvTK0Ir17GiJufgPpZhRMmr_mzUTOJnbBA1yStiC7ntZ9Yki7RQqiFxq2DB_i5olBumUkxeD1cKxvqiTQWcpsPPVhvj2bu3gZLvAl8_/s640/IMG_7375.JPG" title="Ravenclaw outfit ootd Harry Potter themed tutu tulle skirt from Charlotte Russe in plus size lularoe leggings TC by the blog love, lydia" width="512" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Day two shows itself in this Ravenclaw inspired outfit featuring a locally made necklace (purchased at the 2014 Boylan Heights Art Walk in Raleigh, NC), Top from Old Navy, Skirt from Charlotte Russe, leggings by LuLaRoe, and flats from American Eagle by Payless.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<h3 style="text-align: left;">
Look #3</h3>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKX6dBFU7_pBA-0dVz0S1agDjU4ov0z9OofYRMTWhRLlV7TYmkmHOENtiUE_GFfZryxST11dq5Nup4VJ4-Sj4DaSvts953iBCSxxi-aRHBek1kG0EURw9ln4qE3MvEhUTwctdoUTvkUN_V/s1600/IMG_7386.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKX6dBFU7_pBA-0dVz0S1agDjU4ov0z9OofYRMTWhRLlV7TYmkmHOENtiUE_GFfZryxST11dq5Nup4VJ4-Sj4DaSvts953iBCSxxi-aRHBek1kG0EURw9ln4qE3MvEhUTwctdoUTvkUN_V/s640/IMG_7386.JPG" title="Pokemon trainer themed outfit plus size hot topic bulbasaur lane bryant wet look pants by love, lydia blog" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This outfit was a fun one, I wore it for our Pokemon Tabletop RPG to channel trainers from the video game. Items included are a vest from a boutique in Grandin Village, Roanoke, VA, tee from Hot Topic, wet look ponte pants from Lane Bryant, and flats by Reaction.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<h3 style="text-align: left;">
Look #4</h3>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifkVRCsXMUziv5f0FVlEgAX3-XZ51Xdqrkohe4yDX7KJ078EvE3XIklQ_mG0xnJdf_otkfKdMO2HId0c85KJ96RUVm65ldhyphenhyphenP7Y8DiW3-sqeipBxqM3n5ICK0v4hDwtbqHeN4hc4syZNTX/s1600/IMG_7397.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifkVRCsXMUziv5f0FVlEgAX3-XZ51Xdqrkohe4yDX7KJ078EvE3XIklQ_mG0xnJdf_otkfKdMO2HId0c85KJ96RUVm65ldhyphenhyphenP7Y8DiW3-sqeipBxqM3n5ICK0v4hDwtbqHeN4hc4syZNTX/s640/IMG_7397.JPG" title="Doctor Who 9th Ninth Nine themed outfit cosplay Her Universe dress ModCloth galaxy universe leggings plus size fashion by Love, Lydia blog" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">We couldn't forget a Doctor Who outfit in the mix! This one features a DIY key necklace, hair pin rose from Forever 21, 9th Doctor Dress by Her Universe◊(Affiliate to main site, dress no longer available), leggings from <a href="http://www.shareasale.com/m-pr.cfm?merchantID=43745&userID=1184057&productID=569047635" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Modcloth</a>◊(Affiliate), and flats by American Eagle by Payless.<span style="text-align: left;"> </span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<h3 style="text-align: left;">
Look #5</h3>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBCIyOA3BjXBMgrhuIyY4nN9NzdwKHMGG2tUSvk-NqVXhbcENm6GxwX6uL6x75QdpAL7XjhTGLgA7CpwFNJafwKSnQK554xAemlM4_TayVw5b-wdLUcPrBwP7JGDtaAGNJW4qGqxyZWwFV/s1600/IMG_7419.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBCIyOA3BjXBMgrhuIyY4nN9NzdwKHMGG2tUSvk-NqVXhbcENm6GxwX6uL6x75QdpAL7XjhTGLgA7CpwFNJafwKSnQK554xAemlM4_TayVw5b-wdLUcPrBwP7JGDtaAGNJW4qGqxyZWwFV/s640/IMG_7419.JPG" title="Marvel Female Thor Goddess of Thunder geeky outfit in plus size Her Universe Torrid Bombsheller WyvernScales Converse Deux Lux Love Goodly clutch by Love, Lydia blog" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Going with the Thor idea this outfit's a bit of medieval meets modern, <a href="http://www.shareasale.com/r.cfm?u=1184057&b=277011&m=30763&afftrack=&urllink=www%2Eheruniverse%2Ecom%2Fapparel%2Fplus%2Dsizes%2Flady%2Dthor%2Dv%2Dneck%2Ehtml" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Female Thor V Neck Tee by Her Universe</a>◊(Affiliate), shorts by Torrid, Leggings by <a href="http://shop.bombsheller.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Bombsheller</a> (This pair's no longer available, but there are hundreds more designs and you can get an affiliate discount with code GEEKMEUP), clutch by Deux Lux, and sneakers by Converse.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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Thanks for sticking with me, let me know what you think and feel free to ask questions about sizing or anything else in the comments. See you again soon. Please check out my friend's work below if you've got the time!<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdsPpRbXU6ehhO-enwqxbXGD-aDtQQpDusRKQA8PQVLkzckt4QIfm4n_3_pjU73mBVGcIh1hwdZQoiexzjYO3lpguz-OXDGfRWV6tPAt_-LYJAPGXgNR88q0VZSK6_IW-QWB8oPTbnwADZ/s1600/signatureA.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdsPpRbXU6ehhO-enwqxbXGD-aDtQQpDusRKQA8PQVLkzckt4QIfm4n_3_pjU73mBVGcIh1hwdZQoiexzjYO3lpguz-OXDGfRWV6tPAt_-LYJAPGXgNR88q0VZSK6_IW-QWB8oPTbnwADZ/s1600/signatureA.jpg" /></a></div>
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<h2 style="text-align: left;">
Other Geeks & Beauties work for Geek Week</h2>
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Sadie by Design - <a href="http://www.sadiebydesign.com/2016/03/announcing-geek-week/%EF%BB%BF" target="_blank"> http://www.sadiebydesign.com/2016/03/announcing-geek-week/</a><br />
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Lea Graham - <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/BDO-HuGBjXP/?taken-by=lovehellokittyandmakeup%EF%BB%BF" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"> https://www.instagram.com/p/BDO-HuGBjXP/?taken-by=lovehellokittyandmakeup</a><br />
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ZombeeKittyMeow - <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/BDNS_iBClti/?taken-by=zombeekittymeow%EF%BB%BF" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"> https://www.instagram.com/p/BDNS_iBClti/?taken-by=zombeekittymeow</a><br />
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Jasy - <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/BDPjlxIA4IS/?taken-by=jasyuniquelyme%EF%BB%BF" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://www.instagram.com/p/BDPjlxIA4IS/?taken-by=jasyuniquelyme</a><br />
<a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/BDRiTpXg4B7/?taken-by=jasyuniquelyme" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://www.instagram.com/p/BDRiTpXg4B7/?taken-by=jasyuniquelyme </a><br />
<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jwZ_pxTku_E" target="_blank"> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jwZ_pxTku_E </a><br />
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ZombiieeNinjjaBeauty - <a href="http://zombiieeninjjabeauty.weebly.com/blog/geek-week-cult-classic-wants%20%EF%BB%BF" target="_blank">http://zombiieeninjjabeauty.weebly.com/blog/geek-week-cult-classic-wants </a><br />
<a href="https://instagram.com/p/BDPi1DyD5hQ/%EF%BB%BF" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"> https://instagram.com/p/BDPi1DyD5hQ/</a><br />
<a href="http://zombiieeninjjabeauty.weebly.com/blog/my-zombie-obsession" target="_blank"> http://zombiieeninjjabeauty.weebly.com/blog/my-zombie-obsession </a><br />
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Jennifer Roman - <a href="https://www.instagram.com/romanj00/%EF%BB%BF" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://www.instagram.com/romanj00/</a><br />
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Dusty Sabot - <a href="https://instagram.com/p/BDUr9cRHAAu/%EF%BB%BF" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://instagram.com/p/BDUr9cRHAAu/</a><br />
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xxBeautifulAliciaxx - <a href="https://www.instagram.com/xxbeautifulaliciaxx/%EF%BB%BF" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"> https://www.instagram.com/xxbeautifulaliciaxx/</a><br />
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Lena7623 - <a href="https://youtu.be/-s3KbkzqzIk%EF%BB%BF" target="_blank">https://youtu.be/-s3KbkzqzIk</a></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05147063157842791065noreply@blogger.com40tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8826020463856688016.post-14751423896330005022016-02-27T02:24:00.002-05:002016-04-09T18:58:51.244-04:00My Top 5 Spring Fashion Essentials<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Hi Friends,<br />
<br />
I'm back with another fashion post, and this one if part a spring collaboration with my friends from the Geeks and Beauties Community. So for other great top 5 lists please scroll to the bottom of the post!<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQVtxOj7JM2dgMbKewwVFy1Yyuk7K9A6Q2p5lHdZfqgU-ukrPu8Tn2TGRsRSxmRHmnvlI0S_vFKa4-BlOshOAX-z2lAF9fIFNeIuzgoYK4cXbOpmFE6rGuOBVjyH-BQvCwgrrhzo9wtsbb/s1600/top5spring.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQVtxOj7JM2dgMbKewwVFy1Yyuk7K9A6Q2p5lHdZfqgU-ukrPu8Tn2TGRsRSxmRHmnvlI0S_vFKa4-BlOshOAX-z2lAF9fIFNeIuzgoYK4cXbOpmFE6rGuOBVjyH-BQvCwgrrhzo9wtsbb/s640/top5spring.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<h2 style="text-align: left;">
My Top 5 Spring Fashion Essentials</h2>
<h3 style="text-align: left;">
#1 - Pastels</h3>
A classic springtime favorite pastels can work for anyone. If you're not a fan of the traditional Easter inspired hues you can always try grayed down versions like old rose, sage green, dusty blue, and mushroom. Personally my favorites are mint and lavender, but I've also been playing the trends and adding touches of this year's Pantone colors - Serenity (pale blue) and Rose Quartz (soft pink). Here's a peek at some of the pastels I'm using in my wardrobe:<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLwAy4cHqgl4HvH4IW7Qe_HbFXEG__iOTzyxlwy1mtcWHpMoy-gAW_yOe-T1AsIJMUvPdgwdMHVQpLM9OAIuW4ArG2TJ3edq_6oXht4LSOZsym7VM_kXctqmoyTS1abALRj-Yl2t72tXM_/s1600/pastels.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="364" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLwAy4cHqgl4HvH4IW7Qe_HbFXEG__iOTzyxlwy1mtcWHpMoy-gAW_yOe-T1AsIJMUvPdgwdMHVQpLM9OAIuW4ArG2TJ3edq_6oXht4LSOZsym7VM_kXctqmoyTS1abALRj-Yl2t72tXM_/s640/pastels.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sweater - Torrid, Dress - ModCloth, Leggings - LuLaRoe</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<h3 style="text-align: left;">
#2 - Great Jackets</h3>
A good jacket keeps you warm through the last hints of winter, a great can also be styled for spring just as beautifully as it might November. My military style jacket pairs pinks with with olive for the right combination that works for both spring and fall looks. A light denim jacket does this well too, though I don't own one yet. And for colder days a soft white coat flatters most anything you pair it with, but keeps you from looking too drab with colorful skirt peeping out! Additionally a soft flannel shirt can layer like a cardigan with a touch more interest thanks to the plaid print.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhHL3x3dz5ftXUD2uo919aZrUuwfbcIu3RJSvU5QC4wLj0xZieVBQqOp_tjW9e8mynn71EvjTOgzE00ojsQtgBR_4ZZDoxesYnijF0LkSHnWaRCl7X337Tj8t07SvuOsXmLqXbO0Sgbps0/s1600/jackets.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="364" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhHL3x3dz5ftXUD2uo919aZrUuwfbcIu3RJSvU5QC4wLj0xZieVBQqOp_tjW9e8mynn71EvjTOgzE00ojsQtgBR_4ZZDoxesYnijF0LkSHnWaRCl7X337Tj8t07SvuOsXmLqXbO0Sgbps0/s640/jackets.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">White Coat - Target, Military Jacket - Maurice's, Plaid Shirt - Old Navy</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<h3 style="text-align: left;">
#3 - Ballet Flats</h3>
As the weather warms these become a staple for their versatility. A more comfortable pair with insoles can get you through a whole day on your feet, the floral ones certainly did for me back when I was working at Anthropologie!<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeL2AFQKdimyON_HjPa3KYDr_xoEe_gifebonWvOm8WQCJv88VD1pbdW8HiogLZty01Fja0Q-e65UzVj70EM9_OL0mlEFFYI5b-X4822AYh8ARAayL_23p_9XUg6TOPbQS5Oz0sq0vsr2s/s1600/flats.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="364" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeL2AFQKdimyON_HjPa3KYDr_xoEe_gifebonWvOm8WQCJv88VD1pbdW8HiogLZty01Fja0Q-e65UzVj70EM9_OL0mlEFFYI5b-X4822AYh8ARAayL_23p_9XUg6TOPbQS5Oz0sq0vsr2s/s640/flats.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Blue Shoes - Payless, Floral Shoes - Payless, Mint Shoes - Forever 21</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<h3 style="text-align: left;">
#4 - Soft Florals</h3>
Speaking of florals what spring closet is complete without a bit? Light or dark they can set a cheerful tone, or make a solid colored outfit perk up fast! Florals paired with text can set a nice modern tone as well. Floral shoes can soften a more somber outfit. Or you can wear the floral with pastel for an ultra feminine look.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnxpOG0t7pfQXPoCj2QKQbPanQ9Wsr6LAyKu3gHpMr1fOfCDu5hE2fkXtFjU-JhJ-Tzg4NOeVc5pCu5FHPrzQ3LstGLTxn6GSYRxSXSDd8LNiVunub5cAGWa7tYFGWMJfaf3pklGac_pl5/s1600/Floral.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="364" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnxpOG0t7pfQXPoCj2QKQbPanQ9Wsr6LAyKu3gHpMr1fOfCDu5hE2fkXtFjU-JhJ-Tzg4NOeVc5pCu5FHPrzQ3LstGLTxn6GSYRxSXSDd8LNiVunub5cAGWa7tYFGWMJfaf3pklGac_pl5/s640/Floral.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Skirt - Torrid, Sandals - ModCloth, Tee - Switchfoot</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<h3 style="text-align: left;">
#5 - Pops of Bright Accent Colors</h3>
<div>
Finally, sometimes between all the gentle colors I want to add something bold to the mix! Bright purple nails with lavender or mint work great. Or let a bright floral print paired with all pale or dark colors shine. Jewelry, bags and shoes can all let bold colors in to keep a more approachable feel at work too. (See the cobalt blue flats pictured above!) Dark floral prints often have a more edgy feeling as it is, and the brighter the colors paired with the dark color the more they'll pop. Bright solids can also work wonders with pale or dark shades in the same color family for a monochrome style.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1JGLPXyDkBxEICQgF4A0zG5i_FWS4nNvILbzMuy3A0CD7BisiH6fMzkH7PKwPe1ecf_w_AspVtVvk8f49AUMhCixelkOcgy8qBnmYC0kkvfS3C9I3_7SZf1MRXTFSzhLJa-xEwYPR1ryA/s1600/brights.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="364" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1JGLPXyDkBxEICQgF4A0zG5i_FWS4nNvILbzMuy3A0CD7BisiH6fMzkH7PKwPe1ecf_w_AspVtVvk8f49AUMhCixelkOcgy8qBnmYC0kkvfS3C9I3_7SZf1MRXTFSzhLJa-xEwYPR1ryA/s640/brights.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Nail Polish - Julep in Sherri, Leggings - LuLaRoe, Top - Torrid</td></tr>
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I hope you've enjoyed my spring looks, and if you have more fun ideas for how I could work with these items let me know in the comments below! Thanks for reading.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfpMQNOiQsHMB26OUY5xfXNRNvV8CG-1PklSmB8tlQn8qm7YhfHUVUf29pikL_7zf_eUsKMjFkUrwjupJZjCrXH79k30xgSgQL6i4J2XCURRkmmXhU8ID1rNLsjdJZfCdl85kwcQCQpQx1/s1600/signatureA.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfpMQNOiQsHMB26OUY5xfXNRNvV8CG-1PklSmB8tlQn8qm7YhfHUVUf29pikL_7zf_eUsKMjFkUrwjupJZjCrXH79k30xgSgQL6i4J2XCURRkmmXhU8ID1rNLsjdJZfCdl85kwcQCQpQx1/s1600/signatureA.jpg" /></a></div>
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My Friend's Top 5 Spring Essentials</h2>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisEOsNAZ-yq9T6-De2yaWDv5sjTOHAT5lSscB5xdYTx9KWNQt_7miK8sqVfN5LYHdDaiWxrTbBfcmTp9gW5jWG2Ufo0bdPFBVQSZE9_nZzYZxseFzxgijxg0R9hx8TWlQYHvP8vjQihGHB/s1600/Screen+Shot+2016-02-28+at+1.24.27+AM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="292" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisEOsNAZ-yq9T6-De2yaWDv5sjTOHAT5lSscB5xdYTx9KWNQt_7miK8sqVfN5LYHdDaiWxrTbBfcmTp9gW5jWG2Ufo0bdPFBVQSZE9_nZzYZxseFzxgijxg0R9hx8TWlQYHvP8vjQihGHB/s640/Screen+Shot+2016-02-28+at+1.24.27+AM.png" width="640" /></a></div>
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Starting off with a bit more about clothes there's <a href="http://www.sadiebydesign.com/2016/02/my-top-5-spring-cosplay-essentials/" target="_blank">Sadie By Design's Top 5 Spring Cosplay Essentials</a>.</div>
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Next up is this fun video by Dusty Sabot!</div>
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Sasha Kron of Fizzyfreeze <a href="https://www.instagram.com/omgitssmk/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">shows us her Spring Essentials on Instagram</a>!</div>
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Zainey Laney bridges the gender gap with essentials for men and women in this video.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjic49x5QfM2ennrOk4oq9HJwexKlcu3MRpd1zZ7ESkwiYXMJkVqdpwG5eEWAXXwf8bqqXyndsid3Ei7PrDJR-jRPPNv2YkriPPxQsV6vVfHAynG564UxiYwPho2KG6N5Ih6UVrWet5a4NE/s1600/Screen+Shot+2016-02-28+at+1.45.59+AM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="319" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjic49x5QfM2ennrOk4oq9HJwexKlcu3MRpd1zZ7ESkwiYXMJkVqdpwG5eEWAXXwf8bqqXyndsid3Ei7PrDJR-jRPPNv2YkriPPxQsV6vVfHAynG564UxiYwPho2KG6N5Ih6UVrWet5a4NE/s320/Screen+Shot+2016-02-28+at+1.45.59+AM.png" width="320" /></a></div>
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Bethany Summers shares <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/BCQdBkiNpJK/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">her beauty picks with us on Instagram as well</a>.</div>
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Zombiieeninjja Beauty gives us a look at her hair essentials in the above video.</div>
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Jessica Forbes shows us some of her beauty favorites in this video as well.</div>
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A few more friends will be added too, so be on the lookout as I add their work to this post as the week goes on!</div>
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If you're a blogger or vlogger and would like to learn more about the great support offered through the Geeks and Beauties Community <a href="https://plus.google.com/communities/107998709790192678091">please click here for more information</a>. We create collaborations monthly and we'd love to have you join us! Thanks for reading.</div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05147063157842791065noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8826020463856688016.post-15406424054469067482016-02-21T01:19:00.001-05:002016-06-25T00:33:47.157-04:00Styling with LuLaRoe<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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Hi friends,</h2>
UPDATE - <a href="http://www.lydiadickson.com/2016/06/where-am-i-and-sister-spy-book-review.html" target="_blank">June 21-July 4 2016 you can enter to win a new leggings giveaway here</a>!<br />
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To let you all know this post is semi-sponsored. My friendly LuLaRoe rep Nicole Fitts has agreed to do a giveaway when I told her I wanted to write about LuLaRoe here, which I will tell you more about along the way. However today's post is all about reviewing some of my favorite LuLaRoe items and inviting you all to <a href="https://www.facebook.com/groups/lularoebynicolefitts/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">join me at this weekends LuLaRoe party</a>! (The party's over, but you can still buy from Nicole's shop, and yes she ship worldwide!)<br />
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LuLaRoe Company Overview</h2>
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First off a bit about LuLaRoe. They're a great brand that still fairly new. They started out making all their items besides leggings here in the USA. But in the past year they've grown a lot through their model of locally based consultants who do pop-up sales in home or online. They now have 7500 consultants and have started sending some of their designs to overseas factories. But the good news is they're committed to paying all their workers fairly and all their factories are certified through SGS (<a href="http://www.sgs.com/en/Consumer-Goods-Retail/Softlines-and-Accessories/Textile-and-Clothing.aspx" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">More about SGS here!</a>)<br />
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The biggest draws for me besides their ethical work is their amazing variety of prints that come is a nice range of sizes including plus size options of course! Most of their women's clothing is available in sizes XXS-3XL! They even have some kids sizes too. Secondly all their prints are limited edition runs of 2500 pieces in each cut. Some days that's maddening if you see a design you don't snag in time, but it also means you have a fairly unique piece. And lastly, their quality is fantastic!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizStVxH9ulcc6zTTKDL3pODDz3Dz795Lt8Vc0b9Loro3bYJF_X-6OxdWrB2BDdnMjhQFjJZdteMlyHTlt4jJDR_ugilUnoPEGBFkUOAfeWXiAJF1fNvFKFB465fKLn9Y72G8Kp7rwKL4hq/s1600/lularoereview.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizStVxH9ulcc6zTTKDL3pODDz3Dz795Lt8Vc0b9Loro3bYJF_X-6OxdWrB2BDdnMjhQFjJZdteMlyHTlt4jJDR_ugilUnoPEGBFkUOAfeWXiAJF1fNvFKFB465fKLn9Y72G8Kp7rwKL4hq/s640/lularoereview.jpg" title="Love, Lydia LuLaRoe clothing plus size fashion review" width="640" /></a></div>
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My Plus Size LuLaRoe Review</h2>
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So far I've tried the Nicole and Amelia dresses, the Madison skirt (purchasing a Cassie shirt this weekend), the Sarah cardigan, a Perfect T, and their famous, buttery soft leggings. I hope to attend an in person party in the future to get a better feel for how some items fit as well!<br />
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The Nicole I own (pictured below) is a XXL and I love how it fits, though it's most snug in the arms, and then fitted at the bust. The Amelia in the same size was too small for me, but Amelia also has a zipper closure and pockets, so it's a slight bit more fitted or else I got lucky with the Nicole I chose. I included this dress as a late addition to my fall capsule wardrobe and in my <a href="http://www.lydiadickson.com/2015/12/my-december-2015-mini-capsule-wardrobe.html">December (Dressember!) mini capsule wardrobe</a>.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWSJZCjLwVOnNeIc8IXg0Tq6ouA0lV_LzJO8UUPZ342RZ3vS85IW3yga5KHErIPkmZwLiXEv3_RdZ9gPWW31i4kI9-x5fd0UdflXd7Kuvsi_gIlWWpryCpHDkyFNiIiuhBMTXgOk40o1rB/s1600/lularoe.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWSJZCjLwVOnNeIc8IXg0Tq6ouA0lV_LzJO8UUPZ342RZ3vS85IW3yga5KHErIPkmZwLiXEv3_RdZ9gPWW31i4kI9-x5fd0UdflXd7Kuvsi_gIlWWpryCpHDkyFNiIiuhBMTXgOk40o1rB/s640/lularoe.jpg" title="Lularoe nicole plus size" width="380" /></a></div>
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Here's a shot with an Amelia, two Nicole's and a second Amelia:<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh40egCLv0Y88lxMNPju40qjB-gig2xcLhu3WoEJDRU1BLPgouZv8rcFciIcZX-IVZSttl8f9D3-pVd5j2ssKFDbKBk7PLvpw3LyG-eVaoCdeBxeYeWiesAtIH6-PqkFQ75nrtTqnYQUGVL/s1600/5bac3c9e-5c3b-48c0-883b-00972170f840.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh40egCLv0Y88lxMNPju40qjB-gig2xcLhu3WoEJDRU1BLPgouZv8rcFciIcZX-IVZSttl8f9D3-pVd5j2ssKFDbKBk7PLvpw3LyG-eVaoCdeBxeYeWiesAtIH6-PqkFQ75nrtTqnYQUGVL/s640/5bac3c9e-5c3b-48c0-883b-00972170f840.jpg" title="LuLaRoe Amelia and Nicole plus size" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Modeled pictures thanks to my LuLaRoe consultant Nicole Fitts</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7SF2HhtUI_eHYwAwD0yMM41_oudSx574Ja0s8_ranmWIquCba83liV0vNRqhLXRTRFCo9AgrfeXuBI7KhWy6t7sGgXxTD_b-9u9PbglrWNQ6uKuP6l4g7TrU8Jn_eKb2yjHNqZfOd6frv/s1600/a2942b28-61ba-422d-a7bd-6f78348af352.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7SF2HhtUI_eHYwAwD0yMM41_oudSx574Ja0s8_ranmWIquCba83liV0vNRqhLXRTRFCo9AgrfeXuBI7KhWy6t7sGgXxTD_b-9u9PbglrWNQ6uKuP6l4g7TrU8Jn_eKb2yjHNqZfOd6frv/s640/a2942b28-61ba-422d-a7bd-6f78348af352.jpg" title="LuLaRoe Julia Dress" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Julia dress</td></tr>
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Next up is the Madison a great little a-line skirt that unfortunately I've only seen go up to a size XL. I tried the XL and the one I tried would fit a 14/16 as a low waist skirt or an 18 as a high waisted skirt. I'll be trying the Cassie in a 3XL, though I might also be able to fit an XXL, I just liked a print in 3XL better. I really like how versatile the Cassie is, I've seen it used as a top and as a scarf as well as the intended skirt! Below are examples of each:<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJbR09xq_jwfTJvS0X9LpwxgHiocM3Dgy-C18S8RtDoF5VK_KuHyTwCNj8UH-E0gVUx7nS6F0uJf6ugGZMI16M7TeyBvfzm5N4FZrezFCywwZfUkeYXpqjLdJQhE03yfI_sEKIcdOmzAnR/s1600/12715231_644403295050_8527222116425994119_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" border="0" height="343" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJbR09xq_jwfTJvS0X9LpwxgHiocM3Dgy-C18S8RtDoF5VK_KuHyTwCNj8UH-E0gVUx7nS6F0uJf6ugGZMI16M7TeyBvfzm5N4FZrezFCywwZfUkeYXpqjLdJQhE03yfI_sEKIcdOmzAnR/s400/12715231_644403295050_8527222116425994119_n.jpg" title="Lularoe cassie Nicole Fitts" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Cassie I'm getting</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvR9fLwSddbWmZgiUiNGTKd5Lb8wqWQGR7-J_EmYbcSiXE2OM_Cs-o1XGDs-qM8FoWC5uzsrWZCuo-TgYKgvmxqmq1XgDzg_5KGXav1JAzE4MjT0ZYqSVmap8uFWZ1FtaWL-ymr-HScyF9/s1600/4b2ed2e2-3da0-4d01-85b2-3e456efbc4a1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvR9fLwSddbWmZgiUiNGTKd5Lb8wqWQGR7-J_EmYbcSiXE2OM_Cs-o1XGDs-qM8FoWC5uzsrWZCuo-TgYKgvmxqmq1XgDzg_5KGXav1JAzE4MjT0ZYqSVmap8uFWZ1FtaWL-ymr-HScyF9/s400/4b2ed2e2-3da0-4d01-85b2-3e456efbc4a1.jpg" title="LuLaRoe Madison Lindsay Classic T" width="266" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Madison and a Lindsay kimono </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhx10tPBrgUVcHE7BHYS_zXEnE6Bl-3kJDu0NC1ZML9jgXR62RLbFJh-tU7ovmX2h9n8LudZK0O6Z6UsdQ9ZMq46-DhdW8Zb-QM15r6cDEOxN5IBxfq8KKJIlP6hb7XX1SKYBOVBclr7PPj/s1600/f0061548-e670-4c92-bfe1-9fe2f6869a89.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhx10tPBrgUVcHE7BHYS_zXEnE6Bl-3kJDu0NC1ZML9jgXR62RLbFJh-tU7ovmX2h9n8LudZK0O6Z6UsdQ9ZMq46-DhdW8Zb-QM15r6cDEOxN5IBxfq8KKJIlP6hb7XX1SKYBOVBclr7PPj/s400/f0061548-e670-4c92-bfe1-9fe2f6869a89.jpg" title="LuLaRoe Cassie" width="266" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Cassie</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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Next up is the Sarah cardigan, which brings back the duster sweater with lovely colors! Mine is a XXL, but I could have also gone with a XL since it has lots of stretch and is fitted most in the arms.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0Buw0YZYPU3cSallCK-AzO5BIMk-x5m8br7PsWfnEGNciVW1mUeXZfakeYDG8xJ39LWrc3XMlOvghDjjTf4_eePvn_H27fRKUqtrKQNGvdhc8_J7xVgTE7jn_6S_FNbzEArHd2jp9kvyc/s1600/IMG_6703.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0Buw0YZYPU3cSallCK-AzO5BIMk-x5m8br7PsWfnEGNciVW1mUeXZfakeYDG8xJ39LWrc3XMlOvghDjjTf4_eePvn_H27fRKUqtrKQNGvdhc8_J7xVgTE7jn_6S_FNbzEArHd2jp9kvyc/s400/IMG_6703.JPG" title="LuLaRoe Sarah cardigan plus size" width="320" /></a></div>
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I also had good luck with the Perfect T, believe it or not I went with a size L, and would wear that to a XXL in most of their tops such as the Irma, Classic T, and Randy. I'm trying a XXL in a Classic T soon as well.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5wZfmsYqmJBcyq8ysVo7auqqyl-K-QP7B2Dk6IMj6liZ8y_jFppylYDUf08AfhM0itqyZmpf_lRw0Df8AnucEOg8oEZ7esU-zu4XNqBzCBPpq7VrXUvvsN5h3x7tRFGLDhXW9EcREPBkX/s1600/IMG_6003.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5wZfmsYqmJBcyq8ysVo7auqqyl-K-QP7B2Dk6IMj6liZ8y_jFppylYDUf08AfhM0itqyZmpf_lRw0Df8AnucEOg8oEZ7esU-zu4XNqBzCBPpq7VrXUvvsN5h3x7tRFGLDhXW9EcREPBkX/s640/IMG_6003.JPG" title="Lularoe perfect t palazzo pants plus size" width="346" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My Perfect T</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLJF-sGaKMBgyvLUl33WmyR3NcoWkhMeZQ9DXJFlFKRMqYjDSOwlK3XmVtkfeQeWCdyaVQZSAU-gJUhkwUKbSPk6RVu-p9qU2w2TzNvbsnnQRbn0e_0ws6RHli-9rQj_LIWkJnLfNj3SRZ/s1600/12733541_644483005310_4456106827293696501_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLJF-sGaKMBgyvLUl33WmyR3NcoWkhMeZQ9DXJFlFKRMqYjDSOwlK3XmVtkfeQeWCdyaVQZSAU-gJUhkwUKbSPk6RVu-p9qU2w2TzNvbsnnQRbn0e_0ws6RHli-9rQj_LIWkJnLfNj3SRZ/s400/12733541_644483005310_4456106827293696501_n.jpg" title="lularoe classic t" width="332" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Classic T I'm trying</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0ZCvc2HbeW4-vhv9CJgiZM-mDnOId7q3tzrllJ_CTjx7gyEvmJG09gmoAkJndiMrPDh5s_AkB8g6nJZeg5GYI2xbL1etUaiViqTfgCoHI8qIJ_23ntYlvSAxKVmJx9fNXLnMxWzOkAWsN/s1600/17acd8cc-b3a9-4390-9f76-d7e377917011.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0ZCvc2HbeW4-vhv9CJgiZM-mDnOId7q3tzrllJ_CTjx7gyEvmJG09gmoAkJndiMrPDh5s_AkB8g6nJZeg5GYI2xbL1etUaiViqTfgCoHI8qIJ_23ntYlvSAxKVmJx9fNXLnMxWzOkAWsN/s640/17acd8cc-b3a9-4390-9f76-d7e377917011.jpg" title="LuLaRoe Randy Maxi" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A Randy and a Maxi</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhto2jAaPm2-kL4-ZyakKlEEYSC90_KDm3UZbZcJe6b_qpbuPd1VgAwI_jhDpA0xGWmwDrsCII1MnqOiFoXgWmkvnAifUCcXUM18Ymd_6tbJekWWJR3f4HPq43a3VydKi5j7Hgk-1i6WrTj/s1600/765bc654-aee4-42ab-baf6-902dbeafb5d8.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhto2jAaPm2-kL4-ZyakKlEEYSC90_KDm3UZbZcJe6b_qpbuPd1VgAwI_jhDpA0xGWmwDrsCII1MnqOiFoXgWmkvnAifUCcXUM18Ymd_6tbJekWWJR3f4HPq43a3VydKi5j7Hgk-1i6WrTj/s640/765bc654-aee4-42ab-baf6-902dbeafb5d8.jpg" title="Lularoe Irma and leggings plus size" width="425" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Irma top and leggings (leggings as pants? yes!)</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Ah and finally the leggings. I love the two pairs I have and purchased a third in the Pantone color of the year Serenity! The fit is a bit variable, mostly in terms of where the waist hits. My 8-bit hearts fit low on the waist and the floral print can be worn high beautifully.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-KqQoEDvT7dtkGLxW5iJi3kwESmIQHjyAHrCernCbKzpTi02OVe1cGxckQTsxlnJOAGNi4FTOpwVY1tNMRYnaUKwP_Dxvk-EWLTcz0bVRb-7tMBus8GzY7WPY-7-VKBb4ll-VvUlgWxMZ/s1600/FullSizeRender+%252813%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-KqQoEDvT7dtkGLxW5iJi3kwESmIQHjyAHrCernCbKzpTi02OVe1cGxckQTsxlnJOAGNi4FTOpwVY1tNMRYnaUKwP_Dxvk-EWLTcz0bVRb-7tMBus8GzY7WPY-7-VKBb4ll-VvUlgWxMZ/s640/FullSizeRender+%252813%2529.jpg" width="376" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Outfit of the day 2/20/2016</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilSQzJxQiKOLDTsvNC1RDhzFSoMN8zLl73f9jI8rcTjr3NjkiXFttJETp1JX6VHkId3k_4ekH21JV4Kbl27gm9Y92pUA2wdUAUUmQatxLzeY51Xdlh_J4Lev3NsvwXaVS7sE246v7Ra3MH/s1600/IMG_7081.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilSQzJxQiKOLDTsvNC1RDhzFSoMN8zLl73f9jI8rcTjr3NjkiXFttJETp1JX6VHkId3k_4ekH21JV4Kbl27gm9Y92pUA2wdUAUUmQatxLzeY51Xdlh_J4Lev3NsvwXaVS7sE246v7Ra3MH/s320/IMG_7081.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I love these!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBr9kRIjrIJ6cHNU07IMrEBed-3t7ABc-mmkGL4GpgUypKScR2sZZtSvVusvTHJWFyzH7K9IeJqBGtzXO2Svv95Vg6aVe-gBJRb3QDcc5WDkteVOF8m21uYE3RnZX1eOtaQMfVgfgOGBYL/s1600/12745545_644452137170_4539585199978999844_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="343" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBr9kRIjrIJ6cHNU07IMrEBed-3t7ABc-mmkGL4GpgUypKScR2sZZtSvVusvTHJWFyzH7K9IeJqBGtzXO2Svv95Vg6aVe-gBJRb3QDcc5WDkteVOF8m21uYE3RnZX1eOtaQMfVgfgOGBYL/s400/12745545_644452137170_4539585199978999844_n.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A perfect match for Serenity right?</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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Hopefully this has given you a taste for what LuLaRoe carries and how well they might fit you. Feel free to contact me if you have more questions, I'm happy to help in any way I can. And now that you've had a peek at the great selections please enter my giveaway below for a chance to win a pair of leggings in your choice of size and print.<br />
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Thanks so much for reading!<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfpMQNOiQsHMB26OUY5xfXNRNvV8CG-1PklSmB8tlQn8qm7YhfHUVUf29pikL_7zf_eUsKMjFkUrwjupJZjCrXH79k30xgSgQL6i4J2XCURRkmmXhU8ID1rNLsjdJZfCdl85kwcQCQpQx1/s1600/signatureA.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfpMQNOiQsHMB26OUY5xfXNRNvV8CG-1PklSmB8tlQn8qm7YhfHUVUf29pikL_7zf_eUsKMjFkUrwjupJZjCrXH79k30xgSgQL6i4J2XCURRkmmXhU8ID1rNLsjdJZfCdl85kwcQCQpQx1/s1600/signatureA.jpg" /></a></div>
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UPDATE - Missed this giveaway? <a href="http://www.lydiadickson.com/2016/06/where-am-i-and-sister-spy-book-review.html" target="_blank">Go here for another chance at LuLaRoe leggings June 21-July 4 2016</a>!<br />
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05147063157842791065noreply@blogger.com61tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8826020463856688016.post-72893425810888401512016-02-15T15:14:00.001-05:002016-04-09T19:00:18.191-04:00Valentine's Day Celebrations, Beauty Swap, and Card Exchange<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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Hi Folks,</h2>
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<h2 style="text-align: left;">
Update</h2>
I've been busy this past week and fighting off a cold. This winter is just a tough one for my body apparently. But there are lots of good things to appreciate as well. I've been filming a bunch of videos, mostly unboxings of fun beauty and lifestyle boxes. I also have that darn winter capsule wardrobe post nearly ready to post. I know I keep saying it's coming, but I keep running into snags while putting it together. It'll be here soon, promise! (Maybe today!?)<br />
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MuteMath</h2>
Friday I headed out with my brother in law Michael to see MuteMath at The Cat's Cradle. The last time I saw them live was back in 2006...the last time they were at the venue with Switchfoot actually. While I don't think they allowed SLR cameras at the show I did take some reasonable phone shots and a little video I thought I'd share. The show was just amazing, MuteMath is one of my favorite live bands hands down!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidJKxIMmKARICQl16uMBC4OMLhDAPmBxxVtsckFoRsf1JxmFIN_bSfHiqXSe7IlHPdUo9o7KZECFu2x1D5NmB4nRQD5KxGY7EIvkAmWtTN0ooglysbiEe9b2Aj1-Yr3xlYV8gnzM8ch4im/s1600/IMG_7110.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidJKxIMmKARICQl16uMBC4OMLhDAPmBxxVtsckFoRsf1JxmFIN_bSfHiqXSe7IlHPdUo9o7KZECFu2x1D5NmB4nRQD5KxGY7EIvkAmWtTN0ooglysbiEe9b2Aj1-Yr3xlYV8gnzM8ch4im/s640/IMG_7110.jpg" title="MuteMath Cat's Cradle 1" width="480" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0_FlkVU4k7ohmMODd5VogPVtFTmqWCtEoAnqhFsdhyfkQRpvHmPtrMijHHFM4xOzMxsERxN44S1GQHLKtdGs4758EevQiwQ6hdsUW_OVdKtXGAnojg_bN5vYYCbXnsQl8t8CuAh4Ar0zQ/s1600/IMG_7114.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0_FlkVU4k7ohmMODd5VogPVtFTmqWCtEoAnqhFsdhyfkQRpvHmPtrMijHHFM4xOzMxsERxN44S1GQHLKtdGs4758EevQiwQ6hdsUW_OVdKtXGAnojg_bN5vYYCbXnsQl8t8CuAh4Ar0zQ/s640/IMG_7114.jpg" title="MuteMath Cat's Cradle 2" width="480" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj32EmlD9rYtemyINfJtg1KCcfrWVi59LoQsIosAAUjeXkHrBsHxQr3QQROrq6qkKwS0NHT7DN_VRN5vdVsvVCJZHpvnbQXhNCyYLcyCqUM-eC-0YCleVv-DHWwtnrU8N-dA0nvkHoHRvJX/s1600/IMG_7196.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="02-12-2016 Mute Math" border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj32EmlD9rYtemyINfJtg1KCcfrWVi59LoQsIosAAUjeXkHrBsHxQr3QQROrq6qkKwS0NHT7DN_VRN5vdVsvVCJZHpvnbQXhNCyYLcyCqUM-eC-0YCleVv-DHWwtnrU8N-dA0nvkHoHRvJX/s640/IMG_7196.JPG" title="MuteMath Cat's Cradle 3" width="640" /></a></div>
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Hopefully you can get a feel for their energy! I think I was dancing almost the whole time!<br />
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<h2 style="text-align: left;">
Valentine's Day Celebrations</h2>
Next up is the real reason for this post - I wanted to share a pair of videos I made for Valentine's Day! I did a card exchange with some fellow bloggers and YouTubers from the Geeks & Beauties Community. And I also participated in a beauty swap challenge where Zainey Laney and I bought each other the makeup for a Valentine's Day date look for under $10! These were both loads of fun and if you hop over to the videos on YouTube you can see links to other folks from the group joined in as well. Part 1 has the cards and me opening the items for the beauty look. Part 2 is putting on the makeup and chatting about life!<br />
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The cold I've had also made me have to take off the makeup almost immediately after putting it on....my eyes were just so itchy. It made me sad. And things stayed that way for our actual Valentine's Day date as well. So I went with some extra bright lipstick and a couple doses of medication to help me make it to our double date with Bryan's parents. We decided to see The Force Awakens again, and went out to lunch once we realized we'd have to catch a slightly later show than planned because the show we wanted was sold out. It gave us a chance to go eat at Chili's together, and do a bit of shopping before the movie as well. We oogled some board games at Game Theory, a great local gaming shop. There may need to be some board game review posts here in the future! We also discovered once we arrived at the theater that it was newly renovated and had super nice reclining seats. We had a wonderful time watching Star Wars a second time and came up with more fan theories (<a href="http://www.lydiadickson.com/2015/12/vlog-force-awakens-dressember.html" target="_blank">you can hear some of my initial ones in this post</a>) and discussed what we'd observed since we listened to the Hello Internet podcast on The Force Awakens this past week as well. Here's a parting shot of us!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3VM1k_0er6lMuHSQQ65IWspHhVd0yVPD3_guqs_nBtfwvmkUTGT3iLHItnwDfPzuwACKm49wDrAJmqShVWDccg2Ix68Uf562ijI_0lBMGYw22jnj0gbdTbG3MIr_n86puJHpGLxdijAhw/s1600/12647051_10205900297968895_3098202561037784006_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" border="0" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3VM1k_0er6lMuHSQQ65IWspHhVd0yVPD3_guqs_nBtfwvmkUTGT3iLHItnwDfPzuwACKm49wDrAJmqShVWDccg2Ix68Uf562ijI_0lBMGYw22jnj0gbdTbG3MIr_n86puJHpGLxdijAhw/s400/12647051_10205900297968895_3098202561037784006_n.jpg" title="Valentine's Day Date in LuLaRoe leggings" width="400" /></a></div>
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Thanks for reading, I'll see you all again soon.<br />
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05147063157842791065noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8826020463856688016.post-55271341915669697512016-02-10T16:06:00.001-05:002016-04-09T19:00:53.354-04:00Unboxing Ipsy's January Bag<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Hello everyone,<br />
<br />
Another day, another video here. Soon I'll have all the January ones up, and then I'll...get to do the February ones. haha However we'll have some non-beauty content for tomorrow's post! I swear I'm not trying to overload you all.<br />
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<h2 style="text-align: left;">
January's Ipsy Bag</h2>
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Ipsy is one of the best bargain subscriptions out there at only $10 a month. You can find out more and sign up here - <a href="https://www.ipsy.com/new?refer=1pict" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://www.ipsy.com/new?refer=1pict</a>.<br />
<br />
Thanks for reading, and if you haven't already, please subscribe to my YouTube channel if you're enjoying my videos.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg614Z9-MgTkf0yk_augyFTL9SSu-hKzMTLlciWMTru0D92gj9WnTqrZoIfITeGbi-RlZASE4RpOzFli8UtQmcOo-_EM7GQ2yUtgwTxoQxUjHye0iQu5mxTZnlD3YrlJo6iPxKA7b4xq_WY/s1600/signatureA.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg614Z9-MgTkf0yk_augyFTL9SSu-hKzMTLlciWMTru0D92gj9WnTqrZoIfITeGbi-RlZASE4RpOzFli8UtQmcOo-_EM7GQ2yUtgwTxoQxUjHye0iQu5mxTZnlD3YrlJo6iPxKA7b4xq_WY/s1600/signatureA.jpg" /></a></div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05147063157842791065noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8826020463856688016.post-10735665888129986052016-02-09T16:33:00.001-05:002016-04-09T19:02:17.193-04:00January's Enchanted Beauty Box!<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Hi friends,<br />
<br />
It's been a while, but I have a lot of new things to share with you this week. First up we've got this unboxing video:<br />
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<h2 style="text-align: left;">
January Enchanted Beauty Box - Frozen!</h2>
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" class="YOUTUBE-iframe-video" data-thumbnail-src="https://i.ytimg.com/s_vi/yHTJcqOFjHM/default.jpg?sqp=CKyy6bUF&rs=AOn4CLBi0MPr5OagQ6EH3dbsKptKyCSvKg" frameborder="0" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/yHTJcqOFjHM?feature=player_embedded" width="320"></iframe></div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
If you'd like to find out more or subscribe just go to <a href="http://www.enchantedbeautybox.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">http://www.enchantedbeautybox.com/</a>. Use code GEEK for 25% off!</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
You can <a href="http://www.lydiadickson.com/2016/01/my-first-enchanted-beauty-box-review.html" target="_blank">see what December's Star Wars box was like here as well</a>.</div>
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<br /></div>
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Thanks for reading! I'll have another new post very soon.</div>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg614Z9-MgTkf0yk_augyFTL9SSu-hKzMTLlciWMTru0D92gj9WnTqrZoIfITeGbi-RlZASE4RpOzFli8UtQmcOo-_EM7GQ2yUtgwTxoQxUjHye0iQu5mxTZnlD3YrlJo6iPxKA7b4xq_WY/s1600/signatureA.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg614Z9-MgTkf0yk_augyFTL9SSu-hKzMTLlciWMTru0D92gj9WnTqrZoIfITeGbi-RlZASE4RpOzFli8UtQmcOo-_EM7GQ2yUtgwTxoQxUjHye0iQu5mxTZnlD3YrlJo6iPxKA7b4xq_WY/s1600/signatureA.jpg" /></a></div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05147063157842791065noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8826020463856688016.post-63343266505853774322016-01-25T17:18:00.002-05:002016-04-09T19:03:22.120-04:00Find Your Perfect Valentine's Day - Quiz!<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Hi folks,<br />
<br />
This post is going to be fun and you know it, because it's a quiz. I made it because I'm part of a great group called the Geeks & Beauties Community. Some of us are going a collaboration this month where we all write a post with a Valentine's Day theme, and link to each others posts. So if you'd like to check them out please scroll to the bottom of this post! I'll be adding each post as they go up this week.<br />
<br />
So I've been wanting to make a quiz for a while and this was the perfect excuse. Are you wondering what to do for Valentine's Day? Maybe you just don't want to think about it. That's ok, take this quick quiz and maybe it'll decide for you.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1wLbGXjtTQi_w3HezPOO_7zXisY_BwYiHiSUuTEnxA-MsaqwFzZHx0GzkIsFS5FB3gx5CHSZ85uHOlp3PKYbMA56-BTSkv1B__ydKMuVI9qD1wVO40KCejqlGuiDXhW_yScjwndZ7_fHF/s1600/valentines+quiz.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1wLbGXjtTQi_w3HezPOO_7zXisY_BwYiHiSUuTEnxA-MsaqwFzZHx0GzkIsFS5FB3gx5CHSZ85uHOlp3PKYbMA56-BTSkv1B__ydKMuVI9qD1wVO40KCejqlGuiDXhW_yScjwndZ7_fHF/s640/valentines+quiz.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<br />
<h3>
Geeky Valentine's Day Date Planner</h3>
The day is coming, and no I'm not talking about the zombie apocalypse - Valentine's Day. No mater whether you're single or with a significant other you need a plan. Maybe it will even involve prepping some weapons to train for surviving in a dystopian future. Let's take a look deep into your soul and find your perfect fate in 7 easy questions.
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<form action="http://www.quizbox.com/builder/result.aspx?max=84&q=7" method="post">
<input name="QuizTitle" type="hidden" value="Geeky Valentine's Day Date Planner" />
<input name="QuizReturnLink" type="hidden" value="http://www.lydiadickson.com/2016/01/my-first-enchanted-beauty-box-review.html" />
<br />
<ol>
<li>What's your immediate thought when someone mentions that Valentine's Day is coming up?</li>
<br />
<input name="ans1" type="radio" value="1" />Ugh, what an excuse for spending money!<br />
<input name="ans1" type="radio" value="3" />I guess I should do something so I'm not alone.<br />
<input name="ans1" type="radio" value="6" />I just want someone nice to spend the day with this year.<br />
<input name="ans1" type="radio" value="9" />I can't wait to plan something fun.<br />
<input name="ans1" type="radio" value="12" />Flowers, chocolate, and fancy dinners, this will be the best year ever!<br /><br />
<li>Pick your poison...</li>
<br />
<input name="ans2" type="radio" value="1" />The dark antihero story.<br />
<input name="ans2" type="radio" value="3" />I like all kinds of stories!<br />
<input name="ans2" type="radio" value="6" />A lighthearted comedy.<br />
<input name="ans2" type="radio" value="9" />Anything with David Tennant, or {insert other geek crush here}.<br />
<input name="ans2" type="radio" value="12" />A romantic story.<br /><br />
<li>What's you favorite kind of Con</li>
<br />
<input name="ans3" type="radio" value="1" />Conning someone into paying for a free dinner...that person on Tinder has no idea.<br />
<input name="ans3" type="radio" value="12" />I'm happy going to the one my significant other wants to go to.<br />
<input name="ans3" type="radio" value="6" />I'm up for an Anime or Comic convention every once in a while.<br />
<input name="ans3" type="radio" value="9" />Can I please go to all the ones near me?<br />
<input name="ans3" type="radio" value="3" />I'm not really into cons, too many people for me!<br /><br />
<li>What's you favorite holiday</li>
<br />
<input name="ans4" type="radio" value="12" />Valentine's Day<br />
<input name="ans4" type="radio" value="1" />Christmas<br />
<input name="ans4" type="radio" value="3" />New Years Eve<br />
<input name="ans4" type="radio" value="9" />Halloween<br />
<input name="ans4" type="radio" value="6" />Thanksgiving<br /><br />
<li>You have Saturday free so you:</li>
<br />
<input name="ans5" type="radio" value="12" />Take a trip to the farmer's market and cook up something tasty with a friend.<br />
<input name="ans5" type="radio" value="6" />Have to finish reading this fantastic book or binge watching another season of that awesome show.<br />
<input name="ans5" type="radio" value="1" />Get some shopping done and head out on the town all evening.<br />
<input name="ans5" type="radio" value="3" />Want to try that great new ethnic restaurant your co-workers told you about.<br />
<input name="ans5" type="radio" value="9" />Have a game night at your place with friends; grab your dice/controllers!<br /><br />
<li>How much planning do you want to put into this?</li>
<br />
<input name="ans6" type="radio" value="6" />A bit I suppose.<br />
<input name="ans6" type="radio" value="3" />Meh, I'll think of something...<br />
<input name="ans6" type="radio" value="1" />Why bother, it's just another day!<br />
<input name="ans6" type="radio" value="9" />I'm down for planning as long as it's worth it.<br />
<input name="ans6" type="radio" value="12" />I'll take care of everything!<br /><br />
<li>When all things are said and done you'd really like spend the day:</li>
<br />
<input name="ans7" type="radio" value="12" />Having a romantic day with that special someone.<br />
<input name="ans7" type="radio" value="3" />Keeping myself occupied to take my mind off the depressing stuff.<br />
<input name="ans7" type="radio" value="9" />Having fun geeking out with a person I love.<br />
<input name="ans7" type="radio" value="1" />Doing whatever I want!<br />
<input name="ans7" type="radio" value="6" />Going on a unique adventure.<br /><br />
</ol>
A score of 7-15 = This just isn't your kind of day, put on some headphones, dive into something you love, hit ignore and do your own thing.<br />
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A score of 15-29 = Maybe you're single, maybe you're just not into big shows of affection, either way you should get together with a good friend or two and do something fun without any pressure.<br />
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A score of 30-50 = You like to keep things light and don't want something fussy. Whatever you do keep it simple so you can enjoy it without worrying about plans too much. Dinner and a movie is a classic that works well for you.<br />
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A score of 51-69 = Whether you're geeky or not you want to do something special and you're willing to put some effort in to make it memorable. Head out to a late night cult classic after hitting a foodie hotspot, or surprise your favorite person with tickets to that con or event they've been eying during your dinner date!<br />
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A score of 70-84 = Do you even need to read this? You know you want the most romantic day ever! Maybe that means it'll be a little sappy, but that's ok, the person you're spending the day with loves you. Just don't get too obsessed with planning that you can't enjoy each moment of the fun you have planned.
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<input onclick="this.value='Please wait...'" type="submit" value="Grade Me" /><br />
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After hitting the button above if you follow the "Give Me More" link you can enter my giveaway for an Enchanted Beauty Box, or just <a href="http://www.lydiadickson.com/2016/01/my-first-enchanted-beauty-box-review.html" target="_blank">go here to enter and hear more about this new Disney themed beauty box!</a><br />
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Thanks for reading, and be sure to tell me if you liked this quiz in the comments below.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioUxJWjWtjPDd6ImAmacAklCGB-Chaeq9mLvyKzymW24Az7zzKIEolDESzS_pFxWR-tUi9_rhYRukh3nN9Fo3CWGwzzpA3TeijW1bo2IU5tkOiIrrqKjtV3BFgvNrGaNKlaCfZG-WlzBJY/s1600/signatureA.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioUxJWjWtjPDd6ImAmacAklCGB-Chaeq9mLvyKzymW24Az7zzKIEolDESzS_pFxWR-tUi9_rhYRukh3nN9Fo3CWGwzzpA3TeijW1bo2IU5tkOiIrrqKjtV3BFgvNrGaNKlaCfZG-WlzBJY/s1600/signatureA.jpg" /></a></div>
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<h2>
Other Valentine's Day Posts From My Friends</h2>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2wKAtAmWjL49xtnwPIUayJnowFjvsl20PjJRMNlR-XzxmZX6sRE6cRnebaYzbg3dTYRSuzJkDsTEUTKrT6ijPbtoDz7QmRehexS1qleIH0A1b7sLi3bDukri7CNZH_0yM1JQNGM-bsyY9/s1600/193_orig.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="277" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2wKAtAmWjL49xtnwPIUayJnowFjvsl20PjJRMNlR-XzxmZX6sRE6cRnebaYzbg3dTYRSuzJkDsTEUTKrT6ijPbtoDz7QmRehexS1qleIH0A1b7sLi3bDukri7CNZH_0yM1JQNGM-bsyY9/s320/193_orig.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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From ZombiieeNinjjaBeauty we have <a href="http://zombiieeninjjabeauty.weebly.com/blog/v-day-gift-guide-reimagined" target="_blank">this post on what shouldn't be on your gift list this year</a>.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgo-0PJcIWf2eVgQlgwfx5KtSf6EXrqwXPar1dHfHgQbXKrms2GIqRnYOThr0p_lChfoUj6ogeA1S4xjyQHr9VVOzXKpDJNLIdA3sUnGZFGH_dtaMH4Gkw_UEPBZPzUzQEBMwQDxZ9YHtk0/s1600/Screen+Shot+2016-02-01+at+12.22.48+AM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="273" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgo-0PJcIWf2eVgQlgwfx5KtSf6EXrqwXPar1dHfHgQbXKrms2GIqRnYOThr0p_lChfoUj6ogeA1S4xjyQHr9VVOzXKpDJNLIdA3sUnGZFGH_dtaMH4Gkw_UEPBZPzUzQEBMwQDxZ9YHtk0/s320/Screen+Shot+2016-02-01+at+12.22.48+AM.png" width="320" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://youtu.be/An5WxP5e7eo" target="_blank">A great makeup look and giveaway</a> with Realby Lamona.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAZqh0qOnc9-3rELdoynfdKeKu8ox2fTUQAfiRRstU3fx5bOnWo627qgkRIuRAh7F3v33iZKg2hrAMlrG4QzwIvpyinOcmx14JpJPM7xfbrJy3iOJDby907N1BjAOoY0rIVHydzCNFmfP4/s1600/Screen+Shot+2016-02-01+at+12.27.43+AM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="317" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAZqh0qOnc9-3rELdoynfdKeKu8ox2fTUQAfiRRstU3fx5bOnWo627qgkRIuRAh7F3v33iZKg2hrAMlrG4QzwIvpyinOcmx14JpJPM7xfbrJy3iOJDby907N1BjAOoY0rIVHydzCNFmfP4/s320/Screen+Shot+2016-02-01+at+12.27.43+AM.png" width="320" /></a></div>
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From Bethany Summer we have <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/BA7_3dKtpIn/?taken-by=bsummerbeauty" target="_blank">a Valentine's Day date look the goes from head to toe</a>!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiulO1ALkx3Tj6ztwnITTESVvDzgXKIbg9w4fh2O6E4kUcvRJcTID1TwyMJsrXqVVOpgUyPAEz-O7LWJMfTsgGxnOol986PFV-c4kRl5w3tWELUeBnFOML-mf6WBllz2x1w5TS3_dQbzUEY/s1600/Screen+Shot+2016-02-01+at+12.31.13+AM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="270" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiulO1ALkx3Tj6ztwnITTESVvDzgXKIbg9w4fh2O6E4kUcvRJcTID1TwyMJsrXqVVOpgUyPAEz-O7LWJMfTsgGxnOol986PFV-c4kRl5w3tWELUeBnFOML-mf6WBllz2x1w5TS3_dQbzUEY/s320/Screen+Shot+2016-02-01+at+12.31.13+AM.png" width="320" /></a></div>
Zainey Laney has <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XmKx74xIUAc&feature=youtu.be" target="_blank">another installment in her amazing Makeup & A Movie Series</a>.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisIYF99B5PHkzVxG6CPFLbnaWT9yPel7IH51zEuto4n7JtvgH4J4ilj3VRrkaTT_6-olh9TAytIZ2JaoRCAZX_1LI1s74NFMTh2e6DlMtACAKcyzloHO0hdtCymyjyt87Pg3oexSc5A_5N/s1600/Screen+Shot+2016-02-01+at+12.33.48+AM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="259" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisIYF99B5PHkzVxG6CPFLbnaWT9yPel7IH51zEuto4n7JtvgH4J4ilj3VRrkaTT_6-olh9TAytIZ2JaoRCAZX_1LI1s74NFMTh2e6DlMtACAKcyzloHO0hdtCymyjyt87Pg3oexSc5A_5N/s320/Screen+Shot+2016-02-01+at+12.33.48+AM.png" width="320" /></a></div>
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And finally Southeast by Midwest is here to share <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MDZ1nuXIU4E" target="_blank">a great makeup tutorial</a>.</form>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05147063157842791065noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8826020463856688016.post-37528275206279219772016-01-20T20:02:00.000-05:002016-04-09T19:07:22.288-04:00My First Bestowed Box!<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Hello folks,<br />
<br />
For Christmas I received a subscription to the Bestowed Box, a subscription box full of healthy goodies to make meals and try as snacks. Below is my review of the December box!<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj00DHNK7cZmq7IsUxJDbPuW52WUvKYR6VAPLliM9sdsrhgvdwSgSirVv5qmQHGEZ_NOUkXHtMqwUfmkl-8T-wIYe2cubMZHBbvir6MsgI4SxF1NT4baR7Dj-kguRCdtaT0VC18HNs1wlSO/s1600/bestowed-logo.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj00DHNK7cZmq7IsUxJDbPuW52WUvKYR6VAPLliM9sdsrhgvdwSgSirVv5qmQHGEZ_NOUkXHtMqwUfmkl-8T-wIYe2cubMZHBbvir6MsgI4SxF1NT4baR7Dj-kguRCdtaT0VC18HNs1wlSO/s320/bestowed-logo.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<h2>
December Bestowed Box</h2>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<iframe allowfullscreen="" class="YOUTUBE-iframe-video" data-thumbnail-src="https://i.ytimg.com/vi/5SW46gQ6B4A/0.jpg" frameborder="0" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/5SW46gQ6B4A?feature=player_embedded" width="320"></iframe></div>
<br />
What do you all think? I just got my January box a couple days ago, so I'll be reviewing that one soon too! If you'd like more information on the <a href="http://www.shareasale.com/r.cfm?b=649575&u=1184057&m=43962&urllink=&afftrack=" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Bestowed Box click here</a>◊ (with my affiliate link) and if you want to try it out get 10% off your subscription with code LOVEHEALTHY.<br />
<br />
And if you haven't had a chance yet <a href="http://www.lydiadickson.com/2016/01/my-first-enchanted-beauty-box-review.html" target="_blank">please take a peek at my unboxing of the Enchanted Beauty Box,</a> a brand new Disney themed (starting with Star Wars) beauty box. And enter to win a box of your own in my giveaway!<br />
<br />
I'll see you all again soon, and no, I've not forgotten about publishing my winter capsule wardrobe. It's on the way, I've just been taking care of myself more lately, so writing at a more healthy pace instead of last minute speed runs is working better.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh69jzZGyqCMnD1JNIzOOV6Bk4GHamkgyrcUSVZYWfeX0Qv7l2i2FUOcmZ3HwTZgkNjxq4vNThO6zJM9oEhF0orF4O0uQutmFPJZzpmebWr2DLr8DfBkdcYwHmFVtdCEIEBRNJ10oKbqpER/s1600/signatureA.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh69jzZGyqCMnD1JNIzOOV6Bk4GHamkgyrcUSVZYWfeX0Qv7l2i2FUOcmZ3HwTZgkNjxq4vNThO6zJM9oEhF0orF4O0uQutmFPJZzpmebWr2DLr8DfBkdcYwHmFVtdCEIEBRNJ10oKbqpER/s1600/signatureA.jpg" /></a></div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05147063157842791065noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8826020463856688016.post-55782105185818553272016-01-15T17:26:00.001-05:002016-04-09T19:07:44.922-04:00My First Enchanted Beauty Box Review<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgg5U7_ZEik73-RuOXBiwOgbUYdeT-BmqOSrNw3JPk04LmTDVdv08K9b1uIuwErZ3SFonAFUrkdvgk9G-PvGGMAiu1-PmqB7LEb5v8d5CGKAr3ECBqbcRTIUO0H_Yo6sZ-RvgM79tw1FsON/s1600/signature.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgg5U7_ZEik73-RuOXBiwOgbUYdeT-BmqOSrNw3JPk04LmTDVdv08K9b1uIuwErZ3SFonAFUrkdvgk9G-PvGGMAiu1-PmqB7LEb5v8d5CGKAr3ECBqbcRTIUO0H_Yo6sZ-RvgM79tw1FsON/s1600/signature.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgg5U7_ZEik73-RuOXBiwOgbUYdeT-BmqOSrNw3JPk04LmTDVdv08K9b1uIuwErZ3SFonAFUrkdvgk9G-PvGGMAiu1-PmqB7LEb5v8d5CGKAr3ECBqbcRTIUO0H_Yo6sZ-RvgM79tw1FsON/s1600/signature.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a>Hello friends,<br />
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgg5U7_ZEik73-RuOXBiwOgbUYdeT-BmqOSrNw3JPk04LmTDVdv08K9b1uIuwErZ3SFonAFUrkdvgk9G-PvGGMAiu1-PmqB7LEb5v8d5CGKAr3ECBqbcRTIUO0H_Yo6sZ-RvgM79tw1FsON/s1600/signature.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a>I'm really excited to share this unboxing and review of the first ever Enchanted Beauty Box! It's their December box and since this box is Disney themed they created a Star Wars box to celebrate the release of The Force Awakens. I am so thrilled to see such a fun theme! Check out the video below to see what I got and then enter to win the giveaway below so you can have the chance to win one of January's Frozen themed boxes.<br />
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<h2>
The December Enchanted Beauty Box - Star Wars</h2>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<iframe allowfullscreen="" class="YOUTUBE-iframe-video" data-thumbnail-src="https://i.ytimg.com/s_vi/bsKgsTrj-_U/default.jpg?sqp=CIjT5bQF&rs=AOn4CLBdJa-Wo0YH7ynuy_H2FHJN0qCmQg" frameborder="0" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/bsKgsTrj-_U?feature=player_embedded" width="320"></iframe></div>
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<br />
You can nab a subscription for yourself at <a href="http://www.enchantedbeautybox.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">http://www.EnchantedBeautyBox.com</a> and get 25% off by using coupon code GEEK.<br />
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgg5U7_ZEik73-RuOXBiwOgbUYdeT-BmqOSrNw3JPk04LmTDVdv08K9b1uIuwErZ3SFonAFUrkdvgk9G-PvGGMAiu1-PmqB7LEb5v8d5CGKAr3ECBqbcRTIUO0H_Yo6sZ-RvgM79tw1FsON/s1600/signature.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"></a>I've kept this post brief because I know unboxings aren't for everyone. I've actually decided putting videos of my subscription boxes on YouTube is a better way to let you all see what I'm trying out too. So from now on I'll make short posts like this that you can feel free to skim over if they're not your thing. Thanks for stopping by, and good luck on the giveaway!<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDlvmOBzqtpCkXxmB1uMKeEqRIS91pdBre31jjaTB8rmXSA7MOLI1S4W3cNPgpCIGJWaBkkeXc6DG-k0Im8h6D5uKs0vVZS_IZpgbRPyjEbYVziOMENlE-7aktZK-Qu_6QVw-TDC_b7Ttt/s1600/signatureA.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDlvmOBzqtpCkXxmB1uMKeEqRIS91pdBre31jjaTB8rmXSA7MOLI1S4W3cNPgpCIGJWaBkkeXc6DG-k0Im8h6D5uKs0vVZS_IZpgbRPyjEbYVziOMENlE-7aktZK-Qu_6QVw-TDC_b7Ttt/s1600/signatureA.jpg" /></a></div>
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<h2>
The Enchanted Beauty Box Giveaway</h2>
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<a class="e-widget" href="https://gleam.io/BFkJo/enchanted-beauty-box-giveaway" rel="nofollow">Enchanted Beauty Box giveaway</a>
<script async="true" src="https://js.gleam.io/e.js" type="text/javascript"></script>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05147063157842791065noreply@blogger.com31tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8826020463856688016.post-86124706807397368602016-01-12T04:25:00.001-05:002016-04-09T19:10:22.262-04:002015 - My Year in Books<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<h2>
Hi friends,</h2>
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgg5U7_ZEik73-RuOXBiwOgbUYdeT-BmqOSrNw3JPk04LmTDVdv08K9b1uIuwErZ3SFonAFUrkdvgk9G-PvGGMAiu1-PmqB7LEb5v8d5CGKAr3ECBqbcRTIUO0H_Yo6sZ-RvgM79tw1FsON/s1600/signature.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"></a><br />
Today I was thinking I'd write a couple book reviews for you all, but I realized it's been a while since I looked at my reading challenge for 2015. Last January I challenged myself to read a book every week, 52 in all. Along the way I also started working on an overlapping list of 52 specific kinds of books as shown further down in this post. And the results are in:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiv30F1EY0izwJx_DwD4jp-Gr12JXXbGztz9QT3gRxVN9c9DxShIPZD4N6Q6FIReFx37qW5qBGfMsz5X4yc1IAaZG1LmzvFW8aG7IsPembX5FNuO7F4G5j6R1GqmoGSqPaFJvYdTdUoe6Hu/s1600/2015-reading-challenge.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiv30F1EY0izwJx_DwD4jp-Gr12JXXbGztz9QT3gRxVN9c9DxShIPZD4N6Q6FIReFx37qW5qBGfMsz5X4yc1IAaZG1LmzvFW8aG7IsPembX5FNuO7F4G5j6R1GqmoGSqPaFJvYdTdUoe6Hu/s640/2015-reading-challenge.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<h2>
2015 Reading Challenge!</h2>
<h3>
Books Read:</h3>
(Click any link in the list to see my review!)<br />
<ol>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgg5U7_ZEik73-RuOXBiwOgbUYdeT-BmqOSrNw3JPk04LmTDVdv08K9b1uIuwErZ3SFonAFUrkdvgk9G-PvGGMAiu1-PmqB7LEb5v8d5CGKAr3ECBqbcRTIUO0H_Yo6sZ-RvgM79tw1FsON/s1600/signature.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a>
<li>Fables Volume 19 Snow White</li>
<li>Fables Volume 20 Camelot</li>
<li>Fables Volume 21 Happily Ever After</li>
<li>Fables Volume 22 Farewell</li>
<li>The Ancient Magus Bride Volume 3</li>
<li>Wren's War</li>
<li>Wren's Quest</li>
<li><a href="http://www.lydiadickson.com/2015/08/comics-lady-heroes.html" target="_blank">Ms Marvel Volume 3</a></li>
<li>Hexomancy</li>
<li>Wayward Volume 1</li>
<li>Ghosted Volume 1</li>
<li>Figment Volume 1</li>
<li>A Brides Story Volume 6</li>
<li>Dead New World</li>
<li><a href="http://www.lydiadickson.com/2015/11/book-reviews.html" target="_blank">The Torment of Rachel Ames</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.lydiadickson.com/2015/11/book-reviews.html" target="_blank">Alice in No-Man's-Land</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.lydiadickson.com/2015/10/book-reviews-and-geekyloot.html" target="_blank">Top 12 Places to Visit in Texas</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.lydiadickson.com/2015/10/book-reviews-and-geekyloot.html" target="_blank">Battling Boy: The Rise of Aurora West</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.lydiadickson.com/2015/10/book-reviews-and-geekyloot.html" target="_blank">The Master of Formalities</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.lydiadickson.com/2015/10/coloring-books-and-fiction-books.html" target="_blank">The Death and Life of Mal Evans</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.lydiadickson.com/2015/10/coloring-books-and-fiction-books.html" target="_blank">Spell or High Water</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.lydiadickson.com/2015/09/photo-bucket-list-book-reviews.html" target="_blank">Off to Be The Wizard</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.lydiadickson.com/2015/09/photo-bucket-list-book-reviews.html" target="_blank">Princess Ugg Volume 1</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.lydiadickson.com/2015/09/mac-and-cheese-good-reads.html" target="_blank">A Walk in The Woods</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.lydiadickson.com/2015/09/mac-and-cheese-good-reads.html" target="_blank">Velvet Volume 1</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.lydiadickson.com/2015/09/mixed-bag.html" target="_blank">The Ancient Magus Bride Volume 2</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.lydiadickson.com/2015/09/comics-of-many-kinds.html" target="_blank">Lumberjanes Volume 1</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.lydiadickson.com/2015/09/comics-of-many-kinds.html" target="_blank">Bride of the Water God Volume 2</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.lydiadickson.com/2015/09/comics-of-many-kinds.html" target="_blank">Bride of the Water God Volume 1</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.lydiadickson.com/2015/09/comics-of-many-kinds.html" target="_blank">The Ancient Magus Bride Volume 1</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.lydiadickson.com/2015/09/comics-of-many-kinds.html" target="_blank">Avengers & X-Men - Axis</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.lydiadickson.com/2015/09/comics-of-many-kinds.html" target="_blank">Secret Wars</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.lydiadickson.com/2015/09/rereading-ya-fiction.html" target="_blank">The Two Princesses of Bamarre</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.lydiadickson.com/2015/09/rereading-ya-fiction.html" target="_blank">Wild Magic</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.lydiadickson.com/2015/09/rereading-ya-fiction.html" target="_blank">Wolf Speaker</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.lydiadickson.com/2015/09/rereading-ya-fiction.html" target="_blank">Emperor Mage</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.lydiadickson.com/2015/09/rereading-ya-fiction.html" target="_blank">Wren to the Rescue</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.lydiadickson.com/2015/08/comics-lady-heroes.html" target="_blank">Captain Marvel Volume 3</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.lydiadickson.com/2015/08/comics-lady-heroes.html" target="_blank">Captain Marvel Volume 2</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.lydiadickson.com/2015/08/comics-lady-heroes.html" target="_blank">Captain Marvel Volume 1</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.lydiadickson.com/2015/08/comics-lady-heroes.html" target="_blank">Ms Marvel Volume 2</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.lydiadickson.com/2015/08/comics-lady-heroes.html" target="_blank">Batgirl Volume 1</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.lydiadickson.com/2015/08/ya-fiction-reviews-part-1.html" target="_blank">Fuse</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.lydiadickson.com/2015/08/ya-fiction-reviews-part-1.html" target="_blank">Burn</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.lydiadickson.com/2015/08/ya-fiction-reviews-part-1.html" target="_blank">Gifts of the Blood</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.lydiadickson.com/2015/08/ya-fiction-reviews-part-1.html" target="_blank">The Swap</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.lydiadickson.com/2015/08/ya-fiction-reviews-part-1.html" target="_blank">Cipher</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.lydiadickson.com/2015/08/ya-fiction-reviews-part-1.html" target="_blank">Waistcoats and Weaponry</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.lydiadickson.com/2015/08/comics-part-1.html" target="_blank">Manifest Destiny Volume 1</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.lydiadickson.com/2015/08/comics-part-1.html" target="_blank">Amulet Volume 2</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.lydiadickson.com/2015/08/comics-part-1.html" target="_blank">Amulet Volume 1</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.lydiadickson.com/2015/08/comics-part-1.html" target="_blank">Thor Goddess of Thunder Volume 1</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.lydiadickson.com/2015/08/comics-part-1.html" target="_blank">The Sculptor</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.lydiadickson.com/2015/08/comics-part-1.html" target="_blank">Rat Queens Volume 2</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.lydiadickson.com/2015/08/comics-part-1.html" target="_blank">Rat Queens Volume 1</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.lydiadickson.com/2015/07/more-fiction-reviews.html" target="_blank">Celebromancy</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.lydiadickson.com/2015/07/more-fiction-reviews.html" target="_blank">Geekomancy</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.lydiadickson.com/2015/07/more-fiction-reviews.html" target="_blank">The Long Mars</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.lydiadickson.com/2015/07/more-fiction-reviews.html" target="_blank">The Long War</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.lydiadickson.com/2015/07/more-fiction-reviews.html" target="_blank">The Reluctant Midwife</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.lydiadickson.com/2015/07/fiction-and-non-fiction.html" target="_blank">Pride and Prejudice</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.lydiadickson.com/2015/07/fiction-and-non-fiction.html" target="_blank">Price and Prejudice and Zombies</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.lydiadickson.com/2015/07/fiction-and-non-fiction.html" target="_blank">The Weekend Homesteader</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.lydiadickson.com/2015/07/fiction-and-non-fiction.html" target="_blank">Call the Nurse</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.lydiadickson.com/2015/07/fiction-and-non-fiction.html" target="_blank">Paradise Lot</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.lydiadickson.com/2015/02/pins.html" target="_blank">The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier and Clay</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.lydiadickson.com/2015/02/progress-on-pins.html" target="_blank">Injustice Gods Among Us Volume 2</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.lydiadickson.com/2015/02/progress-on-pins.html" target="_blank">Injustice Gods Among Us Volume 1</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.lydiadickson.com/2015/02/progress-on-pins.html" target="_blank">Wildflowers and Plant Communities of the Southern Appalachians Mountains and Piedmont</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.lydiadickson.com/2015/02/progress-on-pins.html" target="_blank">Midnight in Austenland</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.lydiadickson.com/2015/02/progress-on-pins.html" target="_blank">The Permaculture Handbook</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.lydiadickson.com/2015/02/progress-on-pins.html" target="_blank">Unlocked</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.lydiadickson.com/2015/01/pins-1-2-and-3.html" target="_blank">Lock In</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.lydiadickson.com/2015/01/pins-1-2-and-3.html" target="_blank">Ms Marvel Volume 1</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.lydiadickson.com/2015/01/pins-1-2-and-3.html" target="_blank">Landscaping with Fruit</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.lydiadickson.com/2015/01/pins-1-2-and-3.html" target="_blank">The Johnstown Flood</a></li>
</ol>
<div>
I think this is the full list, I may be a missing a couple more recent books, but this accounts for everything I can remember from a good go of looking at my records. 76 is better than I thought I'd do, so I'm quite happy with how my challenge went. And I'm only a tiny bit surprised that 35 of the titles are comics, manga, or graphic novels! Thanks to <a href="https://www.facebook.com/fightorflightcomics" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Fight or Flight Comics</a> for that. They opened almost a year ago and Bryan and I have found our perfect local comic book store in them!</div>
<div>
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<div>
As for the more complex challenge here's the worksheet all filled out:</div>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqAUZAGheKKCwp-eseGKyTn15IZhzWJUR0YQjL9zkelmnkzZM6CmVycyTS7uXIliml_7NRG7fgXjled3Y6CUlWj0N8rbrViAkacWOolwNoO9TSgrjbU0JWbQqVwwJjCWmFBd-72O2Uxqni/s1600/Book+checklist+updated.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqAUZAGheKKCwp-eseGKyTn15IZhzWJUR0YQjL9zkelmnkzZM6CmVycyTS7uXIliml_7NRG7fgXjled3Y6CUlWj0N8rbrViAkacWOolwNoO9TSgrjbU0JWbQqVwwJjCWmFBd-72O2Uxqni/s1600/Book+checklist+updated.jpg" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgg5U7_ZEik73-RuOXBiwOgbUYdeT-BmqOSrNw3JPk04LmTDVdv08K9b1uIuwErZ3SFonAFUrkdvgk9G-PvGGMAiu1-PmqB7LEb5v8d5CGKAr3ECBqbcRTIUO0H_Yo6sZ-RvgM79tw1FsON/s1600/signature.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"></a>I didn't want to double count anything, though I did read some books that would count under more than one of the headings in the checklist. And I may have even missed something that might count, but I spent a good half hour trying to figure out what I read that could be added, and that's plenty! I feel pretty good about all I ended up reading and can't wait to see what I read this year. I'm not following any particular challenge, but I'm excited to read things I've been meaning to for a long time or have been recommended multiple times. So I've started off the year with Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell and have many more to come. I'll try to get in a good book post at least once a month too keep you all posted about it too!<br />
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<h2>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgg5U7_ZEik73-RuOXBiwOgbUYdeT-BmqOSrNw3JPk04LmTDVdv08K9b1uIuwErZ3SFonAFUrkdvgk9G-PvGGMAiu1-PmqB7LEb5v8d5CGKAr3ECBqbcRTIUO0H_Yo6sZ-RvgM79tw1FsON/s1600/signature.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"></a>Favorite Reads</h2>
I kind of hate picking favorites, but I have to say that some of the books I enjoyed most from this past year would be <a href="http://amzn.to/1TRE2JU" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Lock In</a> by John Scalzi, a sci fi novel, <a href="http://amzn.to/1TRDW4S" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">The Ancient Magus Bride</a> fantasy manga series by Kore Yamazaki, The <a href="http://amzn.to/1P6kkGb" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Ms Marvel series</a> featuring Kamala Khan by Willow G Wilson and a team of very talented artists, and <a href="http://amzn.to/1TRDweW" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Call the Nurse</a> a memoir of a nurse working on a remote Scottish island in the 1970's by Mary J. MacLeod. (Links above are affiliate links.) I recommend all of them very strongly and I'm looking forward to all the great new picks this year will bring as well.<br />
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That's all for today. Sorry I didn't get this post out sooner, but sometimes stomach viruses happen. Yep....<br />
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But I'm ready to tackle a video unboxing for a great new subscription box, so be on the lookout for my review of the new Enchanted Beauty Box, the beauty box for Disney fans! Have a great week!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDlvmOBzqtpCkXxmB1uMKeEqRIS91pdBre31jjaTB8rmXSA7MOLI1S4W3cNPgpCIGJWaBkkeXc6DG-k0Im8h6D5uKs0vVZS_IZpgbRPyjEbYVziOMENlE-7aktZK-Qu_6QVw-TDC_b7Ttt/s1600/signatureA.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDlvmOBzqtpCkXxmB1uMKeEqRIS91pdBre31jjaTB8rmXSA7MOLI1S4W3cNPgpCIGJWaBkkeXc6DG-k0Im8h6D5uKs0vVZS_IZpgbRPyjEbYVziOMENlE-7aktZK-Qu_6QVw-TDC_b7Ttt/s1600/signatureA.jpg" /></a></div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05147063157842791065noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8826020463856688016.post-11835980737015794022016-01-04T18:00:00.000-05:002016-01-04T18:00:39.885-05:00New Years Resolutions or All The Lists<h2>
Hi friends!</h2>
<br />
It's a brand new year and I'm excited to hit the ground running now that the last Christmas celebrations are completed (The first weekend of January we had an extended family shindig). In past years I haven't done much in the way of making resolutions, I've never believed in diets or going cold turkey to change your life. But this year I'm going to try at a couple that I know will make my life better in healthy incremental ways that I wait to keep up for the rest of my life.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjV7LrwHfh9L7lPqMKbQ47oGhYZsQ7TX0u8koUjBxZXDU5lvVWfJJhg-wD4mB15pbBBZiJAl4zUni_DhY6-tfJpzbwnQ8LfpWgrRuA3G2PUG2x50nanO014Wc-qhX6BShnJIixMEf-bzxwJ/s1600/IMG_6842.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjV7LrwHfh9L7lPqMKbQ47oGhYZsQ7TX0u8koUjBxZXDU5lvVWfJJhg-wD4mB15pbBBZiJAl4zUni_DhY6-tfJpzbwnQ8LfpWgrRuA3G2PUG2x50nanO014Wc-qhX6BShnJIixMEf-bzxwJ/s640/IMG_6842.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<h2>
New Years Resolutions</h2>
<br />
<ol>
<li>Make smaller attainable goals for my life each month, to improve my motivation levels.</li>
<li>Not be discouraged by my failures, but learn from them. Mostly the not be discouraged part though, 'cause seriously...I fail at my goals so often because life and mental health issues just happen.</li>
<li>Celebrate the good stuff no matter how small, to cultivate gratitude and boost my positive thinking.</li>
<li>Exercise daily, which is a habit I will build gradually. But eventually I want to have at least 5 minutes and ideally 30 minutes spent doing something that's not sitting on my butt.</li>
<li>Do some of the things I've had my list forever, and by this I mean fun things like that book I've meant to read, tackling Steam games I've had for over a year without trying, and new foods or travel experiences.</li>
</ol>
<div>
To get things started off I'm going to go over some of my January goals here, because writing about them makes me feel more motivated to take them on.</div>
<h2>
January Goals</h2>
<div>
<ol>
<li>Write or post videos here 3 times a week.</li>
<li>Get in exercise 2-3 times a week consistently this month. Learn to love it along the way.</li>
<li>Play 2 new Steam games, read 5 new books, listen to new music every week.</li>
<li>Do one of those new things every day, because they're fun!</li>
<li>Try cleaning my house for 15 minutes each day.</li>
</ol>
<h2>
January Blog Related Goals</h2>
</div>
<div>
I almost didn't share this with you guys, but I feel like it's a really important part of what I'm doing that needs to be seen. Bloggers work hard too, especially when we're making it our job. And that's my main goal these days, which is hard sometimes, but all my successes get me excited. I really want to share that with you all!</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<ol>
<li>Meet my new monthly goal of over 5,000 visitors here. Last month I was down a bit at 2134, but in November I had 3630. I can do this!</li>
<li>Post to social media daily and increase followers to the specified numbers - Facebook page 125, Twitter 350, Tsu, empowr, and Instagram 500), and post to YouTube weekly to work my way to 50 subscribers.</li>
<li>Blog about the cool new things I'm trying out. Seriously, this is the fun part that I get to share with you guys! Also I want stick with my planned post schedule at least 60% this month.</li>
<li>Contact some companies that I love or want to try out and review them here in partnership posts.</li>
<li>Give my blog a beautiful facelift with the help of some great branding advisors.</li>
</ol>
<div>
Here's a peek at some of the font tests, a bit of which I'm already starting to implement!</div>
<div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgg5U7_ZEik73-RuOXBiwOgbUYdeT-BmqOSrNw3JPk04LmTDVdv08K9b1uIuwErZ3SFonAFUrkdvgk9G-PvGGMAiu1-PmqB7LEb5v8d5CGKAr3ECBqbcRTIUO0H_Yo6sZ-RvgM79tw1FsON/s1600/signature.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBNpnYrcpg-vPtRxGs0Gga4ozIg-UjQTJnaRYWrHhWnlCieh0iRXeJe8gnYSKvLE8zM9WHykcnRhCteAiOrrvzg8hr_YJ0DuB4YqMqVEnCJYZbq8_ocSa1zu8_hJrJuLbcG6uWqXsODwVo/s1600/font+tests.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBNpnYrcpg-vPtRxGs0Gga4ozIg-UjQTJnaRYWrHhWnlCieh0iRXeJe8gnYSKvLE8zM9WHykcnRhCteAiOrrvzg8hr_YJ0DuB4YqMqVEnCJYZbq8_ocSa1zu8_hJrJuLbcG6uWqXsODwVo/s320/font+tests.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div>
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<h2>
This Week's "Menu"</h2>
<div>
<ol>
<li>Start the cleaning and exercise routines mentioned above.</li>
<li>Start the post routines on social media.</li>
<li>Plan time for fun new things daily and make it happen.</li>
<li>Write a book review post Wednesday. (Let's see how I did on my 2015 reading challenge!)</li>
<li>Finish creating my Winter 2016 Capsule Wardrobe. (So excited about this one!)</li>
<li>Prep for and then talk to my branding advisors.</li>
</ol>
</div>
<div>
As you can see things are looking good, and I'm hoping for a fantastic year of growth in many areas of my life. And to top things off, this past week Bryan and I had our third anniversary. We have yet to really sit down and celebrate it, but we're going to try to do something special soon. This week we're opting for a normal date night, which I don't mind since we're just getting back into the swing of things after all the busyness of the holidays.</div>
</div>
<div>
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<div>
I hope all you readers had a great holiday season, let me know what your resolutions are in comments. Or better yet tell me how you've been able to keep up with the resolutions you've made in the past! Tips are always welcome when you're just starting out in any new endeavor.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<br />Happy New Year,</div>
<div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05147063157842791065noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8826020463856688016.post-79048332916751514192015-12-24T17:11:00.000-05:002016-04-09T19:15:07.100-04:00My First Vlog, The Force Awakens, and A Dressember Update.<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<h2>
Hey friends,</h2>
<br />
I'm pleased to announce the winner of my giveaway is Angelica S. Congratulations on winning the lovely Tigerwood necklace <a href="http://www.lydiadickson.com/2015/11/handmade-holiday-gift-guide.html" target="_blank">seen in my Holiday Gift Guide.</a><br />
<br />
This week I'm trying something new!<br />
<br />
<h2>
So without further ado here's my first vlog:</h2>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<iframe allowfullscreen="" class="YOUTUBE-iframe-video" data-thumbnail-src="https://i.ytimg.com/s_vi/vpPr5tkFzAs/default.jpg?sqp=COiY8bMF&rs=AOn4CLDv73dAMOLHysZSV4KbmTDDZeNl-w" frameborder="0" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/vpPr5tkFzAs?feature=player_embedded" width="320"></iframe></div>
<br />
Please note the volume starts out a bit louder and gets softer after the first couple minutes as I test equipment.<br />
<br />
<h2>
My Dressember Outfits</h2>
<span id="goog_1609699340"></span><span id="goog_1609699341"></span>If you want to find out more about my Dressember participation <a href="https://support.dressemberfoundation.org/fundraise?fcid=574719" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">check out my donation page here</a> and <a href="https://www.ijm.org/articles" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">go here to read stories about the lives changed</a> through International Justice Mission. Affiliate links are marked with a ◊ symbol, so if you happen to follow a link and buy something you help support my site.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVI4NHPQJF5L4nOn3Yen7bdUZjmvbX3Ks0U4_cELW4ZboeQUPhDeimBk0XQOIvGzo932Z1RRhJ3ZmiI5BHzZ9X73CR9NZ18p1x9bEFZLh8ymZCD9oHTixIIdhZ4VM3tdAr_cAWKurNWYSM/s1600/IMG_6126.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVI4NHPQJF5L4nOn3Yen7bdUZjmvbX3Ks0U4_cELW4ZboeQUPhDeimBk0XQOIvGzo932Z1RRhJ3ZmiI5BHzZ9X73CR9NZ18p1x9bEFZLh8ymZCD9oHTixIIdhZ4VM3tdAr_cAWKurNWYSM/s400/IMG_6126.jpg" width="246" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Day 1, Dress - LuLaRoe, Leggings - Victoria's Secret, Ballet Flats - American Eagle by Payless</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiE8llmiMXFlHEap6C8GPCcIKVg6LDMfWe9tUNYCHQoJH7gfLOt6YkfPof2xq0TcMvmispDDvt2dMkMg6j2dLFQsGAqJn7kg6lm7uUSoVv7KDFLKi1kfQmjk68WSz-RRU_fj5gG4UJ8jfC7/s1600/IMG_6188.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiE8llmiMXFlHEap6C8GPCcIKVg6LDMfWe9tUNYCHQoJH7gfLOt6YkfPof2xq0TcMvmispDDvt2dMkMg6j2dLFQsGAqJn7kg6lm7uUSoVv7KDFLKi1kfQmjk68WSz-RRU_fj5gG4UJ8jfC7/s400/IMG_6188.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Day 2, Sweater Dress - Style & Co for Macy's, Leggings - Target, Boots - Trendsetter for Hushpuppies</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgB6WwWhmoncABQ7BqvMtEF9LiIXnj8eXbiQsZeFESLCtPxnhiYYV-ZcArbyr4HysdIPlVFQYNd6hYKVkUvr9iISYrrEO-L6uSpj822YhSdXWPhXmW6Wh64Hg-vTc6lLurwSmIz_uTV1rhp/s1600/IMG_6220.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgB6WwWhmoncABQ7BqvMtEF9LiIXnj8eXbiQsZeFESLCtPxnhiYYV-ZcArbyr4HysdIPlVFQYNd6hYKVkUvr9iISYrrEO-L6uSpj822YhSdXWPhXmW6Wh64Hg-vTc6lLurwSmIz_uTV1rhp/s400/IMG_6220.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Day 3, Cardigan - LuLaRoe, Dress - <a href="http://www.shareasale.com/r.cfm?u=1184057&b=277011&m=30763&afftrack=&urllink=www%2Eheruniverse%2Ecom%2Feveryday%2Dcosplay%2Ehtml" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Her Universe</a>◊, Leggings - <a href="http://www.shareasale.com/m-pr.cfm?merchantID=43745&userID=1184057&productID=569047635" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Modcloth</a>◊, Flats - American Eagle by Payless</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifnAV6wJoCQ0JvlamCuGzzt_AIafXOXcHLIJKNS5_uXXttXkeHA3uENQtKmeUFtx3qcj79v4p_CNsz02ZHv_iB-Mr0izKwgFXljePQq21Sp5VwkJXFv8Hr5ea8DiS8TzVDVAmZUMpHvPRd/s1600/IMG_6364.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifnAV6wJoCQ0JvlamCuGzzt_AIafXOXcHLIJKNS5_uXXttXkeHA3uENQtKmeUFtx3qcj79v4p_CNsz02ZHv_iB-Mr0izKwgFXljePQq21Sp5VwkJXFv8Hr5ea8DiS8TzVDVAmZUMpHvPRd/s400/IMG_6364.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: 12.8px;">Day 4, Dress - Cherry Velvet, Leggings - ASOS, Flats - American Eagle by Payless</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-IIdo7BTG0XmK5WKcGLoU2ZgqiT2NJxiPfwUVM-61iYMlX-7NMBquRpEUC_Gx9xstPgm11uIRMiRsumxSWVWIoOQgjYNgDZO87ZtiTpv70-O-awmI42FdMb188H32MI0cEPb5igri6mPe/s1600/IMG_6261.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-IIdo7BTG0XmK5WKcGLoU2ZgqiT2NJxiPfwUVM-61iYMlX-7NMBquRpEUC_Gx9xstPgm11uIRMiRsumxSWVWIoOQgjYNgDZO87ZtiTpv70-O-awmI42FdMb188H32MI0cEPb5igri6mPe/s400/IMG_6261.jpg" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Day 5, Flannel Shirt - Faded Glory, Dress - Her <a href="http://www.shareasale.com/r.cfm?u=1184057&b=277011&m=30763&afftrack=&urllink=www%2Eheruniverse%2Ecom%2Feveryday%2Dcosplay%2Ehtml" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Universe</a>◊, Leggings - Target, Flats American Eagle by Payless</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6pm2TKK3wV2eL6TfZgg6xPsV3pbbyIzrL0alsWlEoFqiToDglYPDU88jcR4ulVKI4N8be7Vhlty2z6ExgTf1awA4alGanBt1GMeDRo0gMPTp4JP72ZdehE8o-aTraqRBlMYKsIbHK-B3a/s1600/IMG_6292.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6pm2TKK3wV2eL6TfZgg6xPsV3pbbyIzrL0alsWlEoFqiToDglYPDU88jcR4ulVKI4N8be7Vhlty2z6ExgTf1awA4alGanBt1GMeDRo0gMPTp4JP72ZdehE8o-aTraqRBlMYKsIbHK-B3a/s400/IMG_6292.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Day 6, Jacket - Maurice's, Dress - <a href="http://www.shareasale.com/m-pr.cfm?merchantID=43745&userID=1184057&productID=586353969" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">ModCloth</a>◊, Leggings - ASOS, Boots - Trendsetter by Hushpuppies</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQz6E7ZlNpGCMRR_OOf8gL61t5bjk7ERs4HUun7f0Qu9IBuhgDnJn0vSh6WLptWt2KXwKRLbQ6GTjRest_2g4okAKGdH5T77fNBp6ujtWSn50xVg590xoxVqChPr73r73qTvdrS5A8fnb1/s1600/IMG_6363.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQz6E7ZlNpGCMRR_OOf8gL61t5bjk7ERs4HUun7f0Qu9IBuhgDnJn0vSh6WLptWt2KXwKRLbQ6GTjRest_2g4okAKGdH5T77fNBp6ujtWSn50xVg590xoxVqChPr73r73qTvdrS5A8fnb1/s400/IMG_6363.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Day 7, Dress - Style & Co by Macy's, Bracelet - Old Navy, Leggings - Target, Socks - Gold Toe</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjakpMLnkZjtxhGPJZ8JzwzOgfXQFjxvDp4pgMgtzVDnlaYPK4vyJEpk6dosN03Cw15hmLbX1MWIKTdNSArJ8u9-vmNdVAQpVhJhqwMBRhXNSKPfekQqULV6OcF5YOuo9taW8AczilHULHi/s1600/IMG_6409.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjakpMLnkZjtxhGPJZ8JzwzOgfXQFjxvDp4pgMgtzVDnlaYPK4vyJEpk6dosN03Cw15hmLbX1MWIKTdNSArJ8u9-vmNdVAQpVhJhqwMBRhXNSKPfekQqULV6OcF5YOuo9taW8AczilHULHi/s400/IMG_6409.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Day 8, Shirt - Switchfoot, Dress - City Chic, Watch - Pick Your Plum, Leggings - ASOS, Flats - American Eagle by Payless</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbcV_Uz5e3ytp0kZt2_lVxNogtFmRbON2xw5vc6BBWk4N8jQhraB0TE2kRagN95GaUVt5SMKQXDgXuB5z9IwUP_B670mnbHVYK6hXFNOYcXFHoxb1RMXetUokZ7AsePdkxenuy5l4PxqTy/s1600/IMG_6417.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbcV_Uz5e3ytp0kZt2_lVxNogtFmRbON2xw5vc6BBWk4N8jQhraB0TE2kRagN95GaUVt5SMKQXDgXuB5z9IwUP_B670mnbHVYK6hXFNOYcXFHoxb1RMXetUokZ7AsePdkxenuy5l4PxqTy/s400/IMG_6417.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Day 9, a dress...not sure which, and Leggings by Bombsheller (get a discount with my affiliate code GEEKMEUP)</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfzt_HEI2sXdj46okrOOfDGGKiwCj1tAotZsHjgd2uWtzNxCF4e7YlUN7fRtlLTt7Ts2jODftlaIoShvbizhbqyOvRnBcxH5F1LlTBzqQ2S1ZDjg1ZW-1WdAudCHVTF7vlhFgSqm_GrH8T/s1600/IMG_6423.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfzt_HEI2sXdj46okrOOfDGGKiwCj1tAotZsHjgd2uWtzNxCF4e7YlUN7fRtlLTt7Ts2jODftlaIoShvbizhbqyOvRnBcxH5F1LlTBzqQ2S1ZDjg1ZW-1WdAudCHVTF7vlhFgSqm_GrH8T/s400/IMG_6423.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Day 11 (Day 10 was a pajama day, because I dyed my hair finally), Flannel Shirt - Faded Glory, Dress - <a href="http://www.shareasale.com/r.cfm?u=1184057&b=277011&m=30763&afftrack=&urllink=www%2Eheruniverse%2Ecom%2Feveryday%2Dcosplay%2Ehtml" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Her Universe</a>◊, Leggings - LuLaRoe, Flats - American Eagle for Payless</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtnYLseaqfF0yLguDQzvYJZ3IJlSJL8HW1-NJs61yWPUwN9P0Wk2jDn9QxXs2JiMQYRppeeilZDAw9YoSyLGCxfqCpd8WIy00AvJZxbc_NAsNadnOuhOiTfXqFr5nMmiBij3WhSN_3duaa/s1600/IMG_6452.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtnYLseaqfF0yLguDQzvYJZ3IJlSJL8HW1-NJs61yWPUwN9P0Wk2jDn9QxXs2JiMQYRppeeilZDAw9YoSyLGCxfqCpd8WIy00AvJZxbc_NAsNadnOuhOiTfXqFr5nMmiBij3WhSN_3duaa/s400/IMG_6452.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Day 12, Bag - Red Bubble, Necklace - Marsha Elliott Designs, Dress - Torrid, Leggings - Victoria's Secret, Flats - American Eagle by Payless</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_RZqte_VUdlUIlU1CJOoX5aj6TWwxXgm3h5hcFG6rlO0bR5iMiyzCPuKsA2ncvqS8uzN1sSXCFD4JN7yt8RYr-ZZVnC7NSccvoIZ2eDvJ8nuarBIM5LyUPeYZpF7fyAHF7vaofcY-x1PX/s1600/IMG_6475.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_RZqte_VUdlUIlU1CJOoX5aj6TWwxXgm3h5hcFG6rlO0bR5iMiyzCPuKsA2ncvqS8uzN1sSXCFD4JN7yt8RYr-ZZVnC7NSccvoIZ2eDvJ8nuarBIM5LyUPeYZpF7fyAHF7vaofcY-x1PX/s400/IMG_6475.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Day 13, Locket - Forever 21, Dress - Cherry Velvet, Leggings - Target, Flats - American Eagle by Payless</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7IG-QkNBRgTvoeEcyLLuEYs7eaV2UuhivHz-emnO7d9Tp0qWGLr3Gjr9z-G0OwAYsuxUWwoBMmJ6liXBVUsJnc3wOokJ6M3q8Q6nJA44RVfGLNEJ_9EuZEh9tUu6gJr6qmDZMfmdzWAs6/s1600/IMG_6558.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7IG-QkNBRgTvoeEcyLLuEYs7eaV2UuhivHz-emnO7d9Tp0qWGLr3Gjr9z-G0OwAYsuxUWwoBMmJ6liXBVUsJnc3wOokJ6M3q8Q6nJA44RVfGLNEJ_9EuZEh9tUu6gJr6qmDZMfmdzWAs6/s400/IMG_6558.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Day 14, Dress - LuLaRoe, Leggings - Target, Flats - American Eagle by Payless</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvew8s1Mi65FoQUVv8NW0O1aAXhs6O8m5mTbVRi8JsY1_UyJmJpnTWbrUlV0ISRL6zDi6qnfn0ZfdrJsJWVp3X-jJ_1W8XdmfIFt0evwop_SWN23flBuHWC4QwSLJRz35FhicY2TqJSqCR/s1600/IMG_6571.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvew8s1Mi65FoQUVv8NW0O1aAXhs6O8m5mTbVRi8JsY1_UyJmJpnTWbrUlV0ISRL6zDi6qnfn0ZfdrJsJWVp3X-jJ_1W8XdmfIFt0evwop_SWN23flBuHWC4QwSLJRz35FhicY2TqJSqCR/s400/IMG_6571.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Day 15, Dress - <a href="http://www.shareasale.com/r.cfm?u=1184057&b=277011&m=30763&afftrack=&urllink=www%2Eheruniverse%2Ecom%2Feveryday%2Dcosplay%2Ehtml" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Her Universe</a>◊, Leggings - LuLaRoe, Flats - American Eagle for Payless</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9-LwX8PzS2-Gq0sJXyXxgtVmfd6WSpRBCbQ0nbYh9tkOVW19i2DHFRJyxCAt2Mf4OMTuKxqLSoVpRVZeQaqcXVajjqnsn37kkr_n-bdXY7FI0d6zMAlzcioUrQi1WEpk2clg-NTyUF24p/s1600/IMG_6648.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9-LwX8PzS2-Gq0sJXyXxgtVmfd6WSpRBCbQ0nbYh9tkOVW19i2DHFRJyxCAt2Mf4OMTuKxqLSoVpRVZeQaqcXVajjqnsn37kkr_n-bdXY7FI0d6zMAlzcioUrQi1WEpk2clg-NTyUF24p/s400/IMG_6648.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Day 16, Dress - Style & Co by Macy's, Leggings - Target, Boots - Trendsetter by Hushpuppies</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRnX6RdDnTwuI02mkE7n5jqbrnzWkhZ7IW71ZNIJSKBaQkgeJxOV43XFWuYJ80zEUstlQVryt44a_5GaP6VWy0NNwwZ1BCWr7_Eomy8eucVnXs8IICY9M8D4Z91wvuyQtIyX-dVyBAE6zO/s1600/IMG_6655.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRnX6RdDnTwuI02mkE7n5jqbrnzWkhZ7IW71ZNIJSKBaQkgeJxOV43XFWuYJ80zEUstlQVryt44a_5GaP6VWy0NNwwZ1BCWr7_Eomy8eucVnXs8IICY9M8D4Z91wvuyQtIyX-dVyBAE6zO/s400/IMG_6655.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Day 17, Cardigan - Anthropologie, Dress - <a href="http://www.shareasale.com/m-pr.cfm?merchantID=43745&userID=1184057&productID=586353969" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">ModCloth</a>◊, Leggings - <a href="http://www.shareasale.com/m-pr.cfm?merchantID=43745&userID=1184057&productID=569047635" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">ModCloth</a>◊, Boots - Trendsetter by Hushpuppies</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjR99_G4YWmwa342JFlExUrRHlJFKImq19GxfuI6QjnW5GGTN0kzPySEHiTKA2HbB_-eBJyfm5I7Sk_qocXRt3Uve38hDqnLo5c2Qq_PjY62C-GWtlMCmxS5_OjFsy1nm1psWPzuKio6gUr/s1600/IMG_6661.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjR99_G4YWmwa342JFlExUrRHlJFKImq19GxfuI6QjnW5GGTN0kzPySEHiTKA2HbB_-eBJyfm5I7Sk_qocXRt3Uve38hDqnLo5c2Qq_PjY62C-GWtlMCmxS5_OjFsy1nm1psWPzuKio6gUr/s400/IMG_6661.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Day 18, Cardigan - LuLaRoe, Dress - <a href="http://www.shareasale.com/r.cfm?u=1184057&b=277011&m=30763&afftrack=&urllink=www%2Eheruniverse%2Ecom%2Feveryday%2Dcosplay%2Ehtml" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Her Universe</a>◊, Leggings - Bombsheller, Boots - Trendsetter by Hushpuppies</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgf8W8qUXo3tvtDQ_gRjMu8ehdER2rDa4Xm6oAE0aySUci915tbLCR6D9Wyy_OlLBH-tYmnzH4ShffOzM0Dag1whta5HMl8gIohsf7ZIGrXszky8OmX5qHIcbw8012XkR2IdPWeagDnVW4K/s1600/IMG_6680.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgf8W8qUXo3tvtDQ_gRjMu8ehdER2rDa4Xm6oAE0aySUci915tbLCR6D9Wyy_OlLBH-tYmnzH4ShffOzM0Dag1whta5HMl8gIohsf7ZIGrXszky8OmX5qHIcbw8012XkR2IdPWeagDnVW4K/s400/IMG_6680.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Day 19, Cardigan - Anthropologie, Dress - Cherry Velvet, Leggings - ASOS, Boots - Trendsetter by Hushpuppies</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFODYJ2IyAwnMrtS1T9x_ruMEWI3eSE8YH03_iZViusjCvkLzgOYD8s8vst-a1rNJ_myHXcHmTp3zxHgsVGhEJnRHmErPqWWrNIQO50SbhD2L4kdGlaoi61oGYjWXjA-XtZjg58xSXYhV0/s1600/IMG_6703.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFODYJ2IyAwnMrtS1T9x_ruMEWI3eSE8YH03_iZViusjCvkLzgOYD8s8vst-a1rNJ_myHXcHmTp3zxHgsVGhEJnRHmErPqWWrNIQO50SbhD2L4kdGlaoi61oGYjWXjA-XtZjg58xSXYhV0/s400/IMG_6703.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Day 20, Cardigan - LuLaRoe, Dress - <a href="http://www.shareasale.com/r.cfm?u=1184057&b=277011&m=30763&afftrack=&urllink=www%2Eheruniverse%2Ecom%2Feveryday%2Dcosplay%2Ehtml" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Her Universe</a>◊, Leggings - <a href="http://www.shareasale.com/m-pr.cfm?merchantID=43745&userID=1184057&productID=569047635" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">ModCloth</a>◊, Boots - Trendsetter for Hushpuppies</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
If my wardrobe choices look limited it's because I've been using a <a href="http://www.lydiadickson.com/2015/12/my-december-2015-mini-capsule-wardrobe.html" target="_blank">24 piece capsule wardrobe for the month of December</a>. One of the pairs of shoes (new ones I ordered in a Cyber Monday sale) didn't fit right, so I'm just wearing 2 pairs of shoes!<br />
<br />
Thanks for stopping by and if you liked the new multimedia format let me know in the comments and subscribe on YouTube!<br />
<br />
Love,<br />
Lydia<br />
<br />
<br /></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05147063157842791065noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8826020463856688016.post-18878065638222582942015-12-09T06:55:00.004-05:002016-04-09T19:18:00.781-04:00My December 2015 Mini Capsule Wardrobe + Bombsheller!<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Welcome friends,<br />
<br />
Today I'm happy to reveal my mini capsule wardrobe I'll be wearing this month for Dressember 2015. If you're not sure about my spelling in that sentence I promise it was on purpose. I'm doing a great fashion based challenge called Dressember for the month of December. It involves wearing just dresses to help raise awareness, start conversations about, and put a stop to human trafficking. You can read more about <a href="http://www.lydiadickson.com/2015/12/reflections-on-november-what-im-looking.html" target="_blank">in my last post where I explain in depth</a> and <a href="https://support.dressemberfoundation.org/fundraise?fcid=574719" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">help me support the Dressember Foundation here</a>.<br />
<br />
<h2>
Dressember Capsule Wardrobe</h2>
<br />
With wearing dresses I wanted to have enough in my capsule collection that I don't need to be constantly doing laundry. So I settled on 7 dresses, 7 pairs of leggings (because I have a ton of leggings, I culled some, but I still might have an addiction), 7 tops, sweaters, and jackets, and 3 pairs of shoes, totaling to 24 pieces.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNVPYMwZoMkUnPTzPP6MzpwKOJogMTMsMSHADEv_s-OohLb3UBBvBs6E1Dr6_bKd56bW06yCtYE90bzZnmTYaHQT2XnlCP7IK-4CIA6pPz7KpsEYMyQ_mIIKb8ZJY5H1OrI0Ku_-xd45Dk/s1600/dresses.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="636" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNVPYMwZoMkUnPTzPP6MzpwKOJogMTMsMSHADEv_s-OohLb3UBBvBs6E1Dr6_bKd56bW06yCtYE90bzZnmTYaHQT2XnlCP7IK-4CIA6pPz7KpsEYMyQ_mIIKb8ZJY5H1OrI0Ku_-xd45Dk/s640/dresses.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
Items still for sale:<br />
2 - Her Universe◊, <a href="http://www.shareasale.com/r.cfm?u=1184057&b=277011&m=30763&afftrack=&urllink=www%2Eheruniverse%2Ecom%2Feveryday%2Dcosplay%2Ehtml" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">they're almost out of 9th Doctor dresses, but 10's is in stock here.</a><br />
3 - Cherry Velvet <a href="http://www.cherryvelvetplus.com/collections/short-sleeve" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">several other patterns available in the same cut here</a>.<br />
4 - City Chic, available in <a href="http://www.citychiconline.com/sale/sale-sale-dresses/product-99333-dress-cute-kite.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">kite print</a>, <a href="http://www.citychiconline.com/sale/sale-sale-dresses/product-99337-dress-contrast-spot.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">big polka dots</a>, and <a href="http://www.citychiconline.com/sale/sale-sale-dresses/product-101037-dress-mod-spot.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">small polka dots</a>.<br />
5 - LuLaRoe "Nicole" dresses in limited sizes and colors <a href="https://www.facebook.com/groups/lularoebynicolefitts/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">available in my friend Nicole's shop.</a> (tell her I sent you!)<br />
7 - ModCloth◊, <a href="http://www.shareasale.com/r.cfm?u=1184057&b=417942&m=43745&afftrack=&urllink=www%2Emodcloth%2Ecom%2Fshop%2Fsearch%3Fkeyword%3Dcoach%2Btour%2Bdress" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">available in 6 other colors, plus several other cuts.</a><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeWqDc7Bdrwipg6Kyp1Cct7DGlL4PLePLAK_6z86TRo0Rq1vbA12wSjh240RH0vujDijvljs-M4aYTGiHfVkd5AsRaI_Nhr63fxzd8QuuVKvlLSlkfPmDEmcJa4IKN4_UQ_LDhbVgRNRk6/s1600/Tops.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="636" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeWqDc7Bdrwipg6Kyp1Cct7DGlL4PLePLAK_6z86TRo0Rq1vbA12wSjh240RH0vujDijvljs-M4aYTGiHfVkd5AsRaI_Nhr63fxzd8QuuVKvlLSlkfPmDEmcJa4IKN4_UQ_LDhbVgRNRk6/s640/Tops.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
Still for sale:<br />
12 - Switchfoot Tee, it runs big so I'm able to wear the XL, <a href="http://switchfoot-merch.myshopify.com/collections/all/products/womens-floral-v-neck" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">found in their shop here</a>.<br />
14 - LuLaRoe "Sarah" cardigans in limited sizes and colors <a href="https://www.facebook.com/groups/lularoebynicolefitts/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">available in my friend Nicole's shop.</a> (tell her I sent you!)<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdrGrlI7GcAnpgz8DQ-8RWcWoPTtuV9XeLR6IUK84PuOgwf13NnMmy7kbLID9SX3ZTlrsddeq-t8zODJGZrvj6MWBWaqf-HZtwU5Khf644ChIMBOqciWoIM9Xy-Fhlue2CaFAIR88kUi9t/s1600/Leggings.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="636" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdrGrlI7GcAnpgz8DQ-8RWcWoPTtuV9XeLR6IUK84PuOgwf13NnMmy7kbLID9SX3ZTlrsddeq-t8zODJGZrvj6MWBWaqf-HZtwU5Khf644ChIMBOqciWoIM9Xy-Fhlue2CaFAIR88kUi9t/s640/Leggings.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
Items available currently:<br />
15 - Bombsheller "WyvernScales" leggings <a href="http://shop.bombsheller.com/products/wyvernscales" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">available here</a> as a limited edition item up to size 6x (I wear 2X), please use code "GeekMeUp" for a special affiliate discount! <br />
16 - ASOS shimmer disco leggings available in <a href="http://www.asos.com/ASOS-Curve/ASOS-CURVE-Legging-With-High-Waist-In-Shimmer-Disco/Prod/pgeproduct.aspx?iid=5904888&cid=9577&Rf900=1506&sh=0&pge=0&pgesize=36&sort=-1&clr=Oxblood&totalstyles=39&gridsize=3" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">red</a> and <a href="http://www.asos.com/asos-curve/asos-curve-legging-with-high-waist-in-shimmer-disco/prod/pgeproduct.aspx?iid=4309487&clr=Black&SearchQuery=shimmer+disco&pgesize=4&pge=0&totalstyles=4&gridsize=3&gridrow=1&gridcolumn=2" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">black</a>.<br />
18 - LuLaRoe leggings in limited sizes and colors <a href="https://www.facebook.com/groups/lularoebynicolefitts/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">available in my friend Nicole's shop.</a> (tell her I sent you!)<br />
20 - ModCloth◊ Fresh Take leggings in <a href="http://www.shareasale.com/m-pr.cfm?merchantID=43745&userID=1184057&productID=569047635" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Blue</a>, <a href="http://www.shareasale.com/m-pr.cfm?merchantID=43745&userID=1184057&productID=566044666" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Green</a>, and <a href="http://www.shareasale.com/m-pr.cfm?merchantID=43745&userID=1184057&productID=566047542" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Red/Pink</a>.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSrknsPvfrlv2R0-XbXUjJp9T6Ftw3gjhGMJXWcUDuj0zgDkpmSCbJpYeZuVTQdDw5TMHGTV7Yw3R2Ge_dgJmcAMoW9Waxw5zJZAhteaZ-N8MzSgHfqy3fdP6BXSb6UfTiZbUAMigx0VYl/s1600/capsule+shoes.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSrknsPvfrlv2R0-XbXUjJp9T6Ftw3gjhGMJXWcUDuj0zgDkpmSCbJpYeZuVTQdDw5TMHGTV7Yw3R2Ge_dgJmcAMoW9Waxw5zJZAhteaZ-N8MzSgHfqy3fdP6BXSb6UfTiZbUAMigx0VYl/s640/capsule+shoes.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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23 - <a href="http://www.journeys.com/product.aspx?id=285197" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Converse Chuck Taylor Lo in Cosmic</a>.<br />
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Wohoo! I'm so glad to finally show you all this collection. For some reason the editing seemed to take forever, which makes me extra glad to be done putting this together. Feel free to ask me questions in the comments!<br />
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<h2>
More About Bombsheller</h2>
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So I heard about Bombsheller a while back in an article detailing how comic book author Kelly Sue DeConnick's books were getting leggings made all the way up to size 6x. I immediately had to check out their site and was pleasantly surprised to find that yes, they're selling larger sizes up to a 2X in nearly every designs now, with up to 4X in most designs, which just started yesterday! Eventually they want to have up to 6X too. So they excited me for that....<br />
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Then I found out that they're an ethical place to shop too! They make every pair of leggings to order in Seattle, WA, USA, with fabric sourced from Italy that's also ethically made. Awesome right?<br />
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It gets better, their designs are fun, comfortable, and artist designed! So you can download a template and create your very own pattern. Not that you'd need to since there are several hundred fantastic patterns to choose from, there's comic book themes, antique maps, layer cake, geometric designs off all kinds, circuit boards, flowers and way more.<br />
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They were kind enough to send me a pair of their leggings to try so I could tell you all about them. They do not disappoint! They're very comfy, and true to their size chart. Here are some shots of me wearing them, with more to come in my outfits as the month continues.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnwqBicjKs1wMcYPk-ZJOI8dYYG6SlZl4JM6Y_tj48ZE46xkPSeDA6XHvEUusx9E_T5AAD4QTUE1_lc1rkOpSgP-QwXB0yIYlAanpevaYfaqG4VjaVwD8bvt5sUq9VP453C6nzFa5QUWSM/s1600/IMG_6327.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnwqBicjKs1wMcYPk-ZJOI8dYYG6SlZl4JM6Y_tj48ZE46xkPSeDA6XHvEUusx9E_T5AAD4QTUE1_lc1rkOpSgP-QwXB0yIYlAanpevaYfaqG4VjaVwD8bvt5sUq9VP453C6nzFa5QUWSM/s400/IMG_6327.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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Ok, here's a bit of midriff for you all! Not too tight, but it might show lines under clothes. If I try sizing up to a 3X next time I'll let you all know if there's a big difference, but this is fairly normal fit for this weight of leggings in my experiences so far.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDw9ei-ZjAixIARRx3Qeyr7H3ldL0xWaEnJB4nOqkna4oWAyU_cziqy8vTnTmjhGFK1W-PC6REEU74IUN77uJkYgDi__6mdkmOQ23AXwCeTN0QP88It3xgxQEeTp_bhL_RM6lYKFy2Vmy-/s1600/IMG_6332A.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDw9ei-ZjAixIARRx3Qeyr7H3ldL0xWaEnJB4nOqkna4oWAyU_cziqy8vTnTmjhGFK1W-PC6REEU74IUN77uJkYgDi__6mdkmOQ23AXwCeTN0QP88It3xgxQEeTp_bhL_RM6lYKFy2Vmy-/s400/IMG_6332A.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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As you can see there's extra length at the ankle, so tall folks need not worry. I'm 5'6" and seemed to have about 3 inches in extra length, not too much, though it might be for someone under 5' tall.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3T-c4FoWsO3NwsiEbTzRo3RNZ_QkNaiUnRvxunyyoeHpVUyewp_vc9UEN6I8kSvRfaTTIqDH90BKAc_zNTI5yfxRbYbE6cwfYPKR-BtqFbPz1JXbWd-2JGh_DR6Ev202sZ0emibvTiJAQ/s1600/IMG_6343.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3T-c4FoWsO3NwsiEbTzRo3RNZ_QkNaiUnRvxunyyoeHpVUyewp_vc9UEN6I8kSvRfaTTIqDH90BKAc_zNTI5yfxRbYbE6cwfYPKR-BtqFbPz1JXbWd-2JGh_DR6Ev202sZ0emibvTiJAQ/s400/IMG_6343.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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My leggings above are the #WyvernScales design that's made in association with Espionage Cosmetics. (a company that makes geeky themed makeup!) It's a limited edition design so if you're in love with it <a href="http://shop.bombsheller.com/" target="_blank">go here to snap it up now</a>, it'll only be available until January 1 2016! And be sure to use code "GeekMeUp" for a discount and so they know I sent you.<br />
<a href="http://www.tomoson.com/?code=TOP3456b4c40918fae671b1d080a10385cb" rel="nofollow"><img src="http://www.tomoson.com/images/front/pixel.png" style="display: none;" /></a>
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That's about all for today's post other than this bit of fun from my studio:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiJ62xYABW2iRs1JVrZ0vvYFKUmOhsej8KrAFSn4SZrayAiCWvd8KKstkWBfzDCKcVBt9Hfa_HXQGJLtZPq_VwaWtlGhHMiZyEJn1LpABvZ4946Ba9IiurU_RzTTWnkgn-CvO1zAEDSZcs/s1600/IMG_6187.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiJ62xYABW2iRs1JVrZ0vvYFKUmOhsej8KrAFSn4SZrayAiCWvd8KKstkWBfzDCKcVBt9Hfa_HXQGJLtZPq_VwaWtlGhHMiZyEJn1LpABvZ4946Ba9IiurU_RzTTWnkgn-CvO1zAEDSZcs/s400/IMG_6187.jpg" width="300" /></a></div>
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I decided to try using an exercise ball as my desk chair. Of course I'll have the added fun of getting used to it while wearing skirts all month. haha Thank goodness for leggings, right? I was given an exercise ball from <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Exercise--Professional-Anti-burst-Free-eBook-Exclusive/dp/B010J1JTOC/ref=sr_1_5?ie=UTF8&qid=1442201695&sr=8-5&keywords=exercise+ball" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Forever Flex</a> to try out and I'd definitely recommend it! The 65mm size is just right for me as a chair.<br />
<a href="http://www.tomoson.com/?code=BOTTOM3456b4c40918fae671b1d080a10385cb" rel="nofollow"><img src="http://www.tomoson.com/images/front/pixel.png" style="display: none;" /></a>
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That's all for today, but I'll be back again soon with a crop of new book reviews. See you in a day or two!<br />
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Love,<br />
Lydia</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05147063157842791065noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8826020463856688016.post-7231652482644290102015-12-04T02:28:00.000-05:002016-04-09T19:19:08.010-04:00Reflections on November & What I'm Looking Forward to in December<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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Hi folks,</h3>
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</h4>
<h4>
November</h4>
So, I had another topic I wanted to post about today, however sometimes life happens. Instead I spent my morning waiting for Bryan, my husband to get out of surgery. He had a growth on his tongue that showed up almost two months ago. Our family medical practice thought it was a boil or other bothersome skin condition and tried (wrongfully because it's not supposed to be used orally!) putting silver nitrate on it near the end of October. It did nothing but give my husband chemical burns in about a quarter of his mouth. They decided it must not be a boil and said they'd refer him to a specialist. After a month of waiting (in which Bryan lost his job and was told his health insurance would run out at the end of November) he kept bugging the office, and was finally contacted Tuesday of last week. The oral surgeon saw him the day before Thanksgiving and scheduled him for surgery Monday, the last day of November.<br />
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We'd been looking into insurance options, but until the holiday thought it wasn't quite as urgent since we didn't really expect to need the insurance so much in December. So yeah...I spent pretty much all afternoon on the phone with the government health exchange and my insurance company to come up with some sad sounding answers that might work. Bryan's dad helped me out too thank goodness. Bryan was asleep with a swollen tongue until around dinner time. It was right around that point that I decided to call his insurance company that I assumed was dropping him from insurance and research COBRA options. After all the long hold times on the other calls I spoke with a fantastic lady who in 15 minutes including wait found that Bryan's insurance was actually paid for until the end of the year! I just about cried when I heard that, I can't say enough how much of a blessing it is that it worked out that way.<br />
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Hopefully this along with some of my other posts explains why I've been absent more than I'd like this past month. November was hard! However there was good stuff too with family at Thanksgiving and Word Balloons comics reading group. Overall though I'm glad that November's chapter in my book is ending and December is fresh and new.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhK-1TqKIv1wPMLsA3_PkNe-jWzruW7I48ZvOEkiHQDYQ6_V7Oy-oxGNWGBHvwnXvKLwCYRYx8L8C62VOP_6h3Kh8Cla7qWDvqiTFpICHB7rjutC_rDsnVyAMSA4oDIuuAFohywnT8Q2_KB/s1600/nov-dec.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhK-1TqKIv1wPMLsA3_PkNe-jWzruW7I48ZvOEkiHQDYQ6_V7Oy-oxGNWGBHvwnXvKLwCYRYx8L8C62VOP_6h3Kh8Cla7qWDvqiTFpICHB7rjutC_rDsnVyAMSA4oDIuuAFohywnT8Q2_KB/s640/nov-dec.jpg" width="356" /></a></div>
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December</h4>
So I know we still have some financial issues to work through connected to the change in jobs, but I already feel like December is going to be a spectacular month. I have a really exciting fashion post to share with you all at the end of this week as I show off my December mini capsule wardrobe and along with some fantastic sponsored content that will be a big first for me! (hint: if you want a sneak peek of my new friends check out <a href="http://shop.bombsheller.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">http://shop.bombsheller.com/</a>)<br />
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<h4>
Other great things I'm looking forward to this month include:</h4>
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<ol>
<li>Making new traditions as we decorate our new house for the holidays.</li>
<li>The Boylan Heights Artwalk in Raleigh, one of my favorite places to find gifts ever as well as meeting fantastic artists.</li>
<li>Making my blog more beautiful as I create new, better graphics.</li>
<li>Baking things in my kitchen and drinking hot cocoa.</li>
<li>Finally hosting our housewarming party!</li>
<li>Spending time with friends and family at the end of the month.</li>
<li>Tackling a great new Monthly Instagram Challenge with the Geeks & Beauties Community.</li>
<li>Finishing some long overdue art projects that I'd normally be more passionate about, but life and a bit of procrastination have made a bigger burden of than they should be.</li>
<li>Going to the Raleigh Ringers concert (an incredible handbell choir that is not to be missed, and a Dickson family tradition).</li>
<li>Finding the perfect gifts for everyone on my list, I might put way too much thought into it, but I really enjoy finding a present that will make the receiver smile.</li>
<li>Feeling that things are finally calming down after the past months' turbulence.</li>
<li>Participating in Dressember!</li>
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</h3>
<h3>
Dressember</h3>
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I'm thrilled to be able to share about Dressember with you all. To explain further Dressember is an event that lasts the whole month of December and it's purpose is to raise awareness for human trafficking and help put an end to it. Participants ONLY wear dresses for the whole month, no pants or skirts, some folks even limit themselves to one the whole time. And similarly to a walk for charity or event like Extra Life where gaming is what's done to raise awareness you can help support this endeavor with the Dressember Foundation at any time over the course of this month.<br />
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But let me guess, you're also wondering, Lydia, why dresses? Here's what the Dressember Foundation has to say about why they selected this as their challenge:<br />
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"> <span style="color: #351c75;"> "Dressember uses fashion to advocate for women who've been exploited for their</span></span></h4>
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<span style="color: #351c75;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"> femininity. </span><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">As women take on the creative challenge of wearing a dress for the 31 days of</span></span></h4>
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<span style="color: #351c75;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"> December, </span><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">they are advocating for the inherent dignity of all women."</span></span></h4>
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">I love this idea, and the challenge too. I'm building a small capsule wardrobe for just this month, which I'll share with you all later this week. Plus if you want to see what I'm wearing each day just come <a href="https://www.instagram.com/lydiadicksonblog/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">follow me over here on Instagram</a>. And, if you want to join in it's not too late, it's quick and easy to sign up at the Dressember site, we'd be happy to have you!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiub-PKNVgVAOWGa9WB7q_xEHqlhkfWlPXHPUlEsYhBhBNNVRqIRsjhNJrlQGlhYUsDm9KtH85C9IVC4Dv4lPq_TOHH-rYdyoFV4B3ugZ6TyO2Qy9m9XQfjOHulJVrs3O9UChZxK9M1aJ94/s1600/Screen+Shot+2015-12-04+at+1.40.13+AM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiub-PKNVgVAOWGa9WB7q_xEHqlhkfWlPXHPUlEsYhBhBNNVRqIRsjhNJrlQGlhYUsDm9KtH85C9IVC4Dv4lPq_TOHH-rYdyoFV4B3ugZ6TyO2Qy9m9XQfjOHulJVrs3O9UChZxK9M1aJ94/s640/Screen+Shot+2015-12-04+at+1.40.13+AM.png" width="322" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Day 1</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span></div>
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Please check out<a href="https://support.dressemberfoundation.org/fundraise?is_new=1&fcid=574719" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"> my donation page here</a> for more information on the project. Additionally, I'm not alone, there are several other ladies from the Rising Tide Society dressing it up with me for the next month. I've joined some of them on team Grace Belle to do good for some of those least able to help themselves in the world. You can read a bit on their takes on the project <a href="http://gracebelle.com/dressember-making-a-difference-together/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">here at GraceBelle.com</a> and <a href="http://phylicianicole.blogspot.com/2015/12/no-pants-december-dressember.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">here at Phylicia Nicole</a>. They've really said things much more eloquently than I have here.</div>
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span></div>
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85% of proceeds go to International Justice Mission and A21, of the rest 5% is used to process credit card fees and the other 10% for the foundation's admin, tech, and marketing. All of these organizations are 501 c3 tax deductible, and you can <a href="http://www.dressember.org/faq/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">read more about them here</a>. Even a tiny bit can help, and my goal is to raise $200 for them, since it's my first time. I'm a little nervous about it because I honestly feel bad asking for anyone's money, but this is it, I'm asking that you join me in helping to end human trafficking.</div>
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Thanks so much for reading. I'll see you all again very soon.</div>
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<br /></div>
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Love,</div>
<div>
Lydia</div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05147063157842791065noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8826020463856688016.post-43248864588978206282015-11-25T17:43:00.000-05:002015-11-27T07:21:13.642-05:00Handmade Holiday Gift Guide<h2>
<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: x-large;">Welcome friends, and happy Thanksgiving!</span></h2>
<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br />I hope you and yours have spent a wonderful holiday with family acknowledging all the good things you've been blessed with this year. Personally I am very thankful to have all of you readers here as I get to know you more each day. I'm especially glad you stopped by today because I have a wonderful batch of small business owners I want to highlight as we think about our holiday gift giving.<br /><br />While I love many mass produced things like comic books, clothing, and makeup I also have a soft sport for all the beautifully handmade items. And the great part is there are tons of makers who focus on handmade items that fit more niche interests. I believe that spending our money on their great products is one of the most rewarding things we can do this season for our loved ones and the makers. So I hope that you will join me in shopping at some of these amazing stores as you find the right beautiful, geeky, fun, and handmade gifts for some of those special people on your Christmas list. At the end of the list you'll find a giveaway too!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikWI_xoMwvbi0LDZtQ6ETaHjjnbGtmlqSBTOEcR9_4PzXGANCvnwX8D5Af15b4TL62USUzSJqAArxXwzI0kKyVIEcSKfJYhMWT2RuCf4rpUGHzicmp5SA1uDOf8gVXb8P9Dl6SJP5INGvX/s1600/gift+guide.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikWI_xoMwvbi0LDZtQ6ETaHjjnbGtmlqSBTOEcR9_4PzXGANCvnwX8D5Af15b4TL62USUzSJqAArxXwzI0kKyVIEcSKfJYhMWT2RuCf4rpUGHzicmp5SA1uDOf8gVXb8P9Dl6SJP5INGvX/s640/gift+guide.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span>
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<h2>
<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"> Lydia's Designs - 2015 Handmade Holiday Gift Guide</span></h2>
<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"> </span><br />
<h3>
<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"> Paper & Chocolate Press</span></h3>
<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjt6hHCr4dYFDcqhECrf2fsFsCfqtLx54SuCqz2EwGkYssj2AMRvygiRpeCS1qra-STcvVfhHOdGhI6WSsR3SYJWVSJrGvE8W9V3bxkuvuMScnZ5yLVGlc1h6_57jwrbencT1kem_5kyNs4/s1600/icm_fullxfull.73490500_az4ewbldkz4s00ccoo8s.jpg"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjt6hHCr4dYFDcqhECrf2fsFsCfqtLx54SuCqz2EwGkYssj2AMRvygiRpeCS1qra-STcvVfhHOdGhI6WSsR3SYJWVSJrGvE8W9V3bxkuvuMScnZ5yLVGlc1h6_57jwrbencT1kem_5kyNs4/s640/icm_fullxfull.73490500_az4ewbldkz4s00ccoo8s.jpg" /></a><br /><br />I heard about <a href="https://www.etsy.com/shop/PaperChocolatePress">Paper and Chocolate</a> through The Rising Tide Society, and was hooked the moment I saw their fantastic superhero themed journals and blank books. As you can see they cover a bunch of great fandoms, plus they have more traditional journals as well as some lovely Christmas ornaments! They're running the following sales this year:</span><br />
<h4>
<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"> Seasonal Deals:</span></h4>
<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">During November use the coupon code NANOWRIMO15 to receive 15% off writers notebooks and journals; excludes recipe books, ornaments, and guest books.<br /><br />Black Weekend Special: Free Domestic Shipping with coupon code: BLACKWEEKEND2015, November 26-December 1.<br /><br /> </span></div>
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<h4>
<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">Holiday Deadlines:</span></h4>
<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">All custom orders and made-to-order items need to be ordered by Thursday, December 10, in order to arrive by Christmas.<br />All ready-to-ship items need to be ordered by Thursday, December 17, in order to arrive by Christmas.</span><br />
<h4>
<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">Social Media:</span></h4>
<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><a href="https://www.facebook.com/Paper-and-Chocolate-Press-300956792517/">Facebook</a></span><br />
<a href="https://www.twitter.com/paperchocpress" target="_blank">Twitter</a><br />
<a href="https://www.instagram.com/paperchocpress/" target="_blank">Instagram</a><br />
<br />
<h3>
<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"> Authored Adornments</span></h3>
<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8ljVpMka611HqIlPj5MHXCkmy8wEExyTVOSPgCmt86HfOrZ05Y9hna1cm-3Pl1amyZq6v2nJ1Z9z0dr6qqvC7_8UxN5-tpJ6-359eEPmTs9hTNsdttQ4QODR6O1MR_jPpFlTvjGdFr5CD/s1600/il_fullxfull.872036728_jyi9.jpg"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8ljVpMka611HqIlPj5MHXCkmy8wEExyTVOSPgCmt86HfOrZ05Y9hna1cm-3Pl1amyZq6v2nJ1Z9z0dr6qqvC7_8UxN5-tpJ6-359eEPmTs9hTNsdttQ4QODR6O1MR_jPpFlTvjGdFr5CD/s640/il_fullxfull.872036728_jyi9.jpg" /></a><br /><br /> <a href="https://www.etsy.com/shop/AuthoredAdornments">Authored Adornments</a> specializes in literary inspired jewelry. Seen above is a beautiful cuff bracelet, and in their shop you'll find rings, pendants, and earrings as well as bookmarks and wine bottle stoppers. Most of the works featured are classic literature, but they also create custom pieces and have items in partnership with John Green which you can find at <a href="http://store.dftba.com/collections/john-green">http://store.dftba.com/collections/john-green</a>.</span><br />
<h4>
<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"> Seasonal Deals:</span></h4>
<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">Black Friday is amongst us once again! This weekend will include some great sales. Each sale will be announced the day before, so please stay tuned! Since Thursday is Thanksgiving and I'll be spending my time with family, the Friday deal will be announced a little early, thanks!<br /><br />Use: FRIDAYISBLACK for 20% off your entire purchase, good through 11/27. Visit the shop for more information.</span><br />
<h4>
<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"> Social Media:</span></h4>
<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><a href="https://www.facebook.com/AuthoredAdornments">Facebook</a><br /><a href="https://twitter.com/AuthoredJewelry">Twitter</a><br /><a href="http://authoredadornmentsshop.tumblr.com/">Tumblr</a><br /><a href="https://www.instagram.com/authoredadornments/">Instagram</a></span><br />
<h3>
<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"> Wood Notions</span></h3>
<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitA5fL4rAZ3aITv7nPMTIyEXIBNpBOHdbBo66Pn8nhMMhjXeIW5pJpltlk8MrhtvyRTNRMIpOTftSfKvcVBYT7LuI8UeOCzkg6Xt2Kxs0GCIve3vVqLnTogzUGcg6wpvBeh7WcUKBfGdAA/s1600/il_fullxfull.603791806_tdr7.jpg"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitA5fL4rAZ3aITv7nPMTIyEXIBNpBOHdbBo66Pn8nhMMhjXeIW5pJpltlk8MrhtvyRTNRMIpOTftSfKvcVBYT7LuI8UeOCzkg6Xt2Kxs0GCIve3vVqLnTogzUGcg6wpvBeh7WcUKBfGdAA/s640/il_fullxfull.603791806_tdr7.jpg" /></a><br /><br />Sometimes I find myself looking for a more traditional gift, and ornaments are the perfect fallback. My husband, Bryan, is picky about no glitter being brought into out house, so I've found that one of the best types of ornaments we can both agree on are laser cut wood ones. <a href="https://www.etsy.com/shop/WoodNotions">Wood Notions</a> has pegasus and griffin designs, many animals, and nature themed pieces, as well as creating custom designed pieces. I found them while looking for the perfect dragonfly Christmas ornament as part of Bryan's Christmas gift last year.</span><br />
<h4>
<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"> Social Media:</span></h4>
<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><a href="https://www.facebook.com/cardnotions">Facebook</a><br /><a href="https://twitter.com/CardNotions">Twitter</a></span><br />
<h3>
<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"> Ruskerville</span></h3>
<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaZGO97Rd_qdKyaPB4pOhIvjHinhcDym6pjXrw-AGNUX4ypc59Zg1PG12kS6AG8jbXVQht-OeidhSDB1KEyk76STXkIxM_X2kIKupwV34W7RJEvuHjzwjFJSMCZQ4ZrUzbbatMYM5yQMVS/s1600/il_fullxfull.738469897_mqx7.jpg"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaZGO97Rd_qdKyaPB4pOhIvjHinhcDym6pjXrw-AGNUX4ypc59Zg1PG12kS6AG8jbXVQht-OeidhSDB1KEyk76STXkIxM_X2kIKupwV34W7RJEvuHjzwjFJSMCZQ4ZrUzbbatMYM5yQMVS/s640/il_fullxfull.738469897_mqx7.jpg" /></a><br /><br />You all may recall not that long ago I wrote about how I'd found a wonderful Ravenclaw themed planner, well, <a href="https://www.etsy.com/shop/Ruskerville">Ruskerville</a> also carries planners fit for a time lord! And for those with less nerdy inclinations there are a variety of other general printed covers to choose from as well.</span><br />
<h4>
<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span></h4>
<h4>
<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">Holiday Deadline:</span></h4>
<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">December 18</span><br />
<h4>
<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">Social Media:</span></h4>
<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><a href="https://www.facebook.com/ruskerville">Facebook</a><br /><a href="https://twitter.com/Ruskerville">Twitter</a><br /><a href="https://www.instagram.com/ruskerville/">Instagram</a></span><br />
<h3>
<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"> Paper From Heaven</span></h3>
<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiH-4ylyVhlgAqny2vs0Rspyl93_UMIX9Ic8xyOzB40ZUHAvynrl9Gm4Mb1zIpPQv7yuwgLAm5xpgSNyV51_a0uoyC9yk8uO7SxU_BWZPf7gCOHTykDB0gpifpbOmSQSAV_3sQquy9LB__g/s1600/il_fullxfull.859403540_h8oy.jpg"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiH-4ylyVhlgAqny2vs0Rspyl93_UMIX9Ic8xyOzB40ZUHAvynrl9Gm4Mb1zIpPQv7yuwgLAm5xpgSNyV51_a0uoyC9yk8uO7SxU_BWZPf7gCOHTykDB0gpifpbOmSQSAV_3sQquy9LB__g/s640/il_fullxfull.859403540_h8oy.jpg" /></a><br /><a href="https://www.etsy.com/shop/paperfromheaven">Paper From Heaven</a> is a fellow North Carolinian who creates bags for just about anything you could want, from the fantastic cosmetic set above, storage for essential oils, crayon aprons for kids, to crochet hooks. And her fabric choices are lovely to boot!</span><br />
<h4>
<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">Holiday Deadlines:</span></h4>
<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">12/12 for US order<br />11/27 for International and military orders</span><br />
<h4>
<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"> Social Media:</span></h4>
<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><a href="https://www.facebook.com/paperfromheaven">Facebook</a><br /><a href="https://twitter.com/paperfromheaven">Twitter</a><br /><a href="http://instagram.com/paperfromheaven">Instagram</a></span><br />
<h3>
<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">Spicy Paprika</span></h3>
<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhklcT0eODW7CDzMJDaXsEEuDtGU4YhXf8-rSIcQycm2U28Sn1uRqEL6cLlZ8_2DXsa7Ux0nVCu5qLBIDJAgVYcpWEp1jJg9n6dra_X4F5uvWm472Cko_kmfxjYkAqbeNqo6JR9MnLBYMuq/s1600/il_fullxfull.378159542_kknm.jpg"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhklcT0eODW7CDzMJDaXsEEuDtGU4YhXf8-rSIcQycm2U28Sn1uRqEL6cLlZ8_2DXsa7Ux0nVCu5qLBIDJAgVYcpWEp1jJg9n6dra_X4F5uvWm472Cko_kmfxjYkAqbeNqo6JR9MnLBYMuq/s400/il_fullxfull.378159542_kknm.jpg" /></a><br /><br />Each pendant and earring in Amber's shop, <a href="https://www.etsy.com/shop/ambergoulet">Spicy Paprika</a> is made delicately from tiny beads and semi-precious stones to create completely unique pieces. Each one is imaginative and has characteristics inspired by nature's own beauty. One of her pieces occasionally makes appearances here on my blog too, I was lucky to be able to watch her create it while visiting her home in California.</span><br />
<h4>
<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">Social Media:</span></h4>
<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><a href="https://www.facebook.com/Amber-Goulets-Bejeweled-245624356216">Facebook</a><br /><a href="https://twitter.com/ambergoulet">Twitter</a></span><br />
<h3>
<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"> Olive + Pine</span></h3>
<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjo6RauzCiKbqJJzNe6LUO1EA5Hu7dmHApIZI4snlgKSaZYqHC53UdLMGiCAPSW_TtM6xhJlgPkCe7owjFstTzNlC_Pac4HHhAnIoFJ8e-gjZoCRPUtbDJ5ZlPMNAPc35LFEK6z2XuQkrO8/s1600/cdbce407-5128-4b32-b232-b39983851317.jpg"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjo6RauzCiKbqJJzNe6LUO1EA5Hu7dmHApIZI4snlgKSaZYqHC53UdLMGiCAPSW_TtM6xhJlgPkCe7owjFstTzNlC_Pac4HHhAnIoFJ8e-gjZoCRPUtbDJ5ZlPMNAPc35LFEK6z2XuQkrO8/s640/cdbce407-5128-4b32-b232-b39983851317.jpg" /></a><br /><br /><a href="http://oliveandpinegoods.com/">Olive + Pine</a> collects beautiful handmade items from different makers and curates a collection that's sure to please the most picky people on your list. And importantly, their shop carries items hand picked for the men in your lives.</span><br />
<h4>
<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">Seasonal Deals:</span></h4>
<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">10% off storewide with the code SHOPSMALL valid Friday-Monday (for black friday, small business Saturday, and cyber monday!).</span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span>
<br />
<h4>
<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"> Holiday Deadline:</span></h4>
<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">December 15</span><br />
<h4>
<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">Social Media:</span></h4>
<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><a href="https://www.facebook.com/Olive-Pine-733819263428855/">Facebook</a><br /><a href="https://twitter.com/_oliveandpine">Twitter</a><br /><a href="https://www.instagram.com/oliveandpinegoods/">Instagram</a><br /><a href="https://www.pinterest.com/oliveandpine_/">Pinterest</a></span><br />
<h3>
<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"> Flytrap Clothing</span></h3>
<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWnM2zn51KRI26JPxQ7shiIbCSCQgJTt7h1Ws14XdsVPzLfokqs-P-TcR81dg4Zum5Evfeetcof3ld3VN1PtudXXomtmegovPVgKak43FL4XC6QGd_noDfDkazK1WxKHHaGNHlRjKQ54-2/s1600/il_fullxfull.861764127_ne1r.jpg"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWnM2zn51KRI26JPxQ7shiIbCSCQgJTt7h1Ws14XdsVPzLfokqs-P-TcR81dg4Zum5Evfeetcof3ld3VN1PtudXXomtmegovPVgKak43FL4XC6QGd_noDfDkazK1WxKHHaGNHlRjKQ54-2/s640/il_fullxfull.861764127_ne1r.jpg" /></a><br /><br /><a href="https://www.etsy.com/shop/Flytrap">Flytrap</a> makes beautifully designed botanical printed clothing. I own and love one of their cowls that I got last year when I first saw their work at the Boylan Heights Artwalk in Raleigh, NC. Their work is also 100% made in the USA, down to their labels. Additionally they carry a couple of shirts for men as well as womenswear (currently available in S-XL). </span><br />
<h4>
<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">Seasonal Deals:</span></h4>
<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">11/27 15% off your entire purchase<br />11/28 20% off all apparel, both men's and women's<br />11/29 20% off all scarves<br />11/30 - Cyber Monday, $30 off orders over $150, free shipping, plus a pack of blank Flytrap Clothing notecards.<br /><br /> </span></div>
<div>
<h4>
<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">Holiday Deadline:</span></h4>
<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">December 21</span><br />
<h4>
<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">Social Media:</span></h4>
<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><a href="https://www.facebook.com/flytrapclothing">Facebook</a><br /><a href="https://www.instagram.com/flytrapstudios/">Instagram</a></span><br />
<h3>
<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"> babyCorn Soaps</span></h3>
<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgaZN0etimWg4qdmPsyMsp16c5YKxd1zZrrKf3AhRIw5-_M_d23xf2j9GS5tYyaCWt4xLF2dcWrj4WJGCjA0Vknuncm4ndm7FrOxfygb54NdxmDGrO4Vf52mUMCQEUE5-VE6hktYH129Ww/s1600/il_fullxfull.766161803_b9ey.jpg"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgaZN0etimWg4qdmPsyMsp16c5YKxd1zZrrKf3AhRIw5-_M_d23xf2j9GS5tYyaCWt4xLF2dcWrj4WJGCjA0Vknuncm4ndm7FrOxfygb54NdxmDGrO4Vf52mUMCQEUE5-VE6hktYH129Ww/s640/il_fullxfull.766161803_b9ey.jpg" /></a></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><a href="https://www.etsy.com/shop/babyCornSoaps">BabyCorn Soaps</a> create a variety of fun bath and body products as well as traditional soaps. Plus they make monthly subscription boxes on a nerdy theme (Star Wars is December's, and November featured Doctor Who) and a more conventional box with seasonal themes too. Anything from their shop would be perfect for the beauty lovers out there. Additionally they make items for men too, such as radioactive shave cream and lumberjack soap.</span><br />
<h4>
<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">Seasonal Deals:</span></h4>
<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">BFRIDAY for 20% all items except wholesale and subscription boxes from 12/27-12/29<br /><br /> </span></div>
<div>
<h4>
<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">Holiday Deadline:</span></h4>
<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">November 30</span><br />
<h4>
<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">Social Media:</span></h4>
<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><a href="https://www.facebook.com/babyCornBathandBody">Facebook</a><br /><a href="https://twitter.com/babycornsoaps">Twitter</a><br /><a href="https://www.instagram.com/babycorn_bb/">Instagram</a></span><br />
<h3>
<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">The Little Smith</span></h3>
<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQnPtzZzNLEWmo7g68LJCR-FC8A954An2EOnID0bwmjDxg6yCW7kby3zZ2vC1lhBgqMpkJO3yymf0KB_LSeoUP0Wk4RmzDp9sI6ugp5FrGmj_2-y7xRMsIWheASIoue2dTDG80s4sZcYaD/s1600/3c371cc9-ec03-4232-a64a-6bb4f01188cb.jpg"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQnPtzZzNLEWmo7g68LJCR-FC8A954An2EOnID0bwmjDxg6yCW7kby3zZ2vC1lhBgqMpkJO3yymf0KB_LSeoUP0Wk4RmzDp9sI6ugp5FrGmj_2-y7xRMsIWheASIoue2dTDG80s4sZcYaD/s640/3c371cc9-ec03-4232-a64a-6bb4f01188cb.jpg" /></a><br /><br />And last but not least is <a href="http://www.tlittlesmith.com/">The Little Smith</a>. Their jewelry designs are hewn from wood and silver to create stunning geometric shapes and sinuous metal details. They've been kind enough to allow me to do a giveaway for one of their gorgeous Tigerwood Geo Pendant necklaces, pictured below. I'm thrilled to be working with them on this article since they happen to be longtime friends of mine.</span><br />
<h4>
<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">Seasonal Deals:</span></h4>
<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">11/27 - 20% off the Earth Collection with code blackfriday2015<br />11/28-12/16 - 20% off orders over $25 with code holiday2015</span><br />
<h4>
<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"> Holiday Deadlines:</span></h4>
<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">December 16</span><br />
<h4>
<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"> Social Media:</span></h4>
<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">Facebook<br /><a href="https://www.instagram.com/thelittlesmithshop/">Instagram</a><br /><a href="https://www.pinterest.com/thelittlesmith/">Pinterest</a></span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieOsFfbWSD3ZeGa3NXMv02KMHaQsQzmuji7mEXq4mpRa1aWUU7W-kvmJpPXh-tMTrm_d93no_Vm-5U44AXl4RnnBGxJ4laLwTxiDU3GFNvqjfhBbPNdtXE9i9vddAJZ2vG-sEnLcFOu6iR/s1600/cbea15ea-f84f-4f47-b771-b80c1b2c5e03.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieOsFfbWSD3ZeGa3NXMv02KMHaQsQzmuji7mEXq4mpRa1aWUU7W-kvmJpPXh-tMTrm_d93no_Vm-5U44AXl4RnnBGxJ4laLwTxiDU3GFNvqjfhBbPNdtXE9i9vddAJZ2vG-sEnLcFOu6iR/s640/cbea15ea-f84f-4f47-b771-b80c1b2c5e03.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<a class="e-widget no-button" href="https://gleam.io/aO5Wg/lydias-designs-and-the-little-smith-necklace-giveaway" rel="nofollow">Lydia's Designs and The Little Smith Necklace Giveaway</a>
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Thanks for stopping by and letting me share some of my favorite handmade shops with you today! If you have any questions or comments I'd love to talk to you more, so feel free to leave me comments.<br />
<br />
Love,<br />
Lydia<br />
<br />
P.S. If you need a few more ideas head over to my Etsy art shop at <a href="http://lydiasdesigns.etsy.com/" target="_blank">http://lydiasdesigns.etsy.com</a> or check out <a href="http://www.risingtidesociety.com/gift/" target="_blank">The Rising Tide Society's own gift guide here</a>.</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05147063157842791065noreply@blogger.com15tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8826020463856688016.post-80518436898352943932015-11-20T17:42:00.000-05:002016-04-10T00:25:43.547-04:00Cooler Coverings - Fall Fashions<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Hello Friends!<br />
<br />
This week has continued to be yet another crazy one. I've been to doctor's visits and getting things done with Bryan while he's around. And hopefully I'll be able to schedule a follow up for some of the tests next week too. In any case I've been having trouble with my keyboard that's led me to several house of troubleshooting and very complicated systems of trying to work around it as I've written posts and anything else typed online. I finally found that a separate keyboard fixes the problem, even though it's super awkward since I don't own a Mac keyboard. My computer is apparently warped enough that the keyboard is having severe problems, and the trackpad is starting to as well. At this point my laptop is over 6 years old, so it's done well to get this far, but another fix is probably too costly since it's almost to the point of being outdated technology. (I had to stop updating my OS a couple years ago since if I moved to the next version I wouldn't be able to use Photoshop. Of course now it's harder to do all the beautiful things I'd like to do with the tools I can find for Photoshop because they're all meant to use with newer editions, and I'm still running Creative Suite 3.) But on to more fun subjects.<br />
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<h2>
Poshmark</h2>
On another note I am loving selling on Poshmark! I started selling most of my clothes that didn't make the cut for my capsules there. I haven't even finished listing everything yet and have already had 7 sales totaling around $90. If you haven't tried it yet go for it, and have a $10 off coupon on me by using my code to sign up - PYIHF at <a href="http://www.poshmark.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">www.Poshmark.com</a> and then just download the app. You can buy on the site using any device, but selling and the $10 for signing up is only available by downloading the app.<br />
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Fall Fashions</h2>
<h3>
Transitioning to Cooler Coverings</h3>
Fall is here in full force and North Carolina is finally nice and cool most days. I woke up this past Sunday morning to frost covered grass and chickadees pecking at our backyard feeder. I'm finally having to break out my jacket a couple times a week and we tested out our new home's heater too. In terms of fashions I'm experimenting more to make the summery portions of my fall capsule wardrobe keep me warmer. Here are some examples:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixRfv8mlWb-zhEgALRRj0fnoS64jrfJ0-kkKGtadPG96as-FBd01VLwQkdcciZ3PsWEhyb25gOmbzIZveu63xo3l2xVXQ_cxnc5ft3WvWppEzw-nRkP5102syOAjqhLM8fYwf7vlnSolv9/s1600/IMG_5548.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixRfv8mlWb-zhEgALRRj0fnoS64jrfJ0-kkKGtadPG96as-FBd01VLwQkdcciZ3PsWEhyb25gOmbzIZveu63xo3l2xVXQ_cxnc5ft3WvWppEzw-nRkP5102syOAjqhLM8fYwf7vlnSolv9/s640/IMG_5548.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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With this outfit I decided it was time to start pairing some of my fun tees with skirts. this outfit is comprised of my Switchfoot shirt, bag from Target, skirt from Torrid, leggings from Target, and boots from Hushpuppies/Trendsetter.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1S7926h-ivDkVFZiqa1X4LkqTDS6vZ_9-EKDgkPjEqsK7yC7gQkUEmDY7Dg0HdGltITx8QNvBKU-8sYfPSAkDm0rmhi5lKZlI-ZoPs4QVgNVPoL_0R4Q4d6m-HpD6RACOUGYw-xfPtJo-/s1600/IMG_5577.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1S7926h-ivDkVFZiqa1X4LkqTDS6vZ_9-EKDgkPjEqsK7yC7gQkUEmDY7Dg0HdGltITx8QNvBKU-8sYfPSAkDm0rmhi5lKZlI-ZoPs4QVgNVPoL_0R4Q4d6m-HpD6RACOUGYw-xfPtJo-/s640/IMG_5577.JPG" width="587" /></a></div>
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For Halloween I wore this Doctor Who, 9th doctor inspired outfit. Dress from Her Universe, bag from <a href="http://amzn.to/1QBhmPv" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Amazon</a>◊, leggings from <a href="http://www.shareasale.com/m-pr.cfm?merchantID=43745&userID=1184057&productID=569047635" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">ModCloth</a>◊, boots from Hushpuppies/Trendsetter.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsr7-r155UBjeAYDBejy72rPS2ZNJc6yNzlR0K2T0buPXNEoVRNQ7e7MCV2vcf1lDxTbEUVhenapoXG87Phs_PryQc4-wHJrl_Acz4GzRNcviZ0frPX37RjCxNo6HpzdvWw4oVxZgc85jR/s1600/IMG_5575.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsr7-r155UBjeAYDBejy72rPS2ZNJc6yNzlR0K2T0buPXNEoVRNQ7e7MCV2vcf1lDxTbEUVhenapoXG87Phs_PryQc4-wHJrl_Acz4GzRNcviZ0frPX37RjCxNo6HpzdvWw4oVxZgc85jR/s640/IMG_5575.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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I'm really excited to get to reading our picks from Fight or Flight's Halloween sale. And Miles Morales Spiderman is a new one for me, which so far I'm enjoying a lot!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_6ZSO3HceoGmDkQcP0gp3i6WV5jkQ5vE9mKxik9ibXYKtYvXtpLmPbasvxKFW9Xb_WfyjAMV5H97G9CixN5TGKTW5TsWHYMoDdNV4x93XGcCf0JIi78q69C3ibcq-ueil33yLIHZfiLTZ/s1600/IMG_5586.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_6ZSO3HceoGmDkQcP0gp3i6WV5jkQ5vE9mKxik9ibXYKtYvXtpLmPbasvxKFW9Xb_WfyjAMV5H97G9CixN5TGKTW5TsWHYMoDdNV4x93XGcCf0JIi78q69C3ibcq-ueil33yLIHZfiLTZ/s640/IMG_5586.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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I know I don't show my makeup looks often, because I don't wear as much. But I have fun playing around with it and a couple weeks ago I donned a bit to go on a double date night with Bryan's parents. I used Boe eyeshadow in Fun House, Face Stolkholm's Jeanann eyeliner, Tarte Lights, Camera, Lashes mascara, and Stila Stay All Day Liquid Lipstick in Venizia.<br />
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This date night outfit is the Paige dress from Cherry Velvet, leggings from Target, and boots from Hushpuppies/Trendsetter.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibSoqfJItqnAdeTTiOT7ESOsjzHtlQgQqGQYzwJqRHNup7xGdCxnzk3EJt-C4w07ZhH1OVzjXJgEhXNFLFLOUWsD5OlvHakPGZzXdHcFwgwps_EB44LnzdKuZjISB1VhwIMOxxQ5ZZuHmR/s1600/IMG_5738A.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibSoqfJItqnAdeTTiOT7ESOsjzHtlQgQqGQYzwJqRHNup7xGdCxnzk3EJt-C4w07ZhH1OVzjXJgEhXNFLFLOUWsD5OlvHakPGZzXdHcFwgwps_EB44LnzdKuZjISB1VhwIMOxxQ5ZZuHmR/s640/IMG_5738A.jpg" width="356" /></a></div>
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Another thing I've been experimenting with is styling my dresses. In this shot I paired my LuLaRoe "Nicole" dress (I'm hosting a LuLaRoe online party for the next 24 hours if any of you readers want to catch a sale with me! You can find it <a href="https://www.facebook.com/groups/lularoebynicolefitts/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">on Facebook here</a>.) with my sweater from Target, plus leggings from Target, and flats from Payless/American Eagle.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuim-kguAQQs_QLKJCmc0ZegCug-n6LiFoQhT5GPuMxom_QHeMQtqnt0V_JhCcOCHPCiXC4o_8zWhNO3KWp7ofeCHXGU__HQW0zBxVhIwaNQ9TJd5Rlens4Z3PhlpLxjPXvRhdKA7hFzV1/s1600/IMG_5717.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuim-kguAQQs_QLKJCmc0ZegCug-n6LiFoQhT5GPuMxom_QHeMQtqnt0V_JhCcOCHPCiXC4o_8zWhNO3KWp7ofeCHXGU__HQW0zBxVhIwaNQ9TJd5Rlens4Z3PhlpLxjPXvRhdKA7hFzV1/s320/IMG_5717.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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I also threw in some Julep nail polish by using the color "Darby" with this outfit, well technically I'd been wearing it for 6 days before this picture was taken. It just lasts so well! As always you can try a free box from my affiliates at Julep by checking them out here:<br />
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<a href="http://shareasale.com/r.cfm?b=791414&u=1184057&m=49325&urllink=&afftrack=" target="_blank" rel="nofollow"><img alt="Jingle Bells Welcome Box" border="0" src="http://static.shareasale.com/image/49325/Jinglebells_affiliate_02.jpg" /></a>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzOmysIMrtowtnao2OiCL-9fw_wSJgzaTHMxrnRJfTmzfM7SA_Rs8JeC1y81KtpKFRCP3UIcIutOr9VDjpqOG25N9N1g77TFSC9b_W6NY5DZAGPpIU4NJ1dfAK4uae_d10fxmjxylAuMDp/s1600/IMG_5838A.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzOmysIMrtowtnao2OiCL-9fw_wSJgzaTHMxrnRJfTmzfM7SA_Rs8JeC1y81KtpKFRCP3UIcIutOr9VDjpqOG25N9N1g77TFSC9b_W6NY5DZAGPpIU4NJ1dfAK4uae_d10fxmjxylAuMDp/s640/IMG_5838A.jpg" width="378" /></a></div>
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I've been breaking out my jacket from Maurice's, and wore it with a top from Old Navy, skinny jeans from Torrid, and flats from Torrid.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigAzfAC-M-fQtIG3f6tWeeeJhHOExjoNKCyKHYzlt677rikJsvyDTQLmjnMu3JBI-SDblTGlzx4izlxxTs9Z3TnP1DnaKJkIa5sIMB2z-IDsAHg06VZLuu5CQ1JW3LP1490VmE4y0_XNkD/s1600/IMG_5871a.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigAzfAC-M-fQtIG3f6tWeeeJhHOExjoNKCyKHYzlt677rikJsvyDTQLmjnMu3JBI-SDblTGlzx4izlxxTs9Z3TnP1DnaKJkIa5sIMB2z-IDsAHg06VZLuu5CQ1JW3LP1490VmE4y0_XNkD/s640/IMG_5871a.jpg" width="420" /></a></div>
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And finally my last outfit I'll be sharing from my fall capsule includes the jacket from Maurice's, top from Target, zip ankle jeans from Torrid, and flats from Torrid.<br />
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This fall capsule has gone well, better than I thought it would when I was panicking that first week about how to style things. Now I'm thinking ahead to winter and the next capsule. However I'm going to be doing a mini capsule for December as I adjust when my seasons change. I've found that grouping the months of October-December would have been a better choice with less need for both summer and winter items. So next year my capsules will run from January-March, April-June, July-September, and October-December. I'll tall you more about what I'm planning for December in my next fashion post around December 4th. I'll be taking a break from writing next Friday for the holiday and so I can focus on filling orders from my Etsy art shop at <a href="http://lydiasdesigns.etsy.com/" target="_blank">http://LydiasDesigns.etsy.com</a> where you can find art like that in this picture below:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbwsn0WBlyYuXw-1tG0QCoN9dGSNgKANcHV4VDJABRm1fkAMTbvgUkRNtfUzmjyUVx5Yx_Z3o1KqKkKAxnLSrE5VNzi2F0nKftRrnwJ6G83hZRO6XFM6I85DCqu-i602VzjNnCJBbWqTNv/s1600/loves.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="436" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbwsn0WBlyYuXw-1tG0QCoN9dGSNgKANcHV4VDJABRm1fkAMTbvgUkRNtfUzmjyUVx5Yx_Z3o1KqKkKAxnLSrE5VNzi2F0nKftRrnwJ6G83hZRO6XFM6I85DCqu-i602VzjNnCJBbWqTNv/s640/loves.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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I'll see you all Monday!<br />
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Love,<br />
Lydia</div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05147063157842791065noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8826020463856688016.post-10939279221694826992015-11-18T05:39:00.000-05:002016-04-10T00:26:56.167-04:00Crazy Times are When I Drink Tea and Make Origami Turkeys<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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Hello friends,</h4>
<h2>
Crazy Times</h2>
Sorry for the absences in the past week. Things have been a bit rough as my husband lost his job a little over a week ago, went on a job search, found a new job, and is now waiting to start that job on Monday. He's back to working in Raleigh again, though this time the commute is a tolerable half hour rather than something more crazy. We thought he'd be working in Durham for a long time when we decided to move here, but we at least moved to an area that's close to the research triangle and not too bad for getting to north Raleigh, where his new job is at.<br />
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We've been through the wringer emotionally this past week and in some ways are glad he'll have some time off. But we're using a lot of the time to take care of doctor's visits and things before we have to figure out what we'll do for health care next year since we'll have to buy our own plan under the contract position Bryan has landed. But I won't bore you with the details, on to the fun!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijzGzF4syLwi42D6UUrDkjcszD71_jk6V1ocisu1AEjmg-wFQ6mQk0eixLbRwYilJFr13xT6TFcK3lZuiuL7W4npt3RNBjnSwxsIy0uZCRZPXWkXYXpJSjj4j0eU8qKoRrjtKe2IoCN9G6/s1600/origami+and+tea.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijzGzF4syLwi42D6UUrDkjcszD71_jk6V1ocisu1AEjmg-wFQ6mQk0eixLbRwYilJFr13xT6TFcK3lZuiuL7W4npt3RNBjnSwxsIy0uZCRZPXWkXYXpJSjj4j0eU8qKoRrjtKe2IoCN9G6/s640/origami+and+tea.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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Matcha Green Tea</h2>
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Culinary Grade</h3>
So I tried cooking with matcha green tea powder for the first time about a month ago. I'd had pastries and other great green tea items at restaurants, but hadn't really found a great green tea to enjoy at home until then. I used a recipe for making a matcha glaze, which was intended for use on brownies, but I used on cinnamon rolls instead. The results were a bit ugly, but tasted wonderful.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgztBDvAxF4-vJaxjSQguORuZ1-uH0RJuCZUNBLR6nV0VzHqU3reuzRA3I4EHpSGuxlukQMbO0cXyh0etDL38KbMQ5qrA_ulimOxr8bCoSi_tlCW2xTLhdHA1IDvXrsRCm2tW6y-jVe2mI5/s1600/IMG_5158.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgztBDvAxF4-vJaxjSQguORuZ1-uH0RJuCZUNBLR6nV0VzHqU3reuzRA3I4EHpSGuxlukQMbO0cXyh0etDL38KbMQ5qrA_ulimOxr8bCoSi_tlCW2xTLhdHA1IDvXrsRCm2tW6y-jVe2mI5/s320/IMG_5158.JPG" width="320" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_CJw-6dcZ9K3wkMPE35_33F_soqedIbngsS_DpNS3SOUYKOBQqFZnxctudT80qF_uDcn9iONW-v7Q-NP1oF6fPwo0EjnFilVpI157_SDwZmzTN0Lyq-kH2Ri8qI4wzJsEq4yfLyzI-BzD/s1600/IMG_5216.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; display: inline !important; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_CJw-6dcZ9K3wkMPE35_33F_soqedIbngsS_DpNS3SOUYKOBQqFZnxctudT80qF_uDcn9iONW-v7Q-NP1oF6fPwo0EjnFilVpI157_SDwZmzTN0Lyq-kH2Ri8qI4wzJsEq4yfLyzI-BzD/s320/IMG_5216.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
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Drinking Matcha</h3>
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The logical next step after using culinary grade matcha powder in cooking was to try the better ceremonial grade varieties that are the type made for drinking. I got a little help from <a href="http://www.midorispring.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Midori Spring</a> and <a href="http://amzn.to/1S3KFb9" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Kenko</a> brands (affiliate link) who let me try some of their products for free in exchange for an honest review. I even bought a little whisk and scoop set made for making the matcha with. Here's what I did:</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFsxNZ9bjC9YcxYg3pCIP6bnmBbO-xZtKzMJWR_2dSS8moD0TB-lXulvonI6rzqgqt07dnjdosBZSjinn0VhraT02xzNs9u4HGQ7ORlpJPcu1L8XkWU01BogZqh7NLkqcl81OIlCicqG6e/s1600/IMG_5760.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFsxNZ9bjC9YcxYg3pCIP6bnmBbO-xZtKzMJWR_2dSS8moD0TB-lXulvonI6rzqgqt07dnjdosBZSjinn0VhraT02xzNs9u4HGQ7ORlpJPcu1L8XkWU01BogZqh7NLkqcl81OIlCicqG6e/s640/IMG_5760.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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I heated up a mixture of milk and water knowing the tea might be a little bitter at first, but the milk would help with that. While I had the liquid heating up in the microwave I took one scoop of the powder and added it to my little tea bowl. Once the water and milk was hot I added a teacup amount, with a touch of space for the whisk to move. Here are photographs of both brands:</div>
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The Midori Spring was more finely sifted, but they both performed about as well as the other. I really enjoyed them both. I think I ended up with a slight preference for the Kenko tea, but they were both fantastic.</div>
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A peek at the powder inside the tins.</div>
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The Kenko looks a bit darker, but it's really not, between the photo's exposure and the slight difference in heat since my first cup was probably not as hot as it needed to be I had to stir it a little more after the picture was taken. The trick is you pour the for water over the scoop of powder and whisk it until it froths. I found that with the milk added in I didn't even need to add sugar. But if you're more sensitive to bitter tastes you might want to try that too. Overall I find tea is one of my favorite things about cooler weather. I'm really glad to add green tea as a new option. At this point I have a whole drawer dedicated to tea, plus a bunch more looseleaf teas I keep in a section of the cupboards. Here's a shot of my tea drawer, just because.</div>
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As you can see I really enjoy Stash brand teas too. If you'd like to try them out they make a really great herbal sampler box <a href="http://amzn.to/1S3IJ2d" target="_blank">you can find here</a>, which has the Cinnamon Apple Chamomile Tea or their <a href="http://amzn.to/1O1MR3Q" target="_blank">Breakfast in Paris blend</a> if you'd like a more traditional black tea that's similar to earl grey with a hint of lavender (both links are affiliates).</div>
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Origami</h2>
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Another fun thing I was given to try by a company was this origami paper by Orchid. With a value pack this size I don't think I'm going to run out anytime soon. There are 10 fun colors, which work well for most projects. You can buy a pack <a href="http://amzn.to/1S3K74Z" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">here</a> (affiliate link). I found it to be a pretty great deal for a 500 pack, and the paper itself it pretty good quality, holding up well to what I put it through for each of the three projects I tried.</div>
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I had fun creating some fun seasonal things, and plan to work on some more to make things festive. I might even make some Christmas ornaments!<br />
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I tried my hand at a <a href="http://www.origami-instructions.com/origami-halloween-pumpkin.html" target="_blank">pumpkin</a>, <a href="http://www.origami-instructions.com/origami-turkey.html" target="_blank">turkey</a>, and <a href="http://www.origami-instructions.com/origami-christmas-tree.html" target="_blank">Christmas tree</a>. The links go to instructions for each so you can try making them too. I think the pumpkin is actually a really versatile shape. You could turn it into an apple or a beach ball easily for various occasions. It was really fun to make because once all the folds were done you have to blow into the hole on top to inflate it! None of these were too hard, though the turkey and perhaps the pumpkin could be frustrating for younger kids. The tree is a really easy one that it would be simple to make a large set of for decorating.</div>
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Well, here's hoping I'll be around more this week than last week. Thanks for reading!</div>
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Love,</div>
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Lydia</div>
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