Soon....

Major changes ahead.

I'll be back soon.

-ashley

The Social Fashionista DIY: Sharpie Mug "The Fault In Our Stars"

Hey dolls! So lately I've been really into Pinterest and I have been dying (no pun intended) to try one of my DIY projects from my board. So I found this Sharpie mug project and actually found directions that really worked and it didn't wash off! If you want to check out the blog I got the idea from check out diyopolis. First things first I gathered all my supplies together. I used a brand new white mug I had around my house, along with alcohol I already had. I purchased different types of permanent markers and the cotton pads. This cost me a total of $3.00 So this is a really cheap project. You can also pick up a plain white mug from a dollar store around you if you don't have any spare ones around your home. After I put all my things together the first step is to wipe down the mug with the alcohol. After wiping it down with the alcohol I took another cotton pad and wiped down any excess alcohol off the mug that way it wouldn't be wet when I started to draw on it.

So I first started to draw on the clouds and I have to admit this was extremely hard with just holding it at the handle. As you can see I have different sized markers and I actually used the big black marker and used the small blue marker for the clouds. For some reason the small black marker wasn't writing the way I liked so I used the big one. Below are some progress photos, I used some of my favorite quotes from The Fault In Our Stars and drew some other things along with it.

Yes the swing set of tears!

Once I was done I put the mug in a cake tray because I didn't want to place it on the metal rack in my oven. I put it in the oven and put my oven on 425 and put the timer on 30 minutes. After it finished I cracked the door of my oven open and let it cool off inside. I didn't want the mug to crack from different temperatures so I left it in there for awhile (I don't remember how long). 

The photos below are the end result! I was really excited with the outcome being as this is my first DIY mug project. I'm definitely going to make more of these and continue to try and perfect it.

Have you tried any DIY projects? What should I try next? If you have done the sharpie mug project how was your end result? Let me know your thoughts!

xoxo, The Social Fashionista

Bonobos 2014 Fall Men's Collection

There's nothing sexier than a man in a good suit. I think all of us ladies can agree on that, correct? Well I know I find a man in a well put together suit very attractive. There's always that special occasion you need a suit for and lets face it, running around last minute just doesn't cut it. You never have the right amount of time to try things on and you'll end up wasting more money on a rushed decision when you can invest your money in something amazing! Well, thats where Bonobos comes in! They have a ton of great looks for men, there clothing selection is very laid back and clean cut and the great thing about them is they are very big on fit. We all know that a great outfit or suit for that matter could easily be an eye sore if doesn't fit quite right. Well look no further because there basis is the perfect fit for all types.

As soon as you enter there website a pop up offers you 20% off your first order plus free shipping on your first order when you enter your email address in the box. The offer is only good for the next 48 hours after signing up so make sure you are ready to order that suit! There are 3 simple ways you can shop Bonobos; online from the comfort of your home, you can visit one of several Guideshops for a more personalized experience, or you can visit any select Nordstrom that carries the Bonobos line. If your wondering what exactly a Guideshop is let me explain. Its a place where you can find your sizes, pick the colors you like, and place your orders with no hassle. To make an appointment or find your local Guideshop just visit bonobos.com/guideshop. If you cant reach anyone then you can contact a Ninja (YES, you read that correctly. More on that in a little.)  You can't purchase anything in the Guideshop however you can easily place your order with your Guide or in the comfort of your home. Although the Guideshop doesn't offer tailoring services they will be able to recommend a customer approved tailor to help you out. Unlike regular companies who have customer service reps Bonobos have Ninjas. They're there to make sure have a great shopping experience, if you have any questions you can ask them either via email or phone and you can even tweet them @BonobosNinjas.

I'm proud to help them out and introduce you all to there Fall 2014 Men's Suit Collection; a new collection of wool suits, tweed blazers, and tuxedos that perfectly compliment crisp fall weather and autumn leaves. They've made there signature Italian wool Foundation suit even better this fall with brand new fabrics  and updated interior details, including a more ergonomic interior pocket so grabbing that business card is as smooth as your first impression. A finely tailored wool suit is warm on its own, but you can always add a topcoat into the mix. There suits come in Standard and Slim fits, and Short, Regular, and Tall sizes so you can find the perfect fit for you. Aside from suits, Bonobos offers men's clothing such as Chinos, Sweaters, Cardigans, Dress Pants, Dress Shirts, Polo's and much more. I am definitely a fan of the style of the clothing offered on this site. You should definitely give this site a look if your interested in revamping your closet and adding a more classic look to your wardrobe. Below are a few photos of what Bonobos has to offer this coming Fall.

For more options and styles visit Bonobos and browse select styles!

xoxo, The Social Fashionista

I'm Back & Feeling Blue!

Hey dolls! I'm back and I've made a MAJOR change! First off I've been going through a lot these past few months and I have been m.i.a for personal reasons. BUT I'm back and ready to pick up where I left off! I miss blogging like I used too and I have a few posts coming up for you! Getting back to my major change, as you can see I've gone BLUE! I have been wanting to do a major change to my hair and I thought a bright color would do the trick! It still looks weird to me, I'm not quite used to it just yet but I have only had blue hair for a day now so I'll give it time. It has a sort of mixed color when you look at my hair in person. It is a sort of blue with teal and I absolutely love it! It has been hard to take a picture of its actual shade because for some reason lighting is just not friendly with my hair. I went with the brand ion brights, its a semi permanent color line and I chose sky blue because it was simply beautiful. I'm sure with the season change I'll most likely change it again but as of now I love my blue hair. I haven't dyed my hair in awhile and it felt amazing to go through this process again. I also plan on cutting off some inches so I can have a fresh cut for the winter season, because for some odd reason I love fresh cut hair that time of year. 

Stay tuned for upcoming posts!

xoxo, The Social Fashionista

Long Time, No Blog!

Hello readers, its been a couple months since my last post and I have missed my blog dearly. It's been sort of a hectic couple of months and I just needed a break. Sometimes life gets in the way of things you love to do and that's what happened honestly. I have a ton going on family and health wise but I take every day as a new beginning. Work has kept me pretty busy and now there are new and happy things happening in my life as well as the not so happy things. There comes a point in your life when you realize that even though people say they understand what you're going through, there is always that pit in your stomach where you feel like they honestly don't. You can vent and cry and breathe in a sigh a relief but there will always be something going on. BUT I have truly missed blogging, it was always my outlet and I feel like I've lost a part of me. So I'm back and ready to get back to doing what I love to do!

xoxo, The Social Fashionista

March Madness: Love Is In The Air

Well loves, life has been pretty hectic lately and its mostly good. My birthday was fabulous as always, even though a lot of people bailed on me last minute. I still had a blast. I planned a sit down dinner with my family and friends at a restaurant called Max's Tavern and there food is amazing. My oldest sister surprised me with a birthday cake and they sang to me in the restaurant (yes, sort of embarassing).

After the dinner we went to a bar/club in the downtown area (because thats seriously the only place to go out around here) called Alumni. I can't lie I had an amazing time, maybe that has something to do with the 4 Patron shots I had. The day after my birthday I received a call for a new job which I am now working. Its a retail job and I really like it. It's been so hard for me to find work outside of what I've done since I graduated high school and I needed to find something on my own and at a different pace. Along with that came training and then opening day, which went very well. This past weekend was my cousins wedding! Which I had the pleasure of being her Maid of Honor. It was one of those things that went by so fast and felt like a dream. I had so much fun!

My beautiful Maid of Honor dress is from White by Vera Wang for Davids Bridal. I wore it in Plum which was a perfect compliment to the Wisteria color the other Bridesmaids wore. My jewelry is from Debs, the necklace was a set with the earrings and I bought the bracelet separate but they had a buy one get one half off for jewelry. Along with my duty as Maid of Honor I gave my speech which I intended on giving without crying but that was an epic fail. Afterwards we ate and drank and danced. When it was time for her to toss the bouquet the first time it sort of hit the ceiling and was fought over so she did it once more and I caught it while getting hit in the back of my head by some other person also attempting to catch it.

On the left is the bouquet I caught and on the right are my flowers. I saved my flowers and now they are in my room in a vase. It still feels like a dream. I am glad that it has happened and we can move forward, weddings are kind of stressful. The whole day getting ready your just a big ball of nerves. I felt like I had no time for anything but I did.

With March coming to a close I can only begin to think that my faith has kept me going and I'm proud of the progression over the month that I've had. I can't wait to see what else is next for me. Stay tuned.

xoxo, The Social Fashionista

My Life in 2014: February

Hello dolls, back in January I shared some personal stuff with you guys and I just felt like doing these small personal updates on my blog are not only therapeutic for me but it makes me feel a little closer to you all. I know this post comes a few days short of the end of February but better late than never. It's been a little while since my last post due to the issues currently going on in my life. Its been a rough month and a rough winter. I'm looking forward to it being over and my birthday coming! It's in 11 days! I'm hoping that with the new month beginning it will hopefully bring me some new stuff. Nothing comes easy and I know that, but as of late things have become extremely tough. My mom took a very bad fall outside of our house on black ice (I'm so over winter!) and broke her ankle in three places. Thankfully they reset it and did surgery on it. She has screws in there now and is currently out of work recuperating at home. It was a very intense day that day, it was actually the same day as the Bridal Shower I was hosting for my cousin. Fortunately she was very understanding and we pushed it back an hour. Though my mind wasn't totally in it, the Bridal Shower went very well. Its been a very tiring week, but I would do anything for my parents because they have done for me all my life. I'm looking forward to my birthday because I'll be celebrating in a different setting.and I'm excited about my outfit. The dress my sister bought me is different and I can't wait to wear it. I really hope that winter is over and warmer weather begins. I'm also looking forward to Lent because I'll be giving up fast food. Its really something I've got to kick, I eat it once in awhile but as of late its been more often than usual and it really doesn't settle well. I feel like Lent also brings clarity into my life. If you celebrate Lent, what are you giving up? It could be anything, comment below.

xoxo, The Social Fashionista

Valentines Day Date Looks

As cliche as this so called holiday is I really do love dressing up for it. I hope you all enjoy it with your significant other and if your celebrating alone wear some cute valentines day pj's Forever 21 has some cute ones! Not quite sure yet how I'll be celebrating but I know there will be some sort of fro-yo or gelato involved! I really love putting together outfits for this day because everyone wears red or pink and there's so many different shades, its really beautiful.

xoxo, The Social Fashionista

Is It Spring Yet?

Is it me am I the only one who is completely over winter? Its not so much the snow but the cold has been extreme this winter. So I decided to do a post that would make all of us look forward to the nicer weather thats ahead! I've noticed that Forever 21 has added a lot of new items so I thought I would share my favorites.

1. Standout Geo Combo Top Price: $15.80
2. Street-Style Lost Tee Price: $15.80
3. Out West Heathered Knit Top Price: $19.80
4. Statement-Making Nope Sweater Price: $19.80
5. Flower City Heathered Top Price: $17.80
6. Tropical Floral Chiffon Kimono Price: $24.80
7. Watercolor Ikat M-Slit Maxi Dress $27.80
8. Underground Def Leopard Muscle Tee Price: $15.80

All other items can also be found on Forever 21's site. There are so many new items to choose from it'll take you awhile to decide what you love more! Check out all the new arrivals!

xoxo, The Social Fashionista

My Collection: Nail Polish Edition

 So I thought I'd finally share my nail polish collection with you all. I had bought this storage cart from Big Lots awhile ago that came with different colored drawers and two of those drawers contain my nail polish collection. Which is growing daily. I had a ton more but I got rid of alot because some became too clumpy. My first drawer contains my favorites, or most used polishes. I have all sorts of brands and colors. Though I feel like theres colors that I don't have.

My second drawer is random polishes that I wouldn't necessarily go for. All these polishes I really bought probably because I thought I would use but never did. I'm not a fan of pink, white, or yellow polishes. For some reason I feel like they just don't look right. Maybe I should try a different brand. 

These 3 polishes I recently purchased from Big Lots. They were $1.80 each. The names from left to right are   Studs & Stilettos, Happy Earth Day To Me, and Caught With My Khakis Down. From the original price to what Big Lots is selling them for its a steal! So head on over and pick up some polishes! They also have Color Show by Maybelline New York.

Do you have a favorite polish that you cant live without? Is there a brand that you prefer to use over others?

Let me know.

xoxo, The Social Fashionista

My Favorite Look: 56th Annual Grammy Awards

I wasn't going to make a big post of everyones looks because I feel all the blogs are covering that so I wanted to talk my favorite look of the night!

Kasey Musgraves looked amazing! Her dress is somehow weird yet fun and I absolutely love it because she wore it with so much confidence and thats what makes it look that much better! One thing I truly loved thought was when she was performing "Follow Your Arrow" off her album Same Trailer Different Park, her cowboy boots were lighting up! I thought that was so unique. She won 2 Grammy's last night which include Best Country Album (Same Trailer Different Park) and Best Country Song (Merry Go Round). I'm honestly a huge fan of hers because I love her songs. I always like to really listen to a song and read the lyrics to really know what the song is about and her music I just get without doing that. I was so happy for her wins and I cant wait for the sophmore album. Keep up the amazing work Kasey!

xoxo, The Social Fashionista

My Life in 2014: January

I think when ever the year is coming to an end everyone looks back on the year they are about to leave behind and think about what the year gave them or may have taken from them. Sometimes you look back and think "thank god I'm leaving all that behind me" and other times its more of a "what am I going to do with my life in the new year" kind of moment. Well I had both. Its definitely been a struggle the past year but I honestly don't like to dwell on the past, thats just not who I am. I like to smile and leave negativity out of my life. I've changed over the years, learning how to stress less (though the past year wasn't that easy) and learn that if you stay positive that more times than none your outcome may be positive. I have been going through this back and forth thing with my life since I graduated high school in 2009 and I honestly don't know why I let so much time pass me by without truly pursuing my dream. Wanting to go to college has always been in my mindset but there is always something that happens and makes it seem impossible. My future should come first I know that and yet somehow I always forget. I was so close to it happening and then it just didn't. I plan on changing that. I'm very focused on giving it my all this year because truthfully I love school. Knowledge and learning things and information that I never knew before is exciting to me. I love doing work. I love writing. I love reading and thats what I look forward too. Its crazy to think that right out of high school I started working with no questions asked. People think its just so easy to get back into school and its not. I'm pretty quiet when it comes down to what exactly it is I want to major in because I honestly don't think that my family or friends will truly understand what it means to me. I don't want to just settle for a major that people think will make me wealthy because in the end of it all I don't want a job just for the money I want to actually love what I do. If you aren't in love with what you wake up for every morning than what's the point in getting up for it am I right? I just know that there are goals that I have set for myself and want to fulfill them for me, not anyone else. Although this month has truly set me back health wise. My goal in all was to begin a healthier lifestyle. I realize it seems like the typical new years resolution but its more than that for me. Something about this year just seemed different, I felt as though a lot of changes were going to happen and it just felt right. Well it so happens that my new year didn't start off too well. Last week I spent my days in doctors offices, waiting rooms, and I even ended up in the ER. I have never been so sick or injured that I have had to go to the ER that I can remember and I don't ever want to end up there again. It was a hard week for me and I still have appointments that I need to go too. This really did a number on me emotionally and mentally. I got through it though with my parents, sisters, few friends and few close family members by my side. I still worry but I know that I tend to let my mind wander and it isn't always in the best places. I believe it is a wake up call for me that I need to take better care of myself. I tend to care more for others than myself and its time I change that. I normally don't write posts like this, so personal but I feel that a blog is personal whether your a certain type or not its always good to connect to your readers on a personal level. I hope that out there someone is reading this and feels the same way I do. Maybe your in the same situation or maybe your just down and out and need to know that you are not alone. We all have lives we live but are we really living if we aren't caring for ourselves? We care so much about social media and the lives of others and gossip but we don't take time for ourselves. I learned that in the past 15 days of the new year. I'm only going to be 23 in 2 months and I plan on living a full and long life from here on out. So as of this month of 2014 I plan on writing these type of posts because I hope out there someone is reading this and relating to me. Showing weakness is nothing to be ashamed of. We all have our moments of weakness where we feel so low that we don't know if we're ever going to be able to stand up again. But trust me there will be an invigorating moment in your life where you will know that you can be better than your lowest moments in life.

with lots of love

xoxo, The Social Fashionista 

Happy New Year!

It's 2014! I feel like just yesterday it was the beginning of 2013 and I was anxious for my birthday. This year not quite. I have a ton going on this year and I'm very glad that year is behind me because it definitely had its ups and downs. I was able to spend my New Year's Eve with my family in Mass, though I missed my New York family very much! Normally I posted my options or what I was deciding on wearing but I wanted to do a New Years post so I thought I would save it for now. 

             

My dress was from Forever 21 and I snagged it when they were having that deal of free shipping with any $30 purchase so all I ordered was this dress and a nail polish. My stockings are Navy also from Forever 21. My Brooklyn boots were gifted to me for Christmas by my sister, there from Burlington Coat Factory. For makeup I kept it simple, on my lips I wore Lolita by Kat Von D, my eyeliner is from MUFE, and my mascara is benefits bad gal lash. I enjoyed myself and I hope everyone else did as well. I know things can get hectic so I hope everyone was safe! This year I have a lot going on for myself. I'll be 23 in 2 months and my cousin is getting married in 2 months (the weekend after my birthday). My niece will turn 5 this year and my baby sis will be 18. Time sure does fly and I want to cherish the moments I have on this earth. I feel sometimes I take my life for granted because I don't go out and live and experience things I haven't yet. This year I plan to change that. 

So to all, may your year be filled with love, good health, wealth, and nothing but positivity.

Merry Christmas Dolls!

Hey dolls, I hope everyone has the best Christmas ever! Besides not feeling well all day, I had a great day spending it with my family. I received some really amazing gifts from my older sisters and I wanted to share them with you! 

My oldest sister Jenn bought me these leather boots! We were shopping together I saw them and said how much I've been dying to get a pair like this and so I tried them on and they fit so perfectly! So when I put them back in the box she decided to get them for me as my gift. I'm so grateful! The boots are ironically named the Brooklyn boot. 

My second oldest sister Val bought me all this and when I opened the box first and saw this I immediately said OMG Chanel! 

She got me this Chanel Rouge Coco Lipstick in Camelia. 

She also got me these really CUTE earrings from the Material Girl collection from Macys. I'm really into ear cuffs so I was really excited when I saw it! The gold earrings are so different from anything I have and can't wait to wear them! Can you tell I totally love what I got? 

Along with the other goodies, she also got me this Christian Dior nail polish solely for the name! It's a red polish called Marilyn! If you read my gift post from last Christmas you know I love anything Marilyn! The bottle is so cute I don't even want to put it with my other polishes! 

Last but not least she got my this super cute clutch also from the Material Girl collection from Macys. I love it because I love almost anything leopard/cheetah print. I really love the zipper detail because it isn't a pocket it's just a detail. 

My mom got me exactly what I asked for: nail polish! I also got some other stuff and cash but it's so much to post! I'm definitely going to do a polish post though. Stay tuned. 

Merry Christmas & Happy Holidays!