Tuesday, May 31, 2011

A Three Day Weekend...The Clothing Edition


It's official...summer's here.  And along with summer comes opportunities to take quick three day weekend trips to somewhere fun...be it a beach, a lake or a hot city.  And by "hot" we mean "happening."  So if you have any quick trips planned for this summer, we wanted to help you out with your packing.

Mendi recently took a trip to Chicago with her husband & she WAY overpacked (shocker, right), but with the increased costs associated with checking luggage at the airport, we thought we'd see if we can't help you keep your packing to just carry-ons.  (With just about every airline - check with yours if you want to be on the safe side - you can carry on a purse/tote plus one small suitcase.  We found this handy list for size restrictions for carry-on luggage here.)

Because these posts are going to be photo-heavy, we're going to break them down for you in three editions...a CLOTHING, an ACCESSORIES & a PRODUCTS.  So stay tuned for more in the series.

But for now, here's the who's, how's, what's & where's of what we would suggest packing for a three day weekend trip:

CLOTHING





Asymmetrical cardigan




 Mod Surf Swim Coverup Dress - Roxy


Of course these items are all just OUR suggestions...feel free to do your own "tweaking" to fit your personal style!  Links are below each photo for where we found everything online.

If you have plans to go anywhere fun this summer, please drop us a comment & let us know!  Maybe we can fit in your carry-on.  ;-)

Monday, May 30, 2011

GLAM BAM THANK YOU MA'AM!!


As we mentioned in our video we are going to have recurring GLAM BAM THANK YOU MA'AM features.  We are so lucky to have such awesome followers, subscribers and Twitter friends that have recommended fabulous products for us to try.

So this GLAM BAM THANK YOU MA'AM goes out to two of our Twitter Girls (who we like to call our "Twirls"), Shannon from Vancouver, Canada and Jen from Charlotte, North Carolina.

Shannon has recommended MANY fun nail polishes to Mendi, but there's one in particular that is a new favorite in Mendi's collection: the Sally Hansen Insta-Dri Fast Dry Nail Color in Lively Lilac.

And Jen & Jayme have had many Twitter conversations about their love for wine & Cougartown, so it was natural that Jayme take Jen up on one of her suggestions...a Concha y Toro Frontera Malbec 2010.

Thanks girls!  We love them both!!

Please keep the rec's coming!  We can't wait to find the next best thing!

Saturday, May 28, 2011

NY&Co Haul


So sorry that I didn't have two of the dresses that I mentioned in the video to show you guys, but if you click on the link below you can see...and yes, I did get two of the exact same dresses, but in different colors.  Hey, when it fits it fits.  (And I got the white one for FREE!)

Items Purchased:
Twist-Bodice Sleeveless Two-Texture Dress in Black and White
3/4 Sleeve Black Top (on Clearance)
The Original BodyShaper Cami in Coral Fantasies
Streetwear Short Goddess Dress in Cool As Burgundy
White and Silver/Clear Beads Braided Stretch Bracelet
Silver Braided Bracelet

Thanks for watching!  We'd love to know what you guys have been buying for Summer, so please leave a comment.

Jayme

Friday, May 27, 2011

A Match Made in Heaven...Sephora & HLNC!

We have been busting at the seams with excitement over a little something that has been in the works over here at HLNC for the past several weeks and we've wanted to tell all of you about it SO badly, but we wanted to finalize all of the details first.  Well...we can finally spill the beans:

We have been asked by our local Sephora store to team up with them for a private after-hours event.  (Um, can someone pinch us right now because maybe we are dreaming?!?)  You all know about our love for Sephora, so just imagine our excitement when we were given this opportunity.  Wait, you could hear us screaming???  Yep, we're not surprised!


At HLNC we blog about a little bit of everything, from our dogs to travel to fashion to recipes, but we blog a lot about our love of beauty products.  And now on Sunday, June 26th, the Richmond area Sephora at Regency Mall is hosting, along with us, an after-hours event complete with refreshments, sample "goodie" bags for all attendees, a chance to win an amazing raffle prize for those who make purchases and even some of their awesome makeup artists at the ready to give you a new look, if so desired.  We will be right alongside them, ready to talk beauty galore and we'll be showcasing our favorite makeup products. Can you say "right up our alley??"  Yes, please!

So, if you live in the Richmond area or can make it to the Richmond area on Sunday, June 26th, then all you have to do to get on the Guest List is e-mail us at herlatenightcravings@gmail.com (or you can even just click the link up at the top of this page that says CONTACT US, then click on our e-mail address to automatically initiate an e-mail) & let us know YOUR name, e-mail address & the names of ANYONE that you would like to bring along, including their e-mail address (if you have it).  The more, the merrier!!  But don't delay...we need to wrap up the Guest List by Monday, June 13th in order to make all of the final arrangements.

We can't wait to see you there!!  And if you can't make it to Richmond for the event, please know that you'll all be with us in spirit.  Without all of you supporting what we do here at HLNC everyday, there wouldn't be these amazing opportunities for us, so THANK YOU to everyone!

XOXO

Thursday, May 26, 2011

Sharing The Love

We are so excited about reaching 150 followers that we have decided to go ahead & do our Boutique on Feet giveaway immediately!  The fabulous girls over at Boutique on Feet wanted to join in on the fun, so they sent us two of their Coopers Beach bracelets, which you may remember seeing in Mendi's Stacks of Style post.  You know how we feel about bracelets, so we're so excited to "share the love!"

COOPERS BEACH COOPERS BEACH

And the winner is...

Shasie from Live Life In Style!!!  Congratulations, Shasie!  We're so excited for you...you're going to love these!  Please send us pictures of you wearing them after you get the package from us.

Be sure to stop by Boutique on Feet to fulfill all of your cravings for fashion & accessories!

Stay tuned for more exciting news here on Her Late Night Cravings!  Thank you to everyone who is following our blog!!  We love you guys.

Wednesday, May 25, 2011

A Day in the Life...

...of two chocolate labs.  More specifically, Nugget & Zoey, who you may remember from their HLNC debut in a bloopers video here.  We attended a Dog Swim Day at one of our local neighborhood pools last weekend & my girls had a blast (to say the least)...



We had some VERY sleepy babies the remainder of that day!! 

The event was to support our local Richmond Autism Society, which we completely support because I have a 7-year old nephew with autism, who I love SO much.  Anything that we can do to get behind such a good cause, count us in!  And our girls too!! 

Zoey even did her fair share of lifeguarding:


Hope you had fun watching my silly stinker heads!

Mendi

Tuesday, May 24, 2011

A Glam Slam

It's an exciting day here at Her Late Night Cravings!!!  We are just days away from our blog being 2 months old and we have scored a GLAM SLAM by hitting 150 followers.  Can we get a "woot, woot?"  We are SO excited!  Now, we mentioned that we were going to have a fabulous giveaway once we hit 150 followers, but we never actually told you what the giveaway was...we wanted it to be a SURPRISE!  Who doesn't love surprises?  And we think you'll love it as much as we do, so without further ado...

The winner of our giveaway will get to dress up in her own pair of KATE SPADE SWEET NOTHINGS EARRINGS!


The color says that it's light peach, but we actually think they look like a light rose gold.  Either way, they are beautiful and will go with everything!

You guys have seen us mention these beautiful large stud earrings in Mendi's Bonus Trends  and also on her Chicago Shopping Haul .  They are obviously a favorite at HLNC and we wanted to share a little luxury with our amazing followers who make what we do on this blog so much fun. So thank you to each and every one of you and we want you to know just how much we appreciate your support.

Drum roll please....

The winner is La Belle Fabuleux! Please click through to her amazing blog where she shares her love for fashion, bags, shoes and much more. Thanks for following & congratulations!

If you aren't Belle from La Belle Fabuleux, don't be discouraged...we plan to do more giveaways soon!!  Want to help us hit 200 followers??  Be sure to click the "FOLLOW" button on the right side of this page if you haven't already & get in on the next exciting announcement!

Monday, May 23, 2011

You Want a Piece of This??

Ocassionally Jayme & I may share other random cravings that we're having...you know, like sometimes we crave food.  Yes, believe it or not, fashion & beauty products are not the only fuel that our bodies require.

We receive daily e-mails from Eat Better America & every once in awhile one of their recipes will catch my eye.  I haven't been cooking that much lately (this here little blog has been keeping me quite busy), but I actually do enjoy cooking, so it was time for me to get back in the kitchen.  Here are the two recipes I decided to whip up this past weekend:

Grilled Chile-Lime Chicken

2 teaspoons grated lime peel
1/4 cup lime juice
2 tablespoons olive or canola oil (I used olive oil)
2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
1/2 teaspoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 small jalapeno chile, seeded, finely chopped
1 clove garlic, finely chopped
4 boneless skinless chicken breasts (1 1/4 lb)

Ingredients shown here (except for Mr Garlic...he was being a diva & didn't want his picture taken):


1. To make marinade, in a shallow bowl or plastic bag, mix all ingredients except chicken.
2. Between pieces of plastic wrap or waxed paper, place each chicken breast smooth side down & gently pound with flat side of meat mallet until about 1/4" thick.  Add chicken to marinade & turn to coat.  Cover dish or seal bag, then refrigerate at least 30 minutes but no longer than 24 hours.
3. Heat coals or gas grill for direct heat.  Remove chicken from marinade & discard leftover marinade.  Cover & grill chicken over medium heat for 8 to 10 minutes, turning once, until juice of chicken is clear when center of thickest part is cut (170 degrees F).

Parmesan Potatoes

4 medium potatoes, thinly sliced (I used red potatoes)
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup Italian-style breadcrumbs
1 tablespoon grated Parmesan cheese
1 tablespoon butter or margarine, melted
1 tablespoon chopped fresh or 1 teaspoon dried basil leaves (I used basil straight from my little herb garden)

Ingredients shown here:


1. Heat coals or gas grill for direct heat.  Cut two 30 x 18-inch pieces of heavy-duty foil.
2. Divide potato slices between foil pieces.  Sprinkle with salt.  In a small bowl, mix remaining ingredients, then sprinkle over pototoes.  (This mixture smells sooooo good, but then again I love the smell of basil & would bathe in it if I could.)  Wrap foil securely around potatoes; pierce top of foil once of twice with fork to vent steam.
3. Cover & grill packets, seam side up, over medium heat for 18 to 20 minutes, rotating packets 1/2 turn after 10 minutes, until potatoes are tender.  Place packets on a plate & unfold foil.


Hot off the grill...mmmm,mmmm,mmmm...


Hungry yet??  I added some green beans to the mix & "voila" dinner is ready...


I hope you guys enjoy seeing tried & true recipes from Jayme & I every once in awhile.  Please give us your thoughts!  And if you have any recipes that you recommend, please send them our way!  Maybe they'll end up making an appearance on Her Late Night Cravings.


Mendi

Sunday, May 22, 2011

Coop's Bloops!


So glad you got to meet Cooper.

Facts about Coop:
He is a mama's boy.
He is an obsessive-compulsive licker. Seriously...he never stops. :-)
He likes to creep up behind you and grab your ankles with both of his paws.
He is addicted to treats and I can't even say the word ...I have to spell it T-R-E-A-T-S.
He puts the "C" in 'Crazy but Happy Home'.
He is a mama's boy. Did I say that already? :-)

Thanks for watching. Please email us or tweet us pics of your pets...we'd love to meet them!

Jayme

Saturday, May 21, 2011

Chicago Shopping Haul!

Here's the lowdown of what I purchased in Chicago:



Lush Cosmetics -
Solid shampoo
Veganese conditioner
I Love Juicy shampoo (sample)
Ocean Salt body scrub (sample)
Charity Pot hand & body lotion
Comforter bubble bar
Demon in the Dark soap

Orly nail polish in Rage (a rose gold)

Bracelets from H&M, American Eagle & Nordstrom Rack

Nordstrom -
Kate Spade Sweet Nothings earrings in black & gold
Tory Burch 'Mini Tory' Nylon Tote in Poppy Coral Giva

Tiffany & Co -
'Return to Tiffany' Bead Bracelet

**For those you interested in a way to still donate money to the Japan relief effort, here is a website run by a friend of our friend:  All Hands Volunteers - Japan Tsunami Relief Fund.  Thank you!**

Hope you enjoyed watching!!

Mendi

Friday, May 20, 2011

RVA Weekend Low-down

Strawberry Hill Races

Every Spring here in Richmond, VA we have the Strawberry Hill Races at Colonial Downs (in New Kent, VA). It's a Richmond tradition that salutes Virginia's equine history... as well as it's a huge reason to party.  And this year marks the 79th Running of the Strawberry Hill Races and the weather is primed to be just right so Richmond is busting with excitement.

It's an all day, outdoor event with the horse races in the center and there are "plots" that are sold to cars on the outside of the track. You drive onto the track and park in two rows - the inner part of the track and the outer part of the track and basically tailgate all day long. We usually have a plot with about 10 or so people and set up a tent and have tons of food and drink (and maybe a cooler full of jello shots).  There's also betting (on certain races) so if you are feeling lucky then you can have a go at that. Maybe we'll try it this year...

Strawberry Hill Races

Every year there is a theme and this year it's "Super 70's Secretariat" - and let me tell you there will be people who go all out in costume and decorate their tents like it's their job. It's fun to just walk around and look at all of the other set-ups (oh Saturday provides the BEST people watching!) The theme is supposed to take you back to 1973 when Secretariat was born on Meadow Farm in Caroline County, VA. This amazing creature went on to win the Triple Crown and for those of you who aren't familiar with horse racing that means that Secretariat won the Kentucky Derby, The Preakness Stakes and The Belmont Stakes in record time back in 1973. You are supposed to think 70's bell-bottoms, sideburns, loud open collared shirts for men and colorful sun dresses with bouffant hair for the women. Think disco and classic rock!


Strawberry Hill Racing


The grand finale to the day will be at 6:15 with the simulcast of The Preakness Stakes. The Strawberry Hill Race's are tied to The Preakness because it's parent company, SFVA, owns the Meadow Event Park (Meadow Farm mentioned above.) Watching The Preakness is a great way to end a day of beautiful horses, races, food, drinks and hanging with friends. 

How about you guys come to Strawberry Hill next year? We'll see you there!!

Thursday, May 19, 2011

ChiTown SEPHORA Haul!!

Yes, the Sephora purchases that I made in Chicago were worthy of their own haul!  Take a peek at what I got:



Fresh Turns 20! Set (includes a Soy Face Cleanser, a Twilight Fresh Face Glow, a Sugar Honey Lip Treatment & a Supernova Mascara)

Clinique Moisture Surge Tinted Moisturizer SPF 15 in Shade 03

Benefit Creaseless Cream Shadow/Liner in Skinny Jeans (a dark pewter)

Sephora by OPI polish in Wild About Shimmer (a sheer champagne with medium gold glitter)

SEPHORA COLLECTION Precision Sponge

Coach Poppy Rollerball

Korres Liquid Lipstick in Shade 13 (a light neutral pink)

Urban Decay 24/7 Glide-On Eye Pencil in Underground (a metallic taupe)

DiorShow Unlimited Mascara in Chestnut (a warm brown)

I decided to redeem my 500-Point Perk for a Smashbox Perfectly Polished Lids set (which includes a Cream Eyeliner in Midnight Brown, an Eyeshadow Trio in Vanilla/Champagne/Brazilian Bronze, a PhotoFinish Lid Primer & a LashDNA Mascara) & I also received a free sample of the MD Skincare All-in-One Tinted Moisturizer.

I'm sure you'll be hearing more about these products in the future....either in a full review after I've used them for awhile or maybe even in a Favorites video!

Hope you enjoyed watching!

Mendi

Wednesday, May 18, 2011

Just Arrived...May's Birchbox!

Our May Birchbox has arrived!! It is so exciting to have a package delivered to your doorstep with a few surprises inside. Who doesn't love that?

Now if you aren't familiar with Birchbox then you are in for a treat. It is a box of 4-5 beauty samples that you receive monthly. You pay $10 a month (no shipping and handling charges) for deluxe high-end samples that include skincare, makeup and beauty tools. This is a great way to try out products without having to pay tons of money and if you like a product you can buy the full-size on the Birchbox website and build up points - like a reward system.  Your points help you buy products at a discount - for every 100 points you get $10 off a full-size product. At this time Birchbox is only available in the United States, its territories and APO boxes.

If you recall, we made a video of our very first delivery last month. As we receive our boxes we will sometimes make videos and sometimes just do a written post. Before we dive in and show you what we received we wanted to quickly tell you what our favorite product was in our box from April. Can you guess?? It has to be the Zoya Nail Polish in Jules. It's just a beautiful gold metallic (perfect for any season) that we have enjoyed wearing.



Zoya Nail Polish | Jules


Now on to the main attraction...







The packaging is back to it's very pretty bright pink. Last month's was green in celebration of Earth Day.











What we received:


1.) Jouer Moisturizing Lip Gloss in Glisten - A gorgeous gloss that conquers dryness and ho-hum style in a single, shimmery swoop. Also Jouer Luminizing Moisture Tint (2 samples).


2.) Serge Lutens Eau De Parfum in Nuit De Cellophane - A modern take on the fruity floral: fresh green and tart mandarin notes combined with creamy rose and jasmine.


3.) DDF Wrinkle Resist Plus Pore Minimizer - This gel-like serum works to hydrate skin and shrink pores, and fights off wrinkles with potent peptides. Apply to clean skin in the morning and night, before moisturizer or SPF.


4.) AHAVA Mineral Body Lotion - This light moisturizer sinks in quickly to add marathon moisture - natural aloe and witch hazel give it an energizing scent.


TREAT (something extra that the ladies at Birchbox throw in each month) Tiny Prints Card - We're hooked on Tiny Prints, which lets you customize all their adorable greeting cards, from birthday wishes to thank you notes.


We can't wait to try out each of these fabulous products and we will report back next month about what we thought of the May samples.


Thanks for stopping by and if you are a Birchbox member please let us know what you think. Also, if you have any questions about the products shown above please drop us a comment. We'd love to hear from you!



Tuesday, May 17, 2011

Jayme's What's In My Bag




You guys have already gotten to see what my partner in crime, Mendi, carries around on a daily basis and now it's my turn. Hope you enjoy and please let us know "What's In Your Bag". We are dying to take a peek. :-)

And on a side note, if you are watching this and haven't clicked the "FOLLOW" button on the right side of the blog, then please do! We are going to host a "giveaway" once we hit 150 followers and you have to be a follower to be eligible. We promise you won't be disappointed!

Thanks and talk to you soon!

Monday, May 16, 2011

Come Fly Away With Me

While I'm still riding my Chicago high, I wanted to share some photos & video of our trip with you guys.  The idea behind doing this "Come Fly Away With Me" post, which will be recurring anytime Jayme or I travel somewhere fun, is that we can take y'all along for the ride & make you feel like you were right there with us.  So, settle in, get comfy & enjoy...

We departed Richmond last Wednesday morning for Chicago & things got off to a great start when we realized that our neighbor, Diane, who is a flight attendant, was servicing our flight to Chicago.  No kidding...we couldn't believe our luck!  We took this as a sign of good things to come.

And boy were we right.  We landed at O'Hare early...imagine that.  And we'd heard nightmares about having to deal with the crowds & complexity of O'Hare, but we found getting to baggage claim a breeze & after a quick call to our car service, our driver, Al, pulled up at the front doors of the airport & whisked us off to the city. 



We arrived at our hotel in the Loop, the Wit, a little before 10am & although check-in isn't normally until 3pm, they had a room ready for us to get right in to.  Now, I had poured over photos of our hotel online for weeks, but I never expected us to get a corner room, so imagine my excitement when I saw these views from our hotel room:


We did a little exploring of our immediate area, which included scoping out a place to get a real Chicago hotdog & a little shopping at the original Marshall Field's, now known as Macy's.  Then we met up with Chris's college roommate & our great friend, Lou, to hit up Wrigleyville for a Cubs game. 

You know the saying "When in Rome, do as the Romans do"??  Well, we adapted the attitude of "When in Chicago, do as the Cubbies do" & it served us well!  After purchasing some authentic Cubs gear & having a bite to eat at Casey Moran's, we headed in to see the second oldest ballpark in the country (next to Fenway Park).  Lou scored us some amazing seats (thank you so much Lou!!) & we settled in for a great game against the St Louis Cardinals.

 
We quickly learned that Chicago's weather has a mind of it's own & can change on a dime.  Crazy dark clouds rolled in behind us & before we knew it the wind picked up & the rain started coming down.  We took cover (with about 400 other people) in a tunnel right behind our seats to wait out the rain.  But it rained & it rained & it rained.  We made the call to head out before the mass exodus, but atleast we can say that we saw a game at Wrigley Field.  By the way, the game resumed after a rain delay & the Cubs went on to beat the Cardinals 11-4 while we paid a visit to the hotel bar for a nightcap.

Thursday morning the sun was out once again & the weather was perfect...upper 70's.  We got breakfast at a well-known, tucked away spot on Wabash called Heaven on Seven.  And OH MY GOSH did it live up to it's name!!  Let me just tell you, the Bloody Mary's there are NO joke!  And the food was devine!!  It was exactly the fuel we needed to shop Michigan Avenue for the next 7 hours.  I found out why they call it the "Magnificent Mile"...and it's not just because of the Tiffany & Co, Nordstrom, Bloomingdale's and Neiman Marcus (which were all quite nice), but it's also because this is the sight of the city during the middle of May when all of the tulips are in bloom:
  

That night we hit up the popular Lou Malnati's for the infamous deep-dish pizza...mmmmm:


Then it was on to the Willis Tower (aka Sears Tower) to take in the city's skyline at night.  After a quick & ear-popping elevator ride to the Skydeck on the 103rd floor, the tallest building in the United States (thanks to the two antenna on top) provided quite the thrill, especially to those who dared to step out onto one of the glass ledges that jut out 4 feet from the western facing side of the building.  Yep, I did it!  That first step out was a little intimidating & I definitely had that gut-dropping feeling of wondering if my feet were ever going to make contact with anything other than the air below the glass!  And this is coming from a girl who has ZERO fear of heights!!

Then we finished off an amazing day by listening to a little live music in the lobby of our hotel.  It was the perfect end to a perfect day.

Friday morning started off gorgeous.  We walked to Millenium Park to see the Cloud Gate (affectionately known as the Chicago "bean"), the Pritzker Pavilion, the Lurie Gardens & the BP Bridge.  We made our way over to Lakeshore Drive for a quick look around just as some low-lying clouds rolled in & the temperature plummeted about 20 degrees within an hour.  It didn't stop us from enjoying an al fresco lunch at Tavern at the Park...this also happened to be my favorite meal in Chicago...



We ventured back to our hotel to grab our jackets, then we hit Michigan Avenue again to purchase a few things that we had taken the night to "sleep on."  We wrapped up the afternoon by taking a famous Chicago Riverboat Archictectural tour...a chilly one at that!!  But it couldn't rain on our parade.  At this point, Chicago had been so good to us that it could have dumped 4 feet of snow on us & the perma-grins we had on our faces would have remained.  There is only one way to see this city in all of it's glory & that's definitely by riverboat.  Just take a look at these views:







To be quite honest, I almost completely ran out of gas at this point.  I would have been content with ordering room service, but Chris encouraged me to rally back, so that we could enjoy one more dinner in the city.  We didn't venture far though, just down to one of the hotel restaurant's, State & Lake, for a little surf and turf, then up to the rooftop bar for the sights & sounds of Chicago's nightlife.  No one had to sing me to sleep that night, I'll just say that!

Our final morning we headed back to Heaven on Seven for one last heavenly dish & one more heavenly Bloody Mary!  A few last minute shopping opportunities & one Starbucks coffee later, we were getting in the back of our car headed back to O'Hare for the journey home.

Chicago, you kept it "real"...we got to experience everything that this amazing city is known for...from Wrigley Field to the Magnificent Mile to the Chicago River to the crazy, unpredictable weather.  We'll be back again one day.  Thanks for the memories!



To make sure that you guys could experience our vacation along with us every step of the way, I tried to video & tweet as much as possible.  I compiled some "snippets" into a little tour before our video camera died on us during the riverboat tour.  Hope you enjoy...



I'd love to hear from you if you've ever been to Chicago.  Let us know what your favorite thing to do/see there is, because we'll put it on our list for trip #2.

Mendi

Saturday, May 14, 2011

Who's that Lady?

So who is the Avon Lady?? Is she a figment of our imagination from decades past? Does anyone really know?? I do...she lives right next door to me. And she might live in your neighborhood too!


Avon is 125 years old. It was started in 1886 by a man...yes a man. His name was David H. McConnell and when he started this business it was practically unheard of that a woman would own and operate her own business. Look how far we've come since then! 




Celebrating Women - Avon's 125th Year Anniversary




And why am I rambling about Avon? My mom used to be an Avon lady and coming off the heels of Mother's Day I got to thinking about how long ago it was that I first fell in love with cosmetics. My mom joined Avon with a friend back when I was just 2 years old. She wanted to make a little extra money as she was then a stay at home mom and the best part was that she could load me in the car and I could go with her on her routes. She sold Avon until I was about 6 years old so I actually have memories of the entire process. I remember when she would receive the large boxes of merchandise and I loved to sit on the floor and help her fill the bags. As she would call out a product I would try to find it and put it in the correct bag. I had so much fun because it made me feel like a big girl helping my mom. Once we'd get all of the bags ready we would run the "route" - we would drive to all of her regular clients and deliver their Avon to their house. Of course where I grew up, you didn't just drop of the make-up and run, you came inside and had coffee and talked and got to know everyone. I loved it! See, my history around Avon probably sparked my love of make-up and talking. I talk a lot and I'll talk to anyone...I typically don't meet a stranger. I'm my mom's child on this one!:-)


I remember that my mom had this little plastic box of miniature lipstick samples and she would let me play in them and even as a little girl I knew to respect the lipstick. I swatched them and put them on but didn't mishandle them. They were like little babies that needed to be handled with care. I still feel the same way-RESPECT! 




Vintage Salesman Sample Kit Avon Lipstick




Avon started out as door to door sales and then progressed to selling to co-workers and now even to online sales. It's gone global...Avon is in over 100 different countries and is associated with such celebrity names as Jillian Dempsey, Fergie, Reese Whitherspoon and Herve Leger. And they even have Mark, a beauty and fashion boutique, that is geared more towards younger women and is sassy and more cutting edge. They have had beauty spokeswomen such as Lauren Conrad and currently Ashley Greene.






I do buy Avon every so often. I've used their nail polish, lotions, eye liners, lip glosses etc. and  I just recently purchased the Anew Solar Advance Sunscreen face Lotion in SPF 45 and the Anew Clinical Luminosity Pro Brightening Hand Cream with SPF 15. I have heard nothing but great things about the Anew line and can't wait to try them. You might even see these products eventually in a video post.




                                                 
So if you have an Avon lady near you...go ahead and make friends...she won't bite. But she will deliver some quality products for you to enjoy.


"Beauty is about women looking and feeling their best. It’s about championing economic empowerment and improving the lives of women around the world." - taken from the Avon website.


Jayme

Mendi's What's In My Bag?



"What's In My Bag" videos are so popular on YouTube and we just love watching what people carry in their handbags. OK, it sounds like we are nosey and maybe we are...but for some reason it's fun to see what other women tote around on a daily basis. We hope you enjoy and stay tuned for Jayme's video.

Please let us know if there is anything that is a staple in your bag or if there is something kind of off-the-wall that you will admit to carrying around in your bag.  :-)

Thursday, May 12, 2011

Make Your Own Stacks with 20% Off!!

We got such great feedback on our "Stacks of Style" post that we wanted to let you in on a way to start your own  bracelet (or jewelry) collection with 20% OFF at Boutique on Feet. These lovely ladies have a 20% OFF discount on all of their jewelry going on right now! You can find several of the bracelets we recently featured at AWESOME prices.

One of our favorites - the Columbus Circle is on sale for $15.60!!

COLUMBUS CIRCLE

The Columbus Circle is a must-have because it incorporates all of our favorites - gold, silver and rose gold!!

This is a great way to start making your own "Stacks of Style". Please go visit Boutique on Feet for your 20% discount and Happy Shopping!!!

Please let us know what you end up getting!!!

Also, stay tuned...we may have a giveaway soon featuring something special from Boutique on Feet. We'll keep you posted!

Wednesday, May 11, 2011

Stacks of Style

I *might* have a slight obsession with watches & bracelets...only "allegedly" of course.  If you follow Her Late Night Cravings (aka HerLateNightCra on Twitter), then you might have already seen me post some of my daily "stacks", but for those of you who might have missed them, here are some of my faves:

I love this tan leather bracelet with gold oval grommets that I got from Target this year & the good news is that they are available online here, but you can probably find them still in your local store too!

My husband gave me the gold Fossil Maddox Three Hand Champagne Dial Watch as a birthday gift last year & you can still find them online.

The small gold chain link bracelets were purchased at a Francesca's boutique in Charlotte, NC.  I don't see them on their website, but if you have a store in your area, you may be able to still find them.




Again, the Fossil Maddox Three Hand Champagne Dial Watch as seen above.

The black leather & large gold link bracelet is from Target & is available online here, but I have still seen them in white, navy, tan & black in my local store.  These bracelets remind us of something straight from Michael Kors, which we LOVE, but at a fraction of the price.

The thin cognac leather bracelet with gold studs was also purchased at Target.  I don't see them available on Target's website, but you may be able to find them in your local store.  They came in several colors.

Again, one of my gold chain link bracelets from Francesca's.


I received the large silver Fossil boyfriend watch from my husband as a birthday gift two years ago.  Fossil's website doesn't list this watch anymore, but I believe I have seen many of these at Fossil outlets recently.

The single-stranded orange & gray slider bracelets are several years old & I honestly do not remember where I got them.

The triple-stranded yellow & silver bracelet is actually a necklace that I purchased from American Eagle this Spring & I have worn it both as a necklace & as a bracelet.  I also have this in purple & turquoise.  I don't see them on their website, but you may be able to find them in your local store.

The silver chain link bracelet was also a Francesca's find in Charlotte, NC.


You've seen the Fossil watch & Target Tan Leather bracelet above.

This multi-stranded coral & gold bracelet in the middle is also just a necklace that I wrap mutliple times around my wrist.  I got this at American Eagle this Spring & you can still find it on their website here.











I found this navy silicone band watch at our local Francesca's last Fall & it is still available on their website here.

You've already seen the small silver chain link bracelet above.

And the white faux leather wrap bracelet with clear crystal grommets is from my very FAVORITE source for wrist candy, Boutique on Feet.  They still have this Sunnyside bracelet available in black & pink, so be sure to check them out!









This black leather "cuff" bracelet is from Target & was also available in brown.  I don't see them online anymore, but you might be able to still find them in your local store.

The silver Fossil boyfriend watch & the silver chain link bracelet are mentioned above.












Again, the silver Fossil boyfriend watch & the small chain link bracelet are mentioned above.

This adorable pale blue beaded bracelet with one flashy crystal bead is another find from the girls over at Boutique on Feet.  I don't believe this bracelet is still available, but they have MANY other cute bracelets to pick from here.











The gold Fossil watch & the two gold chain link bracelets are mentioned above.

The slider bracelet with brown beads & natural-colored cord are from Boutique on Feet, it's called Coopers Beach & you can still get it here.








OK...I saved my personal favorite combo for last!

This rose gold watch was purchased at a boutique in Charlotte, NC called Handpicked & I love it!  It isn't available on their website, but if you live in the Carolinas or Georgia, you may be able to find it in one of their stores.

The two black crystal bracelets & the one black/rose gold combo bracelet in the center were purchased from a Francesca's boutique in Charlotte, NC.

And last, but certainly not least, probably my MOST favorite bracelet of all time is the Columbus Circle from Boutique on Feet.






It's safe to say that I have a "thing" for any kind of wrist candy.  I'd love to see how you're wearing your watches & bracelets "stacked" this Spring, so please feel free to shoot us a photo at herlatenightcravings@gmail.com or drop us a tweet at HerLateNightCra!!

Mendi
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