Friday's Fancies: Express Yourself

In the spirit of this week's Friday's Fancies theme of dressing in something that's "so you", we've put together an outfit that gives you an insight into each of our individual styles. While we're the best of friends who have so much in common and could swap wardrobes just about any given day of the week, we also embrace the ways in which we're different... Mendi leans a little more classic (hello, this girl loves a stripe) and Jayme leans a little more edgy (gold high top sneakers? oh yea). It's awesome to have your own unique style and to know what works best for you. We can't wait to see what the rest of the Friday's Fancies gang has come up with for today!!

Express Yourself by herlatenightcravings

Mendi:
1 J.Crew Sailor Tee Engineered Stripe  //  2 Paige Verdugo Ultra Skinny Jeans  //  3 Tory Burch 797 Large Satchel  //  4 Rag & Bone Harrow Black Leather Boots

Jayme:
1 All Saints Warp Sweater  //  2 J Brand Super Skinny Roxbury Jeans  //  3 Balenciaga Classic Hip Suede Shoulder Bag  //  4 Michael Kors Studded High Top Sneakers

And PS ~ If you'd like to join in on future Friday's Fancies, hop on over to Long Distance Loving and sign up to receive {av}'s weekly e-mails for themes in advance, so that you can make your own Polyvore inspiration board. It's so much fun and a great way to meet new bloggers!

Introducing Bird Ave. Studios & 25% Discount Code

We are so excited to talk to you about an awesome company called Bird Ave. Studio. We first heard about Bird Ave. through a local Richmond blogger, Julia at Pawley's Island Posh, and we are so glad that we did! This company has the most amazing prints that showcase colleges, city skylines, sports arenas/stadiums and more. And let us just tell you that these make the best gifts! Know a sports enthusiast, but don't  know what to get him or her? Got college pride? Does a particular city hold a special place in your heart? Then this is the art for you!

Jayme has already purchased 4 of these prints, so we know what we're talking about here!

Purchased this for my husband, as we love the New Orleans Saints and we are going down to NOLA next month to celebrate Wes's 30th birthday. Having this print framed in our house will always make us think of that special trip.

Ordered this one in orange because this was the view we had every day when we woke up at our resort when we got married in PV. This is such a special one for us! And the best part is that the lovely folks at Bird Ave. helped me with this one. It was a custom order! They can help you too!

Ordered this one in navy as a gift for Mendi's husband so that he won't ever forget his birthday trip to San Fran this past September.

These prints come in three sizes: 8.5 x 11, 11 x 14 and 16 x 20 and they also come in an array of colors. Just see below:

The 8.5 x 11 print is made to fit the ever popular IKEA Ribba frame to make it easy. But it also fits any standard 8.5 x 11 frame.

We must say that another reason why we love Bird Ave. is because of their impeccable customer service. They have been the nicest company to work with and really treat you like you are special. They are so quick to respond to your questions...we just can't say enough good things about our experiences.

The best part is that they are offering a 25% DISCOUNT until December 2nd with the code THANKS so go and order now! This is the time to order your holiday gifts for your friends and family and even for yourself!

Disclaimer: We were not asked to do this post nor were we compensated in any way. We just really believe in this company and wanted to share it with all of our awesome readers!

Please let us know if you have ever ordered from Bird Ave. or if you are planning to now. 

4 or More TAG and Tarte Giveaway Winner

This was such a fun TAG to do! ItsKeerstin from YouTube started this one (you can see her video here) and we were so glad that Ashley from makeupTIA tagged us to join in on the fun! After we filmed the video, our sweet friend Kassie from ShadesofKassie also tagged us! Thank you ladies...y'all are the best!!

If you guys don't subscribe to their channels, we definitely suggest you check them out! We'd love to hear what products you have 4 or more of in your beauty arsenal, so drop us a comment.

We're also excited to announce the winner of our Giving Thanks Giveaway...drumroll please...

CONGRATS to Sarah from Total Basset Case!! We know that you'll love this Tarte 'The Big Thrill' Limited Edition Color Collection set! (We're so jealous!!)

Holiday Gift Guide - For Him

Holiday Gift Guide for Him by herlatenightcravings

1 Fossil Nate Stainless Steel and Leather Watch = $145  //  2 The North Face 'Mt Tam' Mock Neck Sweater = $120  //  3 The Art of Shaving Travel Kit = $85  //  4 Otterbox iPhone Defender Series Case = $50  //  5 Leatherman OHT MultiTool = $70  //  6 NFL Shop Men's New Era Structured Fitted Hat = $35  //  7 Dolce & Gabbana 'Light Blue' Pour Homme Eau de Toilette Duo = $85  //  8 Homeland The Complete First Series DVD = $55  //  9 Jack Black Clean Cool Body Basics = $56  //  10 CB2 Whiskey Stones = $20

No Mirror Makeup Challenge!

We hope you enjoyed watching because this was so much fun to film. Good thing we didn't embarrass ourselves too much! Hope you guys had a great Thanksgiving weekend!

And PS, don't forget to enter our Giving Thanks Giveaway for a chance to win this awesome Tarte 'The Big Thrill' Limited Edition Color Collection.

Good luck!!

Black Friday Haul!

I'd love to hear if you went Black Friday shopping...hope you scored some great deals if you did!

Thanks for watching!

Mendi

Friday's Fancies: Black Friday Fabulous

Everybody knows that the most important thing to wear on Black Friday is comfy shoes, but no one ever said that those shoes can't have shiny rose gold cap toes. Whether you were waiting for stores to open at midnight or you are cozied up on your sofa shopping online, we hope that you find the best deals today...and don't forget to snag a little "treat yo'self" treat! We hope you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving and that you're enjoying the remainder of the long holiday weekend with your loved ones.

You Look Really Good by herlatenightcravings

1 SEA NY Leopard Print Sweater  //  2 Dorothy Perkins Premium Black Superskinny Jeans  //  3 Jeffrey Campbell Zorro Cap Toe Boot  //  4 Simply Vera Vera Wang Gold Tone Simulated Crystal Pyramid Stud Earrings  //  5 Rebecca Minkoff M.A.C. Clutch in Rose Gold  //  6 Follie Follie Match & Dazzle Ring

And PS ~ If you'd like to join in on future Friday's Fancies, hop on over to Long Distance Loving and sign up to receive {av}'s weekly e-mails for themes in advance, so that you can make your own Polyvore inspiration board. It's so much fun and a great way to meet new bloggers!

Happy Thanksgiving!

via

We are off celebrating Thanksgiving with our families but wanted to take a minute to wish you all a very Happy Thanksgiving. We appreciate each and everyone of you!

Jayme's Beauty Haul (Ulta & Sephora)

Ulta Items Purchased

Revlon Lip Butter in Red Velvet 

China Glaze Nail Polishes in Glitter All The Way, Champagne Kisses and Ray-Diant

Sephora VIB Items Purchased with 20% Off

Sephora Collection Supreme Cleansing Oil

Fresh Sugar Berry Merriment Set 

Buxom Time to Shine Mini Lip Gloss Collection

I was so excited to start my holiday shopping with my 20% off at Sephora (through EBates - can't believe I forgot to mention that in my video!) during their recent VIB sale and you know me, I had to pick up a few things for myself too. I just wish I had gotten a few more of those fabulous gift sets! Sephora still has the Fresh Sugar Berry Merriment Set mentioned in the video for purchase on their site if you are interested. This makes for a fabulous gift! The Buxom Time to Shine Mini Lip Gloss Collection is currently sold out online, but hopefully they still have some in stores.

Ebates: I have started to go through Ebates for my online shopping. Guys, you can earn cash back while doing your regular shopping! It's awesome and so easy. If you are interested in signing up so you can earn a little or a lot of cash back on all of your holiday purchases, just click on this link. Who doesn't love getting cash back?? And with Black Friday & Cyber Monday coming...oh man, you have to sign up!

And PS, don't forget to enter our Giving Thanks Giveaway for a chance to win this awesome Tarte 'The Big Thrill' Limited Edition Color Collection.

Good luck!!

Holiday Gift Guide - For Her

Holiday Gift Guide for Her by herlatenightcravings

1 Tarte Carried Away Collector's Set $54  //  2 Caslon Patterned Crewneck $59  //  3  Young House Love by Sherry & John Petersik (our fellow Richmond'ers) $25.95  //  4 Nate Berkus 5 x 7 Black Ecru Bone Picture Frame $30  //  5 Fresh Spa Escape Gift Set $50  //  6 Benefit Cosmetics Sexy Little Stowaways $34  //  7 Kate Spade New York Big Apple Fingerless Gloves $78  //  8 Rebecca Minkoff Python iPhone Case $48  //  9 Steve Madden BScooter $108  //  10 Tory Burch Square Logo Stud Earring $68

And PS, don't forget to enter our Giving Thanks Giveaway for a chance to win this awesome Tarte 'The Big Thrill' Limited Edition Color Collection.

Good luck!!

November Birchbox Unboxing!

To sign up to receive this monthly box of beauty goodies, just click here. If you already receive Birchbox, drop us a comment to let us know what you received!

And PS, don't forget to enter our Giving Thanks Giveaway for a chance to win this awesome Tarte 'The Big Thrill' Limited Edition Color Collection.

Good luck!!

Giving Thanks Giveaway!! - **CLOSED**

To show how appreciative we are to all of you for your support and friendship, we want to say "THANKS" by offering up this amazing Tarte 'The Big Thrill' Limited Edition Color Collection set to one lucky follower. To enter, just follow all of the Rafflecopter prompts below. Good luck!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Friday's Fancies: Hot Spiced Cider

For the "Treat Time: Autumn Faves" theme of this week's Friday's Fancies, we thought we'd share a little something to warm you up...from the inside out. Nothing screams fall more than a hot spiced cider and if you're over 21, then we completely endorse making it into a yummy adult beverage for the perfect start to your weekend. As for the outfit we put together, we paired some budget friendly options (the shirt, jeans and jacket) with a few bank breakers (the earrings, bag and shoes...hello Mr Louboutin), but {av} never told us that we had to be reasonable when making our fashion picks.  ;)

Hot Spiced Cider by herlatenightcravings

Cream Utility Shirt  //  Bailey Dark Red Ultra Stretch Superskinny Jean  //  Jou Jou Faux Leather Moto Jacket  //  Kenneth Jay Lane Teardrop Earrings  //  Rebecca Minkoff Mini M.A.C.  //  Christian Louboutin Rock and Gold Metallic Leather Ankle Boots
Recipe and Photo Credit

And PS ~ If you'd like to join in on future Friday's Fancies, hop on over to Long Distance Loving and sign up to receive {av}'s weekly e-mails for themes in advance, so that you can make your own Polyvore inspiration board. It's so much fun and a great way to meet new bloggers!

Jayme's Fall Target Haul

Items Purchased:

Mossimo Vianca Metallic & Leopard Print Loafer (Don't see these online any longer, but that doesn't mean that they aren't still in the stores)
Feather Scarf - no brand listed (not found online)
Mossimo Waffle Neck Warmer in Red (only sold in stores)
Mossimo V-Neck Pullover in Black

Xhilaration Faux Leather Jacket in Bordeaux (Don't see this online either, but again go and check your store)

So sorry that most of this stuff can't be found online but if you are interested, please go and check your Target stores. I'm loving everything so far but the faux leather jacket is definitely my fave! It's the perfect color and it was the perfect price.

What have you guys been hauling for fall? Thanks for watching!

November POTM

We love bringing you guys our Polish Of The Month posts. It's always so much fun showcasing a special polish or polishes (because sometimes two is better than one) every single month. There are just so many awesome polishes out there that they really do deserve their own post! So without further adieu, we bring you...

November Polish Of The Month

Jayme's Pick - OPI's The World Is Not Enough (Skyfall Collection)

This polish is so hard to describe but it's absolutely gorgeous and perfect for the upcoming holiday season.  It's a silvery-taupe and is loaded with pink shimmer. It's a must have in your collection if you love shimmery polishes like I do. I only used two coats but you really need three for total opaqueness. 

Mendi's Pick - China Glaze's United (BCA 2012 Collection)

This amazingly gorgeous glitter polish is fully opaque with two coats and is the perfect rosy mauve shade for fall. It might be a nightmare to remove, but it'll be well worth it! I'm in love with this shade!!

Now it's your turn! Drop us a comment to let us know what polish(es) have taken over your digits and piggies this month!

October Empties

Products Mentioned:

Jennifer Aniston Perfume

St. Tropez Everyday Body Moisturizer in Light/Medium
Merle Norman Luxiva Dual Action Eye Makeup Remover
Tresemme Nourishing Rituals Liquid Gold Shine Therapy
Vita Fusion Energy B12 Gummy Vitamins
UD Urban Defense Tinted Moisturizer SPF 20 in Halo

Philosophy Shower for the Cure Shampoo, Bath & Shower Gel

Philosophy Hope in a Jar Moisturizer

Thermafuse Thermacare Leave-In Condition

Amazing Cosmetics Anti-Aging Face Primer

Avon Ideal Shade Custom Shade Foundation Lotion in Medium
Lorac Behind the Scenes Eye Primer
Bath & Body Works Lotion in Coconut Vanilla
Farmstand Apple Candle from Bath & Body Works
Pumpkin Carving Candle from Bath & Body Works

Stila Eyeshadow in Wheat

Drop us a comment to let us know what products you've finished up recently and whether or not you'd buy 'em again!

Thanks for watching!

A Weekend Craving: Italian Sausage Soup

Are you ready to start drooling?? Go ahead, may the drooling commence, because I have the yummiest soup recipe to share with you guys today. Mmm, mmm, mmm, I can barely even write about it without wanting to smack my lips!

Last weekend I knew that I was in the mood for a good soul-warming soup, so I hopped on myrecipes.com and found this little gem thanks to the folks over at Cooking Light. Oh, I forgot to mention that this soup is also a healthier option?? Double score. Speaking of double, I doubled up the original recipe because I wanted to have lots of leftovers. If you're feeding more than four people, or if you want to get a couple of meals out of this, I'd recommend that you do the same, so that's how I have it listed below.

Here's what you need:

16oz  hot or sweet turkey Italian sausage (I went with hot, but didn't actually find it all that spicy)

4 cups fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth

two 14.5oz cans of diced tomatoes with basil, garlic & oregano

1 cup uncooked small shell pasta (I used sea shells)

2 cups bagged baby spinach leaves (can use more if you'd like)

2 tablespoons grated fresh Parmesan or Romano cheese (I went with Romano)

2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil

Here's what you do:

Heat a large saucepan over medium heat. Remove casings from sausage. Add sausage to pan, and cook about ten minutes or until browned, stirring to crumble. Drain and then return to pan.

Add broth, tomatoes and pasta to pan and bring to a boil over high heat. Cover, reduce heat and simmer 10 minutes or until pasta is done. Remove from heat and stir in spinach until wilted.

Sprinkle each serving with cheese and basil.

ENJOY!

Mendi

Friday's Fancies: Fireside Fabulous

When we think of bonfires, we think of college football traditions, hanging out with friends at the beach and to be quite honest, Jacob Black and his Quileute ancestors (maybe we have next week's premiere of Breaking Dawn: Part 2 on the brain), but this week, {av} made us stop and consider what we'd wear to a bonfire. We love this look...makeup and all. It's simple, cozy and warm. Now we just need an invitation to attend a bonfire.

Fireside Fabulous by herlatenightcravings

1 Topshop Tall Fur-Lined Parka Jacket  //  2 Topshop Nude Two Tone Zig-Zag Beanie  //  3 J.Crew Cambridge Cable Turtleneck Sweater  //  4 Hollister Co Super Skinny Jeans  //  5 Minnetonka Fringe Handbag  //  6 Michael Kors Lara Platform Bootie  //  7 NARS Nail Polish in Versailles  //  8 Bobbi Brown Rich Caviar Eye Shadow Palette in Neutral  //  9 Hourglass Extreme Sheen Lip Gloss in Child  //  bonfire image photo credit

And PS ~ If you'd like to join in on future Friday's Fancies, hop on over to Long Distance Loving and sign up to receive {av}'s weekly e-mails for themes in advance, so that you can make your own Polyvore inspiration board. It's so much fun and a great way to meet new bloggers!

October Rediscovered Loves!

Products Mentioned:

MAC Paint Pot in Morning Frost
Suave Keratin Infusion Dry Shampoo
Clinique Black Honey Lip Duo
Clinique Black Honey Shimmering Tones Powder
L'Oreal leGloss in Saucy Mauve
Fresh Sugar Lip Treatment in Plum
Urban Decay Matte Eyeshadow in Naked
Laura Geller Spackle Tinted Under-Makeup Primer in Champagne

What have you guys "rediscovered" lately? Leave us a comment and let us know!

Thanks for watching!

I ♥ Drugstore Makeup TAG!

Questions:
1. What is your favorite drugstore makeup brand?
2. What are your favorite face, cheek and lip products?
3. Least favorite product?
4. What is the best makeup bargain?
5. What is your favorite underdog product? (Something you love that often gets overlooked?)
6. A drugstore product that is overpriced?
7. Show your best drugstore dupe(s)!!
8. Drugstore product that isn't worth the hype?

Thanks again to the fabulous Kassie of Shades of Kassie for tagging us! We had so much fun with this TAG. If you haven't met her yet, then you must go subscribe to her channel right away! You won't be disappointed!

We'd love for you guys to participate in the TAG as well, so please let us know if you post a video on YouTube or if you write a post on your blog. Otherwise we'd love for you to answer some of the questions in the comments section below.

Thanks for watching!

October Favorites!

Mentioned:

Bath & Body Works Honey Autumn Apple Body Scrub & Triple Moisture Cream
Benefit High Beam (thanks again to Crystal at Miss Crystal Makeup and Stacie at Makeup Obsessed Mom)
Bath & Body Works White Barn Mini Candles in Snowed In & Mahogany Teakwood

Urban Decay 24/7 Concealer Pencil in FBI

Sigma Brush F70 - Concealer
L'Oreal Extra Intense Liquid Eyeliner Pencil in Brown
Revlon Colorstay Liquid Eye Pen in Blackened Brown
Ojon Full Detox Rub Out Dry Cleansing Spray
L'Oreal Colour Riche leGloss in The Temptress Shine

MAC Cusp of Dawn Lipstick

MAC Plushglass in Nice Buzz & Wet Wild Wonderful

Skintimate Moisturizing Shave Gel in Strawberry Tangerine Twist
Garnier Fructis Triple Nutrition 3-Minute Undo Dryness Reversal Treatment 

If you guys don't know Crystal and Stacie, please go and check out their blogs. They make wonderful YouTube videos too!

Drop us a comment and let us know what you were loving for the month of October! Thanks for watching!!

Friday's Fancies: Cabin Fever

We like to imagine that this week's Friday's Fancies theme of "Sweater Season" whisked us away to a cabin in the mountains for a cozy weekend holed up with our husbands and the great outdoors. While in all honesty the real life version of us would likely be sporting basic sweatpants and a baseball cap, here in the land of Friday's Fancies we can pretend that we'd be donning this chic ensemble instead. Now this outfit has us bummed that not only do we not own it, but that we're not bound for a cabin getaway this weekend.

Cabin Fever by herlatenightcravings

1 San Diego Hat Company Wide Brim Fedora  //  2 Modcloth Trend Sweater Cardigan  //  3 Madewell Perfect Chambray Ex-Boyfriend Shirt  //  4 Kate Spade Cheetah Belt  //  5 ELLE Solid Ponte Leggings  //  6 Marc by Marc Jacobs Merit Novelty Hobo  //  7 Splendid Long Beach Booties

And PS ~ If you'd like to join in on future Friday's Fancies, hop on over to Long Distance Loving and sign up to receive {av}'s weekly e-mails for themes in advance, so that you can make your own Polyvore inspiration board. It's so much fun and a great way to meet new bloggers!