Reasons Why I Can't Wait for Spring + JORD Giveaway

Hello, lovelies and welcome back! The past few days in Pittsburgh have been absolutely beautiful! It was well over 70 the other day and I was super bummed I had to spend all day inside. I don't think Spring has officially sprung (especially considering its only 41 this morning), but it's getting pretty darn close. All of this beautiful weather has got my head full of blooming flowers and sunnier days. So, in commemoration of this lovely weather and the approaching springtime, I've decided to put together a list of things I'm most excited for this upcoming season!

This watch was gifted to me by JORD watches for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

5 Reasons Why I Can't Wait Another Minute For Spring:

1. Longer days
I'm 100% that person whose mood changes with the weather. I hate how quickly it gets dark now. I'm just happier when things are bright. I've already started to notice a change, but I'm soo ready for it to be light out until like 9PM. Soon!!

2. Spring cleaning
Okay, this is an odd one to get excited about, but I love getting into everything, purging what I don't need and feeling fresh and clean for the springtime. I honestly feel lighter when I get rid of a bunch of things that just s.i.t. in my apartment. You know that drawer you barely open and just push things around in if you ever do open it? I very strongly dislike that drawer. Spring cleaning gives me an excuse to go through the things I own and figure out what I need and what is just taking up space and weighing me down. Especially with my upcoming move this summer, this year's spring cleaning/purging will be crucial!

3. Spring clothes!!
Floral dresses, floral tops, floral jewelry, floral EVERYTHING. Okay, that might be a bit over the top, but I'm all about the florals (even my bedspread sports pretty burgundy flowers. (**see below pictures) Also, colors. Lots and lots of colors and flowy outfits! Everything light and beautiful is what I want to wear during the springtime. I seriously can't wait to pair all of my spring outfits with my beautiful spring inspired JORD watch! This outfit is just a tease of what is in store for Spring. Pastels, florals, lace and a beautiful light wood accent. This watch is just the right amount of springtime earthiness (definitely not a word but I'm using it anyway) -- light, bright, natural and inviting. It's everything I could want in an accent piece!

4. Outdoor activities
One of the occupational hazards of living in Pittsburgh is the cold weather in the winter. One of the reasons I get so excited for Spring is that I can finally go outside again for the pure reason of wanting to go outside and breath in the fresh air. I love sitting on my porch when it gets nice out and reading a book. Or going for a walk in the park nearby. Or even getting off my butt and going for a run. These are things I can never do in the winter months because it's just too darn cold.

5. Birds chirping
This is another odd one, but I love the sound of birds chirping. Really, I just love the sound of any and all life outside. Winter is so sad because most everyone stays where it's warm, and I miss out on the sounds of life. I love keeping my windows open in the warmer months and waking up to the sounds of birds chirping in the morning. It's my favorite way to wake up! I will definitely be a happier person when I can do this again.

And now time for the giveaway! 

I'm teaming up with JORD to help you ready your wardrobe for the upcoming season. Enter below for your chance to win a $100 gift card to JORD. A winner will be drawn on Sunday, March 5th, so get those entries in soon!

The best part?? Everyone who enters and doesn't win the $100 gift card automatically receives a $25 gift card either way!! What a steal!

Click here to enter!!

Ladies Wooden Watches

XX GIVEAWAY CLOSED XX






What are you excited for this upcoming Spring??

xoxo,

Instagram / Twitter / Facebook / Snapchat: rgolden75 / Bloglovin'

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Valentine's Day Outfit with Sammy Dress

Hello, hello lovelies! I hope you all had an amazing Valentine's Day full love and all things chocolate. I bought myself a bag of Dove dark chocolates and ate the entire bag in two days... #noshame As much of a sucker as I am for all things pink, red and burgundy, I decided to opt out of the typical 'in your face' color scheme. Sometimes, a little pop of color is all your need to stay festive! This outfit was the perfect amount of chic and somehow managed to also look relaxed, laid back and holiday appropriate in the process. Talk about a win-win scenario!

This dress was gifted to me by Sammy Dress for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

This kimono incorporates the floral aspect of Valentine's Day, while still remaining relatively relaxed and overall neutral. 

Current thoughts: "Is that a cat? If so, can I pet the cat??" 

Shop the Look:

Cold Shoulder Dress

You all know by now how much I love Sammy Dress. I've found so many on-trend pieces from this site that I've been able to create multiple outfits with, which is so important for me. For those of you who've been following along with my Instagram Style Party, you know how crucial it is for me to have strong base pieces that I can use to create multiple looks. There's nothing worse than buying a shirt or a dress or what have you and only getting a few wears out of it. I want something I can wear over and over again and still feel the same excitement I had when I put it on in the store.

Now, that's not to say I don't love my fair share of completely unique pieces, but finding wardrobe additions that can last the test of time is my fundamental goal.

On top of being a great stand alone outfit, this elegant yet simple dress is a beautiful layering piece. Not only does it look great with this kimono, but I can also see it looking great with a leather jacket or a cute relaxed cardigan. And the simple round neck collar allows you to get creative and play around with different jewelry--my favorite!

**an actual view of how I look at my lovely best friend & boyfriend

Since we are talking about Valentine's Day and love, I just wanted to give a shoutout to my amazing boyfriend, Mason, who took these picture of me. He has been so unbelievably supportive and this blog would not be possible without him. He's the best Valentine I could ask for. :)  

If you like what you see, be sure to check out Sammy Dress!

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xoxo,

Instagram / Twitter / Facebook / Snapchat: rgolden75 / Bloglovin'

3 Perfect Valentine's Day Inspired Hairstyles

Hello & welcome back friends! I hope you are having a fabulous February and enjoying the Instagram Style Party! I am excited to share with you a few of my favorite Valentine’s Day inspired hairstyles. For those of you who don’t know, I’ve been collaborating with Remington and their blog, Remington Ready, for a while now (see here, here and here) to bring readers different hairstyles to try out. Today, I am bringing a hairstyle tutorial post straight to Rachel Lynn and showing you a few of my favorite Valentine’s Day inspired hairstyles to do with a headwrap.

Whenever I think of headwraps or headbands, my mind immediately goes to the queen of all hair accessories, Blair Waldorf. That girl seriously knew how to pull off anything. If I’m being honest, sometimes I can get into this mindset where I convince myself I can’t wear a headband. I’ll go weeks without one and then one day I’ll decide to be a little adventurous, get up the courage to wear one and I find it adds so much to my style. Headbands and headwraps are the perfect accessory to take your hairstyle to the next level.

This post has been sponsored by Remington Products for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions expressed are my own. 

Style 1:

This first style is by far my favorite. I’m honestly not sure why I’m drawn to this particular style so much, but there’s just something about the simplicity of it, paired with the pop of the headband that I love.

For this style, I will be using a headwrap. You can use a headband if you like, but I’ve found that the wrap adds stability to the look. Personally, I find them easier to style.

Start by curling your hair in loose waves. You can also create this look with straight hair, but curled hair gives it a more romantic feel. I used my Remington TStudio Thermaluxe Curling Wand to create this look. Then, position your headwrap over your hair and a little further back. You want to give some space for the front section of hair. Slowly take all of your hair out from under the wrap (as your normally would) except for a front section of hair. This front section of hair can be as large or as small as you’d like!

Take that front section over the headwrap and to the side, pinning it down towards the back. You can use a bobby pin if you’d like, but if you’re wearing this style on a date, I would recommend dressing it up with a pretty barrette or clip. And there you have it! I like the looser look, so I usually pull my hair out a bit from the pin. This style is subtle, but it does an excellent job framing your face and the hairwrap gives beautiful dimension to an otherwise simple look!

Shop the Look:

black zig/zag leather headwrap

Style 2:

This second style piggybacks off of the first one. Starting where we left off, take your hair and position it in a low ponytail.  Then, wrap a strand of hair around the hair tie. Whenever I’m going out and wearing a ponytail, I like to wrap my hair around the hair tie. This gives the look a more elegant, pulled together feel.  Now you have a look that still gives dimension to your hair, but is more laid back for those casual Valentine’s Day dates!

Shop the Look:

black zig/zag leather headwrap

Style 3:

What I love most about headbands and headwraps is that they elevate a simple, everyday hairstyle into something chic and new. This next style gives the typical curled hair a cute, “girl next door” feel. If you’re constantly curling your hair and want to do something different with it without having a ton of time to create a complex look, this style is for you. Simply curl your hair and add a headband! I used a darling maroon headwrap to keep with the Valentine's Day theme without being too loud. God knows Blair rocked this style time and time again on Gossip Girl and there's no reason why you can't, too. Chic, simple, elevated, elegant. 

 

Shop the Look:

braided infinity knot headwrap

What are some of your favorite hairstyles??

xoxo,

Instagram / Twitter / Facebook / Snapchat: rgolden75 / Bloglovin'

January Favorites

Hello, friends! I hope you are all enjoying the February Instagram Style Party. I'm already so pleased and amazed with the feedback. I love seeing all of your outfits and how you're taking on the prompts! Be sure to follow me on Instagram for inspiration & use the hashtag #stylepartyfebruary to share your own inspiration! As hopeful and as ready as I am for this month, there are still a lot of things I discovered in January that I am ready to share with you!

1. A SERIES OF UNFORTUNATE EVENTS
Wow, fam. Just wow. I read this book series religiously as a small child. I even started reading them to my little sister (when I was still a small child myself) because I wanted an excuse to read them again. (I was very dissapointed when she wasn't as excited about the series as I.) For those of you who aren't familiar with the series, it's about three orphans whose parents have recently perished in a fire. (Or at least that's what you're told) The series follows the orphans from guardian to guardian, and misfortune to misfortune. They're also followed by the evil Count Olaf, a local actor who uses disguises to insert himself into the children's lives at every step of their journey with the ultimate goal of stealing their fortune.

There was something about the children working against all odds and always coming out on top that I loved! (Even if they went straight into another unfortunate situation.) I absolutely loved the underground society aspect of the series. Such a mystery. The movie was definitely a let down, but the Netflix series is ON POINT. Neil Patrick Harris is phenomenal and his take on the series is seriously spot on.

At first I honestly wasn't about it. I didn't understand what they were trying to do and was thrown off by the caricature aspect of it, but after a few episodes I was absolutely about it ! I love how they created a world that was almost real and slightly cartoonish. And there are so many references hidden in each episode. I absolutely LOVED when Count Olaf (played by NPH) messed up a quintessential theatre tongue twister. It was so small and unimportant, but the theatre nerd in me was obsessed with that moment.

The series perfectly found a way to stay true to the original intent of the children books, while also appealing to the adult audience, now watching, who grew up reading the series. It is seriously the best & I can't wait for the next season! If you read these books as a small child, or just want to see an AMAZING Netflix series, you should 100% check this out.

Ironic, considered NPH is known for his long-term television roles! 

2. PINK STATIONARY
Or really just any stationary in general. I can't get enough of it. I don't know why, but I feel so motivated when I write in all of my pretty stationary. And I can definitely say I'm more organized with all of my agenda's and notebooks surrounding me with inspiration and tasks to complete. TJMaxx always has the best stationary & for hella cheap, too! I constantly find myself in their stationary section looking for new things that I definitely don't need. #oops

3. PARKS AND REC
When I was home for Christmas, I started watching Parks and Rec on a whim one night to introduce my family to a new tv show I thought they would like to watch. I had honestly never seen all of the series--only bits and pieces. After watching a few of the first episodes, I realized I was missing out on a lot. I watched this series all January long. I'm actually watching it right now. I have 5 episodes left and I'm actually really sad it's almost over. Leslie Knope is my spirit animal & Andy is absolutely hilarious!

In a short summary, P&R follows Leslie Knope, a loyal public servant who works in the Parks and Recreation department, throughout her daily life. She's fiercely passionate about everything she does, but this passion often gets her in trouble. If you liked the Office, and strong female characters, you'll love this show!

4. JUICY COUTURE - VIVA LA JUICY
This perfume is perfect for any time of the year! It's light enough for the summertime, but still sophisticated for the winter months. TJMaxx is almost always selling this, so no need to pay full price! It also has the cutest packaging. I'm such a bow girl, so I knew it was meant to be when I saw it. 10/10 would recommend!


5. ED SHEERAN
Ed Sheeran released two songs from his new album (dropping in March) - Castle on the Hill and Shape of You. I've been listening to him on Spotify on repeat lately. I forgot how amazing he is! I'm officially obsessed and need to see him in concert on this next tour. Just listen to these amazing songs and you'll understand why!

6. CHROMECAST
This invention is the best thing ever. That might be a slight exaggeration, but it's still 100% worth your investment of like $35 (what a steal!!). I love that I can play Spotify on my tv while I'm blogging. It's been such a game changer and helps to get me into the blogging mindset. It was very easy to set up and I can cast everything I want to watch or listen to from my phone! If you follow me on Snapchat (rgolden75) or have seen my Instastories, I'm constantly snapping songs while they play through my chromecast. & even better, now I can watch all of the Parks and Rec or Series of Unfortunate Events to my heart desires and I don't have to worry about splitting my computer screen or stopping work to do it!


7. ISSUES BY JULIA MICHAELS
This song is absolutely phenomenal. Julia's voice is so beautiful and the song is hella catchy! Just listen, you'll be hooked!

What are you obsessing over lately??

xoxo,

Instagram / Twitter / Facebook / Snapchat: rgolden75 / Bloglovin'