Hair and other Things

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Happy weekend! The week has been a bitter cold one to say the least. These frigid temps are making my ten minute walk to class unbearable. I'm ready to forget the winter coat and break out pretty spring blouses, you know? But I am mostly ready for spring hair and makeup. When I'm not wearing hats and my skin isn't extra dry. If you follow me on Instagram, you might have seen I am sporting a new 'do.  I was in need of a fresh look and cut off a few inches. My stylist used this product and I am obsessed and must get myself a bottle. It works as a dry shampoo to absorb oil and it smells a bit tea tree which I love. Remember last year when I went real short? It was actually my favorite hair cut! I just might go back to it….thoughts? I will be spending my weekend showering my niece with hugs and kisses and snapping one month old photos. Can't wait. What are you up to?

Roundup: Red Lacquer Decor

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I'm trying out a new blog series today. The other night blog posts ideas were popping in my head like crazy so I have some new posts coming your way I hope you enjoy. Sometimes when I come up with a new post idea I think I need to create an entire series around it…but then never do for some reason or another. Sometimes I don't like the series anymore, or I just don't have any good ideas. Let me know in the comments if you like this new roundup post :)

In ode to the upcoming holiday, I thought I'd put together a little roundup for y'all with none other than the color red. After seeing this red lacquer desk styled by Claudia Stephenson of Peep My Style in this month's issue of Adore Magazine, my heart filled with joy. I popped over to Claudia's blog and boy, her entire site is overflowing with whimsical, colorful fun just as expected. It's as if anything she touches gets a cuter times 10. You need to go check her out.

 Red is bold, sexy, and dramatic -- just the way I like it. A lithe dose goes a long way in the home, so here are some of my favorite red lacquer accessories that will spice up your home.

Mirror / Coffee Table / Bamboo Chair / Jonathan Adler Desk / Box 

Castle

How was your weekend? Did you watch the big game? I was a little disappointed the game was such a blowout. On the news this morning I heard an interview with Peyton Manning where the interviewer asked if he was embarrassed about the game, and Peyton responded it was an insult to call it an embarrassment and that they worked hard to get to the Super Bowl. Not to go all sports talk on you guys (obviously that's not why you visited today ;), but I thought it was fantastic how Peyton looked at it after a loss. Anyway, on to the fun stuff. I have said it a million times on here that I love bedding. There is nothing like crisp, clean linens. Earlier I came across the bedding line Castle, which is based out of Australia. Their bright colors and whimsical prints instantly brightened my day, and who wouldn't want that? They even have velvet cushions which might be my favorite part. Which print would you choose?

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What I Wish I Bought in January

I cannot believe a whole month has already gone by in the new year! Usually I do a blog post haul sharing the items I purchased throughout the month, but I am kind of in no-spend mode so this month's haul only includes a set of midi rings. Not super exciting, but I love them.  I do however, have a few things on my wish list that I wish I bought in January.

Sally and Molly of A Piece of Toast had the best things to say about this Aveda Moisturizer and they have pretty great skin, so I am in dire need of trying it. One scroll on Pinterest and you probably saw these Sam Edelman sneakers at least once. Just like the rest of the world, I am completely obsessed with slip on sneakers. I love trying new makeup and this Ambient Lighting Powder claims to make your skin look flawless. So many great outfit possibilities with these Hunter Boots.  I need to buy less pink things for my apartment but this Pink Stool is so cute. I'm getting excited for spring fashion and these Stud Flats.

After a great chat about all things blogging, networking, etc. with Katelyn, I finally bought my ticket to Go Blog Social!! It's a blogging and social media conference in Kansas City on April 4th and 5th with  speakers coming from all across the US. I'm so excited to learn lots and meet bloggers -- let me know if you are going too! :)

Have a great weekend! Go Broncos!

One Year Blog Anniversary + Giveaway

I can't hardly believe it. I have been blogging for one whole year! Whoa. In a way I feel like it's been a lot longer than that, but on the other hand, that year flew by. This time last year I finally built up enough courage and nerve to publish my first blog post. I toyed around with the idea of blogging near the start of the new year. It seemed like the perfect time to do something different. I played around with my site for a while, and tried to come up with clever and creative names that fit me before I settled on A Hammer & Heels. Turns out starting a blog is the best thing I have done!

I won't link back to my very first post to save you and myself the embarrassment. If you are curious, you can go check them out yourself. It's kind of funny going back and reading old posts, so I usually don't do it. Part of it is because I'm embarrassed at my photography skills and lack of visual appeal back then. The visuals I created were horrific. How did I think that looked good? Although, I'm sure almost every blogger feels that way when they look back at their first few posts. Somehow my very first post is still one of my most popular.

Anywho, to help celebrate this monumental moment, I put together a little giveaway for you. I am a huge fan of rugs and believe they completely transform a space. So AreaRugs.com, as its name implies, is the place to choose from a huge variety of rugs, is offering an exclusive giveaway plus a coupon code for all. Everyone wins! Enter to win a $100 gift card to anything at AreaRugs.com. The giveaway ends February 7th so be sure to enter right away!

In the mean time, you can start shopping and receive 10% off your order with the coupon code HAMMER.

Thank you for reading!! This blog exists and I continue blogging because of you guys, so please leave comments and tell me what you like, what you don't like, what you want to see more, etc.


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Style to Steal: Wallpaper in Bathrooms

You all know I love me some wallpaper. I can't get enough of it, really. There are so many fun prints and colors that just make me happy, but I will admit, sometimes wallpaper is too busy. Too bright, too obnoxious, too much to look at all the time. That doesn't mean I don't like it, I just wouldn't want to look at it for 8 hours every day. You know what I mean? It goes with the saying, everything in moderation. Ice cream is one of my favorite desserts, but I certainly don't eat it every day (although I probably would if I was 10 years old again.)

That's the beauty of putting wallpaper in bathrooms. It's a small enough space so it does not cost fortunes, and it's separate from the house so you aren't looking at it for hours on end. Imagine wallpapering the biggest wall in your living room. That would be overwhelming for me and guests, and I would probably tire of it much more quickly. 

Let's look at some inspiration shall we...

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Recreate Lindsey Coral Harper's NYC Apartment

The other day I was browsing the House Beautiful website because 1. it's loaded with inspiration photos and 2. Bailey said the latest issue was sooo good. Boy, was she right. I mean, take a look at the photos above. Just wow. Interior designer Lindsey Coral Harper's NYC apartment was featured in House Beautiful and Elle Decor recently and she pretty much knocked my socks off with her beautifully curated pieces and bright colors mixed with lots of patterns. A home like this takes patience and time to gather the amount of unique, statement pieces she has sitting atop her dresser, let alone the rest of the house. I love a home that is perfectly layered with meaningful tidbits that tell a story. A story besides, "I picked this up at CB2 last week because I needed something to fill my shelf." Don't get me wrong, I love CB2 (and am definitely guilty of the prior statement), but a home filled with items that I can't automatically identify where they are from is special. I loved Lindsey's living room so much that I recreated it with affordable pieces so you can get the look yourself! But the beautiful accessories, that is up to you :)


Velvet Sofa | Lamps | Pillows | Zebra Rug | Coffee Table | Trunk | Side Table | Topiary | Ceramic Zebra