Summer in SF, Layered With Uniqlo

What's up, friends?! Man oh man I've been all over the country these last few weeks. SF,  Grand Rapids, South Haven, Detroit, back to South Haven, Cleveland, Cincinnati. This weekend I'm heading out to Yosemite and then back to Detroit, chilling here in NorCal for Labor Day and then flying down to South Carolina! Busy summer!

Honestly though, it's kind of nice because summer in SF is FREEZING. I'm talking thirty degree swings. Seriously, got on the plane in Cincinnati and it was 87. Got off the plane 4 hours later and it was a balmy 57.  I've never had to wear so many layers in August! 

That's what I wanted to talk about today. I got a nice little surprise from Uniqlo in the mail the other day. The AIRism Collection is made out of a really soft technical material that controls your body temperature. That means if you live anywhere but here, it can keep you cool in these dog days of summer. If you happen to be a resident of the great San Francisco, at least we can look cool under all our layers ;)

On another note, do you ever have trouble with your high waisted pant zippers? I always catch my fly down which just does not live up to the cool-classy image I'm trying to curate (ha!). Back when I was in college, someone taught me this great keychain trick. Loop a keychain into the tiny hole at the top of your zipper zip. Zip your pants up like normal, and then loop the middle of the keychain around the button of your pants before you actually button them. Bingo. You can kind of see the keychain in my pics, but it's better than having an I see London, I see France situation on our hands, amirite?

Anyway, hope you guys are having a great summer! I'll catch up with ya on social media!

xox

I did receive free product from UNIQLO while writing this post. All the opinions & text are my own. 

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Lip Jeffree Star Velour Liquid Lipstick in Unicorn Blood / Cardigan American Eagle, similar / Shirt Thrifted Chambray Button Down, similar / Camisole Uniqlo AIRISM Line (c/o) / Denim Madewell Hi-Riser / Flats Madewell Thea Sandal in Black (on sale!) / Photos Jake Heath / Location Tenderloin / Edits Adobe Lightroom and PhotoShop 

Au Naturel: Wood Watches by Jord

For years I've loved to work with wood. I love the way it looks and the way it feels. I love sanding it down, staining it, coating on polyurethane, wax, and even keeping it unfinished. I love thinking about where it came from, and what it can become. I love decorating with it -- just take a look at my "Apartment" tab & you can see for yourself! A couple years ago I bought a set of wooden earrings at the City Flea and literally wore them till they broke. All that is to say, when the opportunity to sport a wooden watch came my way... I pounced. 

This JORD wooden watch is everything I imagined in a wooden timepiece. The craftsmanship and styling is impeccable, even down to the beautiful packaging. My one warning is this: perhaps this fragile wooden watch is more suited for a romp around a park in a red floral dress than a day at the office. I use my hands a lot during the workday - to type, to carry boxes, to hold bags of groceries - and sometimes the clasp of my JORD watch gets unintentionally released. Luckily, my JORD timepiece fits like a glove (yours will too, since they are custom made to your wrist size), and does not fall off. It would be a sad crime to lose this beauty.

Anyway, enjoy these pixelated pictures of my wooden watch. I've been aiming for magic hour photo sessions lately and JUST missing it, every time. As a result I give you pixelated and heavily edited pics at dusk.  & to thank you for putting up with my bad sunset timing, I've included one Easter Egg Picture at the bottom of this post for your giggling pleasure.

xox

Wood Watches by JORD

This was a sponsored product review written by me on behalf of Wood Watches by JORD. All the opinions & text are my own. 

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Photography: Jacob Heath, Nikond3200 35mm and zoom lens / Edits: Adobe Lightroom and Photoshop / Location: Lafayette Park / JORD Wooden Watch (c/o)  / Chic Wish Dress / Sam Edelman Booties

The Easiest Way to Upgrade Your Lingerie

I have the ugliest underwear. I so wish I was kidding. My time and money have always been more tied up in the clothes that people actually see to invest in something as hidden as panties. But, I'm almost 26 years old, and my laundry sometimes stays a few minutes too long in the shared washer in the apartment basement. So when Underclub Co invited me to their Pop Up Event, I decided it might be a good idea to go.

Basically, Underclub is a subscription underwear mail delivery service. It searches the area for the best, most luxurious panties, and sends them to you in the mail once a month in a neat little envelope. You can order for yourself, or gift them to your friends (helllLLooOOO best bachelorette party gift ever!). You even work with a stylist so the underwear you receive are the style and fit you like best. Read a little more about it here.

Slowly but surely, Underclub will reinvent your underwear drawer. It's the easiest way to try new brands, new styles and new fits without taking a single moment out of your day. Plus, in my case, I can walk a little more casually to the washer and dryer when I'm running behind.

As my birthday comes rounding the mountain and I enter my late-mid-twenties, it might be time to invest in some grown up undies. Especially if it is only a click away. p.s. soon-to-be-bachelorettes out there, sorry if I just ruined my gift surprise... 😉

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I received free product while writing this post.
Photography: Nikond3200 35mm / Edits: Adobe Lightroom

New Year's Resolutions: A City Girl's Tip for Healthy Breakfast

How was your New Year?! Oh my gosh I can't believe what a whirlwind 2015 was. Between moving to a brand new city, starting a brand new job, and two eighty minute commutes a day, the months really got away from me. This year my close friend has encouraged me to not focus on one resolution for the whole year, but instead choose a new one each month.

In January, I have two: run at least 40 miles this month and make healthier eating decisions every day. That means I have to say farewell to my daily donuts for breakfast and ice cream for dinner and find a few alternatives. Luckily, right at the end of 2015, I was introduced to Modern Oats.

So what is Modern Oats? It's easy oatmeal. Literally, so easy. They come in the mail in a pack of four or six and run about $3.50 per cup. Cheaper than a breakfast burrito 😉. You can buy them here. Each little cup is a perfect serving size. All you need to do is add hot water, put the top back on, and go about life for three minutes. Then, dig in. 

Things I love about Modern Oats:

• It fits in my purse (I know because I brought 4 back with me from Ohio after Christmas).
• It travels well (see above).
• I can use the hot water spout at my office.
• It's so much healthier than the donuts or breakfast burritos at the cafe downstairs.
• Yum.

Usually, my New Years Resolutions stay strong for about a week. But with products like this, I might actually be able to stick to it.... for January at least. Maybe longer now that I've told you all about it. You can hold me accountable. We'll talk about it later, because my Modern Oats are done & I'm starving. xox

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I received free product while writing this post. 
Photography: Nikon D3200 35mm / Edits: Adobe Lightroom

Introducing: Thread Cincinnati + Clothe Ohio

So this is a really special day. Remember a long time ago, all the way back in the fall, when I told you about an awesome project I was working on with a stylish group of local fashion bloggers? Good things come to those who wait. Today I'd like to introduce you to THREAD Cincinnati.

We are ten fashion blogs (meet us all here) with ten unique styles & ten unique views of the Queen City. Together, we're threading it all together to try to give you comprehensive coverage of the social & fashion scene in Cincy. 

For our debut project we teamed up with Clothe Ohio, Have you heard of them? They follow the Tom's Shoes model, so basically for every awesome Ohio Themed sweatshirt or tshirt sold, they give away another one, partnering with a local charity to clothe an Ohioan in need.

We all met up this past weekend to style our classic tees & take photos. Today, across the web, you can see our ten unique posts. & the best feature of all? We've made threadcincinnati.com an aggregate site that pulls all our feeds into one place. 

I love my Clothe Ohio tee. It combines everything I believe in. I will say, they run prettttty small, even smaller than American Apparel, but that makes them even more stylish.

& last but not least, I told you this was a very special day. THREAD is giving away one Clothe Ohio sweatshirt of your choice! (We love this one), Enter using the rafflecopter below. The contest is open through 3/18  to US residents only. Additional entries for every THREAD gal's instagram you follow ;D 

Annie's outfit details:
Shirt: via Clothe Ohio (2015)
Skirt: Halogen via Nordstrom Rack (2014) (similar)
Booties: via JCrew Factory (2014/15) (on a mega sale today!!)
Trench: via Ann Taylor Loft (2010) (similar)

a Rafflecopter giveaway