Twee Valley High

Showing posts with label Instagram. Show all posts

My 28th Birthday

I have one of those holiday birthdays that occasionally lands on Thanksgiving. This year, it fell the day after. My mom and grandma took the time to come from Texas to NYC. I threw a small gathering early in the month, which involved massive amounts of doughnuts. I celebrated the week of with fancy food and family time. It was a blissful birthday month! Here are some Instagram snaps from the festivities. Hard to believe I'm twenty-eight years old..time is flying by in NYC!

Instagram Contest: Help Me Find a Job and Win a Vintage Care Package! [Closed]

I'm hosting a very unique Instagram contest!

I'm trying to find creative ways to get my name out there as I navigate a job search. This might seem out of the box but it's worth a try! It combines two of my favorite things, Instagram and giving gifts! This contest will last two weeks. All you have to do is repost this image on your Instagram with the tag #hiretweevalleyhigh.

After which, I will randomly choose a winner. What do you win? A hand-picked surprise care package of vintage items and other goodies. You can even send me your size and I'll try to do a little shopping on your behalf. You might get accessories, housewares and even candy. Help me find the job of my dreams and #win some surprise presents!

This contest is only open to Instagram users in the U.S., but feel free to post anyway if you want to aid in my job search! If you have any questions, please feel free to ask.

Happy (Super Duper Belated) Valentine's Day

Twee Valley High // Happy Valentine's Day!

I had a doggie emergency that day so Valentine's Day was put on hold. Since then, we've celebrated by switching food duties for a night. I made the main course, lasanga, and Jason made a giant no-bake peanut butter cup (yum!). We also went to dinner at Hotel Chantelle, which has some super delicious appetizers fyi. I comissioned this amazing illustration by Morgane Carlier, who came highly recommended by a variety of bloggers. It came out so amazing!

My New Year With Glasses!

When SmartBuyGlasses approached me, I was excited and nervous to choose a pair from their endless supply of options. I knew I wanted a cat eye, but I wasn't sure what designer or what color. I looked at some pinks and purples, but ultimately decided against a crazy hue. The site can be somewhat slow at times, but it's super easy to navigate and the company was quick to help me find a pair I really love. I ended up with DSquared2 since the shape fits my face and the color is flattering to my skin-tone.

Since getting my prescription put in, I haven't taken these glasses off! Seriously, SmartBuy may have permanently converted me from contacts and I'm super grateful to them. For too long, I assumed bangs plus glasses was too much for my face...until now. I love that these feel vintage, but in a modern way. I get up and can't wait to wear them. They go with every outfit, topping the whole look off.

I'm excited to enter the new year with a new love of how I look in glasses. It's a long time coming. Check out some Instagram shots to see the frames in action!

This has been an exciting year for a variety of reasons, one of which, I got the dog I always wanted. Tallulah is a dream come true and I can't imagine my life without her. Happy Happy New Year to every one of you. I hope 2015 is a year of positivity, good health and fabulous fashion!

Glasses courtesy of SmartBuy. All opinions are my own.

My Life in Instagram: Antiquing in Brimfield, MA

I somehow convinced my mom and boyfriend to escort me to the biggest antique show in the United States. Neither are big on shopping, but both love a good trip. My mom rented a car and we drove about three hours from Brooklyn to Sturbridge, MA, where our hotel was located. It was a hot weekend, but thankfully the hotel had a pool!

If you follow me on Instagram, you probably saw some of my fabulous finds. I didn't find anything on "the list," but I found lots of other treasures that I'm super happy with.

We stopped at a diner on the way and I had the most delicious pecan pancakes. I'm so craving them now. I don't think I emphasize enough how much I love breakfast food. Maybe that's why I love Leslie Knope so much.

Parks and Recreation, waffles, Leslie Knope

It's kind of crazy that we were only 15 minutes away from this small town filled with vendors. We stayed in Sturbridge, but the market was in Brimfield.

My beautiful mom and I struck a pose before the heat melted us. My boyfriend said I seemed unfazed by the sweltering weather, but I guess I was mentally prepared.

Day one was a huge success! There were a few things I wish I'd gotten, of course, but I'm in love with the things I found. I got three feather hats in perfect condition for about $10-$15 each. I got a pancake candle that smells like maple syrup, along with a variety of food cutouts. I got perfect flower broaches, a cute purple dress and a pastel Marc Jacobs bag. The bag ended up being $25 with a combined deal!

Alas this dress did not come home with me. It was lovely but too big and I'm too cheap to pay for a tailor on top of the semi-expensive price.

Day two was a smaller success, but equally fun! I nabbed these adorable broaches and a beautiful carpet bag. I don't have any photos from day three since we left around mid-day, but I ended up with a red leather tote and an illustrated Supreme's poster.

I feel weird and not weird about posting this photo. Maybe I feel weird that I don't feel weirder, like it should be a statement or something, but I'm kind of like "Whatever, this is the real me, belly, cleavage and all." I'm super into my new bathing suit!

It took two days to get this shot, I kept missing it!

Stay tuned for more photos via my camera and maybe a post about what I learned/tips!

P.S. I literally just finished the bag of homemade doughnuts we bought there and now I'm sad. They were sooo good. We're already planning to go next year in May. I was surprised to hear my mom was open to it once more!

My Top 10 Hidden Looks

There are so many favorite looks that don't make it on the blog, but sometimes I snap a sneaky selfie right before work. These are my top "hidden looks" that appeared "exclusively" on Instagram. This top one is probably my favorite. Best hair day ever. Be sure to follow me on Instagram for fun, day-to-day content like my newest photos from Rockaway beach!

The No-Lipstick Challenge

Ok the title is kind of deceiving. I'm not actually doing a "challenge" or experiment. What I have been doing is wearing a lot more clear lipgloss. This was my mainstay in high school, but over time I grew very fond of bright, matte lipstick, especially red and pinks from MAC .

Embarrassingly enough, my lips have been massively chapped lately, even the skin above my lip has somehow gotten irritated and flaky (gross!). I decided to give my lips a break from long-lasting, drying lipsticks. MAC Ruby Woo is amazing, but definitely dries out my lips. MAC's "Girl About Town" is more moisturizing, but the CoverGirl knockoff "Spellbound" definitely contributed to my dry-lip issues. I wanted to give my lips a break, but I'm so not a "just lip balm" kind of girl.

I recently bought Ellen Tracy lipgloss from TJ Maxx that, to the naked eye, looked hot pink. I was surprised to find it was basically clear, but I didn't hate. I've actually been wearing it a lot! It feels moisturizing but stays glossy. I also feel slightly French with done-up cat-eyes and a nude gloss. It's a look I'll definitely keep in my arsenal.

Life Updates and Rambles

My life has been a whirlwind of emotions and blogging endeavors have fallen by the wayside. I rarely post about my personal life, but I wanted to get real for a bit, whether that means life updates or ramble-y thought sentences.

First, the good news! I recently moved into my own studio apartment, a space that I'm incredibly excited about. I can't wait to decorate! I bought pink pastel paint and some retro looking wall decals. Here's a photo of how the place is coming along.

*The instagram frame is via the app A Beautiful Mess.

I got new glasses! They make my face feel so very fancy.

I turned 26...four months ago! I just realized that my birthday past by without nary a post. Hopefully once I have my apartment in order, I can throw a proper housewarming/super duper late birthday party. These are the cupcakes Jason bought me from my favorite place in Brooklyn-Brooklyn Babycakes. They are delish!

I spent a long holiday in Texas. Although it's been a while, I just wanted to acknowledge how much fun I had while I was there. I already miss my family and best friend. It's a good thing my mom will be here in March and my best friend in May. I can't wait!

NYC weather has been kind of ridiculous, but Jason and I are rolling with it. We even went sledding with my friend Dakota!

Now for the rambles....

Right before the new year, I began to feel like I was letting myself down. I'm constantly making promises to myself and to the few people who have kept up with my internet presence (btw I want to be irl friends with all of you). I blog here because I love sharing my life and my style. Same goes for xoJANE and BUST, who I have a genuine love and respect for. I also enjoy getting feedback by reaching a larger audience. This can be a double-edge sword, as feedback is not always "good." Of course, I've learned to toughen up in the face of internet trolls or general disagreements.

The internet is a fickle place and I can't help but get anxious balancing my day-job and my life as a blogger. I genuinely love my small audience here at Twee Valley High and that motivates me to improve the blog in so many ways!

Besides small web tweaks, there is a ridiculous amount content I want to create, but I end up getting side-tracked by the little things in life. If I let it, the idea of not enough time will continue to stress me out. I want to build a brand, but I know that takes time and continuity. I might challenge myself in the next few months to try and follow a real blog schedule. I'm such a perfectionist though, it's hard to that keep that up without losing sleep. Either way, something has to change and I'm up for the challenge! I look forward to this (relatively) new year and to creating more content. Nothing beats the feeling of putting quality work out into the world.

How do you guys deal with "not enough time" stress?