A Blonde's Moment

Beauty Queen Gift Guide

December 2, 2015 by Rachel McCarthy

This week’s Wednesday Wishes is all about the beauty queen on your gift list. It seems like there are always so many choices when it comes to beauty products, it can almost be overwhelming! But today, I’ve compiled a list of a few items that are perfect for even the pickiest of beauty queens!

I have been searching for a curling wand that actually holds the curl in my hair for awhile now, and this may just be it! With three interchangeable barrels and the ability to self-regulate the temperature to prevent over or under-heating, this wand truly seems amazing! Have you ever tried any of the T3 curling wands? I would love to know about your experience!

Another item that is on my wish list for Christmas is this makeup brush set. I have needed new brushes for awhile now {I seem to have a hodgepodge of brushes currently!} and I love that this set includes each and every brush you could possibly need! The pretty gold accents are just a bonus 🙂

Do you have any beauty queens on your holiday gift list? I would love to hear if you have any ideas for them in the comments section below!

Have a wonderful Wednesday, everyone!

….

SHOP THE POST

Sweater & Stripes

December 1, 2015 by Rachel McCarthy

poncho sweater | stripe turtleneck | black leggings | brown boots, old {similar style & on sale!} | Tory Burch bag, also here | link bracelet, cuff bracelet | watch | earrings | sunglasses | lipgloss {#26}

Happy Tuesday! I’m switching things up today and moving my usual outfit post to today and the typical food post for Thursday. The truth is, I just haven’t had time to make and photograph a food post! The last few days have been a complete whirlwind — I have been helping my parents with their move south and we have barely stopped since Thanksgiving morning. But, the end is in sight and I am so excited that they will be live closer. Sorry I have been MIA!

If you follow me on Instagram {@rach.mccarthy}, you may recognize this look. This was my Thanksgiving outfit this year, and it was the perfect mix of cute and comfortable. It was freakishly warm in Ohio for Thanksgiving — the last two Thanksgiving have been freezing and snowing! The mixture of the tissue turtleneck and the poncho sweater were perfect for the unseasonably warm weather, especially since there was still a little November chill in the air.

I honestly can’t get enough of these tissue turtlenecks — I have several colors and I wear them all the time. And since they are super lightweight, they make for the perfect layering piece!

Be sure to check back tomorrow for an all new gift guide! Hope you have a wonderful day!

….

SHOP THE POST

The Best Cyber Monday Sales

November 30, 2015 by Rachel McCarthy

Happy Monday! Hope you all had a wonderful weekend! Did you check out any of the Black Friday Sales? I haven’t participated in any of the holiday sales yet, but I’m thinking that I will take advantage of some of these Cyber Monday Sales! I’ve included some of my favorites below — happy shopping!

green floppy hat | blue smartphone case | heart gloves | lilac stripe scarf |

pom-pom beanie | statement earrings | red mini tote | ankle boots | monogram keychain {25 colors available!}

Anthropologie: 25% off sale & free shipping, no minimum

Banana Republic: 40% off everything with code BESTCYBER

BaubleBar: Get 25% off 1 item with code GOGIFT25 or 35% off 2+ items with code GOGIFT35

Gap: 50-70% off everything, restrictions apply

H&M: up to 30% off entire purchase & free shipping, with additional 40% off all sale items

J.Crew: 40% off 507 styles for everyone & 30% off everything else with code MONDAY

J.Crew Factory: 50% off everything plus an extra 15% off & free shipping with code TODAYONLY

Lilly Pulitzer: free domestic flight with purchase of $1,500+

Macy’s: 60% off women’s & juniors clothing

Neiman Marcus: Earn up to a $500 gift card with select regular-priced purchase online with code GC4YOU

Nordstrom: Savings up to 50% off select top brands + free shipping & returns

Old Navy: 40% off everything with code BESTCYBER

Shopbop: Spend $250+ & save 15%, spend $500+ & save 20%, spend $1,000+ & save 25% with code GOBIG15

Topshop: up to 50% off selected lines

….

SHOP THE POST

Black Friday Sales

November 27, 2015 by Rachel McCarthy

Happy Friday friends and I hope you all had a fabulous Thanksgiving! Black Friday is officially here and today I’m sharing some of my favorite sales! Happy shopping!

J.Crew

40% off amazing styles for everyone & 30% off everything else + free shipping on orders of $150+ with code HOLIDAY

Nordstrom

up to 50% off select styles for all + free shipping & return

Sole Society

All shoes 30% off & select bags + accessories

BaubleBar

Take 30% off with code THX

More Black Friday Sales…

Amazon: 30% off select clothing, shoes, accessories, jewelry & watches with code 30BLACKFRI

Ann Taylor: 50% off everything with code CELEBRATE

Anthropologie: 25% off everything with code SHOPTOIT

Asos: 30% off everything with code BLESSED

Banana Republic: Half off sweaters & 40% off the rest of your purchase with code BRFRIDAY

Chicwish: extra 20% off with code BLK20

H&M: Black Friday Deal Days up to 60% off, Black Friday exclusive deals from $4.99

Forever 21: Black Friday Deals up to 70% off & free shipping on orders over $30

J.Crew Factory: 50% off everything {prices as marked} free shipping on orders of $50 or more with code SHIPGIFTS

Kate Spade: up to 70% off

Lilly Pulitzer: free domestic flight with purchase of $1500+

Madewell: 25% off your entire purchase with code CALMDOWN

Neiman Marcus: take 20% off sale items for up to 50% off online

Old Navy: 60% off hundreds of styles, 50% off even more, 40% off everything else

Saks Fifth Avenue: up to 60% off select styles + free shipping & returns with code HOLIDAY

Shopbop: Spend $250+ & save 15%, spend $500+ & save 20%, spend $1,000+ & save 25% with code GOBIG15

Tory Burch: Spend $250, receive 30% off + free shipping & returns with code THANKS

West Elm: 10% off when you spend $100 or more; 15% off when you spend $250 or more; 20% off when you spend $500 or more; 25% off when you spend $1000 or more with code MOREISMORE

Be sure to check back Monday for a complete round-up of all the Cyber Monday sales! Have a wonderful weekend and thanks for stopping by!

Happy Thanksgiving // Last Minute Outfit Ideas

November 26, 2015 by Rachel McCarthy

Happy Thanksgiving! I’m sharing a few last minute outfit ideas just in case you are still deciding what to wear! Follow along on Instagram {@rach.mccarthy} and Snapchat {rach.mccarthy7} to see what I decided on, I’ve been going back and forth! And be sure to check back tomorrow with your complete guide to all the Black Friday Sales!

Turtleneck + poncho + leggings = a winning combination! There is nothing more comfortable than leggings and a poncho when you are sitting around eating all day! Throw on some boots {or flats, depending on your weather!} and you have a cute, yet comfortable, look!

LEFT: SheIn scarf c/o | black turtleneck | black leggings | red Hunter boots, also here | Modalu bag, similar under $200 here | red lipstick {#13}

RIGHT: plaid cape {under $40!} | black turtleneck | black leggings | red Hunter boots | floppy hat | Chanel bag {love this similar style for under $20 } | lipliner {cherry}, lipstick {le orange}

There are few things that are more appropriate for fall than a blanket scarf. And since Thanksgiving is the quintessential fall holiday, blanket scarves and Thanksgiving just go together! If you are looking for an easy outfit to put together, you can easily style a blanket scarf {or any scarf!} with a long sleeve tee or sweater and a pair of jeans!

striped sweater | blanket scarf, last season {similar style} | distressed jeans | ankle boots via Off Broadway Shoe c/o | lipgloss {rouge laque}

Is there anything more comfortable than a dress?! Style a chambray dress with a faux fur vest for the perfect fall look and depending on your weather, you can wear leggings, tights or just boot socks with your favorite pair of riding boots!

chambray dress, sold out {similar style, on sale!} | faux fur vest, super similar style | boots socks | riding boots, similar style | lipgloss {buff}

Another favorite casual look, pair a cozy sweater with a pair of jeans and booties for a look that is not only stylish but warm too! This is my new favorite sweater. It comes in four colors and is under $50! I sized up for a looser look — it’s THE most comfortable sweater that I own. Perfect for eating all that turkey 😉

green marbled sweater {under $50 & comes in 4 colors — I sized up!} | distressed jeans {under $40!} | ankle boots via Off Broadway Shoe c/o | lipgloss {buff}

If your Thanksgiving festivities require a more dressed up look, you can easily pair a cardigan with leather leggings or pants, a sparkly necklace and pumps and you are ready to go! There is nothing better than camel and black for fall and it looks perfect with leopard accessories, like these pumps!

camel sweater | black t-shirt | faux leather leggings, last season {similar style, under $50!} | statement necklace {similar style} | leopard pumps {on sale!} | Tory Burch bag | hat | lipgloss {#9}

Thanksgiving is the perfect time to reflect on all the blessings we have in each of our lives. This year, I have so much to be thankful for: my husband, puppy, loving & supportive family and friends. I am also so grateful for each and every one of you for following along day after day on this little space. It truly means the world to me and I thank you from the bottom of my heart!

Wishing you and your family a wonderful Thanksgiving!

Stocking Stuffers Under $30!

November 25, 2015 by Rachel McCarthy

It’s Wednesday and that means another holiday gift guide! Out of all the gift guides I share during the holiday season, I think stocking stuffers is by far my very favorite. I have found so many cute ideas and they are all under $30! From the beauty lover, to the mixologist to the entertainer — everyone on your list is covered!

When I was searching around for items to include in this gift guide, one of the first things I came across were these bright pink hair ties. Does anyone else remember something similar to these from when you were younger?! These hair ties come three in a pack and are available in 11 different colors! They are designed to minimize breakage and that annoying crimping! These are definitely on my wish list!

Perfect for the social media guru in your family, you can decorate your phone with these cute emoji home button stickers from iDecoz. Priced at $4.99, they are the perfect item for a stocking stuffer! I also found these tech stickers that can go on anything from your phone, laptop or tablet — completely removable too!

P.S. I apologize that the Tory Burch body cream is sold out! Believe it or not, this 1.7 ounce size was sold only at Sephora and Macy’s and was completely out of stock before I could even publish the post 🙁 Sephora does allow you to sign up for an email notification for when it is back in stock and Macy’s does still have the 7.6 ounce bottle in stock for $52. Lesson learned: you need to be quick when ordering around the holidays!

….

With Thanksgiving tomorrow {!!!}, that means that Black Friday is only a day away! Below, I’m sharing some Pre-Black Friday Sales to get you started a little early! And be sure to check back Friday for a complete list of Black Friday Sales!

J.Crew: 30% off your purchase & extra 40% off sale styles with code HOLIDAY

J.Crew Factory: 50% off everything {prices as marked} & free shipping on orders of $50 or more with code SHIPGIFTS

Madewell: 25% off entire purchase with code CALMDOWN

Old Navy: 40% off $100 {online only} with code EARLYBIRD

Shopbop: 15% off orders $250+, 20% off orders $500+, 25% off orders $1,000+ with code GOBIG15

….

SHOP THE POST

Holiday Bar Decorations & A Festive Cocktail

November 24, 2015 by Rachel McCarthy

Have you started thinking about Christmas decorations yet? Or have you already started to decorate your home? I typically like to wait until after Thanksgiving for the outside lights and tree to go up, but I did start a little early with bar decorations so I could share some ideas with you! If you have a bar, a bar cart or another small space in your home, I have some ideas that can add the perfect amount of holiday cheer, not matter what size your space is!

A few years ago for Christmas, my parents bought us this bar for our house. While I saw it more as a piece of furniture, my husband saw it for what it really was and completely embraced his inner mixologist! In the three years we have lived in our house, he has successfully filled the bar with basically anything you could ever dream of. You name it, he has it! And it’s a good thing he is an expert when coming up with festive cocktails, because he is sharing one below!

*Decorating Tips*

* For me, less is more. I know that clutter is difficult to avoid during the holiday decorating season, but when decorating your bar, it’s important to keep things relatively simple. I don’t know about you, but I have visions of bottles, glasses and/or decorations being knocked over and spilling all over the floor and furniture, and that would be a complete mess! I think when you are working with liquids close to furniture, it’s best to limit the number of items displayed.

*Festive coasters. I’m a stickler when it comes to coasters. We have our everyday ones that are always present on our living room table, but I love these festive coasters, especially if you are having a holiday party. Not only are they cute, but they are paper and can be easily tossed once used!

*Wine Corks. My husband and I have been collecting wine corks since we first started dating. I have a vase in our dining room of hydrangeas that I have filled with the collected wine corks, which makes a great display for all year round. But, for the Christmas season, I like to move the vase over to the bar and add festive glitter spray, which adds the perfect holiday touch.

*Holiday Cocktail. The Moscow Mule is one of the hottest drinks right now. It’s one of my husband’s favorite to make and even one that I enjoy! To put a Christmas spin on this new favorite, he created the Cranberry Moscow Mule. Not only is it festive in color, it truly is a taste of the season!

Cranberry Moscow Mule

{what you will need}

1 1/2 ounces vodka

1/2 ounce cranberry infused simple syrup {see recipe below}

Juice of 1/2 of lime

6 ounces ginger beer

Handful of fresh cranberries

Lime peel, for garnish

Ice cubes

{instructions}

In a copper mug, combine the vodka, simple syrup and lime juice. Fill the glass with ice and top with ginger beer. Garnish with cranberries and lime peel. For the cranberry infused simple syrup: Combine 1 cup sugar with 1 cup water in a small pan and bring to a boil, whisking constantly. Add 1 1/2 cups fresh cranberries and remove from heat. Allow the mixture to sit for 5-10 minutes. Transfer syrup to a bowl, cover and refrigerate overnight. The next day, strain the cranberries from the simple syrup and place syrup in glass container.

….

More Inspiration….

the camel blazer

November 23, 2015 by Rachel McCarthy

J.Crew camel blazer {comes in 7 colors!} | brown turtleneck | geometric stripe scarf | current/elliott denim {on sale!} | Stuart Weitzman OTK boots {similar style under $100!} | camel Tory Burch bag, also here | cuff bracket, link bracelet | watch | pearl earrings | Karen Walker sunglasses | lipstick {#9}

Happy Monday, friends! I hope you all had a fabulous weekend! My aspirations of getting a lot of house work done over the weekend actually panned out, when does that ever happen?! After the race on Saturday, we completed all the outside and inside work and then I completely crashed! We also shot two fun holiday posts that will be coming soon to ABM — one tomorrow actually!

Do you have a camel blazer in your closet? I have wanted one for years and I was so excited when my parents got me this one for my birthday a few weeks ago. I think that not only is it a versatile piece, but it’s so classic that it will never go out of style. As you know, I love finding pieces that can fit for everyday life and also work life. This blazer was perfect with a cozy scarf, jeans and OTK boots for a casual weekend look, but it would also be ideal with dress pants, a skirt or even over a dress for a more business look.

We shot some pictures in Georgetown yesterday, and this was the perfect outfit to walk the pretty brick streets on a chilly day. The wind was unreal!! I hope you all have a great start to the short week! Can you believe it’s already Thanksgiving week?! If you haven’t already, be sure to check out my Thanksgiving Guide and the perfect leftover recipe for all that turkey!

….

SHOP THE POST

metallic tweed & royal blue

November 19, 2015 by Rachel McCarthy

J.Crew royal blue blouse {comes in 5 other colors!} & tweed skirt {on sale!} | sunglasses | over-the-knee boots, last year {super similar style} | watch | bracelet | earrings | ring | necklace, old {similar style} | Chanel bag {new similar style under $40} | lipstick {creme cup}, lipgloss {turkish delight}

Wow, Thursday already! These weeks are just flying by — it seems like they go even more quickly when approaching the holidays. And, speaking of the holidays, today’s metallic tweed skirt is the perfect way to get you in the holiday spirit {if you aren’t already!}

You may remember this skirt from one of my Wednesday Wishes last month, when I talked about styling silver and jewels for an everyday look. So not only can this skirt be styled for a daily look, but it’s particularly festive for this time of the year! You know how I love my versatile pieces 😉 This blue adds the perfect pop of color to the skirt, but the skirt can go with SO much more. There are so many colors hiding in that tweed, the possibilities are endless when it comes to styling!

As for the sizing of the blouse and skirt, I went up one size in the blouse from what I normally wear in J.Crew’s silk shirts. This blouse is definitely a little shorter than other blouses from J.Crew and I wanted to be able to wear it with pants as well, so I sized up for length {similar to the violet floral, last seen here}. When it comes to the skirt, I stuck with my normal size and it fits perfectly! I must confess that I love skirts but don’t wear them that often because most of the time they are WAY too short — it’s almost as if I’m bringing back the skirts from my tennis days! But with tights and over-the-knee boots, the skirt was a good length {especially considering it’s referred to as a “mini”} and I will be able to even wear it to work.

We have a busy weekend ahead! After being sick last weekend, I have a lot of catching up to do around the house. Saturday is a race day for me and it’s looking like the temperatures are going to be more November-like this weekend. It’s going to be a chilly start to the race! I will also be working on some fun holiday projects for next week and into December, so stay tuned! What do you all have planned for this weekend?! Hope it’s wonderful!

….

SHOP THE POST

Gift Guide for Guys: all under $50!

November 18, 2015 by Rachel McCarthy

1. | 2. | 3. | 4. | 5. | 6. | 7. | 8. | 9. | 10. | 11.

Another Wednesday Wishes, another holiday gift guide! And today it’s all about the guys! Personally, I have the hardest time coming up with gift ideas for my husband and dad; they are definitely the hardest to buy for on my list! I’ve complied a list of some of favorite gifts and they are all under $50!

When shopping for my husband, I typically stick with business related clothing gifts because that’s pretty much all he wears! This gingham dress shirt is one of his favorites — it can easily be worn for work or more casually with jeans or khaki pants. It comes in 10 different colors and is a non-iron shirt, can it get any better?! The monogrammed cufflinks are also a great gift that adds the perfect personal touch!

When it comes to finding the perfect gift for my dad, I usually start off with golf and workout gear. There are SO many fitness trackers on the market it’s hard to know which direction to go {well, at least for me!} I found this fitness tracker that transmits your average heart rate, estimated calorie burn, total steps, distance traveled and total exercise time to a fitness app on your phone — all for $40! This definitely seems like a steal!

Lastly, for those of you who have a mixologist on your shopping list this year, there are so many fun gifts for your home bar, including these whisky stones and this cute antler bottle opener! Perfect for stocking stuffers!

Have you started your Christmas shopping yet? I have a few gifts purchased…I’m really trying to be done with holiday shopping early this year! In case you missed it, you can see my first gift guide of the season here 🙂

I have seen so many gift guides from some of my favorite retailers this season, including Nordstrom, J.Crew and Anthropologie. Great gifting inspiration and they have gifts at every price point — it’s definitely something to check out! Thanks for stopping by and have a wonderful Wednesday!

….

SHOP THE POST

MORE GIFT IDEAS UNDER $50