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Monday, December 31, 2012

NYE + Giveaway



Happy New Year's Eve BBs!! As we all prepare for one year to end and another to begin, I've been thinking of the things that I'm grateful for from 2012, as well as what I want to leave behind in 2012. I'm especially grateful for each of you! You all make what I do so worthwhile, and I appreciate you dearly! In the New Year I'd like to leave behind any negativity and hurt from the year and start anew :) The New Year will be a great one, I'm sure of it, and I cannot wait to share it with you guys!

Anyways, have a beautiful New Year's Eve and be safe, B&B will be back on schedule Wednesday ;)

**Also, there will be a GIVEAWAY coming up with 10 WINNERS thanks to Jordana Cosmetics. The first 150 people to BOTH "like" our Facebook page AND become a Member of the blog (to join look on the right panel on the blog and scroll down until you see "join this blog/become a member") will automatically be entered to WIN. **

NOTE: You DO NOT have to create a Blogger account to join the blog!!! Just your email :) 

See you lovebugs Wednesday/next year, lol!!

xox ~ KB 

Friday, December 28, 2012

Greetings From...










Sweater: Urban Outfitters, Leggings: Urban Outfitters, Shoes: Aldo, Bag: Tobi.com

SPAIN!!! That's right kittens, I'm in beautiful Spain for the holiday after graciously being invited by my dear friend and her family when she knew I was in desperate need of a getaway. We're currently at their beach villa in Javea located on the eastern coast of Spain. It's stunning here and the weather is lovely. We'll be visiting several other cities as well, so I'm bringing you all along for the tour too ;) 

While it's rather sunny here in Javea, there is still a chill in the air, and the evenings are quick to cool. I've been layering a bit, but during the day today I simply wore this earthy green sweater by BDG found at Urban Outfitters. I love the way it fits and falls on me, because as you all know, sometimes sweaters can get all lumpy and suddenly you look like the Michelin Man! Luckily this sweater helps avoid that catatrophe, plus the blend is so soft on my skin I keep rubbing up on myself like some kind of freak-a-leak. I'm trying not to do it in public...as much. LOL! 

I paired the sweater with my pleather leggings for an easy and chic day-to-night outfit. I also tossed it with my new studded loafers from Aldo that I have been lusting after for so long, and my mom curbed my craving by giving them to me for Christmas! Love you mom ;)

I hope you guys are having a wonderful time this holiday week. Enjoy the photos, they show some of the villa and some of the beach here in Javea! See you guys Monday in yet another city in Spain! Can't wait to share ;)

xox ~ KB

Wednesday, December 26, 2012

Runaway, Baby





Jacket: Andrew Marc, Jeans: Levis, Boots: Rocket Dog, Scarf: Forever 21

Merry Day After Christmas darlings!! I hope everyone's been having a lovely holiday, full of laughter and merriment :) If you watched Monday's Video Blog (Vlog) you may have noticed that I'm doing something different this year. It wasn't what I originally planned, but things changed and when an opportunity arose to escape, I took it! I mentioned Monday that my saying lately has been that "Running away is never the solution, but it's a damn good band-aid." So I'm hoping for just that :) 

I'm still not disclosing my location, I'm going to tease you a little longer...mostly because I'm not yet settled in. But I'll give you a clue: I'm across the Atlantic...and perhaps somewhere in the EU ;) 

The Andrew Marc leather jacket I'm wearing here is a favorite of mine. It's got a little European chic flare to it, which I found appropriate for today, and the leather is so buttery and fitting. I got it a couple years ago at Bloomingdales and have cherished it since!

I highlighted it with a simple tan scarf I found at Forever 21 which is great to take anywhere with you. For a simple day-to-casual-night look, I'm wearing Levis skinny jeans and my Rocket Dog booties.  

**Also, there will be a GIVEAWAY coming up with 10 WINNERS thanks to Jordana Cosmetics. The first 150 people to BOTH "like" our Facebook page AND become a Member of the blog (to join look on the right panel on the blog and scroll down until you see "join this blog/become a member") will automatically be entered to WIN. So stay tuned and spread the word because we will be promoting that over the next several weeks!!**

Alright kittens, I should be revealing my location in the next post on Friday. Be sure to check and keep up with the adventure! Lots of love!

xox ~ KB

Monday, December 24, 2012

The Escape Artist



Hey lovelies! Here's a video of some of my travel tips for your enjoyment! I know many of us are traveling this holiday season, and these are some tips I've put together from my own experiences :) In case the video is having trouble you can check it out directly on YouTube here!

And yes, you did hear correctly in the video, I'm flying out this season too...today actually. My saying lately has been "Running away is never the solution, but it's a damn good band-aid!" I haven't shared where I'm going yet, but I will be updating the blog and you'll see it here :)

**Also, there will be a GIVEAWAY coming up with 10 WINNERS thanks to Jordana Cosmetics. The first 150 people to BOTH "like" our Facebook page AND become a Member of the blog (to join look on the right panel on the blog and scroll down until you see "join this blog/become a member") will automatically be entered to WIN. So stay tuned and spread the word because we will be promoting that over the next several weeks!!**

Alright, I'm currently up in the air and will be traveling for a couple days, so I'll check in with you guys whenever I settle in! Have a beautiful Holiday everyone, I'm sending you all lots of love!

xox ~ KB

Friday, December 21, 2012

Quick & Easy Gifts for Him

 (Photo courtesy of www.harmankardon.com)
(Photo courtesy of www.peepculture.com)
 (Photo courtesy of www.reastars.com)



(Photo courtesy of www.bestbuy.com)

Hello again last minute shoppers!! If you are still scrambling to find gifts for guys, here are a few ideas to help make your life a little easier :) Now, I'll admit I always find it ridiculously challenging to shop for men. So, I roamed around for some easy ideas at a few accessible stores to see what could be found in a pinch!

To start, I went into the Apple store and found myself drawn to the headphones. I tried this pair by Harman/Kardan and really loved the sound quality. The headphones themselves were comfortable and light, and the sound streaming in was so clear, it lives up to its name "Beautiful Sound." Can't go wrong with that. 

Next, I went into Bloomingdales. I thought this little kit by The Art of Shaving was pretty adorable and chic. I think as long as you don't describe it as "adorable" to your male recipient you're in the clear, lol. I also went around testing all the different colognes. Usually, I don't like when men wear lots of cologne, I tend to prefer aftershave and I dunno...man-musk? LOL. However, that does at least make my nose a bit snobby when it comes to cologne. And after testing all of the ones on display I found the Yves Saint Laurent "L'Homme" both tolerable and dare I say enjoyable! Lastly at Bloomingdales, I was shown these two packages by Task, the #1 skincare system for men. The line comes from Switzerland, and if your man cares about his skin...or if you do, then hooray, you're set!!

From there I went to H&M Men and found a few clothing items - if that's what you'd prefer. They had plaid button downs in a number of colors. Coats like this grey one which I liked. And some great tees a la the Hendrix one I photographed.

Lastly, if you'd like to go the electronic route, I went to Best Buy. Personally, I love reading, and I find it exceedingly attractive to find a man that enjoys reading too. So, I think gifts like the Kindle Fire are excellent. There are several different types of Kindles available too in order to accommodate your budget :) I definitely recommend this gift idea!

I hope these ideas help you out, I know how stressful this last weekend before Christmas can be. So, finish up your shopping and get to the relaxing and joyous part of the holiday :) See you guys Mondayyy!

xox ~ KB    

Wednesday, December 19, 2012

Quick & Easy Gifts for Her







 (Photo courtesy of www.nordstrom.com)
(Photo courtesy of www.nordstrom.com)

For all you last minute shoppers, I wanted to provide a few easy ideas to alleviate some of your stress! Here are some items I came across this last week that make for great gifts. I made sure to stick to big companies so that they can easily be found wherever you may be!

We start with Urban Outfitters, where I found these cute Zodiac necklaces. It's a fun gift that also feels a little personalized by the recipient's birthday :) I also photographed a little bowl filled with cute stud earrings: hearts, arrows, crosses, etc. I think those are also sweet and simple.

Next, we go to Bloomingdales, and M.A.C. has some gifts in cute packaged boxes! They have sets of 4 lip glosses in different combinations, like you see in the photo. Also, below that (photo 4) Benefit has a cute gift box: The Jet Set box. They are limited so hurry! The box has an eyeshadow palette, blushes, brush, gloss, mascara, and more. It's a great buy!

Next I went to Sephora, which is a great One-Stop-Shop if you're really in a jam. I found a cute brush set, which is great because I know tons of ladies who don't have good makeup brushes. Great brushes are essential to not only taking care of your skin, but also how your makeup will be properly applied! Also at Sephora there is a great little trio of Fresh lip balm/sticks. I kid you not when I say I never leave the house without one of those in my bag. They are soft, moisturizing, tinted, and perfect. Get it for a friend and for yourself ;)

Lastly, I made a pit stop at TopShop in Nordstrom and thought that this studded/embellished top was just too adorable. Honestly, I want it for myself. Also, I like their "message" ring set. A cute pack of rings to go with all sorts of outfits and moods!

I hope these ideas help you and/or give you some gift inspiration for those of you still running around trying to find things, like me! I've been on the phone with Apple and have to go to the store tomorrow because my laptop is having issues, hence why the photos today look a bit spracky, sorry, they couldn't fix it sooner :( 

See you guys Friday with Quick & Easy Gifts for HIM!

xox ~ KB       

Monday, December 17, 2012

Chin Up, Kid






 Top: Forever 21, Shorts: American Apparel, Shoes: Converse, Necklace: Detroit Trash

Monday, Monday. Hi lovelies, how is everyone doing? I've been...well, let's just say that the title of today's post is the advice I've been receiving quite a bit lately, and that I'm trying to keep in mind :) The holidays are upon us, and I don't know about you guys, but I'm still pitifully behind in my holiday shopping. I will try to focus on some quick tips throughout the week for easy holiday gift ideas for any other last minute shoppers! 

Today, I am wearing a pretty boss Kid n' Play cropped tee. It's 90s to the max and I love it. It's easy, it's comfy, and for some reason I have a thing for wearing this top while traveling. Not sure why, I just do. 

The corduroy shorts are American Apparel, and they actually run a little big. I've had this pair for several years and they're a very loose fit on me now. But I like how soft they are, and unlike other corduroy bottoms, these are not restricting in mobility at all. I highly recommend you get a pair, or several ;)

To top it, I'm wearing this awesome long necklace by Detroit Trash. (www.detroittrash.net)
I found this company during L.A. ArtWalk downtown last September, and I was immediately drawn to their booth. Each of their necklaces are handmade with vintage items. For instance, the key on mine is over 100 years old that they found and added to the necklace. You can ask them to customize your necklace with whichever adornments you prefer that they have. I love that each piece has a history and a uniqueness that is individualized just for you. These guys know what they're doing, and you'd be remiss if you don't pay them a visit :)

 Alright BBs, there's a lot to do this week, and I must get to it! I'll see you all on Wednesday.

xox ~ KB





Friday, December 14, 2012

Liebster Award!

So this is rather exciting! Blush&Bangs was nominated for a Liebster by fellow fashion blogger and friend Alexa of http://www.fashionbubblewrap.com/ Thank you so much Alexa, it means the world to me that you like my blog enough to nominate it!!

Now what exactly is a Liebster Award? Liebster is a German word meaning dearest, and the award is given to up-and-coming bloggers with less than 200 followers who deserve some recognition and support to keep on blogging. The tradition is to answer the 11 questions from the person who has nominated you and then nominate promising bloggers and tag them in your post. Also you will write 11 questions for them to answer.

Here are the rules should you choose to accept:
1. Thank your Liebster Blog Award presenter on your blog
2. Link back to the blogger who awarded you
3. Copy & Paste the award to your blog
4. Nominate 5 blogs that you enjoy to receive the award who have less than 200 followers
5. Inform them of their nomination by leaving a comment on their blog

My Answers to the Questions:
  1. Do you have any hobbies other than blogging? No. This is all I do, ever. JK! Clearly, one of my hobbies is sarcasm, lol. Other than blogging I'm an actress, I'm in graduate school, I sing and dance (but am shy about it), I write jokes (but stand-up terrifies me), I can crochet a bit, and love to read. Also, I'm a HUGE Lakers fan :)
  2. What’s something on your Bucket List? Hmm, I'm a big traveler so I'd like to see the world. I think the more you travel the more you learn about others and about life. You realize the world is actually a small place and that kindness and beauty may be found everywhere.
  3. What color scheme do you usually use when styling your looks? I'm not someone who's big with bright colors normally. I prefer to side with pastels and muted tones, but I break my own rules every now and then. Rules are meant to be broken, are they not? ;)
  4. What is a vacation destination that you would like to travel to? Gah! So many places! Right now, I'm itching to go to Istanbul. I haven't been before, and I'm quite eager to visit. I love London and Paris, but it doesn't feel like a vacation to me when I'm there, it feels like coming home :)
  5. Weekend: Stay at home or go out? I'm a homebody, definitely NOT a crazy let's-go-out partier. I'm boring and old-fashioned, and that's how I bloody well like it, lol!
  6. Favorite fashion designer? I love everything the Brandy Melville label produces. Everything. As for high fashion, wow, that's tough, I adore everything I've seen of Elie Saab and Monique L' huillier's Spring collections.
  7. Favorite thing about Blogging? The readers/fans. They make it all worthwhile. I love connecting with everyone and hearing back from them!
  8. Favorite blog posts to write about (trends, look of the day, DIY)? I'm God awful at DIY, lol, so I'd have to say 'look of the day' posts. I'm going to expand and cover trends more too.
  9. What are the top 3 websites you visit daily? Deadline Hollywood, Twitter, and IMDB Pro.
  10. What do you appreciate most in life? Laughter. It's a cure-all.  
  11. Your favorite quote here: One of my favorites: "Que Sera Sera." My mother always said this to me. Whenever I'm down, or frustrated, she always says "Que Sera Sera, whatever will be will be." Simple, but honest.  
I'm Nominating:
Here are My Questions for You:
  1. A year ago would you have thought you'd be a blogger today?
  2. What do you love most about blogging?
  3. How would you describe your style?
  4. What's your favorite pick-me-up movie?
  5. Guilty Pleasure?
  6. Favorite site to online shop?
  7. What do you enjoy most about the Holidays?
  8. What's something about yourself that would surprise most people?
  9. Any tattoos or piercings?
  10. When you're not blogging, what are you doing?
  11. Favorite movie snack?    
 

Wednesday, December 12, 2012

May The Force Be With You...Or Whatever







 Sweater: Forever 21, Jeans: Levi's, Boots: Dolcetta by Dolce Vita

Happy Wednesday BBs! I'm writing this post just after 1am (night before, obviously, unless you've somehow figured out the space-time continuum before I have) and I just emailed my final paper, that I've been working on over the last several weeks, to my professor, EEK!  I always feel strange right after I finish finals, it's a feeling of disbelief that I'm finally free of academic captivity, lol! But huzzah, it's over...I hope...and for those of you still in finals, I wish you luck and know that it'll soon be over!

Anyways, for such a nerdy occasion I figured a nerdy post was only fitting :) So I went full out and brought out my Star Wars cropped sweater, AND I shot in a library. Perfect, no?!

I adore this sweater. I found it at Forever 21 and they only had a few left, so I clung onto it like Rose clung to Jack in Titanic, and shouted "I'll never let go!!" while running through the store. No, that didn't actually happen, but that reference just did. BOOM! You're welcome. (Btw, I take no responsibility for my 'extra' quirkiness in today's post, I'm chalking it all up to 'finals delirium' lol.)

To finish the outfit, I wore it with skinny Levi's jeans, and chunky, buckled Dolcetta booties. And don't worry, you don't have to hang out in bookstacks like me in order to wear this sweater. It is loved and appreciated by cool people all over ;) 

Alright, I better wrap this up before I really let my freak flag fly, lol. I have SO much to catch up on now that I'm done with this paper. I can almost be a real person again!...Almost ;)
Have a great Humpday lovebugs!

xox ~ KB 

 


Monday, December 10, 2012

Cherry On Top







Top: Urban Outfitters, Jeans: Miss Sixty, Boots: Naughty Monkey, Lip Glaze: Jordana Cosmetics (link below)

Question: Does anyone else ever think that perhaps they've watched one too many Hallmark holiday movies, because they find themselves constantly disappointed when there isn't mistletoe hanging everywhere you go with an ex-Disney star waiting for you underneath it?! ...Just me? ...Is there even such a thing as too many Hallmark holiday movies?? Absolutely not.

Umm, so anyways...let's get to the look! I feel like this top is kinda like a sassy, holiday doily that you can wear. It's lacey, sheer, and has a peek-a-boo back for a "hey girl heyyy" surprise, LOL! I like that it provides just enough coverage so you're not self-conscious wearing it, but also gives a healthy dose of 'tease' to it, as well ;) 

I love these Miss Sixty jeans. I've had them forever and re-discovered them last spring at my parents' house with some of my old clothes from high school. I tried them on and found they fit even better than they used to. Frankly, they're simply well tailored jeans that fit just right! So I've been wearing them again ever since, plus I love the grey-blue wash of this pair. 

I tucked my jeans into my grey Naughty Monkey knee-high suede boots, which I adore. These boots are so comfortable, and provide a little heel for a slight lift. The top is the pop of color for the outfit, so I wanted the rest of the look to be a little more muted to allow the top it's moment in the spotlight. 

For makeup, I kept things soft, and topped it with the Jordana Cosmetics lip glaze that I'm obsessed with. I'm wearing the "Pink Grapefruit" shade, which is very light and soft if that's what you prefer. I must say, though, my favorite shade is the "Watermelon Punch," I can't get enough of it! To find the perfect shade for you of this lip glaze click here! 

 Alright darlings, it's late and I have some sports highlights to catch up on. Not kidding - I've been falling asleep to TWCSportsnet every night. I'm just full of surprises ;)
 See you Wednesday,

xox ~ KB