Today I'm talking all things Wood Watches by JORD -- My favorite fall accessory! This wood watch company caught my eye about a year ago, and their products have only gotten CUTER with time. If you haven't yet entered my giveaway, this is your LAST CHANCE to win $100 toward your JORD Watch! Read till the end to see you you can enter.
Read MoreI'M SOCIAL MEDIA OBSESSED, BUT IT'S NOT A BAD THING
I was never the “cool” girl in seventh grade. My closet was Abercrombie instead of Hollister, my makeup skills were nonexistent, I tried having a boyfriend once (but hated it because I felt smothered) and my parents vowed to kick me to the curb if they ever found a MySpace profile under my name. I had this grey jacket with a furry hood I insisted on wearing every day from January to March and my Sony Ericsson flip phone could never rival the hot pink Motorola Razrs of my friends.
Eighth grade wasn’t the best either. To be quite honest, the only thing I remember about it was this dope U.S. history board game I made for a class project toward the end of the semester. I also remember wearing Sperrys, a pink and blue knockoff Ed Hardy shirt and a stack of colorful handmade beaded bracelets with sayings like “ILY<3” and “BFF”, but that’s not really in line with my current style standards so I like to pretend that never happened.
Read More12 OF MY WORST #OOTD INSTAGRAM FAILS
It's about time I confessed something to you, my dear friends and followers.
I wasn't always good at outfit posts on Instagram. In fact, I was kind of horrible.
Especially in high school, when I thought denim shirts were #hipster, it was appropriate to sometimes wear leggings under shorts and bandage skirts were a staple in my school wardrobe. (And sometimes in my church wardrobe, too? Why did I think this was okay?)
If you feel like you can't win at Instagram, don't lose heart. We all have to start somewhere, which is why I'm sharing my worst #OOTD fails below. Likes and captions included.
Read More"IT'S FUN", AND OTHER LIES I BELIEVED ABOUT GRADUATION
Hey, it's Maddy, Maddy Hill.
And guess what?
Graduating sucks.
I'm not sure who's giving me a license to graduate, but I don't seem to be failing out and needing more credits anytime soon. The regalia has been ordered, the festivities have been planned and I have pestered my advisor about my degree audit for the last time. The graduation pictures have been taken and I look like I know what I'm doing, so why do I feel this unprepared to walk across the stage?
Read MoreMY THOUGHTS ON HELLOFRESH
If you're a busy college student like me, HelloFresh may be your next best investment—if you have the money to spend, that is. While the healthy and tasty ingredients, ease of access and simple recipes are three reasons to splurge on the weekly box, it can add up if you're eating for one.
Watch as my friend and I cook up a HelloFresh meal for the first time and see the looks on our faces when we finally try it!
Read MoreSHOP THE LOOKS FROM MY BUMBLEBFF SHOOT
Is there anything better than springtime in Austin? The sky always seems to be a deeper shade of blue, the grass a more vibrant green than the months preceding. My allergies may not be a fan of the season, but I'm a spring baby and always find myself feeling renewed and re-inspired when the wildflowers start to bloom on the side of Highway 290 each year.
When I was a kid, my mom had a tradition of surprising my sister and me with new outfits come March. I would arrive home from school on a random spring afternoon to find a few new tops, bottoms or dresses strewn across my bed (normally from Old Navy or, as I became older, American Eagle) and would immediately start stripping down to my undies to try them on. Now that I'm "adulting", it's up to me to complete this tradition—something I do very willingly.
While I haven't photographed all of my spring outfits just yet, I wanted to take the time to share the outfits that were worn at the BumbleBFF shoot I modeled for at the start of the month! I had such a blast shooting with Channing Baker from The Chan Chic and Kat Kitchen who works with Kendra Scott. We teamed up together to share our spring style secrets for this post.
My Spring Chambray
A lunch break-turned shopping spree back in February led me to purchase this adorable off-the-shoulder chambray top from Francesca's. I never have much luck there (the dresses are always HUGE on me!) but decided to give it a go since their window displays were so attractive. This top immediately caught my attention—I love the details such as the ties on the sleeves and the cross stitching along the top. These white jeans are from Madewell and my shoes, of course, are Adidas.
On my favorite spring colors
I am loving periwinkle and red orange as a color combination right now. I had periwinkle shellac polish on my nails for over a month recently and got so many compliments! Red orange is such a fiery color and the two play nicely off each other. See my spring mood board here!
What styles I'm loving this spring
My favorite thing right now is cropped jeans like these from Old Navy! And of course I'm looking forward to breaking out my pom pom sandals from last summer as well. Anything bright and funky is something I will be gravitating toward this spring!
Channing's Pop of Color
This bright and eye-catching off-the-shoulder top makes heads turn as you walk through the city. The ruffles and slightly-crimped fabric add a lot of movement to the simple fit. The saturated color is enough of a statement on its own, but can also be paired with fun spring patterns for a bit of a dimensional ensemble. Channing's top is from Beehive and her tasseled heels are from Steve Madden.
On why she loves spring style:
My favorite thing about spring style is how you can play around with color and experiment with silhouettes that are too warm for the wintertime! My favorite style for spring is anything with a Bardot neckline.
On how she came across this top and why she chose to wear it:
I came across my top at my favorite place to shop in Austin (Beehive in Westlake) and chose to wear it to the shoot because I thought the bright yellow color would perfectly compliment the flowers we would be shooting with!
To see more of Channing's girly style, follow her on Instagram or check out The Chan Chic!
Kat's Relaxed City Look
I loved Kat's look because it was something I could see myself running around in on the weekends or jazzing up with heels like she did for the shoot. A little black dress will never go out of style, especially when jazzed up with a cargo vest and statement accessories. Her dress and shes were from Target (always my favorite spot for a good steal!) and the vest is BP. from Nordstrom. Her necklace and bracelet are from Kendra Scott.
On what makes an outfit perfect for springtime in Austin:
I think making an outfit perfect for springtime in Austin means finding the perfect balance between cute and comfortable. There's nothing worse than sweating and sticking in your new digs! Make sure you are choosing to buy and wear pieces that will get you through your busy Saturdays shopping on South Congress and your all day brunching on Sunday.
On what she looks for in purchasing new clothes:
I always ask myself one question: Will I get good use out of this? It's better to have a bunch of pieces you can create countless looks with than a few statement pieces that you can't get away with wearing more than a few times. Simplicity is key. It goes a long way.
To see more of Kat's colorful style and adventures working for Kendra Scott, follow her on Instagram!
All of these photographs were taken by the very talented Laura Dominguez of Laura Alexandra Photo. She had such a natural eye for locations and captured these memories perfectly! We took these photos all around West Sixth and Trader Joe's, where the industrial textures and lines were very pronounced—allowing the colorful flowers and spring outfits to really pop. If you haven't already checked out why I love Bumble, click here to read why.
Like what you see? Follow Miss Madds on Instagram!
DO COOL SH*T
You may be unfamiliar with Miki Agrawal, but chances are you’ve heard of Thinx period panties at least once within the past six months.
Her novel, Do Cool Sh*t: Quit Your Day Job, Start Your Own Business, and Live Happily Ever After, caught my eye while I was ascending the escalators up to the top floor of the Austin Convention Center for my first SXSW panel. Agrawal’s professional yet personable tone and meaty business insight was just what I needed to inspire me for the week.
Read MoreI WORE FALSIES FOR A WEEK: HERE'S WHAT HAPPENED
Getting eyelash extensions is something I have been going back and forth about for a few months. Do I ruin my naturally long and pretty eyelashes for a synthetic product to make them look fuller on the outer edges, or keep layering on four coats of mascara every day? Friends and followers have shared horror stories about their eyelash extensions on my social media and I wasn’t sure I was ready to try them out for myself.
Instead of spending the dough and risking my God-given lashes, I decided to resort to some old friends from my years of competitive dance—drugstore falsies.
Read MoreBUMBLE IS FOR THE LADIES
When I downloaded Tinder, I was immediately creeped out. What my friends claimed to be a carefree and fun experience was nothing short of disturbing -- the process of guys deciding if I was worth the initial conversation based on a few photos of me was, in my mind, sanctioning the objectification of women that I was so desperately looking to avoid. I thought the thrill of swiping and getting attention would be freeing in a way (I had just gotten out of a looong relationship), but instead it felt the opposite. I vowed to never, ever sign up for a dating app again.
Fast forward to October, when I finally downloaded the wonder that is Bumble.
I had been seeing their name pop up on my social media for ages and finally decided it was time to give it a go. After just a few moments on the app, I was hooked.
Read MoreSXSW STYLE + WHERE TO BUY
If you haven't seen my Instagram, Snapchat, Twitter AND Facebook within the past ten days, I have some exciting news for you!
I went to South By Southwest... and I had a grand old time. I met Jon Hamm, almost met James Franco, only spent about $75 on Fasten rides and even managed to score two free chicken salad sandwiches in one day (more on that later.)
There was nothing like the feeling of being surrounded by thousands of people bursting at the seams with knowledge and ideas. That energy, coupled with some killer outfits and a good book, made for my perfect version of a "festival."
Read More10 THINGS I LEARNED ABOUT KESHA AT SXSW
Animals, rejoice!
Kesha was in town for SXSW and got mad real about things like cyberbullying and what it was like having to learn to accept her body during rehab. She even told the audience how many whale tattoos she has. (Spoiler alert—it's three!)
Amy Emmerich, chief content officer at Refinery29, did the interviewing and the audience did the Snapchatting, the tweeting and the live streaming.
The visit from Kesha was prompted by Refinery29's most recent initiative, Reclaim Your Domain. The campaign, which uses #reclaimyourdomain, is focused on spreading awareness about online harassment and cyberbullying to promote a safer online space... especially for women.
Read MoreWORK WEAR: FEMININE
There's nothing more inspiring to me than a woman who is strong in her beliefs, fearless in her pursuits and gracious to those who who wrong her. I am a firm believer that women can be both tough and feminine, bold and delicate. I am lucky enough to be surrounded by women who inspire me every day with their creative minds and kind hearts and credit half the chances I take to their showing me the way.
That was my inspiration behind this outfit -- I wanted something that made me feel feminine and beautiful but commanded attention and gave me an outlet to assert my confidence.
Read MoreCUT + COLOR AT BLONDE FAITH SALON
I said GOODBYE to my Rapunzel locks on Valentine's day and ushered in a new era of hair at Blonde Faith Salon. The colorist and stylist I worked with was Ally Feezel, whose work I found (and fell in love with) on Instagram. It turned out she knew a friend of mine and had been following me for some time, so we set up a time for me to come in so she could work her magic.
The salon looks like it's straight off of Pinterest with its mint green drawers lining the walls and the classy gold mini chandeliers hanging from the ceiling. From the minute I walked in the door to the second I walked out, I felt like the employees were genuinely interested in helping me have the best experience -- something salons sometimes lack. I never once felt like they were judging my worn out color and dead ends like I have at other salons!
Read MoreWORK WEAR: TAILORED
A subtle ruffle is something that can't go wrong when placed correctly and the ruffles on each shoulder of this Zara dress are no exception. I like the variation of this pattern (typically it's white with black) because it feels very warm to me. My closet is pretty monochrome in the work wear department, but this dark navy with a pop of red is something that is still subtle enough for me to wear to a place of employment.
This is one of those pieces you can just throw on and head out the door in without much fuss. You can dress it up by putting your hair in a low bun with some volume or by adding a statement necklace if need be! I am wearing it with my suede peep toe heels from Aldo, but a nice white cutout loafer or pair of nude ballet flats would go great as well.
Read MoreWORK WEAR: ARTSY
Thank God it's Monday.
Yes, I said it! I LOVE Mondays, and here's why: they're the fresh start I need every seven days. Mondays get a really bad rap (Ugh... work! School! Life! No thank you!) but they've been my favorite day for as long as I can remember.
Maybe it's because my life is in a constant state of disarray -- I have places to be, people to see and things to accomplish... oftentimes all at once -- and Mondays give me a clean slate to organize my thoughts and plan my schedule. Nothing ever really changes from Sunday to Monday (I'm always a hot mess by midweek no matter how hard I try), but it always feels like it has the potential to be different. Who knows, maybe this week will bring me something I've never imagined in my entire life! Not to mention, a new week brings seven new opportunities to put together outfits, play with makeup and (hopefully) inspire friends and followers to do the same.
Read MoreWORK WEAR: URBAN
Some things never change, like my love for wearing denim to the office.
Oh no! Denim? In the office? Sorry business majors, this post may not be for you. I've never been a business kind of girl -- despite my stint taking business classes to earn a certificate in college. Try to put me in a button down and blazer and I feel completely out of my element. I do own a few blazers, of course, but I never pair them with matching slacks or a pencil skirt. Instead of the stuffy LinkedIn business casual look, I prefer a variation that consists of a cheap and lightweight button up short sleeve shirt with a jean jacket or light colored blazer.
Can and should jean jackets be worn to the workplace? It obviously depends on the profession, but since I'm chasing a creative one (and style is a big part of that focus) I think the answer is YES -- as long as you dress it up and don't look grungy.
Read MoreFALLING IN LOVE WITH FEBRUARY
I'm never sure what I love more about February -- the month itself or the fact that it's short and spring break is right around the corner. If I had to guess, it'd probably be the latter.
This month I'm doing something a little different than I normally do on MissMadds.com! I've put together one month full of fun work outfits to inspire all your hard working individuals who maybe need some fresh ideas on what to wear to the office.
One thing I love (but also hate) about Austin is how casual workplaces tend to be when it comes to dress. On one hand it's nice not to feel under dressed in the office -- especially when you're rushing around trying to balance work and school -- but I'm a girl who loves to look her best! I think it's partially because of the respect I have for the companies I work with and partially because I love clean-cut clothing.
Read MoreMINI SKIRTS & MURA SHIRTS
If ever I've loved a piece of clothing, it's this suede skirt right here. For those of you that follow me on Instagram, you know this to be true: it matches everything, it can be worn from hot to cold and cold to warm weather, it makes me feel a lot cooler than I really am.
Which is why I am wearing it in this winter weather that is, in fact, not wintry at all!
What's up with you, Texas? Why are you so sunny and warm at the end of January? Don't you know that Punxsutawney Phil hasn't even come out of his hole to predict the end of winter yet?
Read MoreHOW I STYLE MY HAIR WITH USMOOTH
I've been in a hard-fought war with my baby hairs for 21 years now, so when the chance to try out new hair care products comes my way, I always take it.
My latest endeavor has been testing out some products from usmooth, a professional hair care line that was brought to my attention via Instagram. The ucare products are safe for color-treated hair, infused with sunflower oil (for moisture and shine as well as UV protection) and smell absolutely amazing. Although I tried about six products, only two of them made the cut for my hair care routine—I'm a tried and true Unite user when it comes to in-shower products and decided to let usmooth take center stage when it comes to styling
Read MoreMADDY'S MUST-HAVES: JANUARY 2017
Better late than never.
My forever motto, as most of what I do is something I've been working on for ages (like this post) and then forgot about (like this post) and then eventually got around to doing (like this post.) Let's all pretend like the first month of 2017 isn't more than halfway over and I have my life together just a bit more than the next person, okay?
So here they are, my favorite products of the new year. Cheers!
Read More