Outfit: Little Red

     These pictures were taken about a month ago by Andy. I was pretty wishy-washy about whether I would even use them as an outfit post, because I just thought looked a bit silly. I mean, my cat-eyed sunnies and over-sized 80's sitcom-mother blouse didn't seem to translate to any kind of "fashion", to me. I actually was a little embarrassed that I wore this to work after seeing these photos for the first time. But, after looking the pictures over, I began to feel differently. I'm even wearing the same blouse as I type this post now. The realization that I've come to is that the outfit shown above is truer to my style than any other I've shared on Rags and Roses. A balance of vintage and modern; various decades revealing different quirks and character. The point of this little story is (A) I think way too much about small, petty details and (B) don't doubt yourself and personal style. So, yeah.

With love,

Heather

Outfit Details:

Sunnies- Urban Outfitters

Blouse- Vintage

Jacket- Old Navy (thrifted)

Jeans- Urban Outfitters

Loafers- Vintage

These Days

     These are just a few bits from my weekend. We celebrated Andy's 25th Birthday on Friday, since I had to work on the actual date. I was so relieved to have his gifts arrive on time; online shopping is nerve-wracking. He loved his camera-lens coffee mug and Nan Lawson print. That Pushing Daisies illustration almost didn't make it in his gift bag. Andy and I both became fans of the prematurely-cancelled show after we were introduced by his sister. I have tried and failed to find much merchandise from the series, so I really lucked out with this one. 

      After a Saturday shift at work, the rest of my weekend was spent watching movies, reading, and drinking tea. I just picked up The Fault In Our Stars after a hiatus from literature; I needed some time to just soak in On the Road, the book I had previously finished. I have to say that I am really liking it so far. Sometimes it is completely necessary to revisit the young-adult genre, especially when it comes to anything by John Green. My sister and I did make it out of the house briefly on Sunday to shop for her graduation and eat too much sushi. However, we were back by 5 pm for a pretty heated game of rummy. As you can see, my life is basically a non-stop Nelly video.

     Until next time,

Heather

We Make Our Own Fun

     My friend and fellow blogger, Ashley, and I were so excited to have a day full of eventful, blog-worthy moments together. Unfortunately, that was just not how things turned out. We pretty much struggled from Jump Street on what to do/where to go. All of our usual hang out spots sounded like just that: usual. We wanted adventure, darn it! After an hour or so of lolly-gagging around Barnes and Noble and a few other places downtown, we decided food was our best bet. We moseyed our way to a diner called Shugar Freaks to indulge in massive sandwiches and  fried pickles. After the greasy spoon pick-me-up, we headed to Goodwill to see what goods we could discover. That turned out to be nothing, as the day would have it. Ashley and I were at least able to snap some dreamy pictures of the sunset out at the reservoir. Here, we stumbled upon a bunch of curious geese and multiple stray cats, none of which were interested in being domesticated by me. It was essentially like The Jungle Book, people. After enduring the unseasonably chilly temperature, we threw in the towel on our search for excitement. 

     Of course, I still had fun with Ashley even if all we accomplished was overeating. It is just saddening to me that we have to leave town to experience actual entertainment. I mean, we've lived in this area forever and we still don't know what people do for fun around here. We are just far too fabulous for the sticks, I suppose. C'est la vie.

With love,

Heather

Spotlight: Flower Beauty

     As soon as I read in last month's Nylon magazine that Drew Barrymore had her own line of drugstore beauty products, my interest was sparked. I happen to love Ms. Barrymore, for your information. I took it upon myself to find out more about her products by visiting the Flower Beauty website, where I uncovered some pros and cons about the line. Pros: no animal testing is used, company money isn't spent on commercial advertising so products can stay affordable, everything is produced in the USA, and it is free of pore-clogging toxins. Cons: it is only available at Wal-Mart. Now, I know that the pro-to-con ratio seems pretty promising, but you need to know something about me; I loathe Wal-Mart. In fact, I loathe Wal-Mart almost as much as I love Drew Barrymore. Seems like a bit of pickle, right?

     One day Andy and I stopped at a Wal-Mart to pick up snacks before heading out of town, so I decided to check out the Flower Beauty feature. I was immediately impressed with their ultra-chic, rose-gold  packaging and clever names; e.i.-About Face foundation, Secret Service concealer, Sheer Up lip gloss, etc. However, I am a penny-pincher, and $13 foundation is not exactly "affordable" when it comes to drugstore make-up. Alas, I walked away without making any purchases.

     About a week after the trip with Andy, I was having a bad "looks" day. My skin was completely broken out, and the make-up that I was using only seemed to make it worse. I had some extra cash, so I just decided to take a dive into Flower Beauty products. This turned out to be one of the best beauty decisions/ investments I have ever made. The foundation I bought matched my olive-toned skin perfectly, went on smooth, and did not have a caked-up effect. The concealer also provided awesome coverage to problem areas. I was most impressed by the powder, though. It evens skin and gives a matte finish, while still looking completely natural. My breakouts and dry-patches have been at an all-time low with Flower Beauty, as well, because the make-up is totally breathable on your skin. 

     I am so incredibly glad that I spent the extra money this time around; you really do get far more than what you pay for with these products. Another plus is that a little goes a long way, so its not something you'd have to buy often. Which is especially good news for me, because I'd like to keep the Wally World trips to a minimum. I'm really looking forward to incorporating Drew's lipsticks and eye shadow pallets into my routine, as the reviews I've read have been mega-positive. If you're looking to switch over to another brand, I'd definitely give Flower Beauty a shot!

Here's a better look at my own results:

Before

After

(This post is purely opinion. I did not receive any funding to promote or endorse the products mentioned above.)

Outfit: Summer Skin

     There comes a point every year when a girl, or me specifically, has the internal conflict about if it's actually hot enough outside for shorts/no tights. Just me? Okay, whatever. I am always having a back-and-forth debate with myself if I'm ready to uncover what my Winter jeans and hosiery have been hiding, when warm weather strikes. That is A LOT of pale and prickle to unleash.  During my adventure around Columbus with Andy, however, I had one of those moments. I was wearing black tights under a black dress, the sun was beaming down on me like a laser beam, and I did the unthinkable: I took my tights off. It finally felt like Summer! Of course, today it is raining and forty-something degrees outside. Funny.

Outfit Details:

Jacket- thrifted

Dress- Urban Outfitters (hella clearance)

Boots- Forever 21

Bag- Vintage

Sunnies- Jessica Simpson

A Different City

     Andy and I found ourselves back in Columbus Monday afternoon, with me having the day off and the weather permitting traveling. I've been in the city a lot more often lately, and that makes me pretty happy. It's extremely easy to get underwhelmed with the sights and sounds around here. I'll take all of the day trips that I can get.

     We started out at our usual stops in Columbus: thrift stores and United Dairy Farmers, for some browsing around and an ice cream cone. Later, we took a lengthy walk about the Short North, where Andy was kind enough to snap a few outfit photos for me. Andy and I ended the night with a sushi dinner at Akai Hana. It was Uhh-mazing. We ordered some of the best miso soup I have ever tasted, along with veggie spring rolls and a variety of sushi rolls. Yum!

     I'd like to take a moment to apologize for being such a flaky blogger here recently. I am trying very hard to keep up with consistently entertaining posts for you all to enjoy, but my free time has been a bit lacking. I have recently made the decision to take the steps to get back into school and find a second job, with the ultimate goal being to transfer to eventually transfer to a university and find an apartment. Aside from a hectic schedule, as you may have gathered from my description on where I am writing from, things are often just too normal and boring to try to make a quality post. That being said, I am excited to share my journey of getting things together on Rags and Roses, both good and bad. And, I hope that you all will stick with me during this endeavor. I've been really fortunate so far in having loyal readers, and have loved every moment of writing this blog. So, I'm not going anywhere. Promise!

Anywhoozer, I'll be back with an outfit post later in the week. I leave you with an example of what happens when you ask your boyfriend to hold your camera for you while you use the restroom. Dork.

Until next time,

Heather