On a seriously sexy note...

When I heard about Cherie Ami, and Be Sexy Buy Fair, I'll admit, I thought... wth? What in the world does selling lingerie have to do with fighting poverty? Well, for Tara, the connection was simple. Sell something that women already love to buy, and in the process, help women across the world make a better life for themselves.

I don't know Tara... I've met her a few times, and we're friends on Facebook, but I wouldn't call her a friend. However, her story inspires me. Her mission, her passion, her devotion to people, not just women she saw everyday, but ones she had never met. She wanted to help make this world a better place, and was in the process of doing her part. Please read more about her story and her endeavors at the link above.

"This entire year of fundraising was to get her to Cameroon and have the pieces made...She got back last night with all the goods so we could launch the website on black friday and it caught fire just a few hours later. So terribly heartbreaking"

Quote from one of her models, Amanda. Her models, her makeup artists, her whole team... all worked so hard to make this dream come to fruition, and like that... it's gone. Thank goodness Tara was not injured in the fire, but her pieces were ruined.

If you think you can help, please help here. It's a small thing to give $10 for most of us, but this could mean the difference in so many lives.

-C

So, it's been a while...

I hate that I keep going weeks without blogging. I know it may seem like it only takes a few minutes to throw these posts down, but I really hate to do it in any rushed fashion. It's a due process, as any blogger can tell you. It typically involves an outline, key points, and a little ad libbing to make it more me thrown in at the end.

With all that's been going on, from the kids getting sick, to buying our first house (hooray!), blogging is something that I've let slip away. So, to get back on track, I have a contest! It's a contest sponsored by the wonderful Bloom.com. If you are a college student, and want to participate, please do! I really want one of you to win... did I mention there's a prize? A BIG one! A $1000 shopping spree at Bloom.com! They carry beauty products, in case you haven't already signed up (you can do so through that link up there!), everything from TheBalm, to Essie and OPI, to Stila... and they are expanding all the time. A wonderful company, and a great group to work with!

So here's the low down:
See the rules here!

THE CAMPUS BEAUTY BATTLE
When it comes to campus beauty tips and tricks does your school make the grade? Put your skills to the test against other campus beauties for a chance to win $1,000 in FREE beauty products!

SOCIAL BEAUTY 101:
1. Share your best looks on Bloom.com. For example: going out looks, 5 minute hairstyle, everyday makeup looks, etc.
You can upload photos to Bloom.com or our free Bloom BeautyTrends app available now on the Apple Store.

2. Share how you got the look in the details section and include #socialbeauty to enter your photo. You can even tag which products you used!

3. Once you’ve saved your photo, click the share button to encourage your Twitter, Facebook and Pinterest followers to vote for you!
The photo with the most “Looks Good!” votes wins! Feel like sharing your $1K beauty prize? Amp up your chances of winning by getting a team of friends to upload their photos. There is NO LIMIT to how many photos you can enter.

Voting starts November 1st and runs through November 20th. The photo with the most “Looks Good!” votes will be announced on Monday, November 26th.

So in order for our 'looks' to be tracked, you tag them with #socialbeauty AND #juneeffingcleaver

Good luck ladies, and please spread the word! The more people we get on team #JuneEffingCleaver the better!

-C

Another beauty review! Hooray!

This review is for Nia 24 Rapid depigmentation Serum. If you struggle with uneven skintone, like I do, I would say this one is worth the splurge. It's not magic, it won't give you photofacial results. What it will do is help you feel comfortable going to the market without concealer over your acne scars.

I would first like to say that I have used MANY products that claim to do the same things this does. Decreasing hyper pigmentation, evening skintone, etc. I used Idealist by Estee Lauder for 5+ years, thinking it was my favorite beauty product, but this... this takes the cake. Not only did it fade my sun spots, it made my pores appear smaller, and gave my face an even glow. This is worth every penny. If you are in a position to treat yourself, get this!

I few pictures to show the progress over the last 12 weeks. I wish I had a better camera so you could really see the improvement, but I think you can tell that there is one!

Totally putting it out there, lol. No makeup was used in any of these. No blur tools (obviously), just my skin. Ta da!

-C

My (free) Old Navy shopping spree!

If you don't already know (aka, not been blasted by my spam like posts on Facebook), I am a part of Crowdtap. What that means is that I get to review products for various companies, and in exchange for my feedback, I get free stuff! How awesome is that? If you are interested in joining, there is a little button to the right where you can join :) You should, it's awesome!

Most recently, I got the opportunity to treat myself and 3 friends to a free skirt, cardigan, and scarf EACH! I was blown away, and so excited! I decided to take some girls that are going to be in a bridal party with me in October. They had never met each other, so I was glad to be able to get us in the same place to discuss wedding stuff, and get a free outfit for the bridal shower coming up!

So, here is us, and what we chose :)

I loved what we got, and it rang up to about $60 each... for free! Can't beat that. Also, I have to say that I think that Old Navy got the memo that their clothes were decreasing in quality, because these were great. The stretch jersey skirts were thick and sturdy... not flimsy in the least. I've washed the cardigan twice already and no sign of pilling or fading. Way to go, Old Navy!

if I had time to paint my nails...

I would do so many fun things... the colors, the textures, the shiny happy people. Instead, I have a pedicure almost as old as my youngest child. True story.

I like to create sets on polyvore of adorable outfits I may never wear. Whether because I am 32, and can't rock a leather mini anymore, or because I have kids and seldom get the chance to throw on a cocktail dress. Regardless of those minor details, I spend hours perusing pages and pages of Chloe bags I can't afford to go with the vintage Chanel dress I super can't afford. It's like my grown up version of playing Barbie.

That said, I like to look at nail polish... I even buy nail polish in hopes that one day my sweet angel babies will decide to take naps at the same time and water turns into wine. Because there is equal probability.

So, here are some awesome polishes I think will carry over from Fall to Winter beautifully

nail trends for Fall 2012 by chanteewillis featuring a turquoise nail polish

Lancôme makeup
lancome-usa.com

Nail care
etsy.com

Nail polish
jacob.ca

Bobbi Brown Cosmetics turquoise nail polish
bloomingdales.com

Bobbi Brown Cosmetics turquoise nail polish
barneys.com




Some really pretty stuff up there, right? Any favorites? I am in LOVE with pretty much all of them, especially the deep teal. Anything you think I'm missing? 

-C

Country Chic wedding

They kind of seem to be everywhere right now... I love them so much! I happen to be the Matron of Honor in a Country Chic wedding in October, so we are knee deep in planning at the moment. If you follow my on Pinterest, you have seen my million pins about dresses, decor, wedding pictures, etc. It's been really fun picking out details for the bridal shower, too!

So, I put together a Polyvore set for the brides maids, to give them some ideas of the brides image of them on her big day. She wanted lacy, flowery, pretty dresses... nothing matchy. I loved this idea, and especially loved that she wanted us to all wear cowboy boots. Swoon.

So, here are the sets I put together for the girls:

Option 1 Bridesmaids by chanteewillis featuring a sheer cocktail dress

Sheer cocktail dress
modcloth.com

Sheer cocktail dress
modcloth.com

Dress
modcloth.com

Paul Joe wool cardigan
$300 - harrods.com

Monsoon v neck top
monsoon.co.uk

Full Tilt cotton cardigan
tillys.com

Ted Baker long sleeve top
tedbaker-london.com

Floral Dress with Lace Trim
maurices.com

Western cowgirl boots
buckle.com

Olsenboye western cowgirl boots
jcpenney.com

Faux leather boots
herbergers.com

Tan boots
amazon.com

Linea Pelle army belt
lineapelle.com

Linea Pelle leather waist belt
lineapelle.com

Linea Pelle vintage belt
lineapelle.com

Studded leather belt
barneys.com

This first set was the first I made. We thought we may go with belted cardigans, since it will be outdoors in October. I love this set, but something about it just didn't flow to me... So I made another.

bridesmaids 2 by chanteewillis featuring cowgirl boots

Keyhole dress
modcloth.com

Sheer dress
modcloth.com

Sheer dress
modcloth.com

Dress
modcloth.com

Dan Post cowgirl boots
sheplers.com

Cowgirl boots
dsw.com

Cowgirl boots
cavenders.com

Ariat western boots
sheplers.com

Carolee jewelry
carolee.com

Chrysoprase jewelry
modaoperandi.com

Drop earrings
adabelles.com

Leaf jewelry
$36 - zenggi.com

Dorothy Perkins stud earrings
dorothyperkins.com

Rare London necklace
$7.91 - rarelondon.com

So I made this one. I loved the delicate detail of my dress, so I kept it the same. Something about these dresses together makes my heart do flips. I just love it so much. Which set do you prefer? -C

Talking about babies last night...

Got me to thinking about my semi-crunchy ways. I have had so many friends from the past comment that they never thought they would see the day that I _____ (insert crunchy mom act here... cloth diaper, cook from scratch,make babyfood).

Truth is, having babies changes people. Most of the time in a positive, healthy way. It changed me from being someone so short sighted, so focused on the day to day that I dropped out of nursing pre reqs to bar tend. Looking back, not my finest move, but I was making good money, so I couldn't imagine that would ever end.

 Today I have my day planned. After cleaning the bathroom and mopping, I will stuff diapers and feed the chickens. Yes, chickens. I have 2 of them, and they are our pets. Friends, not food (Nemo, anyone?). Red and TuTu are our backyard chickens, and they are awesome and sweet and hilarious.

Stuffing diapers? Let me explain... We are a cloth diapering family. We just recently started this adventure, and are sad that we didn't know how easy it was when Crue was in diapers. It saves about $2000 over the span of 2 and a half years, too. I will link some super helpful videos below if anyone is interested. I breastfeed, I delay vaccinations, I try not to feed my family preservatives (as much as possible)... I don't consider myself a hippie, per se, but I can't say that growing up in Nor Cal didn't have a lingering affect on me, even though I've lived in Texas for 5 years now. I say y'all and hella. Sometimes in the same sentence.

 Anyway, if you have any questions about my parenting style, cloth diapers, breastfeeding, etc, please feel free to ask. I love sharing things that I wish someone had shared with me... it takes a village, right? -C


 P.S., this channel was super helpful to me when I decided to cloth!

Music Monday?

Because I've decided to hold myself to some standards. Standards that include matching things I love with days of the week. That being said, you know I'm a total procrastinator, so this may become Tune Tuesday next week.

Since I'm no music critic, or eloquent writer of any sort for that matter, I'm just going to pick a band, link you up to their blog, or facebook, and tell you why I love them. Nothing fancy, nothing crazy. Just love <3

Since this is the first post, I find it only fitting that I give you my very most favoritist (see, not eloquent) band ever. Ever. Ever. Ever.

I give you Eisley. How do I put my love for them into words? They are not only an amazing quintet of wonderful, and talented musicians, they are a family of beautiful and seemingly sweet, kind people. The band (originally called 'Mos Eisley', after the planet in Star Wars) is made up of three sisters, Chauntelle, Sherri, and Stacy, along with their brother Westin, and cousin Garron. More about their journey and cuteness here, if you're interested. Did I mention they are having babies? They are. All of them... at the same time. Yes, All three sisters are pregnant with girls, and Westins wife is having a boy. I love it. Sometimes I fantasize that I am a Dupree... except less creepy than that.

So, a few of my favorite song to get you started.


An interview so y'all can see how endearing the girls are
Smarter is one of my favorites... the wordplay, the harmonizing (what makes them super awesome, IMO), the video... all reflective of them as a band.
This one is dear to me, because when my husband and I started dating in 2006, we listened to this EP ALL the time. It reminds me so much of that time in our lives. It's also funny to see Sherri with 'normal' hair, lol.
And my current favorite... stuck in my head pretty much all the time. Mr. Moon So, there are a ton of awesome songs, but these are the few I hold dear. Check them out, you may love them as much as I do!

-C

Next week... Matt Good Band <3

Fashion Friday... on Sunday

So, my goal was going to be to start a 'Fashion Friday'... a post I would do every week, without fail. Welp, that got off to a great start ;) I totally started it on Friday, got caught up with other stuff,and my dear husband closed out the window on our computer... so here I am starting all over again. Not a huge deal, since I have all of my 'looks' for the week saved on Polyvore, and I hadn't said anything prolific in the 3 sentences I banged out late Friday night... so, with that, here we go!

First, my big score of the weekend... I am so stoked. See, I wanted this dress I saw on Gap.com SO bad... so bad I posted about it on Facebook (shit got real), but was not about to pay $75 for it. No ma'am. So, I gave up the search... I learned to live without that perfect Chevron Maxi dress. That was until I saw it at the Gap in Waco this weekend. On sale, WITH an extra 40% off the sale price. So, for under $30 I walked out with not one, but TWO of these gorgeous dresses!

With that score under my belt, I managed to add 3 tank tops and a pair of rust colored jeans from American Eagle... only spending $60 all together. While I have a really hard time spending money on myself, I couldn't be happier with my purchases, and feel like my wardrobe is so much more complete now. With that said, here are some looks I plan to recreate... looks I feel are essential for Fall/Winter.

First, the Hoodie. An essential in every aspect. The ability to take you from Summer to Fall, adding it to your tank top/cutoffs uniform in September drags your comfortable staples out another month... I can never have too many of these! Here are some looks I put together using a hoodie I have (the ON cream and neon stripes), and two I want real bad. All of these outfits are totally mix and match, and are perfect for everything from running errands, to playing with the kiddos, to shopping with girlfriends.

Must haves for fall by chanteewillis featuring blue jean shorts

Fat Face navy hoodie
$66 - johnlewis.com

Fat Face hoodie shirt
$66 - fatface.com

Old Navy graphic hoody
oldnavy.gap.com

Racer back tank
evanity.com

Scoop neck top
evanity.com

Forever New skinny fit jeans
$84 - forevernew.com.au

Quiksilver blue jean shorts
quiksilver.com

Sperry top-sider shoes
piperlime.gap.com

Mango suede ankle booties
mango.com



See what I mean about mix and match? You can totally wear the pink denim (or any colored would work... my new rust colored jeans will be in place of these) with the Sperry's or the booties. You could do the blue solid hoodie with the cutoffs and Sperrys, too... I love that.

The next set is my favorite, for it's versatility and classic look. I love all the feminine detail, the ease of the dresses, and again, the ability to mix and match the pieces.

Fall must haves by chanteewillis featuring aldo shoes

H M flare dress
$23 - hm.com

Oasis maxi dress
$75 - johnlewis.com

Hollister Co floral top
hollisterco.com

Lucky Brand flat
nordstrom.com

Aldo shoes
aldoshoes.com

Mulberry handbag
ssense.com

J.Crew stud earrings
jcrew.com



That said, I have no dresses like this. I need some, badly. The problem is, I am really long waisted, and they all end up looking far too short on me. I need to figure out a remedy to this, and quick! Imagine wearing the blue dress on a warm day, with the flats, and a month later pairing it with tights and booties. Even booties closer to the ones from the Hoodies set would look so cute! Throw on that cardigan, or a denim jacket, and it's a perfect cool fall date night outfit.

So, these are just a few looks I thought would be good to have in your closet if you are trying to go from this sweltering heat, to cool fall nights. There will be more to come on the Winter looks of 2012 (Wool coats, anyone?), but I leave you with this... my most hated trends of the year, so far...

Trends I hate by chanteewillis featuring a cat shirt

INC International Concepts maxi dress
macys.com

BCBGeneration maxi dress
macys.com

American apparel tank top
americanapparel.net

Cat shirt
romwe.com

Forever 21 graphic tee
forever21.com

Motel skinny jeans
$75 - motelrocks.com

Pretty much just trends I hate... From left to right:

Mustache, go away.
YOLO? YOU DIE.
Hi-Lo dress? You are like finding a parking space, only to find a motorcycle is there.
Men, please stoppit.
Hipsters, stop wearing grandma stuff 'ironically"
These prints make you look fat.
Ikat, you look like Southwest 1995 revisited.
(edited to add- I have a few friends who can pull off the ironic kitten look... you know who you are, and I love you. If you've been doing it since 2007, you get a pass) -C