Disclosure Statement

    I love blogging.  I really do.  I get to share my thoughts with you and get some great responses in return.  The thing is, blogging doesn't pay, normally.  Sure I could accept payments to review products, but that's not my style.  I prefer to give you my independent opinion, good, bad or in between, and not feel beholden to anyone in the process.  I have, in the past reviewed products that have been sent to me as gifts and given you my opinions on those.  In fact, I've reviewed things I've bought myself just to share my experiences with you.  And at the bottom of every such post I make sure to let you all know exactly what's going on.  This post is doing the same thing.
     I've decided to try to make a little bit of money off my blog.  In the next few days, for example, you'll see that I'll have a blog sponsor for the next 6 months.  In addition, I've created affiliate links with a few companies.  When I give you "The Details" in my outfit posts, I'll also be linking to similar or the same items that you can click through to and purchase.  If you chose to do so, I will get a small commission on these sales in return.  Linked items labeled as “similar” are as close as possible to what I’m actually wearing. If whatever I have on is still available for sale, I will always link directly to it, even if I can’t create an affiliate link that will earn me income.  I also have ads in the column to the right that will earn money for the blog with each impression or click through. 
     I hope that you know that I'm not selling out or trying to push purchases on you.  I'll still be the same chick figuring out how to get from law school to be a lawyer and sharing my journey with you.  If you have any questions, please feel free to ask by email or in the comments.  It is my goal to always be open with you.
<3, A-C 

Merry Christmas

Merry Christmas!  

I also want to announce the winner of my is Misikko.com giveaway!  The winner is Claudia!  I'll be emailing you in the next few days so Misikko can send you your goodies.  Thanks to everyone that entered!

Hair party

     I went to a hair party a week ago and had a really great time.  One of my neighbors stopped the Fiance a few weeks ago while he was walking Bella to invite me to the hair party she was having.  The daughter of a friend of hers does hair and several times a year my neighbor hosts a hair party for her friends.  If you have no idea what I'm talking about, lemme explain.  A hair party is where a stylist does hair, cut, color, style, in someone's home and charges WAY less than in a salon.  This is because she's able to pocket everything except for whatever she spends on supplies rather than having to give a cut to the salon.  (lol!)

     Anyway, so I went over to my neighbor's house and met some lovely ladies and had a great time.  We had food and wine and it was great.  Even though I was the youngest one there except for the hair stylist (Hi Bethany!) I really enjoyed the companionship.  I think I've been feeling starved for friendship and company and this really made me feel good.  Since we moved in August, other than work, I haven't had a chance or opportunity to be with people other than family or the Fiance.  I really need to find friends in my area, but with time and monetary constraints, it just hasn't been feasible.  Luckily for me I have a very sweet neighbor and hopefully will be able to go to more hair parties in the future.  I mean, how often do you get your hair washed in someone's kitchen sink and get to drink wine shortly thereafter?  

     I decided not to do anything super different with my hair.  Everything in my life is in limbo right now, so I opted to keep something constant.  I asked Bethany to trim the ends to make everything even and then to give me side swept bangs.  The truth is that she cut almost nothing off the ends so the length has stayed almost the same as before.  The bangs are really the only difference.  That and she added face framing layers to blend the bangs in.  She also blow dried and ironed my hair for me too.  All for $20.  It was quite the deal.  Have you ever been to a hair party?  How was your experience?
     This outfit is also a great example of how I've been dealing with the cold.  Here I layered a tank, a sleeveless top and a cardigan all to keep me warm.  Layering is one of my favorite ways to remix items and keep warm.  It also allows for me to wear a leopard print top to work and not look scandalous. 

The Details:
Tank: Old Navy
Top: Express
Cardigan: Target
Pants: Gap
Heels: Nine West




Don't forget to enter my Giveaway with Misikko.com! 

Giveaway: Misikko.com

As promised, here is my giveaway with Misikko.com.   

In order to enter you have to fill out the form below, please only fill out the form once.  If you would like more than one entry you can earn one entry for each of the following:

1. Follow Misikko on Twitter (@misikko)

2. Blog about the giveaway on a personal website.

3. Join Misikko’s newsletter (www.misikko.com/newsletter-signup.html)

4. “Like” Misikko on Facebook (www.facebook.com/MisikkoBeauty)

5. Interact with Misikko’s Facebook – Comment on a post or picture, or write on our wall (www.facebook.com/MisikkoBeauty)

As per Misikko.com:

For the 5^th extra entry option, please make sure your readers don’t just write “extra entry for ___ blog’s giveaway” or “XYZ Blog sent me!” Our Facebook is one place where our customers can access our beauty experts directly. They can ask questions about products or hair care, or comment on a recent trend or style – anything relevant to beauty!

Rules:

1. Fill out the form once with all of your entries
2. This is only for US or Canadian readers (sorry International readers!) 
3. You're limited to one Misikko.com giveaway winner.  So if you've won a Misikko.com giveaway elsewhere this year, sorry.  But next year is right around the corner!
4. Deadline to enter is Midnight Eastern time December 23, 2010.  Winner will be chosen and posted December 24, 2010.   

To clear up some confusion: if you put your email address with your name that's already one entry.  If you only want one entry, that's all you've got to do.

Product Review: Chi Silk Infusion

    Remember this post where I said I would be back to review another product sent to me via Misikko.com, home of the "Professional Blow Dryer"?  Well here it is.  It's taken me so long to post it because I wasn't 10000% impressed with the product.  Let me explain.

    The product I was asked to review is the Chi Silk Infusion.  Now, I have heard about Chi straighteners for years and wondered if their hair products would live up to that hype.  For me at least, the Silk Infusion did not.  I used the product for a few weeks by doing my normal thing: wash my hair, put product in, go to sleep with it wet, wake up with pretty hair.  And while the Chi Silk Infusion did exactly that, my second day hair was less than impressive.  
     You see, I don't wash my hair every day so I rely on whatever leave-in I use to keep my hair curly and bouncy even after I've worn it down a whole day and slept on it.  Inevitably this means that about a third of the time my hair goes up about halfway through day 2.  The thing is that with some products my hair looks great even on day 2, even on the night of day 2!  The Chi Silk Infusion just didn't do that for me.  This doesn't mean that my first day hair was dreadful, it wasn't.  It was beautiful: nice and soft, curly and bouncy.  It's just that second day hair fell pretty flat from the second I woke up.
     My conclusion is that if you need to wash your hair everyday or you want to keep your hair straight, then this product is probably for you.  It has a nice light smell that is not at all noticeable once hair is dry and its easy to apply.  However, if you rely on your products to keep your hair looking curly and bouncy for more than a day, then I would recommend you try the Hana Shine Shield that I reviewed from Misikko.com that is still working beautifully for me.

Lastly, I will be hosting a giveaway later this week in which Misikko.com will provide one of my lucky readers with BOTH the Hana Shine Shiled and the Chi Silk Infusion.  So keep a look out!  


*This is a requested review.  I did not receive compensation for the review other than the products to be reviewed.  Nonetheless, all opinions are my own and are shaped by my experiences testing the product.*

Product Review: Hana Shine Shield

    A few weeks ago, the lovely people at Misikko.com approached me about doing a product review and giveaway. After checking out the site and seeing that they're the home of the "Best Flat Iron" and being the great big fan of hair products that I am, I jumped at the chance.   A few days later a box filled with a whole bunch of goodies was waiting for me on the counter when I got home from work (The Fiancé brought it in for me).  I went eeny meeny miney mo and decided to try the Hana Shine Shield first. 
     After washing my hair I poured about a quarter sized dollop of Shine Shield in my palm, rubbed it between my hands and finger combed it into my hair from roots to tips.   I brushed through my damp hair to make sure it got spread evenly, then threw my hair up in a towel turban (as per my routine).  A short time later I went to sleep with my hair wet and woke up with fluffy, full of body and soft curls.  It only got better as second day hair was equally gorgeous.   Having seen what Shine Shield did in my hair as normal, I decided to throw it a curveball by ironing my hair. 

     If you've followed this blog for a while, you'll know that I don't iron my hair all that often.  It tends to take a bit of time and actually requires effort, 2 things I don't have a lot of.   But to test this product I wanted to make sure I threw everything at it.  So I ironed my hair and the Shine Shield performed spectacularly. My hair was soft, nongreasy, and beautifully straight even after having slept on it. Some products have a tendency to get my hair really greasy after a few hours after I've ironed it, but the Hana Shine Shield did not at all.  My hair stayed straight without any creases and didn't grease up at all, even into the second day.  Yup, that means that there were no creases or random curls after sleeping on it, TWICE! (Ironed my hair Sunday night and wore it straight Monday and Tuesday). 

     I very much recommend this product. It handled my hair very nicely and has a very light and pleasant scent. AND it doubles as a body lotion. The directions say you can apply it to skin, and being the curious blogger that I am, I applied it to my legs post-shave and they felt silky smooth.  At the current price of $29.99 or the reduced price of $18.99, the 2 oz bottle is a bit steep, however the 6 oz bottle that normally goes for $49.99 and is currently at $29.99 seems more reasonable.  I'm not 100% sure I would buy either size as they are rather pricey and currently out of my league, but I would at least seriously consider the 6 oz bottle for $29.99 as this product has worked really well with my hair. 
    Just an FYI, I will also be hosting a giveaway, but will do that when I review the second product Misikko.com sent me. 


*This is a requested review.  I did not receive compensation for the review other than the products to be reviewed.  Nonetheless, all opinions are my own and are shaped by my experiences testing the product.*

The yes and yes great birthday giveaway!

You should definitely head on over to yes and yes and check out Sarah's spectacular giveaway where yours truly is one of several loyal readers giving something away to celebrate this awesome blog. 

And the Winner is. . .

Entry Number 13 Chelsea!  Congratulations!

Chelsea said...thanks for reminding me about your giveaway :) I'd love the simplest one-color woven headband in pale blue or pink... I just love how pale shades go with my new(ish) auburn hair!

I'll email you in the next day or so to finalize your order. Thanks everyone for entering my giveaway!  If you still want to get your hands on a headband, head on over to my shop: http://www.etsy.com/shop/ACsCrafts and place an order.  For the rest of March, if you mention Law School Fashionista in your order you'll get 25% off your order! 

Giveaway Update

Halfway there and only 8 entries for my giveaway!  Better hurry!  http://bit.ly/al8H3q

Comfy Florals

    Last Wednesday I went to work wearing this.  I managed to mix patterns and textures and different shades of blue and gray IN THE SAME OUTFIT!  Yes, it's that big of a deal. :)  At least for me it is.  


The Details:
Gray Men's undershirt: Hanes
Cardigan: Target
Necklace: gift
Headband: Forever 21
Skirt: American Apparel
Floral Tights: Hanes Outlet (detail below)
Flats: Target

I just *had* to show you all this picture.  Proof that the world does revolve around shoes. :) 

Don't forget to enter my Custom Headband Giveaway!

Grand Opening!

   If you follow me on Twitter at all, you know that this weekend I opened my etsy shop.  I make and sell ribbon headbands.  An example of me wearing a headband is to the left.  In Celebration of my new shop I will be hosting a Giveaway!  The winner will get their very own customized headband.  Any color(s) or design can be chosen. 


The Rules:
- Go to my Shop and leave a comment on this post telling me what headband you would like and in what color(s).  In the comment please leave a valid email address.  (All entries without an email address will be deleted).
For additional entries do one or more of the following (and let me know in separate comments):
- For a second entry blog about the giveaway.
- For a third entry twitter about the giveaway.
- For a fourth entry become a follower of the blog.


The Giveaway will be open until Sunday March 21, 2010 at midnight EST.  The winner will be chosen by random.org and will be announced Monday March 22, 2010. 

We Have a Winner!

So we had 77 comments which translated into 80 entries.  I put them all in a spreadsheet, went over to random.org, but in my parameters and came up with the number 35.  Number 35 on my spreadsheet was Heidi who chose the cherry apron.  Congratulations Heidi! I'll be putting you in touch with CSN in the next few days.

 




Thanks to all of you who participated and hopefully I'll be able to host more giveaways in the future.

Today is the last day!

Today is the last day to enter into the Apron Giveaway!

Shabby Apple Giveaway

While blog hopping this weekend I came across Fashion for the Economically Challenged and her Shabby Apple dress giveaway.  I highly recommend you enter her giveaway, and in the process check out her blog.  I am so happy to see another curvy blogger with her J.D.  So yea, check it out. 

Don't forget to enter into the Apron Giveaway! 

 

Here's to you Audra Jean!

    About a week ago I posted the advice that Audi of Fashion for Nerds gave me in figuring out how to wear this hat. The advice that really struck me and got the gears turning was this:

It would look great with a skirt, blazer, and boots, particularly with an outfit in which you mix different neutrals together.

    I immediately thought of this yellow linen skirt. I bought it several months ago at the consignment store and even thought of dyeing it brown. Even though dyeing it is still in the back of my mind, for the time being, I really like the yellow. Thinking of combining neutrals and staying warm, I initially wanted to grab my brown blazer. Knowing that I would need to wear a heavier coat, and that one wouldn't fit well over the blazer, I opted for a sweater instead. Keeping with the neutral theme, this turquoise-gray sweater over a black tank top fit the bill. My black boots over black tights made sure to keep me warm. 
    I've had this belt for years. I'm not entirely sure where I got it from, but I *think* it came with a pair of jean shorts I bought in high school. I'm pretty sure the shorts are long gone (or hiding somewhere in my closet at my parent's house). But the belt remains, and when putting this outfit together, I felt like I needed an extra detail to bring it all together, hence the belt. That the beads at the end of the leather strands happen to be a darker turquoise than the sweater just worked out wonderfully.
 
The Details: 
Turquoise sweater: Mossimo Target brand (old)
Black tank: ON
Yellow skirt: Consignment
Tights: L'eggs
Boots: Target
Braided belt: no idea
Necklace: no idea


   This was my first try wearing this hat out and about.  It ended up working perfectly as it was raining all day long and I was able to store my hat in my locker when I got to school.  I really liked wearing it and felt like the bad weather was a good way to ease into wearing something new.   

How do you try new things?  Jump right in or slowly ease into them?  

Don't forget to enter into the Apron Giveaway! 

Apron Giveaway

Earlier this week, someone from CSN approached me about doing a possible giveaway on Law School Fashionista. After looking through their sites http://www.cookware.com/ and http://www.allbarstools.com/ I found these three aprons and knew I just had to figure out a way to give one of them away. CSN sells all sorts of kitchen stuff aside from aprons including stool, bar stuff, and cookware.

 Flower Pot Apron

 Cherry Apron

 Cheery Chirps Apron

 So here's the deal:

• Leave a comment telling me which of the three aprons you would choose if you win. (1 entry)
  
• For a second entry be a follower of Law School Fashionista. (1 entry)
  
• For a third entry share the giveaway by Twitter, Facebook or your own blog (just let me know where). (1 entry)
• 3 total available entries. 
• For U.S. and Canadian readers only (sorry!)

The giveaway will be closed Friday February 12, midnight Eastern Time and a winner will be chosen by random shortly thereafter.

Amadeus (+ giveaway!)

    This outfit is from a couple of Fridays ago.  Sorry my posting has been all out of order, but sometimes I just don't feel like writing a post about some outfits when I do about others.
    Anyway, I chose to debut my black Hanes cardigan by belting it over this ruffly purple top. From the second I belted it, I felt like a modern day punky Mozart (hence the title). Looking at the pictures now, I probably should have gone for a lighter gray pair of pants to add some life back into the outfit. Or maybe it's the light (or lack thereof) in my dining room. I'm not sure.   
    Either way, this belt is new and actually one of the only things I've paid full price for in a LOOOOOONG time. I've been wondering for a while now why that is. Part of it is that I want to save money, and if waiting a bit longer for something to go on sale is what it takes, well that's all fine and good. What I'm afraid of is that this feeling that is from a good place, will turn into one from a bad place. That I'll start to think that I'm only worth paying sale price for things, that I deserve to wait for things to be on sale and possibly miss out on them, that I'm not worth the full price. My guess is that thinking about it beforehand will insure that it won't happen, but there's this nagging feeling in the back of my mind that's telling me that my love for sales shopping will turn into self-destructive behavior.  Let's hope not.

The Details:     
Cardigan: Hanes outlet 
Purple Ruffly top: Target 
Gray pants: Gap 
Black Heels: Nine West 
Belt: Target

Fashion Challenge Contest

Found this contest today while messing around on facebook.  It's open until December 9 and you get a $50 Sears gift card if you win. Good Luck!

Giveaway Winner!

In trying to make choosing a winner fairly---I chose to enlist Bella to help me.  So for your viewing pleasure, Bella choosing the winner: 

P.S. Evie is the Winner!

Last Chance!

Today is your last chance to enter the Law School Fashionista & Clever Clip Giveaway! 

Link to original post: http://lawschoolfashionista.blogspot.com/2009/11/clever-clip-giveaway.html