Apricot Lane Blogger Event/Giveaway!

I've teamed up with Apricot Lane Boutique

 to kick off a summer of style. 

We're throwing a party, and you're invited! Join us on Thursday, June 27th from 6-8pm at Apricot Lane Boutique in The Shops at Riverwoods. It will be a night filled with fun and fashion--you won't want to miss it! For more details, visit the event page on Facebook.

I can't go. :( I will be in Boston for a weeklong American Revolution Field Study, so I guess I'm not too sad about it. :) But you should all go check this blogger event out because Apricot Lane throws an awesome party. 

As part of our collaboration, Apricot Lane is giving away TEN $25 gift cards to spend the night of the event. Enter to win by using the Rafflecopter below. The more requirements you complete, the greater your chance will be at winning. 

Ten winners will be selected on Wednesday, June 26th and contacted via email. The gift cards will be awarded by Apricot Lane Boutique the night of the event.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Spring Giveaway! $300 to Apricot Lane

I've teamed up with Apricot Lane and a group of bloggers to bring something extra chic to your spring. One very lucky reader will have the chance to enjoy a $300 Spring Spree to Apricot Lane Boutique in Provo, Utah.

To enter, simply use the Rafflecopter below. Points will be earned for each item completed--the more you do, the closer you'll get to winning your very own shopping spree.

The $300 Spring Spree Giveaway will run until midnight of Friday, April 26th, and it is open to Utah local participants.  The winner will be announced and contacted via email the following Saturday, April 27th. 

Wishing you luck!

a Rafflecopter giveaway 

Terms & Conditions: The Spring Spree Giveaway is for one $300 gift card to Apricot Lane Boutique in Provo, Utah. The gift card must be spent in-store at the Apricot Lane Boutique location in Provo, Utah. The giveaway will run from Friday, April 19th to Friday, April 26th. The winner will be announced the following Saturday on this Rafflecopter widget. All mandatory entries must be completed in order to win, including the winning entry. All entries will be verified, so please be honest in completing the entries.  To claim your prize, please respond to the email within 24 hours. Failure to do so will result in another winner being chosen. Once the winner has been selected, the decision is final. This giveaway is not affiliated with Facebook, Bloglovin', Google, Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest, or any other social media platform.

Popcorn Popping over on Apricot Lane

They don't have popcorn. Sorry. I don't mean to false-advertise. It was just too catchy to pass up.

What they do have is a rockin store full of trendy and classic clothes, sparkly baubles and The Beard's favorite - a boyfriend COUCH (upgrade from the usual boyfriend chair) with a big flatscreen TV. That way he could sit and watch ESPN the whole time I cased the store.

Our friend Aubry contacted me a few weeks ago to see if I'd like to style an outfit for their lookbook. After my excited giggling subsided I coolly and calmly responded that I probably could do that for her. I guess.

So I went down and got to style an outfit from their impressive selection of tops, bottoms, layering pieces, accessories and crazy amounts of jewels. Pretty much the best day of my life. It was made all the more fun by Kirsten and Sarah's company.

As you guys know, I'm pretty minimalist. I can't even layer without feeling overdone. I end up peeling off my layers before I get to school.

You also know I'm a bit of a fan of monochromatic black/gray ensembles. The sleeker the better. Sometimes I feel like Angela on the Office. "What are your favorite colors?" "Well, gray, dark gray, charcoal..." So this coat was kind of a no brainer. Plus it was soft and comfy. Win-win-win.

Aubry suggested that I put together an outfit that would be a great Valentines Date Night look - probably because I looked like a deer in headlights over all of my options.

Personally I like to look somewhat obnoxiously pink or red or both on V-day, because I get overly excited for random holidays. Here's a second type of look for those of us who aren't in 3rd grade on Valentine's day. Don't be surprised that it's minimalist and black-based.

These coated jeans give the look of leather (which I LOVE) without the sticky, tight feel. They lend the perfect amount of edge. As you can tell, I'm a shorty in need of some tailoring for my pants...

This shirt drew me in immediately. The fabric is light, but thick enough to look and feel like tweed. Paired with the dark, tight jeans it has an academic-meets-street feel. This shirt is the perfect reason to shop at a chic boutique like Apricot Lane - you can't find this stuff at your friendly neighborhood Forever 21. And you're missing out.


Let's talk accessories. Their selection was insane. I somehow always think I need black and gold jewelry because I wear it so much (even though I've got strands and strands of it in my jewelry stand). The chunky black necklace adds some intrigue to the simplicity of the outfit.

And boy can you start a pretty awesome arm party with their bracelet selection. I opted for this thick metal and leather band. Could I have added 100 sparkly gold bracelets? Yes. Would the Beard like it? No.

"You're too jingly and pokey!!"

Moral of the Story: Go check out Apricot Lane and those girls' blogs. You won't regret it.

Also, how do I make this going to stores/putting together looks/blogging about it thing my full time job? Anyone out there wanna pay me to do all their personal shopping? Clothing market research? Dressing room quality inspector?

Anyone?

Sometime, Always, Never - How to Not Be an Idiot in the Blogosphere

Ok so this Sometimes, Always, Never isn't about a fashion faux pas. Sorry. But this topic has been showing up on multiple blogs and it IS Friday. Therefore, Sometimes, Always, Never returns.

My friend Sierra posted about this.

Life of Bon posted about this. 

Even a dance/fitness tumblr I follow posted about shutting down her ask box because everything she was getting was rude or stupid, even though she makes workouts and inspirational posts FOR FREE.

I am lucky to never have had an issue with rude/stupid/retarded comments on my blog, and wouldn't mind if I did. A girl once complained about a post we wrote on BYU Style back in the day when Katie and I were writing for it, and we just LOLed and LOLed over it. No harm done.

Despite all logic and humanity, blogging has somehow become a controversial issue. Blows. My. Mind.

To me, blogging is such a small, insignificant part of my life. I really like to write and I love reading blogs, but if my blog went away (Natural Disaster, Apocalypse, Electronic/Internet failure) would my world end? NO. It's just a fun thing to add to my life.

Logic would conclude that Blogging is this:

1. Someone has a site where they post their thoughts, ideas, outfits, recipes, opinions, intelligence and stupidity.
2. You DO NOT have to read it, they owe NOTHING to you, and it's not real life anyways. 
3. Reason would dictate that there is no possible reason to leave nasty comments, belittle others, complain about a blog or  even read it in the first place. Yet here we are. 

Without further ado.... How to Not be an Idiot in the Blogosphere.

SOMETIMES

Blog. Yes, you read that right. I firmly believe you should only blog SOMETIMES. Do not blog every day unless you are being paid to, or unless you want to lose touch with reality. Seriously. No one has a life so interesting that it requires everyday documentation.

Comment on blogs. If I tried to comment on every blog I read, even just once a week, it would be a colossal waste of my time. I only comment on posts that really touch me or relate to me. Just like you wouldn't try to talk to every single person at a big party, you shouldn't try to be part of every single blog on the interwebs. Come on.

ALWAYS

Follow what you love and unfollow what you don't. Don't be afraid to unfollow a blog or delete a subscription. Don't feel bad. This is your life. Don't waste it reading things that make you mad or sad or don't really contribute to your life.

Contribute positively. We all love a good b**** fit post. But the majority of your internet contribution should be positive, that includes comments and content you follow.  

NEVER

"I'm such a bad blogger!" Is blogging a sport? Is blogging a competition? No. Blog when and how and what you want to. If you're doing what you love you are a "good" blogger.

I take it back. If you don't know how to use the English language appropriately you are a "bad" blogger.

For the love of everything internet, do NOT make your blog your personal journal. No one cares. Sorry. But we don't want to know how many times you had to change your little one today or how you slept last night.

General Authorities have commanded us to keep journals. I get that. But if your journal is your blog you are missing the entire point - keeping things sacred.

***If you are leaving a mean comment, complaining about a blog, or getting angry about a post:***

You are the idiot we are referring to.

You do realize that it is THEIR blog, correct? And they they write it for THEM? Not you and your selfish little life.

So stop typing. Close that comment thread. Unfollow that blog. Log off your computer. 

No one will miss you. Trust me. 

If this is offensive, feel free to unfollow me. I recognize this was a mean ranting post. You have every right to choose what to follow and I have every right to write anything I choose. I'll take my own advice and get over it. Promise.

Because my value and self-worth are not determined by your comments or the number of followers in my right sidebar.