Tag: birmingham blogger

Instagram Lately

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Happy Monday, Friends!  Hope everyone had a fun/restful/food-filled holiday weekend!  I was fortunate to spend mine with friends and family, so for all intents and purposes, it was perfect.

Week 4 of my Get Yo’ Fitness On is coming on the blog later this week, but in the meantime, I thought I would share a bit of what’s happened on Instagram lately.  I also made sure to highlight some fun purchases I made this month.  All super affordable of course! 😉

First up, are a pair of JCrew statement earrings.  I found these by chance on eBay not long after they sold out online.  They are SUPER fun to wear and add a great pop (or pops) of color to any outfit!  I could not find a pair anywhere, so I linked some others I’m coveting at the moment.

Instagram Lately, http://chicinacademia.comDetails: J Crew earrings (sold out), other versions here and here.

The skirt in the photo below is Milly for Kohl’s and I had my eye on it from the moment I found out the Milly for Kohl’s collaboration was happening.  I waited and stalked it much like a hunter does it’s prey, then pounced the moment it went on sale!  It’s SUCH a fun skirt, and paired with the chambray top pictured below, or a crisp white shirt, very workplace-appropriate, in my opinion.  Well, at least my workplace, haha.

Instagram Lately, http://chicinacademia.comDetails:  Skirt, Milly for Kohl’s.  This one is sold out, but you can find it on eBay here, or other items from the collection here. PS – Do you spot my little photobomber?! #photobomblove

You may or may not already be familiar with the Kendra Scott necklaces that are EVERYwhere, but if you’re not, allow me to educate you.  Kendra Scott is what Juicy Couture jewelry was in the early 2000’s.  Err-body wants it and most err-body owns at least one piece.  Well, go ahead and count me as one of the molecules in the mole (he he he!).  I TOO wanted this jewelry.  BUT, I didn’t want to pay the price, so I waited and waited and sure enough, someone produced a dupe.  I happened to have found mine for about $9 with free shipping, so I call that a pretty savvy purchase for an on-trend item.  Hold your applause, por favor. #gracias

Instagram Lately, http://chicinacademia.comDetails:  Tassel necklace, eBay here.

I recently mentioned that I made a trip out to LA, and while there, stopped at Forever 21 where I found the necklaces below for less than $20 combined.  They are actually sold separately, but the part of my brain that processes fashion information quickly computed that these two might in fact look amazing when paired together.  I listened and voilà – genius pairing in the making.  Is there a MENSA for fashionistas??  Just saying’… See Exhibit A, below.

Instagram Lately, http://chicinacademia.comExhibit A: Forever 21 necklaces, here and here.

Last month, I happened to be shopping for my boys’ birthday party goodie bags and stopped by my go-to spot for such things – Walmart.  A true fashionista seeks inspiration everywhere she goes, so naturally, I took a stroll through the clothing and jewelry department.  That’s where I found the two necklaces pictured below.  At $5 a pair, they had to come home with me.  Both are very work-appropriate and paired with the right outfit, can look like you paid far more than a mere five buckaroos!

Instagram Lately, http://chicinacademia.comDetails:  Walmart, similar here and here.

Also while in LA last month, I found a skirt for work.  I found that I’d been slacking on the office-formal wear, so I decided to step up my game again and try to dress up a little more, again. 😉  Part of the reason I think I’d been slacking is because I felt so out of shape.  Many of you will understand this, but when one has packed on the pounds, pencil skirts aren’t always the most flattering items of clothing one can or should wear.  But, since I’ve started working out (see Get Yo’ Fitness Challenge workouts here, here, and here) and eating healthier, I find that I can fit back into my fitted pencil skirts; or, in this case, buy new ones, haha!

Instagram Lately, http://chicinacademia.comDetails: Skirt, Forever 21, here.

It seems I found lots of items during that Forever 21 trip in LA, because I also purchased the pearl cuffs pictured below! These in particular I also loved because they’re subtle enough to wear to the office, AND – added plus – they don’t get in the way while typing!  Fashionable and functional.  Done and done.

Instagram Lately, http://chicinacademia.comDetails:  Pearl Cuffs, Forever 21, here.

Well, that’s my Instagram Lately recap for ya!  Hope you found some of these pieces inspiring for your own sartorial adventures this month.  Should you find yourself on a tight budget, worry not!  I have a giveaway active on Instagram for a tassel necklace of your choice (see below).  They are Sift With Style necklaces from Heart and Home Collection, worth over $20 a piece!  Enter on Instagram to win!

Tassel Necklace Giveaway, http://chicinacademia.comDetails:  Free beaded tassel necklace to one luck winner!  Check out Instagram to enter.

That’s all for now, friends!  Let me know if you know of any other deals on either clothing or accessories.  In particular, I’m on the hunt for a pink tote or satchel so holla at ya girl if you spot any under $40!

Until next time!  Stay ‘Chic’!

Hermes Tray DIY

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If you follow me on Instagram, you know that I’ve undertaken an office-makeover project at work.  I’ve posted a couple of updates so far, but today got lots of questions about one of the items in my post: an Hermès tray!

Hermes Tray Vintage, http://chicinacademia.comVintage Hermes Tray, 1stdibs.com (Photo: 1stdibs)

The one pictured above is a vintage tray that sells for $875.  If you’ve read my blog once or twice, you know that I’m not one to pay retail, but that instead, I’m one to seek luxe for less.  Well, that’s exactly what I did…again!

I’d known for some time that I wanted one, so I searched Pinterest for possible places to purchase one that wasn’t going to cost me an arm and a leg.  Pinterest is a great place to seek inspiration.  If you’re not a big ‘pinner’ feel free to peruse my boards from time to time!  Anyway, after searching Pinterest a few times, I did find some replicas or ‘inspired’ trays that were reasonably priced; but as I am decorating this office on a budget, I really wanted to pay less than $50 for mine. Here are a couple of ones I found, both which are priced $125 or less:

Hermes Tray Replica // http://chicinacademia.comHermès Tray Replica, Artfire.com, $99.00 (Photo: Artfire)

Hermes Tray Replica Etsy, http://chicinacademia.comHermès Tray Replica, Etsy.com, $125 (Photo: Etsy Seller)

I still felt like $100 was too much for a replica.  So, I searched for just a simple tray instead.  That’s when I found this one I decided for in the end on eBay!

Orange Lacquer Tray eBay Timeless Settings, http://chicinacademia.comOrange Lacquer Tray, eBay, $20 (Photo: Timeless Settings)

I like that it has the mirrored bottom, and also loved the price!  You can find this one on eBay from seller Timeless-Settings for a mere $20!  Score!  There is also a round one you can buy for $52 dollars, but again, that starts to get a bit out of my price range, so I stuck with the $20 tray.  You can find the round one, here.

Honestly, initially, I didn’t have plans to make my own Hermès DIY tray; but, then, I happened to come across this decal while shopping for decals for my office wall and decided I’d give it a try!

Hermes Logo Trading Phrases, http://chicinacademia.comHermès Wall Decal, Trading Phrases, $14.99 (Photo: Trading Phrases)

They have several sizes, but happen to have a decal that measures 5.5″ x 1″.  The size is perfect for the side of the tray I found on eBay!!  I ordered both and one week later, I had my own Hermès replica tray for about $35!  Here’s a sneak peak of the tray:

Tray without logo, http://chicinacademia.comTray without logo (Photo: Chic In Academia)

Tray without logo, http://chicinacademia.comTray without logo, another view (Photo: Chic in Academia)

Tray with Logo on Bar Cart, http://chicinacademia.comTray with logo.  DIY Success!! (Photo: Chic in Academia)

What do you think?!  I’m personally pretty excited about the way it turned out!  I’m not quite done decorating and this bar cart is not quite styled the way I want it yet, so stay tuned for an update on the make over and all the final details.  In the meantime, I wanted to share this with you before the trays sell out!  Keep up with my updates on Instagram, Twitter and Pinterest.  I’d  also love to hear what you think about the DIY or what you think of the bar styling so far, so leave a comment below!  I hope you all have a fantastic weekend and I can’t wait to hear from you!

Until next time!  Stay chic!

Beat the Bloat 5-day Challenge

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Between traveling 2 out of the 4 weeks in November, coming down with the flu and walking pneumonia simultaneously (think human viral/bacterial incubator), plus holiday party food consumption (oh you know, cookies, tamales, and more), my diet has seriously suffered.  In turn, my body has too!  I feel sluggish and swollen.  Ugh.  So, I decided that for the next 5 days, I would kick my healthy habits and physical activity into high gear with the “Beat the Bloat 5-day Challenge”.  This challenge is also partially inspired by the fact that I hate feeling swollen and bloated on days when I want to wear cute holiday outfits, so it will be dual-purposed. 🙂  I hope you’ll join along!  Here’s what I have in mind:

Since about August of this year, I’ve managed to do a relatively decent job of maintaining some form of physical activity on a daily basis and also managing to eat somewhat healthy foods.  It all started off with the Whole30 challenge I participated in the month of August, wherein I followed the Whole30 diet for 30 days; in short, no sugar/legumes/grains/alcohol/dairy.  Surprisingly, I did not lose much weight, but I did pick up some new recipes, healthy habits, and I did see some muscle definition.  For this 5-day challenge, I plan to eat similarly, though not as extremely.  For example, I will allow legumes, limited sugar, and some dairy.  Here are some recipes I plan to use this week:

Grilled Chicken with a side of tomato and avocado, seasoned only with lime juice (not from a bottle, but from a real lime) and salt.  YUMMY and super filling.

Screen Shot 2014-12-14 at 6.45.00 PM

Grilled Chicken/Steak/Fish salad with yummy ad-on’s (remember, the goal is to eat lighter/healthier, but not exactly like on Whole30).  This salad is from a local restaurant – Urban Cookhouse:

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Eating at restaurants can be a challenge, but it’s not impossible to eat healthy while out and about!  Here’s a blackened salmon dish from Ruby Tuesday’s (Photo: duplooyduo.wordpress.com)

Screen Shot 2014-12-14 at 6.56.59 PM

I’m big on eating snacks, so here are a couple of my favorites from my time on Whole30:

1) Green apple with almond butter:

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and, 2) carrot sticks with Wholly Guacamole!  SO delicious!!

Screen Shot 2014-12-14 at 6.55.14 PM

Finally, coffee.  Oh coffee…how I love thee.  After Whole30, I am able to drink coffee black (IF it is good coffee), but otherwise, do love a good soy latte from Starbucks.

Screen Shot 2014-12-14 at 7.02.11 PM

Coffee is particularly essential while traveling…

Screen Shot 2014-12-14 at 7.02.50 PM

Lately, I have a grande soy latte for breakfast (nothing else – that’s right, no pastries, bagels, nuts, etc.) and then eat lunch around 11-11:30am (see examples above).  I may have 100 calorie snack around 3pm, and then a light dinner (see above).

Now, for the exercise.  As a momma of two, time is limited, so this is how I manage to squeeze in some physical activity during the day:

1) I do 40 pushups, 30 or so squats, and two 1-minute planks a day.  I usually do 20 pushups, a 1-minute plank before I shower and then do 30 squats in the shower.  This *maybe* takes me 3 minutes to do.

Push-up (do “real” push-up’s, not modified ones), plank, and squat positions (more on these and other workouts on my “workout” Pinterest board:

Push-up position
Plank Position
Squat position

2) At least 30 minutes of physical activity.  That can include a walk from building to building for a meeting, taking the stairs, or if you are able, 30 minutes on the treadmill/elliptical.  When I am able to get on the treadmill, I like to run for the first 15 minutes, then I do arm exercises for 10 minutes (e.g. biceps, triceps, etc while walking at a comfortable pace), and then walk at the highest incline for the last 5 minutes.  It’s not a very difficult workout and not super tiring, so a nice one to do if you have to fit it in at 11pm. 🙂

Screen Shot 2014-12-14 at 7.19.12 PM

So what do you think?  Not too difficult or physically demanding, right??  I hope you’ll join me!  It’s only 5 days, and hopefully by Friday, you’ll feel a bit less bloated and a bit more toned. Here’s to de-bloating before the holiday break!!  Follow along on Instagram, Pinterest, and Twitter using the hashtag #chicsbeatthebloatchallenge.  Feel free to comment below if you have any questions or need further clarification.  Looking forward to your updates!

Until next time!  Stay Chic!