ON THE BLOG//
archive
currently loving
Major yay for friday and the weekend, as always! Lo and I love sharing our current favorite things with you guys, and this week's currently loving list is extra good. Read on to get links to things that we have and love // xo melissa + lo
the list
the fall issue of darling mag - melis
could not live without my vitamix ...it is well worth the investment - lo
this workout crop top (perfect for yoga) - melis
this is my absolute favorite fall candle - lo
this concealer from bare minerals - melis
I love this soap + it also makes a great gift - lo
these low ankle socks from madewell - melis
this mask has done wonders for my skin & it's free of all toxins - lo (c/o)
this cozy hoodie from lou & grey - melis
this toner has made my skin much healthier and more hydrated - lo
back in love
Have you guys checked out abercombie lately? Lauren and I hadn't looked at their collection in years (since high school!) but about a month ago we noticed a few of our favorite bloggers rocking a few super cool pieces and they were from a&f. It sparked our curiosity and we got in touch with the incredible team over there to chat about their new collection and new direction. They were so kind and sent us some pieces from their newest collection, and Lauren and I are now back in love with the brand. Their new look is casual, cool, laidback, and not as "branded" as they once were. The effortless aesthetic is very appealing and the clothing items that we received are timeless, comfortable, and versatile. Above are a few style inspiration images & below are links to what we are currently loving at a&f // xo melissa
this grey wrap coat
these olive green skinnies
a classic blue oxford shirt
ankle cropped straight jeans
the coziest fleece jacket of all time
a chic black bomber jacket
casual and cool joggers
a simple grey tee
a water resistant jacket
a puffer coat for cold days
this suede utility jacket
a cool plaid scarf for fall
national handbag day
Today is a big day in my world and yours- it's national handbag day! As you guys know by now, my full-time job is as senior marketing associate for hobo, a quality and cool leather handbag + wallet company. If you want to learn more about hobo, check out our Instagram, read our story, and discover our leathers. At the bottom of this post I have listed my top 10 favorite hobo styles, including this backpack as well as this bag, that Lo has and loves. In celebration of national handbag day, I wanted to share the story of how Lo and I met! We haven't shared the story here on the mag before, and some of you might be wondering how we became friends since she lives on the west coast and I am here on the east coast! We thought that national handbag day would be the perfect time to share the story, as it involves hobo.
I was a follower of Lauren's on Instagram and a reader of lolo mag, so as the person who handles blogger relations for Hobo, I reached out to Lauren via Instagram early on in 2014 to see if she would like a hobo bag. She sent me the sweetest email and I sent her a bag. After that, she hosted a giveaway on her Instagram and we kept in touch via a few emails here and there. In early 2015, I reached out to her in hopes of collaborating with her on a press event in our showroom to celebrate the release of her second book, Your Beautiful Heart, plus our fall 2015 collection. Long story short, she said yes, and we had a small event in our NYC showroom for magazine editors and bloggers where they met Lauren (and her twin, Britt!), chatted with her about her book and her love for hobo, previewed our fall collection, and chatted with us about fall styles and other hobo news. It was such a fun event and Lo and I bonded instantly!
After the event we continued to keep in touch via email and social. Later that year, in the fall of 2015, I saw a post that Lauren Kay Sims was branching off from lolo mag to start her own blog. At that point, I can say with all my heart, that the Holy Spirit instructed me to email Lauren. It was as though it was instantaneous instruction, and thankfully I followed. I immediately emailed Lauren to see if she wanted assistance on lolo mag. The next morning I woke up to the sweetest email from Lo saying that she had been praying to the Lord to show her the next step for the mag and then received my email. Long story short, we talked logistics and plans in the next days and weeks, and then I became an editor on the mag. You might be thinking that this is a big undertaking in addition to my full-time role at hobo, but it has become second nature to me and a part of my lifestyle, and I love it! It's easy to make time for things that you love and feel called to do. I work on the mag early in the morning (like 6am), during my lunch breaks at hobo, at night sometimes around 9pm before I shut the laptop off at 10pm, plus I carve out a few hours on the weekends- typically Saturday and Sunday morning during my coffee time before the day gets going! My life feels significantly more full of joy and more complete since adding lolo mag to the mix. Not only has the experience been so rewarding to my personal growth and knowledge, but the biggest blessing of them all is Lo. Lauren and I have developed a sincere and special friendship that is truly one of a kind and I thank the Lord regularly for crossing our paths!I hope you enjoyed this story & below are my favorite hobo styles! We are having a SALE on www.hobobags.com today only, in honor of the holiday. 20% off fall styles + free shipping on all orders, ends tonight // xo
10 favorite hobos
the river backpack | the costa bag | the fast lane bag | the perfect union
the city girl | the evella | the vale | the fern | the sheila | the raine clutch
blue print furniture just got better.
Fall is already good enough, but I have news to make it even better. The lovely gem of a furniture store called Blue Print in Dallas now has some of their best sellers and antique pieces viewable online. I am giddy over it + major advantage: I can browse from Cali. The place is my all time spot for interior inspiration. Take a look and let me know what you think!
Scroll below for a few of my favorites!!I can't get enough of these bubble chandeliers.
This stunning dining table provides the perfect neutral palette to build on.
This cabinet makes a great first impression in an entry way, and it makes a TV look prettier. It can be used in so many spaces!
A beautiful way to add color into your home.
melissa's trip to italy
Hey guys! Last week I went on the dreamiest trip to Italy with Hamilton to attend a beyond beautiful wedding between two of our dearest friends, Tim & Kristin. It was such a special time and something that I will never forget. We stayed a week in Florence, taking one day trip to Venice. We spent most of our time walking around exploring the city of Florence, going out at night with friends that were there for Tim & Kristin's wedding, eating so much incredible Italian food, and drinking a fair share of red wine! We also did a bit of antique and vintage shopping which was a really special (and successful!) shopping experience. I ended up buying two vintage dresses- one of which is red with white polka dots and the other is a black + tan dress by Isabel Marant. It is safe to say that I am still tickled by those finds! Our day in Venice was so nice as well, and I am really happy we made the 2-hour train trip from Florence to explore Venice. And to top it all off, the weather while we were in Italy was absolutely perfect all week- a high of 80 on average + total sunshine. Scroll down to see some images and here are links to a few favorite places in Florence + links to things that I packed for the trip.
places in florence
hotel | trattoria for lunch | date night dinner | night out | special happy hour
things I packed
black pants | jeans | cardigan | bandana | carry on | bag | crossbody
heels | culottes | a floppy hat (similar) | denim skirt
silk sleep mask from slip
We have shared our love for slip here on the mag before, but today we are really sharing our love for the silk pillowcase company. Lo and I both sleep on silk pillowcases from slip and will never think of trying another pillowcase again. Slip's pillowcases make your hair and face look like you just got the best night of sleep ever, minus the skin wrinkles and severe bedhead.
When we saw that slip also makes sleep masks, we knew that we needed to try them. Side note- if you don’t sleep with a sleep mask already, give it a try. It really helps me to get into a deep sleep and I am now really attached to it- I can’t sleep without one! Slip was so sweet and sent us both a sleep mask to try (Lo chose this color and I chose this one) and yet again, I will never consider another brand. Not only is it gorgeous, but the silk feels so nice on my face, the design is extremely comfortable, and it completely blocks out any hint of light that is in the room. Here is a link to slip’s site to get the full brand experience, but their products are also available at Nordstrom.
currently loving
Below is this week’s currently loving list // get the links to Lauren’s hair dryer that she could not live without, my favorite mascara that is paraben free, smudge-proof, and under $20, a silk sleep mask that is so necessary, and so much more. Here is the link to the last currently loving list, from two weeks ago. XO --images by hannah burton
things that we have & love-
my favorite book - lo
this rifle paper notepad is too cute - melis (c/o)
the most wonderful fall diffuser - lo
a silk sleep mask under $50 that makes sleeping extra sweet - melis (c/o)
this soap is toxin free and can be used for anything - lo
the cutest decorative white + gold pumpkin from target - melis
the hair dryer that I could not live without - lo
my new favorite crossbody from hobo - melis
mineral nail polish that is toxin free - melis
gorgeous mascara that is smudge-proof and paraben free - melis
thankful for the missing.
Melissa and I have the most amazing time working together every day, but one of the greater joys is the ability to talk life amidst the email grind. M's sweet boyfriend was just in France for almost two weeks this month, and every day, I couldn't help but think of that feeling of missing your other half. Life just doesn't feel the same, right? It's not as full. It just doesn't feel right. Thankfully we have each other to encourage when our men are absent. When Jase is gone, she gets the feeling, and vice versa.
But then the two of us got to talking and restructuring our perspective of "missing." We realized how grateful we both are to have someone to miss that much. We realized that rather than turning that time into a pool of sadness, to rather fill it with memories we can't fully dive into when our men are home. I was laughing while simultaneously admiring how Melissa planned every moment of every day when Ham was away - sleepovers with girlfriends, family hangs, spa nights at home with quiet time alone. So good. Being thankful truly changes everything. Not to mention, the time apart really does grows the heart fonder. It seems to illuminate why you are grateful for your partner in crime. There is nothing better than the anticipation of their arrival home, and there isn't anything much sweeter than the reunion.
