Sickness, Pinspiration, Cleaning and 2015

{a little pinspiration}
photo: pinterest
closet inspiration elle.com

I will not get sick. (Currently my thoughts)

Today was productive. I cleaned out my bathroom and began my adventure of throwing cleaning everything out. With the new year vastly approaching, aka less than 24 hrs, I thought that it would be best to start cleaning up the mess of 2014. I have had a great year, but can always stand getting a little more organized. Let's face it, I can be pretty very messy. Jay was a major help today cleaning out my bathroom and reorganizing my makeup. I hold onto so many things that need to be thrown out or donated and I seriously need to get better. My makeup collection has shrunk (is that a word?) majorly since this time last year. I am trying to invested in a higher quality and things that will last and not break. 

I intend to do more cleaning tomorrow, however I feel like I am getting sick. Let's not say that, I just feel "under the weather." I definitely don't want to bring in 2015 with a box on Kleenex and a fever. NOT FUN. I cannot sleep to save my life, so I figure I would start writing. 

Here we are.

"Crickets..."

This post is definitely impromptu, but when are posts not? I always get an idea and go straight to it, not planning, just typing. I would like to get a little more organized, but I just don't know if I have it in me... any tips?! Anyways, I need to a major clean out of my closet, handbags, and.... well my life really, lol. I have some old Micahel Kors and Coach handbags that I want to get rid of, but can't bring myself to donate them. Is that wrong?  I feel so bad, but I paid good money for those so I feel like I should try to sell them but idk where to do that! If you know of a website, please let me know!

Also, I need a new way to store my belts and scarves. When we moved to our new house (4 years ago) I was so happy to have more space and a walk in closet. Now, everything is just as cluttered as before. I just store my belts and scarves in a pile in a draw in my closet. I mean, how are you really supposed to store belts, any thoughts?

With all of this jumbled mess in mind I am going to once again attempt to sleep. Wish me luck! If you have nay post requests, please let me know! 

Christmas Deets

I hope that everyone had a wonderful holiday with their families and friends! I sure did! Santa treated me extra well this year and I got to spend time with all of my loved ones! I wanted to share a few snapshots of our Christmas!

This year I learned how to make bows! So that basically means that every present had one on it (which is such a bad thing, it just takes some extra time). I was also obsessed with this combination of plaid paper with gold bows!

Jay always spoils me (way to much) and this year he got me a new desk for Christmas! I can't wait to organize everything and get it ready for working! I will be sure to do a post all about it when it's ready!

Lately I have been completely obsessed with bar carts! They are so cute and you can dress them up for every season and holiday. When my mom and I were setting up for Christmas dinner, we decided to put the wine and some cookies out on her bar cart (ish table-thingy, lol)! I love the way that it turned out! It was so perfect.

Obviously, it is known that I am addicted to makeup. I have been dying to try out some more makeup from the Tom Ford line. Needless to say, Jay and my parents delivered and I am so thankful they did! Jay also added in the Christian Louboutin rouge nail polish and the rents blessed me with a Louis Vuitton makeup/toiletries bag!

Worm is worn out from all of the commotion but thankful that Santa didn't forget him! He is loving all of his new toys and his new favorite blanket from his grandma.

My mom always decorates our house so pretty. She is so talented and just has an eye for good decorating. She usually does our tree in fruit and but this year she did red, gold and silver balls! She spent so much time decorating the tree. In the middle of December, she got really sick (with pneumonia and bronchitis) and she still continued to decorate our tree. She put the lights on with zip ties and it looked so beautiful! She is the best momma ever!

If you know me you know I'm crazy over animals, especially the puppies. I decided this year to donate my charity money to my local animal shelter and I went shopping for all kinds of puppy goodies (food, treats, toys, owls and etc.,). That really put me into the Christmas spirit and help me remember the true meaning of Christmas. I decided to make dog treats for all of the pups in the family and worms friends too! I will do a post soon on the easy recipe I used! 

I cannot wait for the upcoming year and I already have ideas for blogposts that are soon to come! If you have any requests please let me know! I will have full reviews of some of the items I received for Christmas. I can't wait to share some goodies I got with you all! 

Holiday Gift Guide: Best Reads 2014

Not That Kind of Girl // Gone Girl // How to Be Parisian Wherever You Are // Tom Ford

Crazy Rich Asians // Yes Please // The Fault in Our Stars // Girlboss

As I have gotten older, my love for reading has increased majorly. I used to absolutely despise reading. I would do anything to get out of reading (and still sometime do when its school work). However, I really enjoy to sit down with a good book and unwind, whenever I have a free moment! Books are an inexpensive way to learn, decorate and escape. I decided to make a gift guide, or should I say- book guide, of some of my favorite reads from this year! I included some books that are on my Christmas List this year, as well as some other books that are rated to be the best reads of this year!

Books make a great gift. Whether they are something more personal, informational or even a great coffee table fashion book! Everyone-or at least most everyone- loves a great book! I hope that this post is helpful to you in finding a gift for someone you need to shop for!

What was your favorite read of 2014? 

I would love to know your reccomendations!

Holiday Gift Guide: Desk Diaries (ft. Design Darling)

 Le Pen (Set) // Monogram Acrylic Pencil Cup 

Monogram Leopard Note Cards // #ThingsWeLove Pencil Set // Evelyn Henson Notebook 

 Kate Spade Acrylic Stapler //  Emily Ley Planner // Memory Box 

In a world surrounded by bloggers that are chic, feminine and empowering women, one can only dream of a beautifully organized white workspace (or at least that's what I dream of). I am constantly scrolling through Instagram (I'm slightly addicted) and it seems to always be filled with pretty workspaces! During winter break I have high hopes of getting my desk area organized and adding some new pieces for inspiration. When shopping for desk necessities (or at least those that are glamorous by nature), I always head to designdarling.com. Mackenzie Horan always has the perfect little items to freshen up any space and add a pop of color!

With that in mind, I thought that it would be fun to post a Gift Guide for those of you who are looking for the perfect gift that person who is always fashionably organized! Whether she is the preppy college girl, the obsessive hard-worker or just someone special you want to treat this holiday season Design Darling has got your back! I absolutely love my pencil cup and adore these (and this).

What is your favorite piece from Design Darling?

I hope you are all having a great start to the weekend (and for some of us winter break)!

Holiday Gift Guide: The College Girl

Marc Jacobs Laptop Case

Kate Spade Phone Case // Fraternity Collection T-Shirt // JCrew Scarf // Kate Spade Clock

Dry Bar Blow Dryer // Bean Boots // Smashbox BB Cream // Tory Burch Handbag

As a college girl, I have found that my style has completely changed since high school! Of course everyone changes over time, but I have found new things to be important to me such as comfort, warmth, technology, investment pieces and looking your best in the least amount of time! Let's face it us college girls are BUSY. It is definitely good to be productive, and thankful that we are getting an education, but sometimes being in a rush and looking good are difficult to manage. 

Today I decided to make a Gift Guide for those of you who are trying to find the right gift for a college girl in your life! Whether she is your friend,  niece, daughter, cousin or any other girl in your life that is in college! I feel that this guide is full of popular investment pieces that will make that perfect gift for a busy girl!

I hope you enjoy this post! If you have any gift guide requests, please email me (themissmorganlife01@gmail.com) or comment below!

Happy Holidays!

Koozie Advent Calendar {DIY}

For more pictures of the final product, scroll down!

{Don't forget to PIN this on PINTEREST!}

As strange as it may sound, advent calendars are a new tradition for me. Growing up, I didn't really have that many. Meeting Jay changed my involvement with advent calendars, in fact, I have had one every year since I met him! With that being said, this year I decided to get a little more creative and give a DIY  ago. I am not really DIY  person, generally I feel that it is just much easier, cheaper and more effective to go out and purchase whatever you are trying to make. 

With that in mind, it is obvious that I am not very crafty. I just thought that having a koozie advent calendar would be fun and different. I like to collected koozies and there is no discrimination here! I have all sorts of brands, colors, free and expensive koozies! I hope that all of you college girls and koozie lovers out there enjoy this post and share it with a friend!

All you will need is 25 koozies, some clothes pins (and glitter if you want to decorate them)

Some Ribbon

A paper plate will come in handy for an easy cleanup!

To make the glittery clothes pins:

Apply some glue to the pins (the stronger the better)!

Add some glitter and tap off the excess.

Allow them to sit and dry a while.

As for attaching the ribbon to the wall, I use Command Strip hangers however use whatever you feel comfortable with (I have had some difficulty with them). 

Once the ribbon is attached to the wall simply pin the koozies to the ribbon and fill with your favorite candy or special item!

I decided fill my advent calendar with York peppermint patties, but if you want to fill yours with Miller Light or a little bubbly go right ahead (lol).

Sailor's Delight :)

 I can't wait to reuse these sparkly clothes pins for another project!

Ocean Palm is a local Lilly Pulitzer store where I like to shop for all of my favorite Lilly items!

This picture is just perfection, right? Vineyard Vines. Fraternity Collection. Vineyard Vines.

I hope you enjoyed this post and found it inspirational! I feel like I turned my bedroom into a bit of a frat house, but HEY it was fun!!  

What are some of your favorite holiday traditions and how to reinvent them! 

P.S. Sorry for posting this so late in December, exams have been killer!

See you soon!

Instagram Lately

Happy Monday Y'all!

Today I thought I would take a break from the Holiday Gift Guides and to a roundup of some of my recent and favorite Instagram posts! This is just a little recap of some things I have been loving, cute shots and what I have been doing lately!

Worm is always so cute and of course he loves Tory Buch too!

With the end of the semester approaching ( I am currently procrastinating studying for my Intro to Public Policy final) procrastination, Pinterest and coffee have been staples in my everyday routine!

What is your favorite way to procrastinate?

With stressful exam and presentations, Jay is always able to make me feel special, important and a little more sane! I love you Jay <3 Thank you for always making me feel so blessed!

I am a stress eater, big time.  Cheeseburgers are my favorite!

Lastly, my mom gave me this awesome set of braids (and buns) a few weeks ago and I totally adore them! I find my self staring at this picture often! If you would like to see a tutorial on this, let me know!

I hope you are having a great start to the week!

Holiday Gift Guide: For the Hostess!

Brilliant Ideas // Diptyque // Kate Spade 

Matches // odds and ends // Henri Bendel Ornament

Tassel Garland // Coffee Mug // Cocktail Napkins

As the Holiday season is upon us, I'm sure many of you will be attending Christmas and other Holiday parties! It is never a good idea to show up empty handed. Whether you are bringing a dish or a small gift for your host, the polite option is to always bring something to your party! This gift guide is geared more for a hostess rather than a host (it's a little more pretty in pink). 

I am disperate for a good holiday party with red lipstick, beautiful dresses and sparkling decorations! I think that all of these simple gifts are neat, simple gifts that can be used on a day to day basis. They are also something that your friend may not teat themselves to on a regular basis, which makes it the perfect gift!

Happy Holidays!

Holiday Gift Guide: The Beauty Addict

Dior Lip // DryBar // Tom Ford Nail // Mascara

Chanel // Diptyque // Chanel Lip Gloss // La Mer // Essie // Aerin // Tom Ford Brushes

What girl doesn't love beauty products? I know I sure do! Pampering yourself and applying your favorite lipstick is one of the best ways to truly feel feminine and beautiful (but of course not the only way)!

Some of my favorite Holiday Gift Guides are the makeup and beauty related ones. With that being said, I wanted to put together some of my favorite products as well as a few things that were on my Christmas List this year! If you are in need of some great or luxurious products, these are sure to be the right fit! 

If you have any Holiday Gift Guide requests please let me know! 

Holiday Gift Guide: For Your Pup!

1 // 2 // 3 // 4 // 5

If you read my blog, or more importantly, follow me on Instagram you know that I am absolutely obsessed and completely in love with my dog worm. Jay and I got Worm 4 short years ago and he has been the light of our life since! I know it's a bit extreme, but this little guy has completely stolen our hearts and just has so much personality! He is so loving and just fun to be around. The holiday's are the holiday's without family, love and laughter. All three of those things can be found around worm. 

I hope that all of you have, or have had, the joy of having a dog in your family. Pets bring so much joy to a family and should be taken good care of. They love with all they have and rely on us to feed them and help to keep them healthy! Our little worm is so spoiled and love his toys, he literally treats them like they are his babies! So every year we like to get him more toys and of course a few little treats! 

Since most of us are pet lovers, I thought I would share a little gift guide for our pups! I hope that you enjoy this gift guide and find it helpful in picking out the right treat for your pup (or even you ;) ).

Happy Holidays!

Morgan

Holiday Gift Guide: Kitchen Goods

Le Creuset // Kitchen Towels // Boos Cutting Board // Make it Ahead  

Kitchen Aid Mixer // Oven Mitt // Monogrammed Mug // Soap Set

Holiday memories and thought's, for me, most of the time revolve around or include food. My family and I are lovers of food and good food to be exact. I honestly believe my family has the best recipes. Throughout my childhood, and even today, my mom and aunts are always in the kitchen. Whether they are cooking or just laughing and talking, life revolves around the kitchen in my family. I feel that kitchens are where families gather to talk, live, love, laugh and of course eat! 

With that being said, I thought that it would be necessary to include a Gift Guide related to the kitchen! If you are anything like me you are completely in-love with Williams-Sonoma. It is one of my favorite stores to visit and you can always smell it before you can see it! For the Kitchen Gift Guide I decided to pick a few items from their website that I thought would make lovely gifts! In all honesty, most people would love to get  anything from there! 

These gifts are perfect for mom, dad, brother sister, friends, aunts and uncles and everyone! Who doesn't love a gift for the kitchen? Their kitchen towels and oven mitts are of the best quality and come in gift-able colors! As for the bigger more expensive items, like the Le Creuset and Boos Board, they are great for parents who don't always spend the money themselves {treat those who always treat you}!  I just adore their holiday mugs! They are perfect for friends and family and especially that person who loves coffee or hot chocolate. My favorite soap and lotion scent is the Fleur de Sel, its divine. Cookbooks (or any books) always make a great gift, Ina is my favorite and Make it Ahead was just released in October. 

I hope that you enjoyed this Gift Guide!  If you have any gift guide requests just leave me a comment, email me: themissmorganlife01@gmail.com, or tweet me @MissMorganLife

Happy Friday,

Morgan

Let it Snow, Let it Snow, Let it Snow!

Burberry Coat // Cold Hands Warm Heart // T.B. Leather Gloves

T.B. Fur // K.S. Hat

 It seems as if everyone around the global has seen snow already this season and I am obsessing over their Instagram pics and their fab accessories and fashion! In VA it is currently 60 degrees and rainy, therefore my attire consists bean boots, a light sweater, jeans and a rain jacket! Meanwhile, I am envisioning a New York City working girl's fashion today! The collage I put together, on my trusty Polyvore account, was inspired by that fabulous girl.

If you know me personally, or have read my blog for anytime, you know that I am a neutral gal and a lover of the color black. When I was little I would not and I mean would NOT  wear black. I mean like not even a black T-shirt. My mom would always tell me, "black is flattering, why won't you wear it"? The usual response was that black was simply made to be worn at funeral's and that is it. However, these day's black is included in my wardrobe all-the-time. This example is not the only time my mother has been right. In fact, the woman know's me better than myself 98% of the time   I feel like black is a safe, professional and fashionable color. It goes with everything and is easy to style!

What is your favorite fashion color?

Morgan

Holiday Gift Guide: Gifts for Her Under $100

Chanel  // Dior  // GiGi New York  

 Lily and Laura // Tweezers // Stationary

Nars // Diptyque // Tory Burch

I am already completely engulfed in the holiday season and can barely think about the fact that I have a research paper next week. I am in Frank Sinatra holiday music la-la-land  (AKA my vision of a snowy N.Y.C evening)! It is absolutely wonderful... meanwhile- in reality my homework is NOT doing itself (trust me I have give it the opportunity.) Therefore I am going to keep this short, sweet and to the point.

I decided to to start my holiday gift guides early then year, in hopes of inspiring my self to shop earlier and not wait until the single last minute to shop! This gift guide is of small (only in size not in price or importance) items that are perfect for friends or as stocking stuffers! Who doesn't love hot pink, stationary and papering beauty gifts? I know I sure do!

I hope you will find this gift guide helpful while venturing on your holiday shopping. Christmas truly is my most favorite time of year (aside from other holidays, summer and of course spring)! If you have any recommendations of popular holiday gifts this year be sure to let me know in a comment or email: [themissmorganlife01@gmail.com]

Happy Friday!
Morgan

Weekend Links & Current Obsessions

Lily and Laura

Tom Ford Bruised Plum

Valentino Rock Stud Pumps

Long time, no chat!

I have been swamped with school work, thanks to the fall semester of college real world. I have been missing blogging SO much and am so sad that I am having a hard time finding to to blog. I decided to sit down( or stand up while working) and catch up with my blog!

 Fall beauty and fashion trends are in full swing and I am loving them even more this year than usual. I am an all around neutral girl. I wear neutral's all year long, (thank you Zach for pointing that out to me!) I just love brown, black, white nude, navy green and anything else that is more neutral. I am completely a creature of habit especially with my hair, nails, makeup and fashion! I have been giving a dark and vampy lip color a go this fall and have been really liking it with my brown hair. Dark nails and gold eyeshadow are currently (and always) a must.

I am so excited for Christmas but I really need to do some shopping! So basically my mind is currently strung out between school, what I'm going to be for halloween, all of the gorgeous fall fashion and what to buy people for christmas, NBD.

Some of favorite things this week:
I love my beauty blender and this post from The Beauty Look Book is on point!
Dorothy from Prep In Your Step is the best to go to for anything organization.
50 ideas for blogposts fro the College Prep.

I hope you all have a wonderful weekend! I would love to know your favorite links for this week, just leave them in the comments below! I am hoping to blog a little more often so if you have any requests, please feel free to leave them in a comment or email them to themissmorganlife01@gmail.com.

Morgan