So On Trend?

Would you carry an armadillo around for fashion? I would not. If quirky is your style though, check out these armadillo inspired fashions by Kate Spade. They released this wicker bag and change purse for Spring 2012. Now, this is certainly NOT my style, but to each her own! As for me, I prefer my Kate Spade tail free! 

Kate Spade Armadillo Change Purse: On Sale, $51 at www.katespade.com

Kate Spade Armadillo Wicker Handbag: On Sale, $147 at www.katespade.com

To Rent Or To Own?

How to Rent The Runway for your next event

We've all been there,staring into our closets willing a beautiful new outfit to appear for a birthday dinner, big date, wedding, shower, big interview, etc. If you are like me, you stare into your closet, find nothing, consider buying something new, stare into your wallet, can't find it in you to make a purchase, go back to your closet and stare some more...then repeat this cycle until your mind is numb. Do you buy a new outfit or make do with what you have? If you do decide to buy a new outfit, what's your budget, where will you shop, WHEN will you shop? It's exhausting, really. 

Well, enter Rent The Runway to save the day! RTR is an amazing website where you can actually rent a gorgeous designer dress and accessories for your next event. Go online and search for the dress of your dreams, order a back up size for FREE, and look amazing at your event. You can rent the runway for roughly 10% of the retail value of the dress you choose. It comes right to your door pressed and ready to wear. After you've worn the dress, pop it in the prepaid envelope they send you and mail it back. No dry cleaning necessary; they will do it for you! This is a genius service. You can have an incredible look for your event that is hassle free and makes your wallet happy. RTR customer service is so helpful and really ready to answer any questions you may have. From fit to styling to overnighting replacements if you're unhappy, they have your back. In my order, they even sent some double sided tape...just in case. I highly recommend Rent the Runway for your next event. Sign up today and get some new user perks towards your first rental! 

I rented (and LOVED) this black DVF dress for my birthday dinner. Hint: RTR will send you a $50 promo code for your birthday!!

Paula Deen's Pineapple Upside Down Biscuits

My mom made this recipe a while back, and it has become a big favorite. These biscuits are yummy gooey goodness, and so easy to make. I've made them for several occasions, and Jordan even made them for me this morning. Delish! Enjoy!

Click below for recipe!!

Pineapple Upside-Down Biscuits on the Food Network

Dreams In Chanel

A little Chanel inspiration for your Thursday!! Wouldn't it be lovely to drip in Chanel from head to toe...

Dreams In Chanel by katie-raines-tippett featuring vintage jewelry

Weekend Getaway

Weekend Getaway by katie-raines-tippett featuring cross body bags

Adventure Log: #2 Kickball

"Why kickball?" you might ask. Well, honestly I don't really know, but it sounded like a good idea at the time. Anyone who knows me knows I do not fair well in team sports. At summer camp, my mom gently talked me out of taking lacrosse and steered me towards dance classes and knitting; it was for my own safety and the safety of others. I know this about myself, but when we moved to Charlotte, we joined a kickball team to try to meet some people in our new city.  Our friends Molly and Joe recruited us onto their championship team, Hold My Beer And Watch This, which had recently traveled to Vegas for the World Series of Kickball. Not a joke. 

Now kickball sounds like an elementary school PE game, right? No pressure. It's a game with simple rules, simple strategies, and you don't really sweat much. I got this. Well, Katie, NOT SO in the World Adult Kickball Association! Be prepared to practice on your own time, strategize your kick technique, and get dirty. And be prepared for some intense pitches, people. I'm not talking a gentle lob by a half asleep fourth grader. I'm talking a side arm thrown spinning, bouncing, curving ball rocketing towards you and a strike zone, yes a strike zone. 

The first time I witness a WAKA pitch by our very talented team captain, my jaw hits the field. WHAT?!?!? Why am I here? Panic sets in, my palms start to sweat, my chest gets splotchy... Welcome to my nightmare. I can see it now. I shamefully kick and miss the ball, strike out and slump back over to my disappointed team. They try to be positive, but in the outfield, a fly ball bounces off my nose, breaking it, and scoring the other team four runs in a home run. I am back in fourth grade. Is there a cheerleading squad? Can I bail? Why did I do this to myself?!?!

Ok, so my nightmare scenario was far from the truth. While WAKA games can get intense, the association is a great way to meet people in a new city. You play an hour long game with competitive but very nice and supportive people, after which you caravan to a local sponsor bar and enjoy a $1 beer with all the teams before heading home. There are midseason parties, team birthday parties, and many fun times to be had. While kickball ended up not being a great fit for me because of my retail schedule, I would recommend it to anyone in a new city. Just don't panic when you see that first crazy pitch! 

Check out WAKA to find out more and to join a league in your city. Kickball is very hip right now!

The Daily Pin: Pinspiration

The Daily Pin

Hello Trendy people!  I'm Katie's younger sister, Traci.  I'm incredibly bored while taking summer classes in Athens, so I decided to do one project from Pinterest every day. 

My pins vary from DIY crafts, to recipes, to hair styles.  Each day I will choose something to attempt, post pictures of the end results, and give you my honest opinion about the pin.  I keep it simple because we all need a little simplicity in our lives.  

My "Pinspiration"

This was my first Pinterest project that I attempted.  I wanted to make a beautiful candy tray for Christmas.  I spent a long time unwrapping peppermints and meticulously placing each peppermint in order to create a unique pattern. 

The result:  A burnt, sticky, and very ugly blob of melted peppermints.  If I were to do it again, I wouldn’t leave it in the oven for so long, but I also wouldn’t dare attempt it again.  

This Pinterest fail made me realize that pins can be huge failures, and the process of doing the pins can be incredibly frustrating.  But the end result is always worth it, even if it is just a funny story or picture.    

Product Plug

Bumble and Bumble Salt Spray is ahh-mazing. Picture my excitement when, after years and years of trying every beachy wave inducing spray, gel, and mousse in existence, my mom gave me one that works and is wonderful. I was thrilled to finally be a faux beach babe with Baywatch worthy beachy locks. The spray is easy and really gives you great texture and wave. It is perfect for an easy summer look even if you have to spend your summer far from the salty air of the beach. I spray it on when my hair is damp or almost dry and scrunch it or wrap it into a loose bun to dry. Love! Find Bumble and Bumble Salt Spray at Sephora for $24.

  

Welcome to the Queen City

Our Adventure Log: #1 Mountain Biking! 

So back in mid March, Jordan and I trekked down the East Coast to make the move from Boston to Charlotte. We arrived in the Queen City just in time for the Dogwoods and Azaleas to burst into bloom. New city, new spring, new life in Charlotte...we were inspired! We became adventurers and explorers in our new city, and started signing up for new activities all over town. Our Adventure Log will track some of our adventures and misadventures in the Queen City. 

First on the list, mountain biking. Charlotte is home to the National Whitewater Center, an amazing and expansive arena of outdoor adventure and activity. You can raft, kayak, zip line, rock climb, and mountain bike to your heart's content. Turns out, my heart's content is a very limited amount of these activities. We arrived in the morning and had a great time exploring the grounds, trying a few zip lines and ropes courses, and of course enjoyed my favorite activity of the day, lunch. After lunch, we were feeling increasingly outdoorsy, so we thought we'd take on mountain biking. My optimistic outdoorsiness left me with the first bumpy, narrow pathway through the wilderness. All I could think about was that I would hit a bump (or a tree), fly through the air into another tree, impale my eyeball, and be stuck in the wilderness for hours unable to call for help. I'd be thinking of these types of scenarios until I'd be literally jolted back to reality by a giant root I unskillfully barreled over causing extreme lady discomfort (excuse me for that, but, ladies, if you're considering mountain biking, be warned, it hurts). Now, it wasn't all bad; there were moments on the trail when I felt very athletic, cool and x-games like, but there were also moments on the trail where... ah hem...I felt very sorry for myself on that painfully narrow and hard bike seat. I had a very love hate experience mountain biking. All in all, though, the Whitewater Center has amazing trails which I'm sure mountain biking enthusiasts love. For me, though, accomplishment achieved, thank you, and good bye mountain biking; See you soon zip line and lunch! On to the next adventure...

We visited the Whitewater Center a few weeks after our first visit for the US Olympic Trials. This visit was sans mountain biking. 

Jordan watching the events; maybe this is more our speed for outdoor adventure...observing others do the work while we drink beer.

These athletes really were amazing..USA, USA!!

Run the World; Girls

Look of the Day

Working girls, break out of your oversized ill-fitted suits  and embrace your new power suit! Flex your girl power in this knee length pleated skirt for work. It's feminine, yet powerful when paired with a great jacket and patent leather pumps. Try this Theory jacket for a versatile addition to your work wardrobe. You can pair this with a little black dress for work or even jeans for the weekend. Don't forget to power pack your wardrobe for that big meeting with some vintage Chanel earrings. Treat yourself to your own pair, or rent them from Rent the Runway! Now go run the world, girls!

Run the World; Girls by katie-raines-tippett featuring vintage jewelry

Theory top
£195 - net-a-porter.com

Theory tweed jacket
$415 - net-a-porter.com

Hoss Intropia black skirt
$265 - stylebop.com

Prada high heel shoes
$720 - prada.com

Kate Spade leather bag
$398 - couture.zappos.com

Chanel vintage jewelry
£369 - farfetch.com

Jimmy Choo plastic sunglasses
$295 - saksfifthavenue.com

Product Plug

Bobbi Brown Vitamin Enriched Face Base

   This Bobbi Brown moisturizing base is a favorite for sure. It is rich, but not greasy, and designed to moisturize, protect from environmental damage, and minimize the look of fine lines and wrinkles. It feels amazing on your skin, and smells so so refreshing and delicious...thank you grapefruit and geranium fragrances. I discovered this product when I got married last year. I went to see my friends at Bloomingdale's in Chestnut Hill, MA for some wedding day make up advice. Jackie and Jaime were amazing! If you happen to be in Boston, schedule an appointment with this dynamic duo; I guarantee you will leave feeling beautiful. They recommended this to me as a good moisturizing base, and as soon as Jackie opened the jar I was hooked. THE SMELL IS AMAZING. Then, she put it on my skin and I was double hooked. Remember this has no spf though, so don't forget your sunscreen. Great for all skin types. Use in the am and pm. Enjoy your new moisturized and delicious smelling face. You're welcome. Available at Neiman Marcus for $52.