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Isn't It Too Hallow-dreamy?

10/31/2017

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"I'm Audrey Horne, and I get what I want."

This year, I decided to dress as everyone's favorite troublemaker, teen spy and activist...Twin Peaks' Audrey Horne!


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The character of Audrey started out as your typical spoiled little rich girl. Daddy's money buys her all the cool clothes and status she could want in her high school...though she seems to not actually have any friends. She spends her time smoking in the girls' room and trying to derail multi-million dollar business deals with the Norwegians...you know, the usual spoiled rich teen fare.

It's not until the arrival of a certain special agent, that we discover that Audrey's bad girl image has been just that...an image... the entire time. Deep down she's got a heart of gold, she's passionate about the environment, concerned about her community, and she's lonely...very lonely. Without getting too spoilery, I'll just say that I love the growth of her character from a self-absorbed girl to a young woman willing to put it all on the line for the causes and people she's passionate about.

Now that we know Audrey is more than her red lipstick, trendy sweaters, plaid skirts and saddle shoes (or red heels if she's feeling fancy)...let's talk about my Audrey-inspired outfit!

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photos by Courtney Guest

I bought this sweater from ModCloth last fall, and I absolutely love wearing it with everything from skirts to jeans.

When Modcloth released their 2017 namesake label pieces, I quickly bought this plaid skirt. It's the perfect skirt for swishing around dreamily to your theme song playing forlornly from a jukebox.

Then I saw these saddle shoes... I had the full intention of just wearing them for this costume, so I bought them at 40% off. They're so cute, I plan on working them into my non-Halloween wardrobe.

Add a little red lipstick and a dramatic eye makeup look...

Et Voila!
You're Audrey Horne,

and you'll get what you want! ;)

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photo and illustration by Brittney Guest

Happy Halloween, y'all!

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One Short Day in Batesville, Arkansas

10/15/2017

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photos by Brittney Guest

This past Saturday, my sister Courtney and I traveled to Batesville, Arkansas for a day of perusing local flea markets, tasting delicious dishes, and scoping out the best photo ops. Here's what we saw!

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photo by Brittney Guest

First up, was Hidden Treasures Upscale Resale Shop, an awesome shop with great vintage finds where all the proceeds go to benefit the local pregnancy resource center, Alpha Center. And since it's for charity, all purchases are tax free. We had to check it out! Just see what I found!

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photo by Courtney Guest

I saw it, and I immediately thought of a dress my Barbie wore back in the "Dynasty" TV show era. It's a NUIT brand, made in the USA, pleated '80s cocktail dress with fully sequined belt. And it was only $20! Of course, I bought it!

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photo by Brittney Guest

My sister found an equally amazing and sparkly treasure. This two-piece sequin and silk set is sooooo heavy and is hand beaded. Wow! They just don't make clothes like this anymore!

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photo by Courtney Guest

When you see a mural, you gotta take an outfit photo. My Top, Earrings, Sunglasses and Shoes from Modcloth. Jeans from Express.

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photo by Brittney Guest

Work it, Courtney! Courtney's Top, Earrings, and Necklace from Modcloth. Jeans from Express. Sunglasses from Target. Sparkle Toms from Style Encore Jonesboro.

After all that shopping and photo posing, we were ready for lunch! Being the Southern ladies we are, Courtney and I stopped in at our favorite spot on Main Street to grab a bite after thrifting...Elizabeth's!

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photos by Courtney Guest

After we filled up on rolls and sweet tea, I ordered a turkey wrap and potato salad. It wasn't all that photogenic, so let's just look at these photos of my sister's fruit plate and shrimp scampi.

After lunch we went exploring a bit more, and walked around a courtyard filled with beautiful sun and moon themed mosaics. I really liked this one!

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photos by Brittney Guest

All in all, Courtney and I had a simply splendid day...even if I didn't find the vintage aluminum drinkware set I was hunting for! I love having my sister as my best friend!

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illustration and photo by Brittney Guest
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Shop Like A Local: Hive

5/10/2017

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It's no secret that I love fashion. I love any excuse to dress up and pride myself on having the perfect outfit for every occasion. Picnic in the park? Check. Thanksgiving photo shoot at a duck lodge? Got it!

I love shopping online as much as the next girl, okay maybe a bit more, but sometimes you just want to go right into a brick and mortar store, run your fingers through the racks, and try on a few things.

I'm a big believer in supporting the businesses that make your local community great. When you buy from a local retailer, you're not lining the pockets of some distant CEO, you're helping a family in your neighborhood buy their weekly groceries, pay for their child's dance lessons, purchase school supplies. The sales tax collected also goes to help better your local community. I don't know about you, but I'm a fan of traffic control!

My town of Jonesboro is home to many great local boutiques that carry everything from classic styles to super trendy gifts. The latest boutique in town (and my current fave) is Hive.

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photo by Brittney Guest for Jonesboro Occasions magazine

This adorable boutique, located at 2810 Highland Drive, puts a vintage twist on modern looks. Women of all ages and sizes can find adorable and affordable looks in this cute shop. The inventory is constantly changing, (They've recently added graphic tees!) and you're sure to always find something you just have to have. I know that's been my case!

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photo by Brittney Guest for Jonesboro Occasions magazine

I recently combed the racks of Hive with my best friend and designated shopping partner, Kerri, and we found so many new treasures to add to our wardrobes. Wanna see what I got? Okay, let's check it out!

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photo and illustration by Brittney Guest

I just love this soft floral tee! It's casual and just dressy enough that I feel comfy yet put together!

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illustration and photo by Brittney Guest • outfit photo by Courtney Guest

Isn't this maxi dress just absolutely dreamy? I wore it for Easter Sunday, and it was so comfy, but still dressy enough for our festivities.

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illustration and photo by Brittney Guest • outfit photos by Courtney Guest

And y'all. I bought a romper. And I don't look like a toddler! It's a little low cut, so I bought a raspberry colored bralette from the boutique as well while I was there. Hive seriously has everything, y'all. I think I need a night out in Memphis or something to properly showcase this!

Hope you local honeys decide to fly in to Hive soon to see what the buzz is all about! If you're not in Jonesboro you can shop their Facebook page. And you're in luck...during the month of May, Hive is offering free shipping for anything you order! How cool is that?





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Ready For My Close Up with Amy Long Photos

3/14/2017

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We're still loving this pretty pretty princess dress, yes? Okay, good!
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How amazing are these photos? I started beaming when I saw how Jonesboro photographer, Amy Long. captured my Charity Ball look! Amy is awesome. She captures the natural beauty in every person with her lens and makes sure that everyone simply shines! She makes ya look good!

And I just love working with her each month, creating eye-catching photos for Jonesboro Occasions. I can't wait until everyone sees what we're working on for this year's Spring & Summer Fashion Showcase! I promise it's going to be fabulously colorful and make you wish for warmer temperatures, so you can wear all the cool styles featured!

In the meantime, check out this look at my Charity Ball dresses through the years! I decided to pay tribute to my #thesketchbooklookbook project and showcase my Amy Long photos on my beloved ModCloth dresses! Which one is your favorite?

Follow Amy Long Photography on Facebook and Instagram to stay up-to-date on all her fun adventures and upcoming projects.  And be sure to check out her website at amylongphotography.com!

Tell her Brittney and Derek sent ya! ;)

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The Season Of Love

2/13/2017

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I love Valentine's Day. There. I said it.

I love hearts, glitter, pink and red, tulle and lace, flowers and everything girly. And this time of year gives me the perfect excuse to break out all my favorites. Like this adorable shift dress I recently got from Modcloth!

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photos by Courtney Guest

outfit details: Just Say Yes Shift Dress, earrings and shoes from Modcloth

Isn't this collar too cute?

Admittedly, I probably own every heart adorned item that Modcloth has ever sold and my closet currently is home to six different red dresses. Did I NEED another red dress with a heart on it? No. Did I BUY another red dress with a heart on it? The collar speaks for itself!

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photo and illustration by Brittney Guest

In celebration of this season of love, I'm giving y'all a special gift from my heart to yours, inspired by vintage Barbie Valentine cards. Remember those?

Print 'em out, clip 'em out and give 'em out to everyone on your list from your sweet baboo to your squad of fabulous land mermaids! I've even included single images if you want to send an e-card or post it on your special someone's social media feed!


Click here to download:
Bae Mine
Check Yes or No
Emoji Love
Love Is For Everyone
You're Neat
Another Pizza My Heart

Click here to download a printable PDF of all 6 designs!

Happy Valentine's Day, everyone! Share the love!


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I Am Very Busy. For Real!

1/30/2017

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It's press deadline at the magazine, and I am repping my everyday motto.
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photo by Courtney Guest
outfit details: I Am Very Busy t-shirt from Ban.do |  blazer, skirt and shoes from Modcloth, earrings from Noonday Collection

Seriously. I am very busy. This phrase speaks so much to me that I have it on my agenda, a wall poster, 2 pen pouches AND my work folio. Obsessed much? No, just busy.

How busy am I? Well, here are just a few of the things I'm working on...

Wrapping up the February issue of Jonesboro Occasions. That's right, we're going to send that "Big 80 Page Baby" to the printer today! Seriously, it's like birthing a child each month, getting everything together and sent, but it's so worth it! In addition to my regular illustrations and design work for the mag, this month's issue features some extra illustrations by yours truly for our annual Wedding and Special Events Guide. (As of writing this blog post, I have yet to draw the wedding bouquets!) I also created a really cool moss and magnolia garland that we used for our cover feature photos promoting this year's  Junior Auxiliary of Jonesboro Charity Ball.

Training for my THIRD half marathon. Yeah, I know. I said I was going to stop with the 2 that I ran last year, and I was gonna stick to 5Ks, but you other runners know how that goes. I'm doing Doc Rock Half Marathon in April again this year, and I'm ramping up my training and hoping for a PR this time. (More on how I started running and my training program to come in a later blog post.) I've decided to keep running half marathons as long as I can. I love it...for now. (On second thought, surviving press day is probably more like running a half marathon...lots of snacks and wall staring after both!)

Continuing my #TheSketchbookLookbook Drawing Series. I'm really loving drawing my outfits each day for this year's sketchbook project. It's also helped me discover new ways to combine existing pieces in my closet to make new outfits. I've also noticed that I've cut back on my spending because I'm now SEEING what I have and rediscovering old pieces that I may not have been showing as much love. Okay, so this gold skirt is new. But it was on sale. And it's shiny.


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photo and illustration by Brittney Guest

Working on the covers for an upcoming YA novel series. More on this later. I promise I'm really working on it, Kerri. You know where I live.

Creating stickers for Lace and Whimsy Studio. Have you SEEN my new designs? There's one for when "Naps Happen," a sheet full of nothing but tasty pizza and toppings, one with all finery you need to feel flirty and fabulous, a sheet printed up with girly treats for Valentine's Day, and one of the best dang coffee and donuts this side of The Great Northern.

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photos and designs by Brittney Guest

Wouldn't these stickers be so cute for Valentine's Day?

Well, that's about all for now. Gotta go, gotta get the job done, gotta start a new nation, gotta meet my...wait I'm not Alexander Hamilton. Oh well, you know what they say...this gal is non-stop!

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A Southern Snow Day

1/6/2017

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It snowed, y'all! Only about an inch, and a lot of it has melted off now...but it SNOWED! In Arkansas! In the South! Everything shut down! Three day weekend! So the roomies and I are enjoying a cozy snow day today. We're making a big pot of chili and various baked goods. (I hear key lime cupcakes are on the menu!) The coffee is flowing, and the clothes are washing! We've gotta be productive a little! My sister and I also seized this rare weather opportunity to snap some outfit photos in the snow!
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photo by Courtney Guest

I just LOVE this scarf and coat from Modcloth! Green coats are kind of my signature style! I just love bright, vibrant outerwear; it brings a bit of color and happiness to the dreary colors of winter. (But if you really love grey or black coats, you go right ahead and you do you! It's all in how you wear it!)
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Don't forget the cozy sweater, leggings, and tall boots!
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Happy Snow Day, everyone!
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photo and illustration by Brittney Guest

outfit details: Willamette for the Weekend Scarf in Berry, Once Upon a Thyme Coat in Basil, Scenic Route Ready Sweater, Simple and Sleek High-Waisted Leggings beanie and boots all from Modcloth
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New Year, New Sketchbook

1/1/2017

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Happy New Year! If you've been following along for a bit, you may know that with the start of a new year comes the start of a new drawing project for yours truly! In 2015, I created the hashtag #fillthesketchbook on Instagram to showcase my daily sketches as I challenged myself to fill a sketchbook with 365 drawings. I filled up SIX sketchbooks that year. I guess I should have gotten a 365 page sketchbook!

Last year, I narrowed down the theme of my #fillthesketchbook project and decided to draw one comic every day during 2016 for a total of 366 Instagram comics, or #366squarecomics.

This year, I'm bringing back a popular theme I first tried in 2015 and dubbed #thesketchbooklookbook. I love drawing, and I also love fashion, so what better way to share my OOTD than with an illustrated lookbook of my daily outfits?

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illustrations, photos and styling by Brittney Guest

I don't know which is more fun: picking out the outfits, drawing them, arranging the clothes and accessories, or taking the photos! I love the whole process!
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Stay tuned and follow my fashionable and artistic adventures on Instagram this year! 2017 is gonna be fun!
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Queen of the Asteroids

12/12/2016

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My favorite Christmas movie as a little girl was Jim Henson's The Christmas Toy. Here's the basic plot for those of you unfortunate enough to not be a preschooler in the mid to late '80s:

There's this playroom, and the toys that live there pretty much have their own secret life when their people are not around. The self-proclaimed star of the show is Rugby, a stuffed tiger and the favorite toy that the main little girl, Jamie, received for Christmas the year before. Christmas Eve returns to the playroom and the toys are ready to welcome the new toys that Jamie and her brother Jesse will open the next morning to their world. Well, everyone except Rugby. He wants to get back in a beautifully wrapped gift box under the tree and be the star of the show once again. Adventures ensue and the toys accidentally set loose this year's Christmas toy to Jamie...a warrior space queen named Meteora.

And as a toddler, I really loved Meteora's wardrobe full of shiny metallic fabrics and galactic accents. And the fact that she was a strong, independent female who knew her worth, was really awesome, too!

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photo by Courtney Guest

Thanks to Modcloth and Eclectic Eccentricity Jewellery, my childhood dreams to dress like my favorite queen of the asteroids are realized...30 years later, but who's counting?

How amazing is this skirt? It's the Intuitive Impact Mini Skirt, and the metallic texture and swishy fabric make this the most party perfect skirt in the galaxy! It was a total impulse Cyber Monday buy, but I don't regret it one bit!

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photo by Courtney Guest

My favorite jewelry right now is by Eclectic Eccentricity. The mix of colors and textures is perfect for a quirky, geeky gal who loves a bit of of glitz and glam! I bought this Eclectic Eccentricity necklace (and others!) from Modcloth.  I really love that this one has stars, planets and clock gears! Really appeals to my Whovian sensibilities!

These earrings looked quite nice with my Eclectic Eccentricity pieces. They're from a local gift boutique in Jonesboro called Froggie's Full Sun! Really cute gifts for everyone on your list, and everyone that works there is so nice and super helpful! I usually walk in (just looking or to take photos for the magazine) and walk out with a bag or two full of goodies, because you can always use a gift for someone...or yourself! Like last weekend for instance, I walked into Full Sun with the intent to buy a few presents and bought myself a bag full of Musee bath balms to prep for upcoming press deadline stress. Treat yourself!  "Dancing in the Moonlight" is my personal favorite! The star confetti and calming scents turn your bath into a swirling galactic pool worthy of Queen Meteora!

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photo by Brittney Guest

Remember, stop and take it easy during the hustle and bustle of this holiday season. Treat yourself like the queen of the galaxy you are! Whether that means a luxurious bath, a new skirt or necklace, or just some time relaxing with those you hold dearest, enjoy this season and the love that it brings!

Happy Holidays, y'all!

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photo by Courtney Guest

Outfit Details: top, skirt and leggings from Modcloth • necklaces from Eclectic Eccentricity • earrings from Froggie's Full Sun

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Over the River and Through the Woods

11/7/2016

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I am absolutely excited, y'all! The leaves are changing. There's finally a chill in the air. It's November, and the holidays are coming! My mom is already cooking up a storm, making pans of dressing, platters of cookies and other delicious dishes in preparation for our Thanksgiving celebration. I'm on dessert duty this year, so I'm thinking a carton of pumpkin pie ice cream will be just the thing for me to bring to the table!

One of my favorite things about the holidays is that we really don't have a set tradition. When my grandmother was living, we'd all head over to her house in the woods of Mississippi for a big family dinner...sometimes at an Aunt Annette's house or Uncle Ronnie's house, sometimes at an older cousin's house, other times at Grandma's house itself. Some years we'd fry a turkey. Other years we'd have a ham. In more recent years, my parents, my sister and I have had Thanksgiving dinner at my parents' house with my Uncle Ronnie, Aunt Sue and cousin Emily. Last year was my first year hosting Thanksgiving dinner at my house, and I was very thrilled to have my parents up for the holiday weekend. This year, I'm hosting again, and I'm on dessert duty!  Our lack of tradition is our tradition, I guess you could say!

No matter what your tradition is, you're definitely going to be needing a few festive items in your wardrobe this season to survive all those family get-togethers, office parties, cookie exchanges, date nights to The Nutcracker, and Christmas card photo shoots! And I've got the perfect red dress for any holiday occasion!
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How amazing is this red dress from eShakti? I've been looking for a red fit and flare dress with sleeves for what seems like forever! It's been a very long search, and I've settled for quite a few "so-so" red dresses in my day. When I buy dresses, in order to get them to fit me up top, the dress often ends up much too baggy in the waist. And gals, sometimes you just want a fitted dress that you don't have to belt, cinch or cover up with a cardigan! Especially a red dress! You want that WOW factor, and this dress has it!
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When eShakti contacted me about picking out one of their amazing apparel pieces to have for my own, I just had to jump at the chance. eShakti is a women's apparel company that offers designs in standard sizes 0-36W with custom sizing and design options, and all dresses are custom adjusted to your height at no extra cost. With my non-standard measurements, I had been thinking for a while about trying their custom sizing service to finally get the dress of my dreams. I perused their website and saw countless dresses that I wanted to try, but it was the Tie Cuff Cotton Knit Dress in red that really caught my eye. This was the dress. THE red dress. The red dress I'd been searching for to no avail on countless dress shopping trips. And it has POCKETS! Sold!

I really loved the design of the dress as is, but you can totally change up the neckline, sleeve length and skirt length to suit your fashion preferences. The high neckline, elbow sleeves and just below the knee skirt is perfect for my modest style. It's girly and fashionable, while not being too revealing for my tastes! I loved the look, but I needed to customize the measurements to get the perfect fit for this perfect dress!

And heads up, the measurements you provide are very detailed, more than just your typical bust, waist, hip to help you get the perfect fit. They're going to be needing your shoulder and upper arm measurements among other things, so definitely have a buddy on hand to help you measure and record! I had my sister help me record all my measurements, so that helped out a lot! She also took my outfit photos! Great job, Courtney! Thanks so much!
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For my happy holiday look, I styled my new favorite red dress (which arrived super quickly, I might add!) with gold jewelry from Noonday Collection, and my always-ready-for-a-party Chelsea Crew heels from Modcloth finish the look.

Thank you, eShakti, for the amazing new red dress! It's going to see me through so many parties this holiday season for sure! If you've got heart eyes like I do over this dress, follow Eshakti on Facebook, Twitter and Pinterest for even more fashionable finds! What are you waiting for? Check out their website to finally find the dress of YOUR dreams just in time for your next shindig!

Important note: I was provided this dress free of charge from eShakti for trying their custom clothing service and posting about my experience with them on the Britt Wit Blog. All thoughts are my own, and I always work with brands that I'd purchase for myself and recommend to my closest friends. If a company provides me an item to feature on my site, I'll always let you know with a little "c/o" in the outfit details! All other items are from my personal closet!

Outfit Details: dress c/o eShakti •  shoes from Modcloth • necklace and earrings from Noonday Collection
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    Jesus Freak and Art Geek. Graphic Designer and Illustrator with a love of glitter, vintage fashion, astronomy and squirrels.

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