Because Shanna Said So...: December 2011

Friday, December 30, 2011

Fashion on a Budget - Crazy for Canary

Are you ready for fashion on a budget? Scroll down and see the outfit! It's okay if you don't like the entire ensemble, but I hope there something in this set that you would love to add to your wardrobe.

All of the items are available in stores or online right now. Each item is under $30.00!!! The ENTIRE outfit, including the cosmetics, is less than $150.00!! I am known to be quite the Bargain Queen. Here is how it all came together...

I was at Target and found this super cute ruffle top that had little canaries on it. I am loving all the bird patterns right now...canaries, doves, owls, sparrows and feathers in general. This top inspired me to put together an entire outfit. I also bought the cardigan to go over the top too. It's available at Target as well.

I already have the shoes. I actually bought ones from Express that look exactly like the ones listed for double the price. Then I saw these at Payless and was kicking myself.

Every girl needs a colorful clutch, an initial necklace, bangle bracelets, dainty earrings and a bold ring. Most of the accessories were found at Forever 21...my favorite store on Earth. My husband, actually bought me the cute little flower headband for Christmas.

The OPI Nail Polish featured is Samoan Sand. It is the BEST nude color I have found. The Stila Lip Glaze in Strawberry is a great sheer gloss and red lips are "in"...don't get left behind on the style trail!

The last item is a pair of jeggings! Yes, I said jeggings! These are leggings that look like jeans. They are CRAZY comfy and super stylish!

Don't be scared to mix patterns and prints. Don't worry about being "matchy-match"...Because Shanna Said So!

Stay tuned for more affordable fashion ideas. The bargains always seem to find me and I promise to pass them onto you. Cheers!

Crazy for Canary by because-shanna-said-so featuring studded belts

sweaters, clothing, women : Target
$23 - target.com

jeans, clothing, women : Target
$20 - target.com

Xhilaration® Juniors Sleeveless Tank - Assorted ... : Target
$14 - target.com

Wedge pumps
$27 - payless.com

Forever21 vintage clutch
$13 - forever21.com

Ring
$6 - charlotterusse.com

Forever21 bangle bracelet
$3.36 - forever21.com

Forever21 chain necklace
$2.80 - forever21.com

Forever21 flower jewelry
$2.80 - forever21.com

Forever21 studded belt
$5.80 - forever21.com

Stila Lip Glaze
$22 - zappos.com

Amazon.com: OPI Nail Polish Samoan Sand: Beauty
$2 - amazon.com

Braided Leatherette Flower Headwrap
$2.50 - forever21.com

SHARE VIA
FACEBOOK • • PINTEREST

Thursday, December 29, 2011

Urban Decay Eyeshadow Primer Potion

Do your eyeshadows always look lovelier in the case than when you actually sweep them across your lids? Do you look in the mirror come 5 o'clock and say to yourself, "Did I remember to put eyeshadow on this morning?" because not a lick of it is left.

If you answered "yes" to either or both of these questions you must take "Because Shanna Said So" advice...stop what you are doing at this very moment, get in your car, drive to the nearest Sephora or Ulta and grab an Urban Decay Eyeshadow Primer Potion.

I started using this magical potion about 2 years ago and NEVER and I mean NEVER put eyeshadow on without it. It is hands down, well besides my DermaBlend concealer and we will talk about that later, my most favorite, never go out of town without it, beauty product. Here is a picture of what it looks likes.

The Urban Decay Eyeshadow Potion is the #1 best selling product that they have. It creates vibrant eyeshadow color that is crease-free and will, get this, stay on for 24 hours! Yes, a whole entire day! Believe me, I have gone to bed many nights without washing my face and the next morning my shadow (okay, not my mascara or eyeliner) is still perfectly intact. Make-up artists, celebrities and Jane Does around the country are raving about this legendary primer potion. It comes in 4 different shades, some are matte, some have a little highlighting shimmer. They all do the same thing...take your eyeshadow hostage on your lids

Because I love each and every one of you for reading this, I decided to have art class on my arms. I took my own Urban Decay eyeshadows and did color swatches on my arm. One with the potion and one without. Once you see the pictures you will be able to tell right away which swatch has the potion underneath and which one doesn't. Each color that is side-by-side is the SAME eyeshadow color. Yes, I know that they look different, that's how much the primer potion increases the color and overall coverage. The ones without the potion are much lighter and came out extremely "feathery" (is feathery a word?) If not, I will add it to Webster's dictionary. Here we go!

Now here's the true magic. The next photos show the color after I washed my arms with a little soap and water. Check it out. The color + eyeshadow potion stayed on and the areas where I did not use it practically vanished. I told you this stuff was magical!!

So, how much is this mystical concoction? It's $19.00. And you can get it at Sephora, Ulta, Amazon, UrbanDecay.com or you can try to ebay it for a cheaper price. It will last you 6-9 months. Remember, a little goes a long way!

I know this post is a tad bit lengthy, but I LOVE to talk about things I am obsessed with. So, I will leave you with one last tidbit...a video from the Urban Decay website. Click on the photo and you can see this dream of a product with your own eyes. Why? Because Shanna Said So! Cheers!

SHARE VIA
FACEBOOK • • PINTEREST

Wednesday, December 28, 2011

25 Ways to Wear Your Scarf in 4.5 Minutes

If your closet consists of as many scarves as mine; then today is your lucky day and I am happy to be the one to grace you with such luck! I came across this A-MAZING video that Los Angeles based blogger Wendy from Wendy's Lookbook put together demonstrating 25 different fabulous styling options for that sweet piece of fabric we all call a scarf.

Be prepared to be awestruck by her scarf styling awesomeness. She is a magician, if you ask me. My jaw remained dropped the entire 4.5 minutes. The little things that get me excited. Enjoy!

So, how was it? Do you want to run to your closet now and play scarf dress up? I told you...fun stuff, right? Okay, I know a few options were a little cheesy, like the 'The Wrap', but I got at least 10+ new ways to tie a scarf that I have not seen before. I can't wait to try the 'Braid' and 'Men's Tie'.

Which one is your fave?

I'm definitely bookmarking this video and will probably watch it another dozen times. And in case your are wondering, I don't have too much time on my hands!

Cheers!

SHARE VIA
FACEBOOK • • PINTEREST

Monday, December 26, 2011

Sally Hansen Salon Effects Nail Poilsh Strips

I have been wanting to try the Sally Hansen Salon Effects Nail Polish strips for months now. So, when I saw a buy one get one 50% ad at Walgreen's, I thought, okay, this is a sign from the beauty fairy. They also have the same sale at CVS and my sister said they are on clearance at Target right now. Guess the stores are getting ready for the fun Spring colors. Anyway, back to my venture...I got my in car and headed out to see what they had left. I stopped at Walgreen's first...their selection was pretty slim, so I high tailed it to CVS and found all the ones I wanted! I was like a kid in a candy store. I ended up buying four! Check them out!

This one is Kitty Kitty. I know some of you may think I am too old for this pattern, but for those of you who REALLY know me...this has my name written ALL over it! ;)

The one above is Raise Your Glass. It's a little more tame than Kitty Kitty. It is a pretty metallic champagne color. Great for all seasons.

This is the next one I want to try out. It's Bling It On! LOVE IT. It is hot pink glitter. Perfect for New Year's Eve.

Last, but certainly not least....Glitz Blitz. Another fun, glitter Sally Hansen creation.

Okay, so here we go. I was little nervous because I am a horrible finger nail polish painter...my right hand always looks like a child's paint canvas. I was determined and giddy! Really? A 10 day nail polish? Heck yeah!

This is what you get in the Sally Hansen Salon Effect kit;

16 strips...I guess they included extras for newbies and "oopsies". A file/buffer. A cuticle wood stick and strip smoother. Very short and a little confusing instruction sheet in two languages.

BEFORE WE BEGIN

Buff down the ridges of your nails. The directions suggest using the dark pink half of the included buffer, but I find it way too rough on my nails and use my own buffing block instead. Not a requirement, but these strips are thin and extremely unforgiving to ridges, exaggerating and emphasizing every bump.

Next, wash your hands and nails. From what I’ve read, you don't need to apply a base coat here because it can reduce the longevity of the stickers.

HOW TO APPLY

Look through the box and select a strip that best fits the bed of your nail. Pull the tab, and peel the strip away from the backing. **MAKE SURE TO REMOVE CLEAR PLASTIC FROM THE TOP TOO!

Carefully, align and press it onto each nail, one by one, cutting away any excess, like so…

Smooth each sticker down a bit, and ensure that it’s securely affixed to the nail. I used my fingers and the wood stick to smooth down.

Gently file away any excess, curling each strip under the nail. The directions say to use the light pink half of the file for this step, but I found that it just didn't do the trick. Instead, I use the rougher half to tear at the stickers slightly, and then use the light pink side to finish the job. Be gentle...these little guys are very thin and can rip easily.

I added an additional step to the process...I put a clear top coat over my nails to add an extra adhesive. Sally Hansen and OPI both have great ones. I wanted to make sure these babies stayed put. Just call it a "Because Shanna Said So" tip!

And...Abracadabra...Ala-Kazam...we are done! I was pretty impressed about how easy it was, how fast I did it and how well they turned out. Anyone can do this! EASY PEASY! And so much fun! Now this is what I call doing "crafts"!

Thank you, Sally Hansen. Can't wait to see your Spring colors.

But, don't worry OPI Nail Polish, I have not abandoned you...just making some new friends. I have enough love to go around. Cheers!

SHARE VIA
FACEBOOK • • PINTEREST

Saturday, December 24, 2011

Is It Time To Accessorize Your Accessories?

Are you always digging through a box, a drawer, closet or other random places looking for that bracelet, ring, other earring, scarf or your left shoe? That was me about a month ago. I was having my kids look under the bed for my other black boot while I was rummaging through a mess of stuff looking for my special necklace that I had to wear with my new stripe dress. By the time I found what I was looking for; my closet, bathroom and bedroom were destroyed. No more last minute scavenger hunts. I decided that it was time to get organized...I needed to accessorize my accessories! I thought I would share some easy, quick and inexpensive (or no cost) ways to get organized and to make your mornings much easier. Take a look!

I found this bracelet tower at Sam Moon for $12.00! They have stores in Austin, Dallas and Houston. I was so excited! They had several to choose from in different finishes and designs. You can also use a paper towel holder for your bracelets, but this was a much easier way for me to arrange my bracelets. Here is the finished product...Wa-la!

I found this idea on Pinterest. I always threw my knee boots in the corner of my closet and was always searching for the match. Then I ran across this idea and was like GENIUS! Why didn't I think of this before? DUH! This has been so helpful keeping my winter boots organized and easy to find...no more looking in the black holes...A.K.A. - underneath the bed or in my closet. They are all neatly placed on my closet rod with their own little special pant hangers. LOVE IT!

Most of my lady friends know that I am an accessory freak! I have more Forever 21 necklaces than the store! It's a little out of control, I must finally admit. ;) So, I needed a way to organize them so I could stop the untangling madness! I got square cork boards at Target for $5.00. My sweet husband Ross, used liquid nails and glued them to the inside door of our linen closet in our bathroom. Tip: Double the cork boards up....two boards laid on top of each other. Like the song..."Stuck Like Glue" these cork boards are not going anywhere. Then I got fun colorful thumb tacks and hung my necklaces on them. Masterpiece...no more cuss words are being said trying to untangle the necklace madness. Oh, the little things in life.

Here is a FREE and quick way to organize another winter accessory...scarves! Take a pant hanger and loop them over the long part of the hanger. I can fit like 6-7 scarves on the hanger. So much better than balling them up and throwing them in a drawer... you should have seen how I had them organized before...complete chaos! I am definitely getting organized now...yay me!!

Have you ever thrown your favorite earring in the trash because you couldn't find the matching pair? Well, I have...numerous times...then I am cursing myself 2 months later when I finally found the match under my cabinet sink...seriously...how did that get there? So, I found this great little jewelry organizer at Stein Mart. I put all my rings and earrings in this nifty little hanger-upper. It fits nicely in my closet and is a girl's dream for earrings. They sell these everywhere now. Sam Moon has fun patterns with initials on them, Super affordable and a GREAT gift! I must say...mine isn't all the cute...but hey...it does the job!

Last but not least, what the heck do you do with all your belts? Well, I got my hotty, jack of all trades husband to make a piece of wood with hooks attached to hang all my 50+ belts. Women say diamonds are a girl's best friend...well I really love my belts...best fashion accessory in my opinion...they make us all look slimmer! ;) Anyway, you don't have to have a man make this for you....go to Target, Wal-Mart or Bed Bath & Beyond and get yourself on of these. It's typically called a hat rack..hang it in your closets or the back of a door and I promise, you can fit a bunch of belts on these hooks. Why? Because Shanna Said So! Can you tell I LOVE my accessories and take good care of them? :) Cheers and Merry Christmas!!

SHARE VIA
FACEBOOK • • PINTEREST

Wednesday, December 21, 2011

Sparkle for New Year's Eve

I wanted to put together a few staple ideas to help make your New Year's Eve sparkle! Everything listed is super affordable and under $60.00. Sequins, glitter and sparkles are a MUST to ring in 2012, but be subtle...don't over do it...less is always more! And leave the knee boots and flats at home...this is the night for HEELS!! Glam it up...Because Shanna Said So! Cheers!