fall nails.

those over at beautylish have decided these are what's hot for nails this fall.

and i can get behind almost every single one of them.

i have an oxblood from last past 2 years when i was (still am) obsessed with wine and magenta, and lucky for me, it's still cool.

and just the other day, when i was buying my new DOMINO!!!!!!, i also bought a dark hunter green polish on a whim. which i thought would be pretty for christmas.

lucky for me, they say that's also cool.

(cheap brand you can buy at walgreens... sorry i don't remember the name or the maker.)

and remember that holographic chanel polish from last week... still cool.

and glitter.

also pretty for the upcoming holidays, no?

what colors are you picking this season?

JILL

geronimo!

i love instagram, it's no lie.

nor is it a secret.

but i love watching more than participating.

i don't really feel my life is filled with that much interesting, beautiful, exciting stuff to shove into the world's face... but i know that i am! so i am trying to be better at it. seriously, life is beautiful. (cliche but true. don't roll your eyes at me.)

i feel a tangent coming on, but the other day at dinner with friends, i was discussing this very same fact: that i should/want to be taking more photos. i love photos. i love taking photos. i certainly love looking at photos. i want to document my life from here on out with tiny little square grams with innately cool filters applied. (oh the filters... they alone make ordinary life fancier.) so we implemented a one-(at least)-a-day photo challenge. of which i am not holding up my end of the bargain, but i intend to... fully.

you can follow along here: @jabarrier

back to today's post.

this lady, jihan zencirli, creator behind (my favorite) geronimo balloons,

creates the most lovely instagrams.

her life is full of craft, color, frill, ballooooons, and pretty festiveness and i can't get enough.

her instagram feed instantly makes me happier,

even in the crappiest of days or moods, and there have been a string of those lately...

her photos make me smile.

so i'm sharing a few with you today,

but you can follow her daily

@geronimoballoons

and i encourage it.

this was a sample.

there's so much more.

not only does she share her balloon/frill making, she has a cute little pup with 3 legs, and she drives the. coolest. vintage. light blue. car. ever.

love her.

love her balloons.

JILL

polka dot glitter cookies

i feel like the last 8 things i've purchased have been polka dotted.

i'm kinda having a moment with them.

glad the rest of the world is, too.

don't look now, but i'd love to do this to our second bath:

love it in every way. very tempted.

moving on.

i wish i had more time. i'm sure you all feel that way, and i don't even have kids yet!

by the time i get home from work i feel like i'm just going to bed to get up and do it all over again. but if i had like 2 extra hours a day to get the stuff i have to get done, to then do the stuff that i want to get done....

i'd make these:

polka dot cookies!

in neon and neutrals!

with sparkles!

they're like little gems of all my current favorite things rolled into a sugar.

you can find the recipe here.

a random, yet happy thursday.

happy thursday, friends.

JILL

pop. fizz. clink.

the glitz and sparkle of new year's is always my favorite.

i don't usually enjoy going out out tonight because of the cost, and i'm cheap :)

but i love a party at home!!

{i've never hosted myself, and its something i'd really like to do.

next year's my year. mark your calendars.}

camille styles and kate spade worked up a little party inspiration for us all. and if i were to throw a nye party, i'd certainly hope it looked at least a smidge this glam:

^  those are screaming my name.

i. will. be. having a white russian milkshake tonight.

vanilla ice cream with vodka and kahlua poured on top.

holy yum.

but i guess the party decor isn't 100% crucial to a great nye party.

this might be:

because who needs food?

just kidding.

i like food.

this is the fridge you have out in your garage.

but i'm actually really excited about my plans tonight.

going out with my dude, to a little get together.

i have a most fantastically badass outfit planned.

the snow just started here in kc and it's unloading...

not planned to stop until tomorrow morning!

and i really am planning on a white russian milkshake.

white russians, snow, sparkles and....my outfit = awesome.

{if my outfit turns out half as cute as i'm hoping, i'll share on instagram : @jabarrier. follow.}

happy new year's everyone!!!

see you bright eyed and bushy-tailed tomorrow morning ;)

JILL

marchesa

have you seen the neiman marcus/target collection?

i went into target friday night (big exciting friday night plans, huh? :)

...for dog food.

and left with a whole bunch more than dog food.

they have some great stuff right now, and not just with the nm collection.

i stopped dead in my tracks when i saw the marchesa dress for little girls.

wouldn't it make a killer winter wedding flower girl dress?

and for $99, it's probably the same price as the way less cute, run of the mill one you'd get at david's bridal or somewhere equivalent. but its marchesa.

if you are getting married in the next 3 months,

and you have a flower girl or 3 without anything to wear...

jump on this:

with some white tights..... and maybe a fluffy white cardi. i die.

i kinda also want the gold cocktail shaker.

and the tracy reese holiday sparkler...

and if i also had a little girl who took her lunch to school...

she'd be taking it in this from tory burch.

happy monday.

and your flowers from last friday are on their way.

slacker.

JILL

various things

this is a series of random various things that i'm unloading from my brain.

first, my sewing machine was indeed broken.

you never realize all the sewing projects you had in the wings until you can't do anything about it. looks like my tree garland will be made right in time for christmas day. wah wah. and not only does this sewing machine repair place take like 2+ weeks, they cost half of what my machine actually cost!

i'm no sewer. i use the manual settings. i get my machine out, use it how it came, and put it back, occasionally changing the thread color... somewhere in there it broke.

but on a happier note,

i don't know what about this time of year brings out the tartan in all of us

but it does and i'm hooked all over again.

so is j.crew.

and speaking of j.crew, have you seen their sparkly etta pumps?

those would some happy holiday parties make, my friends.

i love the fat heel on them, and they come in a million colors.

unfortunately they are more than i spend on shoes.

maybe i'll ask santa.

har har.

santa husband prob wouldn't go for that.

we still get each other things we need/want for our house.

unless we kept these on the mantel...................

next week i have a few budget holiday gift guides to share with you!

i've been out shopping for my list and realized there

are some really great little gifts to give this year.

happy friday.

JILL

holla.

i'm on vacation today.

but its not nearly this glamorous.

i'm getting caught up on photography and we're painting our house.

(working on your day off? you ask.)

so exciting, i know.

but it isn't going to do itself!

JILL

{via this is glamorous}

something i've realized.

i really like sparkly things.

girly things.

statement making things.

ban.do things!!

so.....

{ban.do sparkle genuises. more here.}

they keep on bringing it and it never ceases to excite the sparkle loving inner-5-year-old in me.

their fall/holiday edition came out and i'm kinda obsessed.

my love affair all started with this:

their sparkle heart.

i have plans to make some of these tonight

for an upcoming shoot this weekend!!!

i'll let you know if it works out.

happy thursday.

 

JILL

watch out.

{get it... 'watch' out. har har}

because i'm the total blazing nut job

who wants to own this total blazing nut job of a watch.

its at tjmaxx.

for alot of money for such a nutty watch.

$129.

that's why its still there.

if it were a watch i'd wear everyday i could make a case,

but that's not the case here.

cutest little blinged out alligator you ever did see, though.

with his emerald eyes and sparkly scales.

good thing you can score it on ebay for like 50.

i'm not going to get it.

little too crazy. although i did stand there at the jewelry case for a minute too long.

{i go to this black tie charity ball every winter and husband and i are in the youngest 1% of people there. i always look for something young and super hip to wear... try to channel carrie bradshaw or something.

wouldn't it kill it with a dress like this, but with a super plunging back?

gosh, i think so too.}

the nice tjmaxx employee that had to unlock the case and then stand there while i looked at this watch thought i had lost my marbles. i could tell.

i asked her to get this watch out from amongst other normal people watches.

told her it was the crystal croc... and she pointed to 3 others before landing on the. only. crystal. crocodile. watch. in the case.

she was thinking, "she can't be serious. lady, are you sure you don't want one of these other nice watches? look this one has a gold face? or this one? no, how about this one? ok, fine. but you're crazy."

ha. and then i took some photos of it.

nearly threw her into a tizzy.

when i convinced myself to step away, she sighed in relief.

not really, but she might as well have.

she just didn't imagine it with that striking black jersey dress like i had in my mind!

i still like it.

or am i seriously, socially inept as a human, for picking something like this out?

JILL

take it up a notch.

it would appear as though i'm dipping into the holiday jewels a bit early this year.

ever since this post here, i've been hunting them down on ebay and etsy, and local places. they're everywhere. large and in charge necklaces, vintage = better.... brooches. again, vintage = better.

especially worn with jeans and tees!!

and i've done this with my messy bun lots of times:

makes it so much more important... than just messy hair.

oh, and kansas city's getting one of these!

2.6 minutes from my house.

tgif.

JILL

{images via: google, longislandprep, ny post, refinery29, and theglitterguide}

girl, you fancy.

yet comfy all at the very same time.

fancy tee. by thebluehouse featuring burnout tees

Burnout tee / River Island boucle jacket, $48 / Versace leather skirt / J Brand boyfriend jeans / Givenchy kitten heels, $250 / Gucci strappy sandals, $465 / D&G rhinestone jewelry

if you haven't gathered, i really like t-shirts.

{more here. here. here. here.}

i like comfy, worn-in, slightly fitted but perfectly loose t-shirts.

i like the baggy-ness mixed with tight skinnies.

i like them with boyfriends.

i like them super casual with a pair of cut-offs.

i like them dressed up.

here are 2 ways to dress up your favorite old comfy tee.

(and you can fake an old tee. old navy actually has the best fitting v-neck, loose, pretend-worn-in, t-shirts right now!)

the first look with a vintage (although this one isn't) rhinestone necklace,

{check ebay and craigslist, i found a hundred for under $30}.

and a sassy skirt and pair of heels.

the other paired with loose boyfriends and a boucle tweed jacket.

pull your tees out of your closet!

wear them!

love.

JILL

lady tux.

in the latest lucky i read last night, they had a bunch of hard shell clutches.

or box clutches, or minaudieres. however you'd like to call them.

this one caught my eye.

{i swear it has nothing to do with the lipstick craze i'm stuck in at the moment.}

its a timmy woods wooden clutch.

they've used them on the red carpets for years a la judith leiber, and in sex and the city:

but this lipstick one is so far, my favorite.

my family goes to a black tie charity event and my husband and i get to go every year. there aren't a ton of young people who attend and not to be mean, but the usual black-tie-event-outfits are worn. i try every year to bring a little youth and edge to my outfit. this year i had wanted to wear a lady tux. i didn't find one in time, but it's on the slate for next year!! i think a femme lady tux, with lots of structure, would be bettered by such a sparkly and fun bag.

obvi, i can't afford a judith leiber or a timmy woods... so we'll just have to keep my eye out. there were lots of options in lucky, as i mentioned above.

this below image (with jacket) is how i'm already planning my next year's outfit:

the emersonmade option (love the shoulder pads and cummerbund) wouldn't look too bad with the lipstick clutch, either:

i can always count on sheridan french for inspiration.

it was she who inspired my whole lady tux idea for myself.

she wore this recently with a baby bump and its insane good.

if i can't get the bag, maybe i'll have to make a gemmed bow tie!!

love it when girls take over boys clothes, and then add bedazzles :)

JILL

heartsies

this v day, my color obsession is hot pink and gold.

actually don't know if i ever got over my love for neons and hot pink from when i was little, so i'm thriled it's so haute right now. and gold with anything = yes.

wouldn't you like to get one of these in the mail?

i'd like to get one of these in the mail.

where to find them? go here.

and then i thought this sparkly sweetheart neckline appropriate for valentines dinner.

probably for a fancy dinner at home because going out has proven to be so nutty on v day.

throw on some neon pink underpants lipstick and you're set.

ok, maybe both :)

because we should all ---

love.

JILL

{dress found on pinterest, here}