OVER-THE-KNEE AND THROUGH THE WOODS

last tuesday, mitch and I were able to get our first real whiff of the new season. and yes, I realize its already mid-november. there were falling and changing leaves and even though the temperature stays a tepid 82-degrees all year long, that day called for boots. and jeans. and scarves. nestled in the smallish mountains (or largeish hills, depending on how you look at it), sits this little nature reserve that is probably my most favorite place that exists within our island paradise. and after many a week of not seeing that charming, darling husband of mine, we felt it was time for a little walk. we stopped to play in the streams and, pretty much, just acted like children for a solid hour and a half and it was absolutely lovely, let me tell you. about as lovely as those amazing over-the-knee boots.

now, let's time out while I tell you a little bit about the makers of these boots. back in july, I ordered this really cute pair of shoes from a company called shoemint. they were orange (and you know how I love orange!) and strappy with a block heel. pretty much perfect. and the best part about them is that when you sign up with shoemint, they give you a $40 credit! so I ordered them. but, like a dunce, I totally forgot to type in the discount code (for some reason I thought it factored in automatically) and so it charged me the full amount. I figured I didn't have much to lose. the worse that could happen was that they would tell me 'no,' so I called their customer service line. the girl I spoke with was so friendly and personable that I really wish she and I were everyday pals. she fixed my blunder and refunded the $40 and even sent me a self-typed email to keep for my records--kind of a rare treatment in this day and age. and what's more, I really kind of adore that orange pair of strappy block heels. 

and so, here I am sharing that loving experience with shoemint and now, this gorgeous pair of over-the-knee boots. I have always wanted a pair to wear with skinny jeans, and I couldn't wait to break them out! they really are everything I dreamed they would be. and maybe a little more? because they are so soft and pliable. I thought they might sort of start to ache behind the knee and that is not the case at all with these boots. and it doesn't hurt that they make my legs look about half a foot longer--a really big plus.

^^ I'm not quite sure why we thought this was so funny, but we really got a kick out of it. maybe because there was no fruit to be found anywhere near by ^^

shirt :: h&m

sweater :: rw&co (old, similar here)

jeans :: guess (old, similar here)

scarf :: zara (sold out, other color)

boots :: shoemint c/o

and how has your week begun? as I write this, I'm borderline on the verge of tears because today is the day we put those extraordinary parents-in-law of mine on a plane. I tried everything in my power to get them to stay, but alas...adult life is calling. we had such a wonderful visit and I may or may not go into a state of mourning by which I sit and binge on pita chips whilst watching the rest of gilmore girls' season six. you can call me pathetic if you want to, but I really will miss them. have a great day, you guys!

one more little thing :: today is the last day to enter this little spectacles giveaway, so be sure to enter by 11:59 pm atlantic!

love, arielle

**a big thanks to shoemint for sponsoring this post!

IS THERE SOMETHING ON MY FACE? + A GIVEAWAY

top :: promod (similar here)

jeans :: current elliot (different wash)
shoes :: birkenstock

glasses :: c/o firmoo

there are so many important elements of a wardrobe. the top, the jeans, the shoes, the bag. but all of those things are interchangeable and you don't wear any of them on your face. the one thing everyone looks at. and if it's true what they say--that eyes are the true windows to the soul--then shouldn't we all have beautiful frames? recently, a company called firmoo got in touch and asked me to try out a pair of their specs. and I'm so glad I did. I have actually ordered glasses online once before years ago and firmoo's website was quite similar, so I already had the gist of it. they have a virtual try-on that allows you to take a screenshot of yourself and see first-hand how the glasses will look on your face before they ever arrive at your doorstep. as a result, I really love how these graphite-colored square frames look on.

the best thing about firmoo is how affordable each pair of frames is! you don't have to spend hundreds of dollars to commit to a pair of glasses just to be sick of them by new years. and with firmoo, you can buy multiple pairs of glasses without breaking the bank. I think that is pretty noteworthy. please, click through to firmoo to see what I'm talking about! or just view a few of my favorites below!

1 || 2 ||3 || 4 || 5

now for a little giveaway :: firmoo is offering one lucky reader a free pair of frames before the month of november is up! to enter, simply follow me via bloglovin' and come back here to comment and let me know you've done so! the winner will be picked tuesday, november 18th and we will be in touch. good luck!
(unfortunately, this giveaway is open to usa addresses only).

I hope all of you are having a marvelous week! mitch's parents have been here the past few days and it has been absolutely wonderful to be catching up with them and showing them around our little paradise. they are certainly loving the break from their chilly canadian winter and we are sort of hoping they'll just decide to bag the whole thing altogether and live here full time. wouldn't that be grand? enjoy another day of this beautiful, spectacular month! until tomorrow...

love, arielle

** thank you to firmoo for sponsoring this post!

THREE HEALTHY LUNCHES ON-THE-GO

I have a love//hate relationship with lunch. so much so that I often ignore it altogether. this usually leaves mitch fending for himself--a likely side effect of hating lunch. this is to blame in part on the monotony of one too many sandwiches and partly on the various little snacks we find whilst roaming and grazing our cupboards. a few days ago I was into my third handful of apple chips when I realized that I could not call what mitch and I were doing 'lunch.' no, lunch is an honest-to-goodness meal and longs to be celebrated as such. the only problem was our sandwich dilemma. there are just only so many things you can conjure up between two slices of bread before you're sick of the whole institution. and in earnest, mitch and I are pretty sick of sandwiches. 

so I went to the drawing board. what sorts of things would I have liked to pack when I was sitting on the grass outside in my high school lunch circle? obviously, it would have to travel well, couldn't need more than a simple icepack to stay cool, and would have to be easy to assemble. after all, we only had twenty minutes for lunch back then. thinking about that now, it sort of seems criminal, doesn't it? I don't think that I will ever miss having to ask to use the washroom or being rushed to eat my carrot sticks, but I digress. after several minutes of thoughts and scribbles, I came up with our solution--three healthy lunches that are twenty-minute-lunch-limit approved. and they don't take too much forethought, either. several of the more adult foods can be swapped for munchkin flavors. here, have a meander.

avocado on toast

ingredients

1 slice bread of your choice

1/2 avocado

2 tbsp feta cheese

1 tbsp walnuts

black pepper to taste

for sides 

carrots

cherry tomatoes

trail mix

smorgasbord

ingredients

6 pieces salami

6 crackers

3 slices of cheese (I used camembert)

for sides

red grapes

cucumbers

granola bar

cous cous taco salad

ingredients

1 whole grain tortilla

1/2 cup pearled cous cous, cooked

2 handfuls greens (I used romaine lettuce and kale)

6 cherry tomatoes, halved

1-2 tbsp ranch dressing

cheddar cheese, to preference
limes, if desired

for sides

apple slices

corn tortilla chips

and don't forget that something sweet

rosie's brownies

and can I just say how wifely, how domestic, how together I feel sending my husband off to school with a delicious, nutritious lunch? or how much I love embarrassing him with these super cute lunchbox notes?  it really is the little things that keep a marriage exciting. especially when you rarely ever see each other. I love to imagine him tucking into his pre-prepared lunch and finding this little note. he'll be all surprised and reminded that there is someone who loves him and that he can learn hard things and take hard tests. 

love, arielle

** super cute lunchbox notes c/o tiny prints.

FUEL, STRAIGHT FROM THE BEE

while attending my undergrad, which was mostly centered in nutrition, exercise, and overall wellness, my sports nutrition professor said something that I thought was really profound. he said, "if food is fuel and our body is a machine, shouldn't we take care what we're putting in the tank?" this thought has haunted me everyday since. whether it's out of guilt because I just scarfed down a sprinkled doughnut in less than the three minutes it took me to purchase it, or out of pride because I've fed myself lots of whole foods that day. needless to say, it's a mantra I've come to live by. enter, honey stinger--an energy foods brand devoted to creating fuel for runners, wood splitters, and any other kind of athlete. and it is made of natural, organic, and well, honey related ingredients. you're not going to believe this, but after that profound comment by aforementioned yodic sports nutrition professor, he held a day of tasting every brand, kind, and flavor of every goo, chew, bar, gel, and sports drink on the shelf. the following assignment consisted of a bunch of math calculations I won't bore you with, but the short version is this :: honey stinger ticked all the boxes! it provided enough simple sugar to aid you during those long runs ( an hour and a half or longer ) without overloading you with too many complex carbs--which can make your g.i. super uncomfortable whilst running at full force. plus, we also learned that honey is one of the only substances that no scientist has figured out how to duplicate in a lab, so you know that what you're eating comes straight from the bee.

when first discussing the potential of collaborating, I asked honey stinger if they wouldn't mind sending me some flavors that I hadn't previously tried. I get so used to my comfort zone, which ( in this case ) consisted of pomegranate chews and lemon waffles, that I sometimes forget to branch out. and they didn't disappoint! the gingersnap waffle is absolutely delicious ( especially in light of the fall season ) and the orange and cherry cola chews have become new favorites, as well. however, I think the coolest thing I discovered about this company was that they have a snack for every kind of athlete. they have fruit gummies for littles, chews and gels for runners, and waffles and bars for strength trainers. pretty much, if you're doing prolonged exercise, honey stinger is your guy...

please, allow me introduce you to...

001. the waffles :: the waffles are, by far and away, my absolute favorite running snack! I love them for a pre-run breakfast, but they would work beautifully for a mid-run snack, as well.

002. the goos :: a lot of people love goos and a lot of people shun them. I, for one, like my goo smooth. if it has seeds, I'm out. these are perfect, and I have a soft spot in my heart for vanilla since that's what got me through my first half.

003. the chews :: like the goos, these have such a great texture and the flavor is so fresh. and bonus, the packaging fits rather nicely in most of my shorts' pockets.

004. and the bars :: opt out of your favorite chocolate bar and in for one of these. I like to keep mine chilled as a post-workout treat. and don't worry. they definitely don't short you on the chocolate!

definitely take a trip over to honey stinger in order to see all of their other delicious products and flavors. and out of my own curiosity, what are your favorite pre-, mid-, and post-workout snacks? let me know how you fuel in the comments!

hope your thursday has some amazing things in store for you!

love, arielle

** this post was sponsored by honey stinger. as always, all thoughts and opinions remain my own.

LETTERS BY THE SEA

if you've been reading here long, then you already know my affinity for everything british--the afternoon teas ( herbal cuppa, please ), the accent, the fashion, the tv. I could seriously watch the a&e 6-hour version of pride & prejudice on repeat if I could get away with it. one of my all time favorite cinematic moments has to be when elizabeth bennett calls mister darcy out for all of his rudeness, and in turn, he writes her a good old-fashioned letter defending himself. I've seen this dialogue more than 20 times ( I'm not embarrassed ), but this time I wondered, 'what happened to dipping a quill in ink and pressing it to paper using the best cursive one could muster?' if that conversation occurred today, the whole thing would have gone down via text message in less than 50 words and mister darcy and elizabeth bennett, one of my favorite literary couples of all time, would have never ended up together. and I don't know about you, but I think that would have been quite a shame. 

so in light of all of this jane austen watching and letter pondering,  I set out to perfect my own letter writing by, well, writing letters. first, I needed to find my very own, personalized stationary, which I found with the help of tiny prints and their amazing staff. they have ( what feels like ) thousands of wonderful options and their customer support is so easy to work with. as a result, I love the end product of my very own, custom stationary set. I hold it in my hands and know it's made of quality and durable materials ( a must if you travel as much as I do, have little ones running around, or just want to show the recipient that your message really, truly matters ). I cannot recommend them highly enough! second, I had to perfect my letter writing skills. a far more difficult task. typically, when I have to tell someone something or ask them a question, I send a text or an email that is friendly, but albeit, straight to the point with maybe a few emojis thrown in for embellishment. when writing a letter, there are all of these formalities one has to remember, but that's when it hit me. when did having to care about someone or show interest in their life become a formality? when did life become so straight-to-the-point that these questions and taking the time to write them down became burdensome? these are questions that should be asked on a regular basis that typically get left out of the common text message. really important things like, "how's your family?" ; "how are you feeling about x, y, z?" ;  "are you seeing anyone new?" and there's something about receiving them on paper that makes them so special and timeless. just think how you feel when you get that e-vite to your friends' baby shower. there's something lacking there and you're left wanting something more tangible. the same principle applies to your everyday greeting. you don't even need fancy calligraphy or stationary to write and let someone know that you care and that you love them. you just need the heart and some genuine interest, and I think you'll find you have the most loved feeling loved ones around.

and so it's tuesday. this week, I'm spending my days catching up on life laundry and trying to get things done, which is really tough after lazing the last bits of summer away. I feel as though I need a post-vacation vacation--a common complaint, I am sure. but alas, the budgeting and the cleaning and literal laundry doing aren't going to do themselves. so I may as well queue up my favorite reruns from netflix and get started! I hope you're all having a wonderful precursor to fall. know that I envy all of you!

love, arielle

** stationary c/o tiny prints

MEET MY FRIENDS || AFTON AFTERTHOUGHT

I am so excited to introduce you to my friend, cydney--a beautiful and stylish photographer, history teacher, and entrepreneur--and her little blog afton afterthought. located in the beautifully cultural dc, she always has breathtaking pictures of local flora and fauna to share. she usually includes a little pick me up of a quote or the catchy song that's been running through her head all day. but mostly, it's her own words that you can take to heart and move forward a little happier than you were before. combing through her archives, I found so many inspirational answers to questions I didn't even know I had! a true "lifter," this one. read on to fall head over heels for afton afterthought.

1 :: your outfits are always so well thought out. where would you say you draw a lot of your style inspiration from? 

I have always tried to define my style to people and I can’t really call it anything but cyddish! I am honestly just me.  I would say that I am an eclectic, vintage, bohemian styled person. I get my inspirations from a lot of different places. when it comes to people, it would be zooey deschanel, gwen stefani, betsey johnson, and lily allen (with hints of retro). I also gather inspiration from my study of history, looking around at the vast cultural beauty of the world, and honestly, just following my heart and eyes. I go with what feels good and makes me happy. therefore, my eclectic style. I go from wearing a 1920s inspired outfit one day to wearing a hot air balloon patterned sun dress the next. I am just me.

2 :: your skin/make-up/hair combinations are always perfect. what products do you swear by to get your look? 

aw, you are sweet! thank you for thinking I am put together. I wear my hair crazy most days. for that, I use ::

garnier fructis waves mousse, big sexy hair root pumper, big sexy hair hairspray, and a little bit of moroccan oil to keep things shiny and healthy. I try to stay away from the damaging hair straighter as much as I can, but at times use it to get those nice definitive waves and curls. you can’t help it!

when it comes to makeup, I have grown to like simplicity over caking my face with color. I have always been a big believer in mac and neutrogena! I like my makeup pale, black lined, simple with pops of lip color. I use nude/brown eye shadows from mac where I buy the color pots individually versus the palettes they try to sell you. I find they last longer and they tend to break less. when it comes to my face, I always make sure I have a primer on. neutrogena has a great one. this is where you paint it on your lid with a brush. mascara is always your friend and honestly, I just bounce around trying new ones over the counter all the time. and we all know that I am obsessed with lipstick. I carry around at least three different shades in my purse. I am always making sure my lips are colored accordingly with the outfit! I love that color pop!

my skin regimen is terrible. honestly terrible. I have struggled with acne since middle school and just the other day my dermatologist told me I will have to deal with this till I am 30… a nice thought. with that said, I try to keep my face very clean. I never go to sleep with makeup on my face. your skin heals and does a lot while you sleep so try to keep it clean. I use neutrogena makeup remover for this. proactiv has really stepped up its game, so I actually have started to use that again. it is pretty good. I have a makeup artist friend who has given me a face mask and pore tightener regimen that is great. 

(she's even shared it below ::)

ingredients ::

1. lemons or organic lemon juice that is pure

2. organic sugar (the granules should not be too coarse)

method ::

if you are just making it to use once a week, you don't need much of either of the ingredients.  probably 1/2 tsp of lemon juice mixed with enough sugar to make it the consistency of baby applesauce.  if there is too little sugar, the sugar will dissolve too quickly and you don't want that. so you may want to test it out on the back of your hand. then you can scrub your face and neck very gently in circular motions until it is almost all the way dissolved and rinse it off.  I just do this in the shower after I have washed my face. you can also just take a makeup round and soak it with the lemon juice then sprinkle some sugar on top of the whole surface and gently rub your face with it in circular motions and rinse.  you may feel some tingling. the vitamin C in the lemons is great for your skin.  it also kills bacteria and tightens your pores.

other products she loves :: neutrogena healthy skin liquid foundation, mac studio fix fluid spf 15, and l’oreal infallible gel eyeliner

3 :: you are such a talented photographer! do you have any advice for bloggers or photographers who are hoping to advance their skills?

again, thank you. that is very kind of you to say!

I love having afton photography, it has been such a blessing in my life. there is something so special about photos. it helps people see the best in themselves and brings a confidence no other thing can. I love being able to capture the best in people and to help them see the beauty they have. I believe everyone has a story to tell. my job is to capture it and it has been so rewarding.

my journey was a funny one. I just started off as a girl with her camera. I had a really hard time in high school and I needed something to keep my mind off things. I started taking my point and shoot crap camera around taking photos of nature and buildings. my parents started to see the photos I was taking and thought, “hmm these are pretty good.” they later bought me my first d-slr camera, which was a sony. from there, I just kept going out and taking photos of people, places, and nature. I slowly started asking people if I could take their photos. I would walk around taking pictures of people on the streets of dc and virginia.  I remember when I started my business, I charged people like $25 for a full session. I just kept experimenting, trying new things, reading, and giving myself real life experience. three years later, I have afton photography and the rest is history!

I have never taken a class for photography. I did not have photographer parents. it was just me.

some people tell me, "I just could not do what you do." I disagree with every single person who says that. why? I believe everyone sees things differently and that is their artistic eye. you need to train that eye to see things “behind the scene” and to slow down life to open them further. everyone can tell a story and capture things differently. they just need to train that outlet.

another thing, is the basics of camera were a mystery to me. I just went out there and experimented. I tried photographing things with different apertures, shutter speeds, and white balances. I saw what worked and what didn’t, and slowly I started to learn.  there is only so much a class can teach you until you need to go out and experiment for yourself.  you can learn by doing. also, make sure you take the time to do this before you hop into lightroom/photoshop. you cannot cover up bad photography with filters and brushes. those programs should only enhance what you have already documented.

my last piece of advice is to find a mentor! I have a few people I would like to give a shout out to : katie hart photography, traci rampton photography, and mostly, you look nice today photography. all three of these photographers are talented and they helped me with questions and directions. if you have a photographer you admire try to shoot them an email with questions, concerns or ideas you might have. most of the time, they will respond and help you! photography is an art and many need help to learn the tricks of the trade. do not be too prideful or shy to ask someone better than you for help. I would ask them to critique my work, for shooting advice, and for company advice. they were all so helpful and positive.  I am so grateful for those photographers who helped shape me. ask for help.

4 :: what would you say is the most important thing you’ve learned since starting afton afterthought?

I think that afton afterthought has only helped me realize that you can be yourself and what you have to say matters. you can make a difference with your words. many of the times I write things and laugh to myself saying, “ I am sure no one will read this” but later I have people sharing my posts and leaving comments thanking me for the positive message or outlook.

when it comes to being different, I learned that my blog did not have to look like or write like popular bloggers. I am me and they are themselves. I have something to say that is different from them and that is cool. we both can do what we do and are important.  I do not have to fit in to be like other popular blogs. this has worked for me.

another big thing: positivity matters and everyone is looking for it! share good things and it makes people happy.

5 :: if you absolutely had to play favorites, what would your favorite blog post be to date and how come?

the one that is always near and dear to my heart is "forget me not."    

I wrote this blog post at 3 am when I could not sleep. I have a huge passion for women’s inner beauty and self worth. I would love for every woman to feel and know that she is important, strong, smart, beautiful, loved and talented but we all know many of us fall short. the world is a hard place that knocks us around and makes us question our worth. I think this blog post can touch close to home for any woman because we are all trying to find confidence, worth, and beauty in our lives.  we see it so much in the lives of others but we are just as blessed in our own lives. we are all important and beautiful human beings. this is a wonderful reminder of just that.

 6 :: you feature so many wonderful role models on your blog. if you could pick just one, who would it be? what would be your favorite quote by them?

oh geez, that is really hard.  I try to share a lot of powerful and uplifting messages on my blog because I believe people always need a pick up. I think it is also important to inspire people to be better. I have many people whom I love like theodore roosevelt,  his holiness the dalai lama, buddha, audrey hepburn, jesus, henry thoreau, my mom and grandmother, etc. but I think my favorite role model would be mother teresa of calcutta. she was such a powerful woman with simple principles. the principles she cherished and showed the world were peace, love, and service. those three things are the most powerful forces of the world. my favorite quotes  from her are:

“let no one ever come to you without leaving better and happier. be the living expression of god's kindness: kindness in your face, kindness in your eyes, kindness in your smile.”

“if you judge people, you leave no room to love them.”

“people are often unreasonable, irrational, and self-centered. forgive them anyway. if you are kind, people may accuse you of selfish, ulterior motives. be kind anyway. if you are successful, you will win some unfaithful friends and some genuine enemies. succeed anyway. if you are honest and sincere, people may deceive you. be honest and sincere anyway. what you spend years creating, others could destroy overnight. create anyway. if you find serenity and happiness, some may be jealous. be happy anyway. the good you do today, will often be forgotten. do good anyway. give the best you have, and it will never be enough. give your best anyway.” 

7 :: what women in your life have influenced you the most?

I have been so lucky to be constantly surrounded by influential and strong women in my life. my mother is my best friend and has taught me so much about life. she is the reason I am so thoughtful and oriented around service. she is loving and does not judge a soul. I have always loved that about her.  she is also full of life. she has always been the person who believes the glass is half full… she gets it.

my grandmother is also another biggy in my life! she and I always butt heads because, growing up, I was a bit of a wild child in her eyes, but she was always so full of love towards me. she is a woman of complete grace, hard work, strength, independence, and love. she is a god-loving woman who has helped me know him through her. she is a powerful woman who loves life…and chocolate.

I also met a woman named suzy anderson who has also been a big inspiration in my life. I went through a very hard time going into college and she was the person to introduce me to photography and using it as a healing tool. she has been a woman who has had constant trials of misfortune, health problems, near death experiences, failures, etcetera, but she is always so positive, faithful, and loving . she is one of those ladies that just speaks gold and has such inspiring things to say…even in common conversation.

And my last biggy would be my junior and senior year world history and religions teacher, ms. wildman. she taught with such passion and knowledge that I always came to class excited and left with inspiration and awe.  she was a pistol of a woman who did not put up with crap, but she taught with such grace and love. she opened my eyes to the world and helped me see history as a study of people. her influence was so powerful that it changed my life completely.  I saw the world differently. she ultimately was the inspiration for my career as a teacher. she is a powerful woman who has been a force for good.

those are some of the most influential but there are many I could give credit to. I have had many opportunities to meet people who are wonderful, strong and beautiful. I have been made better by meeting them all. I believe you can always learn something from someone…they are a door to a new world. 

8 :: you are always posting such beautiful pictures of the dc area. what is your favorite part about living where you do?

history! nature! diversity!

 I love being surrounded by green, culture, and history. virginia/ dc has always taken my heart with its rich history, stories, people, and natural beauty. diversity is everywhere and that has constantly given me rich experiences and understanding. I love it.  there is so much to see and do here!

be sure to keep up with cydney and all of the adventures in her life on her blog!

love, arielle