go BIG or go home...

0
COM
It's the trend that every southern woman should be able to conquer... BIG HAIR! Farrah Faucet made the hair featured on W Magazine's April 2013 cover famous years ago, which in my {southern} opinion will never go out of style. One of her co-stars explained how she used to accomplish this look that so many girls have attempted. He said she flipped her head over, brushed her hair, and tossed it back. Ok, so we don't all have that kind of hair but we can incorporate a few steps into hers...



Use large hot rollers to roll all of your hair
Spray your hair with hair spray while the rollers are still in your hair
Once the rollers have cooled, take them out leaving the curls in tact as much as possible
Flip your head over, brush your hair, and spray with hairspray
Flip your head back over and VOILA!?
Well maybe your hair is perfect at this point... but my hair is naturally curly so the front pieces around my face still usually need to be touched up.
Use a large curling iron and curl pieces away from your face to smooth any frizziness
Brush those pieces just a little to maintain the loose, natural look
Then, more hair spray!



Here is the beautiful blonde that flaunted the look on the cover of W Magazine.




Flip all of your hair to one side to get a totally different look than the traditional off center part shown in the first two shots. I think it portrays more romance and is an easy transition to night by simply changing your part.



Let me know what you think about this style and how your look turns out. Also, we would love to see pictures of your "Farrah" hair {email them to leveesandlace@gmail.com}.

Enjoy!
Nicole


Vanity {Inspiration}

0
COM
I have always had a thing for vintage vanities. Here are a few of my favorites:









{via Pinterest}

With these lovlies as my inspiration, I am on a mission to create a functional make up station while maintaining a glamorous, vintage feel. And...

In celebration of our first anniversary, my parents gave me and Carey a piece of furniture that has been in my mother's family for over 100 years.  Her grandfather originally made the piece as a sewing table and over the years it has been handed down, adapted into a desk, and restored as necessary.  I grew up with it in my bedroom, and now it is back in my life!  



Mom picked up the mirror with drawers {on top} at an estate sale.  I do not have much wall space in my bedroom, so I decided to stick it in a corner.  The next step is to decide whether to use the mirror {which would have to be replaced since the current one is antiqued and not clear} or to use a smaller lighted mirror {for functionality}.

More to come...

Enjoy,
Sarah



Stitch FIX

0
COM
Recently, I was referred to Stitch Fix, an online personal styling service.  I was a bit skeptical at first, I have to admit.  But, after rave reviews from a good friend in Indianola, I decided to give it a try.  I mean let's face it, we have limited options when it comes to shopping trends in the area :)

After signing up, you are asked complete a detailed style profile that includes obvious measures such as height, weight, and clothes sizes, but also items to help the stylist pick the correct clothes for you... such as how you prefer your clothes to fit and how you would describe your personal style {bohemian chic, classic, glamorous, romantic, casual chic, edgy, preppy}.  THEN, it goes on to show you a number of "groupings" of clothes and you are able to reveal if you...Love it!, Like Most, Like Some, Don't like much at all.  The amount of information that you provide goes on {and on}, and I particularly liked that I was able to share a Pinterest board with them so they could understand my style even more!!

Although, I thought all of the style profile questions were great, I still wondered, What if I don't like any of the items they send?  How much money will I lose? and...What price range clothes are they shopping for?

Well, to me, this is the part that convinced me to go through with it...It only costs $20/month.  Then, if you buy something, that $20 goes toward the cost of the item!! So, all you are really committed to is buying one item {or losing the $20 styling fee}.  Also, you are able to fill in your preferred price ranges when submitting your style profile.

It took about 2 weeks for membership to be accepted {there is a wait list},and I received my first box on March 17th!!

The packages is super cute, and it is so exciting to find out what was picked just for you! {No two fixes are alike}



The first thing I saw was Lace! and orange {which I happen to really like for spring-however, I already bought a few orange spring items}

I looked through the clothes that night, but was not able to try them on until later....There are five items in every fix.  Mine included:  Two blouses, a pair of jeans, a dress, and a necklace.  Here are the jeans and the blouse I decided not to keep....


I loved the jeans, however, they did not fit.  I expected this since I usually have a very hard time finding jeans that I like.  I decided not to keep the blouse, just because I was underwhelmed and cost $78.

They also add tags that describe the piece and give you a couple of ideas about how it can be worn.  I think this is a really nice touch!



There was a really pretty orange/pink dress.....



I probably would have kept this item if I did not already have a dress in a similar color.  It was comfortable and very reasonably priced {I think it was $58}

After all of the fun, I decided to only keep one item: Chevron lace back shirt.  At first I did not think I liked this very much, but then I realized it is a very easy shirt to wear.  Sometimes, I get caught up in buying the cutest clothes  I can find and never have just an easy, comfortable shirt to throw on with jeans.  

Another great touch, is that they included a white undershirt with this one {which I happened to need anyway!}



The last step is to go online, and let Stitch Fix know which item(s) you are going to keep...details are outlined very clearly on a label in the box you receive...

When you log on, you are able to leave them notes about each items and tell them why you are or are not keeping the item.

The rest of the pieces are then shipped back the next day in the USPS mail bag with prepaid shipping label {all shipping is free}.  This makes it super easy to just drop off the package at the post office.


This is a super fun and easy thing to do!! and...Who doesn't enjoy trying on clothes at home rather than in a dressing room at a store! 

If you decided to check them out, please use one of the links that is attached to this page or click HERE , so I will get credit for your referral! {$25/person!!!!}

Let me know what you think

Enjoy!!
Sarah

Let's get organized...

0
COM

Since being organized in my personal life does not come naturally to me like it does Sarah, I decided to make this my new year’s resolution… GET ORGANIZED. Yes, I know that is very vague, but I do want to get organized in as many ways as possible. I began cleaning things out in January when the rest of the world was also still working strongly toward their resolutions and just like most of those people with new gym memberships, I started to lose focus on my goal. Well now I am finally getting back on track and excited to share it with you {please don’t judge the before pics that you may see on some posts}.

When we moved in several months ago, there were boxes stacked everywhere. We quickly realized that we needed to pick up a few things before we would be able to completely unpack. One of our first purchases{after living room curtains- more about those later} was a bookshelf to store lots of books and also personal/sentimental items that would help warm the place up since we had to deal with lovely “apartment beige” walls. We were not wanting to spend a lot of money on this- we just wanted something functional for now. Well, I would say that is exactly what we got. The BF came back from Ikea with what might be the best bargain EVER and it is the perfect size for an apartment {also I told him I wanted a back to the book case so he thought this was a good compromise}. He did good!

 
Ikea LAIVA Bookcase $25

Lucky for me, I did not take pics of all of the boxes before unpacking, but here is what the bookcase looks like today.



We already owned most of the items on the bookshelf: the beautiful Fearless Entertaining books on the third shelf were gifts from my mom over the years, as well as many of the pretty cook books on the top shelf that used to be hidden inside cabinets, the white owl book ends were a Christmas present to ourselves from Z Gallerie, the pottery bowl on the third shelf-that happened to match the living room colors perfectly-came from my grandmother's house, the painting on the top shelf was a Christmas gift several years back from two of the cutest little girls-Addy and Aubrey, and if you look closely at the books on the selves, most of them are a funny assortment- everything from Psychology for Dummies to Mathematics for the Nonmathematician. The book case really helped bring some personality to our new apartment while avoiding taking up much space.

A couple of months ago, I managed to find a new home for the bobble heads that once lived on the top shelf :-/ I really hate that I didn't get a picture of the shelf back then. Needless to say, this has been a work in progress. If you are trying to decorate your own bookshelves, just remember to aim for a good balance between pretty pieces and personal items{and in our case, we also chose some funny things as well}.

Let me know what you think and if you have tried something similar in your home.

~Nicole

Designer discovery

1
COM
Recently, I purchased my first pair of Matt Berson shoes from a great store in Ridgeland, MS {Arco Avenue}.  I am completely obsessed with these spring booties {and, I've only worn them once so far}.

Matt Bernson
$255

The black is lovely, but I got the neutral "sand".  The heel height is perfect, and they have comfortable and easy to walk in rubber treads.  I hope that I can wear them all spring and summer!



Check out this amazing designer {based out of Tribeca} at Arco Avenue!! {The Township // 1107 Highland Colony Parkway, Suite 107, Ridgeland, MS 39157} or online at mattbernson.com

You won't be disappointed....Enjoy!

Sarah


Bring on the Wellies!

0
COM
In preparation for April showers {which have already started}, I am in the market for a functional yet stylish pair of wellies. This will be very important this year since I live in such a "walking area" and you never know when those showers might pop up. Here are several options I ran across during my search...


I love that these Hunter boots that have less of the "rain boot" look, which would be great if you end up needing to wear them all day long.





Henri Bendel always has a fantastic offering of wellies that range from fun prints to their classic stripe and are a good mid range price point.





I hesitate to spend much on rain boots since I typically end up not actually wearing them {I am going to try to change this habit}. Since I know my history though, I researched a third option that surprised me by all of the styles--Target!



 


 




Sometimes you just need some fun colors for that dreary rain. Both of these boots come in great colors to help brighten your day!
 


 


Hopefully these amazing wellie options will make splashing through the water puddles a fun activity this spring! 

Enjoy~

Nicole



Shop the runway....Lace

0
COM
A few days ago I shared one of Levees and Lace's favorite spring trends from the runways, and today I hope to provide some great buys that I came across while shopping online.

1.  White


Splurge



Nightcap Clothing                           Juicy Couture
     Caletto Maxi Dress                      Guipure Lace Dress
$495                                               $268
via ShopBop

Save

{to save money when purchasing lace, search less expensive boutiques, shop sales, and start with small pieces or accessories} 

       
             Tobi                                              Free People
          Sweet Tweed Dress                      Daisy Lace Godet Top
      $56                                                    $78
                                                                    via ShopBop

Side note:  Tobi is an amazing online boutique.  They have 30% off new arrivals DAILY!!


2. White with pastels

 Splurge

Nanette Lapore
 $448

Save

Free People
$128
{this one comes in white as well, but we love the lilac}
via ShopBop

3.  White & Black

Warehouse
$110
via ASOS

{There is no need for Save v. Splurge on this one....Remember the RUNWAY pic...

 they are disturbingly similar!}

4.  Bold colors

Splurge

    Milly                                          Shoshanna
          Butterfly Sheath                       Celine Dress {Rhubarb}
$425                                            $395
via ShopBop

     Save

        

          Sunstream                                          Vanessa Virginia
         Eyelet Dress{red motif}                             Ezurite Peasant Blouse
   $128                                                        $138
via Anthropologie

Whatever your style, you are sure to find a way to work this trend in for spring.  Have fun with it, experiment, and Enjoy!

Sarah




Spring runway 2013...namesake

0
COM
One of the big trends for spring is Lace! Here are some of my favorites from the spring 2013 runways....

Louisa Baccaria

  Oscar de la Renta

And, since most of us are not daring enough for all over white lace....mixing white with pastels is a little bit more practical.
Temperly London

Or, try black lace over white {black and white is a big trend for spring as well}....
Lela Rose

And, last but not least, if bold colors are your thing....
J. Mendel

As you can see, no matter your style or comfort level, lace is a definite must try for spring.  Opt for small accents or one key piece before venturing into a head to toe look.  When mixing different types of patterns, stick with one color to harmonize the look.  And, have FUN with this girly, bold fabric choice.

Stay tuned for shopping options....

Enjoy!
Sarah