how to wear a blanket scarf.

Sorry for the small hiatus folks, I planned on blogging while on Thanksgiving break but there were so many family members to converse with, friends to catch up with, food to be eaten, and deals to catch that I didn't get the chance to focus on the blog. 

But, I'm back! And BOY do I have a treat in store for you. 

As many of you have probably noticed from my instagram and facebook, I have been LOVING blanket scarves lately. I also love small businesses and Etsy. So, when I saw this wonderful company on Etsy, I immediately thought of how much my readers would LOVE her blanket scarves. 

The shop is called Swirling Honey and it features so many beautiful scarves and very affordable prices (all of them are around just 20 dollars!). I was lucky enough to be sent 4 sets of blanket scarves and I love EVERY SINGLE ONE. The quality of these scarves are to die for and they keep you SO warm throughout the entire day. Not to mention they are so cute! 

So I have literally been wearing them everyday. And I've had so many compliments on them, and when I tell people that they are so cheap they immediately are interested in buying them! However, everyone had questions about how to wear them, so I decided that I would provide some small tutorials on different ways to wear these beautiful scarves. 

The Shaw. 

Drape the scarf around your shoulders. 

Grab yourself a big belt. 

Then belt the scarf so it's connected, making a cute shaw/shirt! 

The Classic.

Take your scarf and fold it in half so it looks like a triangle. 

Then take the point of the triangle and make sure it is facing the front, then wrap the arms of the triangle around your neck to the opposite side. 

The Donut. 

Roll the scarf up. 

Wrap it around your neck and tuck the extra part of the scarf under. 

Or just enjoy it as a legit blanket, SO COMFY!

So, now that you know how to wear it, GET OUT THERE AND BUY YOURSELF ON! 
Luckily, my readers are able to use the code SOHI20 for 20% off their order!!
Fun fact: That makes these beautiful, comfy, huge scarves only around $16!! You won't be able to find a deal like this anywhere else, and you are supporting small business! 
What could be better?!
PS: I received these products to review. All opinions are my own.

bandana's.

I don't know about you guys but I have recently been noticing the popularity of the use of bandanna's in every day outfits. 

And I must say, I am not a fan. 

But, I also didn't dig the 90's trends at first and now I am rocking some styles that are 90-esque. So, maybe it'll grow on me. Who knows?   

People are putting bandanna's EVERYWHERE. Their purses, their necks, their hair... using it as a dog collar. The madness! 
Not to mention that bandannas are an extremely affordable. So no wonder people are loving them. 

What do you think of this new (old?) trend? 

  *Photo's taken from weheartit.com

spam.

Hi lovelies! 
I have had something hanging over my head for quite some time now so I figured I would take it to my blog to vent about it, because, well, that's what a blog is for, right? 
SO - LETS JUST DIVE INTO IT.
So, most of you reading this are fellow bloggers like myself. A lot of you also are trying to grow your following (which is totally fine!) by commenting on various blogs and collaborating with brands to get your name out there. You are in the facebook groups, twitter groups, hashtagging on insta, the whole sha-bang. 
And you know what, I do it to. That's what blogging for profit is. If you hate it, go for it. But PLEASE do not hate on me for trying to get a little extra money in my pocket from doing a hobby that I thoroughly ENJOY.
With that said, let me talk to you about an experience I just had yesterday. 
Lately I have been trying to pair up with various Etsy stores simply because I think Etsy is a wonderful thing and it brings normal, every day people into the business world. I would GLADLY buy something from a small business on Etsy than anywhere else because I enjoy supporting small business. 
So I have been surfing around Etsy looking for products and companies that fit in line with not only my style, but your (my readers) style as well. So I find certain companies (literally, I search for companies that I know I will like and I know will fit well with the So, hi brand) and I reach out to them. I tell them my stats, why I am interested, the whole sha-bang to see if they would be potentially interested in collaborating with the blog.
Some of them say yes (which is so great! I have loved everyone I have worked with!) and some of them have said no (Which I totally understand, sometimes companies are over worked or cannot afford to give products away for free). I honestly do not expect every single company I reach out to to say yes. I get it, some people want to collaborate, some don't. It really is no issue, honestly.
Well, I reached out lately to a shop on Etsy that had various Wedding material because I am really interested in doing a featured post with Etsy shops that are geared toward the "wedding" audience. You know why? Because I'm recently engaged, my friends are recently engaged, and a ton of my readers are recently engaged. It makes total sense to me that I would post a wedding post, so why not pair up with various Etsy shops so I can include their products on the post! Well the response I got back was "Please don't spam" and I just thought to myself, is this what these Etsy shops are thinking? When I think of spam I think of a robot copying and pasting to every single comment board/email it can get to. I WROTE the email, I PROVIDED my reasoning as to why I think it would benefit the both of us, and I OFFERED something in exchange for the product. To me that isn't spam. 
What do you think? Was I spamming? It really irked me because I do not want  these wonderful companies I am reaching out to to think that are just any company. I literally look for products that I enjoy, I don't just pick random stores and message them. I pick stores that will fit with the blog. If I was going out emailing every company I thought would send me free things I wouldn't be fashion/beauty/lifestyle blog anymore. I'd be a toddler clothing, food (which I wish I was but the stars are not aligning for that one), fitness, alcohol, sorority, mommy, interior design, and DIY blog.
So there is my rant. If you have experienced this, please let me know what you think. It makes me sad and kind of discourages me to reach out to companies any more, even though I know I am helping their sales and benefiting them as well. 
I like to think of bloggers and small businesses as partners. They need us for advertisement, and honestly, we need them for content. So why not ask for something simple like a product to review in return for a review post? I'm not fudging what I think about these products, I'm HONESTLY telling my readers what I think. 
What is so bad about that? 
Also, to the Etsy shops out there, please do not think that we bloggers are just out there to get free merchandise. We literally are trying to help you guys too. It's a great way to collaborate and it is beneficial for us both. I'm sure there are bloggers out there who are "spamming" but this blog is not one of them. Just give those blogs reaching out to a chance, actually look at their material, and see if you could potentially gain buyers from those blogs. 
I do everything in my power to help these small businesses out. And so many of them appreciate it, I have actually had wonderful successes with all of the shops I have paired up with (and have made wonderful friendships with). WE are REAL people behind these blogs. Just remember that. We are not grubby robots trying to get every thing you have. 
So. Yea. Hit me with your experiences/what you think because I'm sure I'm not the only blogger who has dealt with this. 

anatomical.

Lately I was given the wonderful opportunity of trying out a bunch of fun skin care products from Anatomicals and Formula 10.0.6.

They sent me so many wonderful things that it has taken over a month to review all of the items! But here we are, and all of the products have been reviewed, and now I am about to tell you HOW WONDERFUL these products actually are! 

First of was the lotions and body scrub. OH MY GOSH. THE SMELLS. 

So good. And that citrus body scrub had my legs feelin' like a babies bottom. The hand cream was great to use before bed, and the body butter moisturized like no other.

I was also sent two soaps to review. And again, THE SMELLS. Literally smells SO GOOD. And the soaps are real sudsy, so you feel super duper clean. 

These three products were my absolute favorite, however. I love masks, and fortunately I had the opportunity to try out 3 of formula 10.0.6's glorious masks. The "Keep Your Cool" mas smelled so wonderful, like there were cucumbers all over your face. The "Get Your Glow On" peel mask also had a wonderful smell (it smelled like summer) and it was so much fun to peel off the mask after it had dried. This was my ultimate favorite. Lastly, the "Pores Be Pure" mud mask left my skin feeling so clean and beautiful. 

Now these products were great as well. Unfortunately I have an issue with black heads, and from using this daily foaming cleanser and the Three Times Sublime wash my blackheads have deteriorated. Also, the Seriously Shine Free moisturizer was great to apply at night to keep my skin from getting dry during these cold winter months. 

Lastly, the So Totally Clean cleanser and Face Off make-up wipes. The cleanser was great and it felt like it was working as soon as it was applied. I could feel the cleanser extracting the impurities of my skin, and even though it stung a little, it left my skin feeling fresh. Additionally, the face off wipes were a life saver this past month as well. I notoriously forget to take off my make up at night, and having these wipes accessible helped me take off my make up quickly before bed, and then I didn't have to wake up the next morning with a brand new pimple on my face. 

Overall, not only are these products super funny and cute, but they also smell glorious and are pretty. NOT TO MENTION THEY ACTUALLY WORK. You can purchase these items at Ulta or Amazon, which I thought was pretty cool, since they are so accessible to so many people. So get out there folks, and try them out! Even if you don't like them you will have some cute colors added to your bathroom closet. ;)

*These products were sent to me to review - all opinions are my own.

link love.

Cook:

BEST CHOWDER EVER. Wild mushroom soup. Jalapeno popper pizza. Yum! Can't go wrong with some shrimp/mushroom pasta. Want a healthy treat? Try these spinach balls! And this cucumber avocado salad looks so fresh and so delicious! 




Read:

113 ideas for a blog post when you hit writers block. What should your major be based on your zodiac sign? I got an Elementary School Teacher (Close to SLP!) This fun blogger swap. Best eyeshadow palates to buy this year. DIY Body Butter!  Is it luck or hard work?




Buy:

These GORG flannels. Definitely needed for fall! Simple and versatile earrings. Beautiful jewelry that takes you back to the beach. These cute little mug covers. 



Dream:

PREACH. I need this puppy. Also, this rug. Too bad it's sold out and wayyyy out of my price range. It's okay to be weird.

What were some of your favorite links this past week? 

Also, don't forget to follow me either via GFC of Bloglovin! You can see the links on the side of the blog! :)

Have a great day, lovelies!

what is love?

Today marks the day I have been with my wonderful boyfriend for a whole 7 years. 

That's right, I said 7 years. I have been with him for literally 1/3 of my life. Guys, I'm pretty sure in some states we are common law married. 

So this is a tribute blog to my best friend, my partner in crime, and my knight and shining armor. 

We were so lucky to have met so early in life (I was 14, him 16) and to have the opportunity to grow up together. We have been through high school together, cheering him on whenever he'd get a touchdown, we've been through a summer of lineman school (the electric kind, not football kind), we've been through a super depressing college freshman year (it was rough folks), and now we are here. Me, in my last year at school and finishing up graduate school, and him, after just buying a nice home and venturing off into adulthood. 

This is the type of thing I love about life and love. God puts you in the most perfect situations sometimes, and I just think it is awesome. I would have never fathomed that my first kiss would be my last, and honestly, I'm thinking that's what is going to happen with him (knock on wood).

I have always been realistic about the situations we have been in. I mean, to start dating at such a young age (I mean, 14? I was a BABY) it is hard to even fathom that a couple can last through all of the changes associated with "growing up." College, the first jobs, being away from each other for extended periods of time, personality changes, the fact that your brain LITERALLY ISN'T EVEN DEVELOPED YET (shout-out to my cognition slp's out there). 

Luckily I am here now. And I don't think I really have to worry about our brains changing any more (we are at the end of the age where that frontal lobe is developing, so I think I made it!) and as we get older I love him more and more every. single. day. 

I always had to remind myself through all of these changes, that it is OKAY if we were to not work out. I mean, when you are in a relationship so young you have two choices: Either grow together, or grow apart. The key there is growing. You change, it is inevitable, and luckily for us we were blessed to grow together and still maintain the interest and love towards one another. 

I still remember the first dance we had, and I remember how nervous I was to fathom talking to a Junior football player when I was a measly little freshman who had never even had her first kiss. But he was the sweetest boy I could come into contact with, and now he has grown into the sweetest man I know. 

We've been through 4 proms, 8 homecoming dances, like 14 billion dates, spending time at the lake together every summer for the past 6 years (did I mention somehow we both HAVE A COTTAGE AT THE SAME LAKE. ACROSS FROM EACH OTHER. Can you say fate?), 100 trillion forehead kisses, a few vacations, countless hugs, too many good-byes, not enough hellos, getting our first jobs, getting degrees, quitting jobs, making new friends (together), and so, so, so much more. 

There isn't enough room to explain the life that I have been lucky to live with him. I literally feel like the luckiest person in the world to have the opportunity to be with such an amazing man. He's my rock. Literally. Don't get me wrong, I'm pretty independent (I mean he does refer to me as "the Boss") but I never find myself completely comfortable when I am without him. 

So, with that all said, I just want to thank you, Bug, for being with me through all of these changes and going through this adventure called life, with me. 

Love you so much, and I'm so happy to have the opportunity to spend the rest of my life with you.