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Friday, January 30, 2015

Friday Links of Wisdom

Tom Brady we love you. Now let's go win the Super Bowl!

Looking for an upbeat and adorable girl to follow on Instagram

I want to see this

I also want to try this

Kim Kardash is like a car accident. You don't want to, but you can't help but look

Hi, my name is Courtney and I drink white wine (although half of this is incorrect)

I love my roommates so much it hurts.

Sometimes when I wear these I find myself skipping because they are THAT amazing

Ayeaaah there is more snow coming 

HAPPY WEEKEND LOVIES!


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Super Bowl Sunday: PATRIOTS Edition

I love me some Tom Brady Patriots! While being in the Super Bowl is great, dressing the part and eating some amazing food is equally as great! 

Yes, I'll be wearing these crazy leggings on Sunday!

I've had these wild pants for a few years now and even rocked them when my bestie and I got to go on the field during the 2012 AFC Championship game ;)

Looking for some outfit/accessory ideas for Sunday's big game? Look no further!







1. Earbuds // 2. Crock Pot // 3. Tumbler // 4. Vineyard Vines Tie // 5. Onesies // 













I hope everyone has a fabulous weekend and a safe Super Bowl Sunday! 
GO PATRIOTS!

Thursday, January 29, 2015

Style & Girl Power



If you follow me on Instagram you know that I LOVE a good inspirational quote. I love finding quotes, sayings and song lyrics and adding them to my collection. Each morning on my way to work I always take one of my favorites and put it on my Instagram page using the hashtag #WeekdayWordsFromCLB. This way all of my "words" get grouped together and are easily found when you're looking for some daily inspiration. 

While I mostly post inspirational quotes and words of wisdom, I found that I had a bunch of girl power and style related quotes that I wanted to share. Here are some of my favs for a little Thursday pick me up!

Happy almost weekend!! Keep on truckin'! 

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How To Write A Professional Email

As kids you were taught to always say "please" and "thank you", to chew with your mouth closed, to look someone in the eye when you are speaking to them, as well as a laundry list of other do's and don'ts that fall under the "Miss Manners" category of proper etiquette.

We now live in a world very different than the one we had when we were kids. This world is filled with technology that we rarely can escape. The payphone has turned into the cell phone, the days of going to the library to check out a book are now replaced with scrolling through your Kindle to find the top 25 best sellers, and letter writing is a thing of the past. The world we live in today also consists of thousands of emails that we send each day, month and year. These emails are vital in our communication with the outside world, and if done properly can help us to excel in our futures.

Writing a professional email is something you frequently have to do, but few actually know how to do. Here are some tips for making your emails to your boss, your professor, or even to your family and friends more professional.

Tip #1: Make it readable. Although there are a zillion fonts one can choose from, the professional email is not the time to test it out and see what looks "artsy" and "cute." Stick with a font that is easily legible such as Times New Roman or Arial. These fonts allow the reader to quickly move through what you are saying and not get distracted or frustrated.


Tip #2: Remember that texting and emailing are NOT the same thing. When writing a professional email refrain from using jargon such as BRB, LOL, IDK or HAHA. An email should sound eloquent and precise. Read your email out loud to yourself and if it sounds at all immature, silly or condescending then DON'T send it. A professional email should be something you would be proud enough to read out loud to an entire room of people and not feel at all embarrassed.


Tip #3: Re-read. Re-read. And re-read AGAIN. Whenever you send something, whether it be an email, a text, a blog post, or even a Facebook comment you should always re-read what you have said to make sure there are no spelling errors. There is nothing worse than getting a nice email and going through it, only to find out that the person who sent it did not care enough to take the time to go over what they had written.

Tip #4: Professional emails are like a mini skirt. They should be short enough to grab your attention, but long enough to cover all the important parts. Don't waste your time or the time of the person whom your sending the email to. Say what is necessary and in a timely fashion, but then move on.

Tip #5: Be positive, never gossip, and always end with a "best" or a "thank you for your time." Emails are not a time to vent about your life's struggles or chatter about meaningless gossip. A professional email should always remain upbeat and if you are sending it to a professor, a colleague or a potential new boss you should remember to thank them for their time, and reiterate your appreciation. Emails can leave a lasting impression on people and can determine your future. Leave your mark!

Hopefully these tips were helpful in showing the importance of a professional email! 

As always, thanks for reading! 
xx

Friday, January 23, 2015

Cleaning Out Your Closet 101

I have a problem when it comes to buying clothes. I'm admitting it.

Although I shop faaaar too often, I do however clean out my closet at least once a month and I am constantly re-organizing and re-evaluating what I have. This allows me to really see what I have in my closet and maximize the use of all my many different pieces. 

It is really easy to pick everything up off your floor, shove it all in your closet, and shut the doors. This may temporarily make your room look clean, but causes you to forget about certain things and therefor miss out on great potential OOTDs. I believe that everything in your closet should have a proper place, and that you should never go into your closet "looking for something." You should know exactly where everything is.

Looking to create a perfectly organized and beautiful closet? Here are some tips!

Tip #1: Create sections in your closet. I used to color coordinate my closet, and while it looked pretty, it didn't allow me to see clearly what I was looking for. I would go into the blue section looking for a dress and find sweaters, tanks or a pair of jeans. No thanks! Instead, I now have sections in my closet for each item. I have a section for dresses, a section for tanks, one for blouses, one for skirts and even one for vests (I love me a good puffy vest!)

Tip #2: Put your sweaters in bins instead of hanging them. Sweaters take up way too much room when they're hung in your closet, and they also can get stretched out when they're on hangers because they are so heavy. Instead you can get bins like I did and pack all your sweaters inside of them giving yourself plenty of room to hang your other favorites!

Tip #3: Get plastic AND felt hangers. Felt hangers are great because they hold onto your clothes and don't cause them to fall or move around while you're going through your closet. Although I have mostly felt hangers, I do also like plastic hangers for certain pieces. Sometimes I find that blouses or shirts with higher necklines do best on plastic hangers because the felt hangers can be tricky to navigate and move around. 

Tip #4: Put your workout tanks, shorts and tees in dresser drawers. While I do hang my work pants as well as silk and nicer blouses, I still like to fold many of my "tee shirt like" tops as well as my workout gear and put them in my dresser. Because I have sooo many cotton tees, Lulu Lemon tops, and Nike shorts (many of which never get used- note to self I should work out more...) I fold and stack them in my dresser instead of hanging them in my closet. Some of this stuff is only used for short periods of time throughout the year so I prefer not to waste space in my closet.

Tip #5: Use the storage space from a bookshelf or a trunk to hold jeans, pants and heavy/bulky items. Like I said I hang my work pants, but that is it. I have way too many jeans to hang in my closet, so instead I fold and stack them on a bookshelf in my room! I actually like the way it looks all neatly stacked, and this way I can clearly see what pair is what, and can grab them easily!

Tip #6: Get under the bed bins. For years I never had anything under my bed. Once I started living in small off campus apartments in college I quickly become accustomed to the harsh reality that not everything will fit perfectly in my closet. In one of my apartments I didn't even have a closet! I got a freestanding wardrobe and put it in the corner of my room! I now use my under the bed bins for holding all my purses and also for holding all my winter/ leather boots. I lay everything flat in the bins and slide them under my bed. This keeps the floor of my bedroom looking neat and also keeps my bags and boots from getting dusty!




I hope these organizing tips were helpful and that you are now inspired to go and clean out your closet! Another great tip is to go through EACH item in your closet and if you haven't worn it in the past year accept that you probably won't wear it in the coming years. Instead of holding onto things you don't need, donate them to those who do! Plus it makes room for new pieces for the upcoming season! 

xx
Courtney 


Thursday, January 22, 2015

Furbish Finds


1. Pink Votive Candles // 2. Cake Painting // 3. Feather Print Lucite Tray //  
4. "Too much of a good thing" Pillow // 5. Cocktail Tidbit Plates // 6. Elsa Quilt // 7. Nest Candle // 
8. "Keep it real" sign // 9. Garden Stool // 10. Spotted Cocktail Napkins // 11. Leather Pouf  // 
12. Gem Lamp // 13. Spotted Pillow 


During my Pinterest travels I stumbled across a bunch of unique home pieces from a site called Furbish Studio and I was instantly swooning over all the funky, yet classy accents they were selling. Furbish Studio has a wide range of items in various price ranges, so there is definitely something for everyone. Whether you are decorating your dorm room, your apartment or your home you'll be sure to find something AMAZING at Furbish Studio!


Wednesday, January 21, 2015

Mid Week Cravings

Mid work week got you down? I feel ya. We ALL feel ya! 
To help make this hump day go by a little faster I've rounded up some beautiful new lusts!



BCBG Pumps // Kendra Scott Elisa Necklace // GiGi New York Uber Clutch 
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If you follow one, two, or multiple (like me) fashion blogs you know that the Valentino Rockstud pumps are a fan favorite by many! Don't want to spend $995? Me either! These BCBG Pumps are an AMAZING dupe, and are only $69.95! So if you are wondering, YES, I will be purchasing these today during my lunch hour!

Kendra Scott has been a fav of mine for a while now. When I originally purchased the Elisa Necklace back in June it only came in a few colors, and was always selling out or on back order. Now this amazing piece comes in tons of beautiful colors and various metals and is perfect for layering and mixing with other KS pieces! 

GiGi New York has been dreamed about, written about, and lusted over many, many times on Ms. CourtneyLeighB.  This past weekend I was over the moon when a sweet, sweet family friend of mine surprised me with my very first Uber Clutch as a graduation gift! The magenta embossed python is to die for and is definitely going to be a staple in my closet for many years to come! I wore it out this weekend and have been toting it around my apartment for days since then! I just LOVE it! 

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Wednesday, January 7, 2015

2015 Resolutions

Stop the worry AND the hurry:
In 2014 I spent waaay too much time worrying about things that did not matter, while also rushing through my days and doing things quickly just to be able to get them checked off my list. In 2015 I want to make a conscious effort to not only stop worrying about the things that I cannot change, but to also slow down and take a moment to smell the roses. Literally AND figuratively. I want to spend more time outside and I want to experience things new things, things I never spent the time to experience before. This is a new year, and it is time to make some changes!


Drink up:
I am absolutely horrible at remembering to drink water throughout the day. There are some days that I get to lunchtime and I realize I haven't had anything to drink ALL day. In this new year I want to not only drink a TON more water, but also experiment with different kinds of healthy juices and smoothies. There have been a ton of articles out recently that discuss the importance of wheatgrass, green juices and probiotic drinks that cultivate the deepest cleaning and repairing that you can give to your digestive system. They say that this is the key to good health, so who am I to pass it up? Those of you who know me know that I'm not exactly your clean eating, only the finest ingredients enter my body, kind of girl, so this may be somewhat of a challenge, but if it makes me feel good, I'm willing to give it a try! 
(and if I don't like the wheatgrass there is always the mimosa!!)

Fail frequently:
I've always been a big promoter of the "fake it til you make it philosophy." Something I hope to continue in 2015. Sometimes we try things, and we fail, but sometimes we try things and we fly. I want to continue to not be afraid in this New Year. I want to try things out with the idea that nothing has to be forever. I want to be fearless and never have to look back wishing I had done things differently. As one of my favorite quotes below reads "Sometimes I'm okay, sometimes I'm not." It is as simple as that. Allow yourself to have bad days, to fail, and to struggle, but also allow yourself to stand up, to be incredible and to shoot for the stars. Best foot forward, baby! 


Less phone, more people:
Last night as I was reading an article to my roommates (off of my cell phone) about resolutions for the New Year, I came across one that talked about using your phone less and communicating with people in person, more. I laughed when I read this and gave a quick "yeah, NO" to my roommates because I am highly attached to my phone, but all jokes aside I DO want to try to make more of an effort to turn off the technology and turn on the personality. So much about who we are gets lost over texts, instagram and social media. When you are face to face with someone your true colors really shine through. 


Stop complain, dear God STOOOP complaining:
I normally catch myself when I'm complaining or being negative. Although I'm pretty aware that I sometimes frequently do it, I'm also aware that when I'm positive and upbeat I feel ten times better. In 2015 I'd like to be so darn stinkin' positive that everyone around me ends up feeling the same way too. I want to be that person that when people talk about me they mention my positive demeanor along with my spunk and sassy personality. Whenever I feel myself ready to complain I want to ask myself "does this really matter?" "Is this really worth my time?" Most of the time the answer is NO, so brush it off, keep on movin, and be HAPPY. 

Do you:
Anytime I was stressing in 2014 (let's be honest, anytime I've ever been stressing throughout my entire life) my brother Jared has said to me "do you." This is something I always just heard and let pass me by, but I need to take those words into consideration and really live by them. In 2015 I want to do what is best for me, not care what anyone else thinks, always keep my head up high, and remember that I have the power to decide my future. 

What are your resolutions for 2015?



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