Showing posts with label Omaha. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Omaha. Show all posts

Thursday, October 27, 2016

how to {do your own blowout}

Blowouts are all the rage. And for good reason… having someone else wash your hair and give you the smoothest, most voluminous style (with no effort!)… Yes please! If you love getting blowouts and have wondered how you can achieve the look at home, look no further!

The lovely Ally from Lark Blow Dry is breaking down the how- to of a blow out. Step by step we will show you how to achieve that coveted "fresh from the blow bar" look! 

{for the purpose of this post, this blowout is brought to you Bumble and bumble and I will be referencing their products; please feel free to use similar products when trying this out!}


1. Post washing, prep hair with a detangler/primer all over your damp hair. For this demonstration, we used Bb. prep spray, which I must add… smells amazing! Next, your hair needs to be combed out and detangled. Ally, who is a professional,  and I (who simply swear by it) HIGHLY recommend investing in a Wet Brush for this step. This brush will change your life. If you have long hair, especially, do yourself a favor. 



2. Next, your hair needs to be rough dried before you can start the blowout process. Rough dry means that approximately 75-80% is completely dry. Ally tip: blow dry your hair going the same way as the hair shaft. Meaning, keep the blow dryer pointed away from your roots. From roots to midshaft, Ally recommends applying a styling cream to create volume. For bottom half of your hair, a thickening mousse is key. While blow drying, use your hands or the brush, but make sure you REALLY get your roots dry. 

Don't mind my mad face, ,just very focused!




3. Once your hair is about 75-80% dry, split into sections as pictured. To split your hair, always start with the top. You can measure this by going from the outside of your eyebrows and back. Measure the section by using the round brush of your choice. The subsections should be roughly the size of the end of the round brush. (Is everyone learning a lot? Ally is wealth of knowledge. I had no idea!) When you finish you should have 4 large sections. 






4. Blow dry each section with the blow dryer under the hair shaft. Ally tip: tension is key! Using the round brush, pull the strand at a 90 degree angle away from the head. For the bottom section, which is where you will start, this is not necessary. But as you move up your head, and want more volume, the direction you pull the hair from your head will determine volume. Pulling the strand straight up while brushing away from the head will create the most dramatic volume. Roll the round brush while pointing your blow dryer down on the hair shaft. 





5. Repeat each section moving up to the top. Remember, the crown of the head (the two top sections) are where you want the MOST volume. Ally tip: Use the heat AND cool shot on your hairdryer to set each section. 




6. Use your fingers to break up the waves. Ta da! 





You just completed your first at home blowout. Does your arm hurt? Most likely. Especially if your hair is long! But it's totally worth the results. 

Do you do your own blowouts? What tips do you have? Let me know in the comments!

If you are in Omaha, and haven't experienced an in-house blowout, contact Ally at Lark! You will not regret it! Plus, she is a wealth of knowledge and will send you on your hair with beautiful hair AND information. 



Tuesday, August 30, 2016

feeling floral {sweet p & fi}

Who loves boutique shopping? raises hand
Who loves the price tag? slowly puts hand down and runs away

Seriously though, I LOVE boutique shopping. The one of a kind pieces and pretty details always get me. Unfortunately, most of the time I see the price tag and think… hmmm...maybe not. 

I heard about Sweet P & Fi about 5 months ago and could not wrap my mind around the affordable pricing PLUS the amazing inventory of clothes and accessories. And to make it even sweeter? It's a local, online boutique! So when you order from Sweet P & Fi, your items are shipping directly from Omaha! If you know me, you know that nothing gives me a greater thrill than supporting local businesses…whether that be boutiques, farmers market vendors or small coffee shops; I truly love to know that families are supporting themselves by doing what they love! 

When Molly contacted me about picking out a piece from her most recent inventory, I could not contain my excitement. In fact, I already had a few items bookmarked when I saw the Instagram post and readily emailed her back. I am so excited to share this look with you! 


If I could put a single word on my favorite picks of this season, I would have to say "floral." It's almost always the first thing that catches my eye! I love that I can wear this top as a summery look with white jeans, or transition into a Fall look with jeans and booties. 




Shop this exact shirt HERE! (PS - It comes in white as well!)

My other favorite part about Sweet P & Fi are THESE earrings!
No earrings, in the history of my earrings, have ever gotten as much stage time as these beauts! They go with everything. Literally. I wear them to work, on date night, to weddings… seriously, they can do no wrong. And did I mention they are $10?


And my personal favorite? They are SO lightweight! As in I'm not ripping them of and throwing them in my purse halfway through the other day. Just to drive my point home, I fell asleep wearing these earrings the other day. How often does that actually happen? ;)



I have purchased several staples from Sweet P & Fi over the last few months, and all of them transition SO wonderfully from the office to dinner with friends. And my favorite part? I am still getting fashionable items without breaking the bank!

BUY THIS TOP


The seasons are changing and that always gets me excited to add a few new pieces to my regular rotation! This sassy cardigan is my next purchase!

Now, for the BEST part! Sweet P & Fi is offering a discount to Sweet & Modern readers!!!

Enter sweet15 at checkout to save 15% off of your purchase!

I can't wait to see what you find - but I know it will be perfect. Happy shopping!


To learn more about Molly & Sweet P & Fi, click here
Shop Sweet P & Fi now

Special thanks to the lovely Jenny at Rocking J Imaging for capturing my look!

Friday, July 29, 2016

bumble&bumble + lark beauty and blow dry studio

Hi ladies!

What a week it's been… I am so happy we've arrived at the weekend! But that's every week, right? On to the good stuff.

Lark is a local blow bar here in Omaha. We are SO lucky to have them and they were the first blow bar  to pop up in the area. I, for one, was ecstatic when I learned they opened, and blogged about my very first experience there a few years ago. Spoiler alert: it was awesome.

I still love to come in as often as possible (though I keep moving further and further away from them ;) ) so I was genuinely thrilled when they mentioned doing some product testing. I LOVE product testing (hello my entire blog!)

Lark is exclusively a Bumble and Bumble salon. I have to be honest and say my ONLY experience with Bumble and Bumble has been at Lark. I have never used any products at home,  but I am always so pleased with my hair when I leave there.

Bumble and Bumble is introducing a new product called Bb Hairdresser's Balm to Oil Pre Shampoo Masque. Here's the deal (per Bb):



WHAT: A silicone free, highly concentrated and transformative masque that liquefies in hands to release 6 transformative oils - leaving parched strands silky, soft and ultra manageable. 

WHY: 6 highly oils are packed into a dense balm for maximum concentration and moisture, then they emulsify to saturate hair at its driest points. 

WHO: Dry to very dry hair that wants moisture, healthy shine, softness and manageability. 

WHEN: Weekly, before shampooing, for optimal penetration. 

So… I love hair masques! It makes me feel like I am doing a little extra for the care of my hair. But I have to admit, I've kind of gotten away from them! About 6 months ago I had a bout with my hair (again) where it went through an insanely dry, crunchy stage. I am finally on the mend (after some intense TLC) but I was excited to see what this mask would do. The only issue? Oil. UGH! Oil + hair is typically not my friend. I understand the benefits, but have never had luck in the past. If you search "coconut oil" here, you will find about the time that I could not get coconut oil out of my hair and had to go to work with my ultra greasy new 'do. Eye roll. 

Anyways, in all of my experience, my hair always wound up extra greasy and weighed down. NOT COOL. Regardless, Ally at Lark and I chatted and she explained to me that the oil would penetrate my hair shaft while it was dry and prior to a regular shampoo. So off we went. 

Ally is amazing and kindly showed me everything she was doing. I watched as she spooned the product into her palms and then let it emulsify before rubbing it into the lower portion of my hair. When she finished, this was the result!

How adorable is Lark Studio? I love being there! 

Next, Ally washed my hair with shampoo. She ended up doing two  rinses (which is pretty typical with a lot of oil type products!) …. and this did the trick. 

As soon as Ally started combing my hair out she could see that my hair shaft was smoothed down! Ummmm BONUS! However, I still wasn't convinced. As she started the blow out, I was still slightly concerned that my hair would have that shiny but oily look. Ally rough dried my hair to about 90% dry and then started round brushing…. and STILL! I kept looking for that heavy "is your hair wet or greasy….?" look and it simply wasn't. 

So… um...I was wrong. 

This stuff is amazing. My hair was gleaming.. literally. And it was not greasy, heavy, sticky, wet looking or any of the other things you may have experienced with oil in the past. It is truly INVISIBLE oil. I am so impressed and will absolutely be buying this to add to my arsenal of favorite hair products ( PS - stay tuned for an upcoming post on my complete hair regimen) !

So, I wanted to show you my hair immediately following the blow out and treatment….

Ah, a fresh blowout! 

and about 24 hours later..

Yep, still not weighed down! 

I have NEVER been able to use oil product AND keep my hair style intact. Ladies (guys, whoever) I am sold! 

If you are Omaha local, stop in and ask about this amazing product! And while you are at it, get a blowout. If you haven't had a straight blowout yet, it's time. It's a pedicure for your hair. It's relaxing, educational, and you feel oh so pretty when you leave! Trust me. 

A big THANK YOU to Ally & the Lark team for introducing me to this fantastic product + your crazy good hair tips and girl chat ;). I enjoyed every second! And now.. it's time to enjoy your weekend! 

xoxox






Friday, July 22, 2016

local: kleveland clothing

HAPPY FRIDAY!

I am especially excited because I get to talk about Kleveland Clothing today. I love local businesses and do my best to shop local whenever possible. Kleveland Clothing actually came on to my radar via Instagram and I was like {WOO!} Another local shop to browse. Granted, they have been around since 2014 - but - in my defense, I live a solid 30 minutes from here, and I don't make it to this part of town as often as I would like.

Seriously though, I couldn't believe how much different this area looked…and for the better!

Kleveland Clothing is located in the Blackstone District, which is 36-40th & Farnam in Omaha. And let me tell you, Blackstone has a lot going on! I am planning a future "day date" that includes lunch, a little bar hopping (Corkscrew Wine & Cheese… yes please!) and of course, shopping at Kleveland Clothing.

I love that they have everything from your basic Nebraska baseball shirt (loving this one) to a formal dress from the 1960s. They house current trends mixed in with vintage pieces - and I am seriously loving it. It's a one stop shop! Not to mention they have tons of accessories to spice up all of their merchandise. Also, FYI, they carry mens clothing as well!

Next time you are in the vicinity, swing down to the Blackstone District  and take a peak around! While you're at it, stop in and browse Kleveland Clothing! It's unlikely you will leave empty handed!

Cindy at Kleveland Clothing is wonderful and set me up in true Kleveland Clothing style. The Sienna blue dress is my absolute favorite! The color and open back details are so perfect for a hot Summer day. And guess what… you can order it HERE! PS- it's only $35!!











Next time you are in the vicinity, swing down to the Blackstone District  and take a peak around! While you're at it, stop in and browse Kleveland Clothing! It's unlikely you will leave empty handed!

Happy Weekending!

Monday, June 6, 2016

Monday Ramblings

What a week (last week that is!) We have been busy with some fun mixed in, so I have a few thoughts to share. And they are kind of all over the place. But here we go!


 
Tuesday - Thursday I worked my butt off to get ready for a garage sale for our community sales. It was a huge disappointment. We live in a neighborhood a few miles outside of "town" and people did not come our way. I'm still trying to get over it! To the consignment shops I guess! The upside? My mom hung out for the whole sale (Friday & Saturday) and we got to spend a ton of time together. And we had donuts. And Brick was super into the sale...



 
The swing dress I have been dying to get from Nordstrom finally came in the mail. And it was too big! I despise returning things, no matter how easy the process. I ordered a medium as opposed to small (just to err on the side of it not being too tight) and that was a mistake!  I still love the dress though and I got it for super cheap during the sale. So I guess I'm exchanging...




Living Proof update: you may have read my post about doing a trial of Living Proof shampoo and conditioner. Well, I finally ran out of my first bottles. While I was debating if I should replace it,  I started using my old shampoo and conditioner in my shower. I still love those products (Biologe/Bedhead) but I was SHOCKED at how much more often I had to wash my hair! The LP products keep my hair so clean and fresh. I can do dry shampoo for up to a week. The difference was SO obvious that I think I am going to stick with LP until I have a reason not to.


Maskcara Beauty posted over the weekend on their insta to try Milk of Magnesia as a primer for oily skin. During the Summer, my T zone is always a disaster as soon as I get in the heat. Well, I had the perfect to opportunity to test it out as I went to a wedding in the middle of a field on Saturday. The sun was beating down on me for close to 2 hours and my make up didn't budge. I read some blogs saying that you shouldn't use it for a primer (messes with the ph levels in your skin, etc.), but a bottle is $3 and you use the smallest amount. And the results were better than any other mattifying product I have tried. I'm a believer! I'm not professing to be a scientist, but I have to assume that every product I use is messing with the ph levels in my skin...



If you haven't tried it (and aren't opposed!) give it a go! Totally worth a few dollars.


Lastly... last night we saw The Book of Mormon at the Orpheum Theater. Clay had bought the tickets several months ago and it snuck up on us. We thought it would be a great excuse to get dressed up and out on the town. Also, it was my first time at the Orpheum. Which is TERRIBLE considering I have lived in Omaha for 2 years now. I could write a whole post on this experience but here it is in a nutshell: The Book of Mormon was fantastic. The Orpheum is so beautiful. We had an amazing night out and it was a great way to wrap up the weekend.




Sort of blurry- but we had so much fun!
 
 
Happy Monday!

xoxox


Linking up with Bloved Boston and Her Heartland Soul for weekending :)















Friday, May 27, 2016

Friday Five

I thought Friday would never get here! I have been extra tired this week and ready for a holiday weekend. So... high five for Friday! Today we are linking up Tif @ Bright On A Budget blog to share 5 things this Friday.
 

Starting with...

1. Enchiladas
I'll preface this one by saying we (as in my husband and I) aren't really big Mexican food fans. We will grab a burrito occasionally but as far as going to Mexican restaurants... unusual. I decided to try my hand at enchiladas this week and it went well. I used the Pioneer Woman's recipe for the beef one and made up the chicken one on my own. They were a hit!
 
Prepping.
 
Finished product.



2. Tassel earrings
I found these earrings at a local boutique for $4 yesterday. They are also really lightweight! (Just like my Sweet Pi & Fi earrings from last week!) So it was a total win.
Sorry about awkward selfie. Had to be able to see the earrings!


3. My Grandma sent me these photos last night in reference to yesterday's post. Totally made my day! She still has them.
 
Difficult to see but you get the idea!


4. This is a typical night with Brick.
He is always watching. Always.



5. Green Room movie
 
 
 
 
I haven't done a movie review in awhile, which is partly because there haven't been as many movies out that we are interested in. But I have mentioned before, we LOVE going to the movies. And ever since they put an Alamo Drafthouse a mere 10 minutes from our house, we have been even bigger movie buffs. Anyways, all that to say, the last movie we went to was Green Room. (Side note: I think it is safe to say my husband has a slightly eclectic taste in films, and I have been a part of some flicks that I would have never gone to otherwise. Sometimes good experiences, sometimes not so much. It's a win either way because of the Reuben pizza at Alamo.)

You guys, this movie is absolutely terrifying. It is unnerving, it is disturbing... it is the most suspenseful film I have ever watched. I don't have much else to say. If you are into that sort of thing, you should definitely check it out. I didn't know what I was getting myself into. In terms of what the movie can do to your emotions and anxiety levels, it is fantastic.

Alright! I'm out of here. Thanks for stopping by Sweet & Modern. Have a wonderful Memorial Day weekend!

xoxo
 
Check out another Friday Link up HERE!

And HERE!
 
 
 

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Tuesday, March 29, 2016

OFW 2016

Fashion Week immediately makes me think about a place that I probably don't belong at... I mean.. maybe two days out of the week I try my hardest to put together a cute outfit. But otherwise it's a free for all over in my closet, and I would say my designer knowledge is slim to none.

However.

I'm totally a girly-girl and the idea of attending a showcase at Omaha Fashion Week sounded super interesting and fun. Since my friend Kristin {A Midwestern Mix} was able to score us VIP tickets -  we collaborated with some of our favorite local businesses to make the night a real treat. And luckily, with Kristin's eye for fashion and designer expertise, she made sure I was up to speed in every area! :)

First things first... Stephanie Moss salon. I had never been to Stephanie Moss salon, so I came in with zero background information. The salon is so gorgeous! It's sparkly and fun and made me want to get pampered!


Second, the staff is insanely kind. Stephanie and Sarah were truly interested in our event, our outfits, and what look we were going for. Ladies, if you have an event coming up - let these two take over for you!  It was SO fun and relaxing knowing that they used their creativity and talents to transform our hair for the evening. And seriously, if you haven't ever had someone give you a blow out- it's worth it.

Sarah styled my hair and I felt so glammed up at the end! She zoned in on what my hair was capable of and I came out feeling confident and ready for the night. (Thanks Sarah! It was SO nice to meet you!)

A big thank you to both of these women who took time out of their busy schedules to make us feel pretty! Also... if you are looking for a new salon, Stephanie Moss Salon is top of the line! While I don't color my hair, the ladies over at Stephanie Moss salon are experts and I would trust them to figure out your best look.


Next -  I want to send a virtual hug out to Sarah Spooner, the owner of Four Sisters boutique. Sarah was amazing and so generous to dress us for the event. She lent her opinions and expertise, and also pointed out a few fun options for us. As soon as I saw cut outs, I knew what I would be wearing to the event. I LOVE THIS DRESS.
 


Dress & necklace: Four Sisters boutique
Shoes: Chinese Laundry
Hair: Stephanie Moss salon
 
It was so fun and flowy, yet feminine. I topped it off with this necklace, which added a burst of color to the otherwise neutral palette. I absolutely loved this dress and can't wait to style it a few different ways this Spring/Summer.

You guys, Four Sisters is a gem in Omaha. You can follow them on Instagram and even place an order online (if you aren't  in the Omaha area!) Pop in and let Four Sisters boutique dress you for your next big event, a fun night out, or even to add some cute accessories to your outfit!








 








On that note, the fashion showcase was totally fun! I am so glad that we went. I snapped a few pictures of the runway - between the gift bags, appetizers and drinks, we had a really great time! I loved that some of the designs were things you would actually wear. ;)

Thanks again to the wonderful people who collaborated with Kristin and I for a fun, local night out!