Things I'm Loving

1. Nine West Suede Booties

I've been wearing my mom's decade old (she'll correct me if I'm wrong, surely) black ankle boots for as long as I can remember. One thing about me is that I love lusting after shoes and looking at them, but the chances of me spending money on them? Slim to none. I have my staples and that's all I need. So for me to decide that I finally needed a cute and more feminine pair of black ankle boots was pretty huge. I wouldn't even say it was a conscious decision, really. I went to the outlets with my mom back when I was home earlier this month, not really for any particular reason. I saw that Saks was having a clearance sale and I wanted to check out their Wildfox stuff.

Needless to say, I took a peruse in the boot section and discovered these wondrous black suede ankle booties from Nine West. The exact pair I got aren't online, but I did find a similar pair. The only difference I can see is that there's no zipper on the back!

I've been wearing these booties no stop, if I'm being honest. I had to take a couple of days off from them because I didn't want them to get ruined in the snow. My mom's boots will remain in my closet because I think they look much cuter with jeans than my new ones. My little suede booties are perfect for all of my skirts and dresses though! They elevate my look that much more, both figuratively and literally. I love how tall I feel in them! If I haven't mentioned it before, my dream has always been to be 5'10" and instead, I stand at only 5'7" on a good day (if I'm not slouching, oops!) These get me to my dream height and I am grateful for them every day we're together.

2. Starbucks Spotify Stations

I saw this in an e-mail, but the true shoutout goes to my friend Hannah for reminding me about them. I'd be lying if I said that I haven't been listening to them all week. I'm what the kids would call #Obsessed. I've never had a bad music experience in Starbucks. Hell, I've been in a Starbucks where they played Ryn Weaver's album in full and I nearly cried, I was so excited. So truly, we have been #Blessed (another thing the kids might say? If not the kids, then at least Nick Jonas circa 2012) by the existence of these playlists. I personally love Coffeehouse Pop (I see that little "Walking in the Wind" by One Direction inclusion, Starbucks, and I love it), Paris Magnifique because I prefer listening to music that I can't understand while I'm doing my Spanish homework, Acoustic, and Coffeehouse.

3. Tarte Amazonian Clay Blush in Stellar

I hate that I'm discussing a product that isn't available anymore, but really, it's been the only blush I've worn for an entire week. And if you've seen my blush drawer, this would be even more monumental than it seems. Truly, it's rare for me to wear the same blush and lipstick color in a week, but Stellar has just been a dream for me. I got this blush in a set of four a few years back and generally haven't used them as much as I should have. Granted, I do have a lot of blushes to cycle through, but still. However, I've been reaching for this shade more often than not because it's the perfect neutral tone for my face. It looks really brown in the pan, sort of like a shimmery bronzer would, but it applies with the most natural flush without adding a whole lot of color to your face. Sometimes, I have blushes that complement my outfit and the rest of my makeup pretty well, but on those days where nothing seems to be aligning, this is my go to. It's color without being incredibly obvious. Plus, these blushes wear like an absolute dream. I highly recommend having one if you struggle with pigmentation of blushes and getting them to stay on all day.

4. Not Washing My Hair Everyday

For the first time in my twenty years of life, I am finally able to not wash my hair every day. Yes, that's right, up until this point in life, I have been washing my hair every single night. I had to! My hair would get so horrendously greasy at the roots if I skipped a day that is was practically offensive to anyone who was within a 200 mile radius of me. I kid, I kid, but it wasn't a pretty sight. Dry shampoo wasn't even an option, it was beyond all help. However, my hair has decided to miraculously bless me with the perfect shade and texture to allow me to successfully have second day curls without looking like a hot mess. All it requires is a bit of my Batiste dry shampoo in the morning and I am set until later that night. It's truly, truly incredible. I feel like a brand new Francesca, honestly. Nothing can bring me down. Besides a bus. Or my schoolwork.

What have you been loving lately?