Skin Owl

It's no secret that I am a TOTAL product junkie. Last year, I went on a quest to create a whole new clean beauty regimen after I read a few books about the chemicals that are put into your everyday beauty products. For example, women who wear makeup absorb about five pounds of chemicals into their body in an average year. Not only that, but it is known that our skin on our faces absorb more than any other place on the body. Meaning that about 60% of the products we use every day, are being soaked into our bodies. Kinda scary, right? That being said, it's important to not only re-evaluate your make up bag, but also your morning and nightly routine. 

Introducing, Skin Owl. My absolute FAVORITE company, whose products turn skincare into the utmost selfcare routine. I came across their Lavender Beauty Drops a little over a year ago through W3LL PEOPLE, and became obsessed with the idea of using oil rather than moisturizer. Not to mention all of their products are made with the highest quality natural ingredients. Goodbye Toxins!!

 Recently, I decided I wanted to expand my Skin Owl routine and see what else they had to offer. And let me tell you, I am SO happy I did.

After taking their Skincare Scanner Quiz they were able to help me renew my regimen according to my skin type to ensure healthy and happy skin. And let me tell you, my skin has never been healthier or happier.

Beauty Routine

Morning: 

Geranium Beauty Drops - These beauty drops helps balance, decongest and combat first signs of aging, while also boosting radiance. 

Eye + - This eye concentrate is amazing! It is lightweight, and made to help depuff, smooth, and combat fatigued, tired and run down skin.

Night:

Charcoal Beauty Bar - At first I was a bit hesitant to replace my nightly face wash with what I thought was a bar of soap. Boy was I wrong though! Charcoal draws out impurities and toxins, while not stripping the skin of its natural oils. 

Mangosteen Beauty Drops - These are by far my favorite Beauty Drops thus far. I seriously get excited for my bedtime routine, all because of the magical Mangosteen powers. Mangosteen is known for its natural antibacterial properties, and antimicrobial compounds that help correct skin blemishes, oily skin and even chronic dry skin. Not to mention, every time I wake up I can tell my skin was been replenished, and shown some serious TLC.

Eye + - Finish off the beauty routine with some Eye + again and BOOM, you are good to go to bed and get some serious beauty sleep.

While this may seem like a expensive routine, I promise you it's worth the splurge. To me when you start to take care of your skin by using natural and high quality products, you no longer feel the need to hide your face with large amounts of make up or obscene Instagram filters. Instead you start to notice the beauty in your raw, and natural self.

In all honesty, I feel my prettiest after using my Skin Owl products. No make up, no large sunglasses, just me in my natural, happiest and healthiest skin.

*Might I add, Skin Owl is not paying me or sponsoring me to say this. This is all my personal opinion based on my skincare experience*

Mallory Choker

Although we are skipping out on a complete "Holiday Collection" this year (due to scheduling reasons), we do want to add a few new goodies for you loyal customers! That being said, we are introducing our NEW Mallory Choker. 

 This necklace is our first Suede Choker from the Little Pieces of Hope shop. In terms of styling, we paired together the infamous Free People cordurouy skirt (that I just can't get enough of) and a white Lululemon top. Making it the perfect go-to outfit for date night, girls night, or whatever else kind of night you're into.

Outfit Details

Top // Lululemon (Similar Option here, and here)

Skirt // Free People 

Necklace // Little Pieces of Hope - Mallory Choker

Kate Choker

I get a lot of questions about where I shop for my clothes. One of my favorite places to get some cozy threads is....Target! Usually I like my tee's oversized, so more often than not I find myself wandering over to the Men's Department to see what goodies they have. Low and behold, I found this thermal longsleeve tee (on clearance) that is so ginormous I wear it as a dress. 

Since I seem to borrow from the boy's more often than not these days, I like to add a touch of femininity to my outfits. In this case I paired my longsleeve "dress" with my favorite blanket jacket, a Goorin Bros Hat, a gold choker and some Free People booties.

Outfit Details

"Dress" // Target

Jacket // BeeHive Austin - Mono B

Necklace // Little Pieces of Hope - Kate Choker

Hat // Goorin Bros -Abel Abraham 

Borrowing From the Boys

Recently I have been going through my boyfriend's closet and stealing all sorts of goodies from him. And by stealing, I mean kindly asking him if I could borrow a certain article of clothing for an extended amount of time. Needless to say, I love "borrowing" me some cozy oversized flannels, worn in baseball hats, and last but definitely not least some good ol' fashion sweat pants. 

Today however I thought I would skip out on the sweatpants, and show you how I style my favorite Patagonia hat of his. Might I add, that I legit have been wearing this cap for 3 days straight. Who needs dry shampoo when you can just throw on a hat?

 First off, I have said this before but I'm all about that basic b*tch lifestyle when it comes to clothing. I try to limit my fashion items in my closet, and stick to classic, simple pieces. So that's exactly what I did with today's outfit. Stuck with a simple white tank, and my new Levi's from Free People. In order to add a little touch of femininity, I threw on the Little Pieces of Hope Porter Choker Necklace, and one of our new gold necklaces that will be available at our Allies Against Humanity Holiday Market!

Outfit Details

Hat // Patagonia (similar options here, and here)

Tank // Victoria's Secret 

Cardigan // Brandy Melville

Jeans // Levi's available at Free People

Necklaces // Little Pieces of Hope - Porter Choker

Thank you Free People, for making the most amazing corduroy mini skirt. Follow along on #FPME for more of my favorite Free People looks. 

Morning Walk

Let's be honest, I am not a real avid runner. However, I can admit that I am a professional when it comes to any type of walking. Walking in neighborhoods, walking along the greenbelt, walking by Lady Bird Lake, you name it, I'll most likely love to walk on, or along it.  

I wanted to put together some of my favorite walking essentials in case any of you other ladies (or men really) need an extra hand (or hip pack in this case) while getting your daily walks or hikes in. 

Herschel Hip Pack // Love this ginormous hip pack, as it holds a ton of stuff. I originally bought this for hiking purposes, but found out it's great for walks too. I usually carry my phone in here, along with my water bottle, pepper spray (us girls need to always be careful when walking alone throughout the nature trails!) and a granola bar in case I get hungry along the way. Not to mention, the back of this hip pack is padded, making it very comfortable and easy to wear.

S'well Water Bottle // This water bottle is the BEST! It keeps your water super cold for a long duration of time. Perfect for Texas Summer's. 

New Balance Trainers // These shoes are awesome! I wore them all throughout my trip to Mongolia last year, and came back with a new found love for them. They can be worn with either workout attire, or even a pair of jeans and a tee. They are very comfortable for everyday wear, however I have to admit whenever I do have the urge to run they aren't my favorite running shoes.

*I can't seem to find an exact link for the New Balance Trainers but they are the 574 style Charcoal & Rose Gold.* 

Hope that helps for all you fellow walkers!

Hello, Target!

I recently posted this picture on Instagram, and ended up with a lot of questions and comments about the shirt I was wearing. Turns out it's from trusty ol' TARGET! Yes, Target! I went in looking for Brita Filters, and came out with about 4 new shirts. This seems to happen just about every time I step foot in Target. 

As for the fit of the shirt, I always go for the oversized look. I went with a medium, however if you have a bustier chest I would recommend sizing up as it's a bit tight.

Top // Target

Cutoffs // Madewell

Necklaces // Little Pieces of Hope 

Emma Necklace, Porter Choker, Pipeline Ear Climbers

Summer Uniform

It's official...it's almost too hot for clothes right now in Austin. Summer is here, and it is H-O-T, HOT. Thanks to Free People, I have found a bodysuit that is absolutely perfect for these warmer months. It's light, it's breezy and it's a touch sexy as it has this cute button down detail on the front. I'm seriously debating going online and buying one in every single color available. #cantstopwontstop

Bodysuit // Free People 

Cut Offs // Tula - Fort Collins, Colorado

Hat // Brixton 

Necklace // Little Pieces of Hope - Finley Feather Necklace

Is anyone else on FPme? Feel free to share your usernames below in the comments! I would love to follow you!

Summer Sale

We are having our big Red, White and Jeweled sale! 

Save 25% on your Little Pieces of Hope online purchase with our "SUMMERSALE2016" coupon code. 

_____________________

Outfit Details

-Top // Madewell

- Bottoms // - Madewell

- Necklaces // Little Pieces of Hope 

Porter Choker & Emma Necklace

_____________________

Hope you all have a Happy and Safe, 4th of July Weekend!

How to store your LPOH Necklaces

I am all about the delicate gold necklaces these days. However...I'm not all about the time it takes to untangle them whenever they aren't stored properly.  I figured since Little Pieces of Hope just released our Sunkissed Collection with a few Gold Necklaces, now is the perfect time to show you how I store my golden goodies.

First Option: Use Cork Boards

Cork board tiles are a fun way to display personal photos, concert stubs, motivational quotes, and Pinterest pics. So why not add jewelry to the mix? 

I change up my cork board tiles seasonally whenever I'm designing a new batch of jewelry. I love adding different dimensions to the boards by including stickers, graphic pins, travel photos, and you guessed it...jewelry! 

You can find square cork boards tiles (such as the one pictured above) at Michael's, Hobby Lobby, or even Target. They usually come in packs of 4, and are rather inexpensive and super easy to stick up on any wall. 

Second Option: Use a Picture Frame

I am a total vision board and Law of Attraction junkie. Throughout my room and studio I have framed various vision boards, as they are a simple yet powerful visualization tool that manifest your dreams into reality...If you don't believe me ask my girl, Oprah. She is a big fan of vision boards and manifesting, and just look where she is in life.

Not only do these vision boards act as a great way to practice the Law of Attraction in your everyday life, but they are a great tool to hold your necklaces! I picked up my metal frame from Hobby Lobby, and use it nightly to drape my necklaces over.

What are your creative solutions for storing your Little Pieces of Hope items?

___________________________

Want to learn more about the Power of a Vision Board? Click here for more info

___________________________

Necklaces from the pictures above include

Little Pieces of Hope // Leo Necklace

Little Pieces of Hope // Finley Feather Necklace

Little Pieces of Hope // Emma Necklace

James Michelle // Bar Necklace 

Summer Bundle

Weekend ready with our new Summer Bundle.

Summer is in full swing here in Texas, and if you're anything like me, you're more than likely to have a cold beverage in hand to beat that Texas heat. Thankfully Little Pieces of Hope has got you covered with our new Summer Bundles. Each bundle includes a Stainless Steel Bottle Opener Keychain along with a Neoprene Can Cooler for those weekends by the lake.

Need a gift for Father's Day? This is the perfect solution as each bottle opener has a phrase on it such as "Beer Me" or "Beer Thirty". Want to make your gift even better?! Buy your Pop his favorite 6 pack, and allow him to kick back, relax and have the best Father's day ever! 

Shop for your Summer Bundle here.

Billabong

I absolutely love the transition from Spring to Summer when it comes to apparel. For most of the year it's safe to say I dress in my uniform shades of black, white and gray. However in the Summer I like to try and spice it up a bit, so I was super excited to snag this floral dress from Billabong. Not to mention, it has this awesome cutout in the back! What's not to love?!

Whenever I make my "commute" to work each morning, it consists of about 15 steps outside my backdoor and into my little studio right in my backyard. Occasionally my Summer interns make an appearance when they feel like it. Meet Schotzie & Rusty, my Sister's trusty pups, and models for the day.

To snag this look for yourself shop the links below

Dress// Billabong 

Necklace // Little Pieces of Hope - Emma Necklace (17")

Outfit Details 

Tank Dress // PacSun

Jean Jacket // Madewell

Clutch // Seven Seas Pouch

Ring // James Michelle 

Sunkissed Summer 2016

Today is the day! The Little Pieces of Hope Sunkissed Summer 2016 Collection is out!

With this collection, I wanted to change things up a bit in terms of design as well as inspiration. Since I went to College in Colorado, I usually take my inspiration from that good ol' mountain living and people. However, this time I thought it would be fun to change locations and focus on that Salty, Sandy & Sunkissed lifestyle.

While searching around on Pinterest, I noticed that beach jewelry is a lot different than "mountain" jewelry. Instead of longer necklaces, I wanted to focus on necklaces that were short, dainty and simple with the ability to layer one upon the other if desired.

Along with the new jewelry designs, we have also switched up our charity for the Summer months to go hand-in-hand with our sunkissed, beachy theme. May I introduce, Surfrider Foundation. Surfrider Foundation is an amazing non-profit that is dedicated to the protection and enjoyment of the world's oceans, waves and beaches. To learn more about their story and what they do as a company, click here.

View on Flipagram

What's in your tote? Pt. 2

Although we still have a few more storms coming in and out of Austin over the next few days, it looks like it should all clear up just in time for the weekend. 

That being said, I wanted to continue with the What's in your Tote series with my favorite essentials for a day by the lake. 

Things I manage to stuff into my tote

Swim Top // Acacia - purchased @ Still & Sea - Austin

Swim Bottom // Acacia - purchased @ Still & Sea -Austin

Shorts // Vintage Levi's - purchased @ Tula - Fort Collins

Sunnies // Beehive - Austin

SPF // Sunbum (SPF 30 & 3 in 1 Leave In)

_______________

Discounts 

Still & Sea : 10% discount online with "LPOH10"

Little Pieces of Hope tote bag: 30% with "PATTERN30"

Now you're ready to enjoy that sunshine!

Have you checked out our new Pattern by Etsy site?! 

 In order to celebrate the big launch, we are releasing a coupon code to save you 30% on ALL your Little Pieces of Hope items. Yes, this even means an additional 30% discount to Sale Items. 

Happy Shopping! 

What's in your Tote?

Recently, Little Pieces of Hope came out with a new and improved design of our LPOH Tote Bags. As a well known "bag-lady" (borderline bag hoarder), I thought it would be fun to do a little blog series of how many ways you can use your new LPOH tote. 

As I may have mentioned before, I can never have enough bags around me. I use them for all sorts of occasions - post office runs, grocery shopping, or even in this case an after work barre bag. 

Things I manage to stuff in my tote

Tank // Nike

Sports Bra // Underarmour

Leggings // Underarmour

Footies // Mod Fitness - Austin, TX

Yoga Mat // Dick's Sporting Goods

Juice // Juice Society - Activated Lemonaide

How do you use your Little Pieces of Hope tote? Share your picture on Instagram and tag @littlepiecesofhope

Sweater // Wooden Ships 

Denim // Madewell - The Perfect Summer Jean

Bra // True & Co. 

Things are heating up here in Austin! Are you swimsuit ready? 

If you are in need of some new bikinis make sure to check out my favorite swimsuit shop,

 Still & Sea! Need even more of an excuse to go swimwear shopping? Take advantage of our exclusive 10% discount. Before checking out online, type in "LPOH10" to save yourself a few bucks. 

Outfit Details

Top // Swim like a Mermaid - Sunset Hobo Top

Bottoms // Swim like a Mermaid - Sunset Tinker Bottom

Necklace // Little Pieces of Hope - OMGanesh Necklace

1 dress : 3 ways

Earlier this month, I stopped in Hemline Austin to find some new floral dresses for Spring. Low and behold, I stumbled upon this amazing Show Me Your Mumu dress and immediately I fell in love. When I came home, I couldn't help but imagine how many ways I could style it.

Way 1: Keep it simple. 

Sometimes, less really is more. Toss your hair up in a low, messy bun and let the dress speak for itself. 

Way 2: Add denim.

I will never tire of this denim vest. I have owned it for years, and still find new outfits to pair it with. For look 2, I adjusted the off the shoulder sleeves, and shimmied the dress into a halter. This was one of my favorite ways in terms of functionality, as I didn't have to worry about the sleeves riding up and down my shoulders as I was moving around.

Way 3: Off the Shoulder + Denim

Off the Shoulder Dress + Denim Vest = Trifecta of fun. This was my favorite in terms of aesthetics. I loved the look of the shoulder peeking through beneath the denim vest. Since I wanted to show off the shoulder, I swapped my hair out for a messy topknot.


Have you ever wondered how to achieve that perfect, yet messy topknot look? Take a peek at this tutorial from Treasures and Travels here.

_______________________

Additional outfit details

Bracelet // LPOH Wishbone Bangle

Necklace // Dogeared + Truthbomb Hamsa Necklace

Booties (not pictured) // Sam Edelman Petty Boot

_______________________

Don't forget we are having our Little Pieces of Hope Spring Cleaning sale! Take 15% off all LPOH Merchandise by using our coupon code "SPRING2016".

Progress Update: Charity: Water

We just received a progress update on our latest Charity: Water fundraising campaign! Take a peek at the video below to see how your donation was able to help empower women, and change lives in Ethiopia.

I can't thank y'all enough for the continued support and fundraising. Not only are you helping give a little piece of hope towards those in need, but you are allowing me to live my dream every single day. So for that, I thank you!

Tee // El Cosmico - Marfa, Texas

Jeans // Madewell 

Necklace // Little Pieces of Hope - Elsa Necklace

Hello, Monday!

_____________________

Outfit Details

Tank // Flynn Skye

Bottoms // Madewell

Necklace // Little Pieces of Hope - Jane Necklace

Talk to the Hamsa

These rainy days in Austin got me like...talk to the Hamsa, cause the face don't wanna listen.

Outfit Details 

Sweater // Urban Outfitters

Shorts // Urban Outfitters

Necklace // Little Pieces of Hope - Talk to the Hamsa 

Booties // Sam Edelman 

Meet Elise!

Meet Elise! I have had the privilege of knowing this red-headed cutie since high school as she was one of my friend's cool, big sister. (You may have even seen her in some of my previous blog posts such as this one!) And let me tell you, she was and still is the epitome of a cool, big sister.

 I remember I met her over the years throughout high school whenever I would stop by my friend's house after class. However, I knew I really made it to the cool club when she graciously invited me over to her apartment to watch some good ol' Family Guy with her and the crew.  Immediately we bonded over vinyls, the love for succulents, and how important ambient lighting is in an environment. Needless to say, I developed an instant girl crush on her, and her outlook on life. 

Since then, Elise and I have had an ever-evolving friendship. We both have moved in and out of different cities over the years, but we still manage to keep in touch one way or another...and yes I still think of her as that cool, big sister.

When I think of someone marching to the beat of their own drum in life, I immediately think of Elise. She is one who always puts her dreams and ability to love before fear, and that is something I admire greatly. The reason why I want to introduce Elise to you, is she is about to have her first series of trunk shows at Kansas City Kitty in Fort Collins, Colorado March 11th-13th. I thought it would be fun to do a little questionnaire with her so you can get a glimpse of her art, and her beautiful soul.

_____________________

Name: Elise Michelle Kaye Zahtila or 'Ez'

City you were born in: Dallas, Texas 

City you are currently living in: Fort Collins, CO ... AKA the happiest place on Earth.

Occupation: Full Time Student studying Counseling Psychology, Artist/Photographer .........and my alter ego works in Old Town at Alpine Arts to pay the bills. She's a trooper.

How would you describe your artwork?

There's this concept that just sort of floated in my mind one day, that in order for me to create, I have to destroy. See, my art is mixed media (multiple components other than paint and canvas) and part of that includes taking apart old books and magazines in order to rescue and reuse old images. 

Which is where this mantra, "Deconstruct the forgotten to Reconstruct the memorable" comes from... And I think that really gives a good idea of what I'm trying to do with my paintings.... With the smaller pieces, fantastical little 'ditties' as I call them, they grow from a different mantra "From the Brightest corners of my Dream Box". And honestly, I felt like a kid again playing pretend and instead of putting my toys away I sealed them all together to share.

Some of my pieces are trying to evoke a certain reaction and common thought, but a lot of my art is supposed to make you smile and take you away from the present for a while... And a lot of it won't make sense, and its not supposed to...

If there was any lesson I learned last year, it was that you won't be able to explain to everyone, or yourself, why you did what you did every time you do something. And the beauty is that you don't have to... I want some of that to come out of my art. Like it because you enjoy it regardless of "why".

I want my art to be sexy, stimulating and a shade out of the ordinary. If the first reaction everyone has to my art, is to cock their head to side and wonder with a smile, then I've accomplished what I set out to do.

What is your inspiration behind your work? Or, where do you like to find inspiration for your work? 

Hardest question... Two part answer I think. First, it flows from where I mentioned earlier, "my dream box". I'm one of the lucky 30 year olds whose imagination never turned off. 

I find inspiration in inside jokes, auto correct, from what people say in desperation or in excitement. From images or situations that my mind twists around in my head and I put it to canvas with some dry humor sprinkled on... Mostly everything I create, makes me laugh in the out louds, a lot.

To be completely honest, art has been my number one passion since my wee beginning, all types and forms. But unlike country singers and poets, I can't create when I am sad/tired/frustrated/depressed/heartbroken. You should see some of my attempts, enough to make you depressed if you weren't before.

My passion lately seeps from meeting the love of my life and entering into a state of bliss I have never known... And don't get me wrong, there are still bad and imperfect days.... But this passion of mine has come cut loose and I can't stop imagining the next piece or another technique I want to try. At any given time I am working on between 3-7 pieces at a time.... He empowers, motivates and inspires me to more.

What is your favorite medium to work with, and why?

All of it. I say that because of the range of freedom. I work in area called Mixed Media, which is almost like saying "Undeclared Major" in college. Because I don't have to stay within the confines of oil paints, acrylics, water color, clay, porcelain, etc.... If I wanted to put ALL of those on the canvas including a tin can and a thimble, with my on technique, it isn't 'wrong'... More importantly it allows me to satisfy every urge of my own, which allows me to stimulate my audience the way I want with no boundaries or 'rules'.

What do you enjoy doing on your days off?

Going places and doing things I've never done, adventures with my weiner dog Oliver. Getting lost in my 'craft boxes' or in a book. Anything that involves outside and no time constraints... Photo wanderings.

Name 5 things people probably don't know about you.

- I've swam with Whale Sharks. I wasn't supposed to, but I did anyway. Always 'do it anyway'.

- I've never taken any kind of art or photography class.

-I don't believe in the "news".

-I grew up in the UK and have lived in 4 different countries and traveled to 23 including Cuba.

-I put shredded cheddar cheese on my frosted mini-wheats. TRY IT, stop laughing.

_____________________

Thank you Elise for taking the time to share a bit about yourself and your art! To follow more of Elise, and her creations find her online!

Instagram: @ms_ez_e

Blog: The EZ Perception