express – Page 7 – A Double Dose

How We Care For Our Hair Extensions

April 24, 2018

Happy Tuesday! We are currently in paradise, El Dorado Royale, for those who have asked, and it is just incredible! We can’t wait to share our full stay recap with y’all! This outfit is a must for spring and each of the piece is so versatile and can be mix and matched with so many other of our your favorite pieces. This eyelet cami (wearing xs) is perfect for warmer temps! You can wear it with white jeans, regular jeans, or even a pencil skirt for work. We paired it with this denim jacket (we loooove the distressed look it has– also wearing xs!)To dress up this look a little bit, we paired these white shorts with the eyelet cami. These also come in a few other colors (we have them in black, too). We are wearing 00 in them, and love how they are higher waisted!
And, now for what everyone has been asking us about! In case you missed it, we talked all about our hair extensions in this podcast episode. We got tape in extensions from our hairstylist, Hair By Viviana (we’ve been going to her for years and wouldn’t go anywhere else!) The main reason we got them is because we had longer hair about a year and a half ago, but have been going through some health issues, and our just stop growing. SO frustrating! So, we decided to put some tape-in extensions in to add some length. Of course, now, it seems like our hair is starting to grow really quickly now that we have them. Go figure!A lot of you all have been asking about the cost, where they are from, etc. To be honest, we don’t know the brand and our hairstylist doesn’t give it out, but from what we know, these are the safest on hair and keep your real hair the healthiest!At first, it feels like SO much hair, but you get used to it! Here are some tips on how we care for ours:

Brush hair regularly, very carefully
Wash hair only once or twice a week
- we honestly get it washed at Drybar or blown out frequently 😉
When working out, use these hair ties to put hair in bun or pony to avoid getting super sweaty and tangled
Use heat protection spray every time heating tools are used

Use a dry shampoo in between washes
Be careful with oils because it could remove tape

We found all of these super cute pieces for spring from Express. We love shopping there for casual, affordable pieces like these, or even some workwear. They also have a bunch of petite stuff, which we are ALL about! You can get $25 off our purchase of $100+ in-store only with code 3409

Disclaimer T&C

{ Denim Jacket | Eyelet Cami | White Shorts | Blush Wedges | Sunglasses | Necklace | BRACELETS: David Yurman Cable Bracelets here , here, and here and Cartier Love Bracelet | RINGS: David Yurman Ring here and here | WATCH: Michele Deco Watch }

In partnership with Express.

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Dealing With Adrenal Fatigue

March 16, 2018

Today, we are sharing about something we have both been struggling with for over a year now, and we have had so many of you all reach out about it, so we are going to talk about briefly in this post, and more in an upcoming podcast episode! Before we get into that topic, we want to talk about this super CUTE white dress that is absolutely perfect for Easter coming up, or just any spring event! It also makes a perfect bridal shower dress.We paired it with some neutral accessories like these blush sandals and this studded satchel. Both great pieces for spring! The sandals are blush, but also serve as a good neutral!Now, we want to get into our health struggle with Adrenal Fatigue. As you all know, we have struggled with Hypothyroidism (more in this post), and had it under control for a while. About a year and a half ago, we started gaining weight (specifically in our hips and abdomen), feeling extremely fatigued, our hair and nails were weak and not really growing like they used, to, our hormones were out of whack, and we had major anxiety, amongst other issues. At first, we though it was our thyroid acting up again, but after some research (and listening to some podcasts), we realized we definitely had some kind of hormonal issue/imbalance. We started seeing a hormone specialist, who ordered a ton of tests, and eventually diagnosed us both with Adrenal Fatigue. You’re probably wondering what Adrenal Fatigue is. Well, since we are both not doctor’s we did some of our own research, obviously! According to James Wilson (author of “Adrenal Fatigue: The 21st Century Stress Syndrome”), chronic stress and lifestyle affect the body’s ability to recuperate from physical, mental or emotional stress. Symptoms of adrenal fatigue symptoms include

extreme fatigue
brain fog
weight gain
insulin resistance

Adrenal Fatigue is an overstimulation of the adrenal glands (or “adrenals”) by chronic stress over time that could lead to an inconsistent level of cortisol (the stress hormone) in the bloodstream, sometimes far more than normal and at other times, far too low. In addition to this overload or improper cortisol level, people with adrenal fatigue often don’t have enough DHEA, the “parent hormone” responsible for the creation of many necessary hormones in the body.

Dr. Wilson describes the unique progression of adrenal fatigue throughout the day as follows: you wake up and are unable to function without a significant amount of caffeine, finally feel a boost of energy during the early part of the day, then your energy levels crash around 2 p.m., rise around 6 p.m., fall again around 9 p.m. and then finally peak again at 11 in the evening.

source Obviously, you all know that we are pretty Type-A personalities, so it is not surprise that we are suffering from this. It is frustrating, but we are glad we had some sort of answer as to why we were feeling this way. So, after doing the test with our doctor (which included blood tests, saliva tests, and a few others), we read THIS BOOK (super helpful) and started taking some of these supplements + some other vitamins:

Not going to lie, we totally feel like grandmas taking our huge pile of pills, but we are starting to feel better slowly. In addition to the supplements, we also have been doing the following:

cut out all coffee
- we only drink green tea in the mornings and decaf coffee or tea later in the day
cut out sugars
- we try to stick to just stevia, and the occasional sucralose
limiting refined carbohydrates
- we do eat some carbs like wheat, but not anything processed
sticking to whole, natural foods
- we eat a lot of fresh veggies, lean proteins, and healthy fats
TRY to go to bed earlier (still a struggle)
slow down with the cardio (we used to do wayyyy too much, and this can really affect your adrenal glands)
sleep at least 8 hours each night
do something relaxing for yourself (also hard for us)
take breaks from work (also a struggle, too, haha)

In addition to Adrenal Fatigue, Sam has been struggling with inflammation, which appears like it is weight gain. Honestly, it has been very tough for her, and she will probably wrote a separate post on it, but she is thinking that she has Leaky Gut. If any of you have struggled with this before, please reach out! It always helps to have a support system.

Hope this was helpful for you all, and we will definitely keep you all posted on how we are doing! We would love to hear if any of you have struggled with Adrenal Fatigue before!If you’re headed somewhere warm, or just want some cute bags and shoes, Sole Society is hands down our fave brand for accessories and shoes. Seriously, the cutest stuff! We live in it, seriously! { Cognac Satchel Studded Bag | Blush Sandal | White Dress | Gold Earrings | Curling Iron | Sunglasses | Nail Color | Lip Color |BRACELETS: David Yurman Cable Bracelets here , here, and here and Cartier Love Bracelet | RINGS: David Yurman Ring here and here | WATCH: Michele Deco Watch }

In partnership with Sole Society.

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Fashion

10 Workwear Outfit Ideas

March 6, 2018

We are so excited for this post! We have had SO many questions about sharing some workwear ideas, so we are finally sharing some! In case you all didn’t know, we actually used to work in public accounting, so we are all about putting outfits together that are cute, but also functional and business appropriate. In addition to these outfit ideas below, we are also sharing some must have workwear pieces at the bottom of the post.

#1: Wrap DressThis tie dress is so comfy and cute! (Wearing XS) It comes in several other colors, like stripes, and is super cute with flats or pumps.

#2: BASIC BLACK DRESS:This is another cute dress option that could also be worn for events, too! It has a super cute bow belt, and we love the shoulders (wearing xs).

#3: STRIPES + BLACK PANTSPants are not always a fave of ours, but these pants literally feel like pajamas (wearing 00). We paired it with this striped blouse (also xs).

#4: STRIPES WITH PENCIL SKIRT
For this look, we paired the same striped blouse with this blush pencil skirt (wearing smallest size) for reference.

#5: BLACK BLOUSE WITH PENCIL SKIRTHow cute is this black top (Wearing xs)! Love the sleeves! We paired it with the same pencil skirt, but you could also do black!

#6: BLACK BLOUSE WITH GREY PANTS:
For this look, we paired the same black top with some grey pants. Love that these are stretchy (Wearing smallest size, 00).

#7: STRIPED SHIRT + BLACK PANTS
Love the tie detailing on this striped top (wearing xs). You could also dress it down with some white jeans. Paired it with some black pants (wearing smallest size).

#8: STRIPED BUTTON UP WITH BLACK PANTSWe paired the same black pants with this pink and white striped blouse (wearing xs). You can also dress it down with some shorts.

#9: STRIPED BUTTON UP WITH GREY PENCIL SKIRTWe just love grey and pink together! For this look, we paired the same striped button up with a grey pencil skirt (Wearing smallest size).

#10: STRIPED DRESS
This striped dress is the same as the black one shared earlier in the post. Love the navy and white stripes on this one!

Shop a ton more workwear pieces here!

WORK-WEAR MUST HAVES:

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Fashion / HOLIDAY / Lifestyle

Staying Healthy During Thanksgiving

November 21, 2017

Thanksgiving week is finally HERE!! Who else loves Thanksgiving as much as we do? Literally, we are obsessed with all things fall related, and the food involved in this holiday is our FAVE. No joke, we eat enough for a family of 10. We could eat turkey and cranberry sauce for a couple weeks straight and not get tired of it! Speaking of Thanksgiving, we wanted to share this holiday look that is perfect for any party or event you have coming up. We also wanted to share some of our tips for staying healthy during Thanksgiving feasting (and any other holiday).
Before we get into our tips, we want to talk about this GORGEOUS dress. We were a little skeptical of it at first because it seems kind of 80’s ish with the studs and velvet, but we fell in love with it. It is so gorgeous on and so glam! We are wearing 00 petite in it for reference. We paired it with some velvet sandals and found this pair that is super close to these and so cute with this dress!And, now for our tips for staying healthier during Thanksgiving. We are most definitely not saying you can’t indulge because we are totally about that and we will be, too! We do think it can be good to keep yourself a little accountable so you’re not feeling horrible the day after inducing, considering Christmas and New Years are still coming up and we all want to look good in our outfits! ;)

Stay Active: you may not be able to make it to the gym because you’re with family, or don’t have access, but you can always take time to go on a walk outside with your family and bond, or if it’s cold outside, you can always walk in an indoor mall.
Treat Yourself To The Treats You Really Love: it can be tempting to eat every single dessert or treat that is available during this time, but if you’re going to indulge smartly, choose the desserts you really enjoy and look forward to. If you want to sample a few, take a few bites of each one, but you don’t have to eat each ENTIRE dessert. Trust us, we struggle with this;)
Stick To Turkey, Veggies, and Sweet Potato/Squash: we are major turkey and veggie lovers, so this is an easy one for us. If you pretty much stick to most of this on your plate, you will get full and be satisfied. Of course, help yourself to smaller portions of stuffing and other goodies!
Go Lightly On Sauces: The juices from the turkey can add great flavor and be healthy, but there are some other sauces that aren’t as healthy, so we suggest going lighter on those and just spooning a small amount!
Watch Your Cocktail Intake: this time of year can be a fun time to drink a lot of cocktails and fun, holiday-themed drinks, but those drinks usually pack a ton of sugar and carbs in them. We suggest having one drink and then indulging desserts and other treats, instead! You can always have a hot tea or some sparkling water with fruit!
Make Sure You Eat Enough Throughout The Day: this sounds pretty self-explanatory, but if you eat well and balanced throughout the day, you won’t be hungry by the time you get to the big meal and eat everything in sight!

Express your gift and head into an Express store! Use code 2238 to receive $25 off your in-store purchase of $100+ – now thru 12/15!” Terms and conditions apply Express is literally our fave spot to hit up for all things holiday party themed! They have the best selection of dresses with velvet, sequins, and cozy sweaters, too! They are all at a great price point, which we are allll about! They also carry petite sizing, which is a major plus for us at 5’1″!{ Velvet Dress | Velvet Sandals Similar Here | Curling Wand | Nail Color | Lip Color | BRACELETS: David Yurman Cable Bracelets here , here, and here | Cartier Love Bracelet | RINGS: David Yurman Ring here and here | WATCH: Michele Deco Watch }

In partnership with Express.

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Fashion

Ripped Jeans For Petites

August 17, 2017

If there is one item that is a MUST in our closet, it is ripped jeans. It can be so hard to find ones that fit us the right length, and really, just all around because of how petite we are. Many of y’all may not know that we are only 5’1″, so finding short jeans can be quite the challenge sometimes! We popped into Express the other week and found TONS of jeans that we loved, all at a great price point that come in shorter lengths, longer lengths, and regular, too!
These ripped jeans are one of our favorites because they have rips in all the right places, especially the knees! These are stretchy, so they are actually comfortable to travel in, run errands in, etc. They also have some other jeans that are not as ripped, which will be at the bottom of the post! We paired these ripped jeans with a comfy cardigan (love the bell sleeves on it) with this strappy cami (under $40). This cami has the perfect amount of detailing, without being too revealing. For those of y’all who are wondering what we wear underneath, we just wear the silicon petals!You can wear these jeans with a cami, how we did, or a basic tee. These can be dressed up or down!
Be sure to check the bottom of the post for a special discount code to save $25 off your order!

{ Ripped Jeans | Criss Cross Blouse | Cardigan | Sandals }

We also found a great pair of olive jeans that have just the perfect amount of distressing in them. These also come in a shorter length option, and can be worn with so many pieces.
Shop our favorite jeans below:

We paired these jeans with this coral cold shoulder top (wearing XS). This peach color is super flattering on any skin tone, and looks great with olive!

We love that these jeans feel like you’re wearing leggings, but they look like jeans and are super comfy!

We are honestly so surprised with the great pieces Express has. Not only are their jeans great, but they have some great dresses, tops, work clothing, and even accessories. What we love so much about them is that their prices are super affordable, and they always have some kind of promotion, which always helps;)

Hop into an Express store to try on some denim and use code 1187 to receive $25 off your in-store purchase of $100+ : now thru 9/15!

Valid August 1, 2017 through September 15, 2017 at 11:59pm ET. In-store coupon promo code may only be used once and cannot be combined with any other coupons or storewide offers. Not valid on Featured Brands, clearance items, or previous purchases. Other restrictions may apply. See store or express.com for details. Minimum purchase requirement amount is net of any discounts. Sales tax, gift boxes, and shipping and handling are not included in the total minimum purchase calculation. Taxes payable after coupon value is deducted. Coupon must be presented and surrendered at the time of purchase. If you return a portion of your purchase a portion of the discount will be lost. Cannot be redeemed for cash or used to purchase Express gift cards. Reproductions of coupon will not be accepted. Valid at select Express and Express Men stores only in the U.S. Not valid at Express Factory Outlet stores.

{ Olive Jeans | Coral Cold Shoulder Blouse | Sandals }

In partnership with Express.

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Fashion

Summer Occassion Dresses

May 25, 2017

Summer is basically here, so that means all of us are getting ready for some sort of occasion this summer. Whether it is a wedding, a graduation, a luncheon, a birthday, or a vacation, we are all on the hunt for the perfect piece. When we found these two pieces, we couldn’t wait to share them with you all because they are a steal! They both could be dressed up or down, which we love versatility. Who wants to buy a piece that you can only wear once or twice?This red lace dress is such a gorgeous piece and it can be worn with a denim jacket, for a more casual look, or you could dress it up how I did with these strappy sandals and turquoise earrings.I love the detailing with the lace, and the trim on the bottom. It comes in white and black, and a really pretty blue color. I actually just ordered it in white, too. I am wearing an XS for reference.
I am definitely going to be bringing this one on my upcoming trip to Florida for our birthday! You could also wear this one to a wedding (especially in the black) with some dressier pumps!{ Red Lace Dress | Nude Strappy Sandal | Sunglasses | Nail Color | Turquoise Earrings | Lip Color ” Life of The Party” | BRACELETS: David Yurman Cable Bracelets here , here, and here and Pave Bangle and Cartier Love Bracelet | RINGS: David Yurman Ring here and here | Name Necklace Here and Gold Choker | WATCH: Michele Deco Watch }

How adorable is this eyelet romper? We are obsessed with the cutout shoulders and open back. It is a great piece to also dress up or down. We paired it with our favorite strappy sandals (super comfy, by the way) for a dressier look, but you could also style it with some strappy flats for a more causal look.

We love white pieces because you can wear them for bridal events like a shower or bachelorette party, and you can also wear it again for so many other occasions like graduations, barbecues, vacations, date night, etc.

Something about eyelet just screams summer to us, and this romper is the perfect summer piece!

{ White Eyelet Romper | Nude Strap Heels | Sunglasses | Nail Color | Gold Earrings | Lip Color ” Life of The Party” | BRACELETS: David Yurman Cable Bracelets here , here, and here and Cartier Love Bangle| RINGS: David Yurman Ring here and here | Lightening Bolt and Hamsa Necklace Similar Here | WATCH: Michele Deco Watch }

We love shopping at Express for their adorable pieces that are great for any summer occasion. They have a variety of pieces ranging from something more casual for a beach vacation or day out, to pieces that are more dressed up for date night or a special occasion like a summer wedding or party. The best part about their stuff is that it is all super affordable (YAY!), and it is on sale a lot! They also offer 2-day shipping with Shoprunner. Here are some other super cute summer occasion pieces:

In partnership with Express.