scattered

 Banana Republic blazer from Banana Republic Factory Store, $40 | LOFT top, bought with gift card | LOFT skirt, $20 | Hanes hose from Kohl's, $8 | BCBGirls shoes from DSW, $24 | Stella & Dot Small Fringe Hoops - Gold | Stella & Dot Vintage Cluster Ring

worn July 18, 2011 to work

{stella & dot} pick of the week

 

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How have I managed this long without a black clutch?!  I don't even know, but here's what I do know--this beauty should be arriving at my door by the end of the week.  There's nothing overly fancy about the Stella & Dot La Coco Clutch ($148), but the simple, classic shape and luxurious lambskin leather won me over.  These bags are made in the same factories as Coach, Kate Spade, Burberry, and Prada.  Plus, the signature hematite pin can be swapped out for a pretty brooch to dress the whole thing up and change the look.  I expect this clutch will see me through all the upcoming fall weddings and holiday events.  And I can't wait until it gets here!

carmex click sticks review & giveaway

I may have mentioned this before, but I have a sort of obsessive addiction to lip balm.  I seriously freak out a little bit if I leave the house and realize I have forgotten to put lip balm in my bag, to the point where I will actually turn the car around and go back home for it or make a pit stop at a drugstore on the way.  (I really have done both of those things, despite having a purse stocked with several lipsticks and glosses.  Must. have. lip balm.)

So of course, I was delighted to work with Carmex again, and I was even more excited to try the two newest lip balm click stick flavors--Lime Twist and Vanilla.  The new flavors have all the ingredients in the original Carmex balms plus three extra moisturizers, making them the "ultra moisturizing" version of the original.  They are also both SPF 15, which is of course a must.  (Don't forget sunscreen for your lips!  They're often overlooked!)

I am, however, extremely picky about flavored lip balm.  I like original unflavored versions, and I have gotten used to cherry lip balm over the years.  But that's where it ends.  Let's put it this way--if I'm going to wear something pretty much right under my nose all day, it had better smell good.  I like vanilla candles & vanilla ice cream, so I was sure vanilla would be my favorite flavor of the two.  The Carmex Vanilla click stick had a very subtle nice scent and flavor, kind of like baked goods, but I was wrong!  The Carmex Lime Twist click stick won me over.  The scent is a bit stronger, like fresh limeade, but very refreshing and the flavor is still subtle.  It's just such a cheery, summery lip balm--something I want to put on by the pool.  I'll be wearing it into the fall to remind me of warm summer days.  Love it!

Wanna try these yourself?  You can win a Carmex kit just like the one pictured above!  Your kit will include 1 Carmex Lime Twist click stick, 1 Carmex Vanilla click stick, 1 Carmex Moisture Plus satin gloss finish lip balm (like the Moisture Plus balms I reviewed here, but clear), and 1 striped picnic blanket that folds up into a compact travel-friendly shape.  (You will not, however, win the cute yet creepy ghost dog in the top right of the photo.)  The picnic blanket would be perfect for late summer/early fall concerts, no?

TO ENTER:

• Leave a comment below & tell me if you're as addicted to lip balm as I am. (No?  Just me?)  Please include your email address and/or blog URL so that I can contact you if you are the winner!

FOR EXTRA ENTRIES:

• Follow Third Floor Closet on Bloglovin’ or Google Friend Connect/Google Reader, and leave a separate comment telling me you follow.
• Follow Third Floor Closet on Facebook and leave a separate comment below telling me you follow.
• Follow on Twitter, tweet about the giveaway with a link to the blog, and leave another comment below with your Twitter handle.
• Blog about this giveaway and post a link to the blog post in a comment below.

GIVEAWAY RULES:

• Open to US residents with a US mailing address only (So sorry, international readers, these products are only distributed in the US!)
• Giveaway ends one week from today at 10:00 pm EST on Thursday, September 1.
• The winner will be announced and contacted no later than Friday, September 2. 

GOOD LUCK!!!

*FTC Disclaimer: Carmex provided products free of charge for editorial review. All opinions stated within are my own and have not been influenced in any way.

{stella & dot} handbag launch

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I am so excited about the launch of Stella & Dot handbags!  This first collection, the Soho Collection, is a small line of classic yet modern accent bags in black, metallic, or grey snake.  The collection features key pouches, wristlets, clutches, a crossbody, and a convertible bag ranging from $44-$258.  All are made from premium leathers and have interesting details like signature zipper pulls and clover motif linings.  I'll be ordering my samples very soon--I'm just having trouble deciding which ones to get!

What do you guys think?

promises promises

Gap ruffle cardigan, $15? | Gap top from Gap Outlet, $9 | Express cami, $10 | J.Crew skirt from J.Crew factory store, $35 | Bakers shoes, $20 | Stella & Dot Ladybug Earrings | Stella & Dot Renegade Layering Necklace | Stella & Dot Layla Stretch Bracelet | Stella & Dot Renegade Cluster Bracelet

worn July 25, 2011

birchbox

I'm sure you guys have heard of Birchbox by now.  But if you haven't, Birchbox is a beauty delivery service that sends a selection of 4 or 5 deluxe beauty samples right to your door for $10/month.  Birchbox works with premium well-know brands, like those you would find at Sephora, so you can rest assured your $10 is pretty well spent.  If you decide that you like a product, you can buy the full size straight from the Birchbox website & earn Birchbox points that you can redeem for more product.  Once you receive your samples, you can log on to the Birchbox website to read & watch videos about how to use each sample.

I signed up a little late, and I missed the July sample box that was curated by Cynthia Rowley.  So, the August Birchbox was my first.  I was delighted to find this little box of goodies in my mailbox!  The packaging was adorable--what's not to like about pink tissue paper packages tied up in bows?

Here's a better look at the August sample collection, so you can get a better idea of what you would receive each month.

• Befine Night Cream, full size (1.7 fl oz) retails for $30 *I've actually used this cream before, and I think it's pretty good for 20-something skin--moisturizing, but not too rich.
• Befine Exfoliating Cleanser, full size (4 fl oz) retails for $25
• blinc Mascara, full size (0.21 oz) retails for $24
• kate spade new york Twirl fragrance, full sizes retail between $65-80
• LIFTLAB Lift & Fix High Potency Solution, full size (3.4 oz) retails for $85
• twistband Hair Tie, set of 3 retails for $5 -- This was actually a bonus item that was thrown in!

I already can't wait for my next box to arrive in September!

quality on the clearance rack

LOFT cardigan, $12 | The Limited seamless cami, $10 | Banana Republic skirt from Banana Republic Factory Store, $13 | BCBGirls shoes from DSW, $24 | Hecht's earrings, $15? | vintage chain & charms, heirloom | vintage ring, heirloom

worn July 14, 2011 to work

plato's closet: so 2000 and late

 CALYPSO St. Barth for Target Medallion Print Crochet-Bib Tunic in pink/orange, $26 | LOFT 4" Twill Shorts in herb bouquet, $25 | Gap sandals, $15 | Stella & Dot Small Fring Hoop Earrings - Gold | Stella & Dot Renegade Cluster Bracelet | J.Crew enamel bangle, $7

worn July 2, 2011 to run errands, to church, to Fajita Grande

{review} clarisonic plus skin cleansing system

Third Floor Closet - Clarisonic PLUS Skin Care System Review from Jeanna Adcock on Vimeo.

• That is an awesome freeze frame.
• Please excuse my mild awkwardness & overuse of the word "um."  This is my first video...ever!
• If you have trouble playing the video, click through to watch on Vimeo.
• This particular Clarisonic system retails for $225, but cheaper versions do exist.
• And of course, please just leave any questions in the comments or ask away on Formspring!

*FTC Disclaimer: The Vogue Influencer Network provided products free of charge for editorial review.  All opinions stated within are my own and have not been influenced in any way.

{stella & dot} trunk show

{shop}

a glimpse of my Stella & Dot trunk show display from a show I did for a friend a couple of weekends ago

{FBFF} locational influences

This week, FBFF's topic revolves around how where we live can influence how we dress.

1. What part of the world do you blog from?

I mostly blog from Frederick, Maryland where I have lived for the past 4 years or so.  It's a nice area with a cute downtown, and it's close enough to larger cities (about 45 miles away from DC & Baltimore) that it doesn't feel too rural.  However, I was born in South Carolina and lived in North Carolina since I was ten, so I'm sure my southern background influences my style more than I realize.

2. If you had to describe the overall mode of dress for where you live, what would you say?

This one's tough for me (because generalizations are sure to be wrong), but overall I suppose I'd have to say casual.  Of course, you see a lot of suits during the day downtown, but I don't feel that there are as many people who dress up as there are in bigger cities.  We're near mountains, and there is a lot of farmland close by so there is definitely also an outdoorsy vibe to local fashion.  Then again, there are a handful of emo kids around too.  This was probably the worst answer to a question ever.

3. Do you fit in with the status quo around you or do you break the mold?

I like to think I break the mold a bit, but maybe this is a better question for my local readers (what do you guys think?).  I definitely wear some different things from others in this area if only because they are local NC items that I've had forever!

4. If you have lived or travelled to another part of the country/world, did your clothing choices evolve?

Also a difficult question for me to answer properly.  Believe it or not, I've had some of the clothes that I still wear since high school & college.  I think I do dress a little differently now, but I'm not sure how much of that has to do with location and how much of that has to do with age.  I think it's natural for clothing choices to change once you're out of college & working professionally.  Since I moved up to Maryland from North Carolina two weeks after I graduated from college, it's hard for me to judge if location has affected me.  I do think that shopping/store availability in an area has a HUGE impact on how we dress.  (For instance, I wear a ton of LOFT & Gap because that's basically all we have in town.)

5. If you had to describe your style by naming a specific city, what would you be?
Hmm, is Raleigh-meets-DC an allowable answer?  I feel like I fit right back in with NC style when I'm in Raleigh (though whether or not that is a good thing is debatable), but then again, I was that girl who owned suits in high school, which I feel is a nod to DC fashion!

If you’d like to read everyone else’s thoughts on this topic, see the whole list of bloggers who are participating this week at Modly Chic.

{bloggers do it better} arm party

Stella & Dot Clover Double Wrap Leather Bracelet - Black | J.Crew pink enamel bangle, $7 | J.Crew black & white enamel bangle, $7 | black & gold striped bangle, gift from my friend Michelle | Stella & Dot Vintage Twist Bracelet - Gold | Premier Designs tennis bracelet, $10ish

worn August 3, 2011 to work

I do love a good arm party!  Here's a combination I'm enjoying today.

See all the other arm parties at Pretty Shiny Sparkly.

no words

CAbi cardigan, $89 | LOFT giraffe print top, $20? | Express suede pencil skirt, gift | Bakers shoes, $20 | Stella & Dot Small Fringe Hood Earrings - Gold | Stella & Dot Vintage Cluster Ring | New York & Company bag, $15

worn June 27, 2011 to work

{stella & dot} pick of the week

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I receive the nicest compliments each time I wear these Chantilly Lace pieces.  The earrings ($49) have already become a bestseller, and the cuff ($98) is so intricate.  Worn together or separately, these pieces really are stunning and stand out especially against a black dress.  Love!