Celebrate New Starbucks® Caffé Latte K-Cups®! Love These Flavors!

This post has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone. This post was sponsored by Starbucks as part of an Influencer Activation. I received compensation and complimentary products to facilitate my review. #StarbucksCaffeLatte #MyStarbucksatHome #CollectiveBias

Cooler temperatures mean it's time to test out some new Caffe Latte coffee flavors! Starbucks® now offers a two-step Caffè Latte that you can create with your Keurig machine at home, and they were delicious. Read on to learn more about this new style of coffee prep. Read on to learn more about incorporating new Starbucks® Caffè Latte K-Cup® pods into your routine!

I also have a clever way to put those K-Cup® pods to use a second time around. Read on to learn about my idea. 

Learn more about the Starbucks® Caffè Latte K-Cup® pods and find lots of drink inspirations on the Starbucks® website.

When I received this Starbucks® Influencer Gift Box in the mail, I was pleasantly surprised by how beautiful everything looked. It included: A Glass Starbucks® Mug (which is amazing!!), A Gold Spoon, Confetti popper, three samples of Starbucks® Caffe Latte K-Cup® pods, one (1) 6-Ct box of Caramel Caffè Latte K-Cup® pods. SO excited to have been so lucky to have received something SO nice to sample and ahre with you on my blog. 

I could not wait to open the flavors up and test each one. This two-step method involves adding a packet of whichever flavor sweetened dairy blend (which had the consistency of a packet of hot cocoa), pouring it into a coffee mug, then add the Starbucks® Caffè Latte K-Cup® pods to your Keurig and set it to the 8 oz. setting (the middle of my 3 settings). Then, after it has cooled a tiny bit, stir everything together for a creamy because the product is made from milk. 

Starbucks® Caffè Latte K-Cup® pods are delicious because they are made from milk, with no artificial flavors, and they come in 3 great Starbucks® signature flavors (Caramel, Mocha, and Vanilla) and 2 beloved Starbucks® seasonal flavors (Pumpkin Spice and Peppermint Mocha, available for a limited time).


MY FAVORITE FLAVOR

I tried all 3 flavors while working on this project, and found that my favorite flavor was Caramel! So lucky that I have another box of 6 that came with this gift set. I also received an awesome coupon for 6 more K-Cup® pods at any retailer! The caramel was my favorite because I always feel like caramel coffee drinks can taste a bit fake. Not this one! Every single sip tasted like real caramel, my favorite Fall flavor of all time. Other flavors available include: Caramel flavor, Vanilla flavor, Real Cocoa (Mocha), Real Pumpkin. 

Luckily, these awesome products are available nationally at your local grocery store. And, with this many flavors you will probably want to stock up on every flavor. 

A GOOD REUSE

While these particular Starbucks® Caffè Latte K-Cup® pods came with filters because they are coffee, you can either tear out the filter, or use a K-Cup® from hot cocoa, and then use the cups for individual servings of pre-heated caramel. I heated my caramel in a double boiler, but was surprised at how much caramel each cup actually held! 


The Mocha Flavor was chocolatey without being overly sweet. I really loved also styling this photo with organic chocolate chips AND chocolate-covered espresso beans. How perfect! Read on to check out how to use this two-step process. 


How To Prepare The New Starbucks® Caffè Latte  K-Cup® pods:

Step 1 - Choose your flavor and pour the packet into your coffee mug. 

Step 2 - Insert a Starbucks® Caffè Latte K-Cup® pod into your Keurig machine, and place your mug with chosen flavor packet in Keurig®. Set to 8 oz setting, and be ready to indulge!

***

BE VERY CAREFUL! These machines make very hot coffee! Stir the drink, wait until it cools to your liking, and enjoy!

2016 Starbucks Corporation. All rights reserved. Keurig, Keurig HOT, K-Cup and the K logo are trademarks of Keurig Green Mountain, Inc., used with permission.

Beertography - Cool Photos Of Craft Beer

It's no secret, we LOVE craft beer! I thought it would be fun to take some professional photos of a few of the beers we have had recently. Most of them are pretty darn good! Hope you enjoy!!

Xocoveza Mocha Stout by Insurgente + Stone BRewing

The Waldo's Special Ale by Lagunitas

120 Minute IPA by Dogfish Head 

Purple Prose by GRIMM - yum! 

Midas Touch - by Dogfish Head - Handcrafted Ancient Ale

Tripel Hop by Duvel 

The Kaiser by Avery Brewing 

Biere de Garde by 2 Frenchmen 

Ape Snake by Priarie Artisan Ales

Do you like craft beer? What's your favorite beer style and breweries? 

Treat Yourself To Something Nice - Yandy.com

It's time to treat yourself to something wonderful! Whether you are the only one who sees them or not, it always feels so wonderful to get new undergarments! I especially love bright, bold colors of the newest items from yandy.com. The materials they use are soft and stretchy, and everything looks super well-made. 

Their prices are also out of this world! Thongs and underwear are 5 for $20 (I've seen more expensive ones that are not nearly as well-made!!), and their bras are $15.95 each, or 3 for $33. Pretty sweet deals, so you can try a few colors of each piece! 

Erin Pelicano Jewelry

I absolutely love photographing anything from Erin Pelicano. I was so inspired by the city of Santa Fe, because of the gorgeous architecture, and the history of the buildings and my surroundings. I absolutely LOVE the fact that so many of the doorways, doors, and other parts of the buildings are painted mint or blue. Erin's necklaces always arrive wrapped in light blue tissue paper, so I thought that the mint railing would be the perfect place to photograph her necklaces. I also utilized an adorable courtyard (that I had all to myself!), and was able to work on her photos near a fountain and lots of pretty early Spring flowers. Such a magical place to work! I had so much fun with this project, and I hope you enjoy!! 

Erin Pelicano + Lily The Wandering Gypsy

And, of course, these necklaces are wonderful gifts for Mother's Day and beyond! I have given these to various women in my family, and they are wearing them every time I visit! Erin Pelicano jewelry is always made from either real silver or gold, which I think sets her work far above the rest! 

Erin Pelicano + Lily The Wandering Gypsy
Erin Pelicano + Lily The Wandering Gypsy
Erin Pelicano + Lily The Wandering Gypsy
Erin Pelicano + Lily The Wandering Gypsy
Erin Pelicano + Lily The Wandering Gypsy
Erin Pelicano + Lily The Wandering Gypsy
Erin Pelicano + Lily The Wandering Gypsy
Erin Pelicano + Lily The Wandering Gypsy
Erin Pelicano + Lily The Wandering Gypsy
Erin Pelicano + Lily The Wandering Gypsy
Erin Pelicano + Lily The Wandering Gypsy

If you are in need of product photography for your goods, please comment below, or feel free to Contact Me for quotes! I would love to help you capture the beauty of your products.

Portfolio Spotlight - FYI Style Unzipped - Cute Fall Ideas

FYI Style Unzipped was such a cute show, and a fun brand to collaborate with! I have always LOVED fashion, and you can see that in my pins I find daily. I also love TV shows where you learn about fashion, so when FYI approached me, I was beyond excited! I was asked to showcase my style in regards to scarves, ballet flats, and neon! These terms are pretty open-ended, so I did my best to try and figure out how these specific terms were most relevant to today's most current trends. Check out my FULL PORTFOLIO...

LOVE this look for Fall!
Cute Fall Outfit Idea
Fall Outfit Idea
Plaid Scarf
Cardigan + Scarf
Kork Ease Flats + Free People Jeans
Chilly Weather Outfit
Happy Fall!!!

Check Out These Top Instagram Accounts

I absolutely love what some people and companies are doing on their Instagram accounts these days! Some people just have a nack for making all their images all look so incredibly cohesive, and I am still trying to figure it out! 

@juleytl

I just love her sense of style, and it looks like she has an amazing home, which is the perfect backdrop for lots of her photos. Her website, upperlyne.com, is also stunning, and a wonderful source of inspiration for me! She's based in NOLA, which would be a dream for any fashion blogger, because of all the amazing locations you could shoot photos. 

@sugarandcharm

Next, we have Sugar and Charm, She is absolutely incredible, and I am beyond smitten with her website, www.sugarandcharm.com. She features all sorts of recipes and bright, beautiful photos, and amazing DIY projects. 

Stay tuned, I will post more awesome Instagram Accounts soon! 

CHECK ME OUT!

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Ayushi Woods Organic Lotions

I recently met the owner of a new company called Ayushi Woods. Ayushi products are awesome! They are trying to provide safe, healthy, and organic lotions, anti-wrinkle lotions, and other body products to their customers, and I love their values. 

Ayushi is offering my readers 25% Off your entire order, use coupon code lily25 at checkout. 

Ayushi is offering my readers 25% Off your entire order, use coupon code lily25 at checkout. 

Organic Lotions

For the past couple of years, I have been using primarily organic foods and products, and I am so happy I have switched!! My favorite product in the Ayushi line is the Intensive Anti-Wrinkle Lotion. Read more about it below! 

  • USDA Organic Certified
  • Completely Vegan
  • Cruelty-Free 
  • GMO-Free
  • 100% free from any Parabens, Petroleum, Formaldehyde, PEGS, artificial color or synthetic fragrance
  • No Animal Ingredients/ No Animal Testing 
  • Completely handmade
First, the Vegan Shine Lotion contains avocado oil, among lots of other natural ingredients. Upon first use of this lotion, its very nice and light. It's pretty scented, but it is definitely pleasant and natural-smelling, unlike a lot of lotions I'v…

First, the Vegan Shine Lotion contains avocado oil, among lots of other natural ingredients. Upon first use of this lotion, its very nice and light. It's pretty scented, but it is definitely pleasant and natural-smelling, unlike a lot of lotions I've tried. This lotion isn't at all greasy, and my hands still feel very soft. It's rated USDA Organic, which is awesome! 

#outfit #flatlay

I loved these  clothing items as well! Find a White Button Up (similar here), High Waisted Shorts from Pacsun (similar here), Cute Coach Wallet (similar here), Necklace from JCPenney, and Ayushi lotions

Outfit + Organic Lotions by Ayushi

Ayushi is the first company in the personal care industry to be the official sponsors of the Organic Farmers Association (NOFA) and helped raise over $15,000 for organic farmers in a 5k event. Learn more here.  

These Organic Body and Face Washes are the perfect size for travel if you're going somewhere for a long weekend. The Organic Sandal Body Wash has a strong sandalwood scent.

These Organic Body and Face Washes are the perfect size for travel if you're going somewhere for a long weekend. The Organic Sandal Body Wash has a strong sandalwood scent.

Here are a few of the lotions they make. Looking forward to trying out the Raspberry Almond, and the Lavender. The Anti-Wrinkle Lotion has the best scent of all of them. It's very light, like a breath of fresh air. Definitely hoping to inc…

Here are a few of the lotions they make. Looking forward to trying out the Raspberry Almond, and the Lavender. The Anti-Wrinkle Lotion has the best scent of all of them. It's very light, like a breath of fresh air. Definitely hoping to incorporate this into my daily routine! Remember, use coupon code lily25 at checkout to receive 25% off your entire order! 

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L'Oreal Infalliable Makeup

Recently I was asked by L'Oreal to help promote one of their new Infalliable makeup lines that is perfect for summer. It's definitely more challenging keeping your makeup looking fresh when it's hot outside, and this makeup really stays put. I created this Dedicated Board to show you more!

I'm not usually one to wear much makeup, especially the full-coverage kind, but wow, it makes such a difference in my appearance! It's so fun experimenting with different color combinations, and it was also fun learning some makeup application tips from Katie at Fringe The Salon, who is a local salon-owner. She does amazing work and it was a lot of fun working with her. 

The tutorial (below), was created by using some of the L'Oreal Infalliable products like foundation, powder, and of course, their Lip Colors. There were so many colors to choose from, and this stuff really stays put! Below you can see some of the content we created for L'Oreal! 

L'Oreal Makeup Tutorial

And below, you can check out the other photos we created for the project. This is one of my favorite projects to date! Check out my Dedicated Board Here

When I first learned about this project, I was a bit nervous because my face would be on full display for these. I had no clue how well these photos would turn out thanks to the help from Bobby and Katie at The Fringe Salon. Throughout this project, I also learned that makeup makes such a difference in photos, and this was the perfect project to break me out of my comfort zone. 

This content creation was sponsored by L'Oreal, and all opinions are 100% my own. Thanks so such a wonderful company for collaborating with me! 

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VISIT THE DEDICATED BOARD HERE

VSCO - My Image Was Featured!

I got word that one of my very first VSCO Cam images was featured today! So cool, as I really love their app and available filters. I have been running every iPhone pic through the editor before either posting it to Instagram or even my blog. Check out all the featured images here.

CHECK OUT MY VSCO IMAGES HERE...

It's funny, because I believe VSCO attracts a certain type of person. Your follower count isn't visible to anyone, you can't comment on photos, and you can't even really like images, from what I can tell. I think it would be fun to have access to your metrics, but for now I'm fine with VSCO Cam just the way it is! It's SO very different from Instagram, that I think someone who immerses themselves into the world of VSCO is really utilizing it for themselves above anyone else. Your images actually display as a really nice portfolio, though. It's very genuine. You can either post photos to your grid, or do photo stories as "journal" entries, without any text. 

Have you ever used VSCO? If so, tell us what you think, and feel free to share your link below!

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My Steller Stories!

I absolutely love the Steller Stories app! It is a super fun way to make a little digital scrapbook of images, videos, and text and the stories last forever. I love creating the stories for either vacations or places I visited, as well as DIY projects and recipes. You can only make them on an iPhone at this point, but they're really fun to create. 

I had a lot of fun putting most recent this story together, showing some of my favorite places to eat in Moab, Utah. Looking back at this, I realize we got to test out so much amazing food and drink, and it was so fun getting to know Moab for the week we were there. 

And, in this story about a day in Chicago, I loved placing text right over a video, making it feel like the intro to a movie! You can upload 20 images or videos at once when you are creating these stories, making it pretty quick and easy to be creative! I had such a fun time shopping in Chicago and exploring while the guys were at a Cubs game. 

Below, you can check out our time in Capitol Reef National Park in Utah! Wow, this place was incredible, and the park isn't crowded like almost EVERY other National Park we have visited! 

This Saguaro National Park story was a lot of fun. I love cacti and the beautiful aridness of the dessert. All the plants are shrubby, sharp, and so opposite of anything I'm used to from Illinois. 

We had a great time in New Mexico also! Truth or Consequences is a beautiful, tiny town, that is full of colorful architecture and a really fun vibe. You can see some of the food we ate as well. 

And, speaking of FOOD, here is my most popular Steller Story, about how to make peanut butter cookies. 

And, my very first Steller Story, ever, was this awesome post about Scratch Brewing in Ava, IL. This place is incredible, and you can learn a bit about it below. 

Check out all of my Steller Stories HERE. And, if you have a Steller account, feel free to leave the link in the comments below! Have a good day :)

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My Week In Images

The weather has gotten much warmer (and way more humid) in the past 2 weeks here in southern Illinois. I also found a new way to share my photos! I finally figured out the VSCO app, and now I absolutely LOVE the filters they offer! There are a few really good ones, and I like how they don't just make your photos look dark and flat, like some of the Instagram filters. You can also save these images to your cameraroll on your phone, and upload them via Instagram. Check out my photos here! 

Head on over to my VSCO page to see more!

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Aloha Collaboration!

I have been working on a really cool project lately! I was asked by Sony Pictures to create and style some photos inspired by their new movie, Aloha! They also consulted with me to create a Dedicated Board on Pinterest, and I absolutely love how it's turning out. We have been to Hawaii three times, so I have a lot of knowledge of what the island and its cultures appreciate. I also had a lot of time to take in the sights and sounds of the cities and oceans in lots of places among the 5 islands. All of Kauai was definitely my favorite, and Honolulu is my second favorite. Aloha is based on Oahu.  Check out the trailer for the movie here. Photos by myself and Bobby Samat Photography.

A special thank you to Sony Pictures for sponsoring this project! Check out Aloha, in theaters May 29. 

L'Oreal Advanced Haircare Pinterest Board!

Style It - Change It - Own It - Spring Hair And Style Inspirations

A little while back, I was hired by L'Oreal to create photographs and hair tutorials, showing Pinterest users how I would style my hair using their new line of hair products, Advanced Hairstyles. I scoured their website, hairstyle.com, for videos and step by step tutorials to see what I could create. 

I was also asked to put together a dedicated board (see below), that helped convey the feminine, and beautiful hairstyles that were inspired by their products and tutorial websiteBobby and I took some gorgeous photos for this project, and I think we really captured the essence of these hairstyles and products. I want to give a special thanks to the team at L'Oreal and HelloSociety, both of which made this dreamy project a reality!

 This project came at a perfect time, because we were in Cave Creek, Arizona, before it got too hot to be in the southwest. The bright sunshine made for some beautiful photos, and my wonderful step-mom called around to about 5 salons in the Cave Creek and Carefree, AZ area to find me a stylist at short notice. I knew that hiring a professional would be the absolute best way to showcase a professional look for company like L'Oreal, and we wound up at a gorgeous salon, called Studio C in Carefree, AZ - an adorable and upscale town in the desert! A wonderful stylist named Monica worked on my hair, and I couldn't be happier! I brought her ideas, but she already had so many ideas, it was a match made in Heaven. 

Here is a peek at my Dedicated Board for L'Oreal Advanced Hairstyles (below).

Below, you will see one of my favorite hairstyles, and a couple of my tutorials I created for L'Oreal. 

In partnership with L'Oreal to create styles that inspire you to take your look to the next level. I am beyond excited to team up with L'Oreal to show you how to use their new line of haircare products (available at most drugstores for a very reasonable price). I had an amazing time creating some of these unique hairstyles utilizing their products in so many ways. Photos by Bobby Samat Photography. 

Emblem Eyewear - LOVE These Sunglasses!

I recently grabbed some of my favorite styles of sunglasses from this cool site, Emblem Eyewear. They have lots of cool styles to choose from, and they all look pretty sweet on me, if I do say so myself :) I am usually reluctant to go online to do sunglasses shopping, because sunglasses can easily give me a headache if they're too tight. Well, these are as comfortable as they get! Get some of these awesome sunglasses for under $10 each, what a good price for a wardrobe update.

These babies are the pretty hip! The Super Trendy Mod Sunglasses really flattered my face shape quite a bit, which I love! The blue, reflective lenses make it so people can't see your eyes, too! 

These babies are the pretty hip! The Super Trendy Mod Sunglasses really flattered my face shape quite a bit, which I love! The blue, reflective lenses make it so people can't see your eyes, too! 

These Cat Eye Sunglasses are much more of a pastel pink than my photo (above) shows.  They remind me of a pinup chick! They're SO adorable, and make you look elegant, like a fancy lady :) 

These Cat Eye Sunglasses are much more of a pastel pink than my photo (above) shows.  They remind me of a pinup chick! They're SO adorable, and make you look elegant, like a fancy lady :) 

These ones are super sweet! Tortoise Inspired Sides and Wire Steampunk Details Included! 

These ones are super sweet! Tortoise Inspired Sides and Wire Steampunk Details Included! 

These Hawaiian-Inspired, Floral Printed Sunnies are so cute for a warm summer day, or a festival! 

These Hawaiian-Inspired, Floral Printed Sunnies are so cute for a warm summer day, or a festival!