Win Love

This post is sponsored by Ellie Vail.

Love. It's what we all hope to feel and know every day of our lives, but also something we often fail at doing well with our friends, kids, parents and significant others. We have often heard the famous quoted verses from 1 Corinthians 13, "love is patient, love is kind, love does not envy, love does not boast...." and I've already missed the mark with patience this morning with my 2 year old. But every minute that goes by is a new opportunity to change our attitudes and actions. What better reminder to love well than jewelry that says "love" on it.

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All of these gorgeous pieces are by Ellie Vail. They are not only stylish, but also affordable.

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You can win your very own Juliette "love" ring just in time for Valentine's Day by entering below or clicking here. The contest ends on Friday, February 13th. Best of luck, and I hope your day is filled with a lot of love.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Makeup & Fashion for V-Day Ladies' Night

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This post is sponsored by Memebox.

Do you remember when Valentine's Day was about giving your friends cards and candy that told them they were "dino-mite" or that said "bee mine" with a bee on it? Why not make this Valentine's Day just as much about your friends as it is about your significant other just like old times? Maybe you're in the "lonely hearts club" when it comes to romance, but I am sure you are very loved by friends. So, plan a ladies' night out and dress up for each other rather than staying at home this Valentine's Day. Here is some makeup and outfit inspiration to get you brainstorming.

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#1 Red Lips & Sequins - Did you know that most men hate red lipstick and sequins? They think both are too flashy (pssssshhht). Did you also know that girls LOVE red lipstick and sequins?! So, wear both on your ladies night out. We love Memebox's "spirited red" lipstick. It's a perfect, true red and complimentary to all skin types. It's also only $8.00.

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#2 Pink Lips & Polkadots - Gold polkadots with a gold skirt? Why not? Ladies' night is about wearing what makes you feel happy, and polkadots always put a smile on my face, especially gold ones. Plus, this lipstick purse is too funny and quirky not to sport for a girls night out. (You can get this whole outfit from Frances Vintage). Add a bright pink, bubble gum lip with Memebox's #06 bright pink lipstick.

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Ladies' night isn't complete without some memorable selfies. Make sure to document the love. xoxo!

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Photography by Michelle Herrick Makeup by Stephanie Neiheisel, SN Makeup Artist Styling by Alex Evjen, A.V.E. Styles Clothing from Frances Vintage

Red Rocks

Working with new talents is always a great way to challenge yourself creatively. Rus Anson, a photographer from Spain, reached out to me to do a test shoot last week. I immediately said yes because her work is incredible, but I also wanted to work with someone I didn't know. Phoenix has a fairly small creative circle, which I love, but I've noticed that I've started to get into a bit of a creative rut. With all my energy focused on content creation for social platforms I had forgotten what it was like to create for a high-fashion editorial.

I was so inspired working with Rus, Jessica Fierro and Alexandra Smith. The professionalism and excellence was off the charts. It really made me want to go back to creating high fashion content.

Rus asked for some location recommendations. I suggested Papago Park since it's terrain that she doesn't get to see that often. We also chose a spring story since it's relevant to publishers right now. The pastel palette was magic with the mountain.

I can't wait to do this all over again.

Photography: Rus Anson

Styling: Alex Evjen MUAH: Jessica Fierro Model: Alexandra Smith, The Agency AZ

January Makeover: The Master Closet

This post is sponsored by Easy Closets.

One would think that a fashion stylist would have an amazing closet, but here's proof that's not an accurate assumption.

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My closet functions. I know where things are, and there's a method to my madness (I swear). But, is my closet the best it can be? Is it organized in an optimal way? Nope! With the new beginnings come new goals, and one of my goals is to do a home makeover project each month starting with my master closet.

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Easy Closets is going to help me achieve my January goal. I've already met with one of their designers, and she has redesigned my space virtually. I can't wait to get started putting it all together and show you the process.

Easy Holiday Bark

This post is sponsored by Coca-Cola Licensing.

The holidays are the biggest baking season of all. Each year, my husband's family makes an assortment of cookies and bars to enjoy the night of Christmas. Instead of having pie, we have these sweet treats that are made days leading up to Christmas. When you're entertaining it's always nice not to have to cook the day of the party. Relieve stress and busyness where you can, and try this recipe out.

My sister-in-law, Nicky Vender, is a genius baker and she created this salty, sweet treat made of white chocolate, pretzels, cranberries, almonds and pistachios. The green of the pistachios and the red of the cranberries makes it very festive. It only takes 5 minutes to prepare, there's no baking involved and you can enjoy the treat 15 minutes later.

Ingredients:

2 bags white chocolate chips

3 cups pretzel sticks

1 cup dried cranberries

½ cup shelled pistachios

1 cup slivered almonds Directions:

1. In a large bowl, melt chocolate chips in microwave per instructions on the bag (about 2 minutes). Carefully, stir in pretzels, cranberries, pistachios and almonds until everything is well coated.

2. Place large sheets of parchment paper on countertop.

3. Pour out onto paper and spread the mixture out to desired thickness.

4. Allow bark to cool completely (this is very important).

5. Break into pieces for serving. We think ice cold Coca-Cola is a great pairing.

6. Store in an airtight container.

View More: http://melissajill.pass.us/cocacola

Recipe by Nicky Vender, Photos by Melissa Jill.