A Little Update....

Hello friends! Merry Christmas Eve! I just wanted to give you all a little update on the current blog situation. The blog will be on a short winter hiatus until the new year. I've been crazy busy lately with the holiday and finishing up with school that I haven't really had much time to do anything else. I'm going to California to visit my  mom and brother for a much needed vacation. But don't worry, I'll be working on getting some great content up for when I get back. So until then you can still see all the fun things I'm up to/what I'm wearing/everything else via Instagram, Snapchat (@samanthagoble), Twitter and Pinterest. 
I can't wait for 2016 and all the fun, exciting thing it has in store! 
Thank you guys for following along with me for another great year. I couldn't have done it without you. 
I wish every single one of you a very Merry Christmas and the most wonderful New Year! 
I will see you guys in 2016! 

Christmas Wishlist

Can you believe Christmas is just days away?! It doesn't seem possible! I remember when I was younger it felt like Christmas was never gonna come. Once it hit December I'd meticulously scour the gift catalogs and write down my Christmas list. It'd be like 4 pages long and I knew I wouldn't get 3/4 of what I wrote down but on the off chance that it might happen I still wrote it down anyways. Now as the years have passed my list has gotten smaller but the price tags more expensive. This happen to anyone else? Haha! 
Today I'm sharing my Christmas wishlist! These are more luxe items that make for great Christmas gifts!

Kate Spade watch// Kate Spade tote// Beats headphones// Leopard clutch// Kendra Scott 'Rayne' necklace (long)// Kendra Scott 'Elisa' necklace (short)// Sigma Makeup Brushes// Sigma brush glove// 

Out of all of these I'd love to have the Kendra Scott necklaces and the headphones. I have the Rayne in hot pink and wore it like everyday in the summer and the white I could wear all year around. I have the bracelet version of the Elisa necklace and wear it everyday. It's the perfect amount of sparkle and I'd love to have a set. And I've been doing quite a bit of traveling and really need a new, good quality pair of headphones. And one thing I forgot to add was a pair of the Jack Roger 'Alana' sandals because who wouldn't want a pair of tassel sandals? ;)

Other items I have down are a new camera, a Canon Rebel t5i and a Macbook which I know won't happen but if they did I'd probably die from excitement. Like no joke. 

I'd honestly be good with pretty much anything but these are the things that I've had written down for awhile now. I'm a pretty easy person to shop for as I like beauty/makeup, fashion, home and food. I'm not too picky! I'd gladly take a gift card to Target or HomeGoods! ;)

As much as I love getting gifts I love giving more. This year I've gotten gifts for my friends and all my family. I'm sooo excited to give them and kinda wish Christmas was tomorrow so they can open then! I think I get more excitement out of watching other people open the gifts I give than opening them myself. Anyone else like this? 

So that's what's on my list! What's on yours? Leave me a comment down below what you have written down for Santa! 

I hope everyone has a Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays!

Winter Neutrals

Hi guys! I just have a few things to note before we jump into the post. I'm ending Blogmas early because I ran out of holiday posts that had substance. I could throw together a Christmas playlist or something easy like that but there's no substance to it. I don't wanna half-ass putting a post together just to be putting one together. So Blogmas ends with 8 good quality posts. You can catch up on all of them here. I hope you guys understand and don't hate me for not getting 12 done. But the 8 are really good ones so they make up for the lack of the rest. :) 
Second thing to note, this was a look I shot awhile back and kinda forgot I had, thus my long hair (took a lot for me not to cry looking at these photos because I miss my hair!). 
Anyways enough of me and let's get to the outfit!

                                                          

I love my white jeans and still wanted to wear them well into the winter season. So how do you style them? With all neutrals of course! 

Sunglasses: Old Navy (similar here)// Sweater: Walmart // Necklace: BaubleBar// Jeans: Target (similar here)// Flats: Charlotte Russe (black here)// Bag: Kate Spade//



|Thanks Journey for the photos.|


This sweater is amazing. It's soft, comfy, warm, long enough to wear with leggings, comes in a tooon of different colors and is under $10. Yep you read that right, UNDER $10, well $9.88 to be exact. And you'll never guess where it's from, Walmart. Yep you also read that right, Walmart. Recently they've been on point with their fashion. I've picked up two sweaters and two button ups from there that are adorably cute. Keep it up Walmart. And the second shining star of this outfit are these flats, which I failed to take a picture of during the shoot so that's why there's a random photo of them. They're dupes for the Valentino Rockstuds but for like a fraction of the cost! SCORE!  So the main stars of the outfit will cost you under $30. Can't beat it! 

How do you wear white jeans in the winter? Leave me a comment or send me a photo! I'd love to get some more inspiration! :)

How to Get the Perfect Red Lip

Red lips are classic for the holidays. They're sexy, glam, festive and go with any outfit. You can't go wrong.  Today for Day 8 of Blogmas, I'm sharing how to get the perfect red lip! You can use this method for any lip color really but this is how I do my red and dark colored lipstick. It lasts all day and looks stunning. And it uses products you probably already have in your makeup collection! So let's get to it!
Also please excuse the lighting shift and some of the photos not being in focus. :/ My camera is so old that it doesn't have a remote feature so I have to set up my camera, set it to a 10 second timer and then press the shutter and hope it turns out focused. But bear with me as I try and get the hang of it! 

What You Need: 
Tooth brush or lip exfoliant scrub 
Heavy duty lip balm or chapstick
Concealer or lip liner
Lipstick of your choice
Translucent powder
Highlighter 
Lip gloss (optional)

Step 1: Exfoliate

You want your lips super smooth so that the lipstick doesn't crack, feather or look uneven. Use a toothbrush or lip scrub to slough off all the dead skin to reveal smooth lips. Drinking water and taking fish oil will also help with not only smooth and hydrated lips but skin too. 

Step 2: Hydrate

Apply a heavy duty chapstick or lip balm to your lips while you do the rest of your makeup/hair. The longer you can let it sit on your lips the better it will be. 

Step 3: Conceal 

Taking your concealer apply some to your lips. This will fill in the natural lines in your lips and give a nice canvas for the lipstick to stick to. It will also make sure the color is really nice and deep. You could also use a lip liner instead. Either will do the job. 

Step 4: Add Color

Either using the lipstick bullet or a lipbrush (I prefer the brush as it applies more precisely), apply the lipstick to your lips. If you want you can apply with the bullet and then take a lip brush to clean up the edges and fill in the spots the bullet can't reach. The perfect holiday red is from the L'Oreal celebrity collection in Blake Lively's Red. It's the most stunning shade of red that is bold, classic and makes your teeth appear whiter, a winning combo!

Step 5: Powder

Yes, powder your lips. This will help set the lipstick and mattify it. If you're going for a glossy look still do this step as we are going to apply a second layer and gloss. Use a translucent and with your finger or a brush apply it to the lipstick.  

Step 6: Reapply

Apply another layer of lipstick to your powdered lips. 

Step 7: Highlight

Either using a highlighter or a light concealer, highlight your cupids bow and the bottom of your lips. You can also clean up the outline with a Q-tip or a small concealer brush to really define the lips. My favorite highlight is Benefit Costmetic's Watts Up. 

Step 8: Gloss (optional)

I'm not a lip gloss girl but if you are now's the time to apply it. 

Once either highlighted or glossed that's it! You've achieved the perfect red lip for the holidays! Like I said this method could be used with a variety of lip colors. The color is bold and it will stay well into your evening of drinking, eating and dancing. 

If you're looking for the perfect holiday makeup check out the tutorial my friend Sarah created for the blog! It's got shimmery eyes, big lashes and of course, a red lip. Perfect for a holiday party with your beau or a night out with the girls! 
And as you can tell or saw from my Snapchat (@samanthagoble) a few days ago I got a haircut! Yes I chopped off almost 12 inches of hair. I'm still adjusting to it, as it's much, much, much shorter than I wanted. (I was going for a long bob and she got a little scissor/layer happy) I don't love it but I don't hate it either, it's growing on me. If you have short hair and have any style tips I would GREATLY appreciate them! :) 
How do you wear red lips? Have a holy grail red lipstick? Leave me a comment sharing! 
Merry Christmas everyone! 

Brown Paper Packages Tied Up with String

Sorry I missed a day guys. I got home at like midnight on Saturday and didn't have a post ready so I decided to skip Sunday and start back up today! So for today's Day 7 of Blogmas I'm sharing some fun ways to wrap all those Christmas presents! I love wrapping gifts, whether for Christmas or a birthday or any other special occasion. I love wrapping paper and finding cute ribbons and adornments and just being creative with it. But if you're needing a little help on how to wrap I've gotcha covered. I'm sharing some super cute ideas a la Pinterest! So let's get to them!

Go with a Theme

Have a theme for all your gifts and stick with it. Maybe it's sticking with a group of colors/patterns or a general look of how you want them to be. 

All Tied Up

Add a finishing touch or make it the centerpiece with ribbon. Use wide ribbons for big bows or bakers twine for a more minimalistic look. 

Chalk Out

Love the chalkboard look? Take black craft paper or matte wrapping paper and wrap all your gifts. Using a white Sharpie or paint pen decorate the packages with doodles and calligraphy. 

When in Doubt, Monogram It Out

Personalize the gifts with the recipients initial. You can get letters at any craft store and attach with ribbon or glue to the paper. 

Layered Up

Don't be afraid to layer! Who says you can't have bows, adornments and a tag? Layer them up! 

Go Au Naturale

Going for a woodsey feel? Use greenery, pine-cones, mistletoe, cinnamon sticks, cranberries, holly and any other woodsey/earthy Christmas adornments. 

All the Same

Or keep it simple and sophisticated and wrap all the gifts the same and personalize them with lettering. 

Be creative with wrapping! Accessorize using ornaments, figurines, bows, natural elements, ribbons, gift tags, lettering, bells, stickers, candy canes, flowers and pretty much whatever else you can attach on to the box. The sky is the limit! 

Great places to look for wrapping paper, ribbon, tags, etc., is Target and HomeGoods/Marshall's/TJ Maxx. All of their wrapping sections are on POINT this year! Like I've bought so much from Target. Their section is heaven. 

How do you wrap your gifts? Gotten a gift that's been wrapped super cute? Have any unique ways? Share them in the comments below!

Catch up on Days 1-6 here! 

Merry Christmas! 

CranApple Christmas Cocktail

Hello everyone and welcome back to Day 6 of Blogmas! Halfway done and still going strong! Woot! 

The holidays are the perfect time to try out new flavors and experiment with drinks! Whether you're hosting your own party or at another this drink is sure to please. Today I'm going to be sharing an insanely easy and delicious holiday cocktail. I'm keeping it classic with apple and cranberry, a splash of ginger ale and boozing it up with some vodka because #classic. 

What You Will Need:  Vodka  Cranberry juice Ginger ale  Apple Cider Garnishes  (apple, cranberry, cinnamon sticks, etc)  Glasses Shaker Ice (optional. I had my juice, cider and ginger ale in the fridge so I didn't need ice)

First pour 1 ounce of vodka into your shaker. I used plain old vodka but you could also try a cranberry flavored one for more of a kick. 

Next pour 2 ounces of apple cider. 

Now pour 2 ounces of ginger ale. You could also use regular Sprite/7Up or the cranberry flavored Sprite for more cranberry flavor. 

Lastly, add 4 ounces of cranberry juice to the shaker, put the top on and shake carefully, preferably over a sink since the ginger ale will fizz. 

Once shaken pour either into your glasses, garnish if wanted and serve. Voila! A simple and refreshing holiday cocktail! 

If you were making this for a group just multiple the recipe by however many guests you'll have or just eyeball it. It's really up to you how much alcohol, cranberry and apple flavor you want. 

This drink is festive and pretty dang good if I do say so myself. It's very holiday-y with the hints of cranberry and apple. The ginger ale adds the perfect fizz. And kicking it up a notch is the vodka which adds the perfect finishing note. 

If you want more holiday drinks to try my friend Jacque is doing a Christmas cocktails/drinks series and she has some seriously delicious ones! Check them out over on her blog! 

I hope you guys enjoyed today's holiday post! I'm thinking about doing another holiday cocktail, but like either a hot chocolate or another hot drink. If you'd be interested in seeing one let me know! 

If you try out my CranApple concoction share it with me on Insta or Twitter (@samantha_goble)! I'd love to see your recreations of it! :) 

Hope everyone is having a wonderful December!

Snug in Bed With Visions of Sugarplums Dancing in Your Head

There is nothing more satisfying than getting into warm pajamas and snuggling deep into bed on a cold winter's night, especially on Christmas Eve! Today on Day 5 of Blogmas, I'm sharing some fun and festive PJs, because who doesn't love Christmas pajamas?! They are as comfy and cozy as they are cute!

Moose bottoms// Striped onesie// Snowflake bottoms// Plaid bottoms// Fair aisle set// Snowflake onesie// Plaid set// Polar bear set//  Red Christmas set// Mint set// White set// 

All are under $60 or are a part of a sale making them cheaper! And they make great gifts! I mean you can never have too many pajamas, am I right? 
A couple of other great places to look for some are TJ Maxx/Marshall's. They have a lot of great pajama options this year. My plaid set is from TJ Maxx and it's by Ralph Lauren . It was under $30 and I love it! It's cotton and not true flannel, which I like because I get hot really fast. Plus it's festive plaid! 

I also got a fleece set for my grandma for $25. Definitely check them out for cute options! 

Oh and catch up on Days 1-4 here!

Do you love Christmas pajamas? Have any traditions with them? Leave me a comment sharing! :) 

Red Lip Classic: A Holiday Makeup Tutorial

I am SO excited for today's Blogmas post because it's a makeup tutorial featuring one of the best people I know that does makeup, my friend Sarah! You might remember her from KCFW earlier this year? She is a pro at makeup and I keep telling her she needs to start a Youtube channel because she's amazing. Anyways, I thought it would be fun to have her film a holiday makeup look because we all know I can't do makeup. She knocked it out of the park and I'm so excited to share it! So without further adieu here's her holiday makeup look! 


                                                                             

Hello hello! My name is Sarah Presley and I am taking over Of Life and Style for today! 

I've loved makeup for years and years but I've recently started sharing my work through Instagram. After Sam saw my posts and asked me to collaborate I decided to film a makeup tutorial. Go big or go home, right? To get in the holiday spirit, I'm sharing a holiday makeup look that is perfect for many different occasions and doesn't look like Christmas threw up on your face (hopefully). Even though I chose to go with a bold red lip, I kept the eyes shimmery and light so this makeup could be wearable to something like a holiday party at the office. I also strayed from using bright colors on the eyes and used a foiled eyeshadow and big lashes for the stars of the show so this makeup could match a variety of cocktail dresses or evening gowns.

I want to give a big thanks to Sam for giving me this opportunity! I had so much fun filming my first ever YouTube video! I know the picture quality isn't impeccable but shoutout to technology because I filmed this on an iPhone 6 and am amazed at what it could do! I spent hours creating this look, filming, learning to edit, recording a voice-over.. I even got my dad in on the action to help create my backdrop. I'm pleasantly surprised with how this turned out and I hope you enjoy it the same!

Thanks for watching! All of the products I used are listed in the description box of the video. If you enjoyed this look, I would appreciate the love on Instagram here! Happy Holidays!


                                                                 


Sarah slayed with this look! It's the perfect amount of glam and sparkle without looking too overdone. If you loved this look and want Sarah to start doing Youtube videos all the time give her love in the comments below and over on her Instagram and subscribe to her Youtube channel! And if you recreate her look tag us (@sarahpresley & @samantha_goble) on Insta or use #HolidayMakeupWithSarah so we can see all the looks! :)

Hopefully this won't be the last of Sarah on here so make sure you're following along for the next post of Sarah's!

Easy DIY Holiday Gift: Hot Coco in a Jar

Today's 12 Days of Blogmas post is..... a DIY gift idea! I love making and giving gifts, whether it's a food item or something I've crafted, much more than I like buying one. Now I do love buying gifts for people, but personally I think DIYing them is much more heartfelt and shows that you took the time to put something together. But that's just me!
So today I'm sharing a super easy DIY holiday gift that is perfect for a teacher, coworker, family, best friend, or really anyone who likes hot coco and let's be real, who doesn't like it!? I mean it's the holidays when the weather outside is frightful all you wanna do is sit inside, snuggled up drinking hot coco watching Christmas movies, am I right? 

We are making hot coco's in a jar! They are ridiculously easy to make, take hardly any time at all to assemble and costs around $20. Plus, it's hot chocolate so you can't go wrong. 

And what's great about these is that you can be as creative as you want with them! If you want to make them bigger you completely can. Or add more goodies in the jar like peppermint, chocolate chips, etc., you can do that too! It's totally customizable! 

What You Will Need: 

Hot coco (I bought a giant tub from Target for under $5)

Marshmallows (~$1 a bag, I bought 2)

Mason or glass jars (~$9 for 12 jars)

Gift tags, string, ribbon, decorative supplies (No cost since I already had them but let's say ~$5)

First fill your jar about half way full of hot coco mix. 

Next add your marshmallows or other mix ins and layer them on top of each other. 

Lastly, add your decorations. I used these snowman gift tags from Target and stuck them on there with tape. You can use string, twine, ribbon, stickers, make little snowman faces on them or do anything you want to decorate them. Check Pinterest for decorating ideas. 

See how crazy easy that was! And it's a gift that whoever you're giving it to will be sure to use. 

Some other ideas you can include with this is giving a little mug with it, mini Bailey's, RumChata or Kahlua bottles (for those 21 and up) or chocolate dipped spoons/stirrers. You can include whatever extra goodies you want or none at all, totally up to you. 

So there you have it, the easiest, chocolatiest DIY Christmas gift! It took me no time at all to put these together and for under $20 for a whole bunch is easy on the wallet too. Plus you can add whatever extras you want and go crazy with decorating. It's a delicious, heartfelt and affordable gift that whoever you're giving it to will appreciate! 

If you make this gift snap and tag me in a photo I'd love to see how yours turned out! :) @samantha_goble on Twitter and Instagram. 

Have any other easy and affordable DIY gift ideas? Share them in the comments below! 
What's the best gift you've received, homemade or store bought? 


Merry Christmas everyone!