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2015’s engagement ring trends

February 10, 2015 Randi31 comments

Disclaimer: No, I am not engaged. And no, I will not be anytime soon.

With that being said, I had a chance to write a pretty fun story for today’s paper. Last Friday, I got to head into Ace of Diamonds downtown and talk to the owners about what current trends are in engagement rings. With Valentine’s Day coming up, the local jeweler has seen a huge spike in engagement ring sales (duh!). Mike and Kriss Roethlisberger took time out of their busy sales season to tell me what they’re keeping on stock because of recent customer interest.

Here’s the story.

Right now, engagement ring trends include:

Halo settings, often with a split shank
Cluster center settings
Contemporary styles (asymmetrical and uneven designs)
Rose gold
Pink diamonds
Chocolate diamonds

Even though I’m nowhere close to being engaged, I love being able to rock trends in whatever capacity I can. Here are some fun ways of wearing some of those engagement ring trends, but without the cost of a ring or the commitment of that whole marriage thing that accompanies it.

Click the arrow to scroll through and see all of my picks.

Weekly Sundown Rundown

February 8, 2015 Randi8 comments

Whoever decided that we need to work for five days and have fun for two, instead of the other way around, was kind of a jerk.

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Unless you’re living in a cave, you likely heard the story (and updates) about Detroiter James Robertson, who walks 21 miles to work day in and day out. Amazing. $300,000 has been raised to get him a new car.

This is an awesome post about what happened when an online author confronted her troll. As an online author that deals with her fair share of trolls, I really enjoyed reading it.

The trailer for Ryan Gosling’s Lost River was released and it looks amazing. PS: It was shot in Detroit which makes me love it that much more.

Aaaaand Magic Mike XXL’s trailer was released. To quote a friend: “much excite very muscles such yum.”

The Kitchn put together a list of healthy snack boxes. I’ve been debating getting on the snack box train because I love my snacks, so I might have to look into some of these.

Refinery29 posted a story about the struggle with Seasonal Affective Disorder, which really hit home with me.

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And me this week? I…

Heard an excerpt of The Marriage of Figaro as performed by CMU opera students.
Stopped in Lansing on Monday morning and picked up some new items at Ann Taylor during the half-off clearance sale, like this 100 percent silk blouse and a new henley to lounge in.
Checked out my local Habitat for Humanity ReStore and picked up an old sewing machine table that I’m planning on repurposing into a vanity this summer.
Finally got around to watching The Interview. Spoiler alert: it wasn’t good.
Started Fahrenheit 451.
Had my B12 shot (screw you Seasonal Affective Disorder).
Tried this face mask with Elise. It used honey, lemon and coconut oil and made my skin suuuuper soft.
Saw Flint Eastwood perform at Hunter’s Ale House.
Had a date night with Seth including bd’s Mongolian Grill and Cold Stone.

You can see all this stuff as it happens if you follow me on Instagram.

How was your week? Did you do anything fun? Let me know in the comments!

This post contains affiliate links. For more information, please read my disclosure policy.

Spring fashion: Looking ahead!

February 5, 2015 Randi31 comments

The logic of fashion is something that has always intrigued me. When you think about it, clothing that is “suddenly” trendy didn’t pop up overnight. I learned this in my “Introduction to the Fashion Industry” class I enrolled in last semester. The whole process — sourcing materials, creating a design, putting the design together, marketing it to buyers and offering it to consumers — takes a lot of time. This means that trends don’t just happen overnight! Years of planning goes into fashion, so when you think about it, the super trendy stuff you’re wearing now was conceptualized between a year and two years ago!

For my job, I was tasked with writing a lifestyles story about upcoming fashion trends and how they will translate into prom dresses. I called up my fashion class instructor today and talked with him a little bit about upcoming spring trends and how they’ll relate to prom. Obviously, many of the themes we’ll be seeing this coming spring have nothing to do with prom. But, fashion is inspirational and malleable, meaning anything from the spring 2015 runway is easily adaptable for any occasion, whether it’s for formal occasions, like prom, or everyday ready-to-wear, like street style or workwear.

(As an aside, when I took my Introduction to the Fashion Industry class, we had a project revolving around trend forecasting. You can read about it here!)

Now that retailers are starting to bring in their spring lines (even though it seems like winter is never going to end here in Michigan), we can start to see some of these trends making their way into stores.

So what trends did my instructor predict we’d be seeing a lot of?

Colors: dusty roses, dusty blues, champagnes and bright yellows
Longer hemlines (maxis are still around!)
Statement gems and rhinestones
Embroidery, beading and lace detailing
Oriental-inspired garments (think kimonos and silks)
70’s-inspired garments (fringe and flares)

Here are some of my favorite ready-to-wear ways of rocking these upcoming trends this spring.

Weekly Sundown Rundown

February 1, 2015 Randi29 comments

I cannot believe that it’s already February! And I’m not ready to return to work this week. My trip to Chicago was not long enough and I’m definitely not ready to return to reality!

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Alex Ovechkin is basically the nicest guy ever. He tried really hard to get drafted last so he could win a car during the NHL All-Star Weekend, but not because he himself wanted yet another car.

Tess Holliday is a size 22 model who was just awarded a major modeling contract. Commenters are on completely opposite sides of the spectrum here. Hooray for breaking traditional beauty standards, but boo for encouraging unhealthy obesity? I can understand why each side has its opinion. What’s yours?

Strong magnets breaking things. #science

This meteorologist kept his cool when things heated up. I always love technical malfunctions during broadcasts. It’s probably because I’m one of those print people, but you can always tell the excellent broadcasters from the mediocre ones when it’s improv time.

Justin Timberlake is going to be a dad. Girls everywhere wish they could be the mother.

Piperlime is shutting down. Nooooooo!

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And me this week?

Well, I went to Chicago!
I finally saw 22 Jump Street … twice. My brother lent me his girlfriend’s copy and then my roommate rented it the next day, so we had a movie night with caramel corn and Coke.
My coworker Lisa brought gourmet cupcakes to work – I had Oreo and cookie dough.
I made a super cute new print for my apartment’s gallery wall.
I tried this amazing basil lime tofu recipe from Through the Thicket! My food definitely did not look as pretty as Kathryn’s plate, but it was still absolutely delicious.

You can see all this stuff as it happens if you follow me on Instagram.

This coming week, I anticipate spending a lot of time hiding from the snow and getting some plans squared away for Valentine’s Day.

How was your week? Let me know in the comments!

What a Magnificent Mile

February 1, 2015 Randi6 comments

My Chicago trip could not have gone by any quicker!

Earlier this week I mentioned I was in dire need of a trip to Indiana to visit my really good college friend Emily. We had originally intended to take a trip to Chicago last weekend, but some car problems had us push that trip back to this weekend. I’m also a little bummed that this weekend’s huge Midwest blizzard caused me to leave Indiana on Saturday night rather than Sunday afternoon, meaning I missed an extra few hours gossiping with Emily and Amanda over brunch and chick flicks. Bummer. Small price to pay for personal safety, I suppose.

Every Chicago trip Emily and I plan somehow ends up centering itself around shopping. I’m not complaining!

Amanda, Emily and I on Michigan Ave. Typical tourist shots.

Packing for a day trip in Chicago

January 30, 2015 Randi14 comments

I’m beyond excited for this weekend! I’ve been trying to take advantage of the unusually-low gas prices to reconnect with friends across the Midwest. I asked my college friend Emily if I could visit her in northern Indiana for a weekend since I’m about two years overdue, and her answer was a resounding “Yes. Brunch?! Day trip to Chicago?!”

How can you say no to college friends, brunch and Chicago?

Following the “I’m so pumped to pretend we’re still in college for a weekend and OMGBrunch” elation, I got to thinking about the technicalities, of course. We’ll be taking the train into the city Saturday morning and out of the city at night, which means it’ll just be a day trip. Which means I’ll be responsible for carrying all of my belongings on me – throughout the entire day.

So… what to pack?

My Valentine’s Day gift picks for girlfriends (under $50!)

January 29, 2015 Randi12 comments

I cannot believe it’s almost February, which means…

Valentine’s Day is coming up! I’ve personally never been a fan of the “traditional” gifts, ie: chocolate, stuffed animals and flowers. I guess I just think that simple heartfelt gifts are much better than anything red and pink and Hallmark-branded. Plus, these gifts often last much longer than just through the last few weeks of February. So, here are my favorite under $50 gift ideas for girlfriends/ fiancees/ wives.

DIY university pennant print

January 28, 2015 Randi4 comments

Anyone who knows me can totally testify to the fact that I ~~obsess over~~ love my alma mater.

(Seriously, I will yell at other alumni friends who wear swag from other universities. Don’t come near me in your gaudy MSU gear. I will get very angry.)

After seven and a half years and two degrees, Central Michigan University and I have an incredibly strong bond, and I have a lifelong loyalty to the college that turned me into the person I am today.

I’m incredibly proud to be a Chippewa (Fire Up!) and I wanted a cute way to represent that in my apartment!

I glanced at Carly’s apartment tour post on The College Prepster yesterday and the little Georgetown pennant print that’s part of her gallery wall caught my eye.

I knew I wanted to translate this look to my own apartment! I looked for CMU pennant prints, but unfortunately couldn’t find any that had a high enough resolution for me to print.

So, I decided to make my own!

Winter beauty loves and needs

January 27, 2015 Randi10 comments

I need your advice!

Every single year, without fail, the daily beauty routine that I follow year-round begins falling apart. It always happens right around this time, too. Like, my skin, nails and hair just give up at the end of January when they realize a “quick” winter just won’t happen and spring is nowhere in sight.

My body wants to hibernate. My work schedule won’t allow it.

Winter’s cold lack of humidity wreaks havoc on my body. Everything is dry and staticky and flat and depressing. It seems like there are never enough product recommendations when it comes to maintaining my appearance every winter!

Here are some of my daily lifesavers when it comes to maintaining my appearance in the winter, and I really, really, really hope that someone out there can help me solve some of my winter beauty needs!

Weekly Sundown Rundown

January 25, 2015 Randi8 comments

Here’s your weekly recap, both in national news and in Randi World:

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Drop what you’re doing right now and go watch the NHL All-Star Game WHAT IS WRONG WITH YOU.

This 86-year-old woman has retired and is now living on a cruise ship. #lifegoals

Buzzfeed tackled what would happen if Hermione happened to be the main character of Harry Potter. Awesomeness would happen, that’s what.

Eminem released the video for Detroit Vs. Everybody. So much love for Detroit in this video, from some of Detroit’s more well-known talent to the amazing b-roll shots of downtown Detroit and its neighborhoods. I love it.

Rick Owens sent some risqué designs down the runway at Paris Fashion Week. (WARNING: NSFW) The pieces he designed had cutouts strategically placed right over each model’s penis. I don’t mind the concept as much as the execution. The garments weren’t even good.

It’s a good thing I’m no longer PMS-ing because Hershey’s and LBB are messing with my chocolate and I’m not happy about it. A deal between the two entities will restrict British chocolates from coming into America.

Refinery29 did a budget guide to no-makeup makeup, which is still having its moment right now.

Figure skater Ashley Wagner received her third national title in the past four years and seems to have put away her Winter Olympics meme face. Also, she received that title with the highest score ever for a woman at a US Championships event.

Red velvet Oreos. It’s happening.

This is an interesting look at how the “perfect” female body has changed over the last century, decade by decade. It’s so eerie, isn’t it, how someone’s body characteristics, often entirely unchangeable, can be “trendy.”

Design Darling cleaned out her closet. Which is a reminder to me that I also really need to clean out my closet like five years ago.

My friend Caitlin did a review of Amy Poehler’s Yes Please. This is on my reading list so I’m really glad that I have a friend who gave it a good review!

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And my personal week last week? It was pretty normal. I…

Worked 40-some-odd hours at the paper
Started/ finished reading Gone Girl
Watched the movie
Went antiquing and talked myself out of buying a gorgeous vintage card catalog and a 1950’s globe
Did a fun craft with Elise (But I made her do all the sewing)
Saw Paula Cole in concert as part of my job (She sings the Dawson’s Creek theme)
Had drinks at Tavern and Tap and Stober’s in Lansing. Happy Hopslam season!
Tried a new Middle Eastern restaurant (Sultan’s in East Lansing)
Caught Michigan State University hockey vs. Ohio State University Saturday night
Received my master’s degree in the mail
Received my new Kate Spade watch in the mail (graduation present to myself of course)
Visited my parents downstate to do laundry and eat my mom’s food

You can see all this stuff as it happens if you follow me on Instagram.

And this coming week? Five days of work followed by a weekend trip to a big city with some long-lost friends! I couldn’t be more excited!

How was your week?

This post contains affiliate links. Please read my disclosure policy for more information.