A Printed, Belted, Anytime Dress

Grey and Pink Belted Dress: c/o Pink Blush, Unisex Style F1011 Black Glasses: c/o Firmoo, Tights: Betsy Johnson, Boots: Blowfish (similar), Gray Chain Link Bracelet: c/o Massi

As the leaves are changing and crisp mornings are making more frequent appearances around Boise, I have finally given in to transitioning my favorite summer pieces to fall (and winter--considering how cold it already is here!).

Back in September, PinkBlush sent me a few pieces of clothing that I've cycled into regular rotation in my closet--this gray & pink belted dress, this navy & floral dress (seen here), and this amazing aqua chiffon open-back cardigan (seen here). Whether I'm wearing their pieces with sandals & sunglasses or tights & boots, they're functional, flattering, affordable items that can be worn year-round. I'm so impressed with PinkBlush's quality and the wearability of their clothing.

Also, do you see my new glasses up there? They're amazing! They're my very first pair of thick, black rectangle glasses and I just adore them. I never thought that I'd ever want a pair of plain black glasses, but after this pair--I'm sold!

Hope you're having a great week! Life is pretty busy on my end (details to come eventually), and I am not sure how often I'll be blogging in the upcoming weeks. But rest assured, all is well--in fact, it's better than ever! Sending lots of love. See you soon! 

Fall at the Rowe House 2014 and a Present For You!

Floral arrangement: c/o Gordman's

I can't believe a whole year has come and gone and it's once again fall at the Rowe house. Where does time go? I can tell you one thing, I'm grateful for the seasonally-colored leaves, the big life changes ahead, and finally being able to pull my dusty boots out of the closet! It may not be full-fledged boot weather yet, but I'm wearing them anyway!

Our home has changed so much since we moved in last September. It actually feels like a home this year, and not just a house! Much of the fall decor we have up (instead of a single pumpkin like last year) was generously given to us by Gordman's. And... my friends at Gordman's were nice enough to send two giftcards to use to stock our home with the colors of fall, but—lucky for you—I've chosen to instead spend one and give one away! Continue to the bottom to find out the details & enter to win.

Orange pillow: c/o Gordman's

Dobby couldn't resist enjoying the new pillows, and she had to come out to say hi!

Navy Blue Floral Bottom Dress: c/o PinkBlush (they're always having deals—use code COLUMBUS20 thru 10/13 for 20% off), Unisex Style F1011 Black Glasses: c/o Firmoo, Boots: Steve Madden, Mirror: c/o Gordman's

To enter to win the $25 giftcard to Gordman's, all you need to do is simply leave a comment below—about anything! You can get extra entries for sharing the giveaway via Twitter, Pinterest, and/or Facebook, so just leave another comment with your link(s)—one comment per link—and you'll be entered. Good luck and happy fall to all!

WINNER: Emily Frank -- Congratulations!

PS: Score 20% off any item at Gordman's thru 11/25 here. 

The fine print: Giveaway open to anyone who can use a Gordman's giftcard! Giveaway ends at midnight on Sunday, October 19 and the winner will be announced via email and in this post. The prize for this giveaway was donated by Gordman's. If you are having trouble commenting/viewing comments and are using Internet Explorer, open this page in a different browser such as Chrome, Firefox or Safari.

The Military Donut Bun

Not much of a fan of the ever-popular "sock bun" trend, when I joined the Air National Guard, I told myself, "I will never be caught DEAD wearing a sock bun!" You know, because it seems like every photo you ever see of anyone in the military shows them wearing a sock bun—and I was not going to do it!

Let me tell you what, after being at Basic Military Training for about two weeks with short hair that would just not stay up in any kind of bun and having an MTI come up to me and say, "Get it together, Rowe! Your hair looks like a hot mess!" it was then that I decided to embrace the dreaded sock bun. And I decided to call it the "donut bun" instead, because that just sounds better—I suppose. After about three successful buns created with my small, brown mesh donut, I was sold. I don't care what anyone has to say about the donut bun, it's quick, it's easy, it works for almost any hair length that can be put up, and it's the only way to put your hair up in less than a minute as Reveille is going off and 46 girls are scrambling around you to get their beds made.

So whether you're researching how best to wear your hair while at BMT or just wanting to try a new updo, here's my tutorial for the military version of the sock bun.



Basic Steps:

1. Pull hair up into low ponytail (it has to be low enough to put your ABU cap on)
2. String ponytail through mesh donut, bringing donut all the way up to base of hair tie
3. Fan ponytail over mesh donut, making sure to evenly cover mesh with hair
4. Wrap second hair tie around mesh donut
5. Secure loose ends with bobby pins
6. (Optional) Pull & tug hair around mesh donut to create a fuller, more voluminous bun
7. Finish with a light (or heavy—if you're at BMT) mist of hairspray

My favorite step and trick to the whole process is Step 6, where you give your bun that added bit of volume. I know the slicked-down look is so popular in the military, but I think a nice, full bun (especially if your hair is fine like mine) looks so much better and really elevates the whole look.

Also, if your hair is longer—at Step 5, you can either braid or twist the loose ends (try making 3-4 small braids/twists) before pinning them to give your bun a really chic, polished look. Unfortunately, my hair is still far too short to attempt any of those neat tricks, but the other girls at Basic Training looked so nice when they added little braided accents to their buns.

Do you rock the donut bun? I know several women who wear it out and about and I think it looks really nice—especially when it's not totally slicked down!

The little details: Eyes: Younique Moodstruck 3D Fiber Lashes c/o my cousin & Younique Presenter Lindsay, Sterling Silver Wrap Ring: c/o The Vintage Pearl