ROCKSBOX

Guys, I know its been forever since I last posted, but Im really excited because I’ve joined Rocksbox, and its AMAZING! Im back from China now and am going to be able to post more frequently! I received my first box today and Im really looking forward to wearing the pieces that were picked out for me based on my style! Become an official Shine Insider and get fabulous unlimited access to designer jewelry with the option to buy the pieces you Love!

If you want to give it a try you can use my code embraceyourbasexoxo which will give you 1 month free! You wont regret it! Im excited to share more with you about the pieces that were put together for me this week! Pictures are on my Instagram!

xoxo

Stefani

This one time I had red hair.

Dear Reader,

I love Change. Probably more than normal. My hair for example has seen so many different shades of color that my friends most likely couldn’t tell you what my natural hair color is. Change is such an interesting thing. It happens to us all. Sometimes we welcome change, and sometimes change comes whether we welcome it or not. This last month my life has taken a turn for the better. In just 3 short weeks I went from being pretty content with my life, my job, my house, roommates, etc. To feeling like there is more to life. Don’t get me wrong I was living a pretty charmed life. Yes I worked hard for it but life was seemingly pretty simple. All of that changed when My sister-in law Aubrey was staying with me for a training she was attending in Provo. She and My brother (her husband) have been planning to go to China and live there from End of Feb-June and Aubrey mentioned there were still spots open. Needless to say after talking with my parents. Selling practically everything I own and then today officially moving out of my house today I’m going to China..Like for real! The last few weeks have put me to the test. My desire to go to China has increased daily and I feel like its because I’ve worked so hard to be able to go. They money I made selling my things is paying for my trip and I have hundreds of people to thank for that! This seriously has been a beautiful journey and Its only just begun. Change is a beautiful thing. If you struggle with change in your life maybe you don’t need to jet off to China…Maybe just change the color of your hair? Don’t get stuck in a rut. Progress is happening everywhere around you. Be the change you want to see in the world. I promise..Its worth it! Below I’ve posted some pictures of me over the years with different hair. I feel like the changes I made when I was younger has prepared me for this big change coming!

Love always

Stef with an F

Bellami Bellami Bellami

Dear Reader,

Ok, so here’s the thing. My hair no longer grows past my shoulders for whatever reason. The last 5 years my hair has stayed pretty much the same length. As sad as that makes me my saving grace in that department are my Bellami Hair extensions. I Love them! They look great with my hair texture and NOBODY knows that I am wearing them until I say ” I wear hair extensions” ! Getting new hair is like Christmas! to get your own pair go to http://www.bellamihair.com Get your own pair today! They will make you happy happy happy! I wear 18 inch bellamis they cost $119. They seriously are worth every penny! Below I have pictures of me with my Bellamis in. If you have questions about how they work or how to care for them comment below!

Love Always

Stef with an F

Having fun with patterns

Dear Reader,

Ok, so here’s some guidelines on the newish trend of mixing and matching patterns. I’ve had so many people ask me how I decide what goes together, and what doesn’t. The truth of the matter is no one person has all the answers. It just depends on your personal opinion. I genuinely enjoy creating new outfits out of the things that I already have in my closet. If you’re going to mix a pattern make sure that there is some type of  neutral color involved. Black, white, tan, or some type of solid color. That’s basically the rule. I have a few pictures below of me in a mixed pattern but if you have any questions send me an email. stefaninicolethomas@gmail.com OR post your look on instagram with the #embracemixedpatterns

until next time

Stef with an F

Dresses

Dear Reader,

I’m such a girl. But I honestly have not always loved wearing dresses. It wasn’t until recently really until I truly embraced wearing them for more than just church activities.Mainly because I’m so tall and could never find dresses that were appropriate for my body type.So I just mainly stuck with skirts and shirts which is fine but a girls gotta have a dress or two! A problem I run into frequently is the dresses that are out there are WAY TOO SHORT. Which is so annoying. Especially if I’m trying the dress on and I love it but its like an inch too short. What to do, what to do? Something I’ve been doing the last few years is I buy a skirt that is longer or fabric and make the hem line longer. You can even wear another dress underneath. You do have to be careful though. You don’t want it to look like it doesn’t go together. the only thing you really need to worry about is that the dresses or skirt and dress are the same width down at the bottom because then they will look more seamless.How can you tell if they are close in width you ask? hold your dresses upside down and check it out. No measuring required. My favorite dress this year was purchased from forever 21. The dress is a tad too short so I found a striped dress to wear underneath it. If you try it out I would love to see what you’ve come up with! Pictured below is my favorite dress of 2014 with my striped dress under it to help with length!

Love always Stef with an F.

Embrace the Lace

Dear Reader,

I love lace. Seriously. It makes me feel pretty. One thing I personally struggle with though, as a tall chesty woman is when I find a lace dress I love its often times too short or revealing. What do I do when I want to buy it anyways? Sometimes I wear the dress backwards. Yes, you heard me right. I wear it backwards. All you have to do is cut off the tags and you’re all set. I promise you that you’re the only person who will know that you’re wearing it backwards. Oftentimes it even gives the dress or shirt more character. When the dress ends up being to short I wear it as a shirt, Or you can wear it over the top of another solid dress you own. You seriously can dress anything up with lace. If you’re not a lace fan you can apply all of these tips with other dresses you can wear as shirts! Good luck and have fun! Below is a few pictures of me wearing a black lace dress as a shirt and I’m wearing it backwards to help cover up my chest.

Love always Stef with an F.

Clear out the Clutter

Dear Reader,

This blog has been a long time coming. Over the past several months its been pressing on my mind even more so than normal. Trying to come up with a catchy name. Who will read this thing? Is it worth my time? There are so many other wonderful blogs! What will make me stick out among the other blogs? I’ve decided though with careful consideration, late night chats, and encouraging words from friends that this is something that simply must be done. Why you ask? Because, I love clothes. I love shoes. I love shopping.  So with accessories galore, a happy heart, and a full closet I bring to you Embrace your base.

Now, what does that have to do with my title of the post “Clear out the Clutter” you ask? My style/clothing journey has recently taken a turn for better. Now believe me when I say my closet got to the point where it was down right crazy. Literally Full to Bursting. With no room to be had, how could I even talk myself into getting new things? I recently took a trip to DC to see my brother and he opened up his closet and had about 12ish shirts and 3 pairs of pants a few jackets and a few pairs of shoes. Now Ladies and Gents my brother has wonderful style and always looks well put together but the shock of his empty closet left me asking…what do you have to wear? His response was “I decided out of all of the clothes I had in my closet I only consistently wore these things you see here so why would I keep everything else”? For some reason those words resonated with me and I guess you could say I came home to my closet a changed woman. I went through everything I owned asking myself that very question. Do I use this? If not it went to the Thrift store. I think I managed to get rid of 2 carloads of clothes and shoes and Other things that I had . I thought it would be a hard separation but guess what…I don’t wear or use any of that stuff anyways so it felt GREAT! I guess what I’m trying to get at here is first when you’re trying to change your style or look at what you have in your closet make sure you’ve surrounded yourself with the very best you have to offer. Don’t leave the stuff you would never wear hanging around. Get rid of it. Then once you’ve cleared out the stuff you don’t use, you can more clearly see, and appreciate the great things you have!

I’m more than excited about what the future brings with this blog. I’ve got millions of ideas dancing through my head and I hope all of you will join me on this journey!

Love Always Stef with an F