Mission Cronut: ACCOMPLISHED

Hat: c/o Gypsy Threads [40-75% off everything!!!]
Dress: c/o LuLu*s
Cardigan: c/o Chic Style [similar]
Necklace: c/o Song Yee Designs
Body Chain: H&M [similar]
Watch: c/o Daniel Wellington
Bracelet: c/o LuLu*s [similar]
Booties: Forever 21

I think the first time I ever heard about a cronut was one night when we were watching Late Night with Jimmy Fallon (yes, this was a while ago). A chef named Dominique Ansel was showing Jimmy and Questlove how to make his latest invention: a pastry that combined the beauty of a croissant and a donut..... a cronut. Oh my goodness I fell in love (yes, I tend to fall in love with food a lot, I know) and it was one of those moments where I wished a machine that popped out whatever food was on TV had been invented already. I had to needed to was dying to try it... except there was no bakery near me that sold this delicious creation.

From then on it felt like the cronut was stalking my life. I turned on the TV and a segment on the cronut was playing on The Food Channel. I went on Instagram and an NYC blogger I followed posted a precisely staged shot of a cronut at a cafe. Everywhere I turned I was reminded of the pastry that got away and it made me so so sad and depressed.

As time passed and the craze dyed down, I moved on from my obsession of the cronut.

Life wasn't consumed by my constant cravings for a food I had never even tasted before.

UNTIL.

LAST WEEK.

I was scrolling through Instagram and there it was.

A cronut.

AND IT WAS POSTED BY SOMEONE WHO CURRENTLY LIVED IN UTAH.

My favorite juice lady, Dani, posted it to be exact.

I immediately googled the bakery she said she got it from, placed the address in my maps app, and Connor and I and Samson (this mission required Samson's support of course) zoomed on over to the bakery that supposedly carried the prized pastry.

We arrived at the bakery.

We ordered two cronuts.

And we feasted.

It. Was. HEAVEN.

You know when you dream about a moment for so long and it finally happens and it's better than you ever could have expected it to be?

It was that.

So there you go.

My story of the cronut and how I was able to fulfill one of my dreams.

The only downside: apparently cronuts are kinda pricey so we probably won't be consuming them too often or else our bank accounts will shrink and our bodies will grow.

My precisely staged shot of the cronut:

(I didn't have much to work with, the tables in the bakery were pretty bare)

(eat your heart out NYC blogger)

Hope you all have a cronut-filled day.

Cheers.

Holiday Fashion w/ SWELL: Fancy Party + GIVEAWAY

Dress: c/o SWELL
Cardigan: c/o Chic Style
Hat: c/o LuLu*s
Tights: old
Boots: c/o LuLu*s
Short Necklace: c/o Song Yee Designs
Long Necklace: c/o Sage by Olivia Wares

CONGRATS!

You made it to Friday!

Remember to treat yourself to some Ben & Jerry's tonight and veg out.

Also, another congrats because you made it to my SWELL GIVEAWAY!

For the past couple days I've posted outfits you could wear to different types of holiday parties--to see my Family Party Look go here and Social Party Look go here. Today I'm wrapping things up with a Fancy Party Look! This is the outfit to wear to a dressier party where the beverages are served in actual glasses (and not plastic cups). Whether it's a Christmas wedding or a shmancy work party, this dress from SWELL will for sure draw compliments from the people you're trying to impress. Also, I'm wearing this super cute cardigan from Chic Style because it was a bit chilly outside when I took these, but I think the dress looks great with or without a cover-up! It all depends on what specific style you're going for or what the temperature is like at the moment. ;)

Okay, now on to the good stuff!

Today for this giveaway...

One lucky person will win a $100 gift card to SWELL!

I will be quite jealous of the person who wins this giveaway (I'm always jealous of my winners) because SWELL seriously has the best collection of clothes, ever. I've been working with them for a while now and their new arrivals never cease to amaze me. I want to buy everything...but as I mentioned before, my bank account has an official restraining order on me at the moment (whoops).

Enter the giveaway using the Rafflecopter below!
Good luck and may the odds be ever in your favor.
open to US residents only

Here's a little peek at the different looks I've done:

Family Party  |  Social Party  |  Fancy Party

Hope you enjoyed this holiday series I did with SWELL!

Holiday Greenhouse

Sweater: c/o Chic Style

Crown: c/o Miss Stevi Marie

Top: KISSmeMINT [similar--they're only $5.80!!]

Jeans: c/o Impressions Boutique

Boots: c/o LuLu*s

Short Necklace: c/o Song Yee Designs

Long Necklace: Sage by Olivia Wares

Last weekend I had the amazing opportunity to take part in a Holiday Greenhouse photoshoot! It involved the perfect group of bloggers, the perfect vendors, and the PERFECT location!!! I mean, look at all those beautiful poinsettias! Everything was seriously breathtaking.

My hair was done by my girl Kaity, and the amazing Denise did my makeup! Every single gorgeous crown was handmade by the one and only Stevi Marie. I've worked with Stevi before when I wore her crown on my blog here, but this was the first time I met her in person and she is now one of my favorite people ever. Each sweater was provided by the generous Chic Style Boutique and I've honestly worn my sweater every day since the shoot. It's the comfiest, coziest thing I own now. And of course, the cute Kali Poulsen was there to capture everything! The best part about the shoot? Being able to hang out and work with all my favorite Utah bloggers! The blogger community is so amazing here in Utah and whenever I get together with these ladies, it's a complete treat!

Big thanks to everyone who made this photoshoot possible!

It's been my favorite one to date!

Photographer: Kali Poulsen

Hair: Kaity Myers

Makeup: Denise Christensen

Cheers.