bitty.and.bunny: January 2015

Friday, January 30, 2015

Favorite Fashion Friday #78

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I love this outfit from Lauren McBride.  Not only does she look super cute with her vegan leather leggings and slouchy beanie, but (maybe even more importantly) she looks so comfy and cozy.  And with the dipping temperatures and frequent snowfall we've been having here lately, I am all about the comfy and cozy.

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(Please follow all the rules.  If you don't we'll have to delete your post from the link up...and we really don't want to have to do that)

1. Follow your hosts

Follow your hosts via GFC or Bloglovin' and leave us a comment letting us know so that we can return the favor! 

2. Grab a button

Grab a button, put it at the bottom of your post, on your sidebar or in your linky list.  (or a text link works fine too!)

3. Link up

Link up your favorite outfit post of the week.  Please only link up outfit posts from the current week.  Posts that don't fit these guidelines (such as giveaways or old posts) will be deleted from the link up.

4. Comment & Hop Around

Comment on your host's blog and on at least one other linked up post.  Visit as many of the lovely blogs that are linked up. Comment and let them know you found them from Favorite Fashion Friday!

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Tuesday, January 27, 2015

Loot Crate {Giveaway}

Good news everybody!  I have a new giveaway for you, sponsored by Loot Crate.  What is Loot Crate you ask?  Well, it's only a monthly box of super cool geek and gaming gear (!!!)  You can order a month at a time or subscribe to receive a new mystery box each month.  It's like Birch Box for your inner nerd!


LootCrate REWIND
Sponsored By: Loot Crate
Hosted By: Deliciously Savvy
Co-Hosted By:
&

With the start of the new year, Loot Crate wanted their first crate to celebrate the geek and gaming icons of the past.  They'll be offering exclusive items from Star Wars & Voltron!  They're also bringing you some epic geek apparel and an awesome retro gaming-inspired mashup figure!

Check out Loot Crate for yourself:
Follow Loot Crate On:
Lootcrate777
1 LUCKY Winner will receive the January "REWIND" LootCrate!

Open to US only; must be 18+ to enter

*This giveaway is in no way endorsed, affiliated or associated with Facebook,
Twitter or any other Social Media Networking Site. This giveaway is valid only
in the United States. Entrants must be 18+ years of age to enter.
This giveaway will end at 12:00 PM (EST) on 2/06/15.


Good Luck!

Friday, January 23, 2015

Favorite Fashion Friday #77

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I told my sister's cat that I just got back from vacation and almost forgot to post this week's link up.  She was like:

Hopefully this undeniably adorable kitty pic will serve as an acceptable substitute in lieu of a favorite outfit photo.  Because last week I was busy being not busy on a beach, and didn't look at any of your outfits.  
Sorry....kind of.


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(Please follow all the rules.  If you don't we'll have to delete your post from the link up...and we really don't want to have to do that)

1. Follow your hosts

Follow your hosts via GFC or Bloglovin' and leave us a comment letting us know so that we can return the favor! 

2. Grab a button

Grab a button, put it at the bottom of your post, on your sidebar or in your linky list.  (or a text link works fine too!)

3. Link up

Link up your favorite outfit post of the week.  Please only link up outfit posts from the current week.  Posts that don't fit these guidelines (such as giveaways or old posts) will be deleted from the link up.

4. Comment & Hop Around

Comment on your host's blog and on at least one other linked up post.  Visit as many of the lovely blogs that are linked up. Comment and let them know you found them from Favorite Fashion Friday!

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Monday, January 12, 2015

Taking Off


As much as I would love that little quote up there to be true, my bags are most definitely not packed, which means no, I am not ready to go. I'm all about waiting until the last minute, then throwing random articles of clothing into a suitcase while my boyfriend hovers and reminds me that it's definitely time to go and we'll most likely miss our flight if we don't leave. right. now.
 Yeah, it's kind of my thing.

We're heading to warmer pastures for a little bit, and the timing could hardly be better. It just got all cold and wintry up in this state.  And I have not one iota of sadness about missing it at all.


See you in a couple weeks!

Friday, January 9, 2015

Favorite Fashion Friday #75

{psst...there's a pretty cool giveaway happening right here!}



This week I am totally girl-crushing on Rachel the Hat.  And it's not because she's one of my dearest friends (I have a whole separate friend-crush on her because of that).  But in these last few weeks of cold, drab, grayness, her choice to wear light pink mixed with deep maroon makes me feel all warm and smiley inside.  Plus, is anyone else getting like a super-hip kilt pouch vibe from her purse?  Or am I only seeing this because I know she lives near Scotland...


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(Please follow all the rules.  If you don't we'll have to delete your post from the link up...and we really don't want to have to do that)

1. Follow your hosts

Follow your hosts via GFC or Bloglovin' and leave us a comment letting us know so that we can return the favor! 

2. Grab a button

Grab a button, put it at the bottom of your post, on your sidebar or in your linky list.  (or a text link works fine too!)

3. Link up

Link up your favorite outfit post of the week.  Please only link up outfit posts from the current week.  Posts that don't fit these guidelines (such as giveaways or old posts) will be deleted from the link up.

4. Comment & Hop Around

Comment on your host's blog and on at least one other linked up post.  Visit as many of the lovely blogs that are linked up. Comment and let them know you found them from Favorite Fashion Friday!

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 photo FFFLinkUp_zpscac569f0.jpg




Thursday, January 8, 2015

The Art of Art

{Like free stuff?  Enter to win some in the current giveaway.}

A few days ago we talked about a New Year's resolution to save money. (If you missed it, you can check out my 6 favorite tips here). Today, I want to share another one of my goals: one that is much more specific - to curate and install a gallery wall. What is a gallery wall? It's definitely not me building a small museum inside my (already small) apartment, which is the first thing I think of when I hear gallery wall. While that would be pretty amazing in a really cramped and crowded sort of way, what I'm referring to is a wall (or corner) that's filled with an array of art and photography that doesn't at all match, yet somehow goes together.  

Don't get me wrong; my place is not completely devoid of personality. I have stuff hanging on walls and things resting atop bookshelves - a few framed photos of Switzerland here, some of my own artwork there, and way too many collage picture frames hung wherever I felt like hammering in a nail that day. But I'd like to be more intentional with the design of the wall and what I choose to include. Ideally, I'd like to have an artsy-but-not-too-serious gallery wall featuring quirky paintings, interesting photos, and personal mementos, à la this:


So far I've got the interesting photos (I am especially fond of one collage frame filled with close ups of friends and family doing weird stuff with their eyes. And I just realized that sounds a lot grosser than it is, except for the friend who turned his eyelids inside out....that one's gross factor is totally legit). But I am lacking in the quirky-art department. Which is why I was so happy to discover minted.com. It's full to the brim of photography, artwork, illustrations, and prints all designed by independent artists. Each piece comes in array of sizes, and even has the option to come framed.  

What I especially love is that many of the designers on the site have aesthetics that are just about as strange as mine. For instance, I just searched for a deer wearing gym socks (yes, I think we've already established that I have unusual taste in imagery), and while I didn't find that specifically, I did find artwork of a deer in a bow tie, a deer wearing a flower crown, and in an unexpected turn of events, a photo-realistic deer with a geometric print superimposed over it that is really speaking to me.

If animals in accouterments and other wall art isn't your thing, minted.com is filled with all other sorts of paper-related goodness: stationery, decorations, cards, calendars, invitations, notebooks, and their newest collection, save the date cards. I highly encourage you to check it out. I really believe there is something on that site for everybody. If I can find woodland creatures dressed like humans, I can almost guarantee you'll find whatever it is you're looking for.




Disclosure: This post was sponsored by minted.com. I received no monetary compensation, but did receive a credit to the website. And that rocks because supporting indie artists is pretty cool to do!



Tuesday, January 6, 2015

6 Easy Ways to Save Money in 2015

Don't forget to enter the Old Factory GIVEAWAY!!


So, it's a new year (Happy 2015, btw!!!), and like many of you one of my resolutions is to try to save money. I know from experience it can seem overwhelming at first. Like you need to move to a cheaper apartment, sell your car, stop going out, and basically never have fun again. But really, there are lots of little (painless) changes you can make that really add up to save you lots more money than you might expect.



1. Cancel your cable. Seriously. You don't need it. Replace it with a streaming service instead (Netflix and Hulu are my favorites). I did this more than a year ago because I was tired of overpaying for TV. At first I freaked out a little because suddenly I didn't have access to every single show on the air, and it felt strange to use a different format to watch TV (if you don't have a smart TV, you'll need to get a device to play the streaming video like a Roku, Firestick, or Chromecast). Plus, it made my TiVo  (with a prepaid lifetime subscription, what) useless, so that was a bummer. But soon enough I got used to navigating the Roku, and I found a bunch of shows that I never would have had access to on regular cable (Orange is the New Black, Arrested Development....anyone?). And comfortingly enough, my favorites are still available to watch - Walking Dead, The League, and Project Runway to name a few.  I'm so glad I made the switch; my only regret is that I didn't do it sooner.


2. Stop buying college textbooks and rent them instead! Renting is the new buying, don't you know. This is probably one of the simplest switches to make, and one that I really wish I had a time machine for so I could go back and make this exist when I was in school. It would have saved me hundreds of dollars. As I've talked about before, CampusBookRentals.com is a great resource, saving you up to 90% off bookstore prices. And while you're at it, take advantage of their RentBack program, where they rent out textbooks you own to other students for as long as the book is in demand. And you get paid for each rental, which is, like, a million times better than returning it to the bookstore for a whopping $3.85.


3. Make a list before hitting the grocery store, and for the love of god don't shop hungry. When you're hungry everything will seem like a good idea, when in reality you probably didn't need to spend an extra $10 on 3 bags of Cheetos and $8.50 for frozen hors d'oeuvres. Stick to the list and don't tempt yourself to waste money and calories by showing up famished.


4. Speaking of food, cook meals at home as often as possible. Sure, it's easier to swing by Taco Bell on your way home from work or school, but wouldn't making your own burritos from scratch filled with black beans, corn, brown rice, tomatoes, cilantro, salsa, and homemade guacamole be so much more satisfying and delicious? If saving money isn't enough incentive to cook at home, just check out your favorite fast food chain's nutritional information. Enough said.



5. Take advantage of the ease of direct deposit. Most companies nowadays require their employees to participate (and if yours doesn't, I hope you're using it anyway because it is crazy convenient), so make it work for you. Set it up so that a portion of your check automatically gets deposited into a (separate) high-yield savings account (preferably one with a decent interest rate - American Express and Capital One 360 are good choices). You can choose to deposit a set amount, like $100 from each pay period for instance, or a percentage of your earnings if that's more your style. Having it automatically deducted before you even see it is the secret here - when you don't see it in your check or have access to it on your debit card, chances are you won't really miss it.



6. Get rid of your gym membership. I know. This one's a toughie. But giving up your membership doesn't mean you have to stop exercising. There are plenty of ways to exercise for little to no money at all - go for a run in the park, ride your bike around the neighborhood, download a free yoga podcast and do it in your backyard, swim laps at your town pool or local rec center, run up and down some bleachers, lift weights in your living room, take a walk with a dog or a friend, follow along with these hardcore videos from dailyhiit.com (my newest obsession, btw), or play Just Dance on Wii for a half hour. I cancelled my gym membership over 6 years ago and I haven't regretted it once since.


What are some of your tips for saving money (as painlessly as possible)? Please feel free to share below; I'd  really love to hear them!
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