My Very First Photo Shoot! :)

Hey everyone! I hope your weekend is going well! I recently did a photo shoot with one of my really good friends, Jessi Lambert, it was actually my first official photo shoot and I had a blasty blast! The inspiration behind the photo shoot was a modern take on the cute girl next door meets sexy boudoir but instead of lingerie, A cozy oversized sweater. The scene was supposed to be me in a big antique styled bed surrounded by pretty pillows, pillar candles and a fluffy white comforter inside her garage. Unfortunately the weather was close to unbearable, I believe around forty so I was freezing my butt off even with a heating blanket on high under me but hey, I got to get pretty just to lay around and pose all day so its wasn't too bad ;) Anyways here are my favorites from the shoot in color, I'm still waiting for her to develop the other ones because they were taken with film cameras.

I will post more when I get the rest of them but I think Jessi did an amazing job and I had such a good time shooting with her I definitely will be doing more with her soon! Oh and more beautiful photos can be found on her website, http://casaraphoto.blogspot.com, go check it out and show her some love! And please let me know what you think and if you have any advice or suggestions on posing or modeling tips feel free to give them!

Thanks so much for reading as always I love and appreciate the support and feedback!  Wishing you guys a great rest of the weekend XOXO Em

DISCLAIMER: please do not take or use these photos without permission from me or Jessi Lambert, if you would like to use them please email one of us at emmybearrr@yahoo.com or Jessi.Lambert@gmail.com asking to do so, Thanks!

A Very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year! :)

Hey guys! I hope all is well and the new year is treating you nicely so far. I have been meaning to get around to posting about my Christmas but first I wanted to tell you guys about my blogs new look. After tons of searching for templates and banners and undoing and redoing things, I have finally found the layout of my current dreams. I am completely satisfied, it looks more professional, its appeasing to the eye and its much easier to access everything.  So so happy!! Now with that being said, lets move on to the goodies :)

One of my gifts was a Target gift card from one of my aunts which I used to buy this adorable faux fur jacket. It was a regular $50 but was on clearance for $24.98 which was perfect because the card only had $25 so I was very excited about that!

Next I received a Tarte gift set from my mama. It included a dark brown cream eyeliner, a little thing of Lights, camera, lashes macara and a Pouty lipliner. This is my first time using products from the Tarte line and so far I love them especially the mascara, definitely one of my favorites now. I'm thinking of doing a review on the products I got too so i'll go into more detail in that post :)

My mama also got me the number 7 shine free primer which i'm going to do a review on as well so I wont go into too much detail right now but I will say its a great product.

My sister got me this adorable eyes and lip compact from Sephora and again not going to go into detail just yet but umm LOVEE.

I also received a couple miraculous bras with matching panties from my mama which allowed her to get this cute VS bag for free! So cute for a beach bag!

and it also came with all these goodies inside so that was like an extra gift, favorite lipgloss ever :)

From both my mom and dad, gold glitz watch from Michael Kors I was so hapy I've been wanting this one forever! My brother in law had to take five links out for it to even fit I have such small wrists! lol

Okay so I was soo not expecting to get a Michael Kors purse for Christmas so I like started crying when I opened it and saw this beauty inside it's the large studded Hamilton.. amazee. And I love how the key and lock actually works that was probably the highlight after the initial shock of getting it lol

I'm not sure if i've mentioned this before but I'm a bit obsessed with Jennifer Love Hewitt, I just love her and love her acting especially her show The Ghost Whisperer so my aunt got me season 4 and 5 and I was soo happy because I couldn't find them anywhere except online which is not an option for me at least not until I get a credit card so now I have the whole series to rewatch over and over to my heart's desire :)

And last but not least my dad surprised me with a Macbook Air soo inlove I have wanted a macbook since the day they came out and it was so out of the usual price range so I was ecstatic and extremely thankful to get this!

Well that was my Christmas, feel free to let me know what you got for Christmas as well as what you think of the new look and name! Thanks so much for reading as always and I hope you have a great rest of the week! XOXO Em

Greeting everyone! I hope you all had a wonderful and promising new years eve!  I for one am happy that 2012 has finally come to an end. Time to make those faithful new years resolutions we can never keep but tend to use as an excuse for when we find ourselves giving into those cravings. "I'll only eat one brownie… this will be my last cigarette… I'll start working out tomorrow… the list goes on and on. But this year instead of promising myself I'm going to eat better or that I'm going to work out more, I have decided to better my blog, consider it a blog face lift. So to start off the new year right the first thing I've done is changed the name of my blog to Cookies & Couture. I realize this is a big change and its not exactly smiled upon but I wasn't happy with my old one, it felt very immature and unprofessional, I didnt put a lot of thought into it like I should have so it had to go. I am very happy with the new name I've chosen its cute its catchy and I can see myself using it long term. Another thing I will be changing is the design of my blog. Basically I want a more professional looking blog over all. I'll also be making it more user friendly, better navigation, an easier way to comment and just more organized than it has been. So with that being said, my blog is under major construction right now and I wont be posting until its exactly how I picture it in my mind. But I have a bunch of ideas stirring for 2013 and as soon as I get it back up and running I will post all about my Christmas and how surprisingly blessed I was this year, I say surprisingly because I honestly didnt expect anything this year due to losing my job and money being tight. But anyways I just wanted to let you guys in on whats happening with me and the blog and what changes to expect in 2013. Thank you so much to those who continue to read my posts and send me constant support I promise as soon as I get back on my feet with a new job I will pay you all back! Wishing everyone a happy and healthy new year and saying a prayer that this is the best year for you yet, sending you light love and happiness.

                                                                        

xoxo Em

Christmas Party at my Cousins! :)

Hey there! I hope you had a great Christmas with your families! I know I did. The weather was supposed to be awful but it held off long enough for my family and I to get together and celebrate so I was very thankful for that :) Anyways my cousins threw a Christmas party at their house and I wanted to share the details of my outfit with you I'll also post about my Christmas

I  wanted to keep my outfit casual but chic and nothing says chic more than black on black! besides my monthly friend was visiting so the idea of something curve accentuating and slinky was just too much too handle lol My leggings are from Juicy Couture and my long sleeve is from Old Navy.

My scarf is from Kohl's and its in a casual chic pashmina knot, super simple to do but looks intricate

my heels are from Private Gallery and I love them so much I wish I would have got them in red and blue too!

 lovee the studs on the back!

My hand candy is minted by Revlon and my lavender snake ring is from Charlotte Russe

And whats a photo op without my sweet bijou Minnie Mouse<3

Pimento cheese celery sticks, super easy and a healthy alternative to chips and dip

another simple finger food, already prepared spinach dip poured into a hulled out bread bowl cheap easy and so yummy!

 Shit on a shingle or SOS is probably the most delicious finger food I've ever had! I think I had about five I mean there is no way you can only have one! This batch was made with ground turkey in a cheese sauce on slices of pumpernickel bread but it is usually made with beef in a cheese like sauce on toast I would put up the exact recipe but I dont know anymore about it then it including those two ingredients because I had to make sure it was alright for me to eat. 

Well thats all for this post and for good reason too, my internet connection is driving me up the wall right now! All I can say is I'm glad this is just a hobby right now and not a job or I would be SO fired because of missed deadlines lol.  I'm trying to get it fixed but so far it just keeps cutting off and my stress level just keeps rising, I literally have a sore throat from screaming so much. Anyways wishing you a happy and stress free day! I'm going to go try to calm down with a cup of tea, until next time! :) xoxo EM

Yesterday's Outfit and My Favorite Holiday Outfit Ideas :)

Hey y'all I hope you've had a good weekend so far, despite the hustle and bustle of the pre Christmas madness happening right now.. have you seen the traffic?! Soo crazy! Anyways I went with my dad to Pensacola yesterday to run some last minute errands and I thought it was a perfect opportunity to do an outfit of the day post! :)

  I was going for a chic sleek look so I wore all black and added a neutral pop of color to break it up some. My faux leather jacket is from Forever 21 I bought it about two years ago but its kind of thick so I don't get to wear it often. The top I've had forever is from Express, my leggings are by Jessica Simpson but I found them at TjMaxx for $20!

My pashmina scarf is from Kohls, they're regularly $20 but it was on sale for $12 :)

 Shoes are by Penny Loves Kenny found at Ross for $20

 My ring is from Versona on clearance for $3 and  for my nails I just took one of my old bottles of clear coat or top coat and poured some Martha Stewart glitter (Michaels $5) into the bottle, shook it up and voila! You have customized glittery nail polish! :)

And now I'll show you some of my favorite ideas for holiday looks :)

 Okay I love sequins! They have to be my favorite details in fashion next to feminine bows. This outfit would be perfect for that Christmas party you got invited to tonight, its dressy and feminine but the shorts also give it a casual look making it just the right combination for a holiday get together with friends or even co workers. Also cute with flats if you're wanting an even more casual look! Tip: when wearing a neck tie blouse like the one of above let the bow be your necklace, just pair your the outfit with a pair of chandelier earrings and a cocktail ring and that's all the bling you need! :)

Another option for a Christmas party, its a little more dressy than the one above but still appropriate for any type of get together.  I love the look of a flowy blouse paired with a fitted mini skirt, it has such a flirty feel to it just add sequins and it becomes flirty and festive! Tip: When doing a statement necklace like the one above let that be your main accessory,but if you're like me and LOVEE wearing more than one accessory with your outfit, try adding a pretty cocktail ring and you'll be good to go!

Ugh oh my gosh how great are these gold sequined leggings?! This is a cute look for either a Christmas party or a new years eve party, its dressy with the sequins but still has a casual feel to it because of the peplum top which is really in right now. I know this might be a daring look for some and some of you might be thinking Oh Lord she has gone sequin psycho! (haha) But its a celebration of a new year, why not trying something.. new? :) Tip: when sporting sequined leggings try to keep your top plain so the outfit doesn't look too wild.

And I saved the best for last.. I am so in love with this entire outfit I just wish I had the money to go somewhere this year to celebrate! (and to buy the outfit). This amazing dress is from H&M for only $15 umm hello? Thats a steal! Of course they dont have my size and I'm broke (twisting the knife a little more) but its still nice to dream. This is the perfect dress to me for New Year's its sequined ( the definition of new years eve attire) and it reminds me of fireworks! It is sleeveless so I added a navy tuxedo style blazer (newlook.com, $41)  into the mix and kept it pretty simple on the earrings which I'm not going to state the price of (I did say dream) chose a unique cocktail ring (banana republic, $45) the statement necklace I chose is my favorite style of necklaces right now its called a beaten cuff and its just a stunning piece of jewelry to me (theiconic.com.au, $63). The clutch (Reiss Yasmin, $180)  is a little pricey but I love the abstract embellishments. The shoes are wayy out of my price range but I loved the color with the outfit (Alexandre Birman, $560) plus its hard to find affordable cute shoes on polyvore lol

Alright so I don't know about you but I love Christmas so much that I not only pick out the outfits I'm going to wear to church and our family dinner but I also pick out the outfit I'm going to wear Christmas Morning! Yes I know I'm weird but hey I like looking cute when I'm opening presents, I always have because it only comes once a year so why not go all out? besides there's always pictures being taken so why not celebrate in style :) I usually wear black leggings and a red or grey over-sized sweater with my uggs and Santa hat  but this year I might try something different so I decided to put together a few outfit ideas to think about. This might seem silly to some of you but this is part of my Christmas eve-day routine, after I get back from church I help my mom get the food ready for the next day then I pick out the outfits I'm going to where the next day and then I fall asleep to How the Grinch stole Christmas it has been my routine since middle school and it will continue to be my routine until I'm old and grey lol Let me know if any of you do this too, I think its a fun a stylish way to celebrate the holiday but I could just be a party of one on this haha Thank you so much for reading guys! I probably wont blog anymore before Christmas so I hope everyone has a safe and Merry Christmas, Happy Hanukkah, Happy Kwanza whatever it may be that you celebrate, I hope you have a wonderful one with your families and loved ones!  P.s: check back for the outfits I chose to wear on Christmas Eve/Day!    

XOXO Em<3