2020 Christmas Gift Guide: The Music Lover

 In today's gift guide, I'm sharing a bunch of musical themed gifts! I feel like musical gifts are so popular this year, and there are so many cute musical gifts to choose from! (Bonus points if you shop from a small business on Etsy!!)

vinyl records // karaoke mic // folklore themed print // folklore embroidered sweatshirt // bluetooth aux adapter // spotify glass // jbl speaker // airpod case (on sale for $10!!) // spotify keychain // golden t-shirt

Outfits I've Been Wearing Lately

 It's been a WHILE since I've done an outfit post, so I thought today I would share some outfits I've been wearing a ton lately. I share daily outfit pics on my Instagram story, so make sure you go follow along on there!!

flannel // similar t-shirt // mom jeans // white sneakers // necklace 

50 Christmas Gift Ideas For Everyone On Your List

Welcome to the first Christmas gift guide of the season! I'm starting off the holiday season with the ULTIMATE gift guide... 50 gift ideas that are perfect for everyone. I'll also be explaining these gift ideas more in depth in a YouTube video, which will be up soon. I'll be doing other gift guides that are more niche throughout the holiday season, as well, so stay tuned for those!

1. Boots

Winter boots are always a great idea! Doc Martins are so popular right now. I also love the Jeffrey Campbell ones.

2. Neon sign

This is particularly great if you know someone who is redoing her room or going off to college soon! You can get a custom one or a premade one.

Amazon Wishlist + Prime Day Faves

Happy Prime Day! In honor of Amazon's huge sale for Prime members, I'm sharing some of my favorite Prime Day deals + some Amazon items I've had on my wishlist for the longest time. I personally don't think Prime Day deals are that great (they're normally only $3 or $4 off an item) but if you've been looking to purchase an item that never goes on sale, now's the time (hello Airpods & Babe Lash Serum!). However, Amazon gives its customers credits in the days leading up to the sale ($10 for shopping at Whole Foods and $10 for supporting a small business) so I have $20 to spend on anything!

I'll be updating this post throughout the sale, as deals change hourly. Not all of these are Prime Day deals, but since the credits are valid on anything I thought I'd share some of my most coveted items!

What Prime Day deals will you be taking advantage of?

Recreating Pinterest Outfits Vol. 2

I've been spending so much time on Pinterest lately. It truly is the best social media app and it's so inspiring! I love pinning outfits especially, so today I'm recreating a few of my favorite Pinterest outfits. I did another edition of this post a few months ago, and it was so fun to make! Enjoy!

Everything You Need To Know About Painting A Senior Parking Spot

 This past weekend, I spent a good 14-15 hours working on my senior parking spot. I went into this process without any idea of what to do, because there aren't many articles out there for parking spot tips. Today I'm sharing a comprehensive guide of all the supplies you need + what the process was like + tips you need to follow. PLEASE LEARN FROM MY MISTAKES!

The BEST Birthday Freebies To Take Advantage of in 2020

If you know me, you know I loveeee anything and everything free, so of course I take advantage of birthday freebies! My eighteenth birthday was yesterday, and I celebrated by getting a bunch of freebies from my favorite restaurants and stores. I thought I'd share a few of my favorites with you today--enjoy1

Sephora // Free gift for beauty insiders; varies by month

Madewell // $25 off coupon for Madewell Insiders (this is probably the best one! I bought this scarf, these earrings, and these hair clips)

Starbucks // Free drink/food item for rewards members

Pastel Picnic Outfit

I'm so excited to be back again today with another outfit post! This photoshoot is my favorite I've done in a long time. My friend Eleanor and I had a picnic photoshoot a couple weeks ago and I am obsessed with how the photos turned out! I love the cottagecore aesthetic of my outfit + the vintage film vibes of the pictures!

similar white puff sleeve top // similar pink skirt // gold necklace // gold hoops // similar green bag // tan sandals 

What It's Like To Have A Tiktok Go Viral (Over 700k Views)

A couple weekends ago, I discovered a trick to getting tops on Shein for 14 cents, so I made a Tiktok mentioning it. I figured it would do well and get a couple thousand views and have some people asking why, but it went completely viral and ended up with almost a million views. Here's a couple things I learned in the process!

People get MAD. I had so many rude comments, from people telling me to post the tutorial to people telling me I should be cancelled because I support fast fashion. (Yes, I'm aware fast fashion is bad, but I do get about 50% of my clothes secondhand + I don't have the money to shop at sustainable brands and it's hard to go thrifting right now because of Covid.) It kind of blows my mind that people would be so rude and demanding. A lot of people were mad because I didn't post the sequel right away and they started assuming I was just saying this for views, but in reality I just wanted to wait until Sunday when Shein had free shipping so I could actually show that each item was 14 cents.

My Fave Summer Outfit // Butterfly Tank & Mom Jeans

Long time no blog post! (especially not an outfit post - I haven't done one of those since March haha). I haven't been doing much because of the pandemic, but the other day my friend Eleanor and I took some fun pictures on top of a parking garage so I thought I'd share those with y'all!

butterfly tank // mom jeans // black belt // white sneakers (on sale for 40% off! here's a similar pair that's on sale for under $30)

Depop Vs. Poshmark: Which Clothing Resale Platform Is Better?

During the past few months of quarantine, I've been taking advantage of all this free time and working hard to sell my clothes. I've made quite a good bit of cash from selling my old clothes, and I think all my hard work has paid off! I've had Poshmark for a couple years, but I just downloaded Depop at the beginning of April, so I thought it would be interesting to compare the two clothing resale apps and share my pros and cons for each one.

ALSO!! Don't forget to follow me on Poshmark @brookebutler9 and Depop @brookekbutler... and you can use the code BROOKEBUTLER9 for $10 off your first Poshmark purchase!

&&& don't forget to check out my blog post on the best Poshmark tips + tricks (most of these apply for Depop too!)

I think the biggest factor in determining which platform to join is the type of clothes you're selling. I've observed that Depop is more for trendy and vintage items (think a Princess Polly top or a unique vintage t-shirt) while Poshmark is a better place to sell preppier clothes (think Lilly Pulitzer dresses or Lauren James t-shirts). I'm selling a mix of both styles and I've definitely had more luck with the trendier things on Depop and the preppier things on Poshmark. That's not to say you can't find cute, trendy clothes on Poshmark, because let's be real--I spend wayyyy too much money on there haha.

Currently Vol. 27

Happy Saturday! Today I'm sharing some of the things I've been loving during quarantine... grab a cup of coffee and enjoy!

I am officially done with junior year, which is crazy. Time goes by so fast and I can't believe my third year of high school is already over. I'm nervous that this pandemic is going to disrupt my senior year, but that's a long way away so I'm just going to focus on having a fun summer even though it's going to look pretty different!

Eating... my family got Chick-Fil-A the other night, which was the first takeout meal we've gotten since March! I've also been baking so much... stay tuned for an Eats Lately post soon!

Recreating Pinterest Outfits Vol. 1

Fran Acciardo is one of my favorite bloggers and I was recently inspired by this post she made where she recreated popular Pinterest outfits! I thought this would be so fun to do so I picked some pictures I've pinned recently and decided to find some similar pieces! Happy shopping!

10 Podcasts I Love

Every morning, the first thing I do when I wake up is grab my AirPods and put on a podcast. Even before I get my coffee, I'm listening to a podcast! Today I'm sharing 10 podcasts I listen to regularly... enjoy!

Call Me Candid // Hosted by influencer Haley Pham and business owner Lilly Ann, this podcast dives into a lot of behind-the-scenes of being an influencer and business owner. I think this topic is so interesting to learn about, and I love starting my Monday with a new Call Me Candid episode!

Gen Z Girl // In this podcast, college YouTuber Abby Asselin covers all aspects of college life: study tips, productive habits, finances, time management, social life, and much more! I love how raw and authentic she is.

Life Lately Vol. 61

It's been a WHILE since I've shared one of these posts, because for obvious reasons, I haven't been doing much of anything. The days go by so fast but I don't know how that's even possible because it feels like I never do anything besides study for my upcoming AP exams, go on runs, bake food, watch TV, and sleep. 

 One of the highlights of the past couple weeks is when my friend Eleanor took me for a ride in her Jeep with the doors down! We've both been quarantining so our parents let us see each other and it was so good to see her! You truly haven't lived until you've driven through your city in a Jeep with no doors while blaring 2000's throwback music!

The BEST Swimsuits For Summer 2020 (All Under $30!)

It's crazy to me that in a few short weeks summer will be here. Obviously, this summer is going to look a lot different than we were expecting, but I figured everyone could still use a couple new swimsuits so today I'm sharing some of my favorite swimwear picks. As always, all of these swimsuits are super affordable :)

Which one is your favorite? I'm head over heels for the butterfly one and the lilac one!

How I Sell Clothes on Poshmark + All My Tips & Tricks

Recently I've been putting a lot of effort into trying to sell my clothes on Poshmark. I have a lot of old items I'm trying to sell, and there's no better time than now to sell those items! Today I thought I'd share a guide as to how I sell clothes, as well as some of the best tips and tricks I've learned on how to actually make sure someone buys your items.

Before we get started... here's a shameless plug to go check out my Poshmark! You can use the code BROOKEBUTLER9 for $10 off your first purchase!! I also just started a Depop too (@brookekbutler) and it's very similar to Poshmark but I've had better luck selling on Poshmark because I've been on the app for a while. I just made my first sale on Depop so I'll report back later and do a post comparing Depop and Poshmark!

ft. all the clothes i've bought on poshmark... it truly is an addiction :)

// HOW TO SELL //

I love selling clothes on Poshmark because it's a super straightforward process. You basically just take pictures of the item you want to sell, write a description of the item, add some details, and upload the listing! When someone buys your item, Poshmark sends you a prepaid shipping label and you just pop your item in the mailbox. The US post office will actually send you free envelopes if you order them online (I use these) which makes mailing your packages incredibly easy because you don't have to leave your house!

Eats Lately Vol. 6

Happy Friday! Today I'm back with another eats lately, where I share some of the best things I've eaten recently. Today's edition is a little bit different, because I obviously haven't been going out to eat... but I still have a couple pre-quarantine meals to share + a ton of things I've been baking at home!

P.S. to see all the food I ate in Colorado click here :) I'm not including it in this post because I feel like that's a little redundant.

One of my favorite recipes I've made recently is this giant skillet cookie! It's so good. Eleanor came over in February and we made one, and I made another one a couple weeks ago. I love putting Oreos & Reese's in it and topping it with vanilla ice cream + chocolate syrup.

The Best Dessert Recipes To Bake While In Quarantine

Last week, when I shared 30 things to do in quarantine, I told y'all I'd be sharing a blog post with some of my favorite dessert recipes, and here it is! I love to bake, so I'm super excited to be sharing these recipes with y'all because I firmly believe these are the best of the best.


Chocolate Chip Cookies (the BEST chocolate chip cookies! I make these way too often)

30 Fun Things To Do In Quarantine

As we enter week 3 (or 4? I've lost count) of quarantine, I thought it would be fun to share some fun activities to do during quarantine. It's so easy to fall into a rut of laying in bed and watching TikToks all day (I speak from experience) but there are so many fun things you can do and there's no better time to do them!!

1. Tie-dye sweatshirts (you can use a tie dye kit or bleach... I've done both!)

2. Go on a cool photoshoot in your neighborhood... like I did here

3. FaceTime a friend or relative

10 Running Tips For Beginners

This blog post has been in my drafts for a year and a half now, and I figured there's no better time to post it than now, since running is one of the few activities we can do!

Back in January 2019, I told y'all that I successfully completed my 2018 goal of running 300 miles, and a lot of y'all were curious as to how I did it and what my running tips were! Today I'm sharing ten of my favorite running tips, but please keep in mind that I'm not a fitness or exercise expert and these are just some tips that have helped me :)

Currently Vol. 29

Happy Friday! Hope y'all have enjoyed week one of corona break--I personally am dying of boredom, and I'm really hoping it will all be over soon even though I have the feeling this is just the beginning. The one good thing about corona break is that I have plenty of time to write blog posts, so today I'm sharing a Currently post, where I talk about all the things I've been currently loving.

one week ago today... what i wouldn't give to be back here right now

Reading... Both Feet On The Ground by David Beckham. It's such an interesting read--Beckham was a famous soccer player and this autobiography dives into a lot of the behind-the-scenes of his career.

A Trip To Snowmass + Aspen // Travel Guide

I just got back from a ski trip to Snowmass, and it was so much fun! As I do with every trip, I'm going to share a blog post full of everything I did + ate, so enjoy!

We got really lucky on our trip, because the day we left, they closed all the ski slopes in Colorado (and pretty much everywhere else in the country). It's crazy how fast everything has escalated--hope y'all are safe and healthy!

We stayed at the Westin in Snowmass Village, and I loved it! It was really cool because it was a ski-in-ski-out style, meaning it's right on the slopes and you literally ski out the door of the hotel. I'm used to having to drive half an hour to get to the slopes, so this was really neat and convenient!

We flew into Aspen on Wednesday morning, and spent the afternoon walking around the village. We also went snow tubing on the mountain, which was a lot of fun!

Life Lately Vol. 60

Hello from Colorado!! I am currently in Aspen on a ski trip with my dad & sister, but I'm still popping in with another edition of Life Lately, where I share a bunch of fun things that have been happening recently. Enjoy!!

One of the many pics I've taken during soccer season! We have our last game on Tuesday, and I'm so sad that this season is coming to an end.

A Trip To The Tulip Farm + The Perfect Simple Spring Outfit

On Sunday, my family and I took a trip to Pilot Point, Texas, to visit a tulip farm! It was so gorgeous and so much fun--even though it was a pretty chilly morning. Of course, I took a ton of pictures, so I'm so excited to share them with y'all in my first outfit post of the YEAR!! I have seriously been slacking on blog posts lately, but I'm hoping that I can get a ton of fun content over Spring Break.

top (only $12) // similar jeans // similar belt // sunhat // espadrilles // letter necklace // earrings

Eats Lately Vol. 5

It's been a minute!! I took a few weeks off of posting because I've been super busy and haven't had the desire to post, but I've still been eating great food :) Today I'm sharing another edition of Eats Lately, where I share some of the best food I've had. Enjoy!

I did it!! I found the BEST avocado toast. I recently tried Modern Market's avocado toast and it has changed the game. A thick layer of avocado on top of a dense, toasted bread... then topped with red pepper flakes and other seasonings (I'm so bad at describing food lol but this is perfection).

Treat Yourself: Valentine's Day Gift Guide

Every year, I love to share Valentine's Day gift ideas that you can give yourself! Valentine's Day is such a fun holiday--it's the perfect excuse to eat some chocolate and treat yourself to something that you've been wanting :) Today I'm sharing a bunch of pink & red items that would be the perfect purchase for your Valentine's Day!

heart scrunchies // polaroid (on sale for $49!) // pink pants (i love these) // heated slippers // rosebud ring (see all of james avery's new arrivals here) // heart earrings // glossier lip tints // chocolate makeup palette // pink nikes (on sale for $49) // pink fuzzy cardigan (so soft and on sale for under $20) // the perfect man chocolate

Which item is your favorite? I've been thinking about those pink pants for weeks and I just might purchase them!

Currently Vol. 28

HAPPY FRIDAY! It's been so long since I've published a currently post, so grab a cup of coffee and enjoy.

Wearing... this James Avery necklace! I am in love with it and I have been wearing it every day since I got it! I never take it off--it's small enough that it adds the perfect touch to any outfit, even a sweatshirt and leggings (which is the outfit I've been living in lately, haha). You can check out James Avery's new arrivals here.

10 Trends I'm Loving (ft. Uptown Cheapskate)

I am so excited for today's blog post because it's been one I've wanted to do for a long time! As you guys know, I work at Uptown Cheapskate, and I take pictures for their Instagram. Our grand opening is this Thursday at 4pm, and I am so excited!! I thought it would be fun to share my excitement by sharing some of my favorite clothing items I've encountered, and if you stop by the grand opening this week, you know what to look for :) Click here for more details about the grand opening.

Dallas girls, I better see y'all there! :) Unfortunately, because Uptown Cheapskate is a resale store, you can only find these specific items at the Colleyville Uptown Cheapskate, but if you live in a different part of the US, you should definitely check out your local Uptown Cheapskate because I bet you'll find some similar items there!

Disclaimer: this blog post isn't sponsored in any way! I just really love all the clothes at Uptown Cheapskate and I take so many pictures of them that it would be a shame to not share them!

EMBROIDERED JEANS // I think embroidered jeans are so cute and make such a statement! I love this pair from Zara; you can style it so many different ways because there's so many different colors in the jeans.

Life Lately Vol. 59

Long time no Life Lately! I haven't done one since early December, so I have so much to catch y'all up on (it's mostly Christmas-related but I still wanted to share it! I wrote this post a couple weeks ago but I never published it oops). Grab a cup of coffee and enjoy!

So many fun Christmas parties this month!! My friend Madelyn hosted a Christmas brunch earlier this month and I loved getting to see all of my friends + talk for hours!

2020 Goals + A 2019 Reflection

Long time no blog post!! It's been a crazy busy past two weeks and it's taken me so long to put together my list of 2020 goals, but I'm finally sharing them with y'all today! I thought it would be fun to reflect on last year's goals and share my current goals with y'all, because nothing says a new year like new resolutions!

spinning out of 2019 like

10 Things You Can Do To Start 2020 Off On The Right Foot

Happy New Year! Since today is the first day of a new year (and a new decade... woah) I thought it would be fun to kick off 2020 by sharing ten little things you can do for a fresh start this year. Most of these things are super easy and simple, but can make a big difference for your 2020.

THROW AWAY OLD MAKEUP // Most types of makeup only have a lifespan of about 6 months to 1 year, so you should go through your old makeup and throw away anything that you've had for a while. I did this recently and I was amazed at how much I ended up throwing away.

Bonus tip: clean all your makeup brushes too!

PAINT YOUR NAILS // I always feel 100x better when I have a fresh manicure. You can go all out and get your nails done at a nail salon, or you can just paint them yourself (which is what I do!). You can go buy a new bottle of nail polish and have it be your signature color for 2020!

DIGITAL DECLUTTER // It's always a smart idea to go through your email, desktop, hard drive, etc and organize it. I really need to clean up my external hard drive because it's so disorganized!

GET A NEW PHONE CASE // Just like painting your nails, a new phone case is such a small switch that makes a big difference. I recently got two new phone cases from CaseApp, and I love their phone cases because you can customize them however you want! Both of mine are completely customized, and I love how they turned out! You can use the code BLISSFULLY20 for 20% off your order.

Bonus tip: change your phone wallpaper too! I like to make a new one at the start of each year!

DEEP CLEAN YOUR ROOM // I'm in the process of redoing my room, so I've started emptying out my desk drawers and closet, and I've already filled up two entire trash bags of useless crap: old papers I don't need anymore, empty containers of pencil lead... you'd be surprised at how much random stuff you probably have! Spending even 30 minutes decluttering your room can make a huge difference.

  

two of my favorite thrifted outfits from my favorite thrift store, uptown cheapskate

GO THRIFT SHOPPING // This item is twofold: first of all, you can clean out your closet and get rid of old clothes you don't wear in exchange for cash! After you have an organized wardrobe and a wallet full of cash, you can revamp your style by buying inexpensive clothes at a thrift store. I've seen so many great pieces (many of which still have their original tags) at thrift stores, and thrifting is a great way to find really unique pieces that you wouldn't normally buy!

CREATE A NEW PLAYLIST // I feel like music is such a defining characteristic of periods of time. There are certain songs that take me back to a specific moment in time, no matter how long it's been. Creating a new playlist full of uplifting, empowering songs will really help set the mood for your year, and it will give you a way to look back on your year later on!

TRY A NEW WORKOUT // If you have a goal of getting in shape for the new year, I recommend trying a new workout! There are so many cool types of workouts to take advantage of--spin class, crossfit, yoga, pilates... it's all about finding what works for you. Many classes offer your first class free--I tried an OrangeTheory class last month and it was completely free, which makes it so easy to try a new workout!

CREATE A 2020 BUCKET LIST // Instead of traditional new year's resolutions, I like to pick a few items that I want to do in the new year! For example, this year I want to run a 10k and go vegan for a week. I feel like these are more achievable than resolutions because they're not things you resolve to do, they're things you want to do!

PICK A 2020 MANTRA // This item is the most important on the list! Every year, I like to pick a word or phrase that embodies the goals I want to accomplish and changes I want to make in the new year. I honestly don't have a mantra for 2020 yet, but you can see my previous mantras here and here.

What do you like to do to start off the new year?

Disclaimer: the phone case featured in this post was sent to me by CaseApp, but all opinions are my own. I don't feature products that I don't truly love! :)