Category: Sunday Chronicles

Skin Print: Exquisite Exfoliant

Investment Piece: Skin Print

Loves, I’m so excited to share another amazing Skin Print product with you! (If you recall: we’re thrilled to be featuring Skin Print on site, you can get the scoop and shop any product at any time under the “Skin Print” tab on our menu!)

So here is my ultimate skin goal: I want glowing skin, that looks youthful and dewy, and I’d love to not have to wear a lot of makeup (except for mascara and eyeliner). Skin Print is helping me to achieve these goals- and this Exquisite Exfoliant is completely changing the texture of my skin. I can deal with the occasional breakout, I can struggle with blackheads, and as I get older, I can have some texture issues. Two-Three times I week I’m using this exfoliant, out it on for 20 mins and then wash it off (I love it while I’m shaving my legs!); and I’m noticing that my skin is smoother, brighter, and those breakouts? Not a problem!

Investment Piece: Skin Print

The best part about Skin Print’s Exquisite Exfoliant? I can trust what I’m putting on my face. Skin Print is medical grade skin care that is made from the highest quality ingredients. It does what it says it’s going to do. It makes your skin feel good, both while you’re using it and after. And most importantly? Skin Print makes my skin LOOK good. And that what it’s all about, yes?

Investment Piece: Skin Print

I don’t endorse products that I don’t love, and let me reassure you, I love this Exquisite Exfoliant. If you’re looking for something that can really clean your skin, remove the gunk, and leave your skin feeling soft and smooth, this is for you!

You can buy your own Exquisite Exfoliant here.

Want to read last month’s write up of the Skin Print EyeDeal that’s the best eye cream I’ve ever used? You can read all about it here. And loves, I owe you an apology. I promised you a giveaway for the EyeDeal. Then Harvey, then Irma; I know my family was affected and it took my focus. I heard from those of you that were affected and it took your focus. The giveaway fell apart. I apologize. That’s not what we want to have happen here (though we’re so grateful that everyone is safe!) So let’s do a redo! Comment on this post, comment on the Instagram I’ll post this afternoon about EyeDeal, sign up for our newsletter. That’s it! One lucky winner will be chosen (at random) to get their own EyeDeal. We will announce the winner next Thursday!

Good Luck!
And happy exfoliating!
XO RA

Sunday Chronicle: Texas Pop Up!

Investment Piece: Texas Pop Up

Loves! We’re still celebrating our birthday month (read all about it here), and our latest venture gives you another chance to shop, sip, and have some fun! If you’re in TX, specifically Central Texas, I invite you to come to a Kendra Scott/Investment Piece pop up!

My sister has been nominated for the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society Woman of the Year in San Antonio, TX and this event will help her raise money for this worthy cause. You’ll get to shop special Kendra Scott pieces, with a portion of the proceeds going to leukemia and lymphoma research. A bonus? I’ll be there! We can chat fashion, blogging, and I’ll be offering a 10% discount on any personal shopping package purchased!

More about shopping with me here.

I hope that I get to meet some of you! Want more details? Want me to bring specific pieces? Email me at racheladelicia@investmentpiece.com!

Wishing us all a week of getting together and amazing shoes!
XO RA

Blog Birthday!

Investment Piece: Blog Birthday

I don’t know if you’ve heard this, but, Investment Piece is turning 3!!!

This is one of those times when it feels like we’ve only just started, and yet, we have oh so far to go. The inspiration for this site is all due to my mother. I grew up loving fashion, and have always had a knack for putting together an outfit. I’m used to people asking me where I got things. So when my mom read an article in “Texas Monthly” about how blogging was an actual business, Investment Piece was born. To start, I took a class about doing your own site (tech isn’t and never will be my strong suit), got a tripod and a remote for my iPhone, and we were in business.

So much has changed! Can you believe at one time I thought we’d do fashion arts and crafts?
Investment Piece: Blog Birthday

Yes, I painted my own jeans. You can read about it here.

I like to think the pics have gotten better:
Investment Piece: October Blues

And I’ve managed to find my voice (or at least, my voice right now).

Investment Piece: Holiday Gown

I can’t say this enough: I am so grateful for you. I known that there are so many bloggers and feeds and advice you can be following. I appreciate you following me.

So, what are we doing for the blog’s birthday?

Celebrating you!

This month (yes, I gave my blog a month to celebrate its birthday. I’m the coolest blog mom ever), our content is full of Giveways, flashbacks to some of our first content, and events!

You can still enter the first giveaway here, and our first flashback was Friday!

Investment Piece:FBF first neutrals

There will be more of both, so stay tuned!

And after the blog birthday month is over? Still more new content, some series I’m excited about, and finding ways to be fresh and exciting while being ourselves.

As someone much cooler than me once said: “I don’t know where we’re going from here, but it won’t be boring”.

Thank you for celebrating our blog birthday with us!

Wishing us all a week of champagne and amazing shoes!
XO RA

Sunday Chronicles: This and That and SXSW

Investment Piece: This and That and SXSW
A Glimpse at the Hermes Dip&Dye Pop-Up during SXSW

Loves, these little Sunday Chronicles are some of my favorite times with you. I love sharing the thoughts that plague me, the events in my life, and using you as my sounding board for many things. What’s going on now? This and That and SXSW. Yes, usually this means that I share personal snapshots from my life or some sales that you can’t miss! And, yes, if you need that let me know! However, what’s going for me right now is simply a little of this and that (mainly thoughts) and SXSW. So, I’m sharing!

SXSW
Confession? I’m not a festival gal. I love live music, but for some reason I can’t get all excited about the huge festivals that happen. That’s not a hard and fast rule, but it’s generally true that I would rather see artists I love in concert without the festival hoopla. SXSW? A little bit different for me. As you know, I split time between Texas and Los Angeles. So, when I happen to be in Austin for SXSW, I go. I don’t get full badges and go for days (that’s too exhausting for me);but, I make sure to see some bands, some films, and some panel discussions. This year I’ve seen small bands I love in intimate settings, fallen more in love with Emily Blunt (see A Quite Place, and listened to some intriguing thoughts on the future of fashion/technology. It was just enough to keep me busy, and not enough to overwhelm me. The perfect combo?

This and That
As I’ve sat in panels this past week, listening to what “experts” think consumers want, I couldn’t help but wonder: “What do you want?” I don’t think it’s any secret that the fashion industry is changing, that the “influencer” market is a bit crowded, and that we’re all looking for a way to stand out. Where do these things intersect? What I love about fashion? That you can use it to stand out, to speak for you, to be whoever you want to be that day, and that your fashion doesn’t have to be like anyone else. However, we all like being able to easily buy what we like, we like being popular, and some “classics” are items everyone should have. How do we balance this and that? Where are we going to take this and that?

I’m not 100% sure of the answers. These thoughts have been keeping me up and while I’ve come up with some ideas, most of this is still just this and that. Investment Piece? We’ll keep using our fashion to stand out. And yet, we’ll keep suggesting classics we think you should own. We’ll try to balance this and that by suggesting ways to stand out and ways to use what we all have. If there’s something you want to see, or an idea you want addressed, let your voice be heard! Racheladelicia@investmentpiece.com

Wishing us all a week of deep thoughts and amazing shoes! XO RA

Sunday Chronicles: #Goals

Investment Piece, Fashionblogger, goals, Sunday Chronicles, CA, TX

I’m going to bet that not only are you seeing post after post about diets, cleanses, and detoxes, but that your feeds are full of goals. Goal setting. Goal achieving. Talking about goals. Hopefully, out there, someone being #goals. After all, tis the season, right? And I get it. We can’t work towards anything that we don’t put out there; and sharing your goals is a great way to add in accountability.

What I don’t like? All talk and no action. I feel like we can spend time talking about our goals, thinking about them, sharing them; and yet, we still have to work towards our goals. So this year, I’m not going to share my goals here. Yes, I have them, yes, they’re big. Yes, I can’t wait to show the result. But instead of just listing my goals, I’m thinking: how do I achieve them?

Goals are amazing. Goal achieving is what I’m after. And I hope you are, too. So in that spirit, here are some thoughts I have on going out and getting our goals done. I still would love to hear your goals, but I’m also interested in your methods. Loves, what are you doing to reach your goals?

To Reach a Goal You Have to Believe You are Worthy Of It
Do you think you deserve what you want? A simple question, but if you really put in the thought, it can be really complicated. A wise woman once told me that the difference between those who achieve goals and those who don’t is the belief that they are worthy of their goals. We’ve heard it before: we are so worthy and deserving of everything we want. But, do we really believe that? I can be as self sabotaging as I can be amazing. So, this year as I set my goals, I’m examining my thoughts. I’m thinking about the life I want, and how that would look and feel. And I’m making sure that I know how worthy I am of that fantastic life I’m planning.

Did you make a mistake? Or did something just not look like your expectation?
A woman I love asked me this question this week and I can’t stop thinking about it. When we set goals, when we work towards them; it’s so easy to get discouraged. It’s easy to feel like once you make a mistake to give up. First, there is no such thing as perfection (and as a perfectionist I have to remind myself of that EVERY DAY), and being soft with ourselves when mistakes happen is part of the process.

Second, what if it’s not a mistake? I bit on my teeth on scripts. I tend to have a picture in my head of how things should go, look, be said. And when reality doesn’t match that? I can get a little uptight. (Ok, a lot uptight. Please still be my friend). What I’m learning to remind myself of? Sometimes mistakes and things not looking the way you planned is a gift. Sometimes not having your expectation met means that something even more wonderful happened. How’s that for goal setting and mistakes?

Flow
The best way to get a goal done? Do it. I enjoy the thinking, the planning, the creating. And all of that is so important. More important? Action. Jumping in and working a bit each day, even when things aren’t perfect. There’s something about the motion that can carry us through. Or at least, that’s what the goal people tell me.

So I’m working, and doing. I’m making “mistakes” and feeling worthy. I’m trying and putting myself out there. What about you? What are your methods and thoughts about how to reach #goals?

Wishing us all a week of progress and amazing shoes! XO RA

Sunday Chronicles: Detox

Investment Piece: Sunday Chronicles: Detox

By now, I’m sure that all of your social media feeds are full of the news. It’s detox season and from “dry January” to juicing to no sugar, everyone is giving up something. I’m no stranger to a detox (I’ve even written about it here and here and here. Juice is something I love, dry January is completely doable, and sugar can be given up. I believe in balance, and think that detox is a part of that.

However, this year I’ve been thinking a lot about detoxing and what needs to be cut, needs to be balanced, needs to be dealt with in my life. In the holiday season, it can be so easy to over-indulge, that the balance seems to be a detox. I know my body is ready to cut back on sugars, carbs, alcohol and get more sleep. But is going to extremes in our detox any better than going to extremes in our indulgences? I love the occasional glass of wine, and is that so bad? For research, I’ve been reading why dry January is good for you, Why Not to do Dry January, and for fun, The Champagne diet. My take-away? Do what works for you, but if the goal is moderation, maybe extreme measures aren’t the best.

My diet isn’t the only thing I’m thinking of detoxing. The new year means a fresh start and nothing says “new” like a good closet detox. I usually spend some time in January devoted to chatting about closet clean outs (see here, here, and here), and I’m getting the urge to purge again. However, this year I’m not only thinking of what to clean out, I’m thinking of what kind of wardrobe I want to build. I shop, a lot, and while I’m never going to be one to have a minimalist closet (I just love too many styles too much), I do want to be more mindful in what I curate. It’s like balance, but for designer shoes. This means that when I clean out, I’m going to be aware of what I put back in. Yes, I may take more time shopping, may be pickier with my choices, and may cut back on fast fashion; but if that gets me a great closet, is that a bad thing?

Can you tell that my goal with detox this year is to get to a state of balance? I’m thinking about what I want my relationships (with food and clothes, among other things) to be; and my goal is make choices that best serve the relationships I want. Yes, there may be a glass of wine and new shoes occasionally, we’re chatting detox, not giving things up entirely!

I’d love to know: what are your thoughts on detox? Are you cutting things out this month?

Wishing us all a week of balance and amazing shoes!
XO RA

In defense of Gift Cards

Investment Piece: In defense of Gift Cards

There’s a rumor going around about gift cards. That they are not a thoughtful gift. They mean that you waited till the last minute. Gift cards say that you didn’t really care to get your loved one a “real gift”. I hate to be the bearer of bad news to rumors, but I respectfully disagree. Gift cards? I LOVE them. In fact, I think that gift cards are an incredibly thoughtful, real gift, and often, what your loved ones want. Don’t believe me? Let me lay out my defense of gift cards. Continue reading In defense of Gift Cards

Sunday Chronicles: This/That and some Fall Trends

Loves.

It’s been a week.
A month.
A Year.

I know that this is the space where I usually share my thoughts, experiences, dating with you. And I love this space, it’s sacred and some of my favorite of our time together. This week? This travel season? I couldn’t put words to paper (or screen). I just couldn’t. (And I have another great ex-files coming up!) So I did this instead:

I’ve spent the past few weeks shopping and thinking about fall, and our fall trends. (Remember when we chatted about that? Refresh here). I’ve identified some more fall trends I might like to try and wanted to share them with you!

First up:
Remember glitter boots?
Investment Piece: Fall Trends: Sequins and Glitter
Well, what do we think about Rhinestone Boots?

I fell in love with these boots at Free People, and started thinking about all the ways we could wear them: with jeans and a white tee, a sweater dress, a shirt dress, as a statement, as an accent. I also found some reasonable options for us! (Some are under $60!)
*Note: These are affiliate links, I do receive commission from these, though that doesn’t affect your price!

My picks:

Another fall trend I never thought I’d like?
Vinyl Pants
I saw some on Instagram. I tried on some patent leather pants at RecessLA, (side note: they didn’t fit by a hair. Have some nude patent leather pants, maybe Pucci? Hit me up!) And it was love.
Some vinyl and patent leather pants we may love:

And, how do we feel about
White Booties ?

I think I like them, but more research may be needed. Let’s shop my picks and see how we feel:

And loves! Don’t forget, we have a giveaway coming up! (Refresh yourself here) Check out SkinPrint and let me know which product you might like to win! The product it’s the most inquiries will be in the giveaway (and that will start Tuesday!) Look, shop, and let me know!

I hope that your Sunday involves a lot of rest and time with people you love. I’m catching up-all my looks are now updated (shop my site! Over on the left) and we’re working on getting the best content up for the next week!

Wishing us all a week of amazing shoes and peace!

XO RA

Sunday Chronicles: Internet Round Up

Investment Piece: Sunday Chronicles: Internet Round Up

Sometimes things can be too much, right? I shared a little bit about my conflicting feelings about posting during weeks like this one on Thursday (You can read it here and those sales are still going strong!). It can also be hard to write during weeks like this one. We had every intention of bringing you a great editorial opinion piece today. This week was hard. My heart was a little battered, and I had travel to deal with. (If you follow me on Instagram I need people to be impressed with how light I packed for a 24hr trip). So, instead of presenting you a subpar piece, I went internet surfing. Isn’t that valid? I’m presenting you with the best of what I found-from deep thoughts to fashion inspiration. I hope that you enjoy what sparked me!

I loved this piece, 10 Regrets Too Many People Will Have in 10 Years Written before? Yes. A new take, with actionable steps? Yes. A favorite quote, “The key is to gradually practice letting go of these ideals and fantasies, and focus instead on making the best of reality. The truth must be embraced…”

Stop Calling Women Nags-How Emotional Labor is Dragging Down Gender Equality Many of my married friends shared this on Facebook this weekend. I’m not married and I can relate. What does that mean? I’m not sure. How can we non-passively-aggressively share this with the men in our lives? Discuss..

Now that I’m a pro at light packing, I want to keep it going! I have 2 more trips this month, I know I can make one fit in a carry on. The other is a road trip with a photo shoot, so no judgement when I overpack. But this take on packing in a carry on (they used the Birdy Carryon, I want one), is giving me hope for my packing future!

I shop for a living, so this guide to sizing up/down is amazing!

Meanwhile, this guide to caring for your clothes is a must for those of us who like to keep our money in our closets.

Paris Fashion Week Style, I’m also taking notes on this for all my fashion inspiration. Imitation is the best form of flattery, right?

I used to tutor as my day job. One of the brilliant, young women that I worked with is now is college (yes, somehow I’m still young, too). She’s fierce and intelligent and gives me hope for the future. The Klean is an online magazine she started with peers, and it is well worth your time. I’m so proud of her!

And because this week was what it was:

If you want to make your voice heard on gun control, Everytown is a great place to start. You can also text ACT to 64433 to join.

And if this week, and all the things, are taking its toll this guide to self care in the 24 hr news cycle is a must. Hint? Just because the news is on 24/7 doesn’t mean we have to watch it.

I hope that you loves this Internet round up, and that it balanced the light and the dark for you!

Wishing us all a week of peace, love, and amazing shoes! XO RA

Sunday Chronicles: Ifund Women

Loves! We received some exciting news this week, our IFundWomen campaign has been extended. As of now, we are up and running on the IFundWomen site (you can find our project here) till Septemeber 30th.

If you’ve been coming here for a while I’m sure that you read about our campaign (for expample here), and know that we are so incredibly passionate about sharing our love of fashion and women owned businesses with you. Your support, your views, you liking and us and sharing us with your friends means so much to us. And me, personally. I don’t know how to live my life without loving shoes, putting together outfits, and sharing it with you. You letting me into your life and closets, your support, makes it a little easier to be me.

As our campaign is being extended, let’s chat a bit about what we’re going to use the IFundWomen money for; asking you to give is a big thing, and you deserve to know what your money will go towards. We, here at Investment Piece, love sharing our fashion sense, tips for shopping, and bits of our live with you. We will continue to do this, and use part of the IFundWomen money to upgrade our site and continue to do just that.

However, the thing that we are most excited about, and what the bulk of our goal money will go to, is developing a video department. We want to go into women’s closets and allow them to tell their stories through their clothes. To do so, we need backing. To meet our own high standards, and give you the best quality possible, we want to do this right: this means cameras and crews, and travel. We want this space to be for all of us, and for that to happen, we want to include all of our stories. To tell our stories we need help. And we want to tell our stories.

We would be so honored if you would give, share, and tell your friends about this project, and blog. Let’s grow together.

XO RA