POPSUGAR Must Have Box September 2016 Review + Coupon

I'm excited to share about my first experience with POPSUGAR'S must have box with you today! POPSUGAR Must Have is a popular monthly subscription box filled with amazing, unique and curated surprises. Each month, the box is filled with products ranging from fashion, beauty, home, food and more!

The Subscription Box: POPSUGAR Must Have

The Cost: $39.95 a month

COUPON: Use coupon code REFER5 to save $5 off your first box (code will only work with the link I've provided)

*This box was sent to me in exchange for a review but all thoughts and opinions are my own.

Here's what the box came with and my review of each item:

Jack & Lucy Bicoastal Wide Brim Hat ($58 Value)

Honestly, this was problem my least favorite item in the box. It is certainly a good quality, wool hat. And if wool hats and fedoras are your thing, you'd probably love this hat! I'm just not much of a hat wearer and I especially don't like this fedora style on me. Unfortunately this is an item I probably won't wear.

NCLA MANI-ER Tool Kit ($16 Value)

This is definitely an item that will come in handy! I love how small and portable this kit is.

Briogeo Don't Despair, Repair! Deep Conditioning Mask ($36 Value)

This is probably the item in the box I was most exited about! I'm almost out of my current deep conditioner. With the amount of styling products and heat tools I use on my hair, I try to deep condition my hair once a week. I tried this conditioner once and I was pretty happy with it! I felt that it moisturized my hair without making it too greasy or heavy. I do have thicker hair so if your hair is very thin, you may want to use this at night or on a day when you're not planning to style your hair because it will probably weigh it down.

Flint Lint Roller ($9.99 Value)

This is definitely the fanciest lint roller I've ever seen! I was excited about this because I wear a lot of black and I feel like I'm constantly in need of a lint roller. This is a really nice retractible roller you can easily carry around with you in your purse.

Smith & Cult Lip Lacquer in The Warning ($22 Value)

This lip color looks a little scary in the bottle but I liked it! It's a gloss and so it doesn't come on quite as bright as it appears. It is definitely still a bold lip color, but I like that it's a little less bold then a matte red lip. It is a little sticky for my taste, but overall I like this gloss!

The Gluten Free Bites Dark Chocolate Coconut Bites ($4.99 Value)

I was really happy with these! I absolutely love chocolate coconut anything and these did not disappoint! For something that is gluten and dairy free, they have great flavor. I definitely recommend these bites!

My Final Review of POPSUGAR:

Overall, I recommend POPSUGAR's boxes! They are on the pricier side of subscription boxes, but I was impressed that this box had a $100+ value! With the exception of the hat, I really liked this box and see myself using every other item. If you're looking for a fun way to treat yourself every month, or for a gift for someone, I recommend the must have box!

Shop This Box:

Merry Hill | Tailored Occasions Headshots | A Mebane, NC Wedding Photographer

I was so honored when Ashlee contacted me about taking headshots and branding photos for Tailored Occasions! I photographed a wedding Ashlee planned last year and I absolutely loved working with her. Tailored Occasions is a wedding and event planning team located in North Carolina.

We headed out to Merry Hill and had a blast (despite the heat!). I absolutely LOVED getting to know Ashlee and Allyson! They are so sweet and fun and I know they would do an amazing job working with any bride (so consider contact them if you're a bride)!

They have an exciting announcement to make and I'll let you head over to their blog to read all about it. Also, I absolutely LOVE helping businesses out with branding photos and headshots so please email me if you're interested in updating the pictures on your website!

Fashion Friday: Knotted Trend in Burgundy & Black

TOP: Topshop (similar here, here, and here); JEANS: Madewell; SHOES: Old Navy (on sale for under $20!); NECKLACE: J Crew (on sale!); LIPS: MAC Lip Pencil in "Whirl" and MAC Lipstick in "Twig"

Today I'm combining a few of my favorite trends into one outfit! First, I LOVE the knotted/twisted trend that's going on! I think tops like this one and dresses this one just add a flattering, and unique touch (scroll down to the bottom to see more knotted pieces I'm loving). Second, I am LOVING the burgundy/wine color trend for the fall. This has always been one of my favorite colors and I'm happy to see that it's back "in" this season! Finally, I am also happy to see that lace up flats and shoes are trendy again! I purchased these from Old Navy last season and I love them so I was happy to see them come back! I also love these and these.

What I love about this outfit is it's great for work (you can make it a little dressier by swapping out black jeans for black dress pants and adding heels like these), but it's also comfortable enough to be an every day outfit. 

Shop This Post:

Other Knotted Pieces I Love:

Thank you to Sammi Evans Photography for these photos!

Reynolda Gardens | Kaitlin & Justin's Engagement Pictures | A Winston-Salem, NC Wedding Photographer

I knew I would love working with Kaitlin and Justin from the moment I met them! It didn't hurt that we met over the most delicious cupcakes ever at Maxie B's bakery in Greensboro. I loved meeting Kaitlin's mom and hearing Kaitlin and Justin's story and their vision for their wedding day. 

We had so much fun at their engagement session in the beautiful Reynolda Gardens! Kaitlin's dress and her lipstick color were to die for! I absolutely can't wait for their wedding at Tanglewood Manor next September. Here's a few of my favorite pictures from their session:

We're Moving!

Some of you may already know this, but my husband and I are moving to Winston-Salem. We currently live in a small town, Mebane, NC, which is located about an hour east of Winston. We hope, Lord willing, to buy a house in Winston so our moving date is dependent on when we close on a house (our hope is by February or March 2017). 

So why are we moving to Winston-Salem? We are moving because we believe that God has called us to plant a church there. My husband has been working at Grace Reformed Baptist in Mebane as a "Church Planting Resident" for the past year and he's been pursuing his PhD in Historical Theology at Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary. But his training and preparations for what he believes God has called him to do actually started a lot further back than last year...

 

The History Behind the Church Plant

My husband began to feel a call to ministry and the call to be a pastor when he was 13. A few years later, he began to pursue the idea of planting a church. He approached one of his best friends (Brad) and his two brothers (Anthony and Zack) about the possibility of planting a church together in the future. These 4 men approached Grace Reformed Baptist in Mebane and asked the church to train them and to determine whether or not they were qualified for ministry. Alex has also been extremely blessed to have an older mentor and pastor in his life, Pastor Fisher. Pastor Fisher was his pastor throughout his childhood and during his college years, Alex spent his summers at Grace training with Pastor Fisher. After graduating from Clemson, Alex moved to Mebane to attend Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary and to continue training with Pastor Fisher. Throughout this entire process, Pastor Fisher and Grace Reformed Baptist have confirmed and continued to support Alex's calling towards becoming a pastor and planting a church. In the last year, as I mentioned above, Grace hired Alex and began to formally move forward with the church planting process. Alex and I are both extremely thankful for all of the support and guidance our sending church has given to us so far. I also have to say that I am particularly blessed by and thankful for Pastor Fisher's sacrificial involvement in Alex's life. I know that he has had a large part in forming Alex's theology, his maturity, his love for the Lord, love for the saints, and love for the church.

Why Winston-Salem?

So why are we planting a church in Winston-Salem? We desire to lean heavily on our sending church and we want to be directed by our elders. The elders at Grace felt that it would be best to stay in North Carolina so that the people at Grace can be intimately involved in supporting and helping the church plant. Once North Carolina was determined, Alex and Pastor Fisher began meeting with men who were able to give them detailed information about the demographics and needs of various cities in North Carolina. Winston-Salem emerged as one of the more needy cities in North Carolina. Winston-Salem is part of the Piedmont Triad and with a population of nearly 250,000, Winston-Salem is one of the largest cities in NC. The city features several universities including Wake Forest University, Winston-Salem State University, and University of North Carolina School of the Arts. With estimated population growth of over 40% coming to the city in the next 10 years, and with 85-90% of the current population not meaningfully involved in a local church, Winston-Salem is a prime target for church planting in the state of North Carolina. 

What Will This Mean for DiPrima Photography?

Thankfully, this move actually won't change much for DiPrima Photography. Many of the weddings I shoot are already in the Triad area and my hope is to continue targeting more weddings in the Triad area. It also opens up the possibility of traveling to Charlotte, Boone, and Asheville with reduced or no travel fees. 

How Can I Learn More?

You can learn more about Emmanuel Church of Winston-Salem (the name of our church plant!) by visiting this website. You can also read Alex's blog and subscribe to our newsletter. Please also feel free to email me if you have any questions or if you're interested in getting involved (or have friends living in Winston who may be interested)! If you desire to pray for us, here's a few of our current requests:

• Please pray for our small group meetings which are meeting every other Saturday in Winston-Salem. Pray that our time together would be profitable and unifying. Pray that God would continue to bring interested contacts and that God would form us into a church.
• Pray that God would continue to form and finalize a core team that will be moving with us from Mebane to Winston-Salem. We have a couple of families who are currently considering coming with us. They need the Lord to give them wisdom as they make many important decisions.
• Pray for opportunities to share the gospel in Winston-Salem. Pray that God would give us and our team boldness.

I am excited and nervous about this next big endeavor in our lives. I am so thankful to know that I can rest in God's sovereignty and His faithfulness to build His church. Our earnest hope and prayer is that we would be able to reach the lost and needy in Winston-Salem with the gospel and that God would form His church. In spite of all the unknowns, the fears, and the pressures, we look to Jesus for our confidence. My plea is what Paul's was in Acts 20:24: "But I do not account my life of any value nor as precious to myself, if only I may finish my course and the ministry that I received from the Lord Jesus, to testify to the gospel of the grace of God."