Friday Favorites: 6 Essential Steps to Get Ready for New Year's Eve- Part One

Tuesday marks the biggest party of the year- New Year's Eve.  Whether you plan to celebrate in your living room or out at a major night club, you want to look and feel your best in order to start the year off right.  I have prepared for you a list of the 6 essential steps to getting ready for New Year's. These steps are easy to follow, and can also be used to prepare for any night out. After all, 2014 is going to be your year, with so many reasons to celebrate!

For Part One, it is all about getting the essentials figured out ahead of time...

1. Choose Your Clothes

Searching for the perfect New Year's Eve outfit can be a little stressful. Maybe you have gone to the mall the day of or spent a fortune online trying to get an outfit  shipped on-time. Lucky for you, the four inspiration looks below are far less stressful and the items are on major sale right now.

 Jennifer Lopez Snakeskin Sheath Dress,  $24 (orig. $60), available at Kohls. Worthington Sequined Top with Cami, $11.99 (orig. $28)& Joe Fresh Fringe Sequin Skirt, $19.99 (orig. $29), available at JCPenney;   Wayf Sequin Chiffon Wrap Top, $68 & Michael Kors Faux Leather Front Leggings, $59.70 (orig. $99.50) available at Nordstrom Rack; LC Lauren Conrad Sequin Sheath Dress, $51.80 (orig. $74), available at Kohls.

2. Choose Your Stand Out Piece

I firmly believe that the accessories make the outfit. Even if you wore a black top and pants or skirt from your closet, you can have a killer New Year's outfit by completing the look with a sparkly statement piece. I am all about the costume jewelry. It can light up your face and "fancify" nearly anything. Below are 5 statement pieces you can find at your local Kohls, Target, and JC Penney stores. 

 Jennifer Lopez Gold Tone Simulated Crystal Cheetah Bangle Bracelet,  $22.40 (orig. $32), available at Kohls; Call It Spring Naponach East/West Studded Clutch, $25.99 (orig. $35), available at JC Penney; Apt 9. Simulated Crystal & Bead Bib Necklace, $13 (orig. $20), available at Kohls; Lauren Conrad Crystal Stackable Rings, $11.20 (orig $16), available at Kohls; Women's De Blossom Nadine Jeweled Peep Toe Pumps , $44.99, available at Target.

3. Putting in the Work 

When I workout for even just a few minutes before I go out, I feel so much better in my outfit. I can't even begin to tell you the difference confidence makes. I know women of the same size and body type that look completely different in an outfit just based on how they "work it." Your confidence from the inside shines through and so the better you feel about yourself, the better you actually look. Below is a 30 minute treadmill workout that will give you the confidence boost you need. And don't forget to put on the Creatively Lu Energizing music playlist so you can rock out accordingly. (You know that anything by Beyonce will get you ready to "work it").

Stay tuned for the last 3 steps of the 6 Essential Steps to Getting Ready for New Year's guide, which will be launched tomorrow. On Saturday, I will cover all things you need to know for getting ready day of. From skin to makeup to hair tutorials, I've got you covered.  Create a great Friday everyone! 

*To follow the Creatively Lu posts daily,  "like" the FB page .

* Follow @Creatively Lu on Instagram, Pinterest, and Twitter.

Friday Favorites- Fashion edition: Threads & Mane

Photo Courtesy of: Threads and Mane

I can't begin to tell you how many times I've been on Pinterest, "pinning" amazing fashion outfits and have thought to myself: I would of never thought to have paired "that" with "that".  I always wonder who  those cool, fashion chicks are who can pull off mixing styles, such as leopard & flannel, and really make an outfit WORK. Well recently, I stumbled across the fashion blog- Threads and Mane, and the two ladies behind this blog are "those chicks" that make it "work."

 The Girls Behind Threads and Mane

The "threads" of Threads and Mane, is fashion/accessories lover and expert Ashley Thomas, while the girl behind the "mane" is hair/beauty/jewelry lover and expert Danielle Lareau. Ashley and Danielle started Threads and Mane as a creative fashion outlet to explore after work hours. Living just a block away from one another in South Boston, Ashley and Danielle had been spending the majority of their free time together, discussing all things beauty and fashion. As they constantly turned to one another when planning their outfits...down to their nail polish, to discus new beauty finds, and discover new places around the Boston area; they realized they should launch a blog to inspire others. 

Why I love Threads and Mane

I absolutely adore fashion, but when I walk into my closet, I often find myself overwhelmed by the idea of having to put an outfit together. Therefore, I tend to stick with a few "go to" items such as a pair of leggings and a chunky sweater. So to me, Danielle and Ashley are awe-inspiring fashionistas that I would love to be able to "call up" everyday, asking them how to "amp up" my basics. Luckily, however, their blog feels a lot like having them on speed-dial.

When I see their beautiful fashion shoots taken on the streets of Boston, I feel inspired to go back into my closet and choose something a little more daring like a sparkly necklace and leopard booties to pair with that sweater and leggings. 

Aside from the style section of Threads and Mane, I also really enjoy their "Beauty" section of the blog which features easy hair tutorials (like the DIY bun tutorial below) and time and money saving, makeup product reviews. Their "Life" section features local area reviews, in which I discovered there is a blowout bar down the street from me!

Since reading the Threads and Mane blog and pinning their pins (they have the best fashion pins), I have definitely created a keener eye for fashion and learned a heck of a lot more about beauty. 

So on this edition of Friday Favorites, I am saying "cheers" to these two fashion-rocking, "make-it-work" ladies! Thank you both for launching a blog that covers all the bases of beauty and fashion. I look forward to reading for many years to come and encourage all of you to do the same.  

Below are a couple of Ashley and Danielle's favorite things, along with Friday's dose of inspiration, inspired by Threads and Mane, of course.

 Create a great Friday, and I hope that Ashley and Danielle have inspired you all to go  into your closets and choose a bolder outfit that you can "work" this weekend. 

Photo Courtesy of: Threads and Mane

*Check out Threads and Mane on their website, & follow them on Pinterest, Twitter, Facebook, and  Instagram.

*To follow the Creatively Lu posts daily,  "like" the FB page 

 Follow @Creatively Lu on Instagram, Pinterest, and Twitter.