Weekend Report

We rarely post on our blog during the weekend...but we always love a good roommate emergency.  

Thanks to everyone who voted for their favorite engagement picture hair-do.  

Are any of you guys curious to know what the results were?

For some reason I was SO surprised that it was so one-sided.  

And apparently two people submitted blank answers...

EMERGENCY!

Okay guys.  We have Laura here from The Candy Shoppe with an emergency roommate question. 

This weekend she is taking her engagement photos! And she needs help with a hair decision.

Should she do her hair straight?

Or wavy?

Vote Below! Help a sister out.

The Amazing Lace, Roommate #5

It's time for another episode of The Amazing Lace!

The lace has now travelled from...

Tennessee-->California-->Arizona-->Utah 

...and then travelled a little further south in Utah...

To Sarah from Wearing it on My Sleeves!

Don't you love how she styled it?

and next.....

The lace is headed to Anna from IHOD!!

and then soon after...get excited for these stylin' ladies..

Kristine from Kristine or Polly

Ashley from The Shine Project

Becca from Blue Cricket Design

Melissa from I Still Love You

Natalie from Nat the Fat Rat

Alycia from Crowley Party

The Bang Pendulum

If any of you guys follow Ask the Duplex on Instagram...

you know that a few days ago I had an extremely impulsive bang chop right before class.  

About five minutes before I was supposed to leave for Statistics..

....this happened

with an end result of this....

My bangs are like a pendulum.  Swinging back and forth between short and long- short when I have an impulsive bang trim and then long when I am busy. 

They go from short...

to long...

then back to short...

 then back to long...

 then back to short...

Then back to frizzy....I mean back to long

and so the pendulum swings back and forth and back and forth.....

But ever since my impulsive bang trim last week, I've been considering doing a FULL CHOP.  And when I say full chop, I mean chop those bad boys into some straight across bangs.

I've only had straight across bangs once when I was in college.  

Don't ask me why I am wearing a Lucky Charms shirt....Or, even why I owned a Lucky Charms shirt..

So, what I'm asking here is....Should I chop my bangs to be full-straight-across-my-forehead-bangs??

Please vote below, if you would.  I wouldn't want to make any rash decisions without hearing my roommates' input.

READER SUBMISSION

I'm so happy to have our first ever cousin reader submission! Ashley is my cousin and was once a room mate. Ashley is also wildly talented and was sewing and cooking by age 8. She was also a  collegiate pole vaulter, can you say skilled? Here's Ashley:

Hi!  I'm Ashley from The A-Team and ashleyNEF.  While I didn't live at The Candy Shoppe, I was roommates with Whitney for a few weeks one summer in college.  We also happen to be cousins! 

My question today is about belts.  Not the accessory type-- functional belts.  You know, the kind you need to hold up your favorite pair of pants when you try to wear them the second day and they have been stretched out.  I have a functional belt that I throw on occasionally.  It works when I wear a sweatshirt.  The problems come when I need a belt and try to wear a fitted shirt.  This is what I'm talking about:

So when I really need a belt and want to wear a fitted shirt here is what I have come up with:

I know that Big Skinny makes supper thin wallets for guys who don't want them bulging out of their back pockets.  My question is, is there a similar alternative for girls and belts?  Have you found anything?  What do you do when need a belt and don't want the bulge?  Or should I just start selling grosgrain ribbons and safety pins in my etsy shop as well :)

Wedge One Should I Get?

I really wish I would have kept my shoes from 9th grade, because who knew wedges would be back in style so soon? (I guess it actually was awhile ago). Anyway, I'm going to buy a pair of summer wedges, and being that I am with kindergartners all day, I don't really have a ton of time to walk about looking for the perfect pair.

So, here are three of my options. Unfortunately I feel like I am being swayed too much by price/brand. So I'd like your opinion. Not knowing price or brand, which do you think I should get? Or have you seen a pair that I should get?

Please tell me your vote (I realize that they are pretty different shoes in different colors, but if you could only get one, which one would you get?):

 Option #1: Gray/Brown Wedge

Option #2 Black Sandal Wedge:

 Option #3 Light Brown Wedge:

Meme Monday (part 2)

I know you were all dying for Meme Monday so you could see more terrible pictures of me or Monica.
 

READER SUBMISSION

Hey, guys.  We are so excited to have Megan here at the Duplex today.  We've been loving her blog lately.  I am pretty sure we would be friends in real life.  Ever since I saw her photos (below) I've been wanting her skirt.  I love the length and I love the pleats at the bottom.  But, one thing is for sure.  I don't know anything about color blocking.  What do you guys have to say?  

Hello Duplex fans!

My name is Megan and I blog over at {Here's to you, Mrs. Robinson}. I like to talk about marriage, motherhood, oreos, a touch of fashion, and all the ups and downs of life.

I'm really excited to submit my question to the Duplex today! I have had this dilemma for sometime now and realized the best place to get the answer was right here!

So, I really love the color blocking trend I'm seeing everywhere but am a total chicken with it. Pattern mixing, I can do. Color blocking, I go into a panic of self doubt.

So I need your help!

I found this skirt at a thrift store over Christmas break thinking I could wear it with lots of different colors and pretend to be hip and stuff. But now I'm having second thoughts.

Is this proper color blocking?
Does this outfit work at all or did I totally miss the mark?
Are there certain color blocking rules I should be following?

Help!!

[also, please pay no attention to the fact that this outfit (mainly the top) gives me no shape... a.k.a. curvature... a.k.a. you know what I mean... :)]

Thank you so much, roommates!!
I know you are all way more fashionable than my husband {who thinks any trend I try is basically the worst... what does he know anyways right?} so I'm really excited for some e-roommate input!

***
Have a question for the Duplex? Email us at Asktheduplex@gmail.com

Big Bucks

Awhile ago I asked about what bra people were buying and I was surprised how a lot of people said, "I don't scrimp on this, I pay the big bucks for a great bra". It's interesting how there are certain items that as girls we decide to let loose and get the nicer one (like for me I NEVER buy the store brand ceran wrap, I hate that stuff).

Anyway, this past week I had a giftcard to Sephora and instead of buying a few different items, I spent the big bucks on one item. Being that I only wear four make-up items, I thought... 'It's free, why not?' HOLY SMOKES PEOPLE. The good stuff is expensive for a reason, it's incredible! So now in my drugstore make-up bag is this Yves St. Laurent under-eye concealer and I'm lovin' it. 

In case you were trying to remember what my under eyes look like:

Since this amazing awakening, I am now curious: what is the one (or more) items that you have that you do not scrimp on? What do you feel is worth the expensive (or expensive to you) price tag?

Reader Submission

Today we have Harley here from Harley and Jane.  I loved reading her post because it sounds like a question I have had about 10,000 times.  In fact, I can even see myself buying this exact dress and wondering if I should keep it.  I can't wait to see what you guys have to say!  

***

Should I keep this dress?

I am feeling kind of lukewarm about the thing. In theorey this bad boy should be right up my alley. And it was. I MEAN I BOUGHT IT. But now that I am at home and not in front of those magical dressing room mirrors at the GAP I am second guessing myself.

 Pros: Great length and sleeves. Cons: Horizontal stripes do nothing for my hips. What do you think?

***

Have a question for the Duplex? email us at Asktheduplex@gmail.com

Please Help the Glazed Doughnut Face

If you walked by me on the street right now you would probably think to yourself, "Hey, that girl must have just eaten a glazed doughnut and forgot to wipe her face off."

And that is where you would be wrong.

No, no, folks.  I have not been eating glazed doughnuts (Knoxville doesn't have any good doughnut shops) I have just been using Retin-A.   It's hard to see in the photo below.  But don't worry, you'll get to see a real doozy in a moment.

My face has constantly looked like a glazed doughnut for the past two weeks.  Don't get me wrong, there is nothing more beautiful than a warm glazed doughnut on a Saturday morning...it's just not as pretty on your face.

And if you don't like the look of glazed doughnut skin....you may have to stop reading right about now.  The next picture is quite graphic.  I made it kind of small so you don't have to get too grossed out. 

But, someone needs to help me.  I can't go around with a glazed-doughnut-face forever, can I?

There has GOT to be some type of fabulous moisturizer that would help this extreme dryness.  My husband has been telling me I should just stop using the Retin-A....but I just don't know if I have given it enough of a shot yet. 

PLEASE HELP!  Does anyone know any great moisturizers???  

Or any solutions for my doughnut face?