'Tis the Season

I don't know about ya'll, but Christmas really creeped up on me this year!! I feel like it was just Thanksgiving! Here it is, 4 days before Christmas Day, and I am no where near done with my shopping (and I'm sure I'm not the only one!) We have tons of great last-minute gift ideas at McAuley's this season! These little wallets have zippered compartments and even a strap that can turn them into wristlets! It also comes in black!

                                                       

If you still need something to wear on Christmas Day, we have this gorgeous red double-breasted coat that's cozy and festive! 
 
There are always certain things that remind me of Christmas and really put me into the spirit of the season, so I thought I would share a few of my favorite things!

Don't forget that once we reach 10,000 facebook fans, we're giving away a $300 shopping spree! So visit our page www.facebook.com/shopmcauleys for your chance to enter! And from everyone at McAuley's :

Trend Alert! Faux Fur Vests!

The faux fur trend is extremely hot right now! As the temps outside drop, we're always looking for fashionable ways to stay warm! A big part of the popularity of this piece is due to Rachel Zoe! Hollywood A-Lister's seem to all be rocking their vests this season!

You won't risk looking like a big grizzly bear as long as you pair your faux fur correctly with other pieces! Leggings, skinny jeans, and your favorite boot always go perfectly with a faux fur vest! Here at McAuley's we are right on top of this trend with some pieces we have in stock right now! Check out one of our favorites below! 

                                                          

If you're crushing on fur vests right now as much as we are, come in and check out our selection! Or you can shop our website 24/7 at www.shopmcauleys.com ! 

Don't forget about our current facebook contest! If we reach 10,000 fans, we'll give one lucky fan a $300 gift card!! So share the contest with your friends for more chances to win! www.facebook.com/shopmcauleys

All That Sparkles and Shines

The Christmas holidays are just around the corner, and so are those holiday parties!! One of our favorite embellishments of the season is always sequins! Add a little extra dazzle to your wardrobe by jumping on the sequin trend! This trend is showing up literally everywhere this season! From nail polishes, to shoes, but is most popular with dresses, tops, and skirts for all of those holiday get-togethers!! 


For those who are wanting to go all-out and bold with the season's hottest trend, a fully sequined dress is the epitome of glam! So if you want to grab the spotlight, glistening with sequins can be a great option! We still have several of the dress below just waiting to be the star of your next party!

Unsure about wearing all-over sequins?! Opt for a more subtle shimmer by choosing one sequined piece for your outfit like a blouse, or tank, that adds a pop of sparkle to basic  skinnies or tuck it into a skirt for a more dressy feel. It gives you a glam, yet not over-the-top elegant look! You could also go for a mini-skirt decked in shiny metallics! The gold sequined skirt below is so versatile and doesn't have to be reserved for holidays only! 

                         

Shine in sequins this Christmas season! Don't forget to enter our latest contest for a chance to win a $300 gift card!! Visit our facebook page  for detail on how to enter! 

Enter to win a $300 gift card!

We always hold a contest this time of year, and this year we're giving our biggest prize ever... A $300 gift card to use either at McAuley's Boutique or on shopmcauleys.com!Here's how you enter:

1. Visit McAuley's Boutique on Facebook
2. Click the "like" button to become a fan
3. Click the "sweepstakes" tab located below our profile picture
4. Fill out the entry form... And you've secured one entry for yourself

Now, one entry is great, but wouldn't you like to know how you can earn extra entries? Well, for every new fan who enters the contest and includes your name as the person who referred them, you'll get an extra entry. Here are some easy ways to make sure your friends know about the contest!

1. When filling out the entry form, make sure the "Share on My Wall" box is checked.
2. After entering, click the "Invite Friends" tab. That will allow you to invite 6 friends to enter the contest each day.
3. Post about the contest on your own wall, and to make sure they end up in the right place, tag us in your post. [if you aren't sure how to tag a page in a wall post, type the @ symbol before you begin typing McAuley's Unique Boutique. Once you get a few letters into typing our name after the @ symbol, we should pop up and you can click to make sure the tag works.

To give away the $300 gift card, we just have to reach 10,000 total fans on facebook!

The Holidays are Almost Here!

It's rather hard to believe that Thanksgiving is almost here! I feel like this year has absolutely flown by! Since everyone is starting to get into the holiday spirit, I though I would share a few Thanksgiving ideas this week, along with, a CUTE outfit idea!

Who doesn't look forward to the wonderful meal that is always promised by this holiday? Besides getting to see lots of family we don't see very often, the meal is my favorite part!

I was on Pinterest a few days ago and found a super easy idea for little Thanksgiving cookies! You just take a Keebler fudge stripe cookie, turn it upside down, put a little icing in the middle, and stick a mini-Reese's cup on top! Add an orange chiclet and you have an easy, tasty Pilgrim hat dessert! 

Now, I don't know about anyone else, but when I am planning my Thanksgiving outfit, there are 2 requirements: a. Cute and Stylish  b. Expandable! We all know everyone usually ends up eating a little too much and I hate being uncomfortable in my own clothes! So, you can still look super fashionable while having a little room to fit in all of your Thanksgiving dinner favorites! Below is an entire outfit put together that is comfy, yet still stylish! It would be easy to re-create this outfit with pieces you already have since it is based on a neutral color palette! 

All of the girls at McAuley's are gearing up for the holidays and ready to help you with all of your shopping needs! So, if you need a special outfit for any occasion, come see us, or shop with us on the web at www.shopmcauleys.com  !

This Season's Most Coveted Coats!

No one wants to be left with a boring coat for the winter. Big collars and wide arms are just a couple of the details we have seen popping up in the fashion world lately. Take for instance this beautiful, Aryn K. cream colored coat. It has a just-above-the-knee length with a high collar, giving you a long-lean line.
                                         

This next style of coat always has been, and probably always will be,  popular because of its classic styling. Make a statement and jazz it up a little bit by putting on this red double-breasted coat with pockets!
                                                    
Ponchos really seem to be all the rage this season! For those of you who love your little black coats but want to add a little more style, this black poncho with a precious tie-front bow gives it a fun girly-feel!
                                               
Don't forget, you can always shop with us online at www.shopmcauleys.com ! And, if you follow us on twitter (@shopmcauleys) you get to be the first to see our new arrivals!

Easy Outfit Add-Ons

Are you tired of your same old, boring outfits? Does your wardrobe lack fun, colorful pieces? Don't think you have to go out and buy expensive new clothes, just add-on some fun things here and there to give your outfits a little extra flair!

Notice how boring the plain black turtleneck below would have been had she not added this cute scarf that can be seen here:

Another really easy way to add some edgy flair to your outfit is through patterned tights! Ones like those shown below look super cute with many different boot styles, skirts, and dresses! Dress them up or down... the choice is yours!! 

My personal favorite way to make an outfit really pop is through fun jewelry! There are endless ways of accessorizing with necklaces, bracelets, rings, and earrings! These gold chandelier earrings are basic enough to pair with virtually any color or style, but still have that pretty flair you are looking for in earrings! 

Stay up-to-date on all of McAuley's new arrivals by following us on twitter (@shopmcauleys) where pictures are posted the moment we open the boxes!!

Fall Expressed Through Polish

Now that Fall has finally set in, it is time to put the bright colors to rest for the next few months. What colors do you tend to buy more of in clothes and wish you could find a polish in the same color?

Have you checked out OPI or ESSIE this year? They are coming up with some great colors that will last!

You have you neutrals, spicy deep reds, deep oranges(Go Clemson) light pink and one can never go wrong with a gray.

Look at that army green!! And the Navy is back for the season! Try a new color not only on your toes, but also on your finger nails. We all love to get a mani-pedi. Have a girls night with some friends and pick out your new color for fall!!

Effortless Fall Hairstyles

Tired of wearing your hair the same, boring way everyday? Don't have a lot of time to spend on fixing your locks? There are so many cute, different ways to style your hair that require little to no styling skills at all!

Take for instance this sweet little twist and pin! It's perfect for those days when you just want to hit the snooze button one more time but still want to look presentable for work or school! Start by parting your hair on the side. Then take a small section of hair from behind your left ear, twist and pin it to your neckline. Do the same for behind your right ear. Lastly, separate the rest of your hair equally and repeat!

I found this next little style floating around on pinterest, and it looks too easy NOT to try! The only supplies you need for this coil-style are bobby pins, a teasing comb, and hairspray!

I hope these styles gave you a little inspiration to try something new with your "do" ! Don't forget we are still hosting our Question of the Day contest on facebook every day until Halloween, when we will draw for a grand-prize winner of a $75 gift card! Visit www.facebook.com/shopmcauleys for details! Also, to stay up-to-date on our new arrivals, follow us on twitter (@shopmcauleys) pictures are posted as soon as the boxes are opened!!

10/25 Outfit of the Day

  McAuley's has always been known for showing you several different ways of wearing individual pieces in order to give you unique outfits, as well as the most possible use out of your purchases (therefore giving you the most for your money).  That concept is what led us to the Outfit of the Day!  Almost every day, we're posting a complete look and giving a one day only discount on some (if not all) of the pieces that make up the outfit.  Now that you know exactly what the purpose is behind the Outfit of the Day, I wanted to share today's look with you:

First of all, how cute is the back of this Aryn K top?? This little guy is 25% off right now as part of the Outfit of the Day

Ok, so you might need "sticky boobs" for this outfit, but we have some and they're 15% off today only!

One of the newest trends in denim is the skinny micro flare... We are loving how flattering this fit is (and they're pretty comfortable too!). Today, they're 15% off!

Get the rest of the look:

Just a side note.... All pieces of today's look are discounted until midnight tonight online with no promo code! You can also get the discount in store, but you've got to mention that you saw it online!

New Arrivals!

We got in lots of new arrivals today! Unfortunately, we were a little short-staffed, so we didn't get to take pictures of everything on one of our employees yet. We've got a few new arrivals that will be posted to facebook tonight, but in the meantime, here are some of the items we didn't have a chance to photograph yet!


Just because this new dress from Envi has a little purple & orange in it doesn't mean that it has to be reserved for gamedays AT ALL! It's great for just about anything and can be dressed up or down. Here, we've shown it on our mannequin with our basic orange belt, but it comes with a sash of its own if you're not into belts.


Here's another dress from Envi... This one is a faux wrap style in a blue & grey leopard print that's very versatile.


You'll get to see how adorable this Sao Paulo skirt is tomorrow when we take a picture of it on Jennifer (She's Miss Aiken SC USA and will be competing in the Miss SC USA pageant next month -- click her name and you'll be taken to her facebook page).

Don't worry Clemson fans, we didn't forget about you!


We've got several more things that you'll just have to wait for, unless you're already following us on twitter! Our twitter followers get to see our newest arrivals as soon as the boxes are opened and items are steamed, and we stay close by the computer to answer your tweets as quickly as possible. So, if you're not already following us on twitter, be sure to check out @shopmcauleys

One Trend Three Ways: Animal Print

One trend that always seems to pop up during the fall season is animal prints!! It is one of my favorites because it is so easy to use animal prints to dress up an otherwise boring, plain outfit! Last week we got in a huge shipment of tights, including LEOPARD print tights! They are super adorable, and even the celebs like Kourtney Kardashian are loving the leopard print!

Another fun, yet easy way to wear the trend is by throwing on accessories like scarves. Not only do they keep your neck warm when it's cool out, but they add a little punch of fun! For some reason, animal print scarves have always made outfits look more upscale and expensive without the expensive price tag!

If you're a little more daring and like to be bold with your outfits, try going with an all-over animal print dress! The one shown below is a Laundry by Design piece that is flattering for virtually all skin colors and body types! It's also super comfy!

Don't forget that throughout the month of October, McAuley's is hosting a Question of the Day contest on facebook! There will be a daily $10 gift card winner along with a grand prize winner of $75 that will be announce on Halloween!

Fun & Simple DIY Project!

Today I wanted to share with our readers a project that I completed a couple of weeks ago that was so much fun! I found an old picture frame at a local thrift store that had no glass or anything with it for only $2! I hate that I didn't take a before picture because it was truly hideous: gold paint that was chipping and turning green... completely gross-looking! I knew this piece had potential, it just needed a little primer, paint, and glaze! I had seen some picture on Etsy and different blogs about people turning old frames into earring holders by adding a piece of screen to the back of the frame. If you are like me and have entirely too many earrings and no where to store them, this will be the perfect DIY for you!


I definitely recommend using spray Kilz primer. It is so easy to spray your pieces instead on using a brush and trying to get in all the little nooks and crannies if your piece has lots of detail. You can get it for around $7 at Walmart or Lowe's, and there will be plenty left for several projects.

I started out by spraying my frame with 2 coats of this primer. It doesn't take too long to dry, only about an hour or so. Once it was completely dry, I started spraying on my color: Krylon Ocean Blue. I had seen a ton of projects in the blog world done in this color and knew I just had to try it! Krylon makes a ton of different spray paint colors. I found this one at Walmart for about $4 and there is plenty left to do about 5 more earring holders!

Once the paint was finished drying, I added a piece of screen that I found from an old door underneath my house. I measured the amount I would need and used gorilla glue to hold it in the back. If you have a staple gun you could probably use that too, but my frame was a bit fragile and I didn't want to risk cracking it.


The next step is completely optional: glazing your piece! I love the shabby-chic look that the glaze gives it. I used Valspar Tintable Glaze from Lowes with a coffee-bean colored tint added. The can of glaze is a little more expensive: about $15, but i used a tiny, tiny amount for this project and have so much left for future uses! I really just globbed it on the frame, let it sit for about 10 minutes and then wiped away the excess with an old rag. You can leave as much or as little glaze on there as you would like, and it's really easy to add more! The glaze takes a little longer to dry. I would let it sit overnight before hanging it or displaying it however you choose! Here is the finished product! Sorry for the bad picture quality, I took it with my phone!

If you have any fun DIY projects you have completed lately, feel free to share them with us! We love seeing other forms of inspiration for future projects!

Your Guide to Fall's Hottest Boots

Forget about your summer sandals... it's almost time for boot season! As the weather cools down, it is time to start thinking about all of the different boot designs we can wear in the fall!! We've listed our Top 3 favorite styles for the fall below!

One of the most recently popular styles of boots is definitely the riding boot! It is a traditional favorite that looks fabulous on everyone. These boots usually have a lower heel, so they are great for all-day wear!





The sexy-style boot usually boasts a stiletto heel and can be found in many different types of fabrics such as leather, suede, and satin. Over-the-knee or at the ankle, these boots are sure to impress!






The Western boot never seems to go out of style! They have been most-recently popular in the South as a way to dress up your gameday outfits or to give your date night apparel a fun twist!



We will be getting in more boots throughout the fall, so make sure you follow us on twitter (@shopmcauleys) to get the latest updates on our new boot arrivals!

Everything Old is New Again

Classy, vintage styles from fashion's past usually creep their way back into popular modern pieces. Take tweed for example; it used to be that women seen in tweed were viewed as matronly and frumpy. Now, if worn properly, it can look elegant and sophisticated while still being fun! I think people of by-gone eras of tweed just weren't sure how to wear it. Take a look at these poor groomsmen from the 70's:



One classic, iconic trend setter who actually wore tweed very well during her time was Jackie O. I don't think I have ever seen an ugly picture of her!



If you're thinking about trying to add some tweed to your wardrobe for the fall, don't be afraid, just don't overdo it! Add a simple tweed jacket to a plain skirt, or take a solid color top and add some flair with a tweed skirt like the one we just got in! You can view it by clicking on the picture below:



Keep yourself updated on all of the latest arrivals by friending us on facebook or following us on twitter (@shopmcauleys)!