Summer Must Have:

PUMPS.

via starstyleinc.com

 

That’s right- not sandals, but pumps.

And for good reason- they make your legs look gooooood and long.
Which is great, for us small girls (5’2″) like me.

One pair that I LOVE that incorporate both sandals AND pumps are these crisscross Miu Miu platform sandals:

via laurenconrad.com

 

*swoon* I love them. My mom has these in black and they are SO comfy, I hear. Sadly, we do not share the same size feet.
If you’re looking for affordable, cute shoes, Macy’s, Charlotte Russe, Top Line shoes, and Zappos always have a really great selection.

Also, TJ Maxx carries marked down GUESS and Jessica Simpson shoes, as well.

via shoes.about.com

I will gladly begin taking donations for these Jessica Simpson shoes for my birthday.
Please and thank you.

 

 

 

How to Fishtail braid

Please ignore my rambling, messed up hair in the beginning, the glare on my glasses and if you can hear the Disney Channel in the background.

…don’t judge me.

I have not fallen off the face of the Earth

And I still intend to keep my promise of teaching you beautiful people how to fish-tail braid.

It’s been a busy week, between school, work, and planning things for my mom’s birthday.

However, I can promise that I have some good posts coming up this weekend!
In the mean time, have a wonderful, bright and sunny weekend!

Tootles!

BUSYBEELAUREN

I also wanted to help promote another blog-

I’ve been following busybeelauren for a couple years now.
She has a blog about her life, but she posts awesome pictures, recipes, decorating tips, book reviews, and has contests and giveaways!
Plus, she’s awesomely funny.

Go read busybeelauren!

Bright, summery nails

I’m a slacker.
Well, not really.
I know I haven’t been posting as much as I should, but in my defense…I’ve been sick. For real.
Like, coughing that shakes your whole body and you can feel it hurt in your fingertips, kind of sick.
So, after a week of fluctuating between “I’m getting better!” to “I feel like I got hit by a truck”, I give up and am going to shell out the money to go see a doctor.

However- before I go to my appointment, I want to keep my promise of posting about how to pull off bright summery nails!

LILAC

I think every girl out there knows that lilac is basically the hottest color right now.
For good reason- it’s adorable!

via lucyinatree.blogspot.com

It’s a very prim and proper shade, so it looks good with something edgy, like black or a cute leather jacket.
The hardness of black and leather with the cute-sy, soft purple shade balance each other out.

HOT PINK

via ebiwcoco.blogspot.com

Hot pink is another big color for the summer months. But much like lilac, it’s a girly color, so it looks great paired with neutrals, like black, navy, or white.
Try to not pair bright pink nails with a busy pattern with a lot of colors- it looks a bit too busy.

ORANGE

via makeup4blackwomen.wordpress.com

Now, I’m not a big orange fan. Actually, it’s one of my least favorite colors.
It might have something to do with the fact that I grew up in the biggest Bulldog fan family ever, so I was religiously taught to hate anything or any team that had the color orange.
But it is a popular color, and if you’re going to pull it off, you need to wear a simple, clean outfit. Think: white v neck t-shirt with dark skinny jeans.
It will add the statement and pop of color, while your laid-back outfit will contrast it nicely.

MINT GREEN

via forme-foryou.com

I LOVE THIS COLOR.
It’s SO cute on hands and toenails. This nailpolish looks really good with brown colors or a dark, charcoal grey outfit.

BRIGHT BLUE

via kaboodle.com

Bright blue is a very nautical color, so it looks great for summer! Pair it with white- it looks very clean and fresh.

Next post: tutorial on how to fish-tail braid!
It’s a twist on a regular braid, is super cute, and is a great way to keep hair out of your face when at the pool or beach.

Lace

LACE is a huge trend right now.
If you have a preconceived notion that lace is for your grandma and her pearls- think again!

via angelac51590.wordpress.com

via bodyc.com

And it’s not just becoming more popular in everyday casual wear, but in formal wear as well.
I work at David’s Bridal as a wedding consultant as well as managing a local retail store, and see that lace is becoming a staple in wedding dresses as well.
For instance, Kate Middleton’s dress is the perfect example.
She’s such a doll.

via vigeixe.blogspot.com

Ummmm, I love that dress. It reminds me of Grace Kelly. *sigh*

Bottom line: Lace is BIG and everyone can pull it off.
It adds texture and femininity to an ordinary outfit.

One of the best ways to add the lace trend to your wardrobe is by an all lace tank top, layered over another tank or shirt.

via shannbabenyc.blogspot.com

Add some cute jewelry, like a cool necklace with some skinny jeans, and you’re good to go!

Some great store sites for inexpensive lace shirts are:

www.bodyc.com 

www.charlotterusse.com

www.urbanoutfitters.com

www.wetseal.com

It’s a fun, trendy way to spice up an outfit and it’s also great for summer months when it’s hot!
I wear some of my lace tank tops over my bathing suit when I’m headed to the pool or to the beach.

Next topic: Summer’s bright nailpolish color trends- how to pull off the bright colors.

Outside of my comfort zone…

So, I’m not a very big hat person.
I mean, I can do the whole baseball cap in the summer by the pool thing, but I just feel like for my face shape or maybe it’s just my head, I look awkward.
Even big floppy hats in the summertime scare me. They’re adorable, don’t get me wrong, there are just some things that I feel like I can’t pull off.

HOWEVER- today, I took a risk and bought a fedora. Haha.
Channeling my inner Britney/Michael J.
You see, this weekend, I’m going to a concert on the beach for 3 days and it’s going to be both PACKED and HOT.
Since my hair looks like a poodle/fluff ball when I’m at the beach, I had to find something to cover up it’s mess.
And while a floppy beach hat would provide the most protection against UV rays, I was afraid of the complaints I would receive from it’s big-ness. Bleh.
So I bought a fedora at the mall.

10 bucks.
White with lace and a black band.  It will go with basically everything, and it’s so cute.
Pictures from the beach with this hat will have to be posted first of next week!

Here are some everyday ways to incorporate hats when you have bad hair days or just want to try something new!

  

via thebudgetfashionista.com

via good-seller.com

via hatsca.com