In With The New

One of my favorite things to do at the start of each season is revamping my wardrobe. This includes recycling items I wore during previous seasons, as well as making a trip to the mall (the fun part). Although tank tops and sun dresses can be worn again, by being layered with fall items, it is a necessity for shorts and sandals to be traded in for a new pair of jeans and sneakers.

Tip: For items you want to purchase, make a mental shopping list of what you plan on getting so you don't get side tracked, and/or end up spending more money than you had originally intended.


Need ideas? Here are a few things I consider Fall staple items:

1. A good jacket.

2. Cardigans-- you can never have too many of these, especially if you live in a place with a colder climate. I usually get mine from the B.P. at Nordstrom or Forever 21.

3. All things long-sleeved.

4. Jeans. I prefer dark denim, because jeans in general tend to fade over time. So, might as well start dark, because you'll eventually get the light jeans you originally wanted. Well, kind of. ;)

5. A pair of faux or real leather boots. From past experience, the higher quality boots you choose to invest in, the longer they'll last (thus, saving you more money). I got lucky, and got a pair for $60, that ended up lasting for a little over 2 years.

6. Scarves. Invest in a few plain, colored ones. They'll be timeless, and should last you a few years.

collage created and images via Polyvore

Daddy's Girl

dress shirt: Dad's closet //tank top: Carol Anderson //leggings: HUE //belt: Banana Republic //bracelet: Nordstrom B.P.

I often find myself borrowing clothes and accessories from my mom's closet. I decided to switch things up today by taking a peek at what my dad's wardrobe had to offer. After passing up several items, I finally came across a "slim fit", white dress shirt.

Paired with a top-knot, red lipstick, a skinny belt, and black leggings, I can't help but to question myself as to why I never gave menswear a try.

lipstick image via Polyvore

My Fair Lady

An end-of-summer activity I often look forward to is the state fair. It's a tradition for my two friends B and E, and I to go together. The things we usually anticipate are henna tattoos, the pig races, and photography opportunities. But more than anything, our intentions of going are to devour what we like to call "fair food". It's the one time out of the entire year where we really let go, and allow ourselves to eat whatever we want.

"Let's do some damage... to our colons."

{a "blooming onion"}

{free baby smoothies from McDonalds!}

{B's blackberry milkshake}

{super nachos}

{coconut ice cream}

{henna tattoos}

Tutorial: Hot Pink Leopard

One of my favorite parts of summer is getting to wear bright nail polish. There is just something about neons and pastels, and how they can accentuate a tan.

During the school year, my roommate decided that she wanted to start fresh with her nail polish collection. As a nail polish addict, I wasn't about to let her donate perfectly good nail polish to the garbage man, without running it past me first. 'Strawberry Electric' by Revlon was a favorite that I picked up. A gorgeous shade of metallic hot pink, I couldn't help but to pair it with leopard spots.

Steps:
1. Start by making a several letter Cs, all facing different directions.
2. Complete the look by filling in each C with a white dot.

Starbucks Secrets

photo: http://d30opm7hsgivgh.cloudfront.net/upload/21676426_gR4kbFrI_c.jpg

One of my best friends, B, recently got a job at Starbucks. I've mentioned before that he is an enthusiast for all things Washington. He even has a tattoo of the state. Since his first day at work, B has ranted and raved non-stop about all the coffees, teas, and various concoctions he has gotten to taste. Some of the drinks he learned about are even considered "secret", as they do not appear on the menu, and are mostly known to employees only.

While on our way to the Pike Place Market today, I decided to interview B, with the goal of trying to find out some of the "Starbucks Secrets". Here are the drinks he told me about:

In the famous words of B's culinary professor, "Starbuck it!"

text art made possible by: Polyvore

A Blast From the Past

I've been making friendship bracelets for as long as I can remember. In elementary school, I went to this daycare that was owned by an older lady who loved to do arts and crafts. We made boondoggles, paper mache figurines, tissue paper flowers, and of course, all kinds of bracelets. --my favorite, being the the friendship kind. At the age of 22, I never thought that I would see these nostalgic symbols of companionship become popular once again.

Click on this link for the amazing tutorial I used.

text image made possible by Polyvore.

Revamped Side Braid

pictured here: Victoria, the mannequin head

As a long-time fan of the Lauren Conrad braid, I decided to recreate it with a slight twist. Instead of going about this hairstyle as I usually would, I incorporated the concept of fishtail braiding (video tutorial found here). The result: a new and unique way to keep hair out of your face, perfect for Fall!

Tip: When grabbing new sections of hair to add into the braid, be sure the sections contain no more than a dozen strands of hair. You want the strands to be much, much smaller than if you were to fishtail braid all of your hair.

'love that fishtail' text made possible by Polyvore