Boot Care 101

These days, a good pair of boots are hard to come by. After my beloved Sterling cognac boots fell apart, I spent months searching for a pair of new ones. The Sterling ones had been discontinued, and every other boot I tried on was one shy away from perfect. That is, until I came across the Frye boots you see above, that I got for $100 (that's right, I said $100!). They were marked down to $200 because of Nordstrom's Anniversary Sale, and on top of that, I had a $100 gift card from G's parents. A total steal, right?
In an effort to preserve these boots (aka rare gems) as much as I could, I headed to my two most trusted shoe gurus: my mom, and Nordstrom. Here is what they had to say about preserving leather boots:

• After you break your boots in, take them to a cobbler to get re-soled. This is crucial, because if you don't, especially with Frye boots (because their soles are made of leather), it'll be like "dragging a leather handbag across concrete, and after a while, you're bound to get holes." Ouch. This service usually costs about $20, takes about a week, and is totally worth it.

• For extra shine, try Aldo's shoe gloss.

• Every now and then, it is also important to clean the leather of your boots with a leather lotion. You can find a good one at Nordstrom through this link. When you click on the link, it'll most likely say the product is sold out. Don't worry, they always have these in the store.

• If your boots get wet, refrain from pat drying them with any sort of towel or napkin. The best thing to do is let them air dry.

• And last but not least, as mentioned below, to preserve the shape of your boots, when you aren't wearing them, keep them propped with rolled up magazines, or swimming noodles cut to size.

The Pike Place Market

The Pike Place Market has always been one of my favorite places to be. Unlike other farmer's markets I've been to, along with it's selection of locally grown produce, and handmade goods, Pike Place offers a variety of unique restaurants and vintage shops. If you're ever in Seattle, I highly recommend visiting the market, as it has become an iconic part of this city.
--My favorite food stand in the market: Daily Dozen Doughnuts

Combat Boots

Shoes: Steve Madden 'Troopa'
When I saw these boots two years ago, I didn't think twice about them. I saw them as being irrelevant to my personal style, and if anything, they reminded me of a pair of Dr. Martens I had as a kid, that I wasn't too fond of. Fast forward to now. Nordstrom had been promoting the heck out of these boots last fall, and naturally, they caught my attention. I started to realize all the outfits I could wear with these boots, and came to really like them. I ended up getting them for Christmas, and they have slowly become one of my favorite pairs of shoes. Who knew there would be such a turnaround in my taste? the above picture is dedicated by my good friend, A, who I used to have weekly Laguna Beach and The Hills nights with

Presumably Peplum

peplum top: Chloe K. via Nordstrom B.P. //jeggings: TJ Maxx $13.99 //watch: Marc by Marc Jacobs
Today, I'm thankful for my BFF, R. We've known each other for about 9 years now, and she continues to inspire and encourage me every day. This past Christmas, R gifted me with an introduction to a trend I've been eying, but haven't dared to try myself: peplum! I'm looking forward to incorporating this piece into my wardrobe, as I experiment with looks to define my personal style.

DIY Ombre Nails

Ombre nails are a trend I've been wanting to try for a while. Considering my love for red nail polish, and my desire to give black a second chance (I say "second chance" because it's never turned out right for me), I decided to do a black to red gradient. The results exceeded my expectations, and have even become one of my favorite looks.
TOOLS: two or more colors of nail polish you would like to fade together, a clear topcoat, and a piece of sponge.
DIRECTIONS: 1. Paint a base color on to your nails. This will be the color that appears on the bottom of the gradient. 2. Take your sponge and paint on a stripe of the second color you chose on to it. This will be the color that appears at the top of your gradient. If you chose to add a third color, simply add two stripes to the sponge. 3. Dab the sponge (with the nail polish on it) on to your nails, with most of the paint being concentrated at the tips of your nails. Don't panic if it doesn't look right yet. The next step will perfect the look. 4. Add a clear topcoat to each nail. This will help blend the colors together.
Still confused? Check out this video for an alternate explanation on how to do ombre nails.

red: 'Mr. Right Now' via Sephora by OPI (looks a lot lighter on camera)

Chambray Dreams

chambray shirt: Urban Outfitters $29 SALE // jeggings: TJ Maxx $13.99 // white t-shirt: Rubbish via Nordstrom B.P. //watch: Marc by Marc Jacobs
I never knew how complicated shopping for a chambray shirt could be until I actually started to look for one. I felt that no matter where I shopped, whether it was Target, or Nordstrom, I came across shirts that were either too short, too long, too dark, too expensive, etc. It wasn't until I was at the mall one day with R, where I came across the shirt you see above. It was the last one in my size, and 50% off. I suppose what they say is true: "some things are worth the wait."

Nail Tutorial: Begin Again

It's no secret that Taylor Swift's newest album, RED, has become one of my most-listened-to CDs. I especially admire 'Begin Again', a song about newfound love, and the music video that goes with it. Out of that admiration, I found it more than appropriate to dedicate a nail design to both this song, and Taylor Swift, herself. Read on for a tutorial on how to create the Begin Again nails.
TOOLS: a pencil, cotton swab with all the fuzz removed, piece of scrap paper, thin paint brush (optional), and the following nail polish colors-- red, white, light blue, dark blue, green, and gold (optional). See below for color specifics.
STEPS: 1. Paint your pointer finger nails red, and the rest white. 2. Put down a drop of the following colors on your scrap paper: light blue, dark blue, and green. 3. Using the cotton swab, create several 3-dot clusters on each white nail. These will be the "petals" to each flower. 4. Using the pencil, create 3 dark blue dots in the middle of each cluster from step 3. 5. Using your paint brush, or the brush that comes with the nail polish, paint one small stroke on each side of your flowers. These will be the leaves. 6. Optional: Dab a small amount of gold nail polish in the middle of each flower for a little bit of bling.

In the order mentioned in the 'tools' section, here are the nail polish colors I used: 'Rekha' Zoya, 'Ooh La La White' China Glaze, 'Dreamer' Revlon, 'Navy' F21, 'Pistachio' Nordstrom B.P., and 'Key to My Art' Finger Paints'.

Nail images by SWEATshirt DRESSshirt, Taylor Swift image via admirableswift Tumblr

Check out my other Taylor Swift nail tutorials: Sparks Fly, Better That Revenge, You Belong with Me, We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together, RED.