Country Livin'

Hi Guys!  We are settling into our new country home quite nicely.  Being in this new environment and town has got me really embracing this lifestyle and inspired to create western looks.  Not to mention I have been drinking beer and watching Urban Cowboy the whole weekend [YEE HAW!]  Overall I find that I try and plan blog posts but end up reverting to whatever feels right in that moment.  Namely whatever I am immediately affected by - my environment, what I have to do, my mood, etc.  I won't stop planning [since I am a planner by nature], but it's interesting how what I do plan can do a complete 180 in a matter of a few days. Hope you all had a nice weekend.  We didn't get everything [or a lot of things] accomplished that we wanted to, but I think all-in-all it was a nice weekend and the essentials were covered ;)

I started the weekend off with pigtails because . . . WHY NOT?

I love putting the camera a little lower and angling it up.  Makes any stems look longer and leaner than they really are :x

Go uptown, New York City biiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiish.

What's more country than concho and fringe?  IDK, but when you find out, LMK.

NYX is my new favorite lipstick brand.  They are cheap, easy to wear, and come in the most beautiful range of colors.

A little acid wash never hurt anyone!! [one of my many mottos]

I wanted to the end the weekend with a sweet Sunday look.

Of course I can never be too sweet [HA HA], so I had to edge it up with a denim / hoodie jacket and studs.

I love how different sizes of floral patterns can give you such different looks.

What I'm Wearing in Look 1:

Necklace - Gifted

Tank - Necessary Clothing

Shorts - American Apparel

Boots - Wanted Shoes

What I'm Wearing in Look 2:

Hat, Tank, and Bag - F21

Necklace - Crossroads

Denim - Echo Clubhouse

Boots - Wanted Shoes

What I'm Wearing in Look 3:

Jean Jacket, Choker, Rings, and Booties - F21

Dress - Bliss Boutique [< - - click the link!]

*This post is sponsored by Bliss Boutique

C'est la vie

This last week has been one for the record books.  So much has been happening in my life / those around me, and I won't go into the gritty details here, but there have been 4 / 5 major events in just one week!  I'm feeling emotionally, mentally, and physically drained from recent days and any spare time I've gotten I've used for either sleep or just taking a few moments to chill out and think about how I'm feeling about everything.  However, I am feeling extremely grateful for the people I have in my life and the time I have with them. 

I recently started collaborating with Bliss Boutique [< - - click the link!] and knew that I had to have this top.

Not only am I sporting the 'Canadian Tuxedo', I'm sporting it in double acid wash.  Double faux pas??

I love the edginess [acid wash and crop] and sportiness [athletic stripe] of this top.  I knew instantly that I wanted to play off of these aspects and create an overall edgy/sporty look.

My tried and true backpack from Forever 21, along with these combat boots, appear in so many of my off-duty / casual looks.

She looks like she's trying to escape me, but trust me, she was LOVING it.

I try to shoot during the 'golden hour', near sunrise and sunset, to avoid weird reflections and lighting, but I thought these streams of light ended up looking kinda cool.

I'm grateful for the doggies in my life too.  Two big paws up for all the dog lovers out there!

What I'm Wearing:

Hat - My Boyfriend's

Top - Bliss Boutique [< - - click the link!]

Necklace - Gifted

Denim - Echo Clubhouse

Backpack - Forever 21

Ring - Crossroad's Trading

*This post is sponsored by Bliss Boutique

Purple Heart

Hello Again!  And welcome to another installment of my Valentine's Day looks for 2015.  This theme is, you guessed it, PURPLE (:  I wanted to create a look that was slightly unconventional for Vday + experiment with my new purple lip color (:  Although it's not your typical red or pink or hearts or what-have-you, I like to think of the look as still being romantic, with an edge.

I love the sweetheart neckline of this dress.  I think it makes it look, well . . . sweet.

For fancier outfits, I gravitate towards clutches.  I appreciate that this one comes with a strap #thumbsup

If I were ever on a carpet [of any color], I'm thinkin that this would be my go-to pose.  Whattayou say?

This claw-like necklace, matched with my purple lips, provides the edge I was looking for to balance out this sweet outfit.

Love, love, LOVE this print.

What I'm Wearing:

Necklace - Gifted

Dress - Crossroads

Ring - Francescas

Clutch - Gifted

Heels - F21

Shop Styling

Many of my friends find it odd that I can spend hours upon hours browsing online shops but never actually buying anything.  Well, part of the reason is that I feel that shopper's high just from looking at things and thinking that I will purchase them and that they will later reside in my closet.  The other (bigger) part however is that while I shop online, I'm actually shopping more for styling tips than I am for items. 

I browse through my favorite online shops, stop on the looks that I like, and mentally go to a place where I am substituting those items that this shop has styled so amazingly for items that I already have in my closet.

Next time you feel like you are in a fashion rut or "have nothing to wear", try this!  Go online shopping, but for styling tips instead of purchases.  The items that you own don't have to be exact duplicates of what's in that store.  It's all about inspiration - taking what you already have and creating something you would've never thought to create otherwise.

 I love this casual/sporty look for weekend wear and am already thinking about pairing my sneaks with a loose ripped jean + moto jacket.

I love that this look takes something preppy / work appropriate (a sweater witha a collared shirt underneath) and gives it edge with stocky boots and tight leather pants.

This look is all about the details.  A shorter skirt with a longer sweater, a simple knot of a t-shirt, and huge chunky platforms.

This layering.  Need I say more?

This look is so sleek and chic but rocker at the same time.  I can't wait to try something similar.

Put your pom poms down for me!  As soon as I get some extra spending money, this bad boy is mine (:

The first three looks (and last look) are from Missguided.  The other two looks are from Forever 21.

Je t'aime

Whenever I have a breakfast / brunch to go to, I always gravitate towards the "sweet" items in my closet.  Florals, pastels, lace, ruffles . . . It's not like me to be too sweet though (ha ha . . . ) so I tend to pair these types of items with something more graphic / with an edge.  To tone down the sweetness, if you will.  Hope everyone has a wonderful Sunday and start to another week / OCTOBER!!

My top picks to keep you trending cheaply:

From left to right (click the links!)

Forever 21 - $14.90

H&M - $34.95

Forever 21 - $24.90

From left to right (click the links!)

Swell - $34.99

Vigoss - $24.99

Shoptiques - $48.00

Not So Basic Black

It's "fall" in California and I'm still comfortable as I am dressed below.  I wanted to create an all black look and figured I would go with this mini skirt that I rarely wear.  I love the 60s vibe with the daisy cutouts on the sides.  I'm pushing 30 so I better make the most of this skirt while I still can :D

My top picks to keep you trending cheaply:

 

From left to right (click the links!)

Retro Sunglasses - Isaac Mizrahi - $48.00

Retro Square Sunglasses  Kohl's - $9.99

Retro Style Big Frames - Chic Nova - $8.50

Zaballa Tank - Anthropologie - $39.95

Silence+Noise Backless Tank - Urban Outfitters - $29.99

Lend Me your Tiers Tank - LuLus - $25.00

Retro Sunglasses - Isaac Mizrahi - $48.00

Retro Square Sunglasses  Kohl's - $9.99

Retro Style Big Frames - Chic Nova - $8.50

Cut-Out Mini Wrap Skirt - Topshop - $40.00

Paloma Pleated Tulip Skirt - BCBG - $44.00

Leather Mini Skirt - LuLus - $43.00

Lace-Up High Heel Booties - LuLus - $29.00

Scrunch Ankle Booties - Macys - $39.99

Peep-Toe Wedge Booties - JCPenny - $34.99

---My Outfit Details---

(click the store name for links!)

Sunglasses - Ray-Ban

Tank - Supre'

Bangles - Thrifted, Forever 21, and Bebe

Necklace - Francescas

Mini Skirt and Booties - Forever 21