Gingham Style

A few months back I talked about this brand called Eshakti. They're a bit different compared to other clothing companies, because they customize your clothes to your exact measurements. I don't kid when I tell you I love a company or product, especially if they're competitively priced and fit within my budget. Well, I took advantage of their '$20 off your first purchase' deal and bought this dress (for $25)!

     So why did I buy this dress?

     Their dresses fit like a glove. But that's to be expected when the dress is made to your exact measurements. Its thick, sturdy fabric keeps its shape as you wear it throughout the day (or do non-stop twirling until you get dizzy and feel like hurling).

     When I bought this dress, snow still blanketed the ground. But I had grander dreams, dreams of wearing it to a garden picnic or a summer lawn party. Neither has happened yet, but I would never turn down an invitation *hint hint ;)

     And this bucket bag? I got it from Neiman Marcus, and can't stop using it to the point that I may need to get another!

So does the dress pass my 3 check inspection?

Office appropriate? (with a cardigan) ✓
After-work drinks fun? ✓
Dinner date good? ✓

Gingham dress | Eshakti (available here)
Silver pumps | BCBG
Bucket bag | Neiman Marcus
Silver bracelet | Vrai & Oro

How was your Memorial Day?

Let's stay in touch!

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Linking up Shanna, Lauren, Lindsey, Jen, Zarouhi, & Sarah :)

Under the Bridge

I was actually originally heading to the a little plaza a few feet away from here, but when I saw the beautiful green underbelly of the bridge, I couldn't help but stop to admire. I knew I had to take photos here. It would be a wonderful contrast to my black and white outfit!

     With the recent good weather and sun, why am I in black and white?

     Recently, I've found myself drawn to bright colors and prints now that the weather's decided to cooperate. But after hours of Instagram/Pinterest, florals and pastels no longer feel fresh. So in order to reboot my love of all things floral, I had to go in the other direction for a bit with monotone color schemes or not so obviously 'spring' inspired outfits.

     Now onto the outfit. I still aimed for something fresh feeling, but in a more subtle way. I love how clean black and white is as a combo, and its classic nature lends itself to any season. But does it pass my 3 check inspection?

Office appropriate? (with a cardigan) ✓
After-work drinks fun? ✓
Dinner date good? ✓

Checkered Dress (worn as top) | Asos
Nude Python Belt | Ann Taylor
Fluted Skirt | Zara
Pointed toe pumps | Schutz
Sunglasses | Asos
Rings | Marc by Marc Jacobs / Rome

Who else is sick of florals recently?

Let's stay in touch!

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Linking up Shanna, Lauren, Lindsey, Jen, Zarouhi, & Sarah :)

Life Lately

Normally, I don't do recap posts, but recently I've been doing quite a bit, and decided to share a bit of it!

If you follow my instagram, then you have an idea of what this post will contain. If you've talked to me then you probably mistook me for an extrovert, but oddly enough, I'm the exact opposite. I'm an introvert; well, an extroverted introvert if that makes sense. I can be outgoing and talkative, but on the inside, I'm panicking. It's a daily occurrence for me to switch words mid-sentence like hi-lo (hi/hello) or skir-ress (skirt/dress), because I panic and second guess my choice in words. This blog is forcing me to identify some amazing things in me, and thereby make me more comfortable and confident in social situations.

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With the beautiful Naty Michele and ridiculously funny Dhruvi of Stilettos and Sequins

First off, I went to an event at Dolce Viso hosted by the ridiculously young looking, down to earth, kind, Naty Michele of A Love Affair with Fashion and Elle magazine. (I mistook her for my age, but apparently I was way off base. I seriously need to get the details on her skin regimen!). I know people say not to meet people who've made it big, but you don't need to worry about it with her. She is so kind and caring, and genuinely a good person, who spent the whole night running around making sure everyone felt comfortable. 

I also met some amazing and equally friendly Jersey-based bloggers. I love the community I felt that night. It was inspiring. I have never felt this driven since I started blogging. It made me more focused and committed to work harder. Create better content. Promote my blog more.

Basically: Don't be afraid to fail.

Our beautiful panelists taking time out of their busy schedule to talk to us!

A week later, I had the pleasure of joining Rakuten in NYC at the Conrad Hotel. They hosted a panel session with BirchBox, Saks Fifth Ave, and Vacation Style. Our topics ranged from what brands look for, when to monetize your blog, and how brands build relationships. Afterwards, we enjoyed a networking hour filled with wine and cheese with brands like Bumble&bumble, Rodale's, and Reiss (more on the last two later!).

Some amazing products I've gotten to try (& going to review!) the past few weeks from
Wella Hair, Birch Box, Bumble & Bumble, Fresh, Philosophy, and Molton Brown.

Last but not least, I made a basket of goodies for Mother's Day. It's something I haven't had the pleasure to do for so many years so I went all out. I went the creative route with my DIY Polaroid magnets found here and compiled a ton of photos including one from her childhood holding her younger brother. You can even sneak a peek at one of my favorites, a dalmation inspired one!

Like most moms, she never spends on herself, so I decided to spoil her with some amazing products.

1. Creme de La Mer Moisturizing Cream is one of the most coveted products a woman can have in her beauty regimen. It's a nutrient rich formula full of sea kelp, vitamins and minerals, but what makes the real difference is the fact that each formula must be distilled over a 3 to 4 month process. The reason it continually wins beauty awards from the the likes of Neiman Marcus.
2. La Mer Lifting Contour Serum: She's also been bringing up the fear of wrinkles and looking older (although I think she has nothing to fear!) so I also gifted her this. Unlike most serums, it feels light on the skin, yet packs a punch. It can be used on your face and neck to help firm and strengthen the skin there.
3. La Mer Brightening Lotion Intense: To top it off, I bought a brightening lotion to target dark spots, scarring, or any hyper pigmentation. It also helps to hydrate and soften your skin for a more youthful look.

So that was a quick recap of my life recently. If you like these type of posts, let me know, and I'll be sure to do periodic updates with and inside peek into my life!

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Librarian Belle

I have been reading so much about the new Beauty & the Beast movie that I unconsciously dressed with that in mind. I always thought of Belle as a librarian for her love for books and how she took care of the Beast's library. Oh, and she happened to become a princess somewhere along the way. And no offense to the other "Disney princesses," but Belle was the first princess I could respect and probably hold a normal conversation with.

(FYI, for those wondering, Mulan's right up there with Belle, but she's not considered a princess by Disney)

     While in elementary school (primary school), I thought being a librarian was the coolest thing, because of Beauty & the Beast. I thought librarians were so worldly, because they had the world at their fingertips. I realize now that sometimes just reading about life isn't the same as living it for yourself.

     Now onto the outfit. I brought up Belle and librarians, because I can't shake the fact that if you replaced my clutch with a book, I'd look right at home in a library! Plus my weakness for sweater vests doesn't help. They make my outfits feel a lot cleaner, proper, and a bit scholarly so basically preppy. I realized I was describing preppy as I wrote that! I still love the look. Why?

Office appropriate? ✓
After-work drinks fun? ✓
Dinner date good? ✓

So what's not to love? :)

Sweater vest | Thrifted
Button down | Express
Skirt | J. Crew (Thrifted)
Leather clutch | Thrifted
Pointed toe pumps | Schutz
Gold necklace | Thrifted

Who else is excited for the new Beauty & the Beast movie?

Linking up Shanna, Lauren, Lindsey, Jen, Zarouhi, & Sarah :)

Let's stay in touch!

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Dear Sunny: Happy Mother's Day

     The unsung heroes of our lives. The most passionate fan you'll ever have, who will support you as you chase your dreams. The only supporter you'll have right from the get go despite not accomplishing anything. The only person to put you before herself, and sees no limit to the sacrifice she is willing to make for you. Our mothers are the unsung heroes who we so often forget until days like these come up. Until we're so afraid of finding out tests results that could change our lives. Until we need a shoulder to cry on when one of our lifelong dreams comes to a crashing halt. Until we try to recreate our favorite childhood dish and need her to spill that special secret ingredient. Until we're swamped in wedding preparations and don't know where to find that 'something old.' Until we've become mothers ourselves do we realize how much love they had for us.

Make sure the most important woman in your life knows you love her.
To the moon and back.

❤ Happy Mother's Day ❤

DIY | Polaroid Magnets

If your mom's the sentimental type then this is a gift she'd love. Just fair warning, you might encounter trouble topping this gift in the coming years. It's a photographic journey of her life from her younger years, to her first moments as a mother, to some of her most recent and treasured memories with you. The project recycles the retro Polaroid look, which has had a resurgence in popularity recently, into magnets. If she's a working mom, she can take them to work and decorate her office for a personal touch. If she's a stay at home mom, she has new photos to accompany your fridge art. The best part? It can be made in under $10!

What you'll need:

• Photos to be used, scanned and ready (I'm totally dating myself right now)
• Magnetic adhesive sheet
• Pair of scissors or exacto knife
• Polaroid template (find the downloadable version below!
• Photo paper (optional)

1. If you're using a scrapbooking software or Photoshop, this will be much easier, because you just enter the template and multiple it on one sheet. You then resize all of your photos to fit the Polaroid photo frame, and arrange a photo behind each frame.
   
   For non-photoshop users, find a polaroid template you like. Cut out the middle of the template. Crop your photos to a square shap then resize your photos to fit the template cutout. Paste each photo into an individual template.
2. Print the pseudo Polaroids onto photo paper. I don't have a printer that can print out quality I'd be happy with so I sent mine to CVS for 1 hour printing. Do not do the in-store printing. It utilizes a different printer, and the photo color and quality are sub par.


3. Once you have your photos. Peel off a corner or the magnetic adhesive sheet, but do not pull it completely off. Place your photos on the adhesive side, and cover with the peeled off sheet before adding pressure to ensure the photo paper has attached to the magnet sheet.
   
   
4. Take your exacto knife or scissors and cut out your sheet of photos.
5. Now peel away the top sheet, and carefully cut out each individual Polaroid magnet.
6. Voila! Your gift is ready to be given :)
   
   Note: If you don't want to see the black strips of magnet on the sides of your polaroids, you can paint them white with acrylic paint after you've done the steps listed above.

I hope you liked this post, and if you end up doing this DIY, let me know! I'd love to see what flowers you used, and how it came out! Just your creation with #polaroidmagnet so I can check it out :)

Happy DIYing!

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Floral Vision

It's typical, I know. But it's also popular for a reason. I'm talking about florals!

Before it becomes sweltering hot, and I feel like I'm in the desert having delusions of a glittering oasis in the middle of nowhere, I swaddle myself in all things floral. I am instantly drawn to that pastel dress or flower lace skirt or floral bustier. Anything pastel, romantic, and floral is a GO. I guess that's why spring is right up there with autumn for me as a favorite season. It's not too hot, not too cold, but so beautiful in its own right.

     You thought I was lying when I wrote this post, right? I was not. All things pastel, floral, or lace are on heavy rotation right now. My daily outfits revolve around one of these prerequisites. And if you find anything pastel, lace, AND floral, you are legally obligated to tell me so I may purchase.

     I don't know if you can tell, but I'm getting more and more comfortable taking photos outdoors in front of people. I'm still not completely OK with it, but I'm becoming less and less self conscious about it, which I think lends itself to other aspects of my life. Not caring as much about what others think I'm doing. It's really freeing.

     Now I have no Mother's Day's plans yet, but I think if I were to spend a day in the park having a picnic with my Mom, I think I'd default to this outfit. It's casual, comfortable to move in, and also easy to sit in (without accidentally flashing people!). What are your Mother's Day plans?

Pink cardigan | Thrifted
Floral corset | Stradivarius
Belt | Thrifted
A-line skirt | Shanghai boutique
Purse | Coach (gift)
Lucite sandals | L.A.M.B.


Stay tuned for more Mother's Day posts!

Linking up Shanna, Lauren, Lindsey, Jen, Zarouhi, & Sarah :)

Let's stay in touch!

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