Casual Coral

    Hello, yesterday night I went out for my mother’s birthday dinner at a new local restaurant.  It has been ridiculously hot and humid lately, so I didn’t want to mess with wearing lots of layers or a dress.  For some reason dresses that come in at the waist make me so hot! (Is that weird?)  But shorts don’t bother me as much.  So with that said I threw on my coral shorts and leather belt to keep them up and a loose fitting tank.  I tossed on some simple wedges to keep myself from looking like I just came from the beach.  I kept my hair natural in a simple half up style and added a simple triangle pendant necklace.  I also threw on my favorite polka dot sea foam sunnies for an added pastel pop.

Tank from Macy’s.

Coral shorts by Indigo Ren from TJ Maxx.  Almost identical ones here.

Cream wedges from New York and Co.

Necklace from Target.

Early Summer Haul and Styling

    Hi there, I’ve been out shopping recently, and I thought I should share, so I have an early summer haul and styling!

    This first outfit is for the slightly chilly and windy winter nights. I recently picked up these amazing geometric resort pants, the cropped backless tee, and the circle tortoise sunnies.   I love the resort style pants, they are super comfortable and have the deepest pockets.  I love how the pattern is prominent but not overpowering.  The tee is the perfect basic with a twist because of the crossed back detail.  The sunglasses are subtle with the materials but the shape makes them interesting.  To the new pieces I added a stone pendant necklace, a vintage western ring, and braided leather sandals.

Pants, $20, by Volcom from Pacsun.  Same pants, different pattern here.

Tee, $13, from Body Central.

Glasses, $5, from Earthbound Trading Co.

Necklace from Forever 21.

Ring is vintage.

Sandals by Black Poppy from Pacsun.

Lipstick is Maybelline Super Stay 14 Hr Lipstick in Continuous Cranberry.

    This second outfit is great casual wear.  I picked up the daisy crop top, the high rise white denim shorts, and the tortoise cat eye sunnies.  The daisy top is great for those hot summer days because the material is thin and breathable.  It’s a nice nod to the black and white trend.  The shorts are a perfect fit, not to tight, not too loose; the distressing makes them look more casual.  I couldn’t resist picking up these cat eyes, I am a sucker for cat eye glasses, and I feel they look slightly mysterious.  To complete the look I added some vintage bracelets, some stacked silver and gold rings, and brown leather converse.

Daisy top , $23, by Kirra from Pacsun.

Shorts, $23, from Charlotte Russe.

Sunglasses, $8, from Earthbound Trading Co.

Bracelets are vintage.

Rings, assorted, from Pacsun and H&M.

Converse from TJ Maxx.

Lipstick is Maybelline Super Stay 14 Hr Lipstick in Continuous Cranberry.

    The third outfit would work dinner out or something of that nature.  The top, shorts, sunnies, and wedges are new.  The top is a simple heather white tee with geometric crochet sleeves.  The shorts are high rise with a coral and butter chevron pattern.  The sunglasses have a modified metal frame across the top which I am completely obsessed with.  Three cheers for original looking sunglasses.  The wedges are a cream linen with brown leather piping and a strap at the heel.  They are probably the most comfortable wedges I have ever worn, thank goodness I got them for a steal!  To top off the look I threw on a mini ivory tusk pendant necklace.

Top, $27, from New York and Co.

Printed shorts , $25, by Kirra from Pacsun.

Sunglasses, $25, by Kendall & Kylie from Pacsun.

Wedges, $15, from New York and Co.

Necklace from Forever 21.

Lipstick is Maybelline Super Stay 14 Hr Lipstick in Continuous Cranberry.

    I also picked up this bikini when I was on vacation, so I decided to throw it in.  It reminds me of Hawaiian shirts, so I thought that was funny and had to pick it up.

Hawaiian bikini, $20, by Ingear from Bob’s Beach Shack.

Brother's Graduation

    Hi, my brother’s graduation was a couple weeks ago, so I figured I would show you what I wore, albeit a little late.  The graduates had to dress up in semi formal wear, however, I did not want to go that far, so instead I opted for a dressier casual look.  I wore my green skinnies to make the look a little dressy (I feel colored pants look slightly dressy, is that just me?), and toned it down with the chambray shirt.  For accessories, I wore leather sandals, black cat eye sunnies, vintage bracelets and anklets, and a maroon leather cross body with a cute bow detail.  I also wore a tribal print belt to bring slight bohemian vibes.  Minimal makeup completes the look.

Chambray shirt by Girl Krazy from TJ Maxx.

Green pants by Mossimo from Target.  Green pants here.

Sandals from Charlotte Russe.

Sunglasses from Fossil.

Crossbody bag from Ebay.

Bracelets are vintage.

Dreamcatcher DIY?

    The other day I made a dreamcatcher.  I used to have a big red one when I was little, but I actually believed it gave me bad dreams instead of good ones!  Because of my superstitions, I got rid of it.  I decided I should give it another go, and so far, no bad dreams.  Hah.  It was surprisingly easy and quick to make, too.  So, if you would like me to do a tutorial on how to make one, leave me a comment and let me know!

Geometric Coral

    Hello, so today I have to run a few errands then I’m going to see some friends so I had to dress comfy casual.  I’m wearing a cotton coral button up that I tied at the waist.  I paired it with some light wash jean shorts that have a subtle pinstripe detail.  I added some black and white geometric print sandals to add a nice contrast to my printed shorts.  I topped it all off with a dainty strawberry necklace and toned it down with some wooden bracelets and my leather braided belt for a slight bohemian flair.  I also chose to wear my new favorite purse; I think I’m in love.  Ha.

My Look:
Coral tie front button up by Pink Rose from TJ Maxx.  Similar one here.
Pinstripe jean shorts from American Eagle.  Similar pinstripe shorts here.
Geometric sandals from Pacsun.
Braided leather belt from Dry Goods.  Similar one here.
Bracelets diy and from Guatemala.
Strawberry charm necklace from Froever 21.  Strawberry necklace here.
Dana Buchman floral tote bag from Khol’s.

Oatmeal Mask

    Like most people, I suffer from the occasional breakout, and, like most people I want my skin to clear up fast.  I have tried many different types of products and regimen on my skin to make it better—from creams to cleansers to scrubs to masks—and I generally find that the homemade natural stuff works much better than store bought chemicals.  So, with that said, I like to make my own skin care, particularly masks.  My favorite mask to make is the oatmeal mask; it’s quick, easy, and it gives the most noticeable results.  Oh, and it only requires two ingredients! 

    Oatmeal is very beneficial to skin, it helps to moisturize, soften, and sooth skin.  Oatmeal is anti-inflammatory, which works great for the treatment of acne because it reduces swelling and redness that blemishes can cause.  It can even lighten acne scars!  Oatmeal also has gentle cleansing properties due to saponins, which help to lift dirt and dead cells from the skin.  Oatmeal works great for any skin type, from sensitive to oily.  Oatmeal helps to lift oil from skin and balance oil levels, but it also helps to moisturize dry skin.  How many store bought masks can do all that?

    Want all those benefits?  Here’s how to do an oatmeal mask:

Ingredients:

Whole oats (I’ve used quick oats before and they work fine, but plain whole oats work better.)

Water

Steps:

1. Cleanse and pat dry skin.  I use Neutrogena Naturals acne cream cleanser. 
2. Take a small amount of oats in one hand and add a small amount of water to the oats.

3. Poke the oats with your other hand until they start to break apart and a white milky liquid forms.  Use the white liquid to completely cover your face.  You will have to add small amounts of water and poke the oats multiple times so you have enough of the “oatmeal milk” to cover your face.

4. Once your face is completely covered, add any leftover oats to your face.  I like to strategically place the oats on breakouts or where my skin tends to breakout, like my cheeks, chin, and nose.

       5. Now just leave the mask on for 20 minutes or until the mark is dry.  Whichever comes FIRST.  This is very important!  If you leave a mask on too long it will actually do more harm to your skin than good.  Too much of a good thing is a bad thing!  A good rule of thumb is to leave a mask on for no more than 25 minutes.

6. Once time is up, you can wash off the mask.  I find it easier to pick off the bits of oatmeal first then to wash it off. 
7. Gently pat your face dry.  By doing it gently, you will reduce the amount of irritation you are causing your skin.  Once dry, you can choose to apply a thin layer of moisturizer.  One of my favorites is Aveeno Active Naturals Positively Radiant Daily Moisturizer.

    And you are done!  Simple, right?  You should notice your skin will give off a slight glow and will be smooth to the touch.  I would recommend doing this mask no more than twice a month if your skin is fairly clear.  But at times when you are breaking out do it a few times a week until the breakouts subside.  As is true with any skincare, using this mask too often will case your skin to get used to it, and it will no longer work, so use it sparingly!

    To read more on the benefits of oatmeal, and to get more oatmeal mask ideas go here.