Baby Hues

Can I just say how much I love this skirt? It's insanely soft and comfortable; the perfect weekend piece by far! Although, don't forget to wear spandex underneath, I made the mistake of walking out the door without them once and had quite a few "Marilyn Monroe" moments that day!

Ralph Lauren Tailored Boyfriend Shirt (similar GAP one here) / Brandy Melville Skirt (similar here for 40% off w/ email sign up) / Nike Hat (old, similar on sale here) / (what once were...) White Converse (will have a cleaning tutorial for them up soon!) / Vintage Sunglasses (similar here) / Long Necklace / Anthropologie x BaubleBar plate necklace (similar here)  / Striped Tote Bag (old, similar here and multicolor under $20 one here)

I am a sucker for a cute, relaxed look, and this outfit just proves that. Mix simple pieces and baby neutral hues and you have what I call the "Shelby look". Simply put, I like to keep my style functional and versatile, that way I can go to a majority of places and events without needing to own 1,000 different pieces. And if there's any way to prove that's been done just take a look above at my converse - those puppies have seen whiter days! This outfit may have been worn out to the farmer's market, but there's nothing stopping me from re-wearing it and reworking it for different events this summer. After all, you can never go wrong with a good constructed shirt and skirt pairing.

Shop some of my favorite styles below:

Va Va Vroom: Vacation Style

Look 1: Sunglasses / Top / Jacket (on sale here) / Shorts (on sale here) / Cross Body Bag / Espadrilles / Layered Necklace

Look 2: Embellished Jacket / Pantsuit / Cross Body Quilted Bag / Heels / Pearl Cluster Ring / Lipstick in Hot Pink

The other day I received an email from Kendra, a fashion and travel lover, asking me to participate in a "Fashion Challenge" for her upcoming summer trip to Miami.

"Secrets to a happy life vary from person to person. For me, family, fun, fashion and travel are four keys to enjoying life, and I’m grateful for each of these aspects of my life. I’m looking forward to an upcoming romantic getaway with my husband to Miami. It was made so effortless, after reading detailed reviews on gogobot. We will be staying at one of Miami’s top hotels! But before we jet off to our tropical retreat at the historic Biltmore Hotel, I want to get some advice from you.

During our trip, my husband and I will certainly be snapping lots of photos. I want to make sure I look my best, and I know I’ll enjoy my vacation more if I feel comfortable and fashionable. I want to look back on the photos from this trip and admire my fashionable but timeless appearance. During our stay in Miami, my husband and I plan to attend culinary classes. The city of Miami is well known for its culinary delights, and I’m super excited over the opportunity to learn cooking skills that I can take home and use later. Im so excited to learn vacation fashion tips from you. I can’t wait to learn what looks you’ll recommend for my tropical getaway." - Kendra (thorntonpr.com)

When Kendra reached out to me about a "Fashion Challenge" I was beyond excited. I have always loved to help people out, especially in the realm of fashion, and styling has been a major hobby of mine since a very young age. I can remember being a little girl and styling my younger sister in all of my mother's pieces and anything that really caught my eye; I seem to know her style so well that when I go shopping with her now I can just take a cursory glance at a rack and immediately pull out the pieces I know she'll love and purchase! 

Plus, I love vacation style. It always makes me feel like I can spend a little more, style myself a little bit more over-the-top than my usual look, and just have fun with my look in general! Take these looks for example; Kendra, like myself, doesn't always include much color in her wardrobe, but she wanted to experiment with it on this trip. I tried to keep he neutral palette going, but brought in some brighter colors and complementary colors to give the look a little character and edge without causing a culture shock to the everyday neutrals that we're so used to. Just remember, vacations are about treating yourself, doing things you don't always have the opportunities to do, and of course, for me, spending a little bit more than I would usually spend on those things - as long as it's in moderation you're fine! 

Thanks again to Kendra for reaching out to me about this, hopefully I've helped to make your trip a little more glamorous and extraordinary!

xoxo

Casual Summer Look

To be completely honest, the hat in this look is playing two different roles here: one was to cover my hair from the rain, the other? To cover up my second day hair. In the Summer, I actually wash my hair nearly less than every other day (that's right, sometimes I skip two days! Shocking, isn't it?). I like to give my hair a break in the Summer because I'm not seeing people as often as I used to during the school year so I don't feel the need to wash my hair as often, and it's also very healthy for your hair to be left unwashed. Talk about a win-win situation! 

Fedora Hat / Black Wayfarer Sunglasses (old, similar here and here) / Vintage Levi Shorts (old, similar here and really cute Levis here!) / Grey Nike Sweatshirt (similar here and here) / Black Booties (similar here, flat version here for under $100, and gorgeous white and black leather ones here for less than $40)

I'd be lying to you if I told you that we've been having anything near stellar weather here the last few weeks. In fact, this rain and gloom is actually starting the grate on my nerves a little bit. We get it! It's Spring and we're technically in a drought, but enough already! We want the sun back! Moving on from my rant, we still have to cope with the weather, regardless of how we feel about it, and go outside to carry out our daily tasks. I for one have been trying to stay away from the outdoors during the rain as best I can, but errands must be run and life must go on. Which brings me to this "Rainy Day" look here, the style of outfit I like to wear on these rainy and gloomy Spring and Summer days and hope to swap out once Summer finally does arrive in a few days! 

While we're still on the subject of rainy days, remember those gift cards you've been holding onto for years? Those ones you're saving for a rainy day and excused keeping by promising yourself you'll use once you find the perfect item? Yeah, those? Well, it's time for an intervention, ladies. We both know you're not interested and wished you had gotten a different gift card instead. It's okay, it happens to the best of us! That's where Raise comes in, they'll take your untouched (even your somewhat touched!) gift cards and pay you on the spot with only a minor deduction from the original price for what you didn't use. All you have to do is chose the gift card you're planning to sell and plug in the pin number on the card! Sounds simple, right? Then, you can go check out all of the gift cards on their sight (with the money you've made from selling) and buy a gift card that can be up to 20% (or more!) off of the original price! I mean ladies, just think about it! Would you rather spend the money on a piece you don't really care for, or take 5 minutes to get a gift card to somewhere else where you could get a piece you really love? 

Don't forget to check out Raise's website in the next few weeks to see the "Closet Swap" summer style and favorites collage from other bloggers on their website! Who knows, maybe I'll even make it on there!

xoxo

Stripes on Stripes

I love incorporating a scarf into my daily ensembles in order to have it on hand in case the weather decides to interfere with my look (like it decided to do while taking these pictures, darn wind!). That, and keeping my hair up or braided, helps to ensure that my hair stays out of my face.

GAP Striped Shirt (on sale and get an extra 30-40% off with code THANKS) / Stripes AE shorts (similar for less than $20 here) / Dolce Vita sandals (on sale here and here!) / Layered Bracelets / Similar Rings here and here / Diamond earrings / Betsey Johnson Cat-Eye sunglasses (on sale!)

If you ask me, stripes are a staple print in any closet. While I may be a little impartial (maybe a little more than a little) to simple, solid colors, I can't help myself when it comes to stripes. So much so that I layer them on top of each other, I mean even my shoes are "striped" here! 

The GAP shirt I'm wearing here has quickly become one of my favorites as well, I wear it on almost a weekly basis in some way or another; whether tied around my waist, as a swimsuit cover-up, un-buttoned, or like above. In full honesty, I own at least 10 different button down shirts. "But they're just so versatile!" is my honest excuse. You can wear them season to season and for a number of occasions while looking perfectly put together. Can you say "perfection"? Because these men's style shirts sure can. Shop some of my favorites below:

Summer Uniform

Confession: I joined the trendy high-waisted mom-jean shorts club.

White Suit Vest / Dolce Vita Sandals (On sale!) / Gold Bangles / Fedora Hat

Most of these pieces are vintage but similar items as follows:

Layered Pendant Necklaces / Ring Necklace / Gold Rings / Denim Shorts (more below) / Gold Frame Sunglasses / Blue Shirt / Fedora

During the Summer, I hate wearing tight pants. Truth be told, I hate wearing tight pants in general. So you could probably predict why Summer is one of my favorite season's (AKA "no 'pants' party"). On most summer days you'll see me in some form of this outfit. I'm quite a sucker for a constructed jacket (especially this ASOS one from my Birthday Wishlist), they take a simple outfit up a notch making it look like you put more thought into it even if you did just roll out of bed and throw the first thing you saw on. Also, in the Summer, denim shorts are a must. I couldn't tell you how often I wear them if I tried, I consider them lifesaving summer essential. Yes, I said lifesaving; because who knows when you're going to need some red denim shorts to wave down mercy to a bull. Always be prepared my friends.



Shop some of my favorite denim shorts below as well:

xoxo

Why the cold, sunshine?

This past month has been a rigid unwelcoming one, making the cravings for summer all the more unrelenting. With the past few weeks of extreme cold and cabin fever coming in full gear, I crave the heat of summer more than ever. But not only the heat, the vibrant color, the glowing tans, and the seemingly endless laughter that comes alone with heat, a good time, and great friends.

I got lost in thought and found myself brooding over past and upcoming summers, which got me to thinking, what would I wear? Say summer starts suddenly, temperatures starts to rise, or I just take a spontaneous early Spring Break? I took the opportunity to get lost in my summer dream, which brings me to my post today, 2014 Summer/Spring Break style. It’s never too early to plan, right?

1 - Seafolly Typhoon Dress - $79.63

2 - Calypso Romper - $60

3 - Wrap Me Up Jumpsuit - $56

4 - Tribal Inspired Joggers - $15.80

5 - Quay 'Kitti' Sunglasses - $38

6 - Soludos Stripe Sandals - $55

7 - Heartland Bag - $32.99

8 - Confetti Bag - $42

9 - Wool Floppy Hat - $45

10 - Triangle Bikini Top - $20.50 

As you can see, right now I’m craving pastel hues, and a touch of vibrancy. I’ve never been a big go-getter for vibrant colors, but there some days I feel impulsive enough to give it a go. And why not let 2014 be the year of trying out the unimaginable? I know in many cases doing just that brought me into many blissful situations.

In the summer I am also always fixated on delicate, flowing, and loose clothing articles – whether it be a dress, shirt, or some pants - I just love the sensation of feeling “free”. Which is oddly enough what the ever-trending bohemian style seems to capture, at least if you ask me. Something I find crazier about it is just how flawlessly it seems to intermingle with what summer is – it’s as if they were made for one another.

I can’t wait to see what this summer has in store – new people, new adventures, and of course – new fashion. I just hope summer arrives soon, and if worst comes to worst, an early vacation never hurt anybody anyway!

XOXO