Thursday, May 31, 2012

jeweled headband

Headband: Ann Taylor Shirt, black bracelets: F21 Silver cuff: My mother's closet Double ring: Swank Sunglasses, jeans: Nordstrom Heels: Steve Madden

I borrowed my friends jeweled headband today! The moment I saw it I just had to ask if I could wear it to work. If you know me, you know I love anything with sparkle. ;)

xo

the wonders of cortizone creme

Apparently I sound like the Windex Guy from My Big Fat Greek Wedding when I suggest using cortizone creme to my friends.
It's so great, though! I originally used cortizone creme when I was 10 years old due to very dry skin on my hands. [My brother called me "Sand Paper Hands" ... thanks to the creme they no longer were like sand paper!] 
A few years later, I read in a magazine that cortizone creme reduces redness and swelling so it's smart to use on blemishes. My 14-year-old self was sold! Pretty much any part of the skin that is red, swollen, dry, or itchy can be helped with cortizone creme. 
A few of its many uses:
blemishes
red spots
rashes
dry skin
sunburns
bug bites [those darn mosquitoes...]
soreness/redness from piercings [I use it on my earring piercings sometimes]
A little goes a long way with cortizone creme. You don't need a whole lot, which is nice because the tube lasts a long time.

Because I'm not a doctor, make sure you read the product packaging, directions, other safety items before using!

I don't care if I sound like the Windex Guy. For years this has been the best - and un-replaced - skin care product I've used!

xo

Wednesday, May 30, 2012

chambray & sperrys

Shirt, sunglasses: American Eagle Shorts: H&M Shoes: Sperry Watch: Michael Kors Tank: F21 Ring: Kate Spade

I've been wearing my gold Sperrys so much lately! What can I say, I guess I am loving the Sperry + shorts combo this summer. I wore this outfit to work today, and even though the dress code is very casual (and shorts are allowed), I thought I'd keep it clean and put-together with a comfy chambray button-down, white shorts, and muted metallic boat shoes. I wore a watch and ruby red ring with my gold aviators. Overall, it's a pretty simple outfit, but one can never go wrong with classic pieces and vintage-inspired photo editing!

xo

Tuesday, May 29, 2012

nine simple ways to exercise for free

With the costs of gym fees, fitness classes, and club memberships, exercising can get expensive. Purchasing new equipment, shoes, and clothes for the type of exercise can add up too! During the school year, our gym membership is built into our tuition, and I take fitness classes on campus for 1-credit so they are built into my schedule. Now that rock climbing, Zumba, and Dance Team are over for the year, I need to find other ways to exercise! Luckily the campus gym membership is super inexpensive during the summer, but there are plenty of ways to exercise for free (or really cheap!)

1. Run, jog, or walk outside
Try running on sidewalks, on trails, or at a park. Walking your dog counts too!
2. Lift weights - or "weights" - at home
Sports stores, Target, Wal-Mart, and many other places sell free weights that are usually inexpensive. Invest in one or two different sets of weight and use them to do what you'd normally do at the gym at home. Or, find other "weights" around the house, like soup cans or heavy books! Also, other small equipment like a jump rope or a resistance band don't take up much room and are very portable.

3. Use your own body weight for strength exercises
Basic calisthenics like crunches, push-ups, tricep dips, squats, and planks are just a few different exercises you can use with just your body weight. Make sure to do a variety to get the best results!
crunches
4. Fun, outdoor recreational activities
A few ideas...
-frisbee
-capture the flag
-soccer/football
-running around with kids (great if you're babysitting)

5. Swimming in a nearby lake or pool
Cool off in the water and get some exercise while doing it! Swimming burns the same amount of calories in the same amount of time as running, but works different muscles. This is a great way to cross-train if you're running or jogging often. Just make sure that wherever you swim, it is safe!

6. Walk or bike to work
Especially if it's a nice day, walking or biking instead of driving will be refreshing. It also saves gas, money, and helps the environment.
biking
7. Dance in your room
Even before I got my Zumba instructor license, I would do Zumba at home! There are Zumba Fitness video games, but I just like to do it without a game. I either memorize the dances to the songs I am teaching or the ones I have taken and do them, or learn one from YouTube. Last week, I did Zumba in my living room with a friend! So much fun.

8. Watch exercise videos online
Speaking of watching videos online, YouTube is a great place to find exercise tutorials. There are SO many videos and channels that it would take its own post to list them all. (Maybe this will be another post soon? Haha stay tuned!)

9. Search online for "free ____ class in _____"
Fill in the blanks with your desired class and then city and see if there are any free classes in your area! Try a new class from a different place every time to save a bunch of money while trying new things.

There you go! Nine simple ways to exercise for free (or almost free!) These are especially great for summer because of the nice weather. If you have any more ways to exercise that you'd like to add, feel free to add yours below!

xo

Monday, May 28, 2012

happy shark hat, windy drive

Hat: Tuckernuck Tank: H&M Shorts: Rock & Republic Shoes: Sperry Sunglasses: American Eagle

I got this cute Harding-Lane shark hat recently and was so excited when it came in the mail! It was sold out online in quite a few places so I was happy to find one in stock. I wore it in the car on the way to the lake house I went to this weekend and my friend and I stopped the car on the way - in the middle of nowhere - to take a photo. It was so windy! The not-very-scenic drive was worth it, though, when we got to the lake. It was a beautiful day:

Hope you all had a wonderful holiday weekend!

xo

Sunday, May 27, 2012

street style photos

Here are some street style looks from Lookbook that I've been loving:
I might be obsessed with this look. The dress is so classy and her sunglasses are really unique. This is one of my favorite Lookbook styles I've ever seen! [outfit]
Love Obsessed One Of A Kind Necklace, Old Navy White Button Up Shirt, Forever 21 Neon Lime Mini Skirt, Zara Blue Asymmetrical Heels
Colorblocking brights. Love. [outfit]
Zara Shirt, Zara Blazer, Steve Madden Heels
White-on-white is one of my favorite outfit styles, and the nude heels elongate those legs! [outfit]
2228605_img_8895_2
I like men who dress well. Especially in skinny ties. [outfit]
That blazer is amazing! This photo is from 2011, but her jacket is Zara and I found a similar Zara blazer (that I just might have to get...!) [outfit]

xo

Saturday, May 26, 2012

summer reading

Reading is one of my favorite things to do in the summer. I love reading outside in the sun, and having more free time allows me to read books I enjoy rather than textbooks for class. I am currently in a C.S. Lewis philosophy summer class, where we read a bunch of his work. There are 15 books total in six weeks...so about two books a week (plus additional online readings). It's a lot, but so far I enjoy his books! 
I just finished Surprised By Joy. Next up is The Screwtape Letters and the Chronicles of Narnia. Considering I read one of the Narnia books in 4th grade, it hopefully won't take up too much summer time!
After my class is over, I will wind down with The Fame Game, the perfect, light summer read. I read Lauren Conrad's L.A. Candy series a while ago and loved it, so I'm excited for the spinoff.
I've heard The Kite Runner is wonderful, and even though I'm a little late to hop on the bandwagon, I'd like to read it.
I'd like to re-read The Alchemist. I read this for class twice in high school and it was very inspiring. It's a good one to re-read because it instills a new motivation.


What books are you reading this summer?? Any suggestions?

xo

Friday, May 25, 2012

recipes for memorial day weekend

I can't believe it is almost Memorial Day. 2012 is just flying by! I'm going up to the lake for a friend's bachelorette party this weekend, and since I'm leaving soon I don't have time to cook something (but that's just an excuse for not being much of a mastered chef). If you are going to some barbecues or other parties this weekend, here are some tasty recipes I found 'round the web that would be easy to whip up!
lemon bars
These Lemon Bars from Smitten Kitchen look amazing. I've been getting into lemon lately! Normally, if I had to choose between chocolate and lemon, it would be no question that chocolate would win. Now lemon is coming into the picture more...anyways, I think these sound great!
token apple pies
Smitten Kitchen also made apple pie cookies. What a creative idea! Another great dessert for barbecue-style or buffet-style parties. Or to keep at home and not share because they'd be so good. I wouldn't tell anyone. ;)
This grilled pineapple from Skinnytaste sounds delightful. I love pineapple even by itself because it's so sweet. This recipe adds honey, cinnamon, and lime juice to the pinapple to make it extra sweet! Bonus: Only 51 calories.
REE_7969
Finally! A non-dessert on this list! This grilled corn guacamole from The Pioneer Woman sounds delicious. It is a unique way to switch up regular guacamole. This would be a hit at any party this weekend!

Well, I'm writing this in the morning before breakfast. And now I feel like eating guacamole and lemon bars instead of eggs. Great.

xo

Wednesday, May 23, 2012

Jeffrey Campbell Shoes

Jeffrey Campbell shoes are so cool. His designs are so creative and the shoes are completely eye-catching. The famous "Lita" bootie has been the "it" shoe recently, being seen all over street style, blogs, and celebs. Here are some more shoes. While these aren't my usual taste, they are works of art:
"Rock Me" Sandal, $175 at Nordstrom
Burst Platform Wedge, $188 at Nasty Gal

"Hare 2 Mod" Platform Sandal, $185 at Nordstrom
The Lita Bootie in red/pink flower print, $160 at Nordstrom
...and the Lita Bootie in black, the one that started this craze! $162 at Nasty Gal

xo





Tuesday, May 22, 2012

arbonne 7-day body cleanse, week review

I finished my Arbonne 7-day body cleanse yesterday! I am very pleased with this past week. At the beginning of the cleanse, I had mentioned that at the end of the semester I had not been eating very well (finals week means coffee, coffee, coffee; end-of-the-year parties mean sweets, sweets, sweets!) I didn't realize how poorly I was eating until I started the cleanse. By limiting almost all of my processed foods, I had more energy (no coffee needed), and felt better in general. Basically, crappy food weighs you down after a while. Moderation is key!

I would start my morning with two eggs. They taste great and kept me full until lunch.
My typical lunch looked something like this:
Prochiutto with cantaloupe, strawberries, and cherry tomatoes with mozzarella. (Trader Joe's has really good marinated mozzarella balls - I cut them in half and ate each half with a cherry tomato).

Snacks were usually an apple with natural peanut butter, raw veggies, or two tbsp. of sunflower seed butter.

My dinner usually looked something like this:
These turkey burgers (again, from Trader Joe's) are amazing! The ingredients are just turkey, salt, and rosemary seasoning. I cooked it on a pan in olive oil and they were juicy and crispy. Super satisfying and only 180 calories! No bun or cheese needed. 
A colorful side salad with cherry tomatoes, avocado, carrots, and sweet bell peppers tossed in olive oil added more healthy fats in a low-calorie way.

My cravings for chocolate were minimal, which is crazy because I usually crave chocolate/sweets every day! Instead I was craving real, whole, clean food. I looked forward to the turkey burger and salad every day when I came home from work!

I'm really glad I did this cleanse. It was a healthy way to keep me in check and stick with clean eating. It's not like I was going to "give up on" the cleanse or waste my money by preventing my body from cleaning by eating poorly!

Has anyone else done a cleanse? If so, how did it go? Let me know if you have any recommendations of other cleanses!

Monday, May 21, 2012

bikinis!

One of my favorite things about spring/summer shopping is swimsuits! My favorite style is currently the bandeau. It is flattering on so many different body types! Below are three cute bandeau swimsuits I'm loving.
I love this flag bikini. Very patriotic and would be great for Memorial Day Weekend coming up! The Anthropologie swimsuit in the middle is another favorite of mine - it's so pretty and I love all the colors on the bottom. On the right is an adorable Betsey Johnson swimsuit. Betsey Johnson is going out of business (tear), but pick up a swimsuit now on sale before it's gone for good! I have two Betsey Johnson swimsuits that I adore - the quality is great and there are so many cute details.

Other fab swimsuits out right now:
I really like this black bikini from Nordstrom. It is classic and looks a lot like Kim K's below!

This J. Crew paisley bikini has lovely bright green ties.
Loving this bandeau from Victoria's Secret (more colors available!) I get many of my swimsuits from there.

Happy swimsuit season!

xo

Sunday, May 20, 2012

new juicy bag!

Bag: Juicy Couture Tank: James Perse Skirt: F21 Bracelets: Nordstrom Flats: Tory Burch

I got this wonderful new Juicy bag that I've been admiring for a while now...on sale! (You may remember seeing it here.) It was $98 (50% off) at Nordstrom this weekend. There were only two left - one in pink, one in navy - of course I chose the pink!

I love the wave print, but especially the square jewel charms!

I also got two sets of these chevron bangles. I like having both warm colors and light colors so I can mix and match.

Hope you all had a wonderful weekend!

xo

printed tanks from h&m

I saw this adorable H&M tank online recently (the one below, center). I love how it says "au revoir" across the middle with the gold anchor - very spring-nautical. The other two tanks below are in the same style, just different patterns! Click here to shop these tanks and for even more colors and styles.

xo

Saturday, May 19, 2012

summer shows

Like I mentioned yesterday, I love to watch summer shows. There is something about being outside all day and then coming in to a cool house (apartment?) and watching TV. It is the perfect, lazy way to end a day in the summer. What I'll be watching:

Pretty Little Liars
After that intense January season finale, I can't wait for this show to pick up again.

So You Think You Can Dance
One of my favorite shows! Being a dancer, I get (slightly) obsessed with this show. My best friend is the same way, so you can bet we'll be rehashing every step of every dance this summer!

The Bachelorette
Ah, yes. No summer show list would be complete without it. It's something my friends and I get together to watch Monday nights. Also, Emily is adorable and she's from NC (like me!)
Emily Maynard: The Bachelorette Portrait!

Keeping Up With The Kardashians
Yup, you read that right. I don't really watch the spin-offs, but I like the main show. The fashion never disappoints, either, plus Kourtney's baby Mason is oh-so-cute.

xo

Friday, May 18, 2012

waterproof mascara

I wear two coats of mascara: one regular, and one waterproof. I've been doing this daily since last summer because....

1. It makes my eyelashes look extra long! Sometimes I get asked if my eyelashes are real or fake. [They're totally real ;)]
2. If I shower in the middle of the day, I don't have to worry about redoing my makeup. This is great if I go work out in the morning. In the summer, this is also great because my mascara stays on when I swim!

The two types of mascara I wear daily:

Maybelline Great Lash BIG in Blackest Black
I love Diorshow by Dior, but since that's a little pricey, I like to use this mascara from Maybelline. I used to use the regular Great Lash mascara until I tried this one with the "BIG" brush! The brush is much larger than the other one and I think it makes my lashes look like they have more volume.
Find it here for $5.19 at Ulta

Cover Girl Exact Eyelights Waterproof Mascara
A perk about this waterproof mascara is that its color subtly "matches" your eye color. My eyes are Hazel so I use hazel or Green, depending on what's available at the store.
CoverGirl Exact EyeLights Waterproof Mascara, Black Sapphire 730 Blue Eyes
You can find it here for $8.49 in Blue at drugstore.com

What is your favorite mascara? Have you used the ones I use, and how do you like them? Will you be layering a waterproof mascara over a regular one this summer?

xo

Wednesday, May 16, 2012

arbonne 7-day body cleanse, days 1 & 2

I am starting my second day of the Arbonne 7-day Body Cleanse. So far, I feel great! What I like about this cleanse is that you still get to eat when you do it. The cleanse will aid to eliminate toxins and detoxify the system. 

Being a college student who just finished up the semester, this is perfect for me right now - the end of the semester involved finals week, barbecues, and graduation parties, which meant more coffee, processed foods, and baked goods than usual. At first I didn't know why I was getting stomach aches, but quickly realized it was what I was putting in my body that made me feel so crappy.

Enter the cleanse!
The box contains 7 mini bottles of the cleanse itself. You pour the liquid into 32 ounces of water and drink it throughout the day. During the day, try to eat as healthy as possible - no processed foods - to help aid the cleanse and clean out your body.
This is the water bottle filled with the cleanse and 32 ounces of water
On day one, I went for a run in the morning. What I ate:
Breakfast: 2 organic eggs with salt and pepper
Lunch: 1/2 a fruit protein smoothie (no milk added)*
Snack: Pulled pork meat, lettuce leaves
Dinner: 1 whole-grain waffle and 1 slice of organic wheat bread with natural peanut butter
Drank the cleanse mixture and water throughout the day (no coffee, woohoo!)

*Only had half of the smoothie because I'm almost out of ingredients! Time to go grocery shopping...

I was going to try to stay away from bread as much as possible, seeing as it is processed, but realized that my calorie count was way too small for the day and I needed to get it up. Before dinner I had only eaten about 500 calories (plus burned some off on a run). I'm hoping just a smidge of whole-grains won't hurt!

Click here if you're interested in trying the cleanse out for yourself! I've had friends that do it and like it (plus my friend's sister works for Arbonne!) So far, I've only heard good things about this product.

Check back early next week for my full review of the cleanse!

xo