ombre hair

The ombre hair trend has been going strong for quite some time now and I don't see it leaving anytime soon. It is a way to (in most cases) subtly add color and most of the time looks fantastic! It is low maintenance, so touch-ups aren't needed as often, especially if the color on top is your original hair color. I really like the ombre hair trend, and these fab ladies below look perfect!

Lately I've been looking through photos from when I studied abroad a couple summers ago. A few months before I went abroad I had a "trim" that turned out to be more like 5-6 inches off my hair. I love having long hair and was so sad to see my length hit just below the shoulder. So I got hair extensions. It looked great at first and it was nice to have more volume. However, during my time abroad, my extensions faded!!! The color changed to a lighter brown. A few people thought I just got highlights.....haha. My hair kind of looked ombre:

I actually like the look. If I weren't afraid of dying my hair (I've never colored it, ever) then maybe I would do this. I love my original color too much to color it, but ombre wouldn't change the roots.

HOWEVER, I saw this photo from my last night in Florence. My extensions look so fake. I just CRINGE when I see this photo!! Needless to say I took the extensions out when I got back to the US :(

There are times when I think I might put those extensions back in to get more volume and an "ombre hair" look but then remind myself of the photo above. Sometimes it just ain't pretty. Maybe I'll be able to find a way to make it look more real....hmm if you see any future photos of me with semi-lighter hair that's probably what I tried to do!!

Anyways, I am a big fan of the ombre hair trend and I have a feeling it will last longer than we think. What do you think of ombre hair?

xo-ally

firenze clothes

Tank, bandeau: Brandy Melville Scarf: Subdued (Firenze) Jeans: DL 1961 Cardigan: Nordstrom Watch: Michael Kors Ring: Kate Spade Bracelets: F21 Ankle boots: me Too

Since I'm a GIF ambassador, I am answering questions at a meeting tonight for next year's students studying abroad. What is more appropriate than wearing a few pieces I got while I was in Italy?! The tank, bandeau, and scarf I'm wearing are from shops in Florence. :)

To go with the neutrals of the tank and scarf, I wore chocolate-colored skinny jeans with brown ankle boots, and a hot pink cardigan for some color. 

I miss Italy (and the shopping) so much...

xo

Reflection

I cannot believe it is already 2012. So many new and great things happened to me in 2011, and since it is the new year, naturally, I have been reflecting on the year.

I kicked off the year with my first internship for College Fashion, and had so much fun doing it. I photographed girls on campus with unique outfits and interviewed them about their style.

Lauren, one of the girls I interviewed for CF

I took intermediate rock climbing. I became a better climber, became lead-certified, and took a lead fall. I even climbed outside. Since I didn't take the rock climbing class in the fall, I haven't climbed a lot lately. I'm taking it again this spring so I can get back into it.

[photo]

Starting Sunny Sweetheart! I began blogging in March, after thinking about wanting to write for a while. It's a great place to casually improve my writing skills, and a fun way to keep a record some of the things happening in my life. I began this blog with the hope that it would turn into a fashion blog, and am happy to have the outfit posts be a portion of what I blog about.

My very first outfit post in July  2011

Here are the two blog designs I had before my current one! I don't have a photo of my very first design; it was yellow and orange.

I visited a whole new continent for the first time. Studying abroad in Italy last summer was one of the best things I've ever done. It is an experience that I will remember for the rest of my life. From Rome and Florence to Elba Island, Ireland, England, and the Amalfi Coast, I had the time of my life. I met so many great people and tried so many new things. Experiencing new culture was incredible. I cannot wait to travel again.

I made dance team for the third year in a row! Dancing is something I've been doing almost my whole life, and  it is great to bond with a group of girls about something we all love. We traveled to Canada and Seattle to perform already, and we'll see what the rest of the season has in store!

I started using new social media sites like Blogspot (obviously), Flickr, about.me, Foursquare (kind of), and Pinterest. I finally started regularly tweeting and am thinking I might start up my old Tumblr account again. Stay tuned!

I made great new friends, wrote an article for Sweet Lemon Magazine, read a lot of new books, moved into my first apartment, made Dean's List for the first time, learned so much in school, attempted to speak Italian, traveled to multiple countries, and spent time with those I love and love to laugh with.

Overall, 2011 was a pretty great year. Let's see what 2012 has to offer!

cheers & xo