Walk The Line

Shirt - TWP (on sale at Nordies!), Jeans - JCrew, Shoes - Gucci, Belt - Banana Republic, Bracelet - JCrew, Necklace - JCrew, Sunnies - Tory Burch

It has been quite a while, but I am happy to begin putting back the focus on my blog. Blogging is such a rewarding and creative experience; however it can be tough when everything else in life is going full speed! I've been working on finding ways to make this blog even better and I'm excited to continue on this journey!

Coming back to the blog I decided to show an outfit that represents more of the rebellious side of me and my closet. I picked this top up at Nordstrom's new Savvy section, which has been recently revamped. The new Savvy is fun, trendy and a bit edgy and I love it! The prices are definitely more reasonable, which is great! I paired this open back top with my new distressed jeans, studded belt and my favorite suede pumps. Sometimes I like to switch up my look from my usual preppy and feminine style. 

This week is full of sales - JCrew is having a 20% off sale, Victoria's Secret started their swim suit sale and Nordstorm starts their annual half yearly sale today! Happy shopping!

Spring Fling

The Spring weather is finally beginning to emerge and I am stoked! This winter I struggled with the cold weather of Sacramento and with dressing cute while staying warm. Needless to say I am over boots and ready for florals, bright colors and sandals! Since it's March, I've decided that it is ok to wear my flower pants and a pink top. I've noticed that floral is back in trend, which is a good thing since I splurged on these floral pants last Spring. 

Top - JCrew / Pants - Citizens of Humanity, similar style here / Shoes - Sachelle / Sunnies - Tory Burch

What are you anxious to wear this spring?

Cocktail Hour

 

Ever since bar carts exploded on Pinterest, I've been dying to incorporate this trend into my home. Unfortunately there are limitations with apartment living and I've found that adding another piece of furniture to the living room/kitchen area would just be too much. Still wanting to add a little bit of fun with the concept, I decided to do a bar tray instead. Because my kitchen is a bit tight, I went with a smaller tray from West Elm and placed on top of our china cabinet. The best part of the bar tray? I can keep it fresh by picking up new accessories and rearranging the items.

Highball Glasses - Crate & Barrel / Tray - West Elm / Moose Shot Glasses - ZGallerie / Shaker - Pottery Barn / Double Shot - BevMo

Before starting your bar cart or tray, go onto Pinterest to see what kind of look you want to achieve. I've taught myself a lot on home decor just by studying my favorite home pins!

Start by selecting a tray that fits your style and is the right size for your furniture. Then have some fun! The best part about the bar tray is that you can find unique accessories to jazz it up. I made a geode bottle stopper to spice it up, but even just a geode mixed in with the accessories can help add a pop of color.

Metal Straws - Brook Farm General Store/ Shaker - Crate & Barrel / Bottle Stopper - Kate Spade / Bottle Opener - Furbish / Glasses - ZGallerie / Glass Bottle - West Elm / Geode - Amazon / Tray - Furbish

Select liqueurs that are not only visually pleasing, but are also drinks that you enjoying consuming. For my bar cart I selected a nice bottle of tequila, Tanqueray, and my faithful Blueberry Stoli as these are three bottles that we will often drink and share with friends. 

Have fun!

Oscar Review

Photo Credits: Jason Merritt/Getty Images

The Oscars is like the Super Bowl to me. I anxiously wait to see what everyone is wearing and who will be the best dressed...and the worst. This year I was surprised to see that I liked many of the gowns on the red carpet. It was very difficult to narrow the dresses down, so I ended up picking my top six favorite looks of the evening.

Jessica Chastain in Giorgio Armani - Yahoo! Finally Jessica is looking like a winner on the red carpet. She's had several misses this season; however I knew that she had it in her. The gold gown is absolutely gorgeous and flattering on the star.

Louise Roe in Monique Lhuiller - The British fashion journalist and TV presenter looked so fresh and fun in this gown. It's funny because you would think lace would look dated, but the colors and fit give it a youthful feel, along with the simple ponytail.

Kerry Washington in Miu Miu - Kerry has been one of my favorites this season, especially in all of her Miu Miu gowns. She is totally rocking this dress and the color is amazing! The details on the top are stunning and she truly stood out in the crowd during the show. Major kudos to both Kerry and Miu Miu for another hit!

Amanda Seyfried in McQueen - I mean...who wouldn't look good in McQueen? Especially when it's the stylish Amanda Seyfried. Supposedly she was set on this dress for some time and I can understand why. The whimsy look is beautiful on her and I loved the fun earrings she added with the gown.

Sandra Bullock in Elie Saab - Sandra Bullock is actually one of my favorites on the red carpet, especially the gown she wore when she won an Oscar back in 2009. It was great to see her on the red carpet and this dress was stunning. The details are beautiful and she looked elegant and classic, while keeping with a modern twist.

Reese Witherspoon in Louis Vuitton - Ok, don't hate me, but typically I'm not in love with Reese's red carpet dresses. This year, she totally blew me away in Louis Vuitton. It was great to see someone in a fuller skirt and the color was vibrant and worked well on Reese's features. I also loved the small bow detail on the top of the dress.

And my favorite couple was obviously Ben and Jennifer in Gucci. Looking good you two!

Ok, now the worst. Luckily I did not have a lot to pick from last night; however one dress "offended me" as I like to say. The culprit? Helen Hunt in H&M. This dress was bad, bad, bad! The color was dull and the fit was completely off. Even worse, it was completely wrinkled! It looked cheap and was very unflattering. While I love when stars wear affordable labels out and about and on the red carpet, I do not support this choice at the Oscars! This is the big day for Hollywood to get completely glammed up and wear a beautiful gown. There are so many inspiring and talented design houses that cannot wait to dress the stars for the big day. I get that Helen was trying to be trendy, but it was a complete miss.

Who was your favorite and least favorite? Did you like any of the trends on the red carpet?

Golden Globes Glam

Last night the Golden Globes were absolutely amazing! Tina Fey and Amy Poehler did a great job presenting, the presenters and award winners were astounding and the fashion was fabulous! Seeing the fashion on the red carpet was exciting and many of the looks were eye catching and fresh. The biggest trends on the red carpet were cream colored gowns with beautiful details, vibrant reds and softer hair and makeup. The soft waves and lighter makeup was refreshing to see and I felt that the stars looked beautiful. I'm a fan of this anti stiff coif look we typically see on the red carpet.

Best dressed? By far Emily Blunt! I loved her edgy, yet elegant gown and her accessories completely made the outfit.  I also loved all of the off-white gowns. Isla Fisher looked killer and I loved her hair and make-up. Another best? Anne Hathaway in her simple, yet chic Chanel gown. Perfect for a Globe winner!

I also loved Kate Hudson's Alexander McQueen dress, talk about FAB! Jessica Alba's dress was also stunning and you may disagree, but I liked that she paired it with her funky Roger Vivier clutch. Another great dress was Kerry Washington's Miu Miu gown. What a total risk and I think that it paid off.

 Who do you think was the worst dressed? My jaw dropped when I saw Halle Berry's dress. It was awful! I could not believe that she chose to wear that dress. It reminded me of the tube top dress that was popular during college with the brightly colored prints. Definitely my pick for worst dressed!

Who were your favorites and least favorites?

Emerald City

The 2013 Pantone color of the year is Emerald and this trend is already taking on the fashion scene. It has been described as a "lively, radiant, lush green" and I could not agree more. We've seen so many variations of blues and melons over the past couple of years, so it is a nice change of pace to see this elegant color. I personally love the Emerald color because it can be worn for all seasons, which means that you aren't just buying clothes for Spring/Summer and Winter/Fall. The color has a very regale and rich feel, that allows you to incorporate your entire wardrobe without being overly dominant. Try adding it in with accessories along with dressing up and down the pieces. Have fun with this fabulously chic color!

Necklace - BaubleBar

Blouse - Madewell

Dress - Marc by Marc Jacobs

Sunnies - Urban Outfitters

Nail Polish - Essie

Purse - Madewell

Pumps - Steven by Steve Madden

Top - Tory Burch

Emerald on the runway:

Must Have Product for 2013

As silly as it may sound, the Clarisonic Mia has changed my life! Maybe a bit too dramatic, but I have been extremely impressed with the latest rage in skin care. Constantly finding myself reading rave reviews, I decided that this was my big ticket item for Christmas. After the first week, I was astonished by the difference I could already see and feel in my skin. One of the best parts about the Clarisonic is that it only takes approximately 90 seconds from start to finish, which is a big deal for me. I am always looking for ways to cut down my morning routine.

I have dry/oily combo skin, which is always  a pain and with the Clarisonic my skin is not a big slippery mess by the end of the day and my dry patches are gone! I've also noticed that after my skin got used to the new cleanser, I've had fewer breakouts and black heads and my skin is extremely soft! I found that my makeup actually held up for a full day and it looks a lot fresher! Forget all of the other face washes you all use - go and invest in this amazing product! 

Helpful Hints and Tips

After research and my own personal use, I recommend that you just stick with the basic Mia for $119. The only big difference is that the other versions have several speed options. All of the Clarisonics can use the different type of brush heads, so save yourself a buck and get the Mia. The only exception is the Clarisonic Plus, which runs at $225. The Plus comes with the body brush head and is the only one that you can use the body brush with. If you see yourself using it on your body, this may be worth the money!

Another helpful tip? I have to give my mom the credit as she did the research to find where you can get a good deal on this product. After searching many sites, she found that Amazon.com had the best deals. I've even seen some on here for around $100!

The Clarisonic comes with your first cleansing cream to use with the tool; however refills can be a bit pricey. The Small Things blog also covers a review and actually has recommendations for more inexpensive facial products that work very well with the Clarisonic. She recommends using Hope in a Jar for Dry Skin for the night time and Clear as Day by Philosophy. I have yet to experiment with other products, but I am impressed with the Clarisonic's Refreshing Gel Cleanser. 

Image from Clarisonic

I am not affiliated with Clarisonic in any way, I'm just a big fan who has tried many products in the past and felt constantly frustrated until now.