Pinterest Style - Beachy Waves

I thought I would share with you a quick and super easy hair idea I picked up from Pinterest that requires no curling iron, no hairdryer, and not straightener. So its good for the health of your hair! When summer approaches I am all about giving my hair that "beachy" look. You know, natural looking waves that are perfectly styled by saltwater and sun...aaahhh. When you don't have those two ingredients you attempt to recreate the look with whatever means you can find. This is really an easy way that gave me great results!

First, after washing your hair, let it air dry until it is just slightly damp. (Yay for not having to use a hairdryer!) As you can see in this picture my hair is naturally a little bit wavy so I'm not sure what kind of results you will get if your hair is pin straight. What you want to do now is divide you hair into sections - I did six. Spray it with a styling spray or some hairspray. Then twist it (or braid it for a more crimpy look - I tried both and preferred how it looked when I twisted it.) Then coil each section in a small bun an secure with a bobby pin or hair band. Prepare to see me looking silly...

Once you get all of your hair in these coils, blow it dry with a hairdryer! I concentrated on each section until it got really hot then went to the next section and repeated this process several times. When you're done and you take your hair down just style it how you like! I loved the results... Enjoy a few pics of my new favorite summer hairstyle (the poor quality pictures are from my phone so forgive the grainy look!)

Looks to Love

Happy Valentines Day to all! I think Valentines Day was so much fun when you were in grade school. You know when you made your box, dressed in pink or red, and anxiously awaited the Valentine party and card exchange at school! I am spending this Valentines day at home with two of my favorite Valentines - my kiddos! But I often think about what I would wear if I were still working or out and about. I've been reading a lot of style blogs lately trying to glean inspiration. My favorite is Kendi Everyday because she puts together really cute looks but she remixes a lot (instead of constantly buying new outfits) and she wears both designer clothes and pieces from Target or Old Navy! So today I decided to have some fun and just put together a couple of outfits that I would wear for Valentines day. This first one is my funky/fun outfit.

I love how tu-tus are becoming commonly accepted for all ages! This one came from Forever 21 for $10. Oh and just so you know, all of these items were things I already had in my closet but have never put together before. I didn't but purchase anything new. Also, I don't think any item that I'm wearing in this entire post cost more than $15 (except for my tennis shoes in the last shot.) After my fun outfit I put together something more dressy.

Simple black dress and classic color of love to accent - red! The red flats are probably my favorite accessory but belts are jewelry can really make an outfit complete.  Well, I am definitely not a fashionista, but I had a lot of fun with this post. Truth be told, my Valentines outfit will actually be my workout clothes. But I made sure it was festive too. Hope you have a day full of good things. Remember its not about chocolate or flowers, lets just try to show a little extra love!

Shorts All Year

I don't claim to be a trend-setter, nor am I a fashion expert by any means. However, I do love clothes and I like trying new trends! There was once a time when I would look at outfits in stores or on other people and think, "Wow, that's so cute...I could never pull that off." One day it just dawned on me that there was no reason I thought this way so I started trying things on that were a little bit out of my "comfort zone." (You know the one...jeans and simple solids.) I tried on clothes that I thought I would never wear and loved them! This is how I started to expand my wardrobe horizons. Its fun. It doesn't even have to involve shopping! Put together different outfits with the clothes you have. Mix unusual pieces, accessories, and colors. Play dress-up and see what ends up looking great! The most recent trend I kept seeing and loving on Pinterest was shorts with tights and cute boots. Why not? We wear skirts and dresses with tights! I love shorts an easy way to make your summer dress shorts work all year. So I pinned the look to my board and decided to go for it.

I am really loving all of the colors of fall. This mustard yellow is one of my favorites and I fell in love with these tights paired with simple muted tones. The pop of color is just enough.  I loved the look so much that  couple of weeks later I put together a second look with tights - this one just a bit more monochromatic. (The self portraits aren't the best but as you can see I had fun with some "fashion" presets in my editing software.)

So there you have my version of one of falls super cute trends. If you're thinking "I could never pull that off..." Try it! You might just be surprised.

The Look For Less - Girls Night Out!

This post will be a two-for-one because I want to talk about another way to get a new "look for less" and I'm also going to share about another great place to go in Knoxville! Every few weeks some girlfriends of mine try to get together for a girls night out. This month I had a little bit of birthday money so I wanted to get something new to wear to our dinner but didn't want to spend more than $20. For my birthday, my cousin, Elizabeth, gave me this necklace. This is from her "La-Te-Da Libby" collection which she makes and sells. (If you're interested in looking at her work or ordering one of her pieces click this link.) I loved this necklace and I wanted to build an outfit around it. The most inexpensive way to put together a new outfit is to use pieces and accessories that are already in you closet and buy a dress to coordinate. This way you only need to buy one thing! I found the perfect fall dress at Forever 21 and came in under budge at $15.50!

Add what you have - cardigans are my solution to so many outfits! Buy a dress that is either very multi-colored or a simple solid. That way chances are good that you can match it with something that you have. Then add a great belt. If you don't have a great belt then add $4 to your total at Forever 21 - love all of their belts! Jewelry is key. Add your favorite accessories. Last but not least - a cute pair of shoes!

Boots were my choice but they great thing about a casual dress is that you can wear almost any kind of shoe...boots, flats, heals, etc. Be creative and have fun! I really felt like I had a whole new outfit and I loved it. All of the colors and textures were just right for fall. I got some self-portraits...once again my neighbors may think I'm crazy, but that's okay, I had fun.

So now that I had the perfect look, it was on to our girls night out. Every few months The Melting Pot actually hosts a girls night and offers great discounts on their four-course dinner.

You can sign up for emails to notify you when these will be held. If you've never been to The Melting Pot, I highly recommend it! Its really special and different. You get salad and three fondue courses: Cheese served with bread, veggies, and fruit; Meat and veggies with specialty sauces which you cook at your table in your fondue pot; and my favorite - dessert which is fruits, cheesecakes, brownies, etc with chocolate fondue!

I'm so thankful to be able to enjoy things like this! Good food, good friends, and great memories. I am blessed. Oh, and one more thing. Since The Melting Pot is a nice place, we were completely behaved and serious the entire evening... ;)

The Look for Less

This post will be about one of my favorite things...shopping! I often hear people express that they don't shop because they don't have the money...clothes are so expensive...and while all of this may be true, I want to share some ways that I try to be a smart shopper and keep my wardrobe current without breaking the bank. Back when it was on, I used to love to watch the show "The Look for Less" with Elizabeth Hasselbeck. She went to various "normal" stores like mall shops or Target and put together cute outfits for a price that, in comparison to the designer look, was a steal! I would love to attempt that on my blog one of these days. Today, however, I am just going to share my tips on how to get a new look (not entire outfit) for a great price. First of all...you don't have to spend a lot of money to get a cute new look. Go to the mall with cash in hand. That way you won't be tempted to overspend or fall in love with something that you can't afford.  This past weekend was tax-free so Meg and I hit Crabtree Valley Mall in Raleigh, NC and I took $30 cash.

You can shop for name brand clothes if you purpose to go in stores that regularly run sales, or have reasonable full-priced items such as H &M, Forever 21...and many more. Another way to get great deals is to sign up for rewards programs and text coupons at stores you know you will shop in. I love American Eagle and Aerie, however it is extremely rare for me to purchase something in these stores at full-prices. I signed up for their free all-access pass and I regularly receive coupons in the mail and I receive 20% off on my phone at least twice a month. Also...make yourself walk to the back of the store first. Clearance racks are full of the things you loved at the front of the store just weeks before. If I do love something that I see at the front I try to wait a few weeks...everything eventually goes on sale. Last, do not be afraid to shop special events. If you want to get a great deal, you might have to be willing to stand in line or deal with crowds. Black Friday and tax-free events may mean longer lines, but if someone paid you $10 to stand in line for 30 mins, would you do it?... Think of it that way.

With my $30 I was able to get two cute tops which can be used to create several looks, and I actually came in a couple of dollars under budget. First I purchased a tank top at Aerie that was originally $34.95. I liked it when I first saw it, but patience paid off.. I found it on clearance marked $12.99 and I used a 20% off text code to get it for $10.40 and of course there was no tax! Its long so it will look great with jeans or leggings. (I already had the tank to layer under it.)

Then at H&M I found a cardigan that was full price but only $17.95. This was actually something that I had been looking for to add to several outfits in the fall/winter. It is so important to buy pieces that are versatile and classic. The cardigan looks great over the tank that I purchased at Aerie so I will get a lot more wear out of that peice as I can now make it work for summer, spring, and fall! I can't wait to pair it with some cute accessories, skinny jeans, and my boots.  Altogether I spent $28.35 and was very pleased with my purchases. Aaahhh...retail therapy. Gotta love a good day of shopping.