Summer Style 2015 | Haul

Hi lovely reader! Another week, another Monday. I hope yours was nice. I am more than ready to share this post with you, finally some fashion! I'm hoping to create a few lookbooks using many of the clothing featured here, so stay tuned for that. This is a combination of a bunch of shopping trips that I have made within the past few months, from various places. I organized the post by store and will try to link as many of the them as possible, if you want to check out any of the pieces for yourself. 

Ok, so the first store is one of my go to's and that is TJ Maxx. I know that they don't have locations everywhere but I know that they do have international affiliates (TK Maxx, etc.). I love it because you can get not only name brand clothing at a lower price but also unique brands that are not sold in many, if any other stores. And you can shop online, which I was unaware of until recently!

The first thing I had purchased for the summer from TJ Maxx was this daisy and gingham print crop top. I like this top because it is light and airy, the ruffled sleeves can be worn so that the top offers bare shoulder or a sleeveless look. It works great with higher waister denim shorts or even a nice black skirt, and some sandals.

Next is this short sleeve Juicy Couture sweatshirt. I purchased this quite a while ago and am happy I did because now TJ Maxx has tons of sweatshirts and dresses with this style of fabric. It's great for a summer day or evening where it's a bit cooler. Perfect with a pair of darker denim jeans shorts and some sandals for a simple and chic look.

Now where I live, I have gotten zero use out of this next item, but I am holding on to hope that one day soon, I will get to use it! It is a plastic beach bag by Izak. I had been wanting to get a plastic style beach bag because they are easy to keep clean and personally I prefer the look of them over a canvas bag. I thought the lip print was fun and cute, and I can't wait to use it.

This piece is one of my favorite yet most difficult pieces that I have purchased. It is a midi length dreamy blush skirt, with a light and flowy layer of tulle and I love it. However, I am yet to find the perfect top to wear with it! I'm thinking a black cropped top of some sort, so if you have any suggestions of a specific top you think would pair nicely with this, leave a link or a comment below!

This dress is probably the piece that I am most excited about just because it's different, fantastic quality, and the price I paid was fabulous. It is by Kate Spade Saturday, which as you may know is no longer. It is somewhat structured and I hope to get lookbook pics in it so you can see how it looks on. In my opinion it is very modern and chic and I am kind of obsessed with it. 

This lovely little swing dress is actually from American Eagle. Now personally, I don't do much shopping there but they do have some things that are more my style from time to time and this dress is one of them. It's a swing dress with two square pockets on the front that basically blend in with the floral print. There's a button and keyhole in the back for a nice detail. I like it also because it can be dressed up or down. I usually pair it with some bengals and tasseled sandals.

Now onto my absolute favorite store.....drumroll....H&M! They are without a doubt "my store", every time that I go there I know I can find something, the styles of their clothing fits perfectly with my personal style. 

My first H&M purchase for this haul were these black and white spotted pants. They are supper comfortable and the fabric offers a great amount of stretch. I love a good skinny pant and these are perfect. I think they are nice too because they are versatile as far as seasons go. They can be worn with a nice mock neck top and smoking flats or a white t-shirt and some white sneakers.

This next top is just a simple navy and white striped tshirt, I purchased it to wear under overalls after seeing this look countless time on Tumblr. A bit confirmative but what can I say, I love the look!

The H&M portion of my haul concludes with this free flowing swing dress. As soon as I put this on, I just want to twirl in circles! The print is shades of blue and white and I love to pair it with tan sandals and a few bangles. Again it is great for the cooler days, with the three quarter sleeve length. This dress has been my go to for the day when I need to look a bit nicer but still want to be comfortable.

This skirt is also a piece that I am beyond excited to have. I purchased it off Nasty Gal a long time ago and it is ah-maze. As you can tell, it is a mesh skater skirt with the most perfect amount of shape and fullness, ugh I can't! Again though, sad times because I cannot find a top that I like with it, so if you have any suggestions, please share! I have so many visions for looks with this skirt in the lookbook and am excited to bring them to life!

Last but certainly not least are these lovely shoes. I purchased them from a Nike Outlet and they are one of my most favorite pairs of Nike's that I have owned. I love the color and they are super comfortable.

So thus concludes my "beginning of summer haul"! What have you been purchasing? Xx

Cheeky Quote Tuesday

Pineapple Print Canvas | DIY

Hiya lovely reader! It is a beautiful sunny day today and I am loving it! Now as many of you may know for some odd reason that I certainly do not understand, pineapples have become all the rage! Now I don't mean eating them, I mean in clothes, shoes, accessories, homeware, if you want something with a pineapple on it, you should have no problem finding it these days! They're EVERYWHERE! Personally, I don't understand the obsession but I do have a friend who has jumped on the spiky fruity bandwagon, and happens to have a birthday this month, which leads to the idea for the ultimate "pineapple print canvas DIY". Let's begin! 

You will need:

-a square canvas (size being up to you)

-acrylic paints (at least three colors, two for the background and one for the pineapple)

-sponge paint brushes

-a ruler

-painters tape

-a pineapple stencil (I found mine online, printed it on card stock, and cut it out to the size of the square sections on my canvas) 

The first thing that you are going to need to do is measure and divide the canvas into four even squares. 

Then, decide where you want to start and mark off your first square with painters tape. 

Next, take your first color choice and paint the square. (Depending on the color, you may want to allow the layer to dry and add more paint) I gave each of my background colors three coats. 

When you are sure that the square is COMPLETELY dry, take off the tape and mark the next square, repeating the steps above.

Once all the squares are dry, take your stencil and lay it on top. For this part, I highly recommend either taping the stencil down or having someone hold it down so that the stencil doesn't shift and create smudges. 

Once you have a steady stencil, dip a sponge in the paint color of your choice (I chose white) and begin to dap at the stencil. Be sure to dab in a vertical motion so that the paint does not sneak under the stencil. 

Repeat this a couple times, again, allow it to fully dry, BEFORE removing the stencil. 

Do this for each of squares. 

And there you have it, a perfect pineapple picture for anyone who's smitten with this funky trend!

What do you make of this pineapple craze? Xx

June Favorites!

Hello lovely reader! Tomorrow is July 1, 2015.....yeah still wondering if June actually happened. Literally, it went by so fast. But one of the great things about the end of the month (or maybe not for some, take it as you please, sometimes its favorites overkill for some) is that people post the things they have been loving for the past 30 or so days! Personally, I am a fan of a good favorites post or video because it can give insight into things you may have not been aware of before or give you the excitement of the fact that maybe you've been loving the same things that someone else has! For my June Favorites post, I decided to do it a bit differently then I have in the past, and I'd love feedback as to how you feel about the layout. I thought it would be a bit easier to see if its laid out more sequentially and categorized (a bit of OCD coming through). I also tried to leave links to some of the products if possible. Have a scroll and I'll share with you what I have been loving for the month of June!

Favorite Face Cleaner (not really sure how to title this one?): Queen Helene Face Mint Julep Scrub

This facial scrub is absolutely fantastic! It has a great amount of grit to it to scrub the excess dirt and dry skin from your face. I have an oily t-zone and I find that this product does a great job of cleaning my face as well as combatting some of the oiliness.

Favorite Go-To Food: Strawberries

If you haven't been able to tell my some of my recent iPhone Snaps posts, I love strawberries! They are my go to snack and are delicious when mixed into vanilla greek yogurt. Also not to bad to top off a waffle with some powdered sugar.

Favorite Blog: Merrick's Art

This blog has been my go to when looking for inspiration of things to sew or create! Stylish, chic, and full of ideas!

Favorite Website: POPSUGAR Fitness

I have been on this website so many times this month! From recipe searching to workout sequences, this website is a great one stop shop for all things fitness.

Favorite App/Time Consumer: Tumblr

I love Tumblr! As I've said before, I love to look at it towards the end of the day as a way to wind down and it never ceases to inspire me whether it be a quote or a fashionable look. Follow me here!

Favorite Fashion Piece: Swing Dresses

Ok so my love for swing dresses is quite a thing, sleeveless, shirtsleeve, long sleeve, love them all. I just think they're so great because they are comfortable, they look cute, and they can be dressed up or down.


Favorite Throwback: Back to Black By Amy Winehouse

I had been a fan of Amy Winehouse's music, but I didn't know too much about her. A few weeks ago I watched a documentary about her life and her trials and tribulations. She was so talented and will forever be remembered. After watching the documentary, I had this song on repeat and also began listening to more of her songs that I was unfamiliar with.


Favorite Books: We Were Liars by E. Lockhart & Paper Towns by John Green

I don't want to say too much about either of these, other than if you are looking for some books to read this summer, I highly recommend both of these!!!

Favorite YouTube Channel: Samantha Harvey

I just did a Recent Discovery post all about Samantha Harvey! She is talented and her covers are beautiful.

Guilty Pleasure: Rich Kids of Beverly Hills (TV Show)

So yes, this is my guilty pleasure of the month. It's full of humor, fashion, selfies, and "fabuluxe" people. It makes me laugh every time and the relationship between Dorothy and Morgan, reminds me so much of me and my best friend! "The series focuses on the lives of a group of twenty-something millionaires and billionaires showcasing their lives." I wouldn't mind some of the perks of their lives for sure...motivation!

So that my lovely readers is what I have been loving in the month of June. What are your June Favorites? If you did your own post, feel free to link it in the comments, I'd love to read it! Xx