Long Strides

I've been told that walking in heels calls for long strides. Long strides to balance out the skinny, tall stick holding up your feet and body, perhaps? Or maybe just long strides to appear graceful and elegant. Well, when I was walking in these 5" killer heels, I realized I don't take long strides at all. I may try, but I fail miserably. (Anyone have tips for walking gracefully in heels?) I came to the conclusion that we all have different "strides" in life. We all beat to our own drums, and it's a privilege to be able to. I guess our "strides" are kind of a part of what makes us ourselves. Exert your free will & enjoy being yourself!! There are so many ways we can identify ourselves to others without speaking.... our clothing and the way we model it is one of these ways! So stride the way you want to, whether it's a stroll, brisk step, saunter, skip, or of course, a long stride. 

Stay happy <3

Outfit::

Shirt: Old Navy  Jeans: Forever 21

Shoes: Kohl's   Bracelet: Charming Charlie

It begins

Hello all!! I hope you're having a great weekend and a wonderful Father's Day. Well.... Summer has begun. And there are definitely a few outfit accessories that I deem summer necessities, so that's what today's post deals with. I know it may seem very trivial, but I think that makeup, sunglasses, shoes, etc are all key components of an outfit. Let's face it, we wouldn't wear purple and pink smokey eyeshadow with a black, elegant outfit... Right? Things like this play just as big of a role in the entire outfit as the clothing itself. Below are my summer essentials. What are yours? 

Stay happy <3

Tough Luck

Have you ever thought some people truly are luckier than others? On days like today, I definitely believe that. Not that I had an awful day, but having a day with many unlucky events can sometimes make for a less-than-fun day... to put it nicely. My initial reactions/feelings are always negative -- crappy day, crappy reaction, right? But I had to pull through and realize how much worse it could be. It's always hard to think that way, but I found peace in sitting back and enjoying the ride, loving life. 

Stay happy <3

Outfit::

Top: Charlotte Russe

Skirt: Charlotte Russe

Shoes: Payless

Necklace: Charming Charlie

Shoes Up

Happy Thursday! I know that the main part of the outfit (dress or shirt/bottom combo) is supposed to be the "meat" of the outfit and organizing an outfit around accessories is deemed as bad.... BUT today I created my outfit from the shoes up! Hence the title :) Some days, you just have a really great pair of shoes that the outfit needs to be centered around. At least that's what I like to tell myself! After deciding on the leopard flats, I wanted a nice pattern contrast. Since the pale leopard acted as my neutral, I used green & blue stripes to complement the neutral! Turning this outfit from casual to preppy casual called for a collar -- simply a transparent collared blouse underneath the striped top. The thing I loved about making this outfit was how versatile it is! For some, this could be an outfit for a day with the kids. For others, maybe a casual date during the day or a girl's day out. Either way, it's a day time outfit that anyone could safely wear to their occasions or events. 

Stay happy <3

Outfit::

Top: Forever 21         Collar: Charlotte Russe

Shorts: American Eagle  Shoes: Aerie

Bag: Vera Bradley

When Shopping...

After a past week of CRAZINESS, I'm finally back to the blogging world! Feels great to be back :) Now with Summer in full swing, I have a few shopping do's and don't's! 


Some days,  you're on lunch break or enjoying a "me day" Saturday and you decide to pop into a store to peruse. You find yourself perfectly content with the item(s) you buy, and that is the extent of your shopping trip. 

Then there's the other category of shopping-- the overwhelming kind... when you find yourself straying from one simple HomeGoods bag to this....

So here are the tips!

1) DO: Wear something comfortable. I can NOT stress this enough! I know it's wonderful to look cute and trendy while you're shopping...but it's not worth it :) In uncomfortable outfits, you could get overly hot/cold easily, itchy, or just plain aggravated. All of this can lead to leaving your favorite stores prematurely, which nobody wants to do. 

DON'T: Wear undergarments out of the norm for you. If you rarely wear strapless black bras, shopping is not the time to wear them! You want to wear undergarments that you comfortably wear on a daily basis, so that they give a good gauge for how they will work with your new outfits. A maxi dress like this one fits comfortably and allows me to wear undergarments that I usually wear. 

2) DO: Make a simple, somewhat broad list as a guide. You want to have a general list of things you know you need! I know a lot of people go from one extreme to the other - either no list and winging it, or extremely detailed list with no room for error. Simply laundry list some items you've been thinking about buying... That should do the trick! Also remember to take breaks when you shop. If you leave the entire day to shop, you should take breaks to re-group and re-boot before hitting the stores again!

DON'T: Be overly planned in your list. In this case, it's probably better to be unplanned than over-planned. Micromanaging your shopping experience will only lead to disappointment. Because when your list details the store, type, color, and size of the items, there is no room for error... What if the local J.Crew doesn't have mint color-blocked bow flats in size 6.5? Sheer disappointment. Let's avoid that. If you see those cute flats on Pinterest, pin it, list "colored bow flats" in your general list, and move on! 

3) DO: Wear comfortable shoes. Shopping = comfort, comfort, COMFORT! Shopping in heels is not the best of ideas. If you resolve to being comfortable and cute (rather than elegant and queen-like), then you're golden for your shopping experience. There's a time and a place for everything. Heels, pearls, & chiffon are not for shopping. 

DON'T: Treat shopping as a fashion show. The art of shopping is mastered by those who aim for its organic intentions! Namely, the intentions of acquiring new clothing to make new outfits... It's all about new. Not basking in the glory of your old clothes! So focus more on the new trends, new clothes, and new outfits, rather than looking great. 

4) DO: Bring a good size purse with the right amount of room. Quite a vague "do," but this varies from person to person. Big bags are tough, because they get in the way of shopping bags and lose items inside easily. Tiny bags usually can't fit all of a shopping girl's essentials. So I like a small-medium sized purse like the one in this picture!! Experiment with a few of your very favorite purses, and see which one works the best for you.

DON'T: Lose your bag. Just kidding, that's pretty self-explanatory. But all jokes aside, make sure you shop with a bag that you will NOT lose. There's no worse way to end your shopping day than feeling around aimlessly in your back seat for your coach purse until you realize it's stranded back at the mall. Some people find that tiny purses are easy to misplace, while others believe bigger bags blend in with shopping bags. 

That's the beauty of shopping ~ it really is an art, just like creating outfits is an art. You get to adapt shopping tacit rules to fit your own art of shopping. So above all, take these do's and don't's into consideration and then create your own way of shopping. Sit back and enjoy the art! And as they say... "Shopping is the best medicine."

Stay happy <3