Affordable Fashion

If you’ve been following my blog for a while you know that I’m all about affordable fashion; especially when it comes to trendy pieces. Invest in that classic piece you’ve had your eye on that you’ll get years of use out of, but definitely don’t spend a fortune on something that’s in just for right now. That’s where Rue21 comes in! They have a great section of super trendy items, such as high low skirts and high waisted denim shorts at really great prices so you can afford to follow the trends on almost any budget.

This season I’m all about printed leggings and maxi dresses.

How fun are these? I love the super on trend Aztec print leggings. I would pair these with a simple black or white tank top and probably go more casual on the footwear and do either flip flops or a cute pair of simple black flats. If you wanted to add some jewelry you can pair it with a simple dainty necklace and just let the leggings be the focal point of the outfit. It’s important to keep in mind that when choosing a busy pattern or print, always keep the rest of the outfit simple.

Here's how I wore a pair of my printed leggings. Simple black tank, leather sandals,  and a mini cross body bag. 

When it comes to maxi dresses, I love solid prints or geo patterns. This one above would be a great pick because of its fringe details. Fringe is so popular right now and I’m sure you’ve seen in done on handbags and swimwear. I also love this bright coral color, its fun and summery and the bonus is that this color makes you look tanned lol. I’m kind of short so maxi dresses don’t usually work for me when paired with flip flops, instead, I wear mine with wedges. The one above would look great paired with nude, tan or brown wedges. Add some gold accessories and your good to go. The great thing about maxi dresses is that they work well for a variety of outings. You can dress it up and make it look more formal or keep it simpler for a lunch date and some shopping. Everyone should have a maxi dress or 2 in their closet, and with the super affordable prices at rue21, you can definitely afford to do so without breaking the bank this season.

What are you favorite stores when looking for affordable fashion?

Sponsored post, all opinions are my own

~~Summer Essentials~~

It’s that time of year again when summer is pretty much in full effect. At least here in New Orleans it is. We have really hot and humid temperatures down here so during the summer I stick to a few essentials. Light flowy tank tops, cut off jean shorts and thong flips flops and wedges are my go to pieces. If there is only one color of wedge sandal you buy this year make it a nude pair. A pair of nude wedges should be in every girl’s closet, they go with everything and even if you’re wearing a tank top and cut off shorts, the wedges will give it that extra flare to dress up the outfit. Not only that, but wedges that match your skintone make your legs look longer and who doesn’t want that? Just throw on some accessories and your good to go. My picks for accessories would be a great statement necklace or a stack of bracelets.

I pretty much live in flip flops though, and they aren’t just for the beach anymore; there are so many great ones out there that can take you from the beach and then out to lunch! Reef makes really nice ones for guys and girls at a really affordable price. My husband loves leather sandals in particular due to their versatility and I think they look great with a pair of cargo shorts or jeans. A dark drown pair like the ones below will go with pretty much everything in any guys’ closet.

  

If flats are more your style, Reef makes a bunch in a wide variety of colors and styles so you’re sure to find one that will fit your needs. How cute are these down below? I love the pastel colors, very summery and fun. These are also great because they have a really padded foot bed; I have high arches in my feet so that’s always something I look for.

No matter what your summer style may be, there are a few essentials that every girl (and guy) needs. These are just some of mine. 

What are your go to pieces this summer?  

Sponsored post, all thoughts and opinions are my own

How to: Scrunch Bottom Bikini

So I only thought about doing a blog post half way through when I was making these bottoms, which is why there are so few pics. I will post the video I saw on youtube on how to make these at the end of this post.. Luckily they are super easy to make and only took me about 5 minutes from start to finish. 

Turning a regular pair of bikini bottoms into scrunch bottoms works especially well if your bottoms are a little too big, or if they got stretched out due to wear. 

 Mark a line down the middle as far down as you want it to go, the further down you go the more bottom cheek your going to show. This was my first go at it so I think I went a little too far down, but you get the idea. Also, you can remove the back liner if you want it to sit more flush against your skin. In the video the girl removes the back liner, I just left it alone in mine since I just plan on using these to tan in my backyard.

Just sew it straight down in an in and out motion and add a few extra stiches to the top when you start and the bottom when your down to secure it. It's super fast and easy and even if you never sewed before you can do it. 

Here's the youtube how to video. 

Miami Cruise - Bahamas, Coco Cay and Key West

A few weeks ago my husband and I went on a 7 day vacay. We took a 4 day cruise out of Miami to Nassau, Coco Cay and Key West and then did 1 night in Miami and 2 nights in Ft. Lauderdale. Definitely one of the best vacations ever and actually one of the first one's we've done just by the ourselves (not including the honeymoon of course). We usually always go on vacations with friends or family.

This was in Atlantis in the Bahamas, unfortunantly I wasn't able to swim with the turtles, they were just there for show 

This was in Key West at some museum. You climb a bunch of steps and then ring the bell when you get to the top. 

I got my hair braided in Nassau. Would you believe they wanted $40 for 1 rench braid!? I laughed and said nevermind. I managed to get them down to $15 and I thought even that was too much, but I went ahead and let them do it. 

These waves were do huge! You can't tell but they were at least 6 or 7 feet high. I almost drowned in there!

Mean muggin' in Key West. 

My first time rock wall climbing. It was so much fun!

I literally got to the top in like a minute and a half. 

Mile marker 0. They say it's one of the most photographed signs in Key West; and also the most stolen lol

Atlantis

Train tour in Key West. I had braided my hair myself into 2 french side braids and pretty much wore it this way through out the whole trip. I have curly thick hair that I didn't want to deal with so this was the best style for me. 

Coco Cay, one of Royal Caribbean's prive island. It was my favorite stop on the cruise. 

Jason looks thrilled to me taking this picture lol. 

This was in Coco Key too, I seriously got THIS close to the igunanas. They were all over the island and had no fear of people. 

Southern most point, only 90 miles to Cuba. They had a line of people waiting to take a picure in front of that.

Beach Bag Essentials

It's that time of the year again where a lot of us are spending our summer at the beach or laying pool side. There are a few essentials that I think we all need when doing so. Here's my must haves:

1. Beach bag - The one I have is from VS. It's large and plastic on the outside and material on the inside. These are my favorite because you don't have to worry about them getting wet. 

2. iPod - or any music player of your choice. I prefer the iPod touch because of the outside speaker. 

3. Flip flops - for obvious reasons.

4. Large beach towel - to lay on. How cute is that one from VS?

5. Cover up - I love the plain white cotton ones. They go with all bathing suits. 

6. Sunblock for the face - I love the ultra sheer by neutrogena.

7. Sunblock for the body - I really like the spray kind cause they are just so much more convienient. This one by neutrogena has a cooling effect. 

8. Tanning lotion - Optional of course, but it's something I always have in my bag and my favorite is the carrot oil kind. I find it tans you the fastest.

9. Lip sunblock - This is a must have year round for me, but especially when I'm in the sun. The lips burn very easily and it's super painful so definitely keep this on you and reappply often.

10. Bottle of water - gotta stay hydrated. 

11. Hat - I love floppy beach hats or a straw fedora. 

12. Sunglasses - also a must have year round, but a necessity at the beach, b/c the white sand just amplifies the sun's rays. 

13. Hair ties - nothing worse then being hot and having your long hair stick to you. 

So those are my must haves, what are some of yours?

Vacay Snapshots

I got back from my Florida vacation on Monday, we had a great time and thankfully the weather was really good.  There was some seaweed in the water, but nothing too bad. Here are some pics from our trip. 

This is where we stayed - Ramada Beach Plaza Resort

Swim up grato bar

Angela reppin' the Saints

This was at Swamp. They had an awesome band

Angela's b/f on stage. 

They had a contest on who could get the rubber band off the plunger the fastest lol

Toes in the sand and drink in hand

Mile high nachos at McGuire's. They 4 of us barely put a dent in it.

Catching some waves

Definitely can't wait to go back next year.