LOFT Lace Midi Dress

I haven't been this excited about a dress in quite some time. The vibrant green color, the quality of the lace, the halter style, and the midi length all had my attention and I knew when it was 40 percent off that it had to be mine. You never know when you'll need a versatile dress such as this one.

Wearing //

LOFT dress (wait for a sale)

Hinge heels, love these on sale!

Express bag

Silver bracelets, similar here

Beauty //

Lips in M.A.C. "Shy Girl"

Face palette by Charlotte Tilbury (so worth it)

This is EXACTLY what I wore in Hollywood a couple weekends ago when my best friend and I went out to SUR and Pump. And I mean exactly! I wanted to recreate this look for you ladies because the dress is still available, and I really enjoyed pairing it with these trendy lace-up heels and a darling little baby blue bag. I tend to stick to nudes when it comes to more vivid outfits but I think an unexpected color combination makes things much more interesting. 

Before I let you get on with your day, I just want to say that I didn't blog last week because I didn't have any content and I don't like feeling pressured to put out something in haste. I hope you understand! I still plan on sticking with Mondays and Wednesdays so I will be back tomorrow with another outfit, albeit much more casual than this one. Also, I know some people who are going through a tough time right now so let's all please keep things in perspective. 

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My Beauty Hacks

We all have little tricks and shortcuts when it comes to our beauty routines. Am I right? I'm not sure any of the below "hacks" are groundbreaking (I probably picked up most by reading magazines), but I have been using them for years. In case any of you are in need of some budget and time saving tips, here are the ones I love.

1. Mix eye cream with concealer to give a smooth, creamy finish. Sometimes I'll even pat a bit of eye cream after I've finished my makeup just for that extra bit of freshness around the eyes. Just don't rub! Lightly use your ring finger and tap the product on to apply and blend in.

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2. Use your favorite body lotion or hand cream to smooth frizzy hair in a pinch. I keep a travel size tube in my bag just in case!

3. Afraid of bright or dark lip colors? Use your fingers to tap the product onto lips instead of swiping from the tube or using a lip brush (just make sure your hands are clean). I also put lip balm on top to soften the color.

4. This may sound completely shallow, but one of the first things I notice on other women are their nails. However you prefer yours, please just make sure they aren't chipped! I know that's easier said than done but I really believe that having nice looking nails helps you look more polished. Pun intended.

5. Use coconut oil to shave. I get mine from the grocery store in a big tub. It's cheap, soothing, and great for all skin types.

6. Mix in liquid highlighter or loose shimmer powder into your lotion for glowing legs. Heck, put it everywhere!

7. Use dry shampoo as volumizer. I haven't bought a volumizer in months because I find that dry shampoo does a better job at lifting roots. Plus, I hate using multiple hair products when it's not even necessary.

8. Apply bronzer in a "3" shape, not all over the face like I once used to. It looks the most natural.

9. I wash my brushes with my face cleanser. I'm a big fan of double duty.

10. Use eczema cream on your chest and neck, even if you don't suffer from eczema. It really smooths lines and wrinkles much better than regular lotion.


Do you have any beauty hacks I need to know about? Let's grow this list!

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Girls Trip to Hollywood

Although I was born in L.A. and lived there until five years of age, I haven't completely explored it the way you'd think. As world famous as Hollywood is, I also can count on one hand how many times I have been there.

Last weekend, my best friend and I decided to go all out as an early birthday celebration. I initially wanted her to stay with me for a couple days because Nate was out of town and I wanted her company. Katie is really spontaneous and never hesitates to do something out of the ordinary. When she told me that our annual girls trip needed to happen ASAP and it needed to involve Los Angeles, I knew I couldn't say no. Type A (obviously me) needs a type B friend. I'm beginning to come around though.

For those of you interested in taking a trip yourselves, or just out of curiosity, here is a little recap and review of our weekend.

What I Wore During The Day

I wanted to be comfortable on the drive from Temecula to Hollywood and it's a good thing I wore essentially a sack because it took us three hours to get there. By the end of our drive, we were both cursing like sailors. Welcome to Los Angeles! As soon as we pulled up to the hotel though, any bit of frustration regarding the heavy traffic immediately floated away. The Roosevelt is stunning, and the staff are extremely friendly. 

The Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel

...Is quintessential L.A. and I felt like a movie star. Listen, I'm honestly not picky about hotel rooms. Growing up, my parents and I usually stayed in a Motel 6 so now that I'm older and can relatively afford a nicer stay somewhere, I don't take it for granted! We were upgraded to a beautiful suite with a shower big enough for a few friends if we had been so inclined 😉 Who needs a shower that gigantic anyway? 

The Hollywood Roosevelt has a lengthy history. It was built in the 1920's, and though it has been renovated, I found it to be charming. It is the oldest continually operating hotel in Los Angeles. We didn't see any ghosts, but Katie made me laugh when she said that our room smelled "old." Apparently people believe it's haunted, no doubt due to its age. We didn't see or hear anything other-worldly though, just a lot of half naked people in the pool area. I felt like I was in an episode of The Hills with all the cool girl vibes, the DJ blasting music, and guys clearly looking for someone to have fun with. Katie and I kept our sunglasses on and tried to inconspicuously observe from the bar. All I can say is, I'm happy I'm married! There's no way in Hell I could hang being single in Hollywood. 

Marilyn Monroe lived in the hotel for two years during her early days as an actress. 

Would I recommend staying at the Hollywood Roosevelt? An emphatic yes! There were people young and old, with and without children, people from different parts of the world. It's definitely geared to a hip crowd, but it wasn't nearly as over the top as I expected and I hope to stay there again with Nate. It was also very clean and quiet at night, which also surprised me because our room faced Hollywood Blvd. 

Saturday night, I wore a new dress that I purchased during a LOFT sale. I showed some video of it on snapchat, but the lighting was too dark for me to save. I plan on wearing it again next week, so you will see the exact details recreated. I loved it!

SUR

SUR and pump were on our agenda because we are both fans of Lisa from The Housewives of Beverly Hills. The decor at SUR did not disappoint! Talk about a fairy tale. It looks exactly as it does on the television show, minus the cameras. We didn't see any familiar faces, and LVP was nowhere in sight. But, it was quiet and there was no wait so we grabbed a drink and made ourselves comfortable on one of their plush couches. It was indeed beautiful, but we expected a bit more excitement. We ate at the hotel to save some money so I can't account for the food there but the service was decent as far as drinks went. It's worth it to get one and walk around the restaurant. 

Pump

I was genuinely surprised at just how much I enjoyed pump, even more so than SUR. Pump is more of a club at night, whereas SUR is a lounge. We even danced a little which is not something we typically do anymore! In fact, we had so much fun on Saturday night that we ended up going back on Sunday morning before we left for home. I thought the staff was decidedly friendlier and attentive, and the drinks were better too! The ambiance is also more laid back so I didn't feel out of place. Oh, and a pump-tini is a must!

Overall, I give this year's girls trip a solid A! It was the perfect mix of relaxation, a bit of glamour, and lots of laughs. I don't care where life takes us next - this is one tradition that Katie and I will always keep. 

If you have any questions or need any further info on our stay, feel free to ask! I'll see you back here on Monday with a beauty post. 💋

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Real Talk: Blogging & Constructive Criticism

I've been blogging for eight years, and fortunately, my experience has been very positive. My blog is small, so I've never had to deal with any real scrutiny or negative comments the way popular bloggers have. However, I'm of the mindset that if you put yourself out there for all to potentially see, you can't expect everyone to like you. Not everyone is going to fawn over every outfit you post, the way you do your hair and makeup, or even the things you choose to write about. The same goes for meeting people in real life. You may have an irritating co-worker that just rubs you the wrong way. or an acquaintance that gets on your last nerve. Why do we expect the internet to be any different?

I personally have never understood the aspect of fashion or beauty blogging where it appears as if only positive feedback is accepted. Yes there is a difference between constructive criticism, such as "that top isn't the most flattering untucked" versus "you look fat." I wouldn't dream of  saying something like that to anyone in person, and I wouldn't say it on social media either. But, differing opinions can be helpful and even essential to building a good rapport with the people that take time out of their days to stop by and read whatever you have to say. It equals growth. If you treat blogging like a business, wouldn't you want your customers to be happy? As long as it's not mean-spirited, I just don't see the problem.

I used to cringe whenever I got an anonymous comment because I immediately assumed it was going to be rude. But most of the time, it wasn't rude at all. The only instance I'll delete a comment on my blog is if it's clearly spam (these usually involve adult services if you catch my drift). But otherwise, what someone writes is what stays on this space. I've noticed a huge uptick over the last two years where people are monitoring their comments to the point where it's ridiculous, and I wonder what truly motivates them to even have a blog. If it's only to solicit your readers to worship at your feet and tell you how beautiful and amazing you are, then I'm not sure you're doing it for the right reasons. Unless you fancy yourself an expert in something, why not let people have their say? I would much rather have meaningful discussions, even about trivial topics like lipstick shades and why you think off-the-shoulder tops suck than have you just tell me how cute I look. I mean that's very sweet and we all like being complimented, but I've looked at some of my archives and Lord did I make some bad choices.

Interaction is my favorite part of blogging, and I feel like that's really lacking these days. So go ahead and tell me you disagree, and I won't take offense or delete your comment. Let's talk! And for the record, I love anonymous. Keep it real.

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