My Favorite Spring Trend & Monthly Reads Reunion

Wearing all white is probably my absolute favorite "trend" for Spring. Once afraid that I would look like a giant sack in this ethereal hue, I now am crazy about it. I really blame my wedding for this love affair. I felt so special that day in my gown, that I think it's carried over into my daily wardrobe. It brightens my complexion, lifts my spirits, and is the perfect canvas for jewelry. I like to use it just as I do with black, meaning I let my accessories be the stand-out, or I just go with it and keep everything very simple and understated. The look is crisp, youthful, and chic. You'll be seeing me in similar outfits all season long. Light and bright! The epitome of my Spring wardrobe.

Wearing //

Express dress

Express portofino 

Sole Society pumps

Rebecca Minkoff tote

Express druzy necklace, check stores

And now for something exciting, something I've been itching for! Once upon a time, I used to participate in a monthly must-reads series. If you've been following me from the beginning, then you have undoubtedly read those, and if you are new to my blog, just type in "monthly must-reads" in my search category and they will pop up. I started blogging in 2009 and during this time, I met some of my best blogger friends. It feels amazing to do this once again with them! I love them to pieces. If you haven't checked their blogs out, I suggest you exit this page and do so immediately.


A warm hug to Zeba for putting this together, as she did back then :)

• Alison*Elle - Alison has been embracing 2015 with a helpful reminder from this love wall.
• Beautygirl24 - Noelle discovers her favorite Express camisole comes in a Spring-worthy floral print. 
• Ella Pretty - Zeba was super-excited to get a full page feature in a Canadian magazine!
• Fifth & Bloor -  Mehreen is loving her extremely ripped jeans! She talks about how to style them here.
• Love, Lipstick & Pearls - Kristen just announced Baby #2 and shared some pregnancy updates.
• Schnelle Couture -  Danielle discusses her new hair care finds.
• Sequins and Stilettos - Skylette channeled her inner Betty Draper with this dress for spring.
  

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Inspired by a Friend

Wearing //

Express tee

Steve Madden flats, love these

Rebecca Minkoff tote

Loft jeans, similar

Nordstrom necklace, similar

Beauty //

Essie nails in Watermelon

Lancome Lip Lover in #334

This post is entirely dedicated to Carylee. After seeing this knot tee on her and a handful of other bloggers that I think she inspired, I had to give it a try. Not only are these tees supremely soft, but the detail on the hip makes it feel a little more special than your run-of-the-mill version. I'm constantly on the search for new tee-shirts I can live in during the Summer. I've had some luck with LOFT, but they do wear pretty easily after a couple of seasons so I'm always on the hunt to replenish each year. There are some days where you just want to feel comfortable, and a great tee and jeans is my uniform for those times. Now I'm tempted to get another...maybe white. 

A small rant before I go. I HATE mosquitos! Hate them. I got attacked by one as you might notice on my arm and it turned into a giant welt. Those little suckers always seem to find their way to me. Buzz off guys! Okay, rant over. 

How was your Easter? 

Linking up with Carylee and Gina. 

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Spring at the Beach

Wearing //

Loft maxi dress

Express moto jacket

Express necklace,  recent (check stores)

Amour Vert tote

Steve Madden sandals (old) but love these

Beauty //

Lips in Lancome Shine Lover in 340 (love)

Finger nails in Chanel "May"

Toes in O.P.I "Lincoln Park at Midnight"

Nate and I accomplished three things last weekend: We went for a hike, we finally did our taxes, and we had our first real beach trip of the year. To say the weather was gorgeous would be an understatement! I knew the water would be cold so I didn't wear my bathing suit, but I did manage to get a little color on my skin after these pictures were taken. I love wearing a soft, flowy maxi dress to the beach when I know I'm not going to jump in the water. It looks put together and polished, but still casual enough to take a stroll along the shore. I just held the bottom up while I trudged through the sand. It actually reminded me of our wedding day when I did the same thing with my gown! Not pictured was my trusty fedora. I got one at Target a few weeks ago and it's perfect for keeping my freshly colored locks under cover. I feel silly in hats, which is why I never photograph with one on but I do wear them whenever I'm outdoors for a long period of time. Sun protection is a must! A fun tote and bright pink lips are also must-haves for me at the beach.

What are your beach must-haves?

Linking up with Tara today!

P.S. - A giant hug and kiss to those that took time out of their day to leave such beautiful, supportive comments on my last post. Most of them actually made me tear up because, well, I'm a nut case ;) But seriously, thank you all so much. I love you guys. 

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Body Confidence

Wearing //

Asos dress, similar here and here

J.Crew Factory sandals

Rebecca Minkoff bag

Rocksbox necklace and ring 

(use code beachfirenkxoxo to get your first month free)

I wasn't sure what to title this post, so I decided to name it the thing that's been on my mind a lot recently - body confidence. Having a personal style and beauty blog is an odd concept. It's a great way to memorialize a period of time in your life. It's allowed me to recognize how my style has evolved over the last five years, and it's been such a helpful tool in that sense. I see it as a scrapbook or journal of sorts, one that makes me smile, laugh, and reminisce when I look back at older posts. But, it's also put some pressure on me to look a certain way. The internet can be a vicious place, one in which strangers feel compelled to point out every little flaw and pick people apart in the comfort of their own home and behind the veil of anonymity. Now I personally have been very fortunate. I've never really encountered any nasty comments on my blog, and I feel very supported in this community. I'm sure if I were a "bigger name blogger", I would have experienced some negative comments over the years. I cringe when I see what some are going through. I didn't know when I signed up for this that a pre-requisite included being a size 0 and looking like you flew off the pages of Vogue. If I had known, I would have just picked up an issue on the newstand.

 I think I've just begun to put pressure on myself. It's no secret that I'm struggling with my weight right now because I've disclosed that, and I second guess every single picture I put up on my blog. That shouldn't be the point though, right? I'm not a model, just a regular person with a regular job, a husband, friends, family, a dog. I live in a condo, I dream about traveling and starting a family in the next two years. I doubt myself all the time and question everything, and this is coming from someone who studied and now works in the counseling field. I see a therapist because I have horrible anxiety. I'm now on medication for it. Why am I telling you all this? Well I'm not sure really, I just don't always want to write a simple blurb about what I'm wearing and how fabulous everything is. I've been struggling lately, and I wanted to throw that out there. Not for sympathy, because I'm okay! But just to let you know that confidence is so important in life, and mine is faltering at the moment. I know it'll pass. I know I'm taking the steps necessary to head in the right direction, and I'm looking forward to a future blog post where I can talk about that. But for now, let's all just be kind to one another. I firmly believe you can be stylish at any height, weight, or size. Let's just keep reminding ourselves, and each other.

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Dress Hunting {Wedding Guest} & Rocksbox

     Now that it's Spring, and love is in the air as the cliche goes, I'm in anticipation of wedding season. Two of my girlfriends are tying the knot to their long-time loves, and they are the last of my circle to get married. I just love weddings. If I could be a crasher, I probably would take the risk. I could blend in, right? Anyway, the only problem I'm facing is that I have no clue what to wear to either. Ridiculous...some style blogger I am! Both weddings are outside on a lawn, and both will undoubtedly involve the Temecula heat. Keeping cool is a major concern of mine. My husband is in both weddings, but I for once can watch as a proud guest. I love that I can just sit back and relax this year and let him squirm while he gives a toast.

Here are two dresses I'm thinking about, both already ordered.

 Unfortunately, this one by Olivaceous is already sold out at Bloomingdale's but they come back in stock quite often so I will let you know when I find another. 

This dress is originally from Express from a few years back. Bottom line - I once was the happy owner, but then donated it on a whim and it was such a mistake! The color and the style are beautiful, and I think it'll be perfect for an outdoor wedding. I did receive this already from an Ebay seller but it doesn't quite fit so I'm going to work hard to get back into shape and make it work. 

Some other pretty contenders, just in case any of you are on the same hunt as I am:

I've wanted this Eliza J dress since last Summer so I think I may just try it. It comes in petite too. You can find it at Nordstrom . I would wear this beauty anywhere! 

Here's another maxi from Eliza J. It's quite pricey, but I think it's versatile enough for a lot of people. You could definitely dress it up or down. Also found at Nordstrom.

I have this pinned on one of my boards. I think it would be adorable for a more casual wedding. 

Source

I'll let you ladies see what I end up going with. I want all of these dresses just for Summer, not even necessarily for a wedding. They are all gorgeous!

Speaking of gorgeous, I just received my first Rocksbox in the mail yesterday and I couldn't be happier with the three pieces they sent to me. If you haven't yet heard of Rocksbox, it's monthly subscription service that gives you three jewelry items. For 19 dollars a month, you get a personal stylist that curates a box of baubles for you that suit your style. You can either buy them or swap them out for something else. Get your first month free with code BEACHFIRENKXOXO!

Stay tuned next week to see how I style these. 

Happy Friday!

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Watercolor

Wearing //

Express cami (love)

H&M blazer, similar

Loft petite jean leggings (so soft)

Rebecca Minkoff bag

Sole Society pumps

Beauty //

Lips - YSL Rouge Volupte Shine in Pink in Devotion

Essie nails in "Find me an Oasis"

When I saw this watercolor floral cami, I knew I needed it. Okay, so I need more of these suckers like I need a hole in my head.  I also know that florals for Spring are nothing new or ground-breaking, but the pattern of this was unique enough for me because I don't have anything remotely like it. These camisoles are so great for layering. They don't add any extra bulk underneath a jacket or blazer, something my chubby little arms can appreciate. In fact, I'm beginning to count how many I own and I'm at number six! That's very close to portofino status! When I find something I love, I'm guilty of getting it in multiples.

How are you ladies? I apologize for my lack of posts, but I spent all weekend with friends in San Diego and then I came home to nurse an injured pup. Thankfully, I think the craziness is about to slow down. I'm trying to get serious about not only my physical health, but also my mental these next few weeks. I'm determined to finally lose some weight, start cooking at home more often, spend my free time doing an activity to get my body moving, and just a general detox from all the stress (and fun) I've been experiencing lately. I'll keep you posted, if anyone cares ;)

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