Loving: Jewelmint!

I've been hearing about Jewelmint non-stop for the last few months. At first I have to admit I was a little bit skeptical because it seemed like every Youtube beauty guru was being sent free pieces, and I wasn't sure if they really loved the stuff or if they were just saying so because they received the items for free. So finally I gave in and checked it out. I have to say it's pretty much as awesome as everyone says!

When you sign up you take a style quiz that is supposed to tailor your results to you. I've heard some people say it was totally wrong about them, but mine was right on! My top 3 choices were the first three in my list! And they have a really great assortment of jewelry: super boho pieces, really girly and feminine, chunky and delicate. Basically they have something for everyone and the selection changes every single month! Click here to take the style quiz and sign up for free!

All of the pieces are $29.99, but they always have discount codes and especially good ones for first time buyers! In fact, just for the next 24 hours there's a flash sale and if you use the discount code FLASH7 it will take $22.50 off your first piece, which means you pay $7.49 for a piece of jewelry that is regularly $29.99! Awesome!

I just put my first order in yesterday! I had been looking at the pieces for a few weeks and finally decided to do it because I found a Groupon for $25 for 2 pieces of jewelry which is even better than most of the coupon codes out there! That Groupon is over now, but they have them a lot. . .I'll post the link if I find one again soon! I will do a haul as soon as I get my jewels, so I'm not going to show you the pieces I picked out just yet, but you can guess!

Oh and did I mention that Kate Bosworth started the company with her stylist Cher Coulter? If I made videos this would be way easier. There is way more info to be had! Check out the website if you're interested!

http://jmnt.me/mG4vCI

*I'm not receiving anything from Jewelmint, just another company I'm absolutely loving!

My new favorite shirt!

I went to the mall last week with my sister which was an enormously exciting prospect because I moved recently and all of the malls around here are centered in one area which is now FAR from where I live. We were totally excited to buy heaps of semi-useless things, but our spirits quickly fell when we were nearly done and had bought almost nothing. Thank the Mall Gods for H&M! We went in looking for some certain things, quickly couldn't find them and got lost in their summer sale!

Enter my new favorite shirt! These babies were originally $12.95 on sale for $5. . .love! First, they are organic cotton which is awesome, and even cooler, they are a collab with Knot Violence, an educational initiative to teach young people to solve problems peacefully. The company is art based which explains all of the awesome designs at H&M, and 10% of the proceeds from the shirts are donated to the Non-Violence Project Foundation. Click here to check out the Knot Violence website and also some of the other t-shirt designs H&M has!

The top one is my sister's, and I love it because I think the guns in the middle look like a mustache. Sis glares at me when I tell her this, but I think it's really cute. Mine is the bottom one and just says Knot Violence all in a flowery pattern, which makes my hippie soul ecstatic! These shirts send out such an amazing message and I kind of feel like a badass with a gun on my shirt!

*I am not affiliated in any way with H&M or Knot Violence, I just love these shirts and what they stand for!

Best Blog on the Block

I can't quite think of anything better to cheer up a strange day at work, than this little gem of an award I received from Miss MaryElizabeth at Little Ramblings! Thank you a million times girly, you are amazing! I started this blog with zero expectations, I really just wanted a place to write down all the memories I didn't want to forget. I never expected to have followers or commenters, but it has turned into so much more than I ever hoped already! I absolutely love logging in every day to read all of your lovely blogs and it makes me so happy that I'm beginning to recognize certain followers and commenters. I'm really proud of our little blogging community we have going on here. It's so much fun to be able to voice my opinions on topics I love, and I have to stop myself from posting too much because I'm just so into it! I'm so honored to be awarded this, thank you again! And check out Little Ramblings if you haven't, she's amazing!

1. Link back to the person/people who awarded you (above)
2. Share 7 random facts about yourself.

1. I'm a vegetarian and have been since the beginning of High School, which would make that going on 10 years now. Wow, I can't believe it's been that long!

2. I want to move to LA more than anything in the world! And not for some reason like "I just wanna be a star!" No, I have always wanted to live there and I think there would be a million great job opportunities for me and from growing up in a big city nothing quite equals Chicago and I think LA could. I think I kind of owe it to myself to try.

3. I love Chickpeas/Garbanzo Beans however you call them. I eat them by themselves.

4. I add the word nasty onto the end of words and that's my way of showing affection toward them. I can't take credit for this, my sister Alana taught me this and we have lengthy conversations that I'm sure sound very strange if you were listening in. Macbook = Mac-nasty. Disney = Dis-nasty. Those 2 are the most common.

5. I'm applying for Teach For America this fall. Teaching is kind of a new passion for me. I have absolutely no training in teaching, but working at Disney has given me a kind of new appreciation and passion for children.

6. My dream would be to start my own clothing company. More like T-shirt company. I would love to be in competition with a company like Wildfox.

7. I hate cell phones. Not that I'm not grateful they were invented, but when you're at dinner and everyone at the table can't put down their phones there's an issue. You'd rather type to a person through cyberspace than have a real conversation with the people you're actually sitting with? Why didn't you go to dinner with cyber-buddy then?

3. Award other bloggers.

These ladies are gorgeous inside and out, and they are always the first blogs I look for in my reading list! They have great ideas and are fun and interesting to read about! Last but not least, they are of course super stylish and creative!

Beauty Soiree

Lipstick Stars and Killer Heels

Makeup Downlow

4. Answer the following:

Favorite Color: Yellow but some days Purple. Even better if both are together!
Favorite Song: My most favorite song will always be If I Were To Write The Song // Cartel but my favorite song of the moment is Last Friday Night // Katy Perry or anything that even utters the name Ke$ha!
Favorite Dessert: Mint chocolate ice cream. . .it has a weak spot in my heart.
Making You Pissy: People who text on their phone when I'm trying to talk to them.
When you're upset, you: read a book to escape to someplace else for a little while.
Favorite Pet: I only have one, a ridiculous beagle named Sonni. I try to pretend she annoys me, but really I enjoy her.

Sonni loves the Mac-nasty!

Black or White: White without a question!
Biggest Fear: Not finding my place in this world.
Best Feature: My eyes
Everyday Attitude: "Live in Love" We don't have enough time to live in anger at each other. A little love brightens someone's day and causes a chain reaction. A little love goes a long way.
What is Perfection: Perfection to me is having all the elements of your life falling into place. We all know what's it's like when life throws us a bad time, but when it's good it's really good and I wouldn't trade those feelings for anything!
Guilty Pleasure: Buying things I don't need on Amazon. I have to admit I'm a bit obsessed with Amazon.

Thank you so much again to MaryElizabeth and please go check out these girls blogs! They deserve every bit of recognition!

Let The Sun Shine

I know my posts have been pretty simple in nature the last few weeks, but sometimes I think simple can be better. 

My sister and I are working on some projects right now that are style related so I'll be able to show some of that pretty soon hopefully! That combined with a promotion at work have occupied quite a bit of time lately. I've got some great ideas for posts coming up though!

I've been really inspired by just simple pictures lately for my choices in fashion, makeup, music, and just kind of the vibe I want for my life in general. These are some of my favorites right now! 

savor the moments

festival fun

native hippie

cool off

vintage vixen

scorcher

I wish we all could be...

remember when we were young

it's not so serious

sound of summer

jump for joy (and beer)

I've got a small haul coming up and also another DIY project or two. Any other suggestions on what you ladies would like to see from me? Also, what inspires you?

Lo-vely!

Ever since Laguna Beach and continuing onto The Hills, Lo Bosworth has always been one of my favorite reality girls! Besides the initial like for sharing a fabulous name (in my opinion!), over the years I have really grown fond of her for her professional demeanor and the way she handles and carries herself with the media. Her style is also fabulous and I love her California laid back essentials mixed with classy and always appropriate pieces for any occasion!

Even just out and about she looks put together in a nautical inspired outfit.

Again, even just out shopping she looks super cute and comfortable with her flats! Comfort doesn't have to mean gross sweats you inherited from your dad as some celebrities believe.

She dresses up simple jeans with a cute printed top and gives it a little edge with the leather jacket for a night out.

On the red carpet Lo looks classy and fresh in a Tadashi Shoji number. I love her hair!

She still looks cute at the beach without showing too much skin in a denim dress. I like how the open buttons make the dress super casual but still appropriate.

In my opinion Lo is the perfect example of how a reality star should act, and she has used her fame to get to even better places in her life! Who are some of your favorite reality stars? And also which ones do you hate?

Pretty Little Blogs

First and foremost, Happy Father's Day to my amazing Daddy and all of the other Fathers out there!

Welcome to my pretty, improved blog. Please pardon my construction for the next few days if things are out of place a little. I'm really excited about my new design.

I've been spending my weekend educating myself in Pretty Little Liars. Apparently I was living under a rock because I am the only person who hasn't been watching this show! And I'm really sad I haven't because I'm falling in love! Aria is definitely my favorite style and character wise, but all of the girls have awesome outfit moments and I think Emily (Shay Mitchell) is sooo pretty!

This is random, but for anyone who watches The Vampire Diaries. . .it freaks me out every time Maya says Emily because all I can think about is when she played scary 1864 Emily in TVD!

I'm only about halfway through the first season, but let me know who your favorite character is and if you have any favorite episodes so I can anticipate them!

These aren't the droids you're looking for

Just a picture post today because I haven't had a lot of computer time the last few days!

My place of employment holds what we call Star Wars Weekends every year between May and June. I never thought I would say this, but I enjoy Star Wars Weekends and everything that goes along with it! That's right I'm a complete and total nerd now! (I still no next to  nothing about Star Wars! I just think it's fun!)

My sister and I love the Cantina Band. If you've seen Star Wars movies you'll know what I mean when I say we love their song!

Animal print Mickey ears are always at the height of fashion!

Spooky Tower of Terror in the background, and yes that is my costume! I don't wear sunflowers of my own accord.

At holiday time they deck the place out in millions and millions of lights! I was in love with a sign that said Gaga's House which is what I'm pointing at.

We make friends with silly chipmunks. . .

. . .play around with Jessie and Bullseye. . .

. . .and fight crime with Incredibles!

Just a day in the life!

Victoria's Secret Haul!

Yesterday morning I got my butt out of bed super early to hit the first day of the Victoria's Secret Semi-Annual Sale aka the semi-annual spend my money real quick sale! Usually I end up walking out of there with about 80 pairs of panties that I don't need, but I controlled myself yesterday and actually got some different items than I would normally choose. I've never tried VS makeup before, but I've had my eye on the limited edition 'Wild Tropics' collection for a few months and at 75% off who can beat it?

Sorry the photos are mostly just the promo ones, I can't connect my camera to my sister's computer and taking photos with the Macbook is pretty awkward.

VS Baked Mineral Shadow Quad in Exotic Escape orig. $15 sale $3.75

I can't wait to try the light gold shade, second from the right!

VS Baked Mineral Shadow Quad in Secluded Lagoon orig. $15 sale $3.75

I had to try this quad yesterday and I'm loving it so far! I think my favorite is the middle gold color and I used the teal on my water line and it stayed all day!

VS Baked Mineral Bronzing Powder in Sun Goddess orig. $16 sale $4

The bronzer seems pretty shimmery which I usually don't like, but I think it will be nice as a highlighter!

VS Luminous Cheek & Face Highlighter in Bronze Rays and Sea Shells orig. $14 each sale $3.50 each

I've never owned a NARS Multiple, but I'm assuming this is going to be similar. I thought the bronze was going to be my favorite, but the pink one, Sea Shells is really pretty!

Beauty Rush Lip Gloss with SPF 15 in Kiwiberry, Mega Melon, and Tropicool orig. $7 each sale $1.75 each

These aren't anything special, but I do think that this photo is all of the ones I bought in the order I named them. The only one I'm not sure about is the middle one. There were two colors that were pretty similar and the middle one could be the other one! I only buy these at the sales though, I can't justify paying $7 for one! The sheer color they give is perfect and the SPF will be great for summer!

Aloha Pink Body Mist in Tropical & Juicy orig. $15 sale $3.75

This is my first ever square Pink body splash! I do have the Live Pink body splash and perfume that was in the collection around the holidays last year, but that wasn't in these rectangle bottles so it doesn't count! I'm thinking about going back and getting the blue one, Wild & Breezy, but I'll see how I feel about it in a few days. I just love summery, tropical, fruity scents!

Let me know if you would like me to do a review on any of the items I got! Did any of you ladies go to the sale yesterday? I would love to know what treasures you found!

If escape were possible

I've been really into travel blogs lately and being the self-proclaimed nomad that I am, I'm having some travel withdrawal right now! Well that and I just spent way too much money at the Victoria's Secret Semi-Annual Sale (maybe a haul tomorrow?) that I can't even think about clothes or beauty right now.

So because I have Peter Pan syndrome (don't want to grow up!) I'm missing having summers off, being able to swim in the pool all day, reading books in the backyard, and playing outside until I have so many mosquito bites I can't stand it anymore! So these are all of the places I would love to escape to right now in no particular order!

1. Morocco

The architecture and decor of Morocco is some of the most beautiful to me. I love how the buildings completely blend into their surroundings and look almost deserted, but once inside the walls there is a maze of tiny streets with restaurants and shops and a million treasures to find. 

2. Phuket, Thailand

I've been to Thailand, but never the Southern islands. The beaches of Phuket are absolutely picture perfect to me, I couldn't imagine a better beach destination anywhere!

3. Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

Brazil has been high on my list of places to go for a while now, but I haven't had the time or the need to go. Last year I made some amazing Brazilian friends at work though, so I feel like a trip will be completely necessary very soon!

4. Holi Festival, India

Both of these photos are from the Holi festival, which is the Festival of Color. This happens every year at the end of winter, so March-ish and basically consists of 2 weeks of throwing colored powder at other people. Seriously now, what could possibly be more fun than this? This also works very well with my Ke$ha obsession!

5. South Africa

This photo is of Cape Town, but really I would love to go anywhere in South Africa. An African safari is also something I would love to do! Africa seems soo far away to me and kind of the most exotic place I can think of even though I think I really have been farther away.

6. Santorini, Greece

I say certain places are on the top of my travel list, but Santorini is without a doubt the #1 and has been for quite some time. Everything seems so old and warn but the people who live there seem so nice and welcoming and really seem to understand the beauty of their home. Not to mention Greek food is my absolute favorite! Yum, a trip there would be amazing!

Regularly scheduled programming will resume tomorrow! I hope my little detour helped you ladies feel that you were relaxing somewhere beautiful, if only just for a moment!

DIY Love

My creative side showed her face this weekend, the first of many times for the summer I hope. DIY anything is pretty much my favorite, but the projects are usually just too big for my attention span. But with my growing need for bracelets and the amazingness of this design, I couldn't pass it up! You can find the original design for the woven chain bracelet and how-to here at Honestly WTF, an awesome fashion blog with lots of DIYs! The next project I have my eye on is the hex nut bracelet, but I have to admit I'm a little scared to venture into Lowe's by myself! Ahh!

Since my DIY skills are kind of rusty, I didn't have the proper tools to shorten the chain I used. I like it as a wrap bracelet though, and it also looks nice as a necklace. I hand picked all of my thread colors, and went with summery turquoise and coral. I mixed 5 different shades together for each color and I really like the result! The only tip I have is to make sure you use the color you want to see more of second in each loop! I was slightly disappointed that my bracelet looks way more blue, but at least next time I'll know! I might even use a few less strands of thread next time because my chain kind of gets lost. . .well that or find a bigger chain!
The best part is I made this bracelet for $5.84! Try going to even Forever 21 and finding something similar to this for that price. . .it won't happen!

Outfit: Turquoise basic racerback by Damsel from Urban Outfitters. Cream lace crop from Gilly Hicks. Destroyed jean shorts from Abercrombie & Fitch.

Attacked!!! (2011 Bikini Style)

Do you girls ever get super obsessed with a piece of clothing? Maybe I'm just strange, but this happens to me from time to time! Since it's summer, right now my obsession is a particular bikini. . .this Billabong Shark Attack bikini to be exact!

It comes in three colors and where I'm from here in Florida it seems that every store only has one color, not all three which is kind of annoying.

I don't think this suit should be as funny as it is to me and maybe it's just because I live where a shark attack is an actual threat, but some people may be offended by how funny I think it is and I'm not sorry! It's just so ironic and different and interesting to me! Those are the top three traits I look for when picking out a swimsuit. It doesn't matter if I get it from Target, PacSun, or some high end shop. . .I just don't want to have the same bathing suit as every other girl at the beach.
This light pink version is the only one I've seen in person, my favorite and the one I think will be mine very soon which I've seen at PacSun. I know they have this color and I think the blue maybe at Ron Jon if you live in the area, and at least one of them at a shop at Downtown Disney my sister told me, again if you live in the area. But it's by Billabong so I'm sure it's readily available online if you so happen to fall in love with it as much as I have!
One shoulder everything is making a huge comeback this season! One shoulder bikinis are cute and unexpected and add a new, interesting detail to a bandeau top! This one is by Becca Swimwear, and my sister's current swimsuit obsession. So thank you Alana for the photo which I am sure she got somewhere in cyberspace. There is also a much more affordable version at Old Navy which I actually like better! The only downside is it only comes in black and I am just not a black bikini kind of gal!
This last bikini is kind of hard to see but it comes from a company called Caffe Swimwear and fits into (sort of) the tribal trend. I saw this suit on the cover of Cosmo in Spanish this month and fell in love with the details. The straps look like they are braided/wrapped with colorful thread and the ties on the bottoms have tassels at the ends. If I was going to splurge on swimwear this year it would be on a suit like this, simple but with pretty and unique details.