Kate Spade Inspired Wall Design: DIY

When I moved into my new place I was excited to have a fresh start in decorating. As I perused Pinterest I stumbled upon this post from Christine at Just Bella. I was instantly reminded of the gorgeous Kate Spade dinnerware (below) that unfortunately is no longer available.

Christine's post led me to Urban Walls, a great company offering tons of different vinyl wall decals, quotations and even chalkboard decals! I was so excited when my Gold Dots arrived and couldn't wait to put them up. I was preparing myself for a tricky process and lots of frustration. I was pleasantly surprised when after about an hour I had completed the entire project! Urban Walls included easy to follow instructions and the process turned out to be a breeze! See below for the final product!

Yes, my bed is a mattress on the floor. I'm still getting settled, don't judge ;)

Do you have a designer inspired decor item?

xo Lindsey

Cocktail Party: My Fave LBD

This is by-far my absolute favorite little black dress. Typically when I buy a dress its for a specific occassion but when I found this gem at my favorite Annapolis boutique, Lilac Bijoux, I knew it was a keeper. The matte sequins give it just enough sparkle without being too flashy. I paired it with a simple neon necklace from Loft (old and no longer available) and these fantastic wedges from Target! I apologize in advance for the poor quality photos-it was an impromptu iPhone photoshoot ;)

{Ya Los Angeles* from Lilac Bijoux}

*Unfortunately you aren't able to shop online for this brand (Ya Los Angeles) but I have noticed that several boutiques carry their items.

{Sam & Libby from Target-Now on Sale!}

Close up of the dress...

  

Vacation Style

I am finally back to the real world after a whirlwind of a vacation to Mackinac Island with my family and some friends. Packing has always been a struggle for me so I was on a mission to pack efficiently yet still be stylish. I found the trick: Solid tanks, statement necklaces, comfy versatile shorts and fancy flats. Here is an overview of some of what I wore and some ideas if you are headed on vacation soon! 

For those of you who haven't been to Mackinac Island, there are no cars. Yup. No cars. Therefore, bikes are the preferred mode of transportation. For someone who is addicted to dresses and skirts this poses quite an issue! Leave it to J. Crew to solve my problems with these adorable shorts!

J. Crew Pleated Short in Structured Cotton

These shorts are fantastic! They are a little extra fancy and high waisted. 

     

J. Crew Faille Pull-On Short 

These are a must have in several colors. They are pull-on, elastic waisted which you would think would be semi-juvenille but I fell in love with them! They are super comfy and the ruffled waist gives them a bit of flair.

When bike-riding fancy flats are also a must! My addiction to Target never fails me in this department! 

I have the Striped Dolce Vita version by the * 

I also got these great neutral wedges at Target which could be worn to dress up any of these fancy short combos!

Whats your trick to vacation style?

xo Lindsey

Update & Whats to come....

Just when I thought I was on track and posting often, I fell off the wagon. Thought I'd let you know whats been going on just so you know I'm not neglecting ;)

1) I'm finally moved in to my new place! Well-my bed is in the room...Lots of boxes to unpack still that I'll eventually get to-eventually. I'm super excited to decorate and just received my Urban Walls Gold Polka Dot Decals!! Lots of pics to come!

2) My family's annual trip to Mackinac Island is upon us! This trip is a week long extravaganza of boating, dressing up, dancing and an overall incredible time with incredible people I don't see often enough! I will be posting my attempt at packing, my cocktail party style as well as vacation style. Style has definitely been in the back seat lately because it has been ungodly HOT here in the Midwest.

3) I'm going to see Jimmy Buffet. Fifth row. 'Nuff said. (Laugh if you must but I am so excited!)

4) My monogrammed necklace has finally arrived. (!!!!!!!!) This has been on my wish list for the longest time and I was thrilled to find it on Groopdealz via Name Jewelry Spot. Expect to see it in just about every post ;)

What's new in your world??

xo Lindsey

Happy Fourth and First #OOTD Post!

Happy 4th of July! Hope everyone is having a safe and fun day with family and friends :)

I have the day off and am spending time with my parents before heading back to work tomorrow. 

I wanted to share with you all my very first 'selfie' post! I'm a little camera shy but thankful that my lovely mom was willing to help me out with this shoot. I must also credit my sister with the purchase of this great maxi dress! It's so comfy but also looks cute! (My two favorite characteristic in a wardrobe piece) I've also been trying out some new hair techniques. I have super thick hair and in the summer its a pain to dry it and strighten/curl it. Inspired by Caitlin at Southern Curls and Pearls, I decided to try my hand at the twisting technique to curl my hair. I did it a little differently than Caitlin but I was pretty happy with the results! Plus I spent less time sweating while getting ready! What do you think?

|| Maxi Dress-Nordstrom similar here ||

 || Vintage bangle, Kate Spade striped bangle similar here, Bow Ring-GroopDealz/My Adorable Place, Midi rings-Apple of My Eye Jewelry ||

And the results of the hair twisting......!!! 

What are you plans for the 4th??

xo Lindsey

#ArmPartyProblems

Lets talk arm party. They seem to be everywhere you look on Instagram, Pinterest and Blogs! I'm a huuuge fan of a good arm party and was generally anti-bracelet until very recently. When I got my Michael Kors watch for my birthday, I timidly ventured into the world of arm parties. My biggest issue is that for some odd reason I have always worn my watches on my right hand. Not a problem for you lefties but as a righty, an arm party quickly gets irritating if I'm attempting to do anything productive. Moral of the story, I've decided to, for style sake, suck it up and do my best to remain productive despite a happenin' arm party.  I've started off slowly typically with just one bracelet, but as my collection grows I'm becoming more open to a whole stack! Here are some of my favorite arm parties via Instagram...

(This is actually a cheater arm party-its all one bracelet! ;))

Are you a brave arm party participant?? Link to your favorite arm parties!

xo Lindsey

Top 5 Standbys

Summer is the best time for all kinds of new fun beauty trends. No matter what the trends, I still have my go-to, standby products. Here is the short list!

1. Bobby Pins! With summer in full swing my unruly hair can always use a bobby pin (or 5!). I never leave home without them. I have them scattered in my car, my room, my make-up bags and everywhere in between. I have some great brunette bobby pins but I'm on the hunt for a 'redhead' version. Any suggestions?

2.Water with lemon. Growing up, pop (yes, I say pop not soda) was a luxury. We never had pop in the house and only drank water at restaurants. Thanks to my parents I still rarely drink it-except in the occasional cocktail. Therefore-"water with lemon" has become a standby at home as well as whenever I go out to eat. As with most of these standbys of mine, I've never been a huge fan of plain Jane water but add a slice of lemon and it's instantly delicious! Apparently its also good for you liver(?) but it had me at the taste. 

3. Aveeno Positively Radiant Daily Moisturizer: I use this absolutely everyday. No exceptions. I love the texture of the lotion itself and the fact that it has spf 15 is perfect for my pale freckly face ;) it has a little shimmer in it too! I previously used the tinted version which is excellent as well!

4. Nivea Lip Balm: OMG if you haven't tried this lip balm (in any variety) do it now. At $2.99 its a bit of a splurge but oh-so worth it. once you use this you will literally be addicted. I've never been  "Chapstick" girl because i thought the texture was too hard. well this stuff melts like butter on your lips and laassttss! 

5. Essie. who doesn't love Essie? It goes without saying that it is a great quality polish that never fails to make me swoon over the gorgeous colors. I think we have all had that "hallelujah" moment when you find a bottle at TJMaxx or in the clearance section at Ulta!

What are some of your summer beauty standbys?

xo Lindsey