Sun Flares...

They look so pretty and they feel sooo good. MMMM Vitamin D. 

She Wore It Then, I'll Wear It Now...

Audrey Hepburn and The Striped Shirt. 

I love a striped shirt. They are so damn preppy and I secretly love prep. I don't think anybody rocked a striped tee better than Audrey either. She was the princess of prep and I often try to channel her when dressing myself.  

I think a good long sleeve striped tee can go with anything. I paired it with a high/low skirt for a little twist on evening wear. This would be a darling outfit for cocktails. 

Outfit Details: Shirt: Gap Skirt: American Eagle Shoes: Sugar

I also love a striped shirt for daywear. I love this scoopy navy blue striped shirt because I can also use it for a Nautical look. With this mint green skirt and yellow flats it becomes a sweet little spring day outfit. 

Outfit Details: Shirt&Skirt: Urban Outfitters Shoes: Gap Glasses: Ray Ban

Thanks for the inspiration Audrey. Us gals never get sick of copying you. 

Life Update

Hello there...

Well I'm finally back to blogging and its well, the end of January but hey at least I made it before the month was over! I had a terrifically swell holiday with a cozy room to sit in with people who wanted to be around me so it was pretty much perfect. Putting away all the holiday decorations was very satisfying for me. I finally did some cleaning and re-arranging while I packed up all the Christmas stuff and my home feels so good and clutter free...

The room looks suddenly bigger and its like a fresh start which is rather fitting being that its January and all... This month has pretty much been a blur. Prepping for the V-day shop update, filling orders, crafting, snacking, and a lot of Netflix has been going down. I always watch different movies and shows while I'm working on the shop or custom orders and I have been busy the past month. I was hopping around between Portlandia, Girls, Game of Thrones, Ally McBeal and so many more. I started watching Ally McBeal on a whim over the holidays and now I just really want it to be over. I liked it at first but then the Nineties-ness of it really started to bother me and it got really formulaic and so now I am just angry watching it until its finished because my OCD requires me to see it through. I always have to finish every show and/or movie I start even if its terrible.

Lately I've been thinking a lot about New Years resolutions and how they are typically bull shit. I mean, I said I was going to blog more and here it is the end of the month, but that led me to think about what I wanted to accomplish this year. Mostly I just want to spend more time with friends and family and people I like. I want to work on my business and my art/passions while working on my teaching degree on the side and become more financially stable. Like a real grown up. That, and of course blog more, read more, cook more, and laugh more. 

Outfit Details: 

Shirt- Urban Outiftters Jacket- Target Necklaces- Silpada,Tres Chic Boutique in Ocala, Pants- American Eagle Boots- Bamboo

"Busy Busy Busy, like a really tall bee."

Like my new iPhone case? I got it from this etsy shop.

Well I have been CRAZY busy lately. Not only have I been trying to open my etsy shop and working at my day job as a nanny but I have also been in the midst of the biggest cleaning/purge junk project I've ever taken on. I have been going through every drawer, box, and closet getting rid of every unnecessary thing. I've always been kind of a pack rat/ borderline hoarder so my family doesn't really believe me when I say I am becoming a minimalist. I used to think that I liked lots of things around me in my environment and when I was younger that was okay, but now that I'm in my "late twenties" (haha) I find myself very drawn to bright photos of modern spaces with minimal amounts of stuff. Not to mention that I just don't have the time to clean and keep up with all that crap anymore. It will give me more time to focus on my work and staying inspired to make pretty things. My mind was feeling cluttered because my space was cluttered, I already feel lighter. Now if I can just get my etsy shop pulled together I will feel fantastic. I am not going to meet my personal deadline of opening April 1st due to some hold ups with the business-y side of things which frustrates me. However, I should be good to go the following week and that's not so bad. This "starting your own business" thing is really tricky because I have to wear so many hats and it feels overwhelming at times but on the other hand it is the most exciting, most fulfilling, scariest thing I've ever done and I couldn't be happier. 

Kirsten

The Mascara Diaries: Part 2

Its been another year of searching for Mr. Right Mascara and I'm no closer to finding my prince "make me look charming." I tried on a few different ones but after a few months I lost interest in them, like most love affairs they were fleeting. However, a few of my conquests are worth mentioning because they were very good lovers.

1.) Bare Esentuals Buxom Mascara. Found Here

I really enjoyed this mascara. The brush on the wand is pretty awesome. It was really big but not so big that it was difficult to wield among the smaller lashes. Size matters people. I would definitely recommend this one for someone with naturally short lashes because Buxom really gave mine some extra length and made them look fuller. At $19.00 though I wish it would've lasted longer. After about a month it started to show its ugly side and got really thick and came out of the tube in thick globs so it was time to move on...

2.) M.A.C. False Lashes Extreme Black. Found Here

Now normally I stay far away from MAC mascaras because I found them to be messy, difficult, and stubborn and who wants that in a man, I mean mascara? Nobody. However I was at the MAC store buying a new lip pencil and this fella was propped up in a display on the counter. A voice inside me told me go for it and acting on impulse and a little bit of a sugar high from the Godiva truffle I had just eaten, False Lashes Extreme Black came home with me. We spent a beautiful 3 months together making my eyelashes feel all brand new and 18 again. They were gorgeous, full, and oh so black. Then just as quickly as it came into my life, it was gone. I can say with confidence though that it was the best MAC mascara I've ever had...

3.) CoverGirl Lash Blast Fusion Found Here

I really didn't expect much from this mascara. I bought it as a rebound when the MAC one ran out. I was pleasantly surprised by the results though. The brush is really good at separating lashes so they don't clump together. I felt that this one held back a little though on the color. When I took the wand out of the tube it was hard to get as much color as I wanted. I could use a little extra oomph in that department because my lashes are pretty light on their own. I liked this mascara a lot I just wish it was a little less modest. Inevitably, that was our downfall. 

The search continues...

<3 Kirsten