Tip Off: Going Coco-nuts!

I think one of the things I get most excited by is hearing about beauty tips that can either improve on existing products, save me money, or simplify my life. Or, you know, do all three. I certainly wouldn't be opposed to a multi-tasker like that....OH! Hey there, coconut oil! Didn't see you standing there!

One of my most favorite beauty tips has been discovering how many uses coconut oil has in my everyday life (hint: it's a whole bunch). Not only can this oil be used for cooking - and it's yummy! And healthy! - but it has a TON of uses in other areas, as well.

For starters, it is a great moisturizer. Dry patches, especially on knees and elbows, look so much smoother and healthier after being slathered in coconut oil! You can also make an amazing body scrub that's super moisturizing by simply mixing coconut oil with an exfoliant of your choice. I like coffee grounds or brown sugar, but you can use any you like. It's also a great lip balm, and you don't have to worry about eating it (along with the 7 odd pounds of lipstick every woman supposedly eats in her life! Seriously, how freaky is that??) since it's an all-natural product.

My final favorite way to use coconut oil (Trying to keep it concise here! I've got tons, but somehow an eight page "Ode to Coconut Oil" seems like overkill...) is as a conditioning hair mask! I heard blondes have more fun, and as a result I've been highlighting for about two years now. Add in my daily use of heat in various forms (blow dryer, straightener, curling iron, etc.), and it certainly has done a number on my locks. This miracle product has helped SO much in saving my ends from looking dry and damaged. I simply slather in on all my hair, up to about three inches from my scalp, and leave it on for anywhere from 10 minutes to a whole episode of Game of Thrones (one hour, for those less obsessed) and rinse out! Try it, I beg you. I'm very invested in the health and appearance of Internet stranger's hair. I can't recall typing an odder sentence than that...

Do you use coconut oil? In ways I listed, or others? Please share!

Fall-ing Back Into My Blog

Does anyone else feel like summer is the least challenging season, clothing-wise? I start getting all starry-eyed in late spring, daydreaming about the cute outfits I'll wear as soon as my legs can bear to be bare. Skirts, dresses, wedges, you name it! Cue to the magazine style photo of happily laughing girls in the sunshine, dressed to a T (sweat doesn't exist here, to state the obvious).

And then reality sets in, in the form of a Kentucky summer so drenched with humidity you might as well have just jumped in a pool of it. I am quickly reminded that the only thing I care about is wearing as little clothing touching my skin as possible. Doing my hair every day is fruitless, as it will quickly become a frizzy mess, scraped up into a bun at the earliest possible moment. Looking fashionable is pushed to the furthest extremes of my mind. Before I know it, summer is coming to a close and I realize I've spent 80% of it in my bathing suit and my favorite pair of cutoffs, makeup free and hair kinked by chlorine. But honestly, is there anything more satisfying?

Evidently not blogging, as evidenced by my three month respite :)

But fall is such a breath of fresh air (literally! Ha!) in this respect. As the air starts getting crisper at night, you'll be hard pressed to find girls that aren't at some point murmuring to their friends: "Tights! Boots! Ooh, sweaters!" It's the quintessential grass-is-always-greener, seasons-are-always-season-ier mindset. We want what we don't have, and all I want right now is to dust off my Fryes, bulk up my winter tights game, and layer pieces to my hearts content. Winter can stay away forever, as a mere sprinkling of snow adds 50 years to my age and takes 20 MPH off my speedometer. But fall? Leaves changing and football games and apple cider? Sign me up.

Fall Fashion Picks, coming soon!

Wardrobe Essentials, Volume Two

If there's anything more stress-inducing than trying on multiple pairs of jeans in a store's fitting room, I certainly don't know what it is. (That is the biggest lie I've ever typed to date - let's pause for a minute and imagine the idyllic life where the quest for denim actually IS your biggest problem.)  Seriously, though, jeans are probably my least favorite item of clothing to shop for. Not only is it hugely irritating to stuff yourself in and out of five different pairs of skinny jeans, but most of the time you leave with nothing because each pair missed a few points on your checklist. Everyone's list is different, but here are my requirements for a basic pair of jeans:

1) Higher rise - Muffin top is never a good idea, and a higher rise keeps everything smooth.
2) Straight or bootcut leg - Super skinny jeans are constricting on my calves and less flattering on my body!
3) Darker wash - For my everyday jeans, little to no whiskering/fading is more versatile and slimming.
4) Short length - I am short and I hate hemming. Enough said!

Now, this obviously doesn't apply to "trendy" jeans, just the classics! Everyone and their mother (Mom? You too?) is rocking distressed denim right now - holey, ripped, faded cutoffs and skinny jeans. And I'm no exception - I love the white and very light denim options right now, like these:

This pair of cutoffs:                                                                     This pair of white skinny jeans:

But I am no fool! Well, in this case at least. The examples above, while great for summer, are not classic pairs that will still be in my wardrobe rotation come fall. To me, it's about knowing what you need for each season (the "trendy" pieces) and finding those at a good value. Then, I can take a little more money and buy the "long-term" pieces that I will go to season after season. My wishlist for those looks like this:

Black straight leg jeans

Dark wash straight leg jeans

Dark wash bootcut jeans

Medium wash straight leg jeans

Medium wash bootcut jeans

These five options are really all my lifestyle calls for in terms of the basics. I can dress the skinnies up with wedges, dress the bootcuts down with converse, and wear the black pair for fancier events while still looking casual. Are these the only pairs I have in my wardrobe? No, definitely not! I've wasted too much money on pairs that don't fit right/are too long/are too light. These are simply what I'm looking for as I try to build up my wardrobe foundation (#firstworldproblems, y'all).

Making It Happen

One of my best friends and I forced ourselves to become friends. She was dating one of my favorite co-workers, and we knew if we kept at it, we were bound to become good friends! So we made a pact to go out to dinner once a week every week, powered through the awkward acquaintance stage, and made it happen. Now instead of going out to dinner every week, we sit around and drink wine in our sweatpants. That's the beauty of friendship, people!

Long story short, sometimes it is worth it to power through the difficult stage, because the end result is worth it. Take this pair of gladiator sandals:

To say I am obsessed with them makes me sound like a shallow person, which I am. But it's true - they're exactly what I've been looking for! However, they are also a little more bold than I normally go with my sandal choices, and I am therefore slightly intimidated by them. They've been sitting on my kitchen counter for days so that I can gaze at them - without having to actually wear them. And I'm getting increasingly frustrated with myself, because this is it! I've been looking for this style of gladiator sandals for almost a year now. These are comfortable, soft leather with a sturdy, non-slip sole. Once I wear them a few times, I know these will become my go-to sandals, and I will wear the crap out of them all summer long. So do it, self! Suck it up and wear them.

(This post is my motivation. I'm wearing them to trivia tonight!)

Recent Purchases (or, "What I've Wasted Money On Lately")

These are the perfect shorts. Legitimately. They are distressed but not overly so, medium blue wash to go with everything, boyfriend style (i.e. extremely comfortable), and cuffed to be every so slightly dressier than cutoffs. American Eagle has a great sale going on right now, too - buy one pair of shorts get one for $10!

These t-shirts from Target are the best I've found recently. I have never gotten into all the fuss about Everlane, as much as I wanted to, and my quest for the perfect tee continued. That is, until Target saved the day as always! They are super soft, hip-length (truly!), and have a very flattering scoop neck. Obviously, I bought it in every available color.

Wardrobe Essentials, Volume One

One of the things I'm striving towards in my never ending quest for the "perfect wardrobe" is to minimize clutter in my closet. Instead, I want to pack it instead with workhorses: items that can be worn many ways with a variety of pieces. Consider how easy it is to style a shirt that can be worn with a number of shorts, pants, or skirts, rather than one that only looks good when half-tucked into a high-waisted pencil skirt. If I'm not in the mood for that pencil skirt, I'm not going to wear that shirt - thus reducing my number of options for my daily outfit.

My goal, then, is to come up with my list of "Wardrobe Essentials". These are different for every person, and depends on what YOU like to wear and what looks good on you! I rarely wear heels but wear my ballet flats to death. Thus, many pairs of flats are on my essentials list, whereas someone else might only need one pair!

Here, then, is my tentative list of shoe essentials.

Black ballet flats - exact
Brown ballet flats
Nude ballet flats - exact
Black pumps
Black wedges
Brown wedges
Black gladiator sandals
Brown gladiator sandals
Black riding boots - exact
Black motorcycle boots
Brown riding boots - exact
Brown flat boots
Brown heeled boots - exact
Casual sneakers (Vans, Converse, etc) - exact, exact, exact
Running sneakers

There it is, short and sweet! I obviously like to have quite a few more "fun" pairs to mix it up a bit, but I am making an effort to slowly purchase all the items on my list. A strong foundation is the starting point to any good wardrobe, in my opinion, and for me this list of shoes is just that! I want to start with shoes I can grab and go when I just need a basic item to pull together my outfit.

It is also worth mentioning that I am a strong believer in quality over quantity! As a rule, I am not a big fan of faux-leather, especially for my shoes and purses. I want to buy something once and have it last for years, not re-purchase every six months. With my boots, for example, I only have five pairs. However, all five are real leather, well made, and investments that I know will last years to come! They may have a higher initial purchase price than a cheaper, faux-leather pair from Target, but over time will provide many more wears.

I plan on editing this post over time as I find these shoes to fill spots on my list, as well as with the ones I've already found! Until then, tell me about your shoe essentials - my list can always use some additions :)

And So It Begins...

I love reading blogs, but have not yet found one that fulfills all my requirements for my perfect morning read. I like a fashion blog that has accessible yet high-quality items. I like witty paragraphs of writing, not just a few pictures and a few words. I like correctly formatted sentences, good grammar, and lots of food for thought. And by food for thought, I of course mean many links to handbags I adore and jeans that quickly make it onto my "Essential Items to Purchase" list - a list that grows by the day. So that is what I'm setting out to do - provide this blog for girls like me, who love throwing their pennies at clothing, shoes and makeup as we all strive for the elusive dream of the perfect wardrobe.