like a charm

This weekend was supposed to be a full, fun and productive one. Instead, life said "oh, you had plans? Well, here's a car accident!" So, instead of getting everything done, I spent a lot of time in the E.R. making phone calls and whoosa-ing. 

Sunday, after some of the hectic energy died down, I grabbed my man and went to have big bowl of Thai noodles -- my comfort food. My right leg is pretty bruised so until it fades, I won't be donning my beloved dresses and skirts. 

I'm sure it'll be a challenge in the coming days (hello, it's summer in the south) but yesterday, it was easy. It was raining so I stuck to my comfy uniform of leggings, a oversized chambray and sandals. To get myself into better spirits, I piled on sparkly bracelets and poppy lipstick. And you know what, they worked like a charm.

  

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late girl's guide | summer cocktails

There's something nice about being able to make your own whenever the mood catches you. For me, it's usually in the summer when friends come by to catch up or when I make a nice dinner and want to make it extra special with a drink. To save time and money, I've kept my drink menu down to two staples that are the easiest in the world to make:  piña coladas and mai tais. I mean, what's summer without a good drink, or two for that matter.

Both of these drinks are made with the same easy-to-find ingredients, which is why they're my go-to cocktails.

For the piña colada, all you do is blend everything up with enough rum for your liking (tipsy or hammered), and voilà, you have delicious and impressive drink that took minimal effort.

The mai tai is similar, except you don't blend. Mix 1/4 rum, 1/4 drink mix and 1/2 fruit punch. Pour over ice and garnish with some pineapple chunks and sip. You'll swear you were on an island vacation. 

The drink mixes are the real time saver here. You avoid having to buy specialty, one-time-use-only ingredients. Adding the pineapple, which I always have on hand for smoothies, keep the drinks fresh. 

tropical getaway

This past weekend I had a few summer firsts: I went to my first cookout, I made my first campfire s'mores and I found my first pair of tropical shorts. So, all in all, yeah, it was a pretty good weekend.

These are an H&M pair and were perfect for outdoor grilling -- not too clingy. The only downside to shorts, for me anyway, is that mosquitos hone in on my legs and I'm left with red welts that itch like crazy. But that's the price of summer, ain't it? 

Note: I've made some changes to the blog layout, hence the delayed post. Thoughts? Happy humpday, y'all!

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hot tin roof

I can't tell you how much I've tried to make slip dresses work for me (so many attempts), until one day I finally threw my hands in the air and said, fuhgeddaboudit! And then, like with most things in life, the minute I stopped stressing, it came to me.

This picture of Elizabeth Taylor  in a slip dress from Cat on a Hot Tin Roof has long been an inspiration for me. Remembering it, I decided that trying too hard to make a slip dress work, wouldn't work. Simplicity would have to do.

Then I thought, duh, what would be simpler than throwing something over it? This trench (only $3 thrifted, might I add) takes away the question of, "is she wearing a nightgown in public?" It makes it structured. 

Don't get me wrong -- this is still a saucy look -- but it was just perfect to wear for a drink, channeling Maggie the Cat, on a cooler summer day. 

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summertime bright: coral lips

I have way more lipstick than should be allowed -- from retro reds to pastel pinks -- I have it all and I love them all. This summer I've been giving this look some extra love, though: a punchy coral lip with a simple face. It's fun, young and worth giving a try if you're bored with your blah lipglosses. Here's a step-by-step to how I get the party started with this bright lippie.

Here's what you need:

Concealer & Brush for outlining your lips

Neutral Eyeshadow & Primer for a solid wash of brightening color; I mixed Foxy & Booty Call from the Naked 2 palette

Coral Blush similar in shade to your lipstick, not an exact match

Mascara or Falsies you want your eyes defined without harsh eyeliner

Coral Lipstick mine is Sephora's Neon Rouge Samba

Bright Earrings just for fun, to play up the color of the lipstick

1. Start with a prepped face -- foundation, concealer, filled-in brows -- the whole bit.

2. Carefully line the outside of your lips with concealer and blend. It stops feathering & defines your lips.

3. Sweep eyeshadow a shade lighter than skin tone along your lids & thinly line them. Pile on the mascara for full definition.

4. Sweep a coral blush along your cheeks to give them a flush so the lipstick won't overpower your face.

5. Fill in your lips with the lipstick. Use a brush for more definition.

switching stripes

Take away the moto jacket, and you've got what I've been wearing to the office this past week. Wait, let me say that again: office. Oh my gosh, you guys, I have an office! Okay, just a desk, but still! 

As much as I love playing with different outfits, I keep coming back to the same element: stripes. I've worn them three of five days just because, well, what else am I supposed to wear? Seriously. Tell me. What else?

So that I don't get entirely bored with my structured work stripe outfits, on my down time I've been pairing them with edgier things: a faux leather jacket here, distressed denim there. 

It makes me feel like a superhero, switching stripes -- by day, a blazered-up journalist and by night a street-chic party girl. Except instead of partying, I'm grabbing dinner and immediately falling asleep because, as it turns out, running around doing interviews all day is tiring. The life of an intern, right? 

love list #3

Summer's been pretty good to me so far, and I'm sure it's because I've made an effort to be more of an optimist. On a smaller scale, it's probably also due the things on this love list. But maybe I'm projecting. You tell me. 

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1. By now you've heard about the gospel of  #GIRLBOSS and its messiah, Sophia Amoruso, or at least seen a snap of it scrolling on your Instagram feed. I bought the book, but not before I debated for about a week. I didn't want to buy it because of the hype, I wanted to buy it because it was worth it. As a part of her PR campaign, she set up a really cool, old-school hotline where she reads the best excerpts from her book. I called because I'm a sucker for things like that and was sold. If you need more convincing or just want a good time, go for it. Call 1-844-GIRLBOSS. 

2. It's summer time, so it's mandatory that you have a summer jam. Mine (so far) is Hideaway by Kiesza. I've grooved to this on repeat more times than makes sense, but it's just that good. 

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3. Our mornings are important because they set the tone of our day. This article on lifehack.com goes more in depth on that idea and has a lot of good pointers on how you can make the most of your mornings. One of my favorite ones is to"read motivational, inspirational and educational material for 30-60 minutes," but all of the tips are really useful.

4. I first tried out my new bangs in this post and since then I've been playing around with different styles inspired by Audrey Hepburn and Brigette Bardot. I can't rave about clip-ins enough, especially for experimental hairstyles. Yes, hair grows back if you cut it, but who wants to go through the trauma of a bad hair cut? 

5. I found this recipe for grilled jerk shrimp and pineapple skewers on Pinterest, of course, and I couldn't live with myself if I didn't give it a try. Aside from the fact that it is obviously delicious, it looks pretty simple to make, too. 

weekend cool

I feel like the weekends are the universe's way of saying, "here's two free days! Do what you want and be who you want!"  Now that I'm starting up my internship, I'll be getting more familiar with the structured side of style. I'm excited about it, for sure, but that free-spirited 23-year-old is still in me. She's alive, kicking and yelling, "I want to wear crop tops, dammit!" 

And I listened to her. But only because it was a festival weekend which made wearing a crop top more than appropriate. As for the rest of the get up, it's mostly thrifted. That's probably why I get a slight 90's (or 50's?) feeling from it. The free-spirited 23-year-old in me is okay with that, too. 

  

 

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