Love List #5

A round up of the little things that made me smile this week

1. This fun banana printed bathing suit is getting me all sorts of excited for summer. I can't wait to get to a beach!

2. This article on Man Repeller—11 Women Who Have Their Shit Together—is an inspiring and, most importantly, real peek into the lives of some cool, successful women.

A photo posted by The Nest (@thenest) on Apr 23, 2016 at 12:31pm PDT

3. If you're familiar with The Knot magazine, you need to see The Nest, their home & lifestyle sister site—especially since I work for them now!

4. Absolutely Fabulous is a show I accidentally fell in love with when I was younger and they're finally coming out with a movie. The trailer is ridiculous, but that's the point of Ab Fab, scandalous women behaving badly, and I'm all for it!

5. I'm still not over #LEMONADE, and this Rifle Paper Co. print is the cute reminder to make lemonade out of your lemons. How great would this be to brighten up a kitchen?

The Bar Method

Pilates + Yoga + Ballet = a lot of leg shaking

I'll be honest, when I walked into The Bar Method in Brooklyn I was expecting a cute, fun little ballet inspired workout. Maybe there would be some light stretching against the bar. Ten minutes into the class I was already sweating. Twenty minutes in my legs were shaking and I thought, "I seriously can not be this out of shape."

In the following days, I could still feel the workout with each step I took. I'm telling you guys, it's not as easy as it looks...

It turns out, I wasn't. The Bar Method is just that intense. I'm used to quick paced cardio like Zumba, but the moves we did targeted specific muscle groups by holding exact form and making small, tight adjustments. It's a mix of yoga, pilates, physical therapy and yes, ballet, so for every muscle toning move, there was a relaxing stretch that followed, for which I was grateful.

In the following days, I could still feel the workout with each step I took. I'm telling you guys, it's not as easy as it looks, and even the girls in the class with me who'd been coming for much longer were shaking. That said, I think the shake is a good thing. It means your body is doing work, and that's what you want out of a work out, right?

See more on The Bar Method here. Sign up for classes at The Bar Method Brooklyn here. Use code Lululinden for 10% off!

The Bar Method Brooklyn provided classes for review, but as always, thoughts are all my own.

Not So Summer Dress

It's a little bit country & a little bit rock n' roll

If you cracked open my skull right now, here's what would come out: #LEMONADE, smoothie recipes, job applications, new books to read, moving and a summer style evolution—a nice little jumble to start my Monday. Let's talk about that last one, though. 

For now, the days are still in between a cool spring and pre-summer tease, so I've taken to layering would-be summer dresses...

Summer will be here (I hope) in the bat of a mascara'd eyelash, and I already see myself in easy dresses, baring crops and flowing maxis. I also see myself accomplishing a major beauty goal: no more straightening my hair. Summer is a time for effortless style, and leaving my hair be and accepting it's natural state is my first step in that direction.

But, I'm getting ahead of myself. For now, the days are still in between a cool spring and pre-summer tease, so I've taken to layering would-be summer dresses under jackets and over tops. This gingham dress will be revisited again when the sun and my curls are out in their full glory.

Shop Similar Styles

Moving & Making It Home

How to make the most of living out of an old room in Brooklyn

When I moved to New York, my main concern was getting here. Finding some where to live came next. I wasn't picky, and well aware of my budget, I jumped at the chance to move into my old family home. Correction: a small room in my old family home.

When I moved my most prized possessions to this old Brooklyn house, I was excited and, almost as immediately, overwhelmed. The room was tinier than I'd thought and much older. Paint was cracking, walls were marked up and fixtures were stained with age. Despite the impossibility of turning it into my dream space, I still wanted it to feel like someplace I could call home.

Despite the impossibility of turning it into my dream space, I still wanted it to feel like someplace I could call home. 

I dashed the Pinterest board I made for apartment inspiration and went with simple additions: my jewelry display, a fraction of my library and a few golden canvases. I even managed to turn a windowsill into an office desk of sorts. My closet is just a garment rack and a radiator takes up most of my free space, but the floors are wooden, a detail I find charming, and the room has large windows that lets light flood through.

It's these little details that make me forget the downsides and allow me to focus on the bigger picture, like the fact that I am an official New York resident, baby!

Yes To The Jumpsuit

A springy closet staple for a forever lazy girl

Yes baby dolls, this weekend was magnificent. In fact, it was so magnificent that I'm riding through Monday on a spring-weather induced high and calling everyone around me baby doll. You're cool with that, right? Cool.

So, I've watched enough Say Yes To The Dress to know when The Moment happens. Jaws drop and the world stops because, oh my gosh, you've found the perfect gown. That's how I felt when I tried this jumpsuit on. Besides the too-perfect-to-be-true fit, it allows me to look put together on days when I literally don't know what to put together. 

Besides the too-perfect-to-be-true fit, it allows me to look put together on days when I literally don't know what to put together.

Sometimes figuring out what top to wear with what bottom is a real struggle, y'all. And though I could just as easily wear this with casual sandals and a crossbody for a comfy look, dressing it up with heels was fun, and showed me how versatile jumpsuits can actually be. As for using the restroom in this...we'll just talk about that another day.

4 Products, 1 Look: Clinique Chubby Sticks

It's like taking a crayon to your face, but for adults

Ever the optimist, I always think I have more time than I actually do. That means you can count on me to be late almost always. Because of that, my put-makeup-on-in-under-15-minutes game has got to be strong. 

Clinique's Chubby Sticks seemed like they would be the kind of product you could throw in your bag for quick application and touch ups, so I went for a full face using only them.

The Good:

The foundation was easy to apply and easily blended thanks to a smooth formula. I love that the blush stick can pull double duty as a lip color, and the formula is buildable if you are heavy handed like I am. The chubby stick I used as a highlight (which is actually an eyeshadow stick) was one of the most gorgeous highlighters I've used, and I plan on using it outside of my quick routine.

The Not So Good:

Contouring will be messy if you're in a rush and can only use your hands. Oh, and if you have oily skin, the foundation does not last through out the day. I would've had to use a setting powder. 

Checking For Spring

Seriously spring, where you at?

All it took was three days back in Atlanta for me to slip into a sort of seasonal sadness. A sadness punctuated by the fact that my arrival to New York was damp. Literally. Rain for days.

So far, all I've gotten is gray and windy, but there have been blossoms, and I'm holding onto that as a sign.

I've been told that spring in the city is wonderful, and I'm just waiting, wishing and hoping for it to actually arrive. The kind of southern springs I'm used to are sunny and 60 with bright buds pushing up. 

So far, all I've gotten is gray and windy, but there have been blossoms, and I'm holding on to that as a sign. I've gone through two wind-blown umbrellas and my trench coat has been soaked on several occasions, but I'm still checking for spring.

Power Pants Under $25

Because you always wear the pants in your life

I know I just professed my love for dresses last week, but at the risk of coming off as a hypocrite, I'm here to say that pants deserve their credit, too. With spring here, I pull out my lightweight trousers and pretty patterned pairs. And can we talk about how damn powerful they make a girl feel?

Pick Your Power Pants for Under $25