My Style Icons . . .

Hello, Gorgeous. ;)

I'm making an effort to blog more often. I've been getting emails and people contacting me on my personal Facebook page asking where I've been. I don't want to worry you guys. If you're curious what I've been up to, read my post titled "Get In My Business".

Anyway, I wanted to do a quick, fun blog about my personal style icons. To me, a style icon is someone that has a unique personal style. They are a trendsetter, a leader, and fashionable. A style icon is creative, fashionable, and bold. I have quite a few people that my personal look is inspired by. I love looking at celebrity photos and even at everyday people and drawing inspiration from their looks for my own.

Here are some of the celebs that I have a "style crush" on:

Sammi Sweetheart

Sammi Sweetheart is very fashionable in my eyes. Her confidence is one of the sexiest things about her and she wears it with every outfit she puts on. Sammi's style and my style are actually very similar. I love wearing big jewelry, clothing that flatters my body, and like Sammi, I like to add a hint of sexiness to each outfit I wear without going overboard.


Kim Kardashian

Whether Kim is dressed up or dressed in something more casual, she always looks amazing. Her personal style is absolutely fabulous because she isn't afraid to take risks. She knows what clothing flatters her body type and she plays up her favorite body parts with the clothing that she wears. She pays attention to detail and would rather be slightly overdressed than under dressed. Honestly, all of the Kardashians have amazing personal style. Before Keeping Up with the Kardashians came along, she was a personal stylist. She is probably my #1 style icon.

Selena Gomez

Even though Selena is young, I still consider her a style icon. Her personal style has definitely evolved in the past year or so and has become much more mature and fashion-forward. Even her casual, everyday style is something to admire. She always looks put together even when she's just wearing jeans and a t-shirt.


Jessica Alba

Two words I would use to describe Jessica Alba's personal style would be edgy yet glam. She reminds me of the highly fashionable girl-next-door. I really like her street style. Her everyday style mostly consists of jeans or leggings and cute sweaters or jackets. I love pairing cute jackets with dresses, jeans, and leggings.  A nice fitted leather jacket can really give your look some edge. I also think my style is similar to Jessica's in some ways.


Kristin Cavallari

As far back as her days on "The Hills", Kristin has always had an eye for style. She is definitely fashion forward. Kristin has a very chic personal style but makes it look effortless at the same time. I even think her maternity style was great and that's rare. Overall she is definitely a style icon of mine because her outfits are fresh, fun, and flirty.


Vanessa Minnillo (Lachey)

Vanessa Minnillo (Lachey) is another favorite celeb that I love to pull style inspiration from. Her style is simple and practical but polished and trendy at the same time. I love the way that she layers clothing and accessories. For example a signature fall look for Vanessa is a loose fitting shirt with a big scarf and some arm candy. She never goes overboard with jewelry or accessories. I look to her for inspiration on my day-to-day casual style.


I hope you ladies got a better sense of my personal style through this post. To sum it up, my style is a little bit of everything. I'm not afraid to take risks. Some days my look will be girly and chic, others it will be a little more edgy, and other days it will be glammed up. It all depends on how I feel. I can tell you one thing though-- my style is uniquely mine and it evolves and changes day to day. Keep an eye out for a post specifically about my style and some of my favorite looks from my wardrobe. ;)

How would you describe your personal style? Who are your style icons or people that you would NEVER look to for inspiration? Let me know in the comments below.

xo, Sarah

Fashionista, baby ;)

Hey ladies ;)

I did it again. I shopped. Just a little bit though!! I promise. I wanted to do a mini haul and show you some of the things I've purchased and/or rediscovered recently. :) Let's get it:

SUGAR Women's Studded Sneakers

I love to splurge when I can but I love a bargain even more. I picked up these gorgeous babies the other day when I went to Burlington Coat Factory. They were super inexpensive but they're pretty good quality. And of course, they're adorable. I couldn't pass them up (especially since they were a gift, haha). Is it just me or can you spend HOURS in Burlington Coat Factory? That store must have crazy magic powers because I look through every single department every time I'm in there. I'll walk in looking for a pair of shoes or a shirt and come out with a ton of stuff. You really can't beat their prices.

Moving on...

Excuse the red eyes, but I purchased this hoodie a while ago and forgot to haul it. I'm completely in love with it. It's fitted around the stomach/waist but the sleeves are the perfect length and I am obsessed with the hood. This is my man's favorite hoodie of mine as well. ;)

While I was at Walmart, I picked up a Covergirl Outlast Stay Brilliant nail polish in the shade "Forever Frosted". It's the perfect nude color and I use it to do my french manicure. It even looks great by itself. I don't think I've ever owned a Covergirl Outlast nail polish, and I was surprised at how fast it dried, how long it lasted, and how perfect the consistency was. 2 coats of this made my nails look like I just came walking out of the salon.

I also bought two really cute headbands. One is black, one is metallic silver. They both have delicate chains attached to the top of them. They're awesome because I can wear them like a normal headband or "hippie style" across my forehead. As soon as I get a picture of them, I'll post it.

What are your latest fab finds? Let me know in the comments below. ♡

xo, Sarah

Fly High, Angel.

Talia Joy Castellano

As I'm sure many of you have heard, Talia Joy has passed away.  For those who don't know, Talia Joy Castellano is a 13 year old girl with a very impressive YouTube channel that had almost 1,000,000 followers. She also had two types of cancer. Sadly, on Tuesday she was called home by God. You can view her YouTube channel at youtube.com/taliajoy18. She also has a Facebook page called "Angels For Talia" that is updated by her family members.

This amazing little girl was only on this earth for 13 years and she was fighting cancer for 6 of them. Most girls start experimenting with makeup around age 13 but she was extremely talented and loved what she did. She started experimenting with makeup at age 7 when she decided that she didn't want to wear a wig. Makeup gave her confidence and she told people "makeup is my wig".

Not only was she a popular YouTuber, she was also an honorary CoverGirl, made an appearance on the Ellen Degeneris show, and she was a spokesperson for kids with cancer. Talia was such a strong little girl and even when she was sick she was busy raising money for her favorite charity, and would film beauty videos and cancer updates. She held on for as long as she could and fought a long, hard battle. Heaven definitely gained an angel and the world lost an amazing, strong, and beautiful little girl. Rest In Peace, Talia. I know your legacy will continue on through your family.

xo, Sarah

Adventures in Self Tanning. . .

Hey girl heyyy ;)

As you all know, I'm very into tanning and enjoy maintaining a sun-kissed glow year round. Normally I go tanning in a tanning bed (and occasionally spray tan) but since it's summertime, I froze my tanning membership and opted for natural sunlight and at home self-tanning products. Not only is it saving me money, but it's also giving my skin a break. While I was in Walmart the other day grocery shopping, I took a detour to the beauty section (typical) and saw two products that had been recommended to me by a friend. I ended up purchasing both products; Jergens Natural Glow Foaming Daily Moisturizer and Jergens Natural Glow FACE Moisturizer. I've actually used the original Jergens Natural Glow lotion but I've never used the foam and heard it worked a lot better. Now that I've used both a few times, here are my thoughts on both products:

Jergens Natural Glow Foaming Daily Moisturizer (Medium-Dark)

$8.64 at Walmart

 This was my favorite of the two products. I bought the basic latex gloves pictured above to use with this so the inside of my hands/palms wouldn't be stained during the application of this product. I highly recommend exfoliating and shaving before using this product. It will give you a smooth, even surface to apply this on and it will make the color come out much more evenly. Also make sure your skin is clean and lotion free. The application was super easy. It's fast drying foam so you just squirt a golf ball sized amount into your hands, apply, and rub it in. You need to make sure you rub it in well so you don't get blotchy. I applied it carefully using circular motions and had no problems with blotches or uneven color. Most self tanners have a really gross scent to them but this one literally smelled like nothing. I was pleasantly surprised. I applied the foam right before bed, slept with it on, and showered in the morning. When I woke up and looked in the mirror I was very happy with the results. I definitely got at least 2 shades darker even though I had only used it once so far. I'm usually pretty weary of self tanners and only use products that I've personally seen people use with great results or products that have tons of positive reviews. Some self tanning products that I've used in the past have made me less than impressed with blotches and turned me an ungodly shade of oompa loompa orange for a day or two. The Jergens Foaming Daily Moisturizer actually gave me a nice, dark, deep tan. I wasn't pale white when I used it but it still very noticeably darkened my skin.


Jergens Natural Glow FACE Moisturizer

This one was okay but I wasn't as impressed. It gives a very subtle tan and in my opinion I had to use way too much product to notice a decent change in my skin tone. This would be good for someone that is primarily looking for a moisturizer and doesn't mind a very subtle color change. Another thing I noticed is that if you use it frequently it can make your face a bit oily. It's also the same price as the full size bottle for your body which is ridiculous. This bottle is tiny compared to the body moisturizer bottle. One positive thing about this product is that it contains SPF to protect your face. I think I might return this because I'm not impressed at all. I actually ended up putting the body foaming moisturizer on my face and it worked much better than the facial lotion. I have semi-sensitive skin and it didn't bother my skin at all. I was pleasantly surprised.

Also $8.64 at Walmart

Once again this is just my two cents. If you have any questions about these products (or tanning/self tanning in general) feel free to ask in the comments section. :)

xo, Sarah

Nails Done, Hair Done, Everything Did...

Oh you fancy, huh?
Lately I've been getting more and more into nails and nail designs. I used to get my nails done every two weeks and get a full set of acrylic or gel nails but it started taking a toll on my real nails. I noticed them becoming more and more weak and brittle. I finally conquered my lifelong habit of biting my nails and they've grown out very nicely. The other day Lexi and I went shopping with a friend and I picked up some new nail polishes that I've been eyeing. I also ordered a bunch of nail gems/decals/etc. online from Amazon but they haven't arrived yet so that will be a separate post.

5 New Polishes and My Favorite Nail Polish Remover

 I couldn't decide which nail polish to pick so I just added 5 new polishes to my collection. #NailPolishAddictProblems ;) ONYX professional nail polish remover is my favorite remover and I continue to repurchase it because honestly nothing else has beat it. Like I've mentioned before, it takes off glitter polish so easily, no hard scrubbing or scraping required. It will take off normal polish with just one swipe.

Sinful Colors

Unfortunately the bottom sticker was ripped off this bottle so I'm not even sure what the color is called. It's the perfect nude/beige color. I like to use it to fill in the spots when I do my signature leopard print nails. If you use it by itself on your nails, two coats will give you a gorgeous opaque nude.

Rimmel London 60 Second Nail Color- 210 Mintilicious

When I saw this beautiful minty color I fell in love. I've been super obsessed with mint, turquoise, and teal EVERYTHING lately; clothes, accessories, nail polish... you name it. I had to add this minty baby to my collection. One of my favorite things about this polish is that it really does dry quickly so if I'm in a hurry I can paint this on quickly and go without having to worry about smudging it off.

Sally Hansen Xtreme Wear- Coral Reef

This is a really pretty neon-ish coral color. It is pretty opaque after just one coat and I noticed that it lasts a little longer than most polishes I use. I'm a mom and I have a pretty busy day-to-day life so I get excited when a nail polish lasts for more than 2 or 3 days without chipping or me having to redo it completely.

Sinful Colors- 830 Pinky Glitter

Now this beauty was definitely one of my favs of the bunch. It's all different sized glitter with a pink tint. I would always wear this over another pink or coral color because its a bit too clear by itself. That doesn't bother me though because I wanted a different pink colored glitter to use on top anyway. This also dries pretty quickly.

Another pic of the Pinky Glitter polish.

Sinful Colors- 952 Hazard

Hazard is more of a true coral color. It's on my thumb nail in the photo above. I used two coats and I think it came out looking great.

Have you purchased any new nail polishes lately? If so, which one (s)? Are there any polishes that you love and think I should add to my collection? Let me know in the comments section below. :)

xo, Sarah

Accessories Flow

While I was bored in the car this morning,  I took a few snaps of my accessories. I love all aspects of fashion but I am definitely an accessories girl. I have ridiculous amounts of jewelry and purses. Maybe one day I'll do a closet/jewelry box tour. We'll see. For now though I just wanted to show you guys what I accessorized with today.

In the picture above I'm wearing three of my favorite pieces. I purchased the double heart ring on Amazon.com. The black and silver bracelet was given to me by my grandma. The Sweet♥ (sweetheart) affirmation bracelet is made by BCBG and was purchased at Macy's.

My watch (pictured above) was a Christmas gift from my fiance's sister. She bought it from Aeropostale. I bought the pink bow ring from Forever XXI.

The heart necklace in the photo above was a birthday gift so I'm not sure where it's from. It's definitely one of my favorite pieces of jewelry.

The heart studs came in a set of 6 pairs of earrings from Wet Seal. I love these studs because the heart shape is adorable and they aren't huge and tacky. They're the perfect size and a unique spin on the classic stud earring.

So those are my accessories for today. Let me know if you want to see more posts like this or comment with some blog ideas in general. I'm always open to suggestions. :)

Have a great day today beauties!!

xo, Sarah

OOTD June 13, 2013

Heylo my beauties;

post I write I apologize for not blogging as much as I used to. So once again I'm sorry for neglecting my blog. As I said before,  everyday life has been keeping me super busy, not to mention the fact that it's summertime and I've been enjoying the beautiful weather with my fiance and my kids. If you're friends with me on Facebook I've been posting lots of pictures but for those of you that aren't,  I'll do a pic post soon so you can see what we've been up to.  Thank you guys for continuing to comment, sending me emails, and subscribing to my blog. I appreciate it more than you know!!

Now for the OOTD:

Hello Kitty Top- Forever XXI
Jeans- BCBG Maxazria
Belt- Forever XXI
White Tank (Underneath)- Target

       

Bow Ear Cuff Set- Amazon.com (seller: JuJuBeads Jewelry)

Silver Ring w/ Yellow Rhinestones- My Little Store
Stud/Flower Midi Ring Set- Forever XXI

Bow Ring (Part of Midi Ring Set)- Forever XXI
Silver Ring W/ Green Rhinestones- My Little Store

I bought this Hello Kittty shirt a few months ago but this is the first time I've worn it. I got a lot of compliments on it and had people asking where I bought it. I love it because it's unique and the color looks great on me because I have a pretty decent tan right now. Let me know what you think in the comments below. :)

xo, Sarah

P.S.- If you are interested in buying this shirt I believe it's still on the Forever XXI website. The sizes run BIG so I would definitely suggest buying 1 size smaller than what you usually wear. I didn't know that so my shirt is pretty loose fitting. Just a heads up. ;)

OOTD 5/22

It took me a while to edit and post this because I'm doing it from my phone but here is another OOTD. Let me know what you think!! :))

Salmon Colored Sleeveless Hi-Low Top w/ Studded Pockets; Forever XXI
Basic White Tank; Forever XXI

Baby Phat Jeans w/ Gold Logo; Carson's

Gold Cross/Chain 2 Finger Ring;  Forever XXI
Gold 3 Flower Ring; Forever XXI
Bow Knuckle (Midi) Ring; Wet Seal
Multicolor Jewel Bracelet; Forever XXI

Gold Ball Stud Earrings; Charlotte Russe
Gold Flower Earrings; Charlotte Russe

This was just a casual everyday outfit that I made more unique with some fun accessories. I love it because the top is so versatile. You can make it casual with jeans and gym shoes or sneaker wedges OR you could dress it up with leggings and heels. The studded pockets are what sold me on that top. I see studs everywhere right now; they're very trendy. My favorite accessory that I wore that day would have to be the bracelet. It's such a fun, colorful, unique piece and it matched perfectly with the top as it had salmon-colored gems in it.

As you've seen from my hauls, I have a ton of new spring/summer clothes that I haven't been able to wear yet because the weather just recently decided to warm up here in Chicago so you'll be seeing a ton of OOTD's very soon. Thanks for reading! Don't forget to comment if you read this so I know you were here!! :))

xo,  Sarah

Forever XXI Haul

Retail therapy is the best kind of therapy in my opinion.  :)) It always makes me feel better.  On Thursday I went to Yorktown Mall with my grandma, my mom, and my daughters. We had so much fun and of course my grandma spoiled me again.

GG with her great granddaughters. ♡♥

Here's what I purchased:

sheer sleeveless mint green top- $11.80

The detail on the back is what sold me. :))

Floral Tank with Lace Detail- $17.80

High-Low Detail

Neon Orange Bandeau- $13.80

(I recently lost a good amount of weight and I'm so excited to wear cute little tops like this again. I would pair this with high waisted shorts because if you pair something like this with tiny little booty shorts you risk looking like a hoochie. LOL. I know people that would do this...yikes!!)

baby pink tee with lace detail on back- $6.80

Neon Orange Denim Shorts- $17.80

I love everything I chose, and you all seem to really enjoy Outfit of the Day posts so I'll probably do a few of those featuring the clothes above and possibly a post on how to style summer outfits. :)) So keep an eye out for those posts!!

xo, Sarah