6/30/2013

60s Barbie










Dress - H&M
Shoes - BCBGeneration
Sunglasses - Nordstrom BP
Earrings - Freedom Firm
Watch - Fossil 

I pretty much have been saying this every week, but it has been ridiculously hot today and I'm really contemplating packing my bags and moving to California so that I can escape the humidity (note: hair up because of ridiculous weather-induced frizzyness). 

And I feel kinda silly for wearing 3 quarter inch sleeves today, but really... the dress was cute and I was told this morning I look like a 60s Barbie, so I think it was worth it. Right?

P.S. It has been one of those weeks where I had so many ideas for blog posts and crafts, but I haven't had much time between work and my online college classes, so I'm glad I least get to post this. I do have some pretty cool ideas that I am going to try and get to this next week, though, so be on the look out!

6/23/2013

Seeing Spots









Dress - Old Navy 
Flats - Kate Spade 
Bracelet - Betsey Johnson 
Glasses - Warby Parker



It was one of those mornings where nothing looks good and it takes you forever to find something that you don't hate (jeez, why is that?). I feel like that's one of the really bad things about summer; sometimes you just have no idea what will look good when it's hot outside (and when you don't have air conditioning in your ancient Jeep).

Anyways, hope y'all liked this post! Be sure to follow this blog for more outfit posts and upcoming tutorials & reviews!




6/20/2013

Hot Heat







Top - H&M
Shorts - Banana Republic 
Shoes - Xappeal
Bag - Expressions NYC (buy it here)
Sunglasses - Nordstrom BP (buy them here)
Bracelet - Betsey Johnson
Ring - Forever21

I love summer weather except for the fact that my car basically has no air conditioning, so whenever I know I will be going anywhere I have to make sure I'm wearing clothes that won't make me die of heat. That's why this outfit is perfect for this type of weather; cotton shorts with a thin tank top would be perfect even if I did have working air conditioning... but since I don't it's especially necessary.

What's your favorite thing to wear when it's hot out? Comment below!

 

6/17/2013

DIY: Brown Sugar Body Scrub

I love sugar scrubs. Not only do they smell amazing, but they make for great exfoliators and leave your skin super soft.
 I keep seeing all these expensive body scrubs in stores and I kinda laugh when I see them because it is basically $30 for sugar and oil with a label slapped on a plastic container. Why pay all that money when it's super easy (and cheap) to make by yourself?

Here's what you will need:


 1. 1 & 1/2 Cups Brown Sugar
2. 1/4 Cup Coconut oil or any other type of oil you like
(Optional) 3. Essential oil for scent 
4. An airtight container
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Step one. Take 1 & 1/2 cups of brown sugar and place in a mixing bowl

Step two. Combine 1/2 cup coconut oil with the brown sugar



Step three (optional). Add a few drops of essential oil (depending on how strong you want the scent to be it will be about 3 - 5 drops) or vanilla extract (I used 1/4 tsp of vanilla extract in my batch)

Excuse the messiness of the vanilla extract bottle . . . it's well-used


Step four. Now all you will need is a airtight container to store the scrub in ~ I suggest going to Amazon.com, Target or a craft store like Michael's and picking up some small mason jars.


*Brown sugar scrubs make great gifts, so you can tie a ribbon around the jar and voila! You've just created a super crafty, thoughtful, and delicious-smelling gift.*


Here are some things to keep in mind:
 
1. There is an expiration date: typically sugar scrubs last 1 - 2 months.

2. You need to make sure you keep the jar securely shut when it's not in use because of potential ants (gross, I know, but it can happen. . . trust me)

3. I wouldn't advice using this scrub on your face very often (probably only once a week) because this scrub is a very rough exfoliator and scrubs dead skin cells away and the skin on your face is more sensitive than the skin on your arms or legs.

Cost:

Brown Sugar - $2
Coconut oil - $5 - $7
Essential Oils - depending on where you buy these from, they can range anywhere from $2 - $15 typically. Check out your grocery store or Amazon.com.
Jars - Buy a case of twelve 12 oz. jars here for $17.99 ($1.50 per jar)

Total cost per jar = $3 - $5! Way cheaper than spending $30.

I hope you liked this post! Let me know in the comments if you have your own recipe for sugar scrubs or plan on trying this one!


6/07/2013

College Orientation: Outfit Inspiration

Today was orientation for the college that I am transferring to in the Fall, so I decided to make a post about what to wear during orientation in the Summer since I figure this is around the time when most people have orientation (psh... how many times can I say orientation in one post?).


Here's Inspiration #1:

Orientation Outfit Inspiration #1

American Vintage short sleeve shirt
$70 - question-air.com


Sperry Top Sider navy blue flat
$155 - frenchtrotters.fr



FOSSIL gold jewelry
nordstrom.com


I like this outfit because it's casual, comfy, and it doesn't look like you rolled out of bed and left your house in under 10 minutes. And for something college related, I feel like it's important to look nice. You don't need to look "professional," since it is only orientation, but it's best to look like you care a little bit even though you do have to wake up insanely early. 

                                              Inspiration #2:



Orientation Outfit Inspiration #2


H M printed tank top
$12 - hm.com


J Crew j crew
jcrew.com


Hunter rubber rain boots
$130 - harveynichols.com


Baby g watch
macys.com


Totes Umbrella, Micro Portable
macys.com


This outfit is perfect if your orientation just so happens to be on a rainy day. Again, it's still casual and comfy, but it doesn't look haphazard. 


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

My outfit today was basically the first option, but in reality I should have worn option #2 because it was raining all flipping day. 

It's really important to check the weather report before you plan your outfit out and make sure you bring an umbrella even if there's only like a 10% chance of rain because if it just so happens to rain, you will be so happy you did. 

I hope this post was helpful and gave you some good ideas! Let me know in the comments if you're transferring colleges or an incoming freshman and what you plan on wearing to your orientation! 


Other places you can find me:

Instagram - alyarmstrong
Vine - Aly Armstrong

6/03/2013

Pastels, Please.











Top - Papaya 
Skirt - Mossimo
Wedges - Seychelles
Bag - ShoeDazzle

If you couldn't tell, I love pastel colors. I just think pastels are gorgeous and work for so many skin types, and who doesn't love that?? Besides, mint green is still having it's major moment (for the past, what? two years?).

And of course, pastels aren't just for Spring. I love wearing them all year round even though some people say they only work for 3 months out of the year (as if!).

What I want to know, though, is what is your favorite pastel color? Tell me in the comments below!

As always, thank you for checking out my blog and be sure to follow for more!



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