on my radar: february (valentine's edition!)

Love is in the air this time of year! Valentine's Day is one of my favorite holidays of the year… all the pink and red and hearts and love and glossy lips and sweet little nothings- what's not to love!?!?

Here are a few things on my radar this month… Valentine's style!

criss-cross ring… This double layer ring is my new favorite style, it's so delicate and beautiful and perfect for spring!

heart scarf… I love this classic silk scarf with hearts printed on it. It's so beautiful and would be a gorgeous gift for any sweet lady! (yourself included, wink wink!)

pointed flats (or similar)… These shoes are the boss. Are they not? Plus, they are on sale!

drapey red sweater… I love an oversized sweater these days… this bright red one with skinny jeans and black pumps would be the perfect valentines date night look.

patch jeans… I am insanely obsessed with these jeans.  J.Crew jeans don't usually fit me - but I'm going to give these the old college try.

beautycounter lip & sugar paper notecard set… This adorable set is so perfect for February!  It's the perfect lip combo with a few notecards to make sure you spread the love this month.

eberjey bralette… I have this bra in nude and love it, the black one is on my wish list!

What's on your radar for this month?

simple beauty!

A few people have recently asked about my makeup routine. Really I hardly wear much makeup at all and if you catch me working out or running errands - a lot of time I don't wear any, I'm lazy like that!  But I do try to get makeup on everyday - even if it's by 2pm… but not much of it. I'm not so much a beauty minimalist on purpose but because I know absolutely nothing about actually putting on makeup.  If I wear eyeliner it always seems to be crooked and I have no idea how to put on eyeshadow.  So I just work with what I know!

There are a few products I have been using forever (like this face wash and this bb cream), a few products I just can't live without (like this face oil and this amazing mascara) and then a few new products that I don't know how I lived without (like this blush!).

I try to choose non-toxic products when at all possible, I'm not perfect with it but I figure that every little bit counts.  If you are interested about non-toxic products check out Beautycounter or check what toxicity rating your current products have on EWG's SKin Deep website.  I have found that site very useful for trying to make better decisions about my skincare routine… I'm not interested in totally and radically overhauling my skincare routine, but just taking baby steps towards a healthier routine as best that I can.

So here is my super-easy-mostly-non-toxic beauty routine!

wash & ready…

origins 'checks and balances': long time favorite of mine!

rose water: I know I've mentioned it before but this stuff is amazing.

counter time eye cream: I absolutely love Beautycounter and this eye cream is perfect for aging or dry winter skin.

lustro face oil: again, I know I have mentioned this before, but this face oil is life changing. I wear this day and night.

make-up...

dr. jart bb cream: I've worn this for a few years now, I love that it has spf included and feels absolutely weightless on my skin.

well-rested: I think the name says it all, I love this stuff and it's perfect for a mid-day or evening spruce up if need be.

bare minerals volumizing mascara: forget the last extensions, this stuff rocks!

beautycounter color sweep blush duo: ditch the blush that is full of toxins and heavy metals. This stuff is gorgeous on your skin and GOOD for your skin. I love this blush. 

scent obsession...

elizabeth and james 'nirvana': I just discovered these scents recently and I LOVE them… I bought the black version, but I can totally see myself snagging the white version for summer.

my everyday style: all black!

When I was in junior high and high school, art classes were one thing that I really looked forward to without fail. (part of me kicks myself that I didn't realize it at the time and take it more seriously as I grew up… but that's neither here nor there)  I loved art classes and I adored my art teachers. They were always so weird and cool and wore crazy outfits like all black with quirky jewelry.

This outfit is an homage to all my past amazing art teachers.  All black looks are the way to go when you want to look sophisticated, mysterious or like an art teacher. Or, more realistically when you just don't know what else to wear. ;)

(photos by Tracy Carmondy)

Details:

Sweater, Banana Republic - on sale! (or similar or similar)

Jeans, Old Navy - on sale! (or similar)

Flats, Madewell (similar or similar or similar)

what to pack: head south!

A number of you have emailed me or left comments that you are heading south to some warmth and sun soon and want some packing tips!   Little by little the spring and resort collections have hit the retailers… and there are some really fun vacation picks to be had.

If you are headed south sometime soon… here are a few packing suggestions for a simple and stylish vacation south.  I always try to plan my wardrobe for vacation in one or two color groups… it helps to make sure everything mixes and matches easily so you can pack as little as possible while still having plenty to wear.  Here I chose whites (a white blouse & a white dress are super versatile), grey (a simple grey v-neck can go a long way), stripes (like this dress & shorts) with a few burgundy and pink accents.   And to those I added a comfortable and stylish pair of sneakers, a simple pair of flip flops and an awesome pair of leopard sandals (perfect for dinners out!) to pull the looks together and make sure you have a little of everything shoe-wise while away.

If you are heading south, you lucky little devil, enjoy yourself!

tote, stripe tunic, striped shorts, swimsuit, flip flops, maxi dress, sneakers, v-neck t-shirt, white dress, denim shorts, white short sleeve blouse, coin purse, animal print sandals

my everyday style: a simple sweater!

A jeans, boots, sweater combo never ever fails… that is probably why I wear and over-wear this formula to the point of being sick of it.  Even though I tire of this type of outfit from time to time there is no denying that it's one of my favorites.

There is no better feeling than bundling up with a cozy sweater on a cold day…

(photos by Tracy Carmondy)

Details: 

Sweater, Old Navy (similar or similar)

Jeans, Gap (similar)

Boots, Sam Edelman (similar or similar)

gorgeous bags for spring...

There are a gorgeous fresh crop of handbags hitting the scene for spring.  In fresh colors and great silhouettes any of these gorgeous bags is likely to a great compliment to your spring wardrobe.  

1. neon cross-body 2. nude cross-body 3. camel hobo 4. mint tote 5. mint bucket bag 6. color blocked mini tote 7. cream satchel 8. red tote 9. camel bucket bag 10. blue envelope clutch 11. camel tote

the damage… January 2015!

For the past couple of years I have paused at the end of the month to take stock of my clothing spending for the month.  I call these posts here on the blog 'the damage'.  I am happy to say that after a lot of humming and hawing I have decided to bring this blog series back for 2015!

Up until now I have set my budget at $300 a month and for the past two years I have averaged around $325 a month.  I have been debating what my budget will be this year and I think for now I will stay at $300.  I don't really feel the need to spend much more seeing as this budget has served me well up until now and also my wardrobe is super solid right now, so even if I have a few investment pieces I want to buy this year I also have a lot of staples on hand so it should all work out.  I've said this before and I will say it again… everyone's individual shopping budget is a personal decision. For some $300 may seem like a lot and for others it may seem like not enough. For me it is just right and I share my purchases here to hopefully be an inspiration on how to build a versatile wardrobe within boundaries.

January was mostly a non-shopping month for me… I ordered these few items online during the after Christmas sales but besides that I mostly abstained.  A few exceptions include items I bought recently for vacation and with some sales - but they were all ordered online and haven't arrived yet so it's still TBD if they will fit, etc so I will update you all on those in February!

Cable Knit Sweater, Banana Republic, $89.50 with discounts & coupons was $8.81

Hacking Jacket Blazer, Banana Republic, $150 with discounts & coupons was $18.87

Leather Jacket, Zara, $199 with discount was $119.99 (sold out but similar or similar)

Total Spent: $147.67

Thoughts on the pieces: With my 2015 Style Resolutions in mind, the cabled sweater and black blazer were re-investing in the basics.  I have/had versions of these that needed upgrading so the old ones will get either donated or sold (stay tuned for a way to shop my closet soon!).  The leather jacket has long been on my wish list so I was thrilled to check this one off - and on sale even!

Thoughts on the budget: Can't complain about being under budget! I'll need to use the leftovers in future months… I'm getting really excited to start shopping for spring!

Do you budget your clothing purchases? If so, leave a link below, I would love to check it out!