fashion friday: spring in my step

Spring is near & my heart couldn’t be happier. But let’s be honest, my toes are even more happy about the transition in weather. THEY WILL BE FREE! I can wear bright-colored sandals, printed Keds, gladiators, wedges and my infamous must-have Rainbows. The possibilities are endless, but make sure those toes are painted please! Nobody likes bare piggies!

This spring is taking a throwback by trending 90s style. Being a 90s gal, this is right up my alley! Below are some of my favorites from the 90s that I definitely plan on bringing back in my style this spring:

 

If you don’t know what any of these treasures are, I’ll be praying for you. At the top are the adorable Jelly shoes. I literally wore these almost every day and my mom bought me every color! They are super affordable too.

Underneath are the comfortable Birkenstocks. These are a HIT this spring. It seems as though I have been seeing them pop out of the woodwork for weeks now. They cost between $100 – $140 on average, but I promise you they LAST FOREVER and you will get your moneys worth.

Lastly are the Keds. Taylor Swift herself has made these babies popular in recent years and once again, they will be springing in my step. I love how affordable they are and the many print varieties. To top it off, my favorite designer is Kate Spade and she has an exclusive line with Keds right now. I died.

If you click on the pics, I have provided links to where you can find these gems. Join with me this spring & take it back to the 90s.

PS – Most of my style inspiration comes from my Pinterest. Feel free to follow at http://www.pinterest.com/brandiwelk/ 🙂 Have a great weekend dolls!

fashion friday: overalls

Born in 1992, I consider myself a full blown 90s kid all the way. I still remember the style trends with converse, frilly ankle socks, faded high-waisted jeans, the dreadful scrunchies and my absolute favorite, OVERALLS! I cannot even begin t describe to you all how excited I am that my favorite past time is trending this spring.

Lucky for me, my mom just gave me 2 pairs of her old overalls. I almost died. They need a little bit of work and giving them the old grunge look, but they will be FABULOUS! Below are some of my favorite looks with overalls:

I cannot handle the comfortable cuteness. I mean seriously, who doesn’t like overalls?! You don’t have to put hardly any effort into wearing them. Sounds like a winner to me! Some places carrying overalls right now are Old Navy, Target, and Forever21. Your best bet would probably be thrift stores though. Plus, they will already have a worn look!

Be on the lookout for this precious trend this spring. I know I will be fixing mine up this weekend and will definitely post a how-to  🙂

fashion friday: floral blazers

Anyone that knows me, knows that I have a collection of blazers & am obsessed with bright floral prints. Needless to say, I am ecstatic about floral print blazers coming into the scene this Spring. They honestly just make me so happy! (Plus, I got one on super sale at Target this past summer and am dying to wear it)

Below are a few of my favorite looks & where to find them:

  

All of these fabulous florals can be found at www.lulus.com — and get this, they are all under $50 .00

From left to right, ASOS – $68 ,  LOFT – $70 ,  Nasty Gal – $58

Another great place to look is www.polyvore.com and I’m sure before we know it, Target, Old Navy & Forever 21 will have some as well.

So, make an appearance this Spring & bloom into your full potential ladies!

the twisted modern day relationship

Looking back on just 5 years ago, I reflect and find that today’s modern dating world is quite twisted and humorous at the same time. It used to be that you would meet someone while out, exchange numbers and go on a date. Today, it is a whirlwind of mixed signals, assumptions and games.

Welcome to the modern dating world where . . .

A man & woman meet while drunkingly checking each other out at a bar.

The man makes some awful pickup line and says “You have the prettiest eyes” even though your eyes are just brown.

He asks for your number and in some cases just puts it in your phone and calls himself (that’s just weird).

You go home your separate ways and think about him all night (or at least I hope so).

The next day you have a text, Facebook friend request, Instagram follow and poke before noon.

Yep, that just happened. Sh*t just got real.

Before you know it, you both are obsessing over each other’s pages while agonizing over who likes who and “What are we?”

I could go on and on and by the way, these roles can totally be reversed. Girls are just as crazy. My point is that I miss the old days where people politely asked for numbers and gave genuine compliments and not loaded compliments all in hopes of a booty call.

I challenge each of you to break the norm – DON’T accept that friend request (I mean it’s only bad for you anyway and will lead to over-analyzing), DON’T send selfies to guys unless you are genuinely interested (seriously, that’s just cruel) and whatever you do  . . . make sure that whoever you decide to date is someone you can take home to mama!

fashion friday: trends for Spring 2014

I don’t know about all of you, but I am BEYOND READY for Spring weather. The bright colors, bare toes, flowers & sunshine . . . I need it in my life, as well as, the fashion trends that are coming with it. Last spring we saw lots of cutouts, lace and stripes. This year, it’s even better!

Below is what you and your wallet can look forward to in Spring 2014 —

• PRETTY PASTELS – This is by far my favorite. Pastels are so complimentary to anyone’s skin tone and also give a nice touch of purity to any outfit.
• WIDE-LEG TROUSERS – Bell bottoms making a comeback?! Close. This spring you can look forward to chic wide-legged trousers in linen and prints to wisp you away.
• TEA-LENGTH SKIRTS – Oh, I just adore!! Tea-length skirts are longer skirts that can be paired with a crop top or tucked-in blouse. Twirl away ladies!!
• CROPPED & BOMBER JACKETS – Look for cropped & collarless jackets to hit the stores soon. They will also have lots of prints to choose from. Also, the infamous bomber jacket will be making the scene. Pair either of these jackets with a nice pair of shorts or capris and call it a day.
• GLADIATORS – I think gladiator sandals will always be trending. Many runway models have been paired with these. Especially, knee-high gladiators.

Spring 2014 is going to be one for the books. You mean I get to wear pastels & gladiators?! I’m already super anxious!

Get your pocketbooks ready ladies & happy Spring shopping!

P.S. – I think tax-refunds come out this time of year for a reason. Go reward yourself for all of your hard work!!

tips for dry-skinned peeps

As temperatures start to drop, my poor skin starts to hate me and scream for moisture. I’m pretty sure I have some of the driest skin in the entire world. I will cake on moisturizer before bed and still wake up cracked and peeling. Oh, the struggle right?!

I started thinking though . . . there is no way that I am the only girl with this problem. I sought out to my beauty experts on all of my social media channels and thank the Lord for some answers. FINALLY!!

But before I jump ahead, here are 5 tips that have helped me through these harsh winter months:

1. Reducing the heat — Believe it or not, washing your face with too hot of water can cause your skin to dehydrate even more. I know it feels good, but lay off a little.
2. Moisturize — Always always always put on moisturizer before bed and before makeup application. This will also help with keeping your makeup fresh longer.
3. Exfoliate less — No, put that fancy scrub down. During winter months, you should limit any products with alcohol in it or any exfoliators. Your skin is already screaming for hydration. Don’t make it worse!
4. Pop some pills – Not literally folks! But, some vitamins that will really help with your skin are vitamin A, vitamin B, vitamin E, vitamin C and Biotin. Most of these can be found in a women’s daily vitamin. Although, I do suggest prenatal vitamins. They are so much better for you!
5. HYDRATE – Your skin is a direct reflection of what you eat and how you treat your body. WATER IS ESSENTIAL!! Drink as much water as you can during the day. You will see a HUGE difference.

After talking with some of my beauty gurus, a list was formed for great products for moisturizing skin:

• Renate S. – “Dermalogica Active Moist: perfect everyday moisturizer lightweight, and feels great under make up.”
• Gianna F. – “… after I wash my makeup off with cold water, I put a little bit of Cocoa Butter in my hand and rub it all over my face. I used to have dry skin and this helps keep it soft and also helps with color!”
• @tracymariemiller – “Clinique’s Dramatically Different Moisturizing Lotion! Great for traveling for the girl on the go!”
• @burchamvr – “I use Burt’s Bees Face Cream. I LOVE it!”
• Mariah S. – “Organic Argan Oil for my face and hair!”

Wow! What a great list?! Two of my personal favorites are EOS Lip Balm (amazeballs . . . literally) and Philosophy’s Miracle Worker moisturizer. Click the product name to be directed to where you can buy it 🙂 Special thanks to all of my fabulous ladies for revealing your beauty secrets — I know I will be trying them out!

Hang in there ladies . . . Spring is near!!

#longhairdontcare

I’ve moved to a new blog: Southern B & Sweet Tea. Click HERE to view my hair tips & tricks for growing healthy locks fast!

fashion friday: just in case

We’ve all had this moment in our lives . . . that moment when we finally decide to clean out the closets on get rid of some things. Spring cleaning came early for me this year. I’m usually one to put off organizing until I just can’t bare it anymore, but for some odd reason unbeknownst to me, I felt the motivation.

While going through my hideous clothes from high school (yes, the hoarding was that bad), I kept telling myself “Oh, I will keep this just in case” and in some cases that was a smart idea. In others, I really needed to let go of that concert tee that would never fit me again or those jeans with lots of memories that I couldn’t fit a thigh in anymore. You know this has happened to you. Don’t lie!

I finally disciplined myself into only keeping things I “needed” and in this case they were classic pieces. A word to the wise, when it comes down to purging the closet, only keep items that are basic/classic in color and virtually timeless. For example, NEVER get ride of a little black dress or blazer. Those pieces will forever be trending and you will regret that decision to throw away later.

In the midst of my cleaning, I found this precious light rain coat in the picture above. It’s actually what I am wearing today and I am so happy I kept it. You know, it is truly amazing what you can find when you organize!!

One last thing, please please please don’t just throw away your clothes. DONATE! There are so many less fortunate people your age and even younger that would kill for those clothes. It’s a win-win situation for you both!!

P.S. — It might have taken me 2 whole days to go through my dressing room. Whoops!! Oh and feel free to follow me on Instagram @theprprincesss 😉

Good luck dolls & happy cleaning!

2013 was beyond good to me

I cannot believe that tomorrow starts 2014. Personally, I’ve always been a fan of the New Year hype. It’s a fresh start . . . a chance to set new goals & become a better you.

2013 was beyond good to me. I set three main goals when going into this year: 1) to be loved & love others, 2) to be successful and 3) to become a better me. For the first time ever, I am proud of where I am.

In 2013, I wanted to be loved and to love others. In the past, I hadn’t had the best of luck when it came to guys. I’ve dated all the crazies and selfish men you could think of, but I finally found my prince. He has been my best friend for over five years now and under my nose the entire time. Oh and the first guy my parents actually LOVE! I’ve never had someone truly love me, love my family and want to be involved in my dreams and aspirations. I could not be happier when it comes to this. With that, we moved in together, traveled here and there and got a precious puppy. Needless to say, life is good in the love department.

In 2013, I wanted to be successful. This meant graduating college with my B.A. in Public Relations, as well as, finding a job in my field. God sure did bless me this year. I graduated, landed a job in nonprofit PR a month later and also have had the most successful fundraising experience ever seen at my job. I went from a college student trying to pay the bills to a PR professional with my name in the paper. It still feels like a dream.

In 2013, I wanted to become a better me. After leaving a grocery store job I had been at for five years and landing a career, it was time to let go of the negativity around me, close doors and welcome new opportunities. I was given lots of support with all of my successes, but also much negativity when I started going places. Many so-called “friends” of mine were purely an illusion. I cut many ties with many people and now lead a very positive life. I am a better me because of it.

Overall, this past year has taught me what is important in life. It’s surely not how many friends I have or how much money I make, but instead it is what will further me and my dreams and the love of my family and close friends. Because of them, all of my goals were achieved in 2013.

I look forward to 2014. I want to travel, continue to work and dream my ass off and hopefully open a new chapter in my life. I thank God for all of the opportunities he has put in front of me, as well as, all of the obstacles. I am me because of Him.

Happy New Year dolls! Let’s make 2014 our best yet!

fashion friday: finding the perfect sparkle for your body type

With 2014 right around the corner, that means every woman is in search of the perfect New Years Eve dress. Of course, this dress must include SPARKLES!! Sparkles are the ultimate go-to showstopper. But with that being said, that also means that certain areas of your body will be drawn attention to more than others. So, how do you know which area to bedazzle and which to keep basic? I think it’s best to approach this with taking into consideration your body type. If you’re a full-figured girl, you probably aren’t going to want to wear sequins from head to toe. Through my searching for the right NYE ensemble, I came up with a few tips for each of the five body types. This will not only ease your hunting, but also assist you in accentuating your hottest assets.

1) Apple – This is a woman with a chest and hips that are close to the same size, but your hips tend to be about six inches smaller than your chest. For this, I suggest your sparkle focus point be on the bottom half of your body. This will even out that small difference.

2) Pear – This body type is the exact opposite of the apple. With this, your hips are significantly wider than your shoulders which causes you to be curvy on your bottom half. There is nothing wrong with having hips ladies! Embrace it this NYE by purchasing a skirt has sparkle detail and pairing it with a basic top. This will not only draw attention to sexy curves, but also create the look of a smaller waist.

3) Rectangle – This is a woman where her shoulders, waist, bust and hips are around the same size. A woman with this body type can virtually get away with anything. Though, I do suggest creating the illusion of curves. In order to do this, you should buy a piece that will cinch the waistline. You can do this with a belt or peplum dress or top.

4) Inverted triangle – This body type is very similar to the apple shape, except instead of a subtle difference in your hips, they are significantly smaller than your shoulders. For women with this type, you absolutely do NOT want to put any focus on your shoulders. The last thing you want is to have the appearance of “man shoulders.” I would by a dress that flows outward on the bottom with sequin or glitter detail.

5) Hourglass – This is every woman’s dream. This woman embodies the perfect balance of bust and hips while having a small waist. Talk about having it made! I suggest picking a dress that is more form fitting to show off that awesome body. Work it girl!

Whether you are rectangle like me or fabulously hourglass, pick a sparkly dress right for your body and go into 2014 with a BANG! Good luck & happy hunting ladies!

I would like to extend a special thank you to my idol, Chelsea Krost, for featuring this post on her blog. To check it out, go to www.chelseakrost.com.