how to: low braided bun

Who is sick of this hot and humid weather? me me me! I can't stand how gross my hair gets so I've been pulling it back into this low braided bun. I got some questions about it after I wore my hair this way in this post.  It is ridiculously easy {seriously, it will take you less than 5 minutes}, but it looks polished and chic. No one will know the real reason you're doing it is to avoid getting sweaty hair! gross, right?

Step 1: Park hair down middle or off to the side {your preference}, and separate into two sections. Braid one section.

 Step 2: Secure ends with a rubber band. I like the clear ones because they're not as noticeable, so un-noticeable in fact that I dropped the second one I was planning on using and couldn't find it!

 Step 3: Braid the second section.

 Step 4: Take one braid and twist it around into a circle on your head

Step 5: Pin it with bobby pins as you go

 Step 6: Do the same thing with the second braid. Make it into a loop, nestled inside the circle made from the first braid. {Does that make sense?} It's kind of like making a pretzel.

Feel free to take some hair out by your face for a more casual look. 

It stayed in for me all day with the help of some bobby pins but you can always spray it with some hairspray.

Ta Da! You did it! Easy right? 

In other news I did a meet and greet feature with Le Mode Accessories that will be up Monday but I couldn't help giving you a sneak peak! You can click here to see some of the pieces I modeled. I especially loved this canvas bag and the beautiful necklace!

So glad this was a short week and the weekend is here! Any fun plans?

xox

oh and I guest posted for my friend Jenny May! 

I posted about some of my favorite trips!

Go check it out :) 

how to: pack light for a two week trip

I have been meaning to post this for weeks but I still think it's better late than never. I've gotten several questions asking how I packed for our two week honeymoon to Italy. You all should be so proud of me because I was the lightest packer ever! I packed less than Matthew, which even surprised him! The trick was picking items that I knew would go together in a lot of different ways. You can see that while I packed a couple striped shirts, I didn't chose any patterned bottoms because I wanted to make sure each top would go with each bottom. {I was also motivated to pack light because I was thinking about the clothes and presents I might find in Italy hehe}

shirts {LtoR}: Forever 21, American Apparel, J. Crew, Urban Outfitters
pants: J.Crew black Minnie Pants, Urban Outfitters BDG jeans
shorts: J. Crew
skirt: J.Crew
dress: c/o Ruche
scarf: Tory Burch
jacket: H&M
sweaters: Madewell and J.Crew
swimsuit: Vix Swimwear
sunnies: 80s Purple
shoes: Palladium, Michael Kors, Marshalls

Luckily we were able to wash our clothes once during the trip, while we were in the countryside, so that helped with the underwear situation. I know it's probably gross to think I only had two pairs of shoes to walk around in for two weeks but at least the Palladiums had some good support. I didn't get one blister! 

Do you tend to pack light or heavy on trips? 

I'm luckily getting better with shorter trips by planning my outfits in advance. 

xox

how to: snap out of a terrible, horrible, no good, very bad day

This past weekend was wonderful. It truly felt like summer and I feel like I did so much to enjoy every minute of it. Matthew and I went to the dog beach with Ginger, soaked in some sun, roasted marshmallows on the grill, watched some of our favorite shows and just relaxed. Yet, sometimes these weekends that can seem so perfect can leave you feeling down in the dumps. I don't know how to explain it, and I'm not sure if any of you understand, but last night going to bed I was so sad. I was sad thinking that the weekend was over, that Matthew was going to work and that I was back on my job search, sad that it's already the end of June and the wedding and Italy seem so far away now. A disappointment with the weekend being over turned into so much more and before I knew it I was just a mess. I was in this dejected funk and thankfully Matthew insisted we stay up, watch some of the BBC version of Emma {I love it!} and drink some sleepy time tea. It made me feel a little better and before I knew it I fell asleep. Yet, today I felt like this dark cloud was still over me. I couldn't shake it all morning and afternoon, and I still haven't. This happens every once in a while where I can't help but focus on all these negative things. In case any of you have ever felt this way and know what I mean, I thought I'd share some of my best tips to snap out of terrible, horrible, no good, very bad mood:

1. Take a walk and get some fresh air. Sometimes seeing the sun shining can kick that cloud out of there.
2. Look at your schedule and make lunch/dinner dates with friends. Friends help!
3. Make a list of all the things you are thankful for. Sometimes in this state of mind I can forget. 
3. Do something for you whether it's getting a massage, a manicure or a hair cut. Do something that will give you some extra confidence and make you smile. (I'm getting my hair cut tomorrow..it's been 6 months, can you believe it?)
4. Make a list of things you want to get accomplished each day. I've been so overwhelmed with apartment searching and job hunting that spending more than a couple hours on one or the other can make me lose all energy for other things I need and want to do.  This is kind of silly but I'm trying to put my days in a class format-- Apartment Period, Cleaning Period, Blogging Period, and Job Period. I try to break up the tedious things with something fun, like blogging or emailing a friend. 
5. Listen to upbeat music and hopefully it will make you want to dance :)
6. If it doesn't make you dance, do something active. It's so hot now that working out doesn't sound very appealing but yoga in a cooled studio sounds a little better. Or go on an early morning walk or hike!
7. Do something good. I donated a bag of clothes to the Goodwill for my last week's little resolution. It helped me get outside of myself and remember that there are other people in need. It helped give me some much needed perspective. 
7. Play with an animal. When I was sad last night I picked up Ginger and almost immediately started to smile! Why are dogs so amazing?

If any of your have some suggestions for getting out of a bad/sad mood, I'd love to hear! 

Regular scheduled programming tomorrow, I promise :)

xox

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