Nautical nonsense!

One style that has been reoccuring the past few summers is the nautical look. It is a pretty simple look and very easy to pull off.

COLORS: Colors that fit into the nautical theme are NAVY BLUE, RED, WHITE, and even colors like GREEN and YELLOW.

PATTERNS: the biggest thing with the nautical look is stripes. vertical stripes, horizontal stripes, also bold lines in general.

ETC:

Try blazers and jackets with gold buttons and embelishments.
Add anchor accesories in little bursts for a truly nautical feel.

You dont want to overdo this look because it is supposed to be fresh and breezy.

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                                                                                                      Good Luck!
                                                                                                                         Love Lael

2011 Spring Trends

I LOVE spring! It's warm but not too hot, it's when all of the flowers are blooming, and the fashion is fabulous! Each year there are trends that come and go then there are the classic spring trends that never get old. I am going to use this post to go over the new and the classic trends of spring!

Be prepared for a bold spring with:

• Flowers.

 - The whole point of spring is to celebrate the time where everything is green and the flowers are blooming. So enjoy all types of florals!

• Bright colors

-Feel like a tulip in bright colors like pink, blue, yellow, purple, and green!

• Bold stripes mixed with bright patterns

-Feel nautical with bold stripes and don't be afraid to layer them with fun quirky prints

• Girly Details

-Let your inner baby doll shine through with ruffles, lace, and sweet details!


 Take these trends and make them your own! I hope you have a colorful spring!



                                                                                       Love Lael

Lael's Shopping Rules and Tricks ... Part 2 of 2

Hi readers! I'm so sorry I've left you hanging for part two of my shopping tricks and rules.... computer troubles, oh well.

Trick: Now that you have those clothes tried on it's time to pick out your pieces and *druuuuuumrooooolllll* TAKE THEM HOME!

Rule: Now that you have weeded through what fits and what doesn't, it's time to weed some more. Joy!
Now it's time to think...
Think about:

• How many pieces do you have weeded through so far?

-If you somehow still have 20 pieces then congrats! You either have an amazing figure or have lots of time, either way all doors are open to you! But of course i hope you aren't planning on buying all of them. 

• How much money do you have?

- If you have $10 than you really have to stretch that don't you? (I know this from personal experience $10 in change can = 1 dress+ 4 pieces of jewelry!) 

- Some people have more of a shopper's conscience than others. I have my personal rules for what i will spend but others have different standards.

- Basically if you are spending more than $100 for a single piece YOU ARE PAYING TOO MUCH! (of course there are certain occasions where that is OK but not on a casual shopping trip) 

• How many stores do you have left to go to?

- If you are at your first store of a whole mall and are already spending more than half of your money you need to rethink what you are buying

• If you don't want to buy it now will it be there next time?

- If it is a big blow-out clearance sale chances are not... if you love it and it passes all rules above for the most, part get it!

• And finally do you love it? 

- There is no reason that you have to spend all of your money in one trip. Unless you LOVE it do NOT buy it!

You should consider each and every one of these things before bringing your choices to the counter. 

Now buying!

This i simple and you can use it when  buying anything.

• Be prepared with your items already picked and laid out
• Have an estimate of how much your things will cost and have the money out and organized

This may seem like a lot of rules and i definitely don't want to make shopping an overbearing uncomfortable experience but if you follow these rules to an extent you will soon be able to formulate your own shopping process which will all-in-all make shopping a much more enjoyable and productive trip to the mall!

Lael's Shopping Rules and Tricks ... Part 1 of 2

My favorite thing: FASHION. So basically that means clothes, and THAT means shopping. I, like most of you, do not have money to throw away, but I love shopping for clothes so much. So over the years I have formulated some rules and tricks to help me get the most out of that rare $20.

Trick:   Research.

                  
Before you go shopping have an idea what your looking for. You don't have to get that and that only but it is helpful to have in mind what you want.

Rules: 

• SALE! CLEARANCE! SALE! You never know what amazing treasure you will find. 

Trick:   Be prepared to go shopping.

                    
Whether or not you plan on trying stuff on... more often than not, you do. 

Rules: 

• Avoid jewelry and lots of accessories. Taking off and putting on clothes in the dressing room also means you must take off...and once again put back on all those accessories, if you must accessorize, stick with something simple like a scarf.

• Do NOT spend a lot of time on your hair. Static-y shirts and dresses will only undo all of your hard work. Preferably put your hair up in a fool-proof ponytail, bun, or even pig tails.

• Try things on. No, I mean try lots of things on. NO, I mean try LOTS of things on! Even if you don't expect it to fit try it on because every so often there is that piece that will make you happy you tried it on. Also with trying things on you will get an idea of how clothes fit you and it will all-in-all build your shopping intuition. Expect things not to fit and don't let it get you down. Usually if you go into a dressing room with twenty things you will come out with four. Remember this is ok! You didn't really expect to buy all twenty things did you?

• Bring a friend. Bring someone with patience to stand outside and give you opinions. If you want return the favor do the same for them.

Stay tuned for more Shopping Rules and Tricks! 

cont...

Stay tuned!

Stay tuned for laels shopping rules and tricks!

Lael's tip of the day: layering

One of my favorite things is layering. It can make a simple outfit more unique and fun. A simple layering trick is to pick one piece in your closet such as a t-shirt and build an outfit around it. First look at the piece. Don't just look at the main color, look at the small bits of color too. Next, put something over it; something light such as a vest or button down. After that add something else on top of that; this is usually something medium-light such as a sweathshirt. Last but not least... Accessories. Add a belt over your layers for a nice tied-together effect. Add scarves and/or jewelry and you are set. This is just one layering idea, feel free to use it, but be creative. Just make sure it isnt TOO bulky because you don't want to lose your style (or your body) in your clothes.

Emergency Fashion!

Have you ever stood up to your knees in clothes in your room before school with NO IDEA what to wear? You have 10 minutes til the bus is supposed to pick you up and you can't decide what to put on?

I have. And trust me, nothing ruins my morning quite like it.    

Well, believe it or not, I have tips that just might save you from the nothing-to-wear-morning-panic-attack!

Tips and tricks:

Plan ahead.

• Pick out your outfit the night before
• Plan ahead for weather, or special days like picture day or spirit day
• Always consider your school dress code

Get out your 'Go To' Outfit.

• Have a 'go to' outfit (something that's flattering & always makes you feel good)
• Easy to wear and not complicated with a lot of accessories
• Can be your favorite T-shirt, jeans, etc.

Lay it out.

• Laying out your outfit helps get you ready & organized
• Once you've decided on an outfit, set it aside so you can get to it easily the next morning

Be prepared.

• Make sure all of your other morning chores are done such as making a lunch, getting your homework organized, cleaning your room, etc.
• Be ready for weather & have your umbrella ready or your coat

Look and feel great!

Being a teenager is complicated enough. But, planning ahead and staying organized can help take the 'tough' out of getting dressed!

Here's to unlocking YOUR closet's potential!
Love, Lael