Friday Photos

I woke up this morning thinking it was Saturday...it's gonna be a long day. Anyway, I thought I'd do a little bit of photo diary action for today's post. I've had a pretty random but fun past week or so, hope you enjoy the results. 

Got this hand of all pairs playing cards with my family.

Dodger had his serious face on. Too cute to resist.

Everclear playing at the Summerland concert!

Lit was my favorite band of the night.

A little post concert snack...

Decided to try a glitter mani idea that I got from pinterest.

Rainy day on the bay...

...my sister and our pup spent the day napping.

Metallic mani for the weekend.

Starbs pick-me-up before the sugarlips shoot last week.

A little pre-shoot prep

The sun FINALLY made an appearance.

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Jersey Strong

Happy Tuesday everyone. For it being my Monday, I'm in a really good mood. I came home from another wonderful New York visit to a package from SugarLips, with a piece they sent me to feature on here. Come on now, is there anything better than free clothing? I think not. I'm hoping to shoot the outfit tomorrow so hopefully you'll be able to check it out by the end of the week.

As all of you know I'm from New Jersey, and let's face it, the dirty jerz doesn't exactly have the best rep around the rest of the country. Or the world for that matter, thanks to Jersey Shore. One of the worst perceptions of NJ is our sense of style, thanks to the over-tanned, over-made, and under-dressed cast of the show. As a NJ native style blogger I feel it's my duty to set the record straight about how NJ locals dress.

Today I'd like to introduce you all to an NJ born clothing company that a friend of mine helped found. Breathe Atlantic is a perfect example of laid back NJ style. The clothing is nautical themed (we're all familiar with my obsession) and locally printed. They released their new "Over The Horizon" line last night, and let's just say I'm in love. Check out a few of my favorite pieces below and then click your way over to their Facebook and website to start buying. You know you want to.

Beach Break!

 

1. Beach bag from the Gap 2. Stephen King's "11/23/63" 3. Hawaiian Tropic Tanning Cream Lotion 4. Thrift store sunnies 5. Home-made beach waves spray 6. Chapstick in Cherry 7.Forever 21 beach cover up 8. Old Navy beach towel 9. My shell and rock collection.

Today I thought I'd give you all a peek at what I carry when I hit the sand. The most important items are definitely my sunnies, tanning lotion, chapstick and a good book. My current read is this Stephen King novel about a man who goes back in time to try and save JFK from being assassinated. It's awesome. That little collection of shells and stones are what I have found during my walks along the edge of the water. I keep them all in my beach bag until the end of the season and then I usually make something pretty with them for a room decoration. What are your must-have beach items?

PS. Here's the recipe for my home-made beach waves spray:

INGREDIENTS:
1 Cup WARM water
3 Tablespoons Sea Salt
1 Tablespoon Gel or Spray Gel
1/2 Tablespoon Conditioner (or leave-in)
A couple spritzes of your favorite perfume

DIRECTIONS:
Mix Warm water and salt first and shake well.
Add the rest of the ingredients.
Spray your hair generously and scrunch.

Beachy Accessories

 

Well today's post is going to be short, sweet and let's be honest here, half-assed. I apologize I'm just running low on time today. I leave you with my collection of beach related accessories that have come from my recent polyvore collages. I hope you enjoy them and have a good weekend! I'm off to work! 

Accessory Style: Beach Party

The summer sun hasn't been shining the past few days here on the Jersey Shore, but things are supposed to brighten up over the weekend. I for one love nothing more than a beach party on a beautiful day. Though most days that I spend at the beach I only wear a bathing suit, cover up and a pair of shades, beach parties call for a different kind of attire. Even if you're only attending a casual occasion, it's still a chance to look your best. So show off your style. make sure you accessorize those cute cover-ups! If you're going to be in the sand make sure you wear flat sandals so you spend the day having fun instead of trying to walk without falling on your face. I'd keep everything else kind of casual, and make sure you have a beach tote with everything you need for the day/night. Jewelry can be a tough one, in this case. If you're actually going to be spending a ton of time in the sand and the ocean I'd skip the jewelry, it might get ruined or lost. However, if it's more of a tiki bar or beach house party go for the jewels. Keep things to a summery beach theme, like the starfish ring and turquoise earrings above. Just remember to take them off if you decide to go for a swim!

Summer Trend: Plaid Prep

If there's one trend I love to wear year round, it's plaid. When worn the right way it can be the perfect combination of casual and preppy. I love pairing a plaid button up with a pair of denim shorts and sandals for an evening bonfire on the beach. Though some might worry they'll look like they're wearing a table cloth, when accessorized correctly I think plaid makes for a fresh, pretty style. I especially like the idea of pairing a plaid sundress, like the pink Abercrombie number above, with a great pair of wedges and golden brown skin. 

If you don't want to incorporate plaid into your everyday look, opt for a pair of plaid boxer shorts like the Juicy Couture pair above and a cute tank so you can sleep in style. I'm a firm believer in looking your best all the time, even when you're lounging around the house. I have a new post coming up about fabulous summer pj's no matter what your sleep style is!