Rainy Day Fail.

Today, it rained. And today, I was very unprepared on it. My wonderful roommate McKay came with a (broken) umbrella to rescue me. When I left my dorm this afternoon, clouds were gray and the sky was dark. Hello basically guaranteed signs of rain. Did I act responsibly and dress accordingly? Of course not. I threw on a cotton sweater and some flats and headed out the door! FAIL. So on the walk back to the dorm, as I was freezing and drenched, I was inspired to create this post... on what to wear on rainy days!

Most importantly....boots! This outfit would be good for a sprinkling kind of rain day. Where it's a bit cold outside and a bit windy, but not raining terribly hard.

Protect yoself from the rain with a cute rain blouse like this one. Yes, they make those now. Cute, huh? Invest in a pair of fun patterned rain boots to make your outfit cool enough to match the temperature!

The material of the military would be great for a rainy day-layer it over a cool graphic sweater for a sweet vibe. Don't forget an umbrella!

XOXO, Alena

Jewelry Steals

A little while ago, I discovered a magical website with SUCH cheap and cute jewelry! It's moddeals.com. We're talking $2 necklaces and earrings people. AND MUCH MORE. Some are a little more, but for the most part, most are $2. Check out some of my fave jewelry pieces from the site below!

$2.50

$2.50

$2.50

$2.00

$2.00

$2.00

Beauty essentials I couldn't live without

In today's post, I'm going to talk about some of my favorite items that I loveee and would be completely lost without! This is the best stuff you guys, so worth buying and having for your own!

Some of my favorite products are:

Neutrogena Make Up Remover Wipes

• These are the best! They clean off all the dirt and oil off your face, so much better than just splashing your face with water and/or using cotton swabs. These take off all your makeup and will leave your skin feeling fresh and clean! They're only like five bucks and so worth it. Best make up remover out there. 

Tigi Bed Head After Party

• So basically you can't go wrong with Bed Head products-they're amazing. My favorite though is this After Party hair smoothing magic. It makes your hair shiny and keeps fly aways under control. Perfect for those who live in humidity or those who just have some crazy frizzy hair. Bed Head products are a little more expensive, about $10-$15, but they'll last you forever.

Kirkland Makeup Brushes

• These are fantastic makeup brushes. I received them as a Christmas present and I love them. They're from Costco and come with such a handy (and stylish!) little traveling case. These brushes changed the way I do my makeup! This box even comes with a whole packet thing telling you what the brushes can be used for and how to clean them. The brushes themselves are even labeled with their use so you won't forget! This entire box is actually only about $30, which considering everything that comes with it is a steal!

Target Cross Body Bag

• So I don't have a picture of my own, but I'll include some pictures of some others. So Target has the cutest cross body bags ever and I take mine everywhere. Mine is neutral so it goes with everything. I've had it for a couple years and it's still as good as new! Small enough to carry around, big enough to hold everything I need. The bags are probably about an average of $20. A few examples of Target's bags:

  

  
  

  
  

 What are some beauty products you couldn't live without?

Back To School

So where I'm from, school starts the second week of August. Luckily for me, I'm a high school graduate! Yay! So today, this won't be just a 'what to wear to get all the boys' post. Okay, so there will be a little of that too. But I really want to talk about the classic 'what I wish I knew in high school'.

Okay. So.

Tips for high school girls:

1. Get a planner 
• I cannot stress this enough! Write down upcoming assignments, activities, due dates, etc. Being organized will be a life saver. Review what you've written in your planner right when you get home. 
2. Prioritize
• There's nothing worse than deciding to go get fro yo with your friends, getting home at eleven p.m., and then remembering you have a three page essay due the next day. This is where the planner comes in handy. Make sure you prioritize what you need to do. Getting the important stuff done early will just leave room for free time when you're finished!
3. Practice good hygiene
• Use a daily skin cleanser, shower, shampoo and condition your hair, remember to put on deodorant everyday, and spraying a little bit of body spray never hurt anybody. (Fun fact: A boy's favorite smells on a girl are: apple pie, lavender, vanilla, or cinnamon.)
4. Know your grammar
• There's nothing more frustrating than someone who graduates high school without knowing proper grammar. So learn it now! The differences between your, you're, then, than, their, there, they're, too, to. Simple stuff. I don't feel like giving an English lesson right now but when you do get the English lesson about this stuff, please remember it. 
5. Wear comfortable shoes!
• Now I'm not banning heels, but be sure they're some kind of wedges that give you support. Walking back and forth between classes is made a lot easier in shoes you're not tripping in.
6. Be nice to people
• 100% pointless to bring people down or make them feel bad about themselves. People don't always remember what you said, but they'll remember how you made them feel.
7.  Smile at people
• Smiling instantly makes you appear friendly and positive-and there's nothing more attractive than that. The best accessory a girl can wear is a smile! (and a really killer statement necklace but nvm)
8. Play a sport
• Not athletic? Not a problem-especially for any sports that are open tryouts. I played tennis for three years during high school and was absolutely awful at it! But I made a lot of new friends, got super tan, had something to put on college applications, and could act like I was sporty! Find something you like (you don't have to be good at it!) and have fun with it!  
9. Go to the football/basketball/soccer games
• They're fun. Watch them.  
10. Light eyeshadow is your new best friend
• Putting a light colored eye shadow (pale pink, white, etc.) around your eye duct area will instantly make you look more awake. So start lighter on the corner of your eye and gradually get darker with your eye shadow as you continue to the crease and outer eyelid.  
11. Be on your teacher's good side
• Don't be a teacher's pet of course-but speak up in class. Respect your teacher and they will respect you!  
12. Find a theme song
• Have a go-to song for your different moods. Partying in the car with friends? Sick of You by Selena Gomez. Sad about life? Time of our Lives by Tyrone Wells. Those are a couple of mine. Find yourself an anthem!   
13. When in doubt, make out
• Alone with a boy? Not sure what to do? Well. When in doubt, make out. Hahahahahaha, just kidding don't do that. But something fun you can do is send a text my friend and I made up during high school. Text a boy and say, "Hey, we should really make out sometime." Then two seconds later, "Oops! I meant hang out." Depending on his response you can decide if he's a chill guy who can laugh about it, a creep who gets way too excited about your offer, or a loser who doesn't have a sense of humor and gets weirded out. 
14. Don't stress about boys
• While we're on the subject of boys, let's remember that you could be the ripest, juiciest peach in the whole world but there's still going to be people who don't like peaches (love that quote.) So basically, if a boy doesn't seem into you, chances are he's not into you, and that's okay! So don't waste your time drooling over him! He could be a really awesome guy but if you're just not his type, that's not your fault and it's not his either. High school is about finding your bridesmaids, not your groom.
15. Take classes you want to 
• There was nothing worse than signing up for a class only because your friend was taking it and then realizing you hate it. Don't worry if you don't know many people in a class! Take classes that interest you and get you excited about learning the subject matter.
16. Braid your hair on off-days
• There are hundreds of two minute braid tutorials out there! Find one you like, and on days you woke up five minutes before first bell, no matter the state of your hair, you can hide it by throwing it into a cute, messy braid.  
17. Power through
• Normally people end stuff like this with 'Remember to have fun!' or, 'Try to be popular!' But I don't wanna put too much pressure on anyone. So my best and final advice is to power through. Everyone says it but before you know it, you'll be graduated and high school will be behind you. So power through those high school years, remember these tips, and get ready for the rest of your life because it will be here before you know it! GOOD LUCK AND BEST WISHES!

 Okay, so now for some outfits I hope will be able to inspire all your back to school needs!

An overall simple outfit made splendid by adding a bold, fun colored necklace.

Remember our chat about comfortable heels? Well, sneaker wedges are about as comfy as you can get! Find a bright colored pair to pair with black and white.

Gold, purple, and cheetah are a fun color and pattern combination! When wearing dangling earrings, it's fun to wear your hair up to show them off.

This is a perfect running late outfit! Throw on jeans and a tee, flip your hair upside down, braid it, then pile it all into a bun on top!

Plan a day to wake up a little earlier to get extra beautified! A casual dress and curled hair go a long way.

Perfect for the casual girl. Throw on a pair of vans, braid the hair, but make your look unique by adding a pretty necklace to a plaid button up.

Summer Days

I am a firm believer that just because it's hot outside, that doesn't give girls permission to dress skanky (i.e. cut off jean underwear, bras pretending to be tops, etc.) No! Summer is still a time to be classy and sassy, not trashy and tacky.

The term 'Modest is Hottest' is taken to a whole new level during the sweet Summertime. Modest can literally be hottest. As flattering as sweat stains are (psych) it's actually pretty simple to dress modestly during the Summer without breaking a sweat.

These are some outfits that are fun and fashionable without being stuffy or inappropriate.

•  POOL PARTY
• Not sure what to wear to a pool party or the beach? I got you covered.

  
  

  Wear light colored waterproof makeup and bright matte blush that will stay on in the water. Don't forget a fun cover up, cat-eye shades, and a Summer tote to store all of it in!

• WORK ATTIRE

• It's easy to celebrate work attire during the Summer! Stick with lightweight fabrics that will keep you feeling breezy and comfortable during office hours. 



Keep it casual yet interesting by wearing unexpected patterns and colors.

This cotton based outfit will be sure to keep you feeling cool AND looking cool. The muted mint and salmon colors are lovely for Summer.

• EVERYDAY CLOTHES

• Introducing my fabulous ideas for those days of the week where it's hot and you can be too! Classy, sassy, and simple is the focus behind the days of Summer dressing. 

  

  Knee shorts? Winning. For some extra fun and a splash of color, buy some inexpensive hair chalk. It'll wash out within a few days.

  

  Some days are so toasty, bottoms are just too much to handle. Throw on a cute and breezy dress to feel cool and refreshed. Keep it as Summery as possible with bright and complimentary colors

  
  

  
  

  
  

  

  This outfit screams Summer fun with the complimentary purple and yellow hues.