This is SO me (Redbull and all)!!!!!!
Photo Source


This is SO me (Redbull and all)!!!!!!
Photo Source
Sophistication Sundays will revolve around my favorite beauty finds, techniques, fashion trends and anything else “pretty” that catches my eye. I look forward to sharing these ideas with you and hope to hear your suggestions and feedback as well! I am no expert at beauty or fashion by any means but perhaps that will make my thoughts more relatable. Simply put, I’m just a girly-girl navigating my way through the fabulous finds I come across.
Today is OFFICIALLY the first day of Spring and I couldn’t be more excited! Yes we have long, cold South Dakota winters but I think it makes us appreciate the other wonderful seasons even more. Aside from the improvement in weather, Spring also means other things that make me happy. To name a few examples: cute sandals, bright colors, trench coats, and a transition in handbags. Spring fashion = oh happy day. π
To celebrate the commencement of Spring I only thought it was fitting to try out a bright new nail polish shade. If you haven’t figured it out by now I adore nail polish. I went through a phase in 4th grade where I was obsessed with nail polish (particularly the glitter kind) that I think was nurtured by my dear Aunt Dee. At least I remember getting a little bottle of gold glitter nail polish from her anyway π Then I went through a dry spell until Sophomore year of college. All of the sudden my nail polish phase was back in full force. So fast forward to a week ago when I was perusing through Target’s makeup area and happened upon a beautiful baby blue bottle of nail polish.
Sally Hansen Insta-Dri nail polish had a new display out for Spring and I was instantly drawn to “Blue-Away.” I saw it and knew it must be mine! π Note: This is not to be confused with Sally Hansen’s “Blue Me Away” which is a bright turquoise shade.
The lovely lady blogger from Glitters N Shimmers took the fantastic photo above and debuted it on her blog here. It sounds like she is from a smaller town in Utah and plans to talk about how she uses fashion and makeup to express herself – sounds a little similar to my situation and like my kind of girl! π Welcome to the blogging community, Glitters N Shimmers!
As you can see from her nails and the bottle, it is a beautiful dreamy blue color. The pictures I tried to take of the color just wouldn’t do it justice! (BIG sad face). Unfortunately all of my photos came out looking kind of turquoise. That being said, in some lights this color looks a little Tiffany blue on my fingers (which, who doesn’t mind that?!!) but I definitely wanted the light blue shade to remind me of a perfect blue-sky Spring day. Final verdict? I am loving the pop of color this brings to my fingers and look forward to the shade catching my eye throughout the upcoming week π And I can only imagine how much more I will like the shade when combined with a tan later this summer. That being said, the only downside to me is the brush. Perhaps I am spoiled with OPI brushes, who knows. The brush used for the insta-dri brand just seems to grab too much lacquer or not enough; I have to be abnormally careful about how I am painting each nail due to this feature.
Have you tried a new color of beauty product lately that you adore? One of the neon bright lip colors or a new (to you) shade of eyeshadow? I’d love to hear about your makeup trials or thoughts below!
Too often I find myself frustrated the shopping options in my beautiful city. I want to preface this by saying I will be the first person to tell you my love and devotion for South Dakota. So much of who I am including my husband, my great faith life and even my job is because we moved to this wonderful place when I was thirteen. The taxes are quite low, as is the crime rate. It’s a perfect place to raise a family! That being said, the shopping opportunities are… lacking. (This is also coming from someone whose college resided a few meager miles from the Mall of America). Sure we have a pretty good mall but because we are a smaller city (metropolitan population: 238,122) the stores are not well-stocked and don’t carry as much variety.
Case in point, I am currently pining for Essie’s new fall shade “Sew Psyched”
It is a perfect mix of dreamy gray and green. What a great neutral for fall! But can I find this beautiful shade anywhere? No. I called the only place that sells Essie in our city and when they told me they didn’t have it I ask when they might be getting the Essie fall collection in. “No idea.” Gee, thanks for your help.
To be fair, Essie is also sold out of this color on their website. But we never even HAD the color in our stores. I bet if I were back in the MSP area I could find a bottle. What is a fashionista to do? I’d like to believe things are looking up since we’re getting a Sephora (YIPPEE!!!!!!!) but for now I’ll just have to shop online or save it all up for the next time I’m in the Twin Cities.
And here we are! A different crop of trends to evaluate. What do you think of these trends? Would you wear them?…
This trend is taking me back… to grade school. I definitely rocked a jean vest with a Winnie The Pooh motif at one point. When I see this trend part of me just screams, “No, no, no!” Yet when I see some people wearing it I think, “Ehh… that’s not that bad actually.” For example, it didn’t look that bad on Kim Kardashian. Then again, what doesn’t look good on her?
Here’s a delightful nod back to Audrey Hepburn and the 50’s housewife. Long, full skirts are making strong appearance in Fall 2010 lines. While I love a shorter full skirt I wonder if this longer version would be harder to pull off. I can definitely see myself wearing it to church but I am not so sure how it would look at work. One things for sure I like it better than the printed pants! Here are some looks inspired by the very lady-like full skirt:
Here are a couple outfits inspired by the full skirt:
I can see myself trying the denim vest and the long full skirt but the zubaz inspired pants should stay as far away from me as possible! Gwen Stefani could probably make them look good but I guess that goes to show you that you could probably pull off anything simply by wearing it with confidence!
1. Blue, Green or Lavender Nail Polish
Bright, fresh nail colors are popping up all over and I’m not complaining. It’s definitely refreshing to see so much color and creativity on nails after the reign of black nails (not to say I won’t be rocking some dark nails again come fall!). I know it can seem like a bit much but what’s the harm in trying it? You may apply a couple coats of a calm lavender color and find yourself pleasantly surprised. I’m currently wearing Essie’s Turquoise & Caicos and find myself thinking the water there must be just this shade of blue-green. (left to right: Essie “Turquoise and Caicos,” OPI “Done Out In Deco,” OPI “Gargantuan Green Grape,” and OPI “Ogre-the-Top Blue”)
2. Crochet or Lace
I know crochet and lace may seem a little “elderly” for some people but I promise, these trends ain’t your grandma’s sewing projects! There are plenty of cute tops and dresses to try out and if you’re feeling a little hesitant then try a crochet accessory (such as a clutch).
Crochet
Lace
3. Statement Necklaces
Statement necklaces are an easy way to add some fun to your basic tee or even your work ensemble. Whereas thick bangles and bracelets can hinder your writing, typing and corporate handshaking, a statement necklace adds attitude while keeping things professional. Try adding one to a white tee, jeans and some kitten heels. Or just add one to a suit for work.
4. Wayfarer Sunglasses
These classic shades are a fun and easy way to add “rocker cool” to your wardrobe. Although Ray-Ban started the trend you can find this style in plenty of generic brands.
Edward Cullen didn’t look too bad in them either… (wink wink)
5. Flashy Cocktail Rings
I used to shy away from fun cocktail rings but once I tried wearing them I became addicted. Cocktail rings can be an easy and cheap way to add some fun to your fingers. Try one next time you go out for happy hour or a Saturday night dinner-date. A little fabulosity never hurt anybody! (All rings below from Forever 21)
6. Turquoise Lined Eyes
Yes, again with the turquoise. But it’s back and bigger than ever in clothing, makeup and even home decoration. It’s hard to find a person this flattering shade won’t compliment! If your a little timid about this one just lightly rim your gorgeous peepers with a baby blue color. Add some eyeliner and mascara and you just might love how much it makes your eyes pop! Just look how much it makes Rihanna’s eyes stand out. This one might be a little more daring but why not try it? You may just love it!
So I promised myself I would do a couple things with my mom this summer: sew something I could wear and bake a lemon meringue pie (more on that later). I wanted to sew something I could wear often and enjoy. Besides the fact that I always seem to want things I can’t find in the store, I feel like sewing is a lost art. Whenever I needed something whether it was a repair to a ripped shirt or an elaborate recreation of Rose’s red and black dress in Titanic (yes, really) my mom could do it for me and she did. Someday when I have children I know that they will need buttons sewn on and costumes created. Who will they turn to? Me of course. So I better get to work and learn some of my mother’s fabulous sewing skills.
I’ve discovered the perfect sewing project. Are you ready for it? Some beautiful full skirts taken from Vogue sewing patterns:
I like the idea that the full skirt is a classic silhouette. I plan to do more towards the length on the skirt to the left. I can wear this to work and church and it always looks clean and my personal favorite, “lady like.” I think this looks like a fairly simple beginner project but since all I’ve ever sewn is a pillow for my nephew I don’t really know what I’m talking about. I guess we’ll see!
Now that I have an idea in my head of what I’d like to create I just have to find the some fabrics to fall in love with. I’ll head to the fabric stores next week (with my mom in tow) and I’ll post what I find!
Last Sunday was the first REAL spring day we’ve had! I pulled out some strappy brown sandals, cuffed my skinny jeans into capris, and set off with Mr. Man to get a new propane tank for the grill. I’m definitely a spring and summer girl and when you live in South Dakota you learn to appreciate each and every day that entails beautiful weather.
Of course with all of this sunshine and warmth I’m just ITCHING to dig out my summer clothes. Here are my favorite trends for spring and summer 2010 that I can’t wait to mix in with my warm weather staples:
1. Florals
The florals trend continues into this year and I am not complaining! I love the mix of colors and the femininity of the trend. This year the floral patterns are a little larger in scale so if you’re worried about being too loud then try wearing a floral that is fitted and has structure (i.e. you won’t like the maxi dresses with the large floral patterns). Here’s an example of how I’d wear it:
2. Chambray
This light denim/linen fabric is big again. Although I wouldn’t suggest wearing it head to toe there are definitely some chic ways to pull it off. I haven’t found a chambray dress yet that tickles my fancy but it’s another way to wear the trend. Here’s how I would do it:
3. Lucite Accessories
Here’s a trend that was around a few years ago and back then I didn’t particularly care for it. It wasn’t actually until this lady at my old job walked in wearing a beautiful lucite necklace one day. It sparkled and wasn’t over the top; like everything else she wears it was just classy. The updated trend is now seen on accessories like high heels and clutches; I’ll keep it simple with a necklace, ring, or bracelet. Here’s how I’d wear it at the office:
4. Stripes/Nautical
Ahhhhh the Nautical look. I’m not sure why but when some people see this trend and run in the other direction. I on the other hand am absolutely drawn to it. There’s something about the classic look; it’s crisp and clean. I also gravitate towards anything with stripes; so timeless! Now that being said, it is important to incorporate this trend properly and not look like an actual sailor. Here’s an easy way to mix it up when wearing stripes this summer:
5. Light Colored Leather
This is a trend I was a little unsure about. When I think of light leather I think of Paulette from Legally Blonde 2 suggesting that Elle wear a classy wedding dress, what she describes as, “white leather.” *shudders* While we can all agree the a white leather wedding dress is probably the tackiest thing possible, there are plenty of flattering ways to wear light colored leather this summer. I recently purchased a light brown “leather” jacket from Forever 21. The lighter colors keeps it from look dark and drab during the summer. Most of all it’s something DIFFERENT for me to try. I get a little bored with the same outfits so this trendy piece is all-too refreshing (esp. when punching it up with a bright clutch or purse). Here’s an example of how I like to wear it:
I can’t wait for summer to really arrive! Bring on the sunshine & cute outfits…