Essie // Seventeen Event

On Monday, my friends and I had the opportunity to attend the Essie Fall 2015 Collection Preview Event, hosted by Seventeen Magazine at the Hearst Tower.  The event showed off the six new shades inspired by the rock 'n roll era. The new shades range from saturated fall hues, like a burnt cherry red, With the Band (my personal favorite!), to a metallic cobalt blue, Bell-Bottom Blues, and a sparkly stone gray, Frock 'n Roll.

From left to right: Leggy Legend, With the Band, Color Binge,
In the Lobby, Bell-Bottom Blues, Frock 'n Roll

Everything from the candy bar, to the mocktail bar, to the flower arrangements incorporated the colors of the new fall collection.  It was also a great chance to mingle with some fellow Essie lovers, including the beautiful Carly Heitlinger of The College Prepster! All around, the event was a great way to introduce the new shades and to get excited for the upcoming fall season! Check out the pictures below to get a glimpse of the event and make sure to try out the amazing new collection!

 

 

Battery Park Concert Series

Last Thursday, my family packed up a cooler, a few lawn chairs and a picnic blanket and headed down to Battery Park in Burlington, Vermont with some friends for one of our favorite summer traditions.  Every summer, a local radio station, The Point FM, has hosted a free concert series at the band shell in the center of the park!  The concerts are every Thursday night through the month of July and feature local musicians that are frequently played on The Point. Good music, good food and good company always make for an enjoyable evening; not to mention the gorgeous views of Lake Champlain and the Adirondacks that the park offers. And of course, the night wouldn't be complete without ice cream from the Ben & Jerry's truck! It is a night that friends and family of all ages can enjoy!

For the concerts I always like to wear something comfortable and cool.  Last week, I wore a sundress from LOFT with my new favorite sandals from Talbots.  The dress is so light and breezy; it is perfect for a warm summer night in the park.  I love this dress because it is so versatile! It can easily be worn casually with sandals for a night like this, or can be dressed up with heels and fancier jewelry. I finished off this outfit with a fun necklace, a white bucket bag purse and big sunglasses.  

If you're looking for something new and fun (and free!) to do in Burlington, I highly recommend coming to one of the concerts in Battery Park! There are still two more weeks left in July, which means two more chances to come to a show. Check out the pictures below for outfit details and a glimpse of the concert scene! Hope to see you there this Thursday!

{Concert Schedule}
July 9th ~ Good Old War
July 16th~ Kat Wright & The Indomitable Soul Band
July 23rd ~ Ryan Montbleau Band
July 30th ~  Gin Wigmore

{Details}

Dress ~ LOFT

Shoes ~ Talbots

Necklace ~ Bauble Bar

Sunglasses ~ Urban Outfitters

Bucket Bag Purse ~ Old Navy (no longer available) Similar Here

Girl's Night Out

One of the best parts of being home for the summer is being reunited with my friends. My three best friends, Lauren, Taylor, and Kari, and I started hanging out during our freshman year of high school and have been inseparable for five years now. Even though we go to different colleges, in four different states, we are always there for each other and cannot wait to see each other when we are all home. There is never a dull moment when we are together.  One of our favorite things to do together is dress up for a night on the town! The other night, we thought it would be fun to go out and have a little photo shoot on Church Street, in Burlington.  We had so much fun goofing around while capturing the perfect night.  Of course the night wouldn't have been complete without ice cream from Lake Champlain Chocolates! 

For our girl's night out, I wore a seersucker skirt and navy eyelet top, both from LOFT, with white, heeled sandals from Aldo.  I kept my jewelry simple with my favorite earrings from Kate Spade and bangles from Alex and Ani.  And of course I carried my go to, pale pink Kate Spade purse.  This outfit is clean, cool and comfortable. It is perfect for any summer night!

Check out a few of my favorite shots from our girl's night, as well as my outfit details below!

~Details~  

Skirt- LOFT, Top- LOFT, Shoes- Aldo, Bag- Kate Spade (Similar Here), 

Earrings- Kate Spade, Braided Leather Bangle- Alex and Ani,  

NYC Subway Token Bangle- Alex and Ani, Beaded Bangle- Alex and Ani

4th of July Inspiration

July 4th is just around the corner! Pool parties, delicious food, fireworks, and spending the day with friends and family are just some of the things I love about the 4th of July. But my favorite thing about the 4th is dressing in patriotic colors for all the festivities! I've rounded up some outfit inspiration, as well as home decor, and party essentials for the hostess with the mostess, to get you all ready for a fabulous 4th of July!

What to wear...

1 / 2 / 3 / 4 / 5 / 6 / 7   

Accessories...

1 / 2 / 3 / 4 / 5 / 6

For the home...

1 / 2 / 3 / 4 / 5 / 6 (stars & stripes)

 Hostess with the mostess...

1 / 2 / 3 / 4 / 5 / 6 / 7

HAPPY 4th OF JULY!!!

The Perfect Summer Cupcake

What better way to celebrate summer than having a BBQ with your closest friends?! I'm heading to a luau themed BBQ and have signed up to bring dessert. These cupcakes are perfect for the theme, but can also be brought to any summer party! They are super easy to make and are always a crowd favorite! Check out the tutorial below to see how I made these adorable treats!

Here is what you will need to make these cupcakes:

- Cake mix (I chose Funfetti)

- Pink frosting with crystal sugar sprinkles

 - Fun cupcake liners (I used pink polkadots to match the frosting!) 

- Striped paper straws

- 1-2 limes

- Decorator bottle with open star tip from The Pampered Chef

- Not pictured: Paper drink umbrellas

First bake the cupcakes as directed on the box, using the fun cupcake liners.

While cupcakes bake and cool, prepare your decorations.

Take a couple paper straws at a time and cut into three smaller pieces.

Repeat until you have 24 small straws.

Using a butter knife, fill the decorator bottle with the pink frosting and apply the open star tip.

Squeeze the bottle while circling around the cupcake, 

starting on the outside and working towards the center.

Use the sprinkles included with the frosting, and apply a small amount to each cupcake.

Next, cut a lime in half and proceed to cut a few thin slices of the lime.

Cut each slice in half and in half again, creating four small quadrants of the lime.

Repeat until you have 24 small wedges. Layout the wedges between two paper towels and gently pat to absorb the lime juice.

Place a lime wedge on each cupcake, angled off to the side. 

Next, take one of your small straws and insert into the cupcake at an angle on the opposite side of the lime.

Lastly, take a paper drink umbrella and insert into cupcake at an angle, slightly behind the lime.

TA-DAA!!  

You now have the perfect summer cupcake! Enjoy!!

Let's get away...

Sometimes a girl's just gotta getaway with her best friends, so this weekend I'm gearing up and heading to the beach with my girls! For me, the beach is the ultimate summer spot. I love the sand between my toes and the sound of salty waves crashing on the shore. And what's a day at the beach without a stylish new bathing suit and a big straw tote!? I just bought an adorable black and white palm leaf printed bathing suit and a new embroidered beach cover up from Old Navy that I can't wait to wear. I also can't wait to break out my favorite beach bag! I love the woven pattern in it and the bright yellow color is perfect for a sunny beach day. Of course what's in the bag is just as important... check out the pictures below to see what I've packed for our weekend getaway and be sure to check out the details to see where you can find the items!

 Straw Tote Bag- TJ Maxx Similar Here 

Flamingo Print Beach Towel- Lilly Pulitzer for Target Here's a different flamingo towel! 

Gold Pineapple Sandals- Lilly Pulitzer for Target (available on Ebay)

 Floppy Hat- Forever 21

Bathing Suit- Old Navy

Beach Cover Up- Old Navy

Sunglasses- LOFT Similar Here

24 oz. Flamingo Tumbler- Tervis Tumbler

Pink Tumbler Travel Lid- Tervis Tumbler

Sunscreen- Neutrogena Ultra Sheer SPF 30

Reading Material- InStyle Magazine