How could you not love a gorgeous pink bird with awkward long legs? Since my beach trip last month, (where I picked up the lawn ornament in the top pic) I've been slightly obsessing over them...especially in fashion. ASOS has a lot of cute flamingo patterned clothing and most of it is on sale. I've just been sticking with little accessories to show my pink bird love. When I saw the the pink rhinestone earrings at Franchescas, I gasped loudly and I believe I even hugged them. Hey, I get excited, ok? The gold flamingo keychain was on sale at JCrew, I added the little nuggets of beaded fun. 

Now is the perfect time to snag some summer deals!

original photos found here:  1  ///  2  ///  3  ///  4

Ladies, it's time...bold up your brows. If you're anywhere near my age, you've probably grown up over tweezing your brows and skinny was the trend. That was the thing to do in the late 90's and early 2000's...that was long long ago and let's break this habit. Honestly I haven't been paying too much attention to them, until now. They've kept their tweezed shape all these years and I just kinda forgot about them. BUT bold and thick is the way to go. I been seeing this look everywhere and have been dismissing it...afraid to change my ways. Honestly, (don't kill me) keeping them skinny and over tweezed is one of the biggest ways to look dated and um...er...well...old!

Where to start? I asked Thresa Venables, stylist at the salon Sheer Professionals for great brow tips (she rocks!) It's pretty simple. Grab an angled brush and a neutral eyeshadow. I've just been using a pressed powder shadow I already have. This works great to give a softer look. Just because we want a bold look doesn't mean we have to use harsh lines from an eyebrow pencil. Just brush in the color where you want it. You can even apply a little to get started while getting used to the look. Give it a try!

Want some fashionable artsy feet this summer without paying the high price? Jazz up a pair of sandals you already have. Anytime I can experiment and customize a piece, you know I'm all over it. These sandals have been sitting around unworn collecting dust...I'm really into statement footwear right now so these in their original state were pretty plain and blah for my taste. Instead of letting them sit there alone crying, I decided to invest my love into their poor soles (heh). I kept the Sam Edelman line in the back of my mind while giving these an update...attention to detail, patterns, mix of colors were all key thoughts. AND whenever I create anything the goal is to make it look high end. If it looks "crafty" it's getting thrown in the trash (crafty = pet peeve!). 

For the Strap: I used rhinestone chain of top and wrapped a cute black and white thick woven string around the strap, between each rhinestone. Just glue your string to the bottom of the strap to secure it.

Tassel: I cut several pieces of string and leather, folded them in half, and glued them into a jewelry end cap. (You can find these at a craft store) To secure it to the sandal, I just tied the tassel with an extra piece of leather.

Feel free to ask any questions of share how you've updated your summer sandals!

Just what I needed. A get-a-way with beach time...and how lovely it was! A friend and I spent a few days at Panama City Beach to celebrate a fellow Akron alum cheerleader's wedding. White sand. Crystal clear water. Fish nipping at my feet. Pretending I'm a mermaid. What could be better?!

While lounging around the Gulf, I sported a super cute one piece suit from boohoo.com. Although it has a bit more coverage than a bikini, I still felt quite sassy rocking the fringe and "cut out" parts.

I highly recommend Spitfire Sunglasses. High style. Great price. Just get a pair. Nordstrom has a crazy selection. I'm also totally digging the head wrap trend, it adds to the sassy bit and it's a quick remedy to cover the beach hair. I'll try and post a summer scarf tutorial here soon.

Mixing prints and patterns, how can you say no? There's nothing wrong with a little visual textural overload. The key is to just mix different sizes of patterns. As far as colors, for this outfit I stuck with neutrals (I think I'm going to start phasing out my bright colors)....yep, mixed brown and black. Also, I love this top, just not on me...I guess it's not so flattering on a curveless body that looks as if it should belong to a 12 year old boy. ; )

top: ASOS  ///  pants: Zara  ///  Cuff: AC Design

The 2013 NOTO fashion show was so much fun. I had several of my jewelry designs in the show...I loved getting to see them "in action" on the runway. I am a firm believer in detail...the details always make the design complete. This is true when I'm designing a jewelry piece and also when I'm putting together an outfit. My current collection plays with a mix of materials...there's anything from leather, parachute cord, acrylic chain to clay. I love a good challenge and experimenting with all these different materials. This collection is currently for sale downtown Akron in NOTO. Be sure to check it out!

To bring in the Summer I'll be rocking a caramel & cotton candyish inspired, retro look. Since becoming a BonLook ambassador, I was dying to get the new La Marquise glasses in Crystal Sand. (check out their glasses...I have 4 pairs!) Wowww do I love these!!! The lighter color blends with my skin and hair. Of course, I like to add a punch to my look by adding a bold lip color.
My hair was done by the lovely Thresa Venables at Sheer Professionals in Wooster. They are by far the top salon in Northeast Ohio...you must go there!
The necklace is one of my newer designs, you can check it out in my AC | Design shop.
Sheer dot tee and tulle skirt is from Jcrew (skirt is from Crewcuts)
White capped shoes and studded mini backpack is from ASOS