May 31, 2016

Summer Swimsuits


one / two / three / four / five / six

Bathing suits are so much better in the summer.  Yes, you might buy a bathing suit or two before going on Spring Break, but there's nothing like your favorite summer bathing suits.  There's so many cute bathing suits out right now, and I feel like there is more emphasis on having a cute bathing suit as of recently. 

How amazing is #4, the Grey Malin printed bikini!!!! SO CUTE.  I've admired the prints for a long time, but never imagined one of the prints could be on a bathing suit.  

Also, have you heard Victoria's Secret is discontinuing their swimsuit line? I'm sorry, but one of the only reasons I really shop at VS is for their swimsuits, and I'm sure I can't be alone.  I'm surprised that they're doing this, but it means that they are having a great sale!! 40% off all of their swimwear with the code SAVE40SWIM! 



May 30, 2016

Memorial Day Outfit










Happy Memorial Day!! Queue the white pants and bright dresses as the unofficial start to summer is here! While this weekend is certainly exciting, it's important to remember what today actually stands for.  Today, we remember those who died in military service, defending and fighting for the United States.  There are so many amazing people who put their lives on the line in order to better this country, and for that I want to thank anyone reading who is involved in the military, or anyone that lends their loved ones to the services.  A pause in today's post is in order to remember those who are no longer with us.  Thank you! 

Representing the Red, White, and Blue for today's post, I decided to wear my endless rose white bell sleeve blouse.  This top is just adorable, but honestly didn't know if I liked it on me at first.  But, after wearing it a few times, I can say it's one of the most comfortable shirts I've worn and I've gotten a lot of compliments on it! Unfortunately it's sold out of just about everywhere (great timing, right?) but I've seen ShopBop restock it a few times so I've linked the endless rose section of their website above. 






May 26, 2016

10 Graduation Gifts for Gals




Graduation season is in full swing.  While college graduations may be winding down, high school graduations are quickly approaching.  My little brother graduates from high school in about two weeks! It makes me think how crazy it is that time goes by so quickly.  It feels like just a few months ago I was graduating from high school, and now I'm going to be a junior in college.  

Graduation gifts are a little tricky sometimes.  What's appropriate for a graduation gift vs a birthday gift? Personally, I feel like there can be a lot of overlapping, but something that might be nice in a grad gift, would be to include why you chose this gift in a card or note! For example, if you gave someone the S'well water bottle, add a note saying you could see them bringing it to their new job, or using it in college! The small touch shows the thought behind the gift, and makes it feel a little more personal too! 





May 25, 2016

Summer Scarf






Top / Jeans (similar) / Shoes / Scarf (Club Monaco) / Bag / Clear Bracelets 


I love wearing scarves almost any time of the year.  I got really into wearing scarves in the summer while studying abroad in Italy last summer.  In order to go in a lot of the churches, our shoulders had to be covered.  Since it was so hot, we didn't want to wear clothing with long sleeves, so we instead wore scarves that we could drape over our shoulders when we went in the churches, and wear normally when we were outside.  

This one I just found at Club Monaco, but I couldn't find it online to link so I am going to guess that it's in store only! However, Club Monaco has a great selection of summer scarves including this one that's similar to the one I'm wearing above! Or this colored tassel scarf, this white tassel scarf, and this patterned one!


May 24, 2016

The Tassel Edit




Tassels are everywhere and it's the perfect way to accessorize for summer.  There's something about the fun shape that screams fun, playful, and somewhat unexpected.  A great way to make a statement or add a pop of color, tassels can also be worn almost anywhere.  

One of my favorite ways to wear a tassel is in jewelry! You can see my favorite Lisi Lerch earrings worn here with a casual sweater and jeans.  I love how the earrings completely made the outfit look that much more fashionable.  

I love the tassel necklace linked above from Roberta Roller Rabbit because it's pretty inexpensive.  I'm really impressed with the prices on Roberta Roller Rabbit jewelry because it's very affordable, which isn't what I would've expected from the company.  But of course no complaining here... 

What's your favorite way to add a tassel to your outfit? 

May 23, 2016

Sunshine Yellow










Top / Jeans / Shoes / Clear Bracelet / Gold Twist Bracelet (similar) / Bag / Sunglasses

This top had caught my eye the minute I first saw it while browsing through J.Crews new arrivals online a few weeks ago.  Not only is it yellow, one of my favorite colors to wear, but it's also an off the shoulder at top.  I have actually made a point to stop trying on off the shoulder tops and dresses after purchasing this one because I really don't need anymore.  

I was impressed by how nice this top really is.  It's made of a material similar to what a lot of J.Crew's button downs are made of, so it holds its shape well without being too wrinkly.  I'm so happy J.Crew decided to take on the off the shoulder trend and even happier they did it in yellow.  Yellow is a hard color to come by while shopping because not everyone loves how it looks on them.  But, I really love the color yellow.  

As I was leaving the mall the other day, I decided to browse through Bloomingdale's sunglass selection. I should've known this would be a dangerous move... but I found some Le Specs sunglasses and was excited because this was the first time I had seen some on display in person! I love Le Specs because the brand sells a lot of great trendy sunglasses at really high quality, but with a great price tag! These Neo Noir sunglasses were only $59, but remind me of a pair from Karen Walker (usually over $200).  

I did a little haul after a left the mall on my snapchat (@dashofsnaps) so head over there if you want to see more behind the scenes (ooh la la!) of what I'm up to this summer/behind the blog posts! I'm trying to get more into it and would love to see you there! 



May 17, 2016

Black Cotton Tobi Dress









My ideal outfit would be a comfortable dress and my denim jacket.  I'm sure you can notice by how many outfits I've posted wearing some variation of this, that my ideals hold true. I find dresses more comfortable than pants even, which makes people question my outfit choices sometimes. The number of times I get, "Why are you so dressed up?" on an average class day.  How I see it is that by wearing a dress you're essentially wearing a big sack of fabric, and what could be more comfortable than that? (nothing!)

This Tobi dress is great because it's amazingly comfortable and a great shape.  It's not like every other swing dress because it's actually tailored in right under the chest.  So, it gives a little more dimension to the average outfit.  

Check out Tobi's other dresses, tops, rompers, jumpsuits, swimwear, and accessories! Plus the entire website is 50% off today with the code SUMMER50!





May 16, 2016

Favorite Shops

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I’m going to come right out and say it: I’m a shopaholic.  I’m cringing over the fact that I’m using that term, but it’s true! But to be fair, my whole family doesn’t mind going shopping (even my brother and my dad).  I think that’s why I needed to start a blog.   At least I’m doing something productive with my addiction, right? (No Emma, you’re just crazy). 
            I get so many questions on Tumblr asking where I shop.  Which is such a broad question.  I’m pretty loyal to a few shops, but I definitely like to explore different stores, even if they’re not typically my style because you never know what you might find!
            Online shopping is my go-to because I’ve realized I like seeing what clothing looks like on someone.  If I see a rack of black shirts in the mall, chances are I won’t go up to it because I don’t know what the items look like.  But online, you get to see if on someone and can guess how it would fit on you.  I also love reading other blogs for style inspiration, and it’s funny to find bloggers that have similar tastes and body types to you.  Whenever I order something that Krista, from Covering the Bases has, it first perfectly! That’s one of the reasons I love reading her blog. 

ShopBop If I could only shop at one store for the rest of my life, you bet it’s this one.  There are so many options and price ranges, which makes it an amazing one-stop shop for any occasion.  Plus, it’s owned by amazon so there’s incredibly fast shipping (this comes in handy for last minute purchases!).  9 times out of 10 if you want to know where something is from that I’m wearing it’s probably from ShopBop.

Saks Off Fifth One of my friends got me hooked on Saks Off Fifth after she constantly shared her great finds.  I’ve purchased a few Yumi Kim pieces and a Vince T-Shirt (my new love) all for great sale prices.

J.Crew How could I not include my long time fave on this list? It’s such a reliable store because I can almost always find something I like, and after shopping at J.Crew for many years I’ve come to learn that you can get almost anything they’re selling on sale.  Whether it’s a sale on new arrivals, or they’ve been marked down, merchandise is easy to get at a discounted price if you’re patient and keep and eye on it.

Club Monaco Speaking of merchandise that goes on sale, Club Monaco is on the opposite spectrum.  While they have a decent sale section on their website and in person, everything is just so expensive! Which is a bummer because it’s all so cute! The company is made by Ralph Lauren, which has a great reputation as an American clothing brand for being durable and well-made, which makes me feel a little better about paying for CM merchandise.

Beehive Boutique This little Texas boutique (in Austin and Fort Worth) is so cute to follow along on Instagram and I finally was able to stop in a few weeks ago in Austin.  While this hasn’t been a long time shop favorite, it’s too cute not to include.  They have a small selection of products available online, but it’s definitely worth checking out. 

May 13, 2016

Friday Finds 5.12.16

Happy Friday the 13th! Spooky that May is already almost half way over! Still not over the fact that my sophomore year of college went by so quickly, let alone how far into 2016 we really are. 


Beyoncé Formation Tour
Last Monday one of my friends, (and roommate for next year!) Brooke, purchased tickets for Beyoncé’s show at AT&T stadium a few minutes before it was set to start.  This spontaneous decision reminded me of something I would’ve done in high school (I loved stalking tickets on StubHub to get cheap tickets for concerts!).  This was actually my second time seeing Beyonce in concert, but I was insanely excited to be getting to hear my new favorite album, Lemonade, live.  Seriously guys, if you haven’t listened to it yet, do it! It’s incredible and the performance did not disappoint in the slightest.  Beyoncé is so inspirational with every short speech between songs, and it was amazing to see everyone in the crowd dancing and having a blast during the show. 

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Packed Party
Stop what you’re doing right now and go follow Packed Party on Instagram.  I don’t know when I started following but it is hands down my favorite Instagram to follow.  Every post is so bright, so colorful, and so cheerful.  I just love it.  I’ve never purchased anything from the brand, but I love following their expansion from gift box packages into fun goodies.  They sell this comb now that I just think is the cutest thing!

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Taco Bell Instagram
Ok another Instagram to follow (just giving all the shout outs today!) I have never had taco bell in my life, and I’m really not motivated to change that but their Instagram is simply amazing.  Serious props to whoever runs their digital team because they are just on fire.  Taco lovers of any kind: give it a follow!


Happy weekend everyone! Enjoy it!

May 12, 2016

Summer To-Do List



This year has just flown by, and it's hard to believe I am approaching my junior year of college.  It's also hard to believe that I am even old enough to be this far into my college year.  I honestly feel like I was just in high school, getting ready for graduation and going to prom.

This summer I have an internship working in digital engagement which I am so excited for, but I can't help miss the adventure I had last summer studying abroad in Italy.

I am hoping to get back on schedule for blogging and improve the quality (and quantity) of my posts over the next few months.  If you didn't notice, this year my blogging schedule has been a little unreliable as school took first priority in many instances.

I have decided to come up with a summer to-do (or bucket?) list in terms of blogging.

Get back to posting every weekday. 
There was a long while where I had posts going live every day of the week without fail.  It was hard to stick to that this year because my classes became more challenging and called for more of my time, and while I will be busy this summer I'm hoping to use the time off from school work to come up with more post ideas, and get posts scheduled far in advance!

Shoot more outfit posts. 
In college it's a little tricky to shoot outfits because I usually take photos myself, with my tripod, and can get some pretty weird stares from other students if I'm standing outside alone with my camera.  (I've found an amazing photographer, Taylor though who took amazing photos in this outfit and this one!).  This summer I want to get back outside with my tripod and capture outfits.

Schedule posts a week in advance. 
One of the biggest things that held me back this school year with blogging was that I didn't schedule posts early enough, and before I knew it I didn't have a post for the next day and was too busy with studying to draft one last minute.  Let me tell you, coming up with blog post ideas under pressure is not easy! I've noticed after a few years of blogging, there are more and more topics that seem too mundane.  When you give yourself time, it's so much easier to have a bak of great posts!

I think that one of the most important things that I learned this school year is how important this blog is to me.  One of my classes this semester was called "Introduction to Creativity," which was such a fun class about creative processes and it truly challenged me to think about my own creative process. I learned a lot about myself as a creator, and how I use this blog as my creative outlet.  I can't wait to let my biggest focus be Dash of Serendipity again this Summer!

May 6, 2016

White Peplum Top









Top (See more Tobi Peplum tops here!) / Jeans / Sunglasses / Shoes (Similar

This outfit is so classic and sophisticated, but the pop of color in the shoes (from J.Crew, but sold out) make it just a little more fun.  Perfectly suited for a night out to dinner, or out with friends, this top is extremely comfortable (it's a little stretchy too so it's easy to breathe hehe).  

I feel like this top could work with almost any style, and it's so versatile within your wardrobe as well.  I could easily wear this with a pair of shorts and jack rogers for a summer day walking around, or with darker jeans and boots in the cooler months.  

Check out more of Tobi's clothing options (Black Dresses, Casual Dresses, Blouses, Cardigans, and Crop Tops)


 

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