An Instagram Roundup of Beach Happenings

Tuesday, July 29, 2014


1. I love this candle. I discovered it in our candle stash down here, and it smells just like sugary lemonade, and it's awesome. I also like the quote, too. :)

2. The other day, we had breakfast at a Mexican restaurant called Don Pedro's in Destin. They have amazing coffee, and also serve chilequiles, a dish that's kind of like nachos, but with bacon. It's as amazing as it sounds.

3. Readers, meet the chilequiles. :)

4. I was in the mood to wear the bright floral hat that I picked up at the Forever21 down here. It's super-bright and colorful in person, and it'll be great to travel with if I know I'm going to be in some serious sun (like down here in Florida, which I don't mind one bit ;).

5. We played Bananagrams with some friends of ours. If you've never played it before, it's basically Scrabble without the board. I didn't win that night, but I was especially proud of this hand, so onto my Instagram feed it went.

6. I found this adorable sign in Grayton Beach. I'd seen it before, but it was just too cute not to share.

7. If you go to any beach at any time, seeing the sunset is always a must. I was able to get a great picture on this particular evening walk, and I love how the filter and quote turned out.

8. I made friends with a tiny frog. He was stuck to our back door, and he was so so so cute. We've had more frogs down here than I've ever seen, and I've spent a good portion of my childhood down here. Welp, the more cuteness, the merrier, I guess. :)

9. Tonight, we decided to try a new ice cream place called the Blue Mountain Beach Creamery. They had some really yummy flavors. The one I got was Red Velvet Cake, but I also recommend the Salted Caramel, too.

1 Corinthians 2:9

Sunday, July 27, 2014


Happy Sunday, y'all! :)

I happened upon this verse last night. I feel like it's perfect for my current postgrad season of life, but it can apply to anyone else, too. It's amazing how reassurance from God that He loves us and has an amazing plan for us can make our days so much better. :) Perfect for the start of a week, right?

What's your favorite verse to start a week with?

The "I Heart Summer" Tag

Saturday, July 26, 2014

I was thinking about what exactly I wanted to talk about with you guys, and I decided that I wanted to do another tag. I've done a couple of these YouTube-style tags before, and I think they're a fun way for y'all to get to know me better. :)

This one's called the "I Heart Summer" tag. It's an oldie but goodie that's a little bit of fashion & beauty-related, but it's also got some generic summer-related things, too.



Ready? Let's do this!

1. Favorite bronzer for summer?

My favorite bronzer is the Milk Chocolate Soleil Bronzer by Too Faced. It's the perfect shade for my skin tone, it's matte, and it's just enough to give me enough natural color on my face without looking too orange or artificial.

2. You're relaxing in a hammock, on a tropical island. What are you sipping on? 
SWEET TEA. :) If I'm at Sonic (or anywhere else that can add flavored syrup), I'll get it with Strawberry.

3. Favorite summer lip product?
I have two: EOS lip balms and bright lipstick. I'll wear balm during the day, when I travel, and before bed, and brights for evenings.

4. Pool or Beach?
Both! ;)

5. Summer = crazy hair! What's your must-have styling product?
I use some kind of mousse to keep the ends of my hair curled. Strong or mild hold doesn't necessarily matter, but I tend to use the Herbal Essences Style Me Up Mousse the most.

6. Sun bathing or fake tan?
I've never gotten a fake tan before. However, if I'm in the sun a while, I will wear plenty of SPF. 30 is the lowest I will wear, and if my makeup has a little bit of sunscreen in it, even better.

7. Favorite summer nail polish?


ORLY Nail Polish

I actually wrote a post about what nail polishes I've been loving this summer, but I've especially been loving ORLY's "Melt Your Popsicle" and neon orange on my nails in general. There's something about it that makes me feel so happy! If you want just a little pick-me-up, I highly recommend neon nails in any shade.

8. Any summer traditions?
Travel has been a great summer tradition of sorts, whether it's visiting family a state over or going someplace amazing. 

9. Favorite summer scent?
I love body sprays during the summer because of how light they are and how easy they are to apply. The one I've been loving is the "Be Enchanted" shimmer spray by Bath & Body Works.

10. Favorite BBQ food?
These days, whenever I go eat BBQ, I've been getting beef brisket. It's super yummy and I highly recommend it if you're wanting to try something other than pork.

11. What's your favorite summer-proof product?


Benefit Cosmetics They're Real! Push-Up Liner



Lately, it's been Benefit's They're Real! Push-Up Liner. Not only has it made it pretty easy to do winged liner, but it's also crazy long-lasting. It lasted through the pool. I think that - and the fact that it lasts all day anyway - makes it summer-proof.

12. Any summer vacation plans this year? No plans? Tell us about your dream summer trip!
Italy was the dream summer trip this year. :) Early in August, I'll be blogging some travels again, but you'll have to wait and see where I go when I post. ;)

What have you been into this summer?

Dreaming in Color: Rose Gold

Friday, July 25, 2014

I've been into rose gold for awhile now. I love how versatile it is, and the fact that it's pink-toned makes it feel more romantic to me for some reason. Plus, I'm also partial to it because I wore a rose gold outfit to my college graduation. :)

I recently bought a phone case with rose gold accent (which I'm kind of obsessed with), and it got me thinking about what other rose gold pieces are out there, since it doesn't seem to be going away anytime soon trend-wise.



Dreaming in Color: Rose Gold




My favorite way to wear rose gold is with pastel items (especially blush pink) or combining rose gold accessories with gold or silver. Mixing the metals up allows this unique finish to be more versatile in your wardrobe.

Makeup is another great way to wear rose gold. The Urban Decay palette I featured here is one of my favorites (and is another item I wore to graduation and a whole lot last semester for classes) because it looked natural and worked well as a neutral to wear on the daily. Warmer pinks like this also won't be too harsh, like blue-based pinks (think cotton candy and bubble gum) can be.

Do you like rose gold? How do you like to wear it?

Thoughts on Pages #03: Neverwhere

Thursday, July 24, 2014


You guys. Y'all. Oh my goodness. This is now one of my favorite books of all time.

Lemme tell you why. :)

Storyline

Neil Gaiman's Neverwhere is the story of Richard Mayhew, a London office worker with a boyish face who winds up in the midst of a quest undertaken by the Lady Door, whose family was killed by an unknown menace, who she's trying to find. Richard's involvement with Door leads him on adventures he'd never expected to go on - and it changes him for the better.

That's pretty much all I can say without spoiling the actual story.

Characters

Richard's character development is pretty much flawless. There are times when I genuinely felt for him in his struggles and rooted for him in his times of success - and that's hard to say about a lot of protagonists these days. I loved his "mental diary entries" in the novel - if you've read it, you know what I'm talking about, but those are a part of his mental commentary on what's happening. I mean, what would you be thinking if you found out rats could talk?

The supporting cast in London Below/Underside was also brilliant - whether it was Door, the Marquis de Carabas, Hunter, or any of the good folks they met on their journey - along with the villains and other general baddies, who were definitely unsettling and even frightening at times (See: Mr. Croup and Mr.Vandemar). Good was good and evil was evil, and I love when a story makes those clear distinctions. That doesn't mean that some characters' alliances didn't shift and that some of their betrayals didn't shock me, though.

The supporting cast in London Above/present-day London was well-written and delightfully mundane. It's interesting to see Richard interact with everyone he knows in London, and how that does change by the end of the novel.

Setting

Fun fact: London is my favorite city of all time (besides my hometown and Savannah, GA). All of the references to different places and things that popped up in London Below: Harrods, Marks & SpencerKnightsbridge, British Museum, and more made me so so so happy. It was a nice touch to see so many strong parallels to present-day London and how what Richard thought he knew about his London went up against the fantasy and magic of London Below.

Also, the fictional aspects of London Below were very well-written. When a place was ethereal and happy, it was ethereal and happy. When it was dark and ominous and scary, it was dark and ominous and scary.

My Thoughts

The entire story as a whole is a thrill ride from start to finish. It's a story of how an ordinary man conquers his fears in huge ways with some unlikely and fun companions. I highly recommend going into it knowing as little as possible about the story and ending - it makes the surprises more fun.

One of my friends called this story something like Alice in Wonderland, and I have to say that I agree to an extent. It was dreamlike, but not a dream, and some stuff seemed mad, but made sense in the end. London Below was very similar - almost a mirror - to our world: good and bad people both exist, how you handle situations determines your character, and hope can be a lifesaver in any circumstance.

I did a YouTube search of Neverwhere to see if I could find anything - movie, TV series, whatever - and the BBC did have a Neverwhere program, and they released a clip of it for Geek Week on YouTube. Doctor Who fans, get really excited: the Angel Islington is played by Peter Capaldi, the 12th and newest Doctor. I personally think this casting is perfect across the board with the other characters, too. The clip is non-spoilery. Enjoy!


Overall, I give Neverwhere 5 doors out of 5. It's an adventure worth reading, and I'm so happy that I had the pleasure of experiencing it.

This was an amazing read! Have you guys read Neverwhere yet? What did you think?

Have any recommendations for me? If you want to see what I'm reading now and what books I like, check out my Goodreads.

A Dress for Every Fandom

Wednesday, July 23, 2014

I have to say that it seems much easier for women to have a variety of interests. I say this because when I was little, I had a Gameboy Color and I played with Legos. I had one friend who asked me "why don't you call it a Game Girl?" and I also remember it being a shock that I could play Pokemon and hold my own. I also felt like I was the only one who was interested in stuff like Legos when I was in my middle school years, so there were times that I felt different and awkward. Thankfully, I have a family and plenty of true friends who support my many interests - from the Avengers to nail art - to this day.

Speaking of Avengers (and other fun things like that), I discovered these clothes from heruniverse.com today via Justine Ezarik (iJustine)'s Instagram. Oh my goodness. A bunch of these are precious, and they are geek chic in the best way. I wish something like this existed back when I was younger - but then again, I wasn't into Doctor Who and various superheroes like I am now.

Plus, with Comic Con coming up, these would be so much fun to wear there. :)

Here are some of my favorites:


Star Wars Vintage Sheet Print Dress (My favorite...I love the Peter Pan collar!) | Doctor Who Van Gogh Print Infinity Scarf | Captain America Cardigan (The shield is on the back!)

They also have apparel that would be perfect for Halloween, too, if you're wanting to dress up without having to go for a full-fledged costume. They have clothes based on Marvel, Doctor Who, Star Wars, Transformers, The Walking Dead, and Star Trek.

What do you think of these pieces? Are you a fan of any of these fandoms/franchises?

What's In My Beach/Pool/Lake Bag

Tuesday, July 22, 2014

I love going to the beach. There's something about the sand, sun, and surf that makes me so happy and brings back so many childhood memories. Same goes for the pool.

Packing a bag for the beach or pool is always a different adventure. How long will I be out? Will I be swimming or laying out? How hot will it be?

Here's what I usually pack for the pool, beach, or even lake. This list can change depending on if I go out in the day or night, where I go exactly, and how long of a day I'll be spending there. This bag will be for a full day out in the sun. Ready? Let's do this. :)

The Bag

FOREVER 21+ PLUS SIZES French Toast Shopper Tote





I usually stick to a tote bag. You can find these nearly anywhere, and it's fun to pick them up at bookstores in other locations (I have bags from Strand Books in NYC and Powell's in Portland!). There's also no shortage of cute designs to choose from, either. Seriously, how cute is this bag...it's literal french toast! :)

Grocery totes and other types of tote bags can also work for this, too. Just use a bag that you know can carry as many goods as you need. Some people opt for backpacks, which can be good to keep sand out, but I've always used tote bags.

The Supplies

SPF of your choice - I go no lower than 30 SPF, and I tan easily. I usually use 70 on my face, and between 30-50 everywhere else. Please, please remember to apply sunscreen, and to reapply periodically if you stay awhile at the beach, pool, or lake.

Beach Towel - Again, a necessity for your bag. This can not only be used to lay out in the sun or to dry off, but also to cover your chair if it gets too hot, or if you're clambering into a boat after swimming.

Bottled Water or [Insert Beverage Here] - Here's a tip for the beach that I learned from Italy this summer: freeze your water bottle before you go. It will melt throughout the day and remain cold as long as you have it. Plus, it lasts a long time! If you're staying out a long time, especially with a group, bring some - along with your favorite soda - in an insulated cooler.

Snacks or a Lunch - Depending on where you go, you may want to pack a lunch, or you may want to throw some snacks such as fruit, chips, pretzels, or fruit snacks into your cooler or into a Zip-loc baggie in your beach bag. Or, if you want, pack a full-fledged picnic. That's a lot of fun, too!

Music - Either bring along a speaker or headphones. Just take care to store them so that you don't get sand on them. Zip-loc baggies are the best for that!

Reading Material - Whether your material of choice is a book, a magazine, an iPad, a Kindle, or anything that has words on it (...a cereal box?), reading material is a great idea, whether you're laying out or taking a break in the shade.

Other Electronics - bring something to take pictures! Over Spring Break, my girls and I dressed up and did a photo shoot, and one of our guy friends took some great shots of us girls (don't worry, we included him in the photo shoot, too! This just happens to be one of my favorites from that day).



So that's what I pack in my bag for the beach/pool/lake! What do you like to pack, and what do you use to take it with you? Anything else besides what's on this list?

Mondays are for Music (AKA The Bands and Songs I Like Right Now)

Monday, July 21, 2014

One thing I love about vacations is getting to listen to all kinds of music, whether I'm writing, loafing, or sitting in some kind of transportation. Sometimes I curate playlists, but sometimes I just listen to whatever's on my iPhone, Spotify, or YouTube.

Lately, I've discovered a few bands and songs that may wind up on future playlists I post on here, or some that I'll just listen to for music's sake. :)

Here we go!

The Bands

Haim


We used to play Haim songs at my college's radio station, but I was never really into them until now. I really, really like their sound, and I love the fact that they're a girl band. I've been listening to them when writing blog posts and working on creative stuff. My favorite songs from them so far are "Falling" and "The Wire".

Meadowlark


One of my good friends who I worked with in the radio station told me about a band he'd been into for awhile, but was just now taking off. He described them as Christina Perri meets the Avett Brothers, and I think that's pretty accurate. I'm still listening to this EP, but I'm really enjoying what I'm hearing. My favorite song from them so far is "I've Got You".

The Song

Mike Tompkins and Tessa Violet - Sorry Not Sorry Mashup (Electronic Version)


I'd been following both of these people on YouTube for a long time, and I was so excited to find that they collaborated on some music. Tessa has an acoustic version of this song on her channel, and both versions have epic acapella in them. Yay!

That's just a little snippet of the songs I've discovered this summer and am liking a lot lately. Have you discovered any songs or bands that you really like?

Thoughts on Pages #02: The One (and the Selection Trilogy)

Sunday, July 20, 2014



Well, folks, I finally finished a series I'd started back in college. There's something so fulfilling about finishing a trilogy, after getting to know a certain set of characters, and after watching those characters finally resolve a conflict (or set of conflicts) they've been dealing with for several hundred pages.

This series has an effervescent quality to it that pulled me right in, and the premise is a joy, but alas...this series isn't truly perfect.

Storyline (and a Quick Summary)

The One is the final book in the Selection trilogy by Kiera Cass. I absolutely love the premise: thirty-five girls are selected from the eight castes of a dystopian United States - called Illea - to become candidates to be the future queen of the kingdom - and the bride of the handsome prince. It has a "Bachelor" meets Hunger Games vibe that's unique and totally amazing.

The first book - The Selection - was easily my favorite, just because it established the universe and allowed me to get to know the characters a lot better (and decide whether I was Team Maxon or Team Aspen - more on that later). The second book - The Elite - takes place after several of the candidates are eliminated reality-show style, and involves even more drama (again, more on that later). The third and final book - The One - has the selection nearing to its end...and possibly ushering in the beginning of a new era for the kingdom of Illea.

I will try to be as spoiler-free as possible, as I would love it if you read this trilogy for yourself. It's one of my favorites mainly for its premise. I will be discussing elements and events that have taken place across the series, but I will also be glossing over quite a bit as not to spoil the major plot arcs of the trilogy. So, with that in mind, let's get deeper with this review.

Characters

America Singer fills the role of protagonist/heroine nicely enough. She is bold and has her own opinions, from her preference of jeans over ballgowns to the way she wishes that Illea should be run. I loved her moments of clarity and audaciousness, but the poor girl was just so indecisive and insecure that I felt sorry for her. This holds true for this book - as she is trying to decide who she wants, she has a knack for not using her words to effectively communicate what she's feeling and what's really going on. The things that happen to her and the misunderstandings that consequently happen don't help either, but she does achieve her dream in the end (...you'll have to read to find out what it is and who it involves ;).

Aspen Leger is the ex-boyfriend-turned-bodyguard of the palace who happens to be stationed near America's chambers during the Selection. He's a nice guy, and serves as a good best guy friend, but I didn't like the way he and America continued to sneak around for a good portion of the trilogy, this book included. However, I enjoyed the way his arc ended.

Maxon Shreave - my favorite - is the prince who's charged with the task of picking his bride. His and America's relationship had the best development, and it didn't feel rushed. However, due to his tendency to jump to conclusions - a lot - he and America so much conflict that I wound up glossing over their fights just because I was just sick of their frequency. I know this is a Young Adult series, and that the reality show-style premise lends itself to a ton of drama,  but good gravy, the drama wore me out. That being said, though, Maxon's more romantic scenes with America were brilliantly written, and I enjoyed those more than the romantic scenes between America and Aspen (I am slightly biased, though, because Team Maxon...wow, do I sound like a Twilight fan or what?).

The rest of the supporting cast - America's maids, America's family, the royal family, and the fellow candidates in the Selection - are well-written. In fact, without being spoiler-y, I actually think the character development in the fellow Selection girls was a lot better across the board than some of the protagonists' (and that's saying something). My favorite Selection candidates throughout the entire series are Marlee and Celeste for that reason.

The antagonists - the rebels, and Maxon's father the King to an extent - are confusing. The way their arcs were wrapped up felt incredibly rushed (you'll see why when you read The One). However, extra antagonizing forces besides the whole reality competition aspect of the series - popularity amongst the people, keeping up appearances, saying the right thing at the right time - did give the story extra depth.

The Setting

I like the idea of Illea a lot. The majority of the story takes place in Angeles, which is a futuristic/dystopian Los Angeles area, which is cool. There's also a Carolina, New Asia, and other locations that are based on real-life global regions. America's name - a nod to the nation of Illea's complicated and war-torn past - was a nice touch, too.

I was so immersed in the palace life that I also kind of wanted to be in the selection myself. And that's a good thing. However, there were times when the palace felt stifling and the royal court of Illea unfair, depending on what was going on the story.

My Thoughts

Really, my only gripe I had with this trilogy was that the boy drama cup overfloweth. Seriously, how many fights between significant others can you have across at least two books (mainly the second and third)? That drama kind of took away from what was going on peripherally - mainly, Illea's political unrest - and added unnecessary stress to an already tense situation: a reality show beauty pageant...thing happening amidst an unstable kingdom.

In spite of all that, though, the setting and romance did pull me in. Once I put the drama aside, I was invested in the characters and how things were going to turn out. The third book does conclude the series in a nice way (albeit slightly rushed), and the epilogue is brilliant.

All this being said, I give The One (and the Selection trilogy as a whole) four sparkling royal jewels out of five. If you're into the glitz and glamour of princess life with a side of reality show drama and only just a pinch of dystopia, you would love the series.

On a side note, I would love for this book to be a TV series. The way it's written totally makes sense for dramatic episodes and cliffhangers. :)

For example: this trailer.



Welp, that's The One! Have you read this trilogy? What do you think of it? Do you have any favorite series - or any recommendations for me to read? (A list of my favorite books - and what I'm reading now - is on my Goodreads.)

About Storms + A Rainy Day Playlist

Saturday, July 19, 2014

Last night, we had a pretty rough storm down here in Florida. The worst of it involved loud thunder and lightning and no TV and Internet service, but we were all safe and sound.

My sweet dog Harvey is terrified of storms, though, so a good portion of the evening was spent loving on him to make sure he was okay. We played music throughout the night to make sure he couldn't hear the thunder as much. I think he liked the songs we picked. :)

Today, some of the rain lingered, but we have internet and cable again (yay!). I actually really love rainy days down here, especially with the tin roof that we have. These days are perfect for soup - like the fabulous bowl of minestrone that my grandmother made - lighting candles - like the ginger-scented one that I found that smells amazing - and taking it easy.

So, I thought it'd be fun to share the songs that I've been loving lately for rainy days. At least one of them is from our thunderstorm iTunes session from last night. This playlist is a shortie-but-goodie, and I hope you enjoy it as much as I do. :)



If you want to listen to this playlist, check it out here. And, if you want to follow me on Spotify, you can do so here.

What music do you like to listen to on rainy days? Are you a fan of rainy days in general?

(P.S. I have a Facebook page now! You can now follow [S]iW on the good old FB here and get updates from this here blog on your newsfeed. Yay!)

How I Style Delicate/Smaller Necklaces

Friday, July 18, 2014

I love statement necklaces as much as the next girl, but there are days when I want to wear something small, like my Tennessee necklace. Thankfully, these are actually easy to style, possibly easier than statement necklaces on some days.

So, without further ado, here's how I style outfits when I wear delicate, smaller necklaces.

With Both Everyday Basics and Dressier Items


The beauty of smaller pieces is that they can go with pretty much everything. You can dress them up and down, and they're appropriate for almost all occasions (I wouldn't recommend playing sports in them). Also, not only can you transition them from more formal to casual situations, but you can also wear the same one every day, especially if it's in a neutral color or metal.

With Brighter, Bolder Prints
Are you wearing a statement piece with a bold print, such as a brightly-colored shift dress or neon blouse? Then a smaller necklace is the piece of jewelry for you. Because of their versatility, smaller necklaces can work with a variety of pieces, and they don't have the potential to overpower an already bright outfit like a statement necklace might. This also works well with pieces that have lots of detail - such as embroidery or beading - that you don't want to cover up.

I'd wear this combination on days when I'm going to church or a fancier event, and decide to opt for a bright dress over a bright piece of jewelry. It's all about balance here. :)

Which type of necklace do you prefer: statement or simple? How do you wear your smaller/delicate necklaces?

For the Love of BaubleBar's Fun Fare

Thursday, July 17, 2014

I've always loved original and/or personalized things. Believe it or not, I had a hard time finding things with my name on it when I was little, so anything personalized or monogrammed was always a treat.

So, based on that, I was pretty excited when this beauty came in the mail:


This is an acrylic state pendant from BaubleBar. You can pick out any state from a selection of colors, and the best part is that you can enter any city, and they can cut out a heart or star of it for you! My heart is in Franklin, my hometown. :)

BaubleBar has a bunch of these kinds of necklaces (and quite a few other pieces!) in their Fun Fare line. Here are a few of my favorites (and any of these are customizable, too!):



I love how fun these are, and I think these would make great gifts for birthdays, Christmas, graduation, or just because. :)

Are you a BaubleBar fan? Which Fun Fare piece do you like?

Quick disclaimer: I am not sponsored by BaubleBar. I just wanted to share these joyful pieces with you! :)

#Coffeestagrams and the like

Wednesday, July 16, 2014


This morning, Mom and I visited one of my all-time favorite coffee shops here in Florida: Grayt Grounds at Monet Monet. It's got the perfect "coffee-shop" atmosphere: big comfy couch, indie folk music, and - of course - the best-tasting coffee within walking distance.

When we sat down, Mom told me we knew how to "lounge like Europeans" - and I agreed. When we were in Italy last month, it was a totally common thing for people to enjoy a cappuchino, espresso, or anything else at a cafe for 3 hours or more. We only stayed at this coffee shop for an hour or so, but it was nice to finish a warm mug and relax awhile.

It got me thinking about other local coffee shop experiences I'd had.

There was one local coffee shop I visited in Staunton, Virginia, while I was on a school trip with some English major friends of mine. We stopped there a couple times before our trips to the American Shakespeare Center to watch plays. I have also had the best lattes of my life at a restaurant near Los Angeles.

But the best memories I have are of this coffee shop in particular. In fact, I brought a bunch of my best friends down last March for Spring Break. They loved it as much as I did! On one of our coffee runs, we snapped a picture out back:


I'm so glad I've been able to have these wonderful memories at local coffee shops, and I look forward to enjoying even more in the days, months, and years to come. :)

Do you like local coffee shops? Where's your favorite place to get coffee?

Summer Nails

Tuesday, July 15, 2014

One thing I love about the warmer months is being able to wear brights, especially at the beach. There's something about wearing a bright color that brilliantly shines through pool or ocean water, or just under the sun as you enjoy some time at the beach or lake.

Here are some summer shades I absolutely love. Some are new favorites, and some are oldies but goodies.

Summer Nail Polish Picks



Essie's "In The Cabana": This is the perfect shade of teal blue that wears well on both fingers and toes. I love how brilliant it is, and it reminds me of Florida, so that makes me pretty happy. Plus, it looks fabulous if you're planning on staying pool- or beachside, or if you're in a sunny state of mind and are dreaming of the coast.

OPI's "You're So Outta Lime": This is a newbie in my collection; it's from OPI's neons collection this year. I normally don't go for greens due to them sometimes clashing with my fair/cool skin tone, but this one wears surprisingly well. It's a cooler shade, so I see it being flattering for any skin tone, really. Plus, it's not too neon for those who want to dip their toes in the brights trend. If you're in the market for trying a green, I recommend this little guy.

Butter London's "Trout Pout": This one's been around a while, but I recently had my fingers and toes done for my trip to Italy in this color as a graduation present. This color is a gorgeous shade of pinky-coral and pretty much goes with everything. It's a great travel color, too.

ORLY's "Orange Punch" "Melt Your Popsicle" (sorry about the misprint!): This is the best neon in the book in my opinion, and it's not for the faint of heart, but it's a fabulous color that reminds me of an orange popsicle. It's bold, and it's bright, but it's amazing on and it can go with pretty much anything if you're wanting to add some citrus-y brilliance to your look.

Bonus Round: Ciaté's Beach House Collection

Ciaté Beach House Collection




I have Ciaté's Doll House set - a gorgeous bunch of pastel matte shades - so I was super-pumped to see that they had created a new box that revolved around brights this time around. I have a particular weakness for royal blue polish, and I'm curious to see how the topcoat (the teal in the center) is used with the other colors.

What nail polish are you wearing this summer? Do you like this season's brights?

Ch-ch-ch-changes [to the blog]!

Monday, July 14, 2014

Hey, y'all! :)

So I've been itching to change the color scheme of [S]iW just a little bit. I love the lavender and blue, but I kinda felt like switching a thing or two up.

But Savannah, didn't you just do a post on mint and lavender fashion items you were inspired by? Why the sudden change to pink?

Like I said, I love lavender and mint together. And, who knows, maybe I'll switch it back if I feel the itch to change again. However, I was just ready to try something new.

I'd been eyeballing berry and neon yellow for awhile, but I saw a candy pink shade and immediately fell in love with that, too, while still loving the mint and lavender. Long story short, the fact that I love color so much makes it hard to make a decision sometimes, and there are times when I feel like changing things up to go along with my changing tastes in colors. I knew the gold glitter was a non-negotiable, so whatever colors I chose were going to go with that.

Here were some of the schemes I'd made while experimenting with my banner:




Notice how they all have the candy pink as the main color in the title? That was actually one of the original colors I'd picked for the blog when I started it way back in January. As I was messing around on Pixelmator, I had a mini epiphany.

One of my friends associates his memories with colors. He told me that he associated me with a color too - he called it soap pink.

It was then that it hit me: my all-time favorite colors are mint and pink and yellow. Those are the colors I buy most of my clothing/accessories/anything else in. Gold glitter made a fine substitute for neon yellow (plus I would get tired of that, anyways). So, I did a little searching on ColourLovers (where I find ALL my hex codes for things), and bam.

The pink color I wound up picking for the blog is called "pink soap", and I'm so excited that it's easy to read. The mint color I picked is slightly lighter than the one I'd been using, and it totally fits both my tastes right now and the colors I've ultimately always loved. Because of that, I'm so happy that I took the plunge and rebranded the blog.

An Instagram Roundup of What's Been Up Lately

Sunday, July 13, 2014



1.) This is my favorite mug. Or, one of them at least. I had some Earl Grey tea about a week ago - it was delicious, as always - so this is a TON of British joy in one post. Oh, and I love the little baby mug doodle in the corner. He came from the Little Moments app.

2.) I finally ate at Frothy Money in Downtown Franklin for the first time ever! I'd had their coffee before, but I was so excited to finally try their food - especially since they have breakfast food until 5 PM (Yay!). I tried one of their specials: the Cheesy Grit Scrambler, which was basically eggs over well on top of a bed of cheese grits. AKA, joy on a plate with a strawberry garnish. That - plus the iced coffee - was awesome. Definitely going back to try more things at some point.

3.) My friend Jason came all the way from South Africa and stopped through Franklin for a few days! We had a fun time catching up. This is one of the selfies we took, and I think it describes our friendship pretty well.

4.) Puckett's is a good idea, as always. Mom got a picture of me, Jason, and my cousin Nick in front of the sign before we had breakfast. Top tip: you can order Country Ham as a side meat. It was excellent with my eggs and cheese grits. :)




Dreaming in Color: Mint and Lavender

Saturday, July 12, 2014

If we're going to be friends through this blog, there's something you should know: I love colors. Bright, pastel, muted, whatever...I love having color in my life somewhere, whether it be in my home, in my work, and - of course - on this blog.

So, based on this, I came up with a fashion series. I'm often inspired by certain colors, and I would love to share my findings with you. To start, I'd like to show you two of my favorites...and also the two colors that happen to be this blog's current color scheme. :)


I've loved blue and lavender together for the longest time. My room even used to be lavender when I was little. Even so, I've recently gotten into pairing the two together again, especially with a hint of gold.

When I was putting this set together on Polyvore, the colors started to remind me of The Little Mermaid. Even though her tail is more green, I love how that's essentially her color scheme, too. It's a whimsical combination that works surprisingly well. :) They can be worn separately, or one can be an accent for the other.

Do you like mint and lavender together? What other color combinations do you like?