Friday Favorites: Lips

Friday nights are perfect for so many things: dinner with friends, big glasses of wine at home (actually any night is good for that), date nights, cocktail parties...and after toning down my makeup for class all week, Fridays are also perfect for bright, bold lips. I'm not much of a makeup girl - I have been known to spend twice as much time figuring out what to wear as I do fixing my makeup and hair - but lately I have been mixing up my beauty routine by experimenting with different lip colors. Out of all the products I have recently tried (both drugstore and department store brands), these NARS lip pencils are by far my favorite. They act as both a liner and a filler and are so easy to apply. I have quickly become addicted and have a hard time passing the makeup counter without snagging another. See all colors (both glossy and matte) here. My seven favorite shades? Never Say Never, Damned, Yu, Majella, Luxembourg, Cruella, Dragon Girl.

Featured (from top) // Never Say Never (velvet matte) //  Yu (satin) // Damned (velvet matte) // Majella (satin)

Weekend Wear

After spending a few days in Punta Cana and South Carolina, I'm officially in spring mode. One of my favorite things about spring and summer is that I can throw on a cute dress and head out to run errands or hang with friends. It was still a little chilly over the weekend, so instead of wearing a jacket over my Express dress, I layered with one of my favorite BCBG long-sleeved tees. I have loved playing around with different ways to layer lately, and putting unexpected pieces under or over a dress is an easy way to update, especially when the weather is so unpredictable. Seven great pieces for easy layering: H&M scarf, Gap sweater (I would throw this over my white flowy dress), BCBG layering basics, Express sweatshirt/denim jacket, J.Crew chambray shirt, Hive & Honey pullover, Free People v-neck

Wearing // dress: Express (now 50% off!) // shirt: BCBG, old similar here // scarf: H&M, old similar here // bag: Rebecca Minkoff, no longer available, similar here // sneakers: H&M, not available online, similar here // sunglasses: Ray Ban

Photo Credit: Chelsea Krause

Black&White

I have no idea why I was thinking that when spring rolls around, I have to stash my leather skirt in my closet for next fall. I have gotten so much use out of it this winter that I decided to play around with some spring looks. This was one of my favorites. I love the contrast between the flowy white blouse and the subtle shine of the leather skirt and clutch. Seven other classic color combinations I love: navy and black, camel and pink, mint green and white, navy and red, emerald and raspberry, navy and pink (do you see a theme here?), yellow and grey. 

Wearing // top: Twelfth Street by Cynthia Vincent (now on sale!) // faux leather skirt: no longer available, but similar here (also on sale!) // shoes: Madden Girl // clutch: YSL no longer available, similar here

Photo Credit: Chelsea Krause

Let's go to the beach, beach

After months of snowy Indiana, I finally boarded a plane in search of 80-degree weather. Six of my girlfriends and I pulled ourselves out of bed at 3:30 in the morning last Saturday and were in sunny Punta Cana by 3:30 in the afternoon. It turns out that grad school spring breaks are slightly different from undergrad spring breaks -- we traded tequila shots and all-nighters for white wine and 11 pm bedtimes. And I have to say, this was much more of the spring "break" that I needed. While my early twenties were a total blast, I'm actually looking forward to the quiet nights and close friends that the later half will inevitably bring. Seven great things about finally growing up: having a stable income (after another 2 years of living on a college budget, this is a big deal), actually settling in an apartment long enough to decorate it properly, ordering cute return address labels because - again - I will live in a single location long enough to use them, buying a puppy, reconnecting with old friends who haven't been in college mode the past 2 years, planning reunions with the new friends who are scattering across the country to pursue amazing new careers, and finally: continuing to discover who I am as a 26-year-old Abby. Don't get me wrong, I loved 22-year-old sorority girl Abby, but it's time to move forward and welcome the next exciting phase of my life. It's great to have you all along for the ride!

Wearing // swimsuit: Target top and bottom ( love all the mix and match options) // fedora: Urban Outfitters

Gameday

Last night was my last IU home basketball game. After 4 years of undergrad, and 2 years of grad school, my life in Bloomington is finally coming to a close. Part of me is so excited to get back to the real world, but Bloomington Indiana will always have a very special place in my heart. Seven things I will miss about this town: Mother Bear's, Kilroy's, walking through campus on warm days, walking through campus on cold days, Uptown martinis, my apartment overlooking the square, and all the wonderful memories here.

I just wanted to be comfy for the game, so I threw on my old, wrinkly Gap flannel shirt over my favorite IU tank. My secret for flannel shirts: I buy them in a small in the men's section. Gap always has a great selection, and the men's shirts are loose and comfortable! And I can't watch a game without my Maya Brenner state necklace - I have gotten so many compliments on it - all states are available on her website. 

Wearing // Gap flannel shirt (old, flannel no longer available, but love this one to throw on over a tank) // Indiana tank: available in Bloomington // state necklace: Maya Brenner

Photo Credit: Chelsea Krause

Seven Shoes for Spring

Isn't it funny how when fall rolls around, you can't wait to pull out all of your sweaters and boots, but by the end of February you're dying to stash them away until next season? That's how I'm feeling right now. I cannot WAIT to bust out all of my sandals and sneakers next week over spring break. Punta Cana here I come! Here are 7 of my top shoe picks for spring (I may or may not already own two of the styles above...)

1. French Connection // 2. Dolce Vita // 3. Steve Madden // 4.  Jack Purcell for Converse // 5. Joie // 6. Joe's Jeans // 7. Schutz