Simply Summer

This is my first post on what's in my bag!? This bag is fairly new, i've had it less than a month. It's by Liz Claiborne, I love snakeskin prints and I really love the bright orange for spring. It's a medium size bag so it holds all of my stuff perfectly. Hope you enjoy this post! xo And here it is ladies and gents, the contents of my purse. This is my lovely wallet that my husband bought me a few years ago(he has such good taste). It's by Kenneth Cole Reaction. I love it because it has a lot of storage compartments. I don't like to switch out wallets when I change purses so I love the solid black leather because it goes with everything. I also keep my buisness cards in my bag just in case I might need to give one to somebody. These are my sunglasses, they are from New York and Company. I carry lotion with me whereever I go because my hands always get really dry after I wash them. I also carry this Daisy Eau So Fresh by Marc Jacobs r...

As a fashion consultant, my job is to help people learn how to dress for their body type and what looks best on them. But, we all have our own signature style that comes through. Some of us know what our signature look is at a young age and some develop it later in life. Here are some tips to help you find your signature look. Accentuate your best assets . What is your favorite feature of your body? It can be long legs, flat stomach, muscular arms, nice booty or even your boobs! What ever it is, dress to show it off. One of my personal motto's is, if you've got it flaunt it! Figure out your signature accessory . About 10 years ago I started wearing big earrings to make my ears look smaller. So my signature accessory that I always wear is big, statement earrings. Some women love pearls, so they wear either a pearl necklace, bracelet and/or earrings. If you haven't found your signature accessory yet, don't be afraid to experiment. Try on different jewelry pieces t...

Last but not least in my favorite designer series is New York designer, Marc Jacobs. No one exemplifies modern style like Marc Jacobs does. Not only does he make fabulous clothes but he has an ultra luxurious line of beauty products and fragrances. Personally, I love Marc Jacobs Daisy it is one of my all time favorite scents. He also was briefly the creative director of Louis Vuitton. Shop Marc Jacobs here . Brief bio here . Marc Jacobs by summeredmonds featuring leather shoulder handbags Here are my favorite fashion finds from Marc Jacobs. I hope you enjoyed my designer series. Let me know what you think about my favorite designers.

Every time I need a little inspiration, I get on Pinterest. I love these hot weather hairstyles that I recently discovered while pinning. I hardly ever wear my hair down in the summer, my hair is really long, thick and black so you can imagine how hot it is. So i'm always looking to try new hairstyles to sport in the summer months, these are my favorite pins for summer hair. Click on photo's for links to original website. Check out my pinterest boards and follow me here What are your favorite Pinterest inspired looks? Do you look at Pinterest for hair, makeup or fashion looks?

Next in my series of favorite fashion designers is Belgian-American designer, Diane Von Furstenberg. One of my first big fashion purchases was a black wool and silk DVF wrap dress. I've had it for 6 years now and I don't ever see myself getting rid of it. It's timeless and I love the way it hugs my curves. I always recommend that every woman should invest in a DVF wrap dress, they look good on all body types and it never goes out of style. From her shoes, bags, jewelry and dresses, she can make any woman at any age look fabulous. After all, she once was a princess married to a German prince!  Shop DVF here . Brief DVF bio here . Diane Von Furstenberg by summeredmonds featuring high heel shoes Here are my favorite fashion finds from Diane Von Furstenberg. Here is my DVF wrap dress.

Ever wonder what people notice first when they visit your blog? Most of my readers are also bloggers, so I check out their blogs if they leave a link. Here are the first things I notice when I visit a new blog: Layout:  I love a nice easy to navigate layout. Blog readers like something simple, that can lead them to several pages with ease. I also love a plain white background. When you are reading an article, nothing is distracting more than a loud, colorful background. Also, I can speak for most of us readers when I say to make your font size normal. I won't read your posts if I have to strain my eyes. Content : Chances are i'm not going to look at a blog for very long if it's based around something i'm not interested in or if the content is just like every other blog out there(lookbook photos, beauty reviews, makeup tutorials etc.).  I read quality content that's different and the writer uses their own voice.  Reader Comments:  Before I leave a comment...

1) Favorite balm/treatment Carmex has always been the best to treat my lips. 2) Best eye-catching red I must be the only person in the world that doesn't wear red lipstick. It makes me look like a clown :( 3) Best luxury and best drugstore Chanel Rouge Allure in Conquise for lipstick and Dior Addict Fluid Stick in Wonderland are my luxury favorites. Maybelline Colorsensationals The Buffs in Truffle Tease and Hard Candy Plumping Serum in All American Girl are my favorite drugstore picks. 4) Best MAC lipstick Mac's Angel has always been my favorite. 5) The most disappointing? Nars lipstick in Belle De Jour, the lipstick is gorgeous but when applied it is too sheer. 6) Liner - yes or no? No, it looks too fake 7) Best gloss? Buxom's full on lip polish is my all time favorite. 8) Something extra! I know I just mentioned it but i'm so in love with the whole Buxom line. Their lip cream is my absolute favorite. I've tried their lipsticks, lip sta...

kimono's by summeredmonds featuring Anna Sui Put up your blazer's and get out your kimono. This far east look is ultra chic this season with gorgeous feminine prints and solid colors. This lightweight jacket is by far my favorite look for the cooler spring days. I love the sequined Anna Sui Kimono above(far left) and the fringe white kimono(middle) from Top Shop. What's your take on the Kimono? 

Quiz Clothing  is holding the ultimate show-stopper of competitions… Win A VIP trip to VEGAS! •  5 nights stay in a 5* hotel in Vegas, with flights • Transfer in style with a limo ride • Tickets to see Britney Spears • 5 dresses It's very simple to enter, just go to their website here  and enter your email. You also have to complete one of the following: To win, show us your #Ijustwonthejackpot selfie by • Tagging #Ijustwonthejackpot and liking Quiz on  Instagram OR • Like Quiz on  Facebook  and share your #Ijustwonthejackpot selfie OR • Tweet your #Ijustwonthejackpot selfie by tagging and following  @QuizClothing What are you waiting for? Get your game face on and share you’re #Ijustwonthejackpot shots! This post is sponso red by Quiz Clothing

When posted the first my daily makeup routine. featuring the beauty products that I use everyday, I realized how old that was. Initially, I first wrote that post back in February and didn't publish it until April(I usually write my blog posts a  month in advance before publishing, so I don't get behind). When the post was published, I realized that I don't really use any of those beauty products anymore. So, here is the current makeup products I use everyday. All of these can be purchased at Sephora or at your local walgreens. First up is my foundation, this hasn't changed I probably will always use this product. This is Merle Norman Total Finish in Delicate Beige . I love this foundation. it covers everything and the color goes perfect with my medium/tan skin tone. This was the very first foundation I ever used and I've tried almost every brand out there and I always go back to this. It covers every flaw and makes my skin look natural. It's a little tr...

All of us have a little crazy bag lady somewhere inside of us. At one point I was carrying 3 different types of bags everyday! But since I've got older, and my children are a little older(i no longer have to carry a diaper bag) I only carry one bag. A big part of being a fashion consultant is to break down every woman's wardrobe into what is called the essentials or what we need. This is my list of the 5 essential handbags that every woman should own. The Everyday Bag: This is a bag that you will carry everyday. It should be large enough to carry all of the things you need .It should be a neutral color or a classic color like navy, white or black that will go with anything. Since you will be using it all of the time, it should also be made of great quality. Michael Kors and Tory Burch have a great selection of everyday bags. The clutch: the clutch is one of the smallest bags made so you will only be able to carry your necessities in this bag. Always make...

"Fashion should be something that in the morning, when you open your window, you say, 'Oh fantastic, sun!' Then you take your shower, you say, 'OK fantastic, which colour I wear today because I feel happy?' This should be fashion". -Roberto Cavalli Italian designer Roberto Cavalli, has always been one of my all time favorite fashion designers. Best known for his glamorous exotic prints, sexy denim and leather prints.  Cavalli not only makes women's wear, he does jewelry, fragrance, men's, items for the home, and now for kids. Roberto Cavalli also has his own lifestyle brand where he has clubs, cafe's and his own brand of vodka. Sometimes Cavalli has also been known to make jaws drop, remember the green chest plunging Cavalli dress J.Lo wore? And in recent news, Cavalli has made news being spotted with his 20 something model girlfriend wearing skimpy swimwear. At the age of 74, Cavalli is still a driving force in the fashion world. Shop Ro...

Weekly Tidbits: Happy Mother's Day to all the mommy's, grandma's, step mom's, and mother's to be! I hope all of you are enjoying the day with your favorite women. Mother's are so special to each and every one, shouldn't we all show our mom's more appreciation every day of the year instead of only doing it on mother's day?  Yesterday I went to my hometown and spent some time with my mom for mother's day.  I wish I could see her more often and I wish she lived closer.  Today, for mother's day I am spending the day with my children and husband. My husband always makes mother's day extra special for me! I don't have a much exciting news this week. On Thursday I announced the winner of my first giveaway, Maria Cartera. Maria won the chocolate bar palette from Too Faced cosmetics. I will be doing more giveaways in the future, as I get more followers so stay tuned! I have more posts that I am excited about this week. I will be co...

boho chic by summeredmonds featuring Free People Aztec, tribal, flowy, and drapy...are all words to describe one style: boho. Maxi skirts and dresses, and flowy blouses are huge this year. Bonus, if they have a beautiful tribal print! I love the pairing of boho tops with boyfriend jeans, and gladiators. As a longtime fashion lover of Free People (i'm obsessing over their may catalog!), I am so excited that boho is still big this year. I love the cross body fringe aztec bag above by sole society. What boho inspired fashion pieces are you wearing?

“All that I am or ever hope to be, I owe to my angel mother.”  ―  Abraham Lincoln Before I had my first son, Jackson, I was terrified. I had never even held a baby, let alone feed or change a diaper. But after I had him, it was like a switch had flipped in my brain and everything just came naturally. By the time my husband and I had our second son, Jameson, we felt as if we were experts in child raising. Having children and caring for them has been such a bonding and learning experience for my husband and I. I am so very thankful for all the help I had from my wonderful husband, he is such an amazing father. Being a mother has changed my life forever, and for the best.  Jackson and I left, Jameson and I on the right. Being a mother is the hardest but also the most rewarding job ever. From the time I get up, until I go to bed I am constantly on the go. My sons are 19 months apart so you can imagine what kind of chaos my home stays in. But no matter how frus...

In my next series, I would like to share my all time favorite designers. I am very passionate about fashion and what I wear so it was tough narrowing my choices down to only 4. First in my series is american designer, Betsey Johnson. Anyone who is familiar with Betsey Johnson can spot her designs anywhere. Unlike other designers, her items stand out. Like her own personal style, her items are eccentric, whimsical and fun! She incorporates the girly girl with the ultra feminine woman to make her pieces. From shoes, bags, intimates, swimwear, kids, jewelry, fragrance, and of course clothes, she does it all. I could seriously spend a whole paycheck just on her jewelry pieces. Betsey Johnson is a reminder to not take fashion, or life too seriously. Shop her Spring 2014 looks here . For a brief bio here . Betsey Johnson by summeredmonds featuring flower jewelry Here are my favorite pieces from her Spring 2014 collection. As you can tell ...