Beach, Bikes, and Backpacks

P o s t . b y l M i m i 

top: urban outfitters  skirt: forever21  wedges: target backpack: thrifted

My favorite 3 B's in one post! Ritika and I went beach cruising! Summer in California heats up really fast and what better way to enjoy it than to go to the beach and enjoy the cool air! 

Carefree Cruisin' in Ocean Turquoise

P o s t . b y l Ritika 

top: flowy button down | H&M, bottoms: denim shorts | F21shoes: turquoise thong sandal | DV | jewelry: chained mid ring | F21

Hello and happy summer! :) What's a more simple, cathartic and enjoyable way to enjoy summer than a good ol' fashion bike ride? Mimi and I decided to rent cruisers for the day and peddled along the sand in Newport Beach. Wind in our hair, sun kissing our skin and the smell of the salty ocean breeze makes for a picture perfect summer beach day! 

For our bike and beach day, I decided to keep it easy and breezy with an off-white, flowy tunic, and paired it with a pair of denim shorts. I love adding a burst of color during these bright, sunny seasons. The turquoise sandals (on sale at Nordstrom) made for a perfect pair for peddling! 

Shop Review : Keeping Cool in Sammy Dress's Hot Crop Top

P o s t . b y l M i m i & R i t i k a  

 

Hello and good day to you. :)  

We recently had the opportunity to try out a piece of clothing 

from SammyDress.com and we are delighted to share our experience with you!

Sammy Dress is a wholesale online clothing store that offers really cute, trendy pieces. One of the first things you might notice from their website is just how jaw-droppingly low their prices are.

Some items are even as low as $5...seriously!

Of course, there are a few downsides to Sammy Dress as well. The company is based in China, so keep in mind that international shipping time will be longer than domestic websites. 

Still, it's definitely worth giving it a shot if you're not on a tight deadline. 

Their collection is pretty diverse, from sultry clubbing attire to cute colorful day tunics. 

We opted to try on their "Sexy Hollow Out Slimming Crop Top" in white (it comes in black too). We dressed it casually for a daytime, relaxed look. The same top can easily be paired with your favorite high-waisted skirt or shorts for a night out on the town as well.

The fabric was pretty thick and can be worn without a bra because there's built-in padding. 

This crop top only comes in one size, which luckily fit both of us. 

Carefully look at the measurements listed on their product page before you buy. It didn't seem like this crop top would fit every size...so it's worth double checking.

Overall, it's a decent quality cute top at a wonderful price! 

Summer Styles: Maxi Skirt and Free Spirits

P o s t . b y l Ritika 

One of my favorite ways to spend some downtime is to find a beautiful, peaceful place and collect my thoughts. Nothing quite consumes me with infinite gratitude like the charm of an open space in nature, a good book and great company.

There's so much effortless, natural beauty that surrounds us each day, there are so few reasons not to bask in the warm summer sun and hear the great Pacific ocean waves nearby.

On a leisure walk back from the sandy beach, we found the loveliest and cleanest tree that offered the most generous heaps of shade with beautiful dangling branches of leaves.

Right now, I'm obsessed with maxi skirts and crop tops. They're such a great pairing for summer. The freedom and versatility of a maxi skirt is unlimited. Whether you tuck in a button down blouse, throw on a comfy off-the-shoulder knit sweater or choose, my favorite, crop top, a colorful maxi skirt is always comfortable and breezy.

top: sweetheart neckline with sheer, floral lace off white crop top, Urban Outfitters
bottom: purple a-line maxi skirt,  Irene's Story

For this outing, I chose my favorite off-white floral crop top with a sweetheart neckline and sheer floral sleeves and collar. I also paired it with a short-rimmed hat as well to protect myself from those UV rays.

Summer Styles : Hints of Bohemian

P o s t . b y l M i m i 

Summer's solstice is just around the corner and California is heating up for it. In preparation, we created casual summer looks paired with our current favorite trend - Bohemian - for those long warm summer days.  

dress: white lace-lined cardigan: light pink lace  boots: brown suede booties accessories: flower pendant, tassel necklace, rings & midi-rings

For my look, I paired my favorite lace cardigan with a white laced lined dress and some drown suede booties for a casual look. Topping off the look, I mixed in a flower pendant and gold tassel necklace along with some rings.   

Yet the main things I love about this trend, has got to be the effortlessly tousled hair and its carefree nature.

DIY Dreamy Dream Catcher

P o s t . b y   l   M i m i 

 

I remember the first time I was taught to make a dream catcher...
It was 8th grade Art class, 4th period, right after lunch. Of course it was also my favorite class that year. One day, our teacher told us we would be crafting our very own dream catcher. I still had that dreamcatcher until last year. Since then, I didn't know if I should purchase another one or what. So after some thought, I thought why not DIY it! Today, I'll share with you what I learned back in 8th grade, back in art class.

So lets begin today's class ;)....

. . . Materials Needed . . .
 

Tree branch or Metal/wood ring

Yarn or Fabric or String

Feathers

Beads

Scissors 

Whitecaps and a Pop of Purple

P o s t . b y    l    R i t i k a

Hello there! I'm excited to share photos from a fun outing with my friend 

and very talented photographer Ann Nguyen of Lost & Found photography! 

To take advantage of our unusually hot winter, Ann took me to this beautiful, hidden gem of Orange County called Victoria Beach .

It's a secluded little cove with stacks of rocks, a pond and a big ethereal castle tower. How unusual for SoCal!

Notice how the tips of my hair are a bit wet? 

Just before we started taking photos, a big wave came and splashed me!
Luckily, the water felt great on this gorgeous, hot SoCal winter's day. 

Apparently, this happened to Ann during a previous shoot as well...

...so, if you're thinking of checking out Victoria Beach, bring a bathing suit! :)

DIY Bow Hairwrap or Headwrap

P o s t . b y    l    M i m i  


Headwraps or Hairwraps, are my favorite hair accessories to wear during the weekends, after work, or just when I'm feeling lazy! They can be found everywhere and I especially love the ones found at UO and small boutiques. Instead of shelling out $$ for each different pattern I loved, I tried making my own headwrap!

If you like the headwrap I wore above, lets DIY!

 . . . Materials needed . . . 

Fabrics: 
 Fabric  -  4"W x 24"L (Or an 1"-2" longer than size of head)
 Fabric  -  4"W x 16"L
Elastic  -  2" 

Scissors

Sewing Kit / Sewing Machine

Lets get started....

Photo Diary : Maui in November

P o s t . b y    l    M i m i  

Hi! Its been a while! :)

So, time travel with me back to the start of the winter - November 2013. I started off winter by chasing the summer sun to Maui during my vacation...