What I Wore | Roman Holiday

Hello lovelies! Today was a crazy busy but fun day as it was my sister, Hanne-col's High-School graduation. We were gone from about early this morning, until about suppertime this evening, so please pardon the tired look I may be featuring today as I feel so tired and wiped out and my life isn't slowing down anytime soon. As I write this post, I'm watching/listening to the film, The Diary of Anne Frank with Millie Perkins to help relax me & not over think everything that needs to get done this coming week. I would read a book to relax, but I tend to get more wide awake & excited when reading, than watching a movie, as I've been known to stay up until 5am reading an excellent book. *grin* Anyhow, onto my outfit for today.

River Island US Summer 2014 | Lookbook

Recently I had the opportunity to look through River Island's US Summer Lookbook & to save and share my favorite looks with y'all! With each look, I'm going to mention what I like about the look & how it inspires me. 

This first look is the perfect mix of casual and dressiness: with the boyfriend jeans, heels, blouse, and loose blazer. To copy this look, grab your favorite pair of boyfriend style jeans [or any pair of loose, yet fitted pair of jeans you own], add a blouse & some heels. If you wanted, you could add the blazer too, but that isn't mandatory.

Beginner's Makeup Series | My Beauty Picks

Hello lovelies! For the past few weeks I've been doing a Beginner's Makeup Series on my YouTube channel, and have been sharing the episodes on BF's Facebook page. Of course, if you don't follow either sites you wouldn't have a clue that this was going on. Which is why I have decided to starting sharing the series here on the blog. If you have any makeup/beauty questions that you would like answered or like to know how to do something, be sure to let me know in the comments below! And I will do my best to answer your questions in an upcoming episode.

What I Wore | Memorial Day Style

Hello lovlies! I could have sworn that I have done more Memorial Day outfit posts, but it seems I've only done one other and that was way back in 2010 [which would have been my first Memorial Day blogging on BF]. Oops. Guess the other years I was kinda busy visiting with friends playing baseball, having hotdogs & homemade ice-cream, etc...that I never did outfit pictures the other years. :p Oh, well. This year I was sure to get outfit pictures, since I know that I personally love seeing what others wear on the holidays. *grin*

Modest Sea Swimwear

Modest Sea is an alternative swimwear company that offers modest beach wear. They focus on offering both full and moderate coverage swimwear, meaning there is something for everyone! Here is what they say about their company, taken directly from their website: "Developed by an international team of swimwear designers from their studio in Bologna, Modest Sea offers an original coverage solution for women. At the beach or pool, a swimwear piece by Modest Sea combines the finest design principles with innovative Italian fabrics to deliver what no other line of swimwear can – moderate to full cover, sun protection and impeccable style."

Some of their swimsuits are really cute & I wouldn't mind wearing them while walking around a beach town. Like the Eva swimsuit, pictured second from the right, which just makes my heart go pitter-patter. Why? It is in the nautical style & kinda looks like Samantha's from American Girl.

What I Wore | Bridal Shower Edition

Hello ladies! Sorry I didn't really post last week, but life has been so crazy busy that I was hardly ever home long enough for taking outfit pictures or to even write a simple post, also this week isn't looking any better as we will all be getting ready for Hanne-col's graduation this coming Saturday at our Church. Yep, soon three out of five of us kids will be graduated from high-school, which is kinda crazy to think about.

Beauty Wish List | Sephora Edition

1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7

I dropped into Sephora the other day to look around, daydream, and swatch various products. I did pick up one product while in the store -- KORRES Lip Butter in Wild Rose. 'Cause it is so hard to leave without one product from Sephora, and I do love the travel size section near the cash registers. Anyhow, onto the products I have an eye on and would love to own - someday.

1. Sephora Favorites Meet Your Match [$25] -- A collection of products for your lips & nails that Sephora put out for this spring and summer. This set includes a variety of brands that I would love to try out: Bite Beauty, Deborah Lippman, Hourglass, Formula X, and Nails Inc. The set also includes one brand that I have tried & loved: Tarte.

 2. Josie Maren Coconut Watercolor Cheek Gelee in Pink Escape [$22] -- I spotted this product while browsing around in the store, and it really peaked my interest as I love a cream blush for the warmer weather. Except this blusher is a gel base that has coconut water infused in the product, making it good for your skin as it helps hydrate your skin and has the benefits of vitamin E-rich argan oil. 

Lilla Rose Review + Giveaway

I have an exciting review & giveaway to share with y'all today from Lilla Rose & Shiloh my consultant from Lilla Rose. Awhile back ago, Shiloh contacted me about doing a review for her and as you can see, I agreed to do so. I have worked with Lilla Rose before, back in the early days of BF, that I knew what size of flexi clip I wanted to try out this time around: the extra small, since the small was just a tad too big for my type of hair last time.

What I Wore | Boyfriend Styled Jeans + Heels

Hello my lovelies! Today is our sister, Hanne-col's 18th birthday [which is kinda strange to comprehend right now, as I remember when she was a baby]. For her birthday, I decided to dress up my jeans a bit with a sparkly statement necklace and some heels. I must say, I rather enjoy the pairing of a more muted toned top with these faded light-wash jeans over wearing a more brightly colored top.

2014 Summer Fashion Inspiration + Styling Tips

Pictures from 2014 | Summer [Fashion & Beauty] Board

Come summertime there are certain fashion articles that I really love to pull out and wear, there are also new styles that I want to experiment with: like the boyfriend jeans with heels. Today I'm going to be sharing with y'all what is really inspiring me for this coming summer! I would love it if you would share with me what is inspiring you too, once you finish reading this post, as I would love to hear what is inspiring YOU.

- I don't know what it is about summertime, but I love wearing on a lot of white, navy, and red in my outfits. Of course, those colours don't have to be all in one outfit. For example, I have a number of navy dresses, and red dresses in my wardrobe this summer, but I don't have to pair the traditional nautical colours with those outfits. With the navy dresses I can wear gold or silver jewelry and coral or mint shoes/handbags/cardigans/etc.... Get the picture? Try out some new colour parings this summer! Try to break away from the traditional.

What I Wore | BoHo Glam on a Rainy Day

Hello lovelies! Today it is a rather rainy & dreary day outside, so to fit that mood I'm wearing a rather comfy BoHo type outfit. The mix of palazzo pants, tank, cardigan make it perfect for just staying-in doing work around the house, video editing, and doing random blog work that needs to get done. Especially, since I'm taking my sister, Hanne-col, to see the new Captain America movie for part of her birthday present tomorrow afternoon [her birthday is on Friday].

Used Library Book Sale Haul

This past Friday I meet-up with my mom & sisters to go to our favorite used library book sale. We all found some real treasures, and I was even able to find some classic books from the 20th century that I've been interested in reading for awhile now. After getting back at the house I'm living-in right now for my live-in nanny job [which is now over, once y'all are reading this], me & Hanne-col [who came to visit me for the weekend] filmed a quick haul video.

What is your favorite thing that me and/or Hanne-col found at the sale? Let us know in the comments!

~Ashley

Sunday Style | Bollywood Lights

Happy Mother's day to all the mothers out there! What are y'all doing for Mother's Day? We went to church [ah, yes, I finished my live-in nanny job super early this morning at 12:40am. So I'm back home now.], gave our mom her Mother's Day gift [a new bike], and had lunch at home. Right now Gaby & our mom went for a bike ride and once they come back, me and Gaby will be heading out to go birthday shopping for our sister, Hanne-col [who will be 18 this week]. Not sure what I will be buying her yet, but I can't say much, as she does read my blog. *smile*

My Favorite Hair Products | My Beauty Picks

On my OOTD picture that I posted this past Sunday on Instagram, I received some comments on how great my hair looked. I thought I would share with y'all, what I did to my hair & how I keep it looking healthy and soft. I'll be sharing with y'all my favorite hair products, when I apply them, and how I use them. Of course, you might need to adapt this to fit your hair type. What is my hair type? Well, I have kinda thin hair, but it has some slight natural waves/loose ringlets [depending on how well I keep up with my haircare routine].

 1. Pantene Pro V Daily Moisture Shampoo [$6.49 for the giant tub, which btw will last you for several months] -- Over the years I have tried out a good number of shampoos, most of which were from natural brands. But for me, those brands just didn't work out for my hair: as most of them gave me dandruff and no matter how much I washed my hair, it never went away. That is until I tried out this Pantene shampoo on a whim, I spotted it at Target [where else where I be?] and noticed it was clearance for $2. I tried it out for several weeks & loved how it made my hair silky soft and cleared up dandruff problem. I have been using this shampoo for about a year now, and don't see myself replacing with another shampoo anytime soon.

How I Style: 1 Basic Black Skirt 4 Ways

Fairly recently, or perhaps not, I was asked by a blog reader to share different ways you can style a black skirt. I don't know about you, but I love classic pieces like black skirts, dresses, and pants as you can style them SO many ways! In fact, I'm wearing something black almost everyday these days, just because fit any style mood I'm in, be that preppy, vintage, European, hipster, etc... Though I must admit, I've been really into Europe's fashion of late, thanks to my favorite bloggers & YouTubers are all living somewhere in Europe. I'm just very much inspired by the Old World right now. *sighs* I wish I could travel over there this summer, but alas I can't as I don't have the funds. Anyhow...onto the main point of this post. :p

First Outfit -- I love dressing up a graphic tee for work! In this first outfit, I paired my graphic tee & black skirt with a blazer, statement necklace, and some nice flats. Simple, yet dressy.

Skirt -- Banana Republic via Thrift Store [hand-me-up from Gaby]
Graphic Tee -- Old Navy [$6]
Blazer -- H&M [$15]
Statement Necklace -- Thrift Store [$10]
Flats -- Target [$15]

What I Wore | Layers for Spring

Sooo...I've been sharing some OOTD pictures on my Instagram lately, as it is the easiest way for me to share right now, and I thought I would share those pictures with y'all since I know everyone doesn't have Instagram.

 Friday, May 2nd -- On Friday I went into my Dad's office to do some organizing & shopping for supplies [it was also pizza & movie night for me and the boy I'm nannying right now]. Since I wanted a rather comfy outfit that day, plus it was kind of chilly outside too, that I went for my maxi-skirt and longer layers.

Maxi Skirt -- Forever 21 [$13.80] || Grey Hi-Low Tee -- c/o OASAP || Boyfriend Cardigan -- Forever 21 [hand-me-up from Gaby] || Leopard-Print Scarf -- J.Crew via Thrift Store [$8] || Leopard-Print Flats -- Target [$15] || Lipstick -- Rimmel Kate Moss in "05" 

Friday Favorites

You know what, it is kinda fun sharing my weekly favorites every Friday. I used to do this Thursday's, but I kinda got tired of that series, plus Thursday's started not being a good day for me to post anyway. ANYHOW...onto my favorites for this week.

1. Seeing a mother fox & her three pups in the wild. -- Yep, while doing my live-in nanny job this week I saw real live foxes outside the living room window. It was kinda amazing, since they live in Indy.

2. BBC4 Radio Production of Mansfield Park. -- On May 12th @ 9AM [EST] the BBC4 radio will be rebroadcasting their 2003 Mansfield Park ten-part radio drama, starring: Benedict Cumberbatch [Amazing Grace, Sherlock], David Tennant [Doctor Who, Decoy Bride, Broadchurch], Felicity Jones [Northanger Abbey, The Amazing Spider-Man 2], Julia McKenzie [Miss Marple, Cranford], and Tim Pigott-Smith [North & South, Foyle's War, Alice in Wonderland]. To say, the least I am super excited to tune in and listen to this radio drama as it features some of my favorite actors ever! *grin*

Spring Fashion | Polyvore Picks

Vintage for Spring by bramblewoodfashion

There is nothing like a full skirt for the warmer months, it helps you feel so girly and ready for spring adventures with your girl friends. They are also one of the easiest things to style vintage-meets-modern.

Pastels for Spring by bramblewoodfashion

This next look is kinda Great Gatsby meets 2014, as I mixed elements from both eras within this outfit.