Daily Dose of Design: May 2016

Tuesday, May 31, 2016

Currently Craving: May Must Haves

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I know this sentence comes out of my mouth every single time I do this post each month, but I SERIOUSLY cannot believe another month is over! This has been an awesome month; I graduated, summer started, I started planning some fun things for my blog and for summer and the weather is heating up which means I can finally put some of the new things I'm currently craving (see what I did there? ; ) to good use!

Shopping in the summer in-store is one of those things I LOVE, it probably sounds so strange but there's nothing I love more than walking into a cold, air conditioned mall from the sweltering heat outside and shopping all day! By far one of the most satisfying things if you ask me haha! Since I've had a couple of big parties to go to this month and Mother's Day and my mom's birthday (which was this past Sunday - happy birthday, ma!), I've had a lot of shopping to do and I've seen lots of new, fun things just in time for the heat. Our pool is finally opened, the weather is finally hitting the upper 80's every day and summer is in full swing!

Here's some of my favorite things that I'm currently craving this month:

Friday, May 27, 2016

Stars, Stripes and Sales: Memorial Day Weekend

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Memorial Day is one of my favorite holidays throughout the year and while the barbecues, days in the sun and awesome sales are a bonus, it’s so important to remember just exactly why we get to celebrate Memorial Day. Being thankful for all of those who have served our country comes first - everything else is second. And thanks to our military both who have served and are serving, we get to enjoy a fun weekend celebrating our soldiers and this great country to officially kick start summer!

Luckily in New York we're having AMAZING weather - it's so summer-like finally in the high 80's and super sunny! I love going to the beach to kick start the season, but I know how crazy it's going to be since we're having such gorgeous weather so heading out early to the beach is going to be super important - I probably should have left like, 3 days ago! ; )

Here's some of my picks for Memorial Day Weekend and some of the best sales happening and let me tell ya, there's a LOT!

Tuesday, May 24, 2016

Bright Colors for Summer

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What's better than bright, fun colors and patterns for the summer heat?! I've been buying clothes and accessories that are nothing but bright and it feels so good because it means that summer is finally here. There are tons of ways to go bright and not overboard - whether it's in the accessories or the details, here's my favorite ways to go bright this summer:

Friday, May 20, 2016

11 Shoes Every Woman Needs in Her Closet

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If there's one staple item that every woman should own, it's a good pair of shoes. Let's be honest, there really is nothing more fun than shoe shopping! There's so many different kinds of shoes to pick from for each season and even for different occasions. I'm a firm believer that adding investment pieces to your wardrobe is one of the best things you can do; the higher end bags, shoes, jewelry, etc. always last a life time and are true assets to your closet!

Some shoes are just classics and not only does having a classic shoe in your closet make it easier to get ready for the day or night but it gives you so many options and you know that you'll always have something no matter what you have planned. Here are the shoes that I firmly believe every woman should own:

Thursday, May 19, 2016

Bold and Chic Outdoor Decor for Summer

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Summer is all about sunny days and cool, relaxing nights and of course, fun and bright colors and patterns! Don't get me wrong I'm a huge "black is the new white" advocate but I love bright colors and accessorizing with them all season long. Mixing patterns and bright colors is fun in more than just clothing and accessories too - fun and bright indoor and outdoor decor are just as exciting and make everything more summery and fun.

The weather is finally consistently beautiful, warm and sunny and I've been finding some really exciting fun summer pieces! I'm a firm believer that living colorfully is one of the best things you can do for yourself, and as one of this season's biggest trends, here are some of my favorites:

Monday, May 16, 2016

5 Things to Do After You Graduate + Grad Gift Guide

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This past Saturday, I officially graduated from college! I'm so happy that it's done - a huge weight was seriously lifted off of my shoulders by Saturday afternoon and it felt so good to be done and to know that I never have to take another final or write another essay again! I graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree and majored in Business Management with a concentration in Marketing. Now that school's over (!!!), I'm so excited to enjoy the summer and move on to bigger and more exciting things.

And let's be honest here, I'm beyond glad to be DONE with that B.S.! (hopefully you get that joke... by far my favorite grad cap I've seen! ; ) Here are some of the things you should do post graduating, lessons to learn and even a fun gift guide of things to get the grads in your life:

Friday, May 13, 2016

Viktor & Rolf Flowerbomb Fragrance Review

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Does anyone else love buying and trying new perfumes especially in the spring?! The newest VoxBox I received is absolutely perfect for this time of year - I've never heard of Viktor & Rolf but I'm so glad I've had the chance to now because this perfume is amazing. Adding a beautiful new scent to my collection is always exciting and especially when the packaging is this pretty!

Thursday, May 12, 2016

Trends for Summer 2016

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Every season, it's so exciting to see the new things that are trending and the fun new ways to accessorize and put looks together. I feel like there's an endless amount of things that could be added to this list, and since it's only May, I know there's a long way to go when it comes to new things for summer but here are some of the best trending products I've seen so far:

Monday, May 9, 2016

5 Sephora Shopping Tips That Every Beauty Lover Should Know

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I think it's safe to say that I'm not the only one who walks into Sephora like I'm on a mission... every. single. time. It's pretty hard to walk by the store without going in and spending money. Whether you're a beauty lover or just in need of some new makeup/beauty products, Sephora is the best go-to place for all of that. It's like entering the beauty god's den and making yourself at home - all of the products to try on and all of the perfume to smell! By the time you realize you're two shopping bags deep and get on line to pay, your wallet is screaming and two hours of the day have come to pass.

After the first 47 shopping trips, you have it covered down to a science, right? Maybe not as much as you'd think... Sephora has a genius business model and honestly, we can't blame them. When there's 256 foundations, 155 mascaras, 63 exfoliators and 30 dry shampoos to choose from, there's a pretty good chance that you'll begin feeling overwhelmed oh so quickly! But after all that Sephora shopping (in-store and online alike), it comes obvious you need a plan. Kind of like you'd outline an essay - outline the store ; )

Here are 5 tips you need to know to master your Sephora shopping trip:

Wednesday, May 4, 2016

How to Find the Perfect Blog Theme

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When it comes to blogging, there's tons of things you can always be doing to improve. I've said it many times and I'll say it again, there's always something to be done and that's the best part of blogging. Especially when it comes to blog design, you can never really be done with all of the different possibilities there are for your blog design and theme.

I've had my blog design for about a year now and I love it, but lately I've been considering trying something new. There's been a bunch of possibilities I've wanted to try, but a new and updated blog theme seems like a great way to give my blog a little spring cleaning. I'm never really satisfied, so I tend to change things around a lot! With as many pre-made themes you can purchase and web developers you can work with, there's more choices than you could ever wrap your head around. I've found so many themes I've loved and have had so many ideas that I want to implement, so focusing on the most important aspects of a blog theme is important to be happy with your choice. Here are 8 of the most important tips in finding the right blog theme for you:

Monday, May 2, 2016

Summer Ready: Trending Heels and Wedges

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If I had to name one thing that I love to buy the most, it would no doubt be shoes. I'm a shoe addict and cute shoes are the one thing I can never say no to! Comfy and casual are the best, but nothing really can beat fun pumps or wedges in the spring and summer. In New York, it's difficult to wear cute shoes in the winter because of the snow (trust me... almost died trying to trudge through snow at a wedding in December!) so getting as much use out of my cute shoes when I can it is!

This season I've been finding more cute shoes than I can possibly keep up with and I have a serious new found love for Sam Edelman this season. Wait until you see - seriously, to die for!

Here are my favorite spring heels and wedges this season: