A Real Nail Biter

After years of hype and hoop-la I've finally tried a gel nail manicure. I had them done about a month after taking my acrylics off. The nice thing about gel was that it covered up the bumps and ridges caused by my fake nails. My nails felt strong and the polish looked great. The problem with gel is it doesn't chip off but starts to peel around the edges. I noticed mine were peeling when I couldn't run my fingers through my hair without getting my nail snaged in strands of hair. I'm not a picker or poker put once I peeled one off they all had to come off. The smallest peel would drive me nuts! The gel manicure was about $30 and lasted about 9 days (there suppose to last 14). The gel didn't stay on for my mother the full two weeks either. So after two tries with gel I decided to go back to my acrylics using regular polish. I figured I'm paying the same amount, I might as well have it last longer. I don't know if it's my imagination or real life but the regular nail polish can barely make it a week without looking ratchet, they use to look great until I took them off or got a fill. Nail technicians add acetone to polish to prevent clumping, but adding a polish remover to polish clearly won't make it last long and stay fresh. How to solve this problem. Bring your own polish. Preferably a newer bottle so they don't feel the need to "thin it" with the acetone. If your going with acrylic nails try them with gel. From what I've experienced the gel polish last longer and looks nicer on fake nails. Also my new favorite nail technician is Holly at Fashion Nails in Fargo! It's a little more expensive then the mall but everyone working there is great, and they actually carry on a conversation with you!!  

Each Trend Has It's End

Try this instead of the high low!

As sad as it is, some trends can not live on forever.  After Saturday's Imagine Dragons concert, I had multiple examples provided to me of trends that need to kick the bucket.  The first trend I suggest you purge from your closet is the high-low skirt.  I even have one of my own, but it's time to go.  Go long or short, not in between.  If your looking for some contrast in a skirt/dress, choose one with a short lining, and a sheer full length skirt.  It makes a long dress, just a little more casual, great for a day to night look. 

Lets let this one go!

On to the next.  Don't get rid of all those crop tops yet, but we need to straighten out some rules.  When wearing a crop top pair it with a high waist-ed bottom please! This isn't Brittney Spears 1990's rise to fame.  Leave the low rise jeans and belly shirts for the history books.

The right way to do a floral crown

  And lastly, If I see one more plastic flower headband at a music festival I may just pop a top.  I love the hippie look, its one of my favorites, but if you wouldn't look like a flower child on a normal day, please don't just cause your going to go sway to some indie rock beats.  It's a music festival not Halloween, let the hippies be hippies, and you just be you.  What I love to see are hand made flower headbands using real flowers, If you're interested, Stone Fox Bride's instagram page features some beautiful custom made "crowns" for weddings and other occasions. Thanks for reading, also thanks for understanding my straight to the point honesty.  I see no point in beating around the fashion bush!


http://famousinasmalltowne.blogspot.com/2011/08/just-ordered-sheer-maxi-dress.html
http://www.pinterest.com/caitlinmariec/a-face-to-call-home-3/
 http://www.teenidols4you.com/picture.html?g=Actors&pe=britney_spears&foto=554&act=779&mv=4&pic=337641

The Rath of T-Swift

Here is my first post including a video of myself...oh please be forgiving.  I'm always wanting to help people with my posts, and throughout the years I've had many people ask me how I do my hair.  You have to understand that insteed of playing sports I stayed home and practiced doing hair and make-up as my free-time.  Any who, one of my hairstyles is a curly twist, bun, up do whatever you want to call it.  If you're wondering where the title of this post comes into play, its due to the fact that this hair do

End Result 

of mine came with the nickname T-Swift, from friends of my own and even strangers.  I should just take a complement but I don't like being compared to someone who eats boys for breakfast ;) This is turning into a rant, I'll get moving here.  Step one, start with completely dry hair, be sure not to flat iron it before curling.  Next, starting at the bottom layer of your hair, barrel roll each piece starting from root to tip.  If you are un-aware of a barrel roll it's using a normal curling iron, but instead of clamping your hair down, you twist it around the barrel using your fingers.  Your going to repeat this for every piece, with time you'll discover how much hair to put into each curl. I don't spray my hair until I have it up in a bun and pinned.  Now since the next part is hard to write out I made a video :)  Please forgive my ratchet roots.  Hope you like it and have a safe Fourth of July.  Designate a sober driver and don't hold onto that firework to long.
Photography complementary of E.L. Photography.  https://www.facebook.com/PhotograpEL

When it's ok to spend your rent on clothes...

The oh so popular debate of buying cheap or spending more on quality clothing.  Most people pick a side whether they want to buy cheaper clothing and know it probably wont make it past a year, or spend a little more on something you can keep for years.  I feel the perfect way to stock your closet is to do a little bit of both.  Of course there's items one shouldn't spend an arm and a leg on, so let me differentiate those for you! When deciding whether you want to spend more for quality ask yourself, "Is this a staple piece?"  Staple pieces are classic looks that will continue to be timeless throughout the years.  The number one staple piece for your closet is jeans.  Now, when I say it's a good idea to spend a little more money on staple pieces I don't mean you have to drop $200+ on a pair of jeans, I would just recommend not buying them at Target.  Stores I like to get my jeans at are Gap and American Eagle.  I know this isn't an opinion piece but I'm just gonna take the chance to say bedazzled back pockets need to go.  If you attract the attention of TSA agents, that's too much bling.  Ok moving on. 

  A basic Maxi dress.  Maxi's (if the right color) can be worn all year round. The dress by itself in the summer, and pair it with a chunky sweater for those winter months.  I advise choosing a black maxi, that features anti-pill fabric.  The final thing you shouldn't be afraid to spend a little money on is that piece that  makes you feel 100%.  For me it's my blush tulle skirt I purchased at Proper and Prim one year ago.  I can dress it up, dress it down, wear it with either sandals or flats, all that good stuff.  This piece should make you feel like a million bucks, like nothing in the world could bring you down.  Now lets discuss what you should buy at a lower price.  I'm basically going to sum this category up in one word, Trends.  All my readers know how much I love trends, but lets be real, they are trends, and in six months I'll probably be throwing my hammer pants out the window.  Keep in mind that not all trends fade away.  Skinny jeans, gladiator sandals, and leggings all started as trends, and are now in almost every American girl's closet.  Over the weekend I've been updating my blog.  If you scroll to the bottom you'll be able to see my most viewed posts, along with a space to receive my blog via email.  Happy late father's day to all the padres out there, hope it was swell.  Here's a pic of me and the man who granted me with the mouth of a sailor and the sarcastic humor my Mother will never understand :)

http://www.cateyesandthighhighs.com/2013/03/not-all-jeans-are-created-equal-gap.html

What the City of Angels Taught Me

Last Tuesday I took off for a study tour in Los Angeles California. Many of my friends didn't believe any "studying" was being done, but trust me there was lots of learning.  Disney Land, Santa Monica, and the beach was just extra credit! Technology you can't even imagine goes into everyday fashion, I'll share a video later to explain ;) throughout our trip we visited factories, showrooms, design studios, trend forecasters, and fashion news editors. Not only
does the study tour give you a look into a potential location of employment, but different employment options as well. Going into the trip I was stern on the fact I wanted to go into styling or social networking after I graduate from NDSU, but the trip opened up so many more options for me and what I want to do.  Before the trip I was paranoid that you couldn't get proper experience in Fargo, and I'll never get a job blah blah blah, but in the fashion industry anything can happen.One of the sales reps from Seven For all Man Kind denim was working as a sales associate at Nordstorm, and the next day was assistant to the lead stylist for a shoot with Klohe Kardashian and Lemar Odom. Everyone's so worried about getting your dream job right after graduation, what I learned from this trip is everyone just needs to take a chill pill on that high expectation.  Be open to different jobs, classes, trips, friendships, whatever!  Nothing is going to happen at the snap of your fingers. It will all turn out in the end.  And like I promised, here's a video of the newest technology in denim.  The video shows a laser burning a design, and thank you message to us students using a laser.  Pretty neat ay ;)

The 3 things I never thought I would wear

Crocheted Top

Every fashion student can tell you trends evolve and reoccur through time. Many things, whether you like them or not will be in your favorite store display windows. Before I left for spring break I did some shopping at Forever 21. I was in love with a cream crocheted cardigan, but I felt guilty for buying it. Why did I feel guilty? Cause for the last five years I've been telling my mother to throw away all those crocheted sweaters... Oops, sorry mom! So that brings me to the first piece of clothing I never thought I would own! The breezy cardigans are the perfect piece for summer. Keeps you warm in the evenings and cool in the day time. Another piece that adds on to the "hippie" look that crocheted pieces can give off is Birkenstock sandals. I remember selling a pair of these last year and thought "never will I ever," clearly never say never is right because I'm dieing to purchase a pair of these simple and practical sandals. The price is a little less practical then there comfort but whatevs! The different styles and colors give you options, but almost all remain basic enough to wear with your entire casual wardrobe. Now for number three. About 90% of all children born between 1980-1999 have a photo of them with there siblings all wearing full denim outfits. And I mean denim on denim on denim. Like all my other pieces I use to despise the denim jacket and jorts (Jean shorts), but just yesterday I discovered a full denim jumpsuit, something as beautiful as a Picasso I tell ya! Clearly you can't rule anything out in the terms of fashion! If you love it then you wear it!

My mom also loved us kids in denim :)

Birkenstocks and Denim Denim Denim!

Not So Athletic, But Still Talented

The inspiration from my blog came from a conversation I had with a salesperson last week.  It seems like every conversation since my college years begins with "did you play basketball?", just because I have a 35 inch inseam doesn't mean I played basketball...or volleyball, or lets be honest any sports at all.  I sure tried though! In 9th grade I got second place in a golf tournament, the fact that there were only two people competing is irrelevant.  I was also a volleyball bench warmer.  It's wasn't that bad actually, since I didn't play I didn't sweat therefore; my hair looked the best at the end of the game ;) I think sports are great, I do enjoy watching them.  If I tell you I walked into a water fountain the other day you may understand my lack of coordination... I wasn't even texting. Before my readers begin to think this is me dogging high school sports its not.  What I want to get across today is whether your a tomboy, a girly girl, or somewhere in between, that's exactly who your suppose to be.  I HATE when girls pretend to be into a team or a player to impress a boy.  Like seriously there going to figure you out eventually. There's a reason you are the way you are, and that's why you shouldn't change it.  Next time you start a conversation, instead of starting with "did you play sports?" try "what do you like to do on your spare time?".  The salesperson only got a small glance of my non athletic self.  What he didn't know was that I make an award winning pecan pie, I can turn a saver's find into a hot new outfit, and I'm full of random knowledge.  Just be yourself everybody!