Camp Style and Swiss Miss Braids

A typical day at camp for me begins with deciding how to wear my hair. This is usually dependent on the weather forecast for the day. Today's forecast was a high of 82 degrees and sunny. That meant an updo! I decided on this style by The Beauty Department, but also found online in many places. The Beauty Department has a great tutorial. I modified it by making a side part in the front and Dutch braiding the first two inches of hair behind my hairline. I have some short hairs by my hairline and the little front braid helps keep them out of the way. The shirt says Summer Super Stars, the name of the camp. 

Outfit details: Shirt: Old camp shirt / Shorts: American Eagle / Sandals: Merrell / Earrings: Anthropologie 

Here's some inspiration for your day.

In high school, I changed my mindset. I learned to enjoy the process of the events in a day, instead of always focusing on the destination. That's really helping me feel more fulfilled each day. I hope you're having a wonderful day. 

Three Braided Buns

Today's post is a hair tutorial inspired by this look, found here. I wore it for an awards ceremony for an essay contest about women in science. It was very warm that day, so it was important for me to keep my hair up and out of the way. My hair right now is the perfect medium length to try all sorts of hairstyles - one of my favorite styles for camp has been a braided side bun (tutorial coming soon!). 

Here's a photo of the hairstyle. I like how all the braids played up the texture of my hair nicely! Having hair that is all the same color, it can sometimes be hard to achieve dimension. Braiding is one of my favorite techniques to create more texture. 

And here's the photo of me at the awards ceremony.

Outfit details: Dress: Lush via Nordstrom / Wedges: Franco Sarto via T. J. Maxx / Earrings: Urban Outfitters 

I went with a summery look with the cream lace dress (one of my favorite dresses - it's so versatile!), nude wedges. I accessorized the otherwise neutral-toned outfit with gold and jade earrings. 

A heat wave is hitting my town right now, making it very warm - wherever you are, please stay cool! Have a fantastic day. 

Fairytale Dress

Last week my school had its Senior Fashion Show, a fundraiser in which the seniors dress up in clothes borrowed from local stores and hit the runway to model them. It was a lot of fun to participate in, and the best part was that I got to wear this gorgeous blue prom dress. Although it was completely impractical (the tulle skirt took up about the space of 4 people and kept getting caught in my heels) for a few minutes, I felt like a modern princess. I did my hair and makeup myself :) 

Here's the dress! It was made by Jovani and was from the store Gatinolli. My earrings are from a mall kiosk. Below are a few photos taken while I was on the school auditorium stage. 

And here's a shot of my hair. I made loose curls all over with a 1 inch curling wand, clipping it back and French braiding until the nape of my neck, where I clipped the remainder of my hair together. If you notice, this is the same day that my "Remixing - Same but Different" outfit is from. 

As I search for prom dresses, I think I want to wear something that is the same color as this dress but more practical. I really liked the beading and the sweetheart neckline too! I find that it's easier to shop for something when you don't have an idealistic, perfectionist image in your mind, so I'll remember to keep an open mind. But I don't want to settle for less than what I really want! What about you? Are you shopping for your prom dress with an idea in your mind of what you want, or are you just seeing where your search takes you? Whatever your strategy is, I wish you luck in your search, and I hope you can find a dress that makes you feel like a princess! :)