I’ve been making it a point to spend as much time in the sunshine this summer, trying to get at least one beach or pool day in during the weekends. So far so good… I have a great tan going and the time outdoors in in the sun helps melt away my weekday stress. The sound of the water, kids playing or doggies splashing, and the warmth on my skin is like free therapy.

Of course, what’s good for my mental health isn’t necessarily good for my skin, which is where slathering on the sunscreen comes into play. I was introduced to the best sunscreen by a friend this summer- Neutrogena Cooling Body Mist Sunblock. The one-touch continuous spray cools your body as it hits your skin. I’m not sure what miracle ingredient makes this possible, but I am addicted. I kept reaching for the bottle to cool myself down. Requires much less energy than running into the waves, and is better for my skin! You must give it a try…

My reasoning for being excited about Dr. Andrew Weil for Origins Plantidote Mega-Mushroom Eye Makeup Remover Pads is two-fold. One, I am incredibly lazy when it comes to washing my face before bed, yet hate eye makeup smudges on my pillowcase (oh ya, that whole leaving makeup on before going to bed speeding up the ageing process and clogging pores thing is kinda a drag too). Two, I am a constant eye-rubber, which means by the end of my day, I inevitably have mascara smudges under my eyes. So, these ultra-soft, 100% cotton eye make-up remover pads, which remove all traces of mascara- liner and shadow too should I ever wear them- plus contain a blend of ginger extract, basil, turmeric and chamomile oil to calm, soothe and protect delicate skin, will be a welcome addition to my beauty arsenal. I plan on keeping a pot in my purse for mid-day touch-ups, and one by my bed, for a last minute clean up at the days end.

I still haven’t gotten over my obsession with sweat pants, as evidenced by a trip to Ron Herman with the roommate recently. I was fully committed to leaving the store with these two purchases:

Vintage inspired sweat shorts and zipper detailed sweat pants from Monrow. Aaah, so deliciously slouchy and comfortable. They came in an amazing vintage purple and vintage olive. My roommate talked some sense into me, and I suppose that she is right that I don’t need to spend my hard earned money on fancy sweats. But, I can’t help wishing I was in them right this very moment. It’s no fun being sensible.

Ever since a long weekend in my hometown over the 4th of July weekend, I’ve been feeling a bit homesick and nostalgic for my small town upbringing and the summers spent in the countryside. Don’t get me wrong, I love Los Angeles in the summertime- the weather is great, the beach is lovely, the sunsets are to die for- but it just doesn’t quite compare to those of my youth. Days spent up at the lake, endless fields of wild flowers, being able to bike to the other side of town for the perfect greasy burger, that dusty, warm summer smell in the air and the feeling of total freedom (well at least until the end of August) is something I long to relive. I stumbled across these images of Missoni’s (yes, I just transitioned from small-town-America daydreaming to Missoni, this is how my mind works) f/w 09 campaign and just about died. Something about these images perfectly captures the summertime freedom I’m missing.

The campaign was shot by Ryan McGinley, who also did Stella McCartney’s fall campaign. I need to do some more research into his work, he has seriously stolen my heart with this one.

I may need to cure my summertime blues with a little retail therapy. Somehow, a Missoni scarf seems like the perfect splurge.

Lykke Li’s Youth Novels has been in constant rotation in my car for the past year. It’s a great CD for road trips, and a pick-me-up during my daily commute. So, I am totally stoked to be going to see her live for the first time this Tuesday. Even more so when I came across this photo of her on Style.com rocking the couple-years-old trend I haven’t quite gotten over myself- turbans. How cute does she look? (If only a little seasonably inappropriate…):

Turbans are a trend I’ve been obsessed with for years, ever since the Spring 2007 Prada collection. Yet, the closest I’ve gotten to actually sporting the look was a wide knotted satin headband, that I have tragically misplaced. I’m thinking for Tuesday’s concert, I may finally need to go all the way with the look… paired with a vintage concert tee and cut-offs, to tone it down a little.

This black and gold lame version is exactly what I need in my life.

I keep coming back to these images from Style.com that I saved on my desktop. I can’t get enough of the pale-brights (is there such a thing?) being worn by Hilary Rhoda and Vena Cava’s Sophie Buhai.

Paired with neutrals- black and tan- the colors are summery, feminine and juicy, without being overwhelming or too sugary. By toning down the brights with neutrals, these ladies stay far away from the old adage “too much of a good thing”.

DKNY has some great pieces, like this Colorblock Racer Back Tank and Colorblock Dress, that make getting this sugar and spice look a breeze. Just throw on and go… my favorite!

Image Source: Style.com

Often, mascara is the only makeup I manage to get on my face (often while stopped at red lights on my way to work). I’m incredibly lazy when it comes to my makeup, but I feel self conscious and bug-eyed without it. Yet, despite my obsession with mascara, and it’s key role in my beauty routine, I’ve always worn drug store brands, my biggest mascara splurge being on MAC Zoom Lash. Feeling a little bit like mixing it up a little when it comes to my beauty buys, I recently bought myself Chanel’s Inimitable.

Can I tell you? I am obsessed! I’ve even received a compliment on my lashes since starting to use it, I am not even exaggerating. Yes, it is a bit of a splurge for a small tube of black gook that probably uses the same ingredients as the drug store brands, but it has made a believer out of me. Chanel’s little tube of magic is truly Inimitable.

If anyone were to feature Bambi and friends in fashion advertising, it would be animal lover Stella McCartney, and for her Autumn/ Winter 2009 campaign that is exactly what she has done. “I’m a huge Bambi fan, and the film reminds me of my mum,” the animal-loving designer told WWD. “And we wanted to have some fun. The clothes in the campaign are looking quite fierce, and we wanted to contrast them with the innocence of Bambi.”

The whimsical ads also feature “almost-as-adorable-as-Bambi” Sigrid Agren, were shot by Ryan McGinley, and will break as double-page spreads in the September issues of French, Italian and British Vogue, V and Another Magazine.

Bambi may actually be, in my humble opinion, one of the scariest Disney movies ever- but I am loving the shot of fun the movie’s characters add to McCartney’s campaign. Makes me want to go frolic in the woods…

What better shoes to take me around the woods than these Bambi-friendly Adidas Stella McCartney Fitness Shoes?

Source: WWD.

These photos from Garance Doré are making me rethink my decision to leave The Gap today without any khaki in my shopping bag.

The khaki paired with bright yellow in these photos is absolutely perfect for summer. I’ve finally managed to achieve a bit of a tan, and cannot wait to pair it with this awesome color combination. I just bought an amazing goldenrod yellow cashmere sweater, and hadn’t even considered wearing it with khaki until I came across these photos. Fortunately, I know exactly what khaki item to pair with it:

The slouchy, casual vibe of these pin-tuck detailed shorts from The Gap are perfect for summer and perfect for pairing with my new favorite yellow sweater.

I’m thinking after seeing the above photos, you are going to want a new favorite yellow sweater of your own, this one from Old Navy is cute and, best of all, affordable:

Image Source: Garance Doré

I spend some time this weekend cleaning out my closet, which got me thinking about the necessary items of clothing that every girl should own- a pair of jeans that fit perfectly, a basic white cotton tee, a smart professional outfit for interviews, and of course, a little black dress that makes you feel like million bucks. It also got me thinking about all the unnecessary stuff that clutters up our closets, but that is a topic for another post. I have lots of good stuff in my closet, as well as lots of unnecessary stuff, but what I seem to be lacking is the perfect little black dress. Sure, there is a lot of black in there- but what I am talking about is a show-stopper. The kind of dress you wear that puts all eyes on you when you walk into a room. I’m talking about this dress:

In both the long version on Natalie Portman and short, cut-out version on Ashley Olsen, I am absolutely gaga over the neckline of these Balenciaga dresses. The effect is almost like an attached bib necklace- yet way sexier than that sentence implies- it’s unexpected, modern and chic. I am now on a mission to find a dress for myself with a similar dramatic neckline. Unfortuntaly, no matter how many dresses went in the Goodwill bag this weekend, I can’t really justify a Balenciaga purchase…

The eye catching combination of a plunging neckline and criss-cross detailing on this Elizabeth and James Crossfront Technical Chiffon Dress, at thousands less than Balenciaga, makes this dress a totally justifiable splurge.