Bright Spring Pastels and Scattered Dot Nails

Today's nails are a direct result of me doing what I want.

I wanted an accent nail with lots of polka dots in a specific bright-pastel color scheme, and these polishes were the perfect colors for it!

The pale mint pastel is Mint Sorbet by Sally Hansen Xtreme Wear, the pink is Tip Toe Pink by Milani, the darker green is Mint Apple by Sinful Colors and the white is Snow Me White by Sinful Colors.

I used 3 coats of Mint Apple on my pinky, pointer and thumb nails, 2 coats of Snow Me White on my ring finger, and 3 coats of Tip toe Pink on my middle finger. Then, using both ends of my double-ended dotting tool and all 3 colored polishes, I placed random, scattered dots atop my ring finger.

 

If you couldn't tell, I've become pretty into the two-accent-nail look. Decisions be damned - use alllll the polishessss!

In case you wondered, my gum seems to be healing suspiciously well from Monday's wisdom tooth extraction. I've barely needed to take any pain meds at all, and was able to start working out again today. There's still a slight chipmunkesque quality to my right cheek, but it's not the most noticeable thing in the world. However, the antibiotics I'm taking are going to put a damper on my weekend fun, as those are appppparently not to be mixed with alcohol.

On that note, what are you up to this weekend? I've got nothing on the agenda yet, but am always on the lookout for an activity or two!

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Summer Clothes from Forever21 and Target

Spring and summer make me want to shop.

THERE I SAID IT.

At 28 years old I still have yet to out-grow Forever21 - I can always find something there that I love - so I've definitely been hitting up their location on Robson St. in Vancouver for some warm-weather stoooooof to put on me body. We also took a trip to the States last weekend for some bulk shopping in Bellingham, WA, so I got some thangs from the Forever21 and Target stores there, too. There is no Target in Vancouver yet, but several of them did just open across BC earlier this month.

Here's what I've been accumulating from Forever21 stores over the last month or so:

1. Big, loose grey cotton tank for workouts - $5.80

2. A pair of long black leggings NOT for workouts (all of my other leggings are for working out in! Figured I should have one pair that's not for fitness) - $6.80

3. Another big loose comfy tank for working out in - $6.80 (it's exactly like the grey one, I don't know why it cost $1 more) (OH wait, it's because I bought the pink one in Canada and the grey one in the US)

4. Simple khaki cotton shorts - $11.80

5. Basic brown cami (on my receipt I see this color is referred to as "Pine Bark" - hah!) - $3.80

6. Black waist belt with gold/black buckle (see below for detailed pic) - $4.80

7. Adorable little silver heart ring (see below) - $1.80 (in other words, my finger WILL be green after I wear this)

8. Thin leopard print waist belt (see below) - $3.80

9. Basic sage green cami - $2.80

10. Navy and cream checkered long-sleeve button up. This looks heavy in the picture, but it's actually very light and even a bit sheer. I can't wait to wear it!! - $23.80

.  me new belts  .

. ♡ .

Not pictured above are this colorful pair of sunglasses that I've been rocking! These were $5.80:

.  tropical island party ON MY FACE  .

Before getting to my Target stuff, I have to take a moment to confess that I also bought something at Wet Seal. I'm not proud of where I got this bathing suit.... but I am quite proud of the suit itself. This minty-teal bikini is SO FREAKING PERFECT:

The suit was sold in separates and was on sale for "Buy one, get one half off," so both pieces together only cost about $21 (plus tax). Love that it comes with the option of putting straps on it because a completely strapless suit would be a big step for me. #NotSexyEnoughForStrapless

Moving on to Target! I don't usually get many clothing items at Target because typically when we travel from Vancouver to Bellingham for a shopping trip it's to buy a TON of non-perishable food, bath, and home goods. But I mean, #LETSBEHONEST - I'm not going to spend an hour and a half (or more) in the car to get to a Target without looking at their clothes a littttttle bit while I'm there.

I picked up three pairs of shorts:  A light-colored denim pair with white crochet detail on the sides and two pairs of "board shorts" (which I like to wear with my bathing suit). Sidebar: Anyone else feel like rocking a bathing suit in public is exactly like wearing your underwear in public? Because I have a bit of a complex about the entire thing, and wearing board shorts over my bathing suit bottoms helps me feel a little more normal about being otherwise nearly-nude in public.

The denim shorts were probably around $20 and the board shorts were $14.99 each.

.  summertiiiiiime and the swimming's easy with board shorts to make you feel like you're not naked in front of strangers and/or friends  .

.  these shorts are everywhere this season  .
.  do not be fooled into buying an expensive version from some fancy store  .

I also grabbed this hat from Target, which was on sale for 20% off of its $12.99 price tag. Head sunburns are no joke, people.

.  protect ya neck head  .

So I know that seemed like a lot of stuff, but keep in mind these purchases were spread out over a couple of months!

Does the thought of warm weather make you go a little nuts-stuff-off-the-walls when it comes to new clothes? What is your favorite new item for the spring and summer?

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Linking up with Style Elixir today!

TONS of Thrifting Finds

I've been super slacking on posting the bevvy of thrift store goodies that I've been picking up over the last couple of months. From t-shirts to picture frames to tiny mirrors, the Salvation Army stores in Vancouver have been doing the trick for me. WANNA SEE??

The pattern on this simple tee kind of reminds me of dragon scales. I needed some more patterns in my wardrobe; I wear a LOT of single-color shirts. This shirt may have still had its original tag on it when I got it from Salvay: 

.  $2.99  .

I was in a totally Boston-loving mood when I scooped up this tee a few weeks ago (but really who am I kidding? I'm always in a Boston-loving mood)... Super pleased to spot a Harvard tshirt in the middle of a Vancouver, BC thrift store:

.  $2.99  .

So I got this next tee fully OK with the fact that I had no clue what this logo was for. I just LOVED the different shades of light blue and the fit/feel of this tee. After a shit ton of Googling, I now know that this logo is for a brand of apparel called Matix and their "slogan" (or whatever) is "From the Ground Up" - which leads me to believe that what I thought was an eagle head is actually a phoenix.  You might have already known that by looking at it, but perhaps I've just got eagles on the brain.

.  $2.99  .

This little number jumped out at me because it looked too nice to be chilling in a Salvay rack. Although, I guess I'm always pleasantly surprised by the great things I find at the Vancouver Salvation Army stores. This indigo mock turtle-neck shirt is a nice, substantial fabric but its short sleeves keep it warm weather appropriate. It'll actually be perfect for Vancouver spring/summer evenings because the temperature still gets a bit chilly at night. It didn't look like it had ever been worn before, and I love the cinching around the neck and sleeves.

$5.99

And look at these adorable little details! Buttons down the back of the neck and a keyhole!

These are some casual shorts I found - they're loose and comfy and not too short. It's hard to find shorts that fall between "Mom length" and "hoe length" these days, #AMIRIGHTLADIES?

.  $4.99  .

I like that they have a tie at the waist, and the flap pockets on the back give me a little more junk 'n the trunk. Ain't nothin' wrong with that.

This small sun mirror actually jumped off of the shelf at me like a freaking ninja star and poked me in the face while shouting, "YOU CAN BRING ME HOME AND PAINT ME WHATEVER COLOR YOU WANNA!!!!" I was forced to oblige. You'll see that project soon in a blog, sew stay tewned.
{Update: See what I did with the sun mirror here!}

Still on the lookout for glass bottles to use as vases, I was TOTES thrilled to spot this little gem on the top shelf in the back of the store. You should have seen the way I snatched it off the shelf - like I was really worried that someone else might come along and grab it before me.

Just like with the bright blue pot I bought for our lemon cypress tree, I am excited to put something bright green into this blue bottle.

Finally, here's what has become my favorite thrift store find as of late - a bubble gum pink cardigan! I wear this all the time now - especially with the sleeves rolled up. I love the herringbone detail on the front and the way it looks/feels a little bit retro - possibly an 80s or early 90s sweater?

.  cheese!  .

That's just about all of the thrift store thannngs I've scooped up recently, but stay tuned for more fun stuff from Forever21 and Target soon!

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