Wives Style: Sunny Sunday

Our first Wives Style post. We thought it would be fun to do a regular fashion post featuring both Julie and myself. Julie and I each love clothes but have totally different styles. It's high tide, I mean time, we took advantage of that.  

It’s bizarre for me to think how we used to have a combined closet when we were first together. We would borrow each other's pieces endlessly and I would often forget what pieces I purchased and which she did.

These days our closets are much more distinct. I suppose we had not discovered what suited us best or had as clearly defined tastes as we do now.  Maybe that’s what being in your 30’s is all about anyhow... 

Veronica

I cannot get enough of t-shirt dresses. Honestly, anything that is comfortable and looks a bit dressy, but requires almost no effort and is machine washable (having children around is messy business) is my current fave.

Veronica is wearing: 

T-Shirt Dress, - Old Navy. Scarf - Etsy. Jacket - Gap. Shoes - Clarks. Purse - Target. 

Julie

My style is a fresh smoothie of style that I can never really put a name to. I love pieces that are relaxed, cool and a little bit surprising. My newest spotlight are these adorable BonLook sunglasses. They are perfect for the California coast. This little necklace adds a touch of fancy to my weekend look and helps me feel a bit more polished. The red lipstick is the pop of color I need to feel glamourous. 

Julie is wearing:

Sweater - LOFT, Jeans - Old Navy, Shoes - Similar, Sunglasses - BonLook, Lipstick - MAC - Russian Red, Watch - Coach, Bag - Ross, Necklace - Gifted

Outside Lands Style + Festival Dressing Tips

Hey look, it’s my first “outfit post." About time, right? I mean, this blog is almost two weeks old. Originally this was the beginning of my post reviewing Outside Lands but the whole thing just got too long.  So now it's here!

My 6 Must-Have Music Festival Pieces:

1. PRACTICAL SHOES

There’s always more walking than you think. I am often tempted to do something fancier like a wedge, but I am getting tired of sore feet. Is there a better all-around option than cons for versatility and comfort? 

I have the classics, but I am wanting these Seafoam ones too, of course. 

2. SUNDRESS & SHORTS

A sundress that is super-comfortable with shorts. I don’t want to feel restrained when dancing or sitting on the grass eating messy food cart bites.

3. CROSS-BODY SATCHEL

I keep a few similar style purses in the back of my closet specifically for bike rides, shows or dancing. I need my stuff, but I need to get down with the get down so I  don’t want to be holding anything in my hand. Except a cocktail. 

4. HAT

When I sit in the sun, I want my head covered. You should too. Your older self will thank you.

I generally cannot get enough of over-sized floppy hats, but I just knew I would get tired of holding one, so Julie let me borrow one of her trucker’s hats. The kind that lets you adjust the size so I was able to hang it from my purse when not in use.   

5. EASY-TO-STASH JACKET

The weather near the ocean in the Bay Area can change dramatically once the fog rolls in. You just cannot go without an extra layer. I went for a linen moto  jacket that I could fold up into my small purse. On the walk back to the bus in the late evening, I was glad to have it.  

 6. LIPSTICK

For all day festivals,, I always apply a few coats of a really rich lipstick. It can hold up throughout the day without needing reapplication. 

The necklace I am wearing is a vintage peso necklace similar to this one.

PS. Always bring and wear Sunblock! There is never enough shade at these things.

Any tips I am missing? What is your go to festival wear?

Summer Suitcase Essentials

We have been traveling more than usual these last few months. The types of trips have varied a great deal. Sometimes the trips were for Julie’s job. A few times they were with my in-laws and just once we vacationed with only the three of us. For a family that has barely gone anywhere since Luke was born three years ago, it all started to feel a bit overwhelming— even when it was also great fun.

I documented my packing stresses on my packing list post. To further ease the pain of traveling so frequently, once with only a single day in between our trips, I attempted to create a universal set of clothes to pack that I could use for all of our summer traveling. The idea was that I would not even really need to repack. 

Unless of course there was no access to laundry at one of the locations. Still gotta’ keep it clean. 

Anorak jacket.  Linnen Tunic.  Printed tank. Striped maxi. Coral Skinny Jeans. Leather Flats.  Henley t-shirt. Floral Shorts. Strappy Sandals. Tribal Flare Skirt. Pocket Blouse.  Floral bikini.  Light weight Sweater. Fitflops. 

In addition to clothes there are a few other items that always make me more relaxed when traveling.

A sketchbook, novel, the go-to items on my morning beauty routine, a sun hat, a candle to set the mood and a sleep mask. I used to scoff at sleep masks, but seriously, if you find yourself in a place that has an irritating amount of evening light, the sleep mask will be your new best friend. 

Sun hat. M.A.C. Retro Lipstick. Kat Von D Ttatoo Liner. Maybeline Great Lash Mascara. NARS All Day Luminous Foundation. Boudoir Sleep Mask. Burt's Bees Beeswax Lip Balm. Topshop Dinosaur Print Makeup bag.  Madewell P.F. candle. O.P.I. Nail Polish in Passion. Moleskin Sketchbook. Women, by Chloe Caldwell. Kiehl's Ultra Face Cream.  Uni-ball gel pen. 

---

Our recent trips were to San Diego and Lake Tahoe. Here is how I paired some of the packed items above.

How to apply fake eyelashes

It can be crazy hard to apply fake eyelashes. I tried and failed for so many years I am still astounded at how easy it is now easy for me. Here's what I learned through so much trial-and-error. Share these tips with everyone we all deserve better lashes if we want them.

Before you begin you'll want to apply any other eye makeup you plan on wearing first but hold off on the mascara until step four.

You'll need:

• A pair of fake eyelashes (nothing too expensive. No matter how much you spend they won't last forever).
• Decent eyelash glue
• Mascara

Step One: Trim lash

Everyone from RuPaul to Real Simple will tell you to cut fake eyelashes in half and apply both sides separately. This has never worked for me. Also, you don't need the entire lash unless you are on the runway and then you have no business taking advice from me.

You want the lash to extend from the outer corner of your eye  to about 3/4 of the way in. Hold it up to your eye in the mirror and check where you should cut. In my experience it is almost always necessary to cut about 1/3 rd of the lash off.

Step Two: Apply Glue

First and foremost get a decent eyelash glue. If you take nothing else away from this post except that you will still be way ahead of where you were when you were using the shoddy glue that often come with the lashes. It is the big of a difference. 

I use Duo Brush-on Lash Glue which I purchased at Sephora, but I am sure any comparable beauty store will have similar.

Brush the strip with glue and wait a couple seconds.

Step three: Apply Lashes

Hold lash strip up to eye and match the center of the strip to the center of your eye. Press down. It should be tacky enough that the lashes will stay in place but not so sticky that you cannot move them if you did not get the position right on the first try.
Once you are satisfied with the position, pat the strip down on the rest along the rest of the lid until it is affixed in place.

This part is still a bit tricky and will seem awkward the first few times, but once you do it enough you will be amazed at how easy it becomes.

Repeat on the second eye.

Step Four: Add Mascara

Once the lashes are in place go ahead and put a coat of mascara on, it will help blend your real lashes with the fake ones.