Colorado Chic

Just some pictures from today! We went to our friends' wedding and it was absolutely gorgeous. It was very simple yet elegant and the way everything worked out really reminded me personally that all it takes to have a special moment, like getting married for instance, is your loved ones. Now, that mind sound really cheesy but when you think about it, you don't need a huge cake or super fancy dress! Anyways (sorry getting side tracked), when we got back I wanted to do a quick post about the unique Coloradan style, so here it is! I find it so interesting to see how people dress based on the way they live and where they live-it was something my mom brought up today that I've been thinking about! Colorado in general, as the way my mom puts it, is definitley more relaxed style-wise but we can clean up pretty well, too! This whole idea of a state-based style made me want to create a spin on the cowgirl/western-stereotype and glam it up with some colorful short and sparkly french-tip nails (from the wedding :) ).  The jean shirt I'm wearing is from Miley Cyrus's new brand but I got it at Plato's Closet, and my shorts are from Target! Enjoy! :)

We got a PUPPY!!

So we had been thinking about adopting a new pup for our family for a while....last week or so my mom's friend showed us an ad in the newspaper for Bernese/Pyrnese mixes and, we ended up getting one last night! She is absolutely precious and we love her sooo much! When we got her last night, she was super muddy because the breeder's property was pretty much pure dirt. :) It was a very long car ride home, but I hung out with her in the back of the car the whole way. We gave her two baths last night, and a good brushing today and now she looks like a sweet little fuzzball! Anyways, shes 3/4 Bernese and 1/4 Pyrneese and about 3 months old! Her coloring is actually really cool because her mom was white, her dad was black, and she turned out to be cinnamon colored! We decided to name her Moushka (not sure exactly how we're going to spell it, though) because originially I thought that was Yves Saint Laurent's dog, but it was actually Mujik! Either way, the name stuck and fits her perfectly. It's also really funny because her mom's name is Verushka! I think we should call her Moo for short! How sweet! Enjoy your daily dose of cuteness....

Sending lots of puppy love,
Carly & Moushka(?)

xxx

YSL Exhibit at the Art Museum!

On Tuesday, I went to the Yves Saint Laurent exhibit with my mom, her friend and daughter, and my friend! We had an amazing time-if you live near Denver, then you should definitley consider visiting the Denver Art Museum! Its also showing in Madrid and Paris. I loved the way everything was shown chronologically, ending with a gorgeous ballroom display of all of the extravagant dresses he created (like the one used in the logo-thingy above). They had recreations of his office and work spaces that were all super inspiring! It was all tied together with a great audio program that allowed you press a number correllating to a number shown either with a garment or display, and hear an in-depth description of eveything that particular piece involved! Unfortunately, pictures inside the exhibit weren't allowed, but I was able to get some at another part of it that had all sorts of hands-on fashion activities to do! We were able to make a moodboard using magazines and swatches, sketch a look, drape fabric on mannequins, dress up, and walk the runway! :)

These were really cool-they're called Harumika Dolls!

Sketching with tracing paper!

They had all of these fun clothes you could put on and walk down a runway, too!

Work it! (Missioni coat)

:P

We had soo much fun! Its a great way to spend a summer afternoon downtown and you'll feel so inspired and cultured after learning more about Yve Saint Laurent's life and works!

Have a great weekend,

Carly

xxx

Chacos: Fit for Adventure & Happiness!

Last summer at camp, a few of the counselors had Chacos and then I saw them again this year at school when my Spanish teacher wore them a few times. I really liked how they looked right away and they also seemed super comfy and arch-supportive (I think that's a word?). So, I decided to look into getting some for this summer. I ended up doing a bunch of research and also trying to find a good deal on the ones I wanted, the ZX/2 Yampas! They are on the more expensive side because they're one of the newer models, but I definitely got the sense from reading online that the quality is great and they last a long time! Eventually I settled for a cute pair I found in my size on eBay for $84.99 (retail= $100). I was expecting them to come this Monday, but they came today! I adjusted them and they feel amaazing! I absolutely recommend them to anyone who wants a unique shoe thats perfect for virtually any outdoor activity or just support throughout the day. I've been wearing them all day since they came and I love them so much! My new Chacos are certainly a perfect addition to my collection of happy shoes!! :)

Happy Chacoing,
Carly

Perfect Spiral Hair Curling Secrets!

So, this is basically my go-to hair style for any sort of formal event! I've always curled my hair this way, and it always lasts at least 2 days even with my thick and long hair. Hopefully these tips/steps will work for you and your hair, too!

First of all, this is all about creating a versatile curl that you can do almost anything with. Yay! Here are my "expert" tips that you should try out and let me know how well it works! :)

1.) If you have fairly thick hair like me or just want to cut down on heat damage, shower and wash your hair the day before you'll curl it. This does two things: it allows your hair to be free from blow-dryer damage, and it also allows hair to retain the curls you'll give it the next day because it will be 101% dry and ready to go! (I like doing this because if I want to curl my hair for school, I can shower the night before and not have to wake up super early!)

2.) Use a hot curling iron! The one I use is the Conair Instant Heat, and my mom has had it forever and it still works great! It's good to have a curling iron that heats up quick, but not too quick. For a style that holds, you don't always want to sacrifice heating up time for heat quality, if that makes any sense. Also, use an iron that doesn't have a super big or super tiny diameter; the one I use for sprials is about 1" and it works great for my hair length. Click here to find the right barrel size for your hair!

3.) Only do 2-3.5 in. sections at a time (depending on your hair thickness...you can go larger for thinner hair and smaller for thicker hair). I usually let it sit for about 30 sec-1 min for each section before I move onto the next. Again, most of this depends on your own hair, so experiment with different section widths and times to see what works the best!

4.) For this style of curling, I never use the clamper-thingy on the iron. I use my available hand to wrap the section of hair around the barrel and hold it there until time's up. (I had to use the clamp to hold down the ends in the picture below, but usually I would be holding the piece sticking out) Oh, and be careful not to burn yourself! :)

5.) To hairspray or not to hairspray? I personally have found that it isn't really necessary for me to spray my hair at all, and it certainly has kept my hair much more "flowy" rather than stiff, but if your hair doesn't retain its curl very easily, you can spray it lightly all over once you're done.

6.) At this point, everything is all up to you! I usually run my fingers through my hair a few times just to loosen up the curls and let it all sort of come together. It also makes it seem a little less forced!

This is what my hair looked like after I finished curling it!

See the difference after I ran my fingers through it?                                         All done! :)

7.) Alright, last tip! Feel free to customize and add to your hairstyle! What I love most about this type of curls is that you can put it up in a pony, pin part of it back, or even add a headband (mine's from Peru! Be creative!

wow, I just realized how stupid this face looks..lol :P

And that's it! I hope you enjoy trying this out and making your hair bouncy and happy! :)

Happy Curling!

Carly

Summer! :)

Toady was my last day of officially being a freshman! Thank goodness!! I'm so glad to end the year with great friends, grades, and teachers! This summer will be full of babysitting, running for cross country, and hopefully much more blogging! I've decided to start fresh and really get into a regular routine of posting at least every other day! Hopefully I'll have some more readers trickling in, too! Today I'm bringing to you what's inspiring me to have a bunch of fun this verano! Stay happy, carly :)