Spring + Summer Shopping

Wow, I have really been on a roll with spring and summer lately. Spring is here and summer is right around the corner, I only have two more weeks of school! I found it appropriate to share what I bought for the upcoming season and it just so happens that many of the things I talked about in my last post are in this one too. Some of the items in this post I purchased last weekend and some I got last month. But nonetheless, I would like to show you what I will be wearing quite a bit this summer.

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From TJ Maxx-

Silk Tee // This is one of the clothing items I mentioned in my last post, the one I showed is obviously different from this one but they both are very cute. I love this because it has a sort of "mod" look to it and it has my favorite tones of blue in it. This piece was $14.

Woven Sandals // Or Haraches are super cute, simple, and most importantly, comfortable. People who live in South America wear these all the time, it's probably because they look good with almost any outfit. I featured another pair of these in my last post too but I like mine better (haha). These woven sandals were $30.

Chic Shorts // I always like to have a pair of shorts that are a little more on the dressier side. I love these particular ones because of the color (my favorite) and how I can dress them up or down. These were $20.

Flowing Shorts // These are great for when you want to wear a flowing skirt but you don't want to be constantly have to worry about your skirt coming up and people seeing. The geometric pattern on these is really eye-catching and black and white go with everything. These were $16.

From H&M-

Oxblood Skirt // I know, I know, the beautiful color isn't exactly bright like most summer clothes are. But I just had to get it, it was on sale and I don't have anything like it. I think I could sport it this summer and definitely through the fall. This was on sale for $7.

Navy Tank // Believe it or not, It gets really hot in July where I live, and it comes to a point where tee shirts are too much and I need something lighter. Instead of wearing a plain old tank, I thought I'd get one with lace trim. This was $3.

Cat-eye Sunglasses // I never knew what type of sunglasses looked good with my face and nose shape until I tried a whole bunch on and looked it up on the internet and magazines. But I found it, and it's the cat-eye look. I was so happy when I found the perfect pair of tortoise, cat-eye sunnies! These were only $7. 

Blue Polkadot Dress // If you haven't noticed, I really like dark blues. And I really look forward to wearing this tank dress on hot days July, maybe even for the 4th! This was $15.

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I know I didn't particularly get a lot, but I already have so much clothes that I can't keep them organized. So I figured I would focus on things that I needed more, turns out only needed a few. I hope you enjoyed seeing what I purchased and will be wearing for the summer season! Until next time!

xoxo,

Stella

10 Things Every Girl Needs for Spring + Summer

Spring is one of the best seasons for many reasons, one being how everything turns to different shades of green, another is how we can finally wear shorts! Trees, green, shorts, rain, flowers, and sun is what makes spring so awesome. It's very unfortunate that spring doesn't last long where I live, things seem to shift from a complete winter to a hot, dry summer in a matter of about two weeks. I thought because of my obvious spring fever, I would write about what every girl should have in their spring wardrobe. Here we go...

ONE // Small Cross-body

Everyone needs a bag to carry things around in that's small, easy to carry, and hands-free. Cross-bodies are perfect for that, they're a great way to hold just the bare minimum when you're out and don't want to bother with a huge bag. This particular bag is from Fossil, it's a little more on the expensive side but there are so many other companies that sell really cute cross-overs in fun colors. 

TWO // Silky Tee

A new chic look to try for spring is a silky tee shirt. This one's from Madewell, again expensive but you can find them at TJ Maxx and H&M too. It's got a boxy cut that doesn't hug your body in any places, basically and all around comfortable and free-flowing top that looks great on anyone. I have a silky tee shirt that has a blue pattern on it and I love wearing it with jeans one day and dressing it up the next. 

TREE // Boyfriend Shorts

The concept of the "boyfriend jean" has now transferred to shorts too! I don't know about you, but I don't always enjoy skin-tight shorts that almost expose my butt. I like shorts that are comfortable and not too revealing. These shorts are from J. Crew, I love all of their shorts, they fit me so well and I can always find great deals and sales on them. 

FOUR // Colorful Studs

Studs are always a good accent piece, they add a little to an outfit without adding too much. I have these studs from World Market and I love them, they are really cheap and pretty good quality. My ears are sensitive to certain medals and, I have to say these are awesome, they never give me problems, not to mention the compliments I get on their pretty colors!

FIVE // Sea Star Charm

I have been obsessed with the bracelet company Alex and Ani, they have the cutest bangles with little charms on them. I currently have a bangle with my zodiac sign on it and I find that it goes with everything that I wear. This one is a sea star from their Seaside collection. These bracelets are durable and made with recycled material in the US. What could be better than that?

SIX // Strappy Sandals 

Practical yet stylish shoes are a must for the spring and summer time. Wearing ballet flats when it's hot out isn't ideal and flip-flops are very bad for your feet, so I opt for some strappy, flat sandals. They are super cute, especially when there is an ankle strap and only one band around the toes. These are from Gap but I've seen them almost everywhere in different colors and styles.

SEVEN // Comfortable Dress

For those days where it's sweltering hot out and you don't want anything too snug on your body, or on the days when is the perfect temperature but you want to be comfy, I have the perfect thing. Simple, sleeveless dresses with interesting designs are amazing, they are light and loose and not too air tight. This exact dress is from H&M but I can't even tell you haw many places I've seen these inexpensive dresses.

EIGHT // Pastel Oxford

Oxfords are always a classic and great to have, especially pastel colored ones! Pastels are always great for the spring because they brighten up any outfit, and outfits are so versatile and put-together. This one is from Tommy Hilfiger but you can find them at pretty much any store. 

NINE // Printed Shorts

Regular shorts aren't enough for the spring and summer. Any print on shorts will do, but I prefer floral. You can find these easily at Forever 21 and other inexpensive stores. These particular shorts are from J. Crew and they would look great with the pink oxford (8). 

TEN // Haraches 

Haraches are woven leather sandals that are popular in South and Central America. Now the trend is reaching the US! I have seen these many places including American Eagle, Urban Outfitters, and Anthropologie. 

I hope you enjoyed this post, let me know in the comments if you liked this style/structure of a post. Until next time...
xoxo,
Stella

Track Escapades

As I recently informed you in my "Day in The Life" post, I took up track this year. It's been a thrilling ride, both mentally and physically but overall I'm very glad I decided to join. And as the season is coming to a close, I thought I would share my thoughts and experiences with you all. Enjoy!

One of our early morning meets

The initial reason I joined track was because I was not doing any other extracurricular, physical activities at the time. I had just recently quit dance (ballet) after 7 years last spring and my parents were giving me grief about not doing anything active. Which leads me to another reason I joined the track team, to please my parents. But don't think that I didn't do this for myself, I did, I wanted to have fun and do something physical to stay in-shape. One more reason I wanted to join track is because I had heard the track community was very accepting and friendly and after 7 years of bratty dancers, I wanted a change of scenery.

My friends and I before practice one day

I am a pretty cautious person, so I would never let myself do anything completely new without someone I know to share the gut-wrenching experience with me. So I recruited an old friend with a background in swimming and a new friend who I knew would be at the same level of novice as me. The whole school day leading up to the first practice my inside felt twisted and I could practically hear my heart beating, ready to leap out of my cheast (did I mention a have a bit of anxiety?). Words cannot explain the first day of practice let alone the first two weeks! I probably told myself as well as my friends, that I was going to quit. But I made it through the hardest part, my theory was that the coaches were trying to weed out the people who didn't have it in them to keep going, which in the very beginning, was me.

Bathroom stops on the way to meets

Throughout the whole season, my anxiety never went away. Meets were the worst, but at the end of them I always had a good time, it was just leading up to it. It's kind of unfortunate that I stopped being so nervous about practice up until, well, this past Monday. Now for some strange reason, I am so excited for practice, I don't know it it's because its starting to be sunny and warm, or that I have no more meets. Officially, my track season is over, I'm not going to any of the big meets. I never really expected to, I'm definitely not one of the best on the team or even close. But that never bothered me, I did this for me, to have fun and to stay fit, I was never trying to be the best or beat anyone but myself.

Currently I am still going to practice to get a chance to train with the really fast people who will push me and make me better. Plus, my dedication to the team will be recognized and maybe next year I'll be in more meets and the coaches might actually remember my name! Oh, I completely forgot to mention the friends I've made through track, some girls my age who I've known for a while but never really been close to, and some sophomores too. I look forward to returning to track for the next three springs until I graduate, it's been great. I hope you found this post interesting and maybe even a bit encouraging, let me know if you liked this post and I'll be sure to write more about my experiences in high school. Until next time!

xoxo,

Stella