disney weekend

all photos copyright of k leandra

finally got my ears! hope you had a great weekend, too ;)

links a la mode — May 19th

Your Blogs Perfect Accessory: Brilliant Pictures

Edited by Denimology
As I was selecting my posts for this weeks Links A La Mode, I realized how important it is to have attractive and original images in your posts. I noticed that I would open a post and close it promptly if the images looked rather..... what's the word... meh.

Here is how to have your blog posts chosen by me [Denimology] for LALM:

• Images Are The Main Course -- A great image will draw in your reader. The image might be beautiful, odd, heartwarming, instructive or just curiosity-provoking, so long as it keeps the reader wanting to read your post.
• Don't Forget To Use an Image -- It’s better to use a generic image than no image at all but ultimately your image should represent what the subject of your post is about.
• High Quality Images Are Best -- We've all heard the saying "Pictures speak a thousand words", but in the blogging world they speak even more. Adding HQ pictures to a blog post will visually stimulate your readers and help them identify with you, the writer.
• Resize Your Images -- While images can make your blog looked polished and professional, having images that hang over into the margins or that are cut off is sloppy blogging.

Links à la Mode: May 19th

• And She Loved: How to DIY more-- list of resources for DIY projects and ideas
• Beautifully Invisible: 5 Things Jack Sparrow Taught Me About Fashion & Makeup
• bestofbklyn: Summer getaway essentials
• Beyond Fabric: Incorporating ethnic pieces into your attire
• Chic 'n Cheap Living: Wardrobe staple: Trouser jeans
• Denimology: Denimology's 5th Anniversary 'Free Jeans Every Day In May' Denim Giveaway Want free jeans? We have Lots to give away!
• fashionablynumb: Angel Garcia The Label Whore. People who get carried away with labels and logos.
• For Those About to Shop: 10 great designer quotations
• ggfashionista: A tutorial in how to achieve a chic headband look with a scarf
• IFB: New IFB Feature -- Twitter/Livestream Chat
• Kirstin Marie: A shopaholic's tips
• Mary Jane Girl: Kristen Leotsakou Interior design: do's, don'ts and must have items
• My Favorite Fashion: Victoria Vintage Vision: how & why vintage fashion has become so popular
• Rose tinted uncertainty: Rhona Nolan - Should we pick one look or reserve our right to be polystylish???
• Sample Sale Sites: Jeans Make A Difference - Denim Unites For Peace
• Speak2Ashley: Style lessons from French women, the French way
• StyleSizzle: How to build a better wardrobe
• Styling You: Why the colour navy is so Posh
• Stylish Thought: Are you a Savage Blogger?
• TheStylishButterfly: Confessions of a new blogger: High fashion vs. real fashion
• ThisIsAYes: Summer Ready? - from less Makeup to more Sailing, Mint Green Dresses, more Maxi Skirts and Round Sunglasses
• truequeen: 11 Ways to Revamp Your Dresser

SPONSOR:
Sexy Tops at Shopbop: Vena Cava, Blue Life, Monrow, Vince, Wildfox,
LnA, Equipment blouses, LAMB, Zac Posen, Rachel Roy & Jill Stuart

30 day photo challenge

while wasting valuable time on pinterest the other night, i found this 30 day photography challenge. one purpose of starting this blog was to get more into photography. not as a full-on hobby or serious profession, just for fun. so i thought this would be cool to do.

problem: i sold my point-and-shoot to by an iPhone 4. still a wise pay off? of course! i love my iPhone and I've found a handful of camera apps that have really been useful. that way, i don't have to upload my pictures to my mac and edit or retouch or whatever.

problem – the sequel: remembering to actually open those apps so that at opportune moments, i can click away.

case in point: last friday, i went out to the mall, dinner and dessert with friends. we ate at a fairly high end restaurant with dim mood lighting, beautiful decor and pretty decent food (plated nicely, not so good flavor-wise). we had a great time, but did i take pictures?

naw.

not even when one of my friends broke out his dslr and took pictures of all of us outside the restaurant. there i was, posing, iPhone in hand. no camera app open. not even thinking about taking pictures too.

after dinner, we hit a frozen yogurt joint that was close by. only then, while looking at the horrible typesetting on their menus and advertisements, did i even think about taking pictures. and then, i only took 3 (>_<). and i wasn't in any of them.

i'm going to try my hardest to stick to this challenge. even when taking a picture feels awkward, i'm just going to do it and get over it! and at the end of each week, i will post 7 days worth of photos. fingers crossed!

links a la mode — May 12th

Savage Blogging

Edited by Vahni of Grit & Glamour

Savage Beauty. Don't tell me you haven't heard the paradoxically exquisite title of the Alexander McQueen exhibit currently mesmerizing the fashion world and the blogosphere. I mention it for two reasons. First, a couple bloggers in this week's roundup show you the exhibit in New York—as well as a satellite version in London—through their own lenses. So if you didn't know about it, check out their posts and resurrect your fashion cred.

Savage Blogging. Now that's my title, and while it was inspired by the McQueen exhibit, it also characterizes the approach many bloggers take, as well as entries this week that speak to the issue. Want to be haute stuff in the blog world, like The Sartorialist? Think it's all a numbers game? Well, I certainly hope not. That is savage blogging: when your objective ceases to be the art of it, the connection, and you are devoured by an obsession with your numbers. When you get so big that you forget you used to be a nobody until fellow bloggers read your blog and lifted you up. When you stop conversing, and simply become a talking head. With a camera. No thanks.

As blogging and social media mature, many are finally realizing what my mama told me years ago: You get more flies with honey. Don't be savage bloggers, loves. When you give and interact genuinely, your star will shine, I promise you. Your numbers will grow, and people won't write you any "open letters" to remind you that you've gotten a little too big for your britches. Honey, honeybuns. Got it?

Links à la Mode: May 12th

• A Reason to be Fabulous: The classic white button-down remixed for work and play.
• Best of Bklyn: The six shoes every girl should have for a complete shoe wardrobe.
• Beyond Fabric: How to solve your hemming conundrums.
• Boheme Noir: The 20 most pointless designer accessoires ever.
• Brunette Blogging: Blogging Commandments — do's and don'ts for bloggers.
• By Anika:Colouring outside the lines, in fashion and in life.
• Consider Me Lovely: Things I Now Know For Sure (lessons in blogging)
• Dozen Dresses: The First-Timer's Guide to Shopping In Paris
• Decoding Dress: An open letter to Scott Schuman (The Sartorialist)
• Finding Tokyo: Why do you blog? It's not about numbers....it's about the connection.
• Grit & Glamour: Shots You Never Saw and What They Taught Me
• HauteWorld: Harvey Nichols brings "Alexander McQueen: Savage Beauty" to London.
• Her Catwalk: 7 More Ways to Stop Impulse Spending
• IFB: How to Break the Ice at Events
• KP Fusion: Moment of Honesty: What's the purpose of your blog?
• Letters to Daria: Travel in style or comfort?
• Lights So Bright: The difference between leopard and cheetah prints.
• NY Don't Leave Me: Tackling sandals and socks!
• Shoeperwoman: The Trouble with Dresses
• The Citizen Rosebud: The I.O.U. Project—a new online venture aiming to make a difference.
• This Is A Yes: Alexander McQueen Exhibit at the Met

SPONSOR: Suiting at Shopbop: Ellery, Theory, DKNY, Georgie, Sachin + Babi, Alberta Ferretti, Ports 1961, Sunglasses, Tibi dresses & Sale

what i love this week: week of may 9th

1. Starbucks Mocha Coconut Frappuccino:
my usual drink of choice (venti skinny iced caramel macchiato) has just been put on hold. i believe this drink is only for the summer and while i want it to stay year-around, having it for a limited time makes my waistline thankful.

2. butter London nail lacquer in “West End Wonderland”:
inspired by Lauren Conrad's post on thebeautydepartment.com, i went searching for glittery polish and was excited to see Ulta has started carrying butter in their stores.

two years ago, i purchased my first polish from them and was very pleased with the quality and the color. so much so that it pained me to throw it out when it got old.

the glitter is noticeable but not so much that it looks like you have studio 54 on your hands. and it looks effortless and put together for day and night!

3.Path app:
i am pathetically having a hard time removing social media from my life. i recently removed facebook (if u can call it that since i reactivate my account to spy on my friends weekly) but still have twitter. and the majority of my real friends don't use twitter, which leaves them out of the know.

path allows me to share more personal moments with those friends. they believe that the average person knows at least fifty in the outer boundary of their personal networks, maintains regular contact with about twenty and have five people whom they consider to be close friends.

i'm not one of those people who feel the need to share everything ("i'm in the bathroom", "eating while at a red light", "i have a migraine -_-") but i'm sure at least some of my friends who kept up with me on fb would like to know when i'm doing something interesting…i hope.

4. Blake Lively's red hair:
at first i found it unsavory. but now it has grown on me and i kind of prefer it ;) she looks like a classy little mermaid, doesn't she?

cat eyes

style envy — Emma Stone

Emma Stone has been on my radar since her infamous Golden Globes number. which im not even going to post because it is highly likely i'll die from it's sheer genius.

here are a few of her most recent killer looks. whoever her stylist is deserves a congratulating.

photo creds: here, here and here

What I'm Listening To — May '11

<3

links a la mode — May 5th

Tipped Off

Edited by Meghan Donovan at WIT & Whimsy
This week's Links a La Mode demonstrates the one thing we fashion bloggers aren't afraid to do. Give advice. With all the shopping, hunting, reading and networking we do across a multitude of channels, it's no surprise that we develop certain skills when it comes to finding the best bargain, tracking down the ultimate vintage find or just knowing how to dress for our body type. Read up on all of this week's posts featured in Links a la Mode for a wealth of information for everything from dos and dont's to curbing those nasty little shopping habits we all can be guilty of here and there.

Links à la Mode: May 5th

• Beautifully Invisible: Guide to Saving Fashionably
• Chic n' Cheap Living: 5 Ways to get Your Dream Wardrobe
• Divas & Dorks: Designer Profile of Lily & Migs
• Dressing with Courage: Guide to Shopping for Vintage Online
• Everything Just So: Alexander McQueen Debuts at the Met
• Fashioned By Love: 12 Style Rules to Live By
• Fashionably Numb: Tips to Spot a Counterfeit
• Fiamma's Fashion Spot: Nicolas Ghesquière for Balenciaga
• Her Catwalk: 6 Ways to Stop Impulse Buying
• IFB: Tips for Photographing Fashion Shows
• I Got Style & I'm Fab: Socks and Sandals: Do or Don't?
• Lady in Lycra: Fashion Fundamentals
• My Fashion Juice: Why the Classic Trench is a Wardrobe Essential
• North on Harper: What Should Really Be in Your Clutch
• Oranges and Apples: Notes on Editorial Style Outfits
• Pink Chai: Tips to Clean Out Your Closet
• Splendiferous Inclinations: What to Wear to Summer Music Festivals
• Style Confessions: The Curvy Girl's Guide to Looking Good in Jeans
• Style Every Day: The Online Shopper's Guide to Free Shipping
• WIT & Whimsy: The Spring 2011 Essentials You Should be Wearing
• Words by Jessie: Patriotism Makes a Return to our Wardrobes

SPONSOR:
Tory Burch at Shopbop: Bags, Wallets, Clutches, Dresses, Shoes, Flats, Sandals, Sunglasses, Shop the Runway & Outlet Sale

Palette: RVC Ice Cream

this ice cream is crazy delicious. and i'm all out.
hope you all are having a great weekend!

fresh coat

 

Peachy from Revlon

Photo by k leandra 

can't stop looking at my fingers. i adore this peach color! super flattering and summer ready.

this {past} weekend

follow my blog with bloglovin
i stayed surprisingly busy (in my opinion of course).



luau-themed graduation party
i was recruited into helping serve food. the decorations were simple and nice, but that cake? creepiness. we left right after we fulfilled our duties.


disney world
it feels like we were on block-out for ages! but we finally got to go sunday afternoon. magic kingdom wasn't too bad once you get past all the fathers with strollers. and we barely had to wait in line for any rides.

sadly, we had to whip through epcot because we were starving and had to rush to chipotle to use our free burrito cards. that, on the other hand, took forever because we parked at the boardwalk which means you have to:
           • take the monorail back to MK
           • switch to another monorail to get to epcot
           • take a long, drawn out tour of epcot like you've never been there before
           • start at the beginning and go all the way through world showcase
           • take a boat (or walk if you have the stamina) to the boardwalk
           • walk all the way to your car from the boardwalk

so we got our exercise :)

can't stop!

 

sources: here, here and here

 

seriously, i cannot stop pinning. it is such an amazing website! if i could get paid to stay on there all day and look at all the boards, i so would.

you can follow all of my likes and boards here and i will follow back if i like what i see.

links a la mode — April 28th

More than Meets the Eye

Edited by Fajr Muhammad at Stylish Thought

When you visit a fashion blog you often see a stylish blogger posing in a perfectly, put together outfit with gorgeous scenery. What you don't see is the work that goes into curating and maintaining a fashion blog. This week the theme across IFB was outfit posts: what deems an outfit worthy, what goes into creating a stunning visual post and ultimately the comments (some not so nice) that we receive as style bloggers. Ultimately, blogging is a way to express our love for fashion and personal style but as this week's links can attest to, there is much more to fashion blogging than meets the eye.

Links à la Mode: April 28th

• Best Of Bklyn: Wardrobe Emergency Kit
• Beyond Fabric: A Pinch of Ethnicity
• Consider Me Lovely: Blush + Gold
• Dress with Courage: Dealing with Negative Comments
• Elle Enchanted: On Fashion Blogging
• Fashioned By Love: This Strange World of Fashion
• Fashion in Films: Safe vs. Sexy
• Fashion Limbo: The Rant- Skinny No More
• Forever Amber: Adventures in the Magic Garden Centre
• Grechen Blogs: Why I Stopped Reading Fashion Blogs
• Grit & Glamour: On the Unexpected Beauty of Social Media
• Independent Fashion Bloggers: Blogging Against Adversity
• Lady in Lycra: Address Your Style
• Over 50 Feeling 40: Pondering Much More than an OOTD
• Sample Twenty Nine: Comment Courtesy
• Stay in the Lines: Breezy Blocking
• Stylish Thought: What I Wore- Fallen Robots
• The Fashion Grove: There are Ghosts Towns in the Ocean
• The House in the Clouds: Tattoos. Expression or Accessory
• The Quirky Martini: The Buzz about Fashion Bloggers
• Un-Stitched: Creating Amazing Outfit Posts

SPONSOR:

New Sunglasses at Shopbop: Stella McCartney, Tom Ford, Ray Ban, YSL, Marc Jacobs, Carrera, DITA, Gucci, Phillip Lim & Super Sunglasses