My style took a turn for a more casual side over the summer, and I had a few sweet tees on constant rotation. Who am I kidding, I still have them on repeat. I'm all about getting dressed up, but even I can't resist a comfy t-shirt. Pair it with colorful shorts, leggings, or trusty denim cutoffs and you have yourself a cool and casual summer outfit. I'm looking forward to transitioning these into fall with skinny jeans and booties if the weather would ever cooperate! They say sometimes you have to sacrifice comfort for style, but I say these tees beg to differ.
Instacation Roundup {Chicago}
I took my mom to Chicago for her birthday and we had a blast! Other than rain on Friday when we got there, the weather was absolutely perfect. As in 70 degrees and blue skies, just a light jacket and you're good to go. We stayed at a hotel out in the burbs and took the train into the city each day, which was quite the experience in and of itself. It was fun to do for our trip, but definitely made me appreciate my hometown of Louisville even more. It's funny how we can take little things for granted like having a car and being able to get basically anywhere around town in 20 minutes or less. I don't think you can fully grasp the lifestyle of living in a major city like Chicago until you step foot there and experience it firsthand. I had always thought of myself as a city-type gal, but now I'm thinking I am more suited for suburbia, or at least no where much bigger than good ole' Louisville.
We hit up all the major tourist spots this time around, including the John Hancock building, Millennium and Grant Park, the Navy Pier, a boat cruise, and Wrigley Field! And according to my mom's Fit Bit, we logged more than 40,000 steps over the course of our long weekend. Let me tell you, I was definitely feeling it by the end of the trip. Maybe this will be the motivation I need to get into the gym ... maybe. Next time, because there will be a next time, we want to explore more of the neighborhoods and local spots that you don't really get to see downtown!
I am so glad that I got to make this trip with my mom and see all the sights, but nothing was better than seeing Louisville's (much smaller) skyline as we were coming down 65. Home sweet home.
xoxo,
Amanda
How to Capture the Perfect Outfit Selfie
You know what I'm talking about - the photos all over Instagram with girls (and guys) holding their arms at the most awkward angles to somehow capture their entire body in a little square frame. If you're my neighbor then you've probably been privy to witnessing my one-woman circus act every day on my porch. And don't even get me started on the embarrassing amount of photos I have in multiples of each outfit still saved on my phone, until I get that annoying little message that I've run out of storage. Why can't there just be a magical cloud where all the outfit selfies go? And why is selfie still showing up as misspelled? It's the 21st century, get it together spellcheck! Rant aside, I'm here to share my tips and tricks for mastering the art of the outfit selfie so that you too can share your #ootd with the world.
Take your photos outside.
You're most likely going to be using the front-facing camera when taking an outfit selfie (unless you have Jedi mind powers and can see that your photo is in frame from the other side of your phone - props if you do), so good lighting is a must to compensate for the lower quality. In my experience a nice shady spot outside, like a porch, will give you the best results. You don't want the harshness of direct sunlight but at the same time it can't be too dim either. Unless you have a room with the most epic natural light in your house, I would seek out a spot in the great outdoors.
Find your best angle.
Practice a couple times with each hand and see what feels most comfortable as far as holding the phone and the angle of your body. I consistently use my right hand because that's what comes naturally to me, but someone else might do better using their left side. Also, consider what you're wearing that day. Don't wear your bracelets on the arm that's holding the phone, otherwise they won't be in the shot!
Color, color, color.
I'm going to be 100% honest, there are certain days when I plan an outfit based majorly on how it would look in an outfit photo. This usually means incorporating color into an outfit that I might not have otherwise, or swapping out jewelry for something else that really pops. If you're rocking a bright manicure or lipstick, make sure you showcase that too! Anything you can do to make your #ootd stand out among a grid of thousands is crucial. Once you have the hang of taking pictures like this, you'll know as soon as you hit that post button that it's going to be a winner.
Keep everything in proportion.
This one is a little tricky until you have a lot of practice, but you really have to take care to fill the frame as proportionately as possible. Hold the phone too high and your legs look teeny-tiny, but hold it too low and you don't get to fit your entire body in the shot. You might look like a crazy person moving your phone around every which way, and you will end up with A LOT of useless photos, but it's worth it to get the ultimate shot.
Keep the filters to a minimum.
Sure, that super dark and moody filter might look all artsy and cool, but it doesn't really do much to showcase the outfit itself, which is what we are going for! I use VSCO Cam and have a couple go-to filters that improve the photo subtly and naturally without going overboard. Think brightening and enhancing the colors. Plus, you don't want to share an outfit selfie that totally changes the look of the outfit altogether.
Don't forget to tag the brands you're wearing and use hashtags so your photo will be seen!
xoxo,
Amanda
Insta-cation Roundup {Destin, Florida}
The month of May has all but slipped through my fingers and now it's full on summer mode around here. I haven't blogged since May 8th (yikes!) or even opened my Day Designer for that matter and I fully blame vacation brain and needing to get the heck out of Louisville for a week. My sister trip with Kelly couldn't have been better - the weather was gorgeous and we got to spend quality time together, the ingredients of a perfect mental refresher. There is something so soothing about sitting on the beach, taking in all of the sounds of the ocean, and just focusing on how great it is to be alive at that very moment.
Today I wanted to share an Instagram roundup of our trip in case you missed it (hit that follow button if you did!) I'll be honest, I came prepared with my new camera but ended up taking most pictures just with my phone. I guess that's the world we live in today. I also wanted to be more present and live in the moment rather than worrying about documenting every little thing. It's always fun to look back on photos, but if you didn't get to truly soak in the experience, are those photos really worth it?
xoxo,
Amanda