Motivational Tuesday #6

Because Beyonce!

Much Love,

Lindsey

An Open Letter to Women

I feel like lately when I've turned on tv or read about anything in the media I have been truly saddened by how women are letting themselves be treated in the world. Between the Sam Pepper crap or pretty much anything having to do with the NFL, I get pretty bummed out about the state of women's rights. I have been lucky in life because I grew up with a very caring father, a loving brother, some very strong women role models, and currently have a boyfriend who loves me and treats me with respect.

As a woman who has gained a small spotlight in the world, I want to set an example for other girls and let them know that who you are is worth fighting for. It will be a hard won battle, where people will constantly be trying to change who you are or tear you down. I just want to let anyone who feels this way know, that you should never sacrifice who you truly are. Life will be so much more satisfying being who you want to be. And I wish you the best of luck.

There's a quote I saw recently and that I thought really sums up how I feel I want to live my life.

"Whatever you choose, however many roads you travel, I hope that you choose not to be a lady. I hope you will find some way to break the rules and make a little trouble out there. And I also hope that you will choose to make some of that trouble on behalf of women." Nora Ephron

Have a great week. Much Love,

Lindsey

Lustful Fridays #13 (Bad Luck? NO WAY)

It's lucky number Lustful Fridays the 13th! Does this mean bad things? Gosh I hope not. I'm pretty sure we should just keep on truckin'. Hopefully your Friday is fantastic and full of all the wonderful things you could ever wish for. Here are some things I'm wishing for!



Yummmmm Butterbeer Frappachino. This little guy is one of the special fraps on Starbuck's "secret menu". I put it in quotes because it's Starbucks sanctioned, you just have to ask for the right bits in the recipe of your drink and voila, secrets become reality. I always wonder what to do with those freebies I get with all my Starbucks stars in the app and now I am going to start trying all of these drinks! Starting with the Harry Potter related one, duh!



I am still not eating pie, so I am always searching for things that look like pie, or taste like pie, but are healthier. I'm not sure these are actually better for you, but I'm willing to try them out, feel a little like Fall and indulge in some pie-like goodness.



As some of you budding fashionista might know, it is Paris Fashion Week. All of the Spring goodness is flooding the runways and I am getting so excited for what is to come. I never get to buy any of this stuff in real life, I just go to H&M or Zara to hit the inspired by pieces, but I can still get excited for what's to come. The crop top is still having it's moment in the sun (thank goodness because I love it), and how about these pants. This outfit is Balmain, which is definitely out of my price range, but how lovely will it be when there are some printed pieces like this for us regular girls?



Anyone who has taken a quick look around my house knows that I am obsessed with having plants around. I think having things growing brings good energy and better air to your living space. Does science back that up? Not sure, but I still believe it. I love these little cacti in all different colors. I am totally making one of these in my house.



Speaking of plants, how about this adorable little Mr. King wannabe in his Chia Pet outfit? So stinking cute.



I'm still on the lookout for awesome office stuff. These pastel colored accessories are exactly what I'm looking for. Maybe I can even just paint some of my plain white ones to match my tangerine dream room! Ombre orange boxes perhaps? I think so!



I am obsessed with these shoes. Ever since dying my hair pink I know always think, "I NEED ALL THE PINK THINGS" I would be towering over Danny, but whatevs. Look how fun they are!



Another favorite from PFW... this amazing trench from Lanvin. So pretty and feminine. I need to get me a trench for Fall.



And my last fav from Paris is this Balmain jumpsuit. It comes in red too and is just amazing. I love jumpsuits and am glad they're sticking around for another season.

That's it for this week! What are you obsessing over right now?

Much Love,

Lindsey

Ask Lindsey #2

My second Ask Lindsey made it's appearance up on my YouTube today! Check it out if you want to know a little more about me!

[embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G9MUkf0eI4A[/embed]

Much Love,

Lindsey

Motivational Tuesdays #5

Everyone always asks me how to get a bikini body? My answer is and always will be: just put on a bikini. Confidence is your best asset. Exercise won't hurt, but everyone feels uncomfortable sometimes. It's just about playing up your best assets and being happy with yourself!

Much Love,

Lindsey

Love Songs Playlist

Love is the air! It's wedding season and it got me thinking about some of my favorite love songs. I'm about to get mushy on y'all. I like to think that I have a pretty eclectic taste for love songs. I'm not just listening to Celine Dion and getting all weepy. There's more to it than that. Great lyrical content is super important to me. The song could sound not very love song-y and then you pay more attention to the lyrics and it opens up your eyes to a whole new perspective on what a good love song is. Here's some of my favorite <3

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=450p7goxZqg

"All of Me" John Legend

Ok, I so I just completely contradicted myself. This one is so obviously a love song. But, I love how it talks about the imperfections of their relationship, but that it doesn't really matter. That's true love. Plus, how could you not love Chrissy Teigen?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8ELh8eOzq_0

"Kanye" The Chainsmokers

Because nobody loves anyone like Kanye loves Kanye.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IaI5JCxOCdw

"Waiting Game" Banks

This song is so sad to me. Nothing like tour getting in the middle of a budding relationship. Listening to the songs just isn't the same when the person is gone.  It's a moving and sad love song.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YYc9NPiVw7c

"Photograph" Ed Sheeran

Nobody writes a good love song like Ed Sheeran. This guy kills it. Yes, it's another song about the guy being away and hoping she'll wait for him to come home. Tour songs hit such a note with me because it's such an integral part of Danny and my relationship. There's some pretty good advice for making things work in this song.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6PSAxJfN1D4

"Paperweight" Joshua Radin

This was my favorite song when Danny and I first started dating. They're voices are perfect together and it reminds me of young love. Ah, those were the days. So innocent and silly.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tg00YEETFzg

"We Found Love" Rihanna

This song almost always brings me to tears. It describes pretty well how I felt when Danny and I weren't together. I always missed him so much and just didn't want to move on. It also makes me really sad that Rih wrote this for Chris Brown. He doesn't deserve something so beautiful to be about him even if it is brought on by the emotion of being involved with him.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ok2tZ9oWMRM

"Miserable at Best" Mayday Parade

Speaking of crying... grab a tissue real quick. This one's a killer.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F9d164fwsSA

"Tautou" Brand New

This is hands down my favorite song ever written. I know it's an intro to entire amazingly awesome album, but something about this always gets me. There are only two lines in the whole song, repeated over and over. "I'm sinking like a stone in the sea. I'm burning like a bridge for your body." That just sounds like how love feels sometimes. Really amazing, but also really, really hard. I don't know how to explain why I love that so much, it just has always been my favorite.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TOM4WWCh7GQ

"You Be Tails, I'll Be Sonic" A Day to Remember

I love how this song sounds just metal, and then you pay attention to the lyrics and it's a super sad breakup song. "I miss your family and I miss all our friends"... It gets a little aggressive at the end with the "All of the things that you love, are all the things that I hate", but this is one of those songs that is so much deeper than you realize from the first listen.

Well, I'm not exactly sure this playlist turned out so positive. There's a lot of sad love songs, but still lovely. Now everybody go get some chocolate as this was kind of depressing and we now deserve it :)

Much Love,

Lindsey

Lustful Fridays #12

Happy Friday from Tampa International Airport! We are on our way to Boston for the wedding and I have a little time to write out some things I loved this week. Here goes nothin':




First off, This little guy is in my budget. Despite all my minimalist tendencies, I also gravitate toward statement pieces that add something interesting to any outfit. That's why I love Mara Hoffman so much (more on that later). I could be wearing a neutral outfit and add a funky bag to give it a little more personality. I love that.


I found this lovely Alexander Wang bag on Eva Chen's Pinterest page. She's the editor of Lucky, has impeccable taste and takes some of the best Instagram pics ever. This bag is gorgeous. I think I am very minimalist at heart. I love neutrals and black. This might be my new aspire to bag. It's just hard to imagine spending the money on it. I guess I will just love it from afar for now <3



I've been thinking a lot lately about getting some new ink. I only have my lip tattoo so far and wouldn't mind getting a little something. I have my heart set on getting it on my forearm-ish area and have it say something mermaid-y. These are two little ones that I think are perfect. Danny's not too fond of the idea, but I'm still holding on to hope he'll come around. Either way, I can do what I want, it just would be more fun if he was into it too.



Gabi, who is my partner in crime at work, pointed out how awesome burgundys look with my new pink hair. She even talked me into buying a new sweater yesterday just because it matched my hair. In our defense, it does look awesome. But now I want to wear dark reds and burgundys everywhere. Coincidentally, Urban Decay came out with their Naked3 palette pretty recently and it is chock full of bronzey reds, rose golds and in general, perfect colors for my skin tone and new hair color. I don't usually wear a lot of eyeshadow, but when in Rome right? I should be getting my first Naked palette early next week.



So I know that the sneaker wedge has been around for a little while and that it's probably about time for it to go out of style, but I just love it. I think it's so stinking cute and should probably bite the bullet and grab a pair for myself. These are Isabel Marant and are definitely not cheap, but I bet I can find something similar pretty easily that I will love just as much. Great shoes for Fall right?



This orange leather skirt has my heart. I have no idea where it's from, but it's tangerine dream-y for sure. I don't wear a lot of leather because Florida. But this doesn't seem so bad. I'm going to definitely be searching the racks for this in the upcoming months.

We are in desperate need for some funky pillows for our new couch (I know, first world probs). I love the couch itself, but it came with all these whack-ass throw pillows that match the "theme" of the couch. I think they're ugly and plan on slowly switching them out for more fun ones, such as these mermaid-ish pillows. Hopefully Danny won't notice hehe.



I am obsessed with these Janis Bells by Novella Royale. They're a cotton blend so super comfy and really stinkin' cute. We carry them in Shore, but they always sell out before I can get a pair. It won't happen this time though. As soon as the next round arrives, they're mine!



And last but not least, I put in Shore's order for Mara Hoffman's Spring Collection and I can't wait to get the shorter dress version of this jumpsuit. I love this print. Good job Mara!

Alright y'all, my plan for the weekend is to post as many pictures of Boston and wedding festivities as humanly possible. Keep an eye out and tell me what you think in the comments!

Much Love,

Lindsey

THE STORY BEHIND PINK HAIR <3

PINK HAIR IS UPON US! We finally reached our goal of 200,000 subscribers on our YouTube channel! And with that I had promised I would dye my hair pink to commemorate! I was so lucky to have an amazing stylist, Emily Pond with Apartment 12 in Sarasota, who brought all my pink hair dreams come to life. I made a little video to talk about how we got here and to answer some questions. PINK HAIR 4 LIFE! (or at least until I don't love it anymore hehe)

[embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R7aNTn44GZE[/embed]

And some other pics:



Much Love,

Lindsey

Motivational Tuesday #4

Sometimes motivation just needs to be silly to try and get through everything. It's been another crazy week for me. I worked Monday and today at Shore, have an appointment tomorrow to get my hair dyed PINK for the DLV, am going with Danny to our second Bucs game of the season on Thursday and fly to Boston for a wedding on Friday! Whew... I'm getting whooped and I haven't even done everything yet. Luckily, it seems like it's a good night for a glass or two of wine. I thought this throwback photo taken out front of a bar in Seattle when we were there last month really hits the nail on the head of funny drunkenness. I'm going to try and get sophisticated tonight hahaha

Much Love,

Lindsey

Organizing a Small Closet

I have been working on cleaning out this guest bedroom closet to make it my own little space since August 1st. I was finally able to get through all the junk with tons of trips to Goodwill and the trash can. I added a fresh coat of white paint and got to organizing. I work in retail and spend the majority of time merchandising and organizing the store so, I have a lot of experience making clothing look appealing. It only seemed fair that if I have to do it all day at work, I should also be able to do it at home.

On the top shelf, I made sure to only put things that are either easily visible or not used very often. The two big Ikea boxes all the way to the left have old Halloween costume items and winter things such as gloves, hats and scarves (I won't use these in Florida until maybe January). Next to those is a basket of belts and hats. Accessories that are light and easy to bring down when needed. Followed by that, are my jeans folded so I can easily grab them and go. Next is an old wire shelf that have baskets from TJ Maxx on them. These baskets hold all my camera accessories, iPhone/iPad accessories, and another Tupperware filled with miscellaneous cords. To the far right, and not visible to the outside, are big Tupperware bins filled with mementos like baby clothes, pictures and tons of my old books.

Below the shelving is a long hanging rod to hang as many pieces as possible. I bought new felt hangers that are super thin so I can hang a surprisingly large amount of clothing. I also bought a velcro attached hanging cubby thing so I could fold some of my clothes down like sweaters (which either grow on hangers or take up a ton of space), sweatshirts and my workout clothes at the bottom. (I feel like if they're right out in the open I'll be more likely to put them on and go running!) For my shoes, I used a shoe rack so I could stack them all up behind each other. I also fit a set of wicker drawers where I had a little space left. It houses all my purses, shorts and bras in it. On top of that, is a basket of extra flip flops.

Overall, I think my new closet is a success. It definitely took longer than I had wanted, but sometimes going through old memories and trying to clean takes up more time than one would hope. I'm spending the next couple of days building my new furniture for the office area of the room. More pictures to come! I hope this helped gather some ideas on how to be more organized in your life.

Much Love,

Lindsey

FOOTBALL PARTY!!!!

IT'S FOOTBALL SEASON AND WE WANT TO THROW A PARTY!!! We had plans to turn this Sunday into the party of the season at our house, but then we got tickets to go to Universal and go to mother effing HARRY POTTER LAND! So, the party will have to wait until after we get back from Boston, but I have all these great ideas that I thought could come in handy for all of your sporting events coming up. Put links and ideas in the comments if you have any good ones to add!



I am making everyone a dang cup. I want them all to look like a football and have their name on it. It will be cute, but also, it's totally needed so no one loses their cup. I am the type of person who can take a theme and run with it. Plan on seeing tons of footballs hehe



I made these football brownies for the Super Bowl and they were a huge hit. You can't really go wrong with brownies. Dessert always wins hearts.

    

Another set-up that I want to try is to do is bars of items. A mimosa bar, bloody mary bar and Frito bowl bar are all in the cards for our game day. The Fritos are cool because it's easy. Grab a bag of Fritos, have some chili to add in, as well as some toppings, and tell guests to add everything right into the existing Frito bag. There's no real clean up and it's a yummy little meal. The bloody mary bar is fun for earlier games and while the mimosa bar would be perfect for that too, it's also a good transitional beverage to have something light and refreshing available all day. 

Hot dogs are a must do at our house. These mini ones wrapped in a crescent looks so good. It's a good way to make hot dogs looks more appetizing to people who don't usually eat them. I think those people are crazy, but can relate to not wanting to eat random things (i.e. chicken for me).



The last idea that I want to implement into our party is to label our coolers. We have some friends who only drink beer for football games and we have some friends who haven't had a sip of alcohol in years. Before they each go digging around in the ice, I want to make sure they know what they're getting into. I think it's just courteous.

I thought these ideas were cute and practical. If you have any other good ones let me know!

Much Love,

Lindsey

LUSTFUL FRIDAYS #11

Happy Friday loves! It's been a crazy week in the Bell/Duncan household! We finally got our new couch! Moving out the old one was tough, but getting the new one in was well worth it. We are also preparing for our trip to Boston next week and I am finally finished painting my closet! I'm constantly working on improving our home and in turn, our lives. Always craziness around here. Don't think all of our things going on would keep me from window shopping and finding some things to lust over this last week. I can always find something <3



I am super excited because we are less than 150 subscribers from 200,000 over on our YouTube page! And as promised, once we hit 200k, I am getting pink hair! It started with me tweeting and asking what we should do for 200k. There were a ton of ideas that came in from our followers, but the overall most requested was that I dye my hair so I have mermaid hair. There were a ton of suggestions for red like Ariel, or blue/green like water, but Danny's favorite was pink. So, we decided on pink. I am terrified that all my hair will fall out from having too much dye on it, or it will look awful on me. What I have to keep reminding myself is that it's going to be a really cool celebration of how far we have come. I can't wait to get in and see my stylist next week hopefully!!!!



Next up, nails for the wedding next weekend. I'll be going on Thursday morning to get new shellac before we head to Boston. I always do neutral nails, but want to switch it up and do something a little funky. I think the black tips to match my accessories and shoes will be perfect. 

I love this Blue Life clothing line. We carry the clothes at Shore and will be starting this Fall carrying the workout line too. I love cute workout clothes that can double as wearable comfy clothes too. I will basically be living in these laser cut pieces 24/7.

Dear Santa, Please? I am pretty David Yurman obsessed. I don't wear a lot of jewelry, but love stacking bangles. Bracelets are just my thing. I love that these are monochromatic and chunky. I'm all about that.



Dear Santa, Also please? Frenchies are my life. I want a frenchie farm in my backyard.



I want everything I own to say this on it. Thank you Beyonce for coining my new favorite thing to say to everyone. I've been saying it completely unseriously in response to everything. Friend: "Linds, you seem spritely today." Me: "I WOKE UP LIKE THIS."



I would love to find some cute, little knuckle rings like this. I have a few of them, but would love to stack them more like these. I love that they're all different and unique. Finally, my bicycle is getting really rusty. It's sad, but I've had it for three years, riding it through salt water all the time. It's only a matter of time before I am riding it and one of the wheels falls off. Considering biking is one of my favorite pastimes, I would like to find a new bike before that happens. I also would like to note that this bike looks like a watermelon and that is awesome. I am going to be keeping my eye out for a bike that's a little different and fun.

Much Love Y'all,

Lindsey

Nerding Out Over iPhone 6 and Apple Watch

I missed the initial announcement showing because I was at Shore all day, but came home super excited to check out the Apple news from today. I will definitely be upgrading during the pre-sale on September 12th. I am going big or going home and getting the iPhone 6 Plus 64GB in GOLD. Can. Not. Wait. I am still rinky dinking around on my iPhone 5, not that it's bad, it's just so exciting to have something new. 

My favorite part of the new operating system and phone? The new iHealth app. I always get so excited to workout when I get new ways to track it. I am sure this will be no different. Will it be weird to workout holding what is essentially an iPad Mini? Maybe. Am I willing to look past that? Absolutely. I am also pretty excited to try out the new Apple Pay. The best decision I ever made was linking my credit cards to my phone in the Starbucks app. Even if I forget my wallet or lose a card, I always have some extra money handy on there and can grab a bite to eat. It has saved my ass from going the whole day hungry a good number of times. I also like the idea that Danny doesn't have to take out his wallet to pay and then potentially lose it. Keep that thing in your backpack and just pay with your phone babe. Less chance for mishaps. 

I am on the fence about Apple Watch. I think there is a rose gold one so that's cool, but I'm not losing my mind over it like Danny is. It's probably because it does not make it's grand entrance until 2015 sometime. So I have plenty of time to fall in love and need one or I'll die. Danny and I usually have to have his and her everything so I'm sure this will be no different. I am just such an immediate satisfaction person. 

Nothing like a new phone to get ya pumped up!!! 

Much Love, 

Lindsey

MOTIVATIONAL TUESDAY #3

Even when it's not the best week ever and it keeps raining on your parade... There's still beauty to be found. Make it great!

 

Much Love, 

Lindsey

NYFW Spring 15 Review

Hello Fashion Week! It's my dream to go to New York Fashion Week someday. I received my first invite this year, but since it was only for one show and since the owners for Shore weren't making the trip, I also had to miss out on the festivities. Someday though. Someday I will be there checking it out in person. Until then, I will continue to check out the shows and love on everything that is coming up on my favorite blogs. The Cut is my absolute favorite. So after peeking through all of their amazing content, I have picked some of my favorite looks from the weekend. I'll start first with some of the shows and second, some of my favorite street style looks. 

ALEXANDER WANG

Alexander Wang showed my favorite collection from Spring 15. I want a pair of those amazing fitting, high-wasited pants so much. The dresses are cute, girly and structured. All things I love. And I am never one to hate on a crop top. I understand that some people love fashion because it is art, and I can appreciate that perspective. But for me, clothes need to be wearable AND fun. I love that I could actually wear these pieces. 

ALTUZARRA

GINGHAM EVERYWHERE! I love the mix of prints and the girly gingham in Altuzarra's Spring line. I will definitely be emulating these outfits. I can't wait to see more of the front slit on skirts out in the real world where I am able to buy them. I love how sexy it is, but keeping it more demure with the length. I also love that the high-waisted black slack is seen here and in Alexander Wang. The mixed printed top and skirt might be my go to for classier events this Fall. And how cute is the sheer top over the gingham top?! Love this.

BCBG 

 

BCBG surprised me with their line this year. I haven't loved what they've been doing in past seasons, but I really liked some of the looks in this show. I'm glad the girly, flowy look is being seen more. I am not a menswear inspired lover with the exception of a few staples like a nice jacket, tailored slack or cute loafer. I think the oversized, baggy thing is not flattering on most women and am happy to see the clothes moving in more of a structured or girly direction. I am not a fan of the gaucho pants in the last picture, but want the jacket so much I had to include the image. 

CHRISTIAN SIRIANO

Christian Siriano is the real thing. I have always thought very highly of him after his run on Project Runway and am so happy to see him flourish and thrive in the ways that he has. Don't tell Danny, but someday, I want the second image to be my wedding gown. I love it that much. I am also really happy to see how much stark white is on the runways this season. It is one of my favorite colors to wear and I am definitely wearing a ton of white this spring. 

MARA HOFFMAN

Oh Mara, how I love thee. Mara is my girl, but this is not my favorite line she has put out. It is in stark contrast to what she released for Resort 15 and just not quite doing it for me. There are always pieces that I love (and will own), but not as many as in the past. On a positive note though, go ahead and make one of these for me. 

JOIE

I love this line. Joie always keep it classy and sophisticated. Maybe it's how perfect these dresses fit this model or maybe it's because I have so many weddings to attend this year that I still need dresses for, but I love these <3

STREET STYLE LOOKS

  

Danielle Bernstein, Giovanna Battaglia, Hanneli Mustparta, Jacquelyn Jablonski, Rumi Neely, Leigh Lezark

 

Overall, the best part about fashion is displaying who you are. My clothes are an expression of who I feel like I am that day. It's fun to look at what's out there and what people are wearing to get ideas about what I want to be in the future. Sometimes I emulate their looks, sometimes I hate what they wear or sometimes I add a little of their style to mine. Fashion is fun. I hope y'all have an amazing week. See you soon!

Much Love, 

Lindsey

P.S. I was not at Fashion Week and have gotten all the images I used are from The Cut.