Hi, loves!
I’m so excited to share this fun look with you today!
I found these crazy brushstroke print TOMS at Nordstrom Rack during the last “Clear the Rack” sale (side note, another sale starts today!!) and have been waiting to find the perfect outfit to wear them with around town. Best thing is, they’re so comfortable! I love how platforms (or flatforms) give you height like heels, but don’t kill your feet. A strap across the ankle helps as well to hold you in and to alleviate pressure. These particular wedges are sold out, but the black & white brushstroke version is still available here.
On another, wildly different note, I’ve been working on editing my closet. I wouldn’t necessarily call it a purge, but I’d been noticing that there are lots of dresses, tops, shoes, etc. that I just haven’t been reaching for and basically, no longer care to keep around. If you’re interested in shopping my closet, check out my Poshmark account, where I’ve been posting a lot of goodies (at a fraction of retail.) If you don’t have an account, feel free to use my code “PTVAA” when signing up and you’ll get $10 off your first purchase. Full disclosure, I also get $10 when you buy something, but I wouldn’t recommend it if I didn’t love it already!
I’m also putting together a “how-to-organize-your-closet” post, but it’s difficult to find ideas that don’t sound cliché or that you haven’t heard a thousand times before. Turn the hangers when you wear something, use the “have you worn it in 6 months” rule… Then there’s the Marie Kondo method of thinking – does it spark joy. I read her book with such excitement and motivation after the completion of each chapter. I, of course, could not wait before reading to the end of the book before I started off on my cleaning exploration. I did end up clearing out a lot of things that I wasn’t using anymore, but the “sparking joy” part was much more difficult for me. It actually made me kind of sad! I would hold up a top I bought 2 years ago, tags still attached, and ask myself “does this blouse spark joy for me?” The truth is that I had bought the top even though it didn’t fit me at the time, and it still doesn’t fit! Did it go in the toss/donate/sell pile? Nope. It stayed right where it was. Partially because I do think that I will eventually lose the weight to be able to fit into it, but I’ve also learned that I love to collect beautiful things. Even if they don’t serve a practical purpose, and even if I can’t wear them out of the house right now, I like to have pretty things around me. So it made me sad because I realized I could never be one of those people with the gorgeous, minimalist, and streamlined closets with 2 coats, 4 t-shirts, a pair of pants and 3 pairs of shoes. I’m a girl who loves having options, and as superficial as it sounds, I enjoy shopping my closet each morning. So yes, I’ll hold on to the things that might not fit currently, or the things that might be considered not on-trend anymore but they fit really well. So instead, my post will be more about organizing what you do have and making it so you’ll be excited to get dressed every morning and taking some of the stress out of it. Until the post us up, feel free to check out the Pinterest board I’ve created of some of the most inspiring closets around 🙂
Button-down / StitchFix // Skirt / ASOS // Platforms / TOMS // Sunnies / Amazon // Bag / vintage // Bracelet / Fab.com // Necklace / Kyle Chan Design
Shot by Holli Zenko Photography.
Pre-shower, I definitely recommend dry exfoliating with a 
Moving on to after-shower items, the very first thing I do when I know that I’ll be applying self-tanner is to rub some lotion on my knees and around my ankles/heels and allow a few minutes for it to soak in. There are a few tanners that I adore, of varying price points. The Bath & Body Works Bronzing Self-Tanning Lotion is my out-and-out favorite. It’s a bit pricey, at $15 a tube, but it leaves the most gorgeous slightly shimmery, believable and streak-free glow. The 
I really love how vibrant this bag is. It looks great when paired with neutral tones, like I did here, but also could stand up to other brights or against a busy print. It has tons of interior space, as well as a flap that folds over and opens up to even more storage. At first, I was worried that it might be one of those bags that anything that you put inside, you can see it from the outside (such as a cell phone, notepad, etc.), but the shape stays pretty much the same unless you overload it. The strap is also long enough to wear as a shoulder bag or crossbody. Basically, I love this bag haha!
Next up was this satiny sleeveless split neck top. I LOVED the print and fabric and it was slightly shorter in the front than in the back, which would have been pretty flattering had it fit. It was perfect in the bust, but way too snug around the hips. It was returned due to fit issues. Top, $58, not purchased.
When I first pulled this blouse out of the box, I was a little iffy on the print. Then I realized how versatile it is! You could build an outfit around it, mixing it with pastels or neons, jeans, so many options! It was, again, too tight around my hips so it had to go back. Blouse, $48, not purchased.
These Dolce Vita slides really aren’t my style but I thought I would try them on to see if I could make them work.. The answer to that would be no, haha! They made a hideous squeaky noise and literally flopped off my feet when I tried to walk in them. At the shocking price of $70, they went right back.
Lastly, I received these suuuuuper vibrant cropped pants from Kut from the Kloth. They were reasonably priced at $58, which I think is fair for well-made pants. I can’t say they’re the most versatile bottoms I’ve ever owned, but they can pair with black, white, other jewel tones and fun prints, which is perfect for summer. Cropped pants, $58, purchased.
Hi loves!
