Let’s Talk Swimsuits!

Photographer: Jeff Zoet
Size: M

The world looks a lot different this summer than the last time we switched out our sweaters for our swimsuits. But that doesn’t mean we can’t indulge in a little self care but soaking up the sun on our decks, rooftops, and yards! So I wanted to share some recent Amazon finds that won’t break the bank (seriously why are swimsuits so expensive when there’s hardly any fabric?)!

Photographer: Jeff Zoet

This strappy one piece is only $20 and all 6 color options are available on Prime!

Size: S, but a bit snug

Or if you’re looking for a trendy way to even out your strap tan lines, this adorable, high waisted, bandeau two piece is the perfect option! If the leopard print isn’t quite your style, this cut comes in 29 different patterns and are all under $30.

Hope this helped give you some options for feeling your best this summer! Tag me on Instagram @reeka_22 if you decide to purchase because I would love to see! There’s also a link in my bio to shop all my I Amazon finds.

Red Velvet

Photographer: Jeff Zoet Visuals @jeffzoetvisuals

Looking for the perfect dress to paint the town red for Valentine’s or Galentine’s day? Well this dress is the perfect head turner and you can’t beat a stylish dress with sleeves during these winter months. It also comes in 7 different colors, is only $20, and is available for Prime!

Photographer: Jeff Zoet Visuals @jeffzoetvisuals

Photographer: Jeff Zoet Visuals @jeffzoetvisuals

Valentine’s Day in Silk

Red

Hello Friends!

Sorry that I’ve been so inactive lately, I’ve been struggling with some personal things in my life. But I wanted to take the upcoming holiday as an excuse for a post! I wore this gorgeous silk dress when I went to see my favorite musical- Hamilton! This stunning dress was the perfect dress for a night out in the city and I think it would also be the perfect dress to spend the day of love in, especially if this year you are focusing on self-love. We are in full swing of winter now and it’s hard to stay confident when the weather is getting us down, so it’s important to do little things in our lives to make up feel better. For me that’s finding an outfit that I feel confident in! This dress is one that is flattering for multiple body types and has a lot of versatility on how it can be worn.

And the best part- it’s on amazon prime and under $30! So if you don’t love it as much as I do, it’s an easy return and you’ll have plenty of time to find another outfit that makes you feel like the beauty queen you are!

Montana Mountains

Went on an adventure today in the mountains in my new collared pullover! This tricky little number is actually one piece, which I personally like because I don’t have to keep pulling the undershirt down and readjusting, like I often do when I wear two pieces to get the same sweater/collared shirt combo. It’s well made, so it’s not noticeable that it’s one piece and even have slits up the side to give it even more of a two piece feel.

This pullover is perfect to wear to work or on your next autumn adventure! It comes in this green, yellow, black, grayish-blue, Brown, and light gray.

Today my adventuring led me to an adorable historic town in Montana called Red Lodge. This location has year round, seasonal attractions such as, skiing, snowboarding, and hiking. Or if you like to keep your feet flat ground, there’s plenty of exploring to do in the adorable shops that make up the town.

The Montana Candy Emporium is one of the many tourist attraction in the town that people from all over the world visit to fill up their bags full of candy from the past and present.

Not to mention that it’s filled with other intriguing sights besides the delicious treats. The walls are covered with old phones, old signs, and other nicknacks, while the floors are filled with bins of candy, old toys, and giant fire trucks.

Overall, it’s an adorable little town that’s worth grabbing a coffee from one of the many local cafes and taking a stroll through the shops.

Aladdin on Tour

Aladdin Official Site

I had the incredible opportunity to see the Pittsburgh run of the Broadway production of “Aladdin” last night in the historical Benedum Theatre ! If you have a free night before the cast moves on to a new city on the 10th, this show is a must see.

I am a huge musical buff and I have to say, this is by far one of the best productions I have seen in years. Between the glamour costumes, the intricate backgrounds/props, fireworks, magic tricks, and talented singers- there was something to keep everyone enthralled. Due to this elaborate, stimulating effects, I would warn against anyone going who has sensory issues.

The only problem I had with the show was that the stage combat with the swords seemed a little sloppy. Other than that though, I thought the company adapted the screen version extremely well to fit the constructs of the stage and left nothing to be desired. Instead of the beloved Abu, Aladdin had three friends who added a lot to the humor and the plot, allowing the play to feel whole without the adorable creature. Along with Iago being a human, but the makeup artists and costume desires did a wonderful job mimicking the aesthetics of the cartoon version. The actor even delivered a line to make a joke about the change. The entire play was filled with humor that had the audience rolling. The genie himself could have had a one man show, he was that funny! There were so many lines that were personalized to the culture of the characters, Pop culture, and Pittsburgh itself.

Then of course there was the magic carpet scene was breath taking and worth the ticket price alone.

Florals for *Summer*? Groundbreaking.

But honestly who doesn’t love a good floral patterned dress? Add an open back and some lace and you have the perfect trendy outfit for your summer vacation! It seems that all the top fashion bloggers are rocking open back dresses as they jet-set a cross the country this season. But even if you’re like we and ballin’ on a budget at your nearest tourist beach, you can still have the high quality fashion trends at a low cost efficient price with this high low maxi dress (which come in 10 different colors).

A Box For Lady Bosses

I received a box from the recently launched Stylestarter clothing company and I couldn’t be happier about the content inside! So I wanted to share my experience, because if you’re like me and love new clothes, but are too busy chasing goals to go to a store and shop, you have to check them out! They’ll help you build the perfect style to show off who you are, without interrupting your busy schedule by shipping your brand new style goodies straight to your door every month.

How it works:

1. You select the box you wish to receive

2. You will receive an email request to fill out a Style Survey

3. A stylist will take the information you provided and start shopping!

4. Signed, Sealed, Delivered right to your door!

About the company:

Style starter was founded by lead stylist Kaylee Wilson with the goal of creating stylish custom outfits for the everyday woman. She is currently in her senior year as a fashion and merchandising student at Indiana of Pennsylvania. In addition to her education, Kaylee has experience in visual merchandising and freelance styling. She hopes to empower women through the art of dress.

My experience:

I filled out the survey that I was sent and really felt that I was able to express what I was looking for when wanted to develop my style and add to my closet. The stylist must have asked the right questions, because the three piece outfit I was sent (romper, blazer jacket, necklace/earring set) was definitely something that represented my style! The combination was something that I wanted to wear but may not have thought of without the help of my new personal stylist.

The outfit is perfect with the transitioning weather that we’re experiencing as the seasons are changing. I love outfits that I can wear throughout the seasons so that I feel I get more bang for my buck! The romper is absolutely adorable and the jacket is so versatile. I can wear the jacket with so many other combinations and occasions, especially to work. I have already worn the necklace and earrings a few times already with different outfits. They also sent me a face mask, which I thought was a very sweet touch!

The material and manufacturing of the clothes were great quality. These are pieces that I will be able to wear years to come as they were made to withstand even the most fickle washer and dryer.

If you are looking for a stress free way of showing off your unique personality and style, I hope that you will consider supporting another lady boss’ incredible dream and check out Stylestarter.

More information can be found at shopstylestarter.com or on instagram at @shopstylestarter

Valentines’s Day 2018- Best Friend Brunch Edition

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I had an amazing Valentine’s Day and I hope you all did too! But regardless of whether it was good or bad, we all survived it and made it to February 15th! Being post breakup, I was nervous that the day would be hard to get through, but I am in such a great place personally right now that it just reinforced that I am on the right path.

My best friend Cody is in grad school with night classes and I didn’t have any clients scheduled till late afternoon, so we decided to celebrate our friendship with a tasty brunch. We even kept it heathy with turkey bacon and egg whites. Not to mention cost efficient by shopping at Aldi’s, those flowers were only $2!

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Now for the outfit choice! I of course used Valentine’s Day as an excuse to wear pink and get a little fancy. This dress was purchased on Amazon for $24.99. The dress was extremely comfortable and made from quality material. I loved the ruffled, off the shoulder look and the longer skirt for a classy feel. My only complaint was that the material on the skirt bunched and wrinkled easily, so if you are the type of person who gets annoyed with adjusting your outfit, this is not the dress for you! Overall, I was very happy with my choice of attire for my Best Friend Brunch.

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The back of the dress it also selling point if you are looking for a party dress that’s a little different from the normal go-to-styles. It’s so flirty and fun, with the exposed shoulders and the ruffles, without losing any elegance.

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After we finished eating, we threw on some sweats and got to work! Cody worked on his school assignments, while I finished up paperwork for my job. There’s something about doing a task, that isn’t fun on it’s own, with the ones you love that makes everything so much better.

With assignments and paperwork finished, I headed to my scheduled sessions with my clients to help strengthen their relationships (I’m a Family Based Therapist) with their loved ones and I can’t think of a better way to spend the Day of Love!

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To finish up the perfect Valentine’s Day, I met two of my friends to see “I, Tonya” at an adorable, historical theatre in Squirrel Hill called The Manor Theatre. It was a really funny, though sad because it’s based on someone’s real life, and I would definitely recommend seeing it. It was especially interesting since the Winter Olympics are on right now as well.

Once the movie was finished we heading to Waffallonia (as pictured above) and if you are a Pittsburgh local, this is a must try! You get to ordered fresh waffles with any toppings you want! I had never been before so I kept it with the classic waffle topped with strawberry ice cream, fresh strawberries, and chocolate syrup. They also have Nutella ice cream, which is officially on my “to try” list now! I have a feeling with the weather getting warmer, that this may be my new favorite spot.

Overall it was a wonderful day and I hope that I can carry expressing how I feel about my loved ones over into my every day life, because truly am grateful for every single one of them.

Cinched Wasted Skirt

Happy almost Valentine’s Day! Hope everyone has fun outfits picked out, whether they are celebrating or just want to feel beautiful on a Wednesday!

Here is another great Amazon Find to help transition us from colder weather into the long awaited warmer days. This adorable skirt (under $20!) can be worn on snowy days with tights and an oversized sweater. It also has a cinched waste for adjustable length, so it’s great to wear (as pictured) higher up with a crop top (under $15) for a sexy, but classy feel. This look works perfectly for now as well as spring! For a summer look, just lose the sleeves.

Fringe Fashion

 

Photographer: Josh Gates

 

This budget buy is the perfect way to shake off the winter blues as we impatiently wait for summer festival season! With the flattering bodysuit and leather fringe skirt, it had me feeling like I was ready to dance the day away in the sun or star in a James Bond movie. This piece is very versatile and can be worn to any occasion where you want to stand out and feel great about yourself!

The fringe trend wasn’t to be left in the 20’s on flapper dresses, but came back into style full force last summer. It looks like this summer will be another fringe friendly one as boho trends stay in style and music festivals become more and more popular.

This piece isn’t just perfect for warmer days though, with the black material and leather fringe, it is a great statement outfit to wear right now in the winter with a wine colored bomber jacket or pairing it with a felt-rimmed hat to look effortlessly perfect among the fallen leaves in the fall.