Spring Outfit Inspiration

All images taken from my S/S Style Pinterest Board

Spring is finally here! The weather in Chicago has been so nice lately that I've been able to pack away my heavy winter coats! Everyone is beginning to transition into their spring wardrobe and I've started thinking about some new pieces I'd like to incorporate into my spring wardrobe. The thing about spring in Chicago is that it is still not quite warm enough to break out the shorts and tank tops, but you can get away with a nice sundress and light jacket if the sun's out and the wind's not too crazy.   

I've realized I need to add some color into my wardrobe. As I've said before, I am very drawn to neutral colors, and it's hard for me to not want to buy things in those colors! I'm not saying I want to suddenly dress in all pastel, but I think a nice pop of color here and there looks really nice. My style is more casual so I like to pair basics with a standout piece.

Here are some of the pieces I'll be wearing this spring:

Denim Jackets
Kimonos
Military Jackets
Flowy Blouses & Tunics
White Jeans
Colored Purses
Distressed Denim
Girlfriend Jeans
Light Sweaters
Striped Shirts
Dainty Jewelry
Flats
White Sneakers
Embellished Sandals

I've been pinning a lot to my Spring/Summer Style board on Pinterest to get inspiration for new pieces to buy and how to style them. You can shop some of my favorite items below.

What are you going to be wearing this Spring?

Spring Wishlist by saraha94 on polyvore.com

Festival Fashion

Festival Fashion by saraha94 featuring high-waisted shorts

Look 1: Sincerely Jules Tank | Rag & Bone Shorts | Ray-Ban Sunglasses | Koolaburra Booties | H&M Scarf | BaubleBar Necklace (similar) | Rebecca Minkoff Bag

Look 2: Aritzia Kimono, Crop Top, and Shorts | Quay Sunglasses | Koolaburra Booties | ASOS Necklace | Kate Spade Bag

Look 3: H&M Top | Urban Outfitters Denim Shorts | Saint Laurent Sunglasses | Sperry  Sneakers | ASOS Belt, Necklace, and Choker | ASOS Hat (similar) | B-Low The Belt Fringe Bag

Look 4:  Spell & The Gypsy Collective Romper (similar) | Ray-Ban Sunglasses | Frye Sandals | Stella & Dot Necklace | ASOS Bracelet and Bag 

I admit I've never even been to a festival before, so I'm a bit of a newbie to this whole thing. But with Coachella having begun yesterday, my Instagram feed has been bombarded with Coachella fashion and I've loved seeing the outfits people have put together. I actually never even thought I would want to go to a festival like Coachella but I've suddenly become very envious of everyone there right now! The atmosphere seems so fun and I've definitely added it to my bucket list.

As I sat in envy, I decided to put together some outfits I think I would wear if I were to ever actually go. I took some inspiration from my favorite celebrity outfits (like this one on Kendall Jenner and this one on Vanessa Hudgens) and kept it causal and comfortable, yet super cute and chic (sorry, that's a lot of C's). I'm loving rompers, vintage denim shorts, kimonos, fringe and statement sunglasses. I'm also really into that ASOS choker, I wore chokers all the time when I was younger and now I may actually really want one again. 

I linked some more items below that I thought would make the perfect Coachella outfit. 

What would you wear if you were going to Coachella?

Festival Fashion by saraha94 on polyvore.com

Review | Sarah Potempa Beachwaver

About a year ago I stumbled upon a hair tutorial video on YouTube when I was trying to learn how to get beach waves and I remember loving the curling iron they were using - the Sarah Potempa Beachwaver. Sarah Potempa is a celebrity hairstylist and tons of celebrities use this curling iron, like Lea Michele, Mindy Kaling, Jamie King and Kaley Cuoco. I showed it to my mom and we were both super impressed by how different it was to other curling irons because it rotates in different directions so that you get the same, even curls on each side.  

I have long and very thick hair so I divide my hair into 3 sections, curling from the bottom layers to the top layer. Choose how hot you want the wand to get, I usually set it at 370 degrees. Then, holding the wand vertically, clip your hair about an inch from the end. When curling the right side of your hair you want to make sure that the clip is facing towards your face and when curling the left side you have it away from your face. Then, depending on what side of your head your curling, you press either the "L" or the "R" button (press "L" if you're working on the left side and "R" if curling the right side). 

Then you press "Go" and hold it while the wand starts to rotate, and let go of the button once all your hair is wrapped around it. It rotates sort of quickly, so make sure you release in time so you don't burn your scalp, I haven't done that but I did get nervous the first time I used it that I wouldn't let go in time!

I usually wait about 10-20 seconds before I unclip my hair, 20 for the bottom layers and 10 for the top layers. Then I take the piece of hair and hold it to let it cool a little and run my fingers through it to make it more of a wave then a curl. 

This is what my hair looked like immediately after curling it. Then I flipped my hair over and ran my fingers though it a couple more times and applied some hairspray to keep the waves in place.

This was the final result and I really loved how it turned out. The thing about this product is that it takes practice. The first time I used it it took so long, because it's so different! I used to spend about 40 minutes curling my hair and this still didn't take as long even on my first try. I eventually got used to it and now I can whip out beach waves in 15-20 minutes! The Beachwaver is awesome because your arms don't get tired from having to hold your hair. While it was a nice arm work out, I'm willing to give it up.

   I have the original Beachwaver that you can get through the Sarah Potempa website, however, you can also pick it up on Amazon or at Ulta or Nordstrom.

If you want to get waves that are on par with Giselle Bundchen's perfect locks and that makes you feel like you've just come from the beach, the Beachwaver will help you get them in no time!