a faux glow?

{images via Fashiongonerogue}

The other day I had reached the breaking point with my pasty, white, Midwestern skin and decided to bite the bullet and spray tan.  Now, I am by no means a connoisseur of the spray tan, but decided to give it a go after having a session or 2 when I lived in New York where I was fairly pleased with the results.  Alas, that was not the case this time.  Potential tanner beware if the establishment doesn't have a machine that not only tans you, but dries you as well, which is key.  When color is running down your legs and you are responsible for blending it in I quickly realized that I could have done this shoddy job at home.  8 hours later the damage was evident and was a mistake that lasted 5 days (A+ for the longevity part, though).  So what's a disgustingly pale girl to do?  I've tried many an at home spray and since I'm on the verge of needing botox, tanning beds have to be avoided like the plague.  What do you think is the best sunless tan out there?

too much time on my hands

{1. silk plaid shirt, 2. Zara denim shorts, 3. chiffon bow-tie sandals, 4. cross-body bag, 5. random belt from ill-fitting Patterson J. Kincaid dress, 6. Zara leopard print dress, 7. American Apparel clutch}

Basically my little photo shoot was a result of my refusal to go to the gym, dreary weather and a little vino thrown in for good measure.  Please excuse my juvenile photographer skills, but in preparation for the debut of my Topshop sandals {seen here} I wanted to put together a daytime and nighttime ensemble just to prove that these statement making shoes could crossover from work into play.  And for those of you interested the rug is Dash&Albert, which has a fantastic line of reasonably priced indoor/outdoor rugs.  Just thought you might want to know.

elegantly waisted

{1. leather belt with brass bow, $110, 2. skinny bow belt, $14}

I usually keep a running laundry list of current items that I'm hoping to purchase, but alas, most of them don't come to fruition.  This is usually due to the fact that many items on my wish list are horribly out of my price range, but hey, a girl can dream.  To counteract that I'm always on the search for frugal finds that bare a striking resemblance to the piece that I'm coveting.  Case in point is the FredFlare belt above that is a mere pittance to the real leather version on the left.  Winning!

it's electric

{fluorescent carryalls}

Lately, I've been obsessed with anything that comes in a highlighter palette, which is how my google searches helped me come across these fantastically fluorescent satchels from The Cambridge Satchel Co.  Come to think of it I am in the market for a new bag and of course I was looking into the standard cognac and whiskey colors, which is always a safe bet, but I'm actually considering these!  I've always been a sucker for hot pink....

beach bound

{1. Silk-chiffon kaftan, 2. Bikini, 3. Friendship bracelets, 4. T-strap sandals, 5. Classic wayfarers}

One Summer during College I decided to become a lifeguard.  I had no real desire to save lives or to enforce general safety at our local community pool, but was more interested in getting a tan, hanging out with my friends, eating Choco Tacos and subsequently getting paid for it.  However, as opening day loomed before me I realized something - I would be parading around my pool in front of my fellow peers (one of whom was potential dating material) and I was no where near swimsuit ready.  I panicked.  And lo and behold it was from shear fear and anxiety that I actually got into great shape for the Summer.  That turned out to be an absolute fluke.   The following semester I went abroad and gained 20 lbs and my love handleless Summer faded further into the background.  As I reflect on that time I'm trying to stir up that same mind-numbing fear and piercing anxiety since I just booked a ticket to Florida and have only weeks to get myself together.  I'm hoping that that same panic will aid me in more miles on the treadmill and less glasses of pinot grigio.  That's healthy, right?