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Summer 2017 Favorites

June 28, 2017 by DetroitDuchess 3 Comments

Just like Olaf, I too am ready for all things summer!

Sand in my toes, sun on my face, cold drink in my hand. Here are all my favorites things for summer this year:

Lands’ End Ponte Portrait Collar Dress (Sale $34.99)

I saw an article on this sheath in US Weekly and apparently people are going nuts over this dress. I ordered one for myself and will post an update. I got the navy version, but if I like it I’ll probably get the pink version too.

Summer Boardwalk – Salted Caramel Popcorn Candle (Sale $12.50)

So I liked the smell of this candle – so fun for summer and then I read the reviews and noticed people talking about “throw” and had no idea what that meant. Google to the rescue in case you are curious too. A candle’s throw is how it smells, the cold throw is the scent you get when you smell it before you light it and the hot throw is how the candle smells when lit and how far away you can be and still smell it.

Tory Burch Minnie Travel Sandal ($198)

You have to check out the video for these sandals. They first caught my eye with the rose metallic color and then I discovered that they are convertible sandals! You can wear them as a sandal or move the strap to convert them to a slip on! And they fold up so you can travel with them – amazing! They also come in black, tan, white and blue.

OPI Hotter Than You Pink ($10.49)

This color is originally from the OPI Neon Collection released in 2014 but it is the perfect pick for summer. I did like their new California Dreaming Collection, but it doesn’t come in Gel colors. While your toes are on display in the summer months this hot pink will give you a pop of color! It also has a little shimmer to it.

Banana Republic Ruffle Crossback Tank ($49.50)

I love this pink color and I LOVE the back of this top!

Colorescience Sunforgettable Loose Mineral Sunscreen Brush SPF 50 ($64)

This is an awesome concept! If you’re like me, you don’t want to apply sunscreen on your face every few hours once you’ve already put on your makeup. With this you can just do a little powder touch up and voila instant protection. I also love it because you can powder your scalp line too which is where I always get burnt.

Cherry Charm Cuff Bracelet ($24.50)

This is so adorable and would make a cute accessory to any summer outfit.

Cold Shoulder Flounce Dress ($79.50)

I have another Loft dress that I just LOVE for the summer and thought that this would be a nice addition. I’m not really a shorts person so dresses are my go to summer outfit.

Banana Republic Enamel Tassel Pendant ($32.50)

I love that this is pink AND it has flowers too!

Melissa Floral Crossbody Clutch ($34)

I know florals for summer are cliche but I love em!

Merino Off-the-Shoulder Bow Top ($78)

Off-the-shoulder is the hot look for summer and I love the color of this top. I can’t resist a bow!

Colada Pineapple Vase-Planter ($6.95)

Why not bring a little bit of summer inside with this cute little planter?

What are your favorite things for summer?

You can also check out my Summer 2016, Summer 2015, Summer 2014, and Summer 2013 Favorites.

Filed Under: Beauty, Fashion Tagged With: beauty, fashion, OPI Hotter Than You Pink, summer, summer favorites

Summer 2016 Favorites

July 30, 2016 by DetroitDuchess 6 Comments

It’s time for my 2016 summer favorites! Here are a few of my favorite things this summer:

Printed Pleat Front Top ($24.97)

I LOVE lemons and this top is so adorable!

Victoria’s Secret Bombshell Eau de Parfum ($52)

I read an article a while back about how Victoria’s Secret Bombshell was effective at repelling mosquitoes and was blown away! Check out this article to see for yourself. It beats some of the leading repellents and still smells amazing. Why would you wear anything else this summer?

Kate Spade Solana Palm Tree Sandal ($198)

I love these sandals, they look like little palm trees! How fun would these be at a resort or on the beach?

CND Vinylux in Pink Bikini

I love collecting new polish colors each season and who doesn’t love a fun pink for summer.

Sleeveless Knit Maxi by Ellos ($34.99)

I love this look, especially with the hat!

Marc Jacobs Aviator Sunglasses ($130)

I’ve had a pair of aviators on my list for a long time now. I think they would look super swank for summer.

Coconut and Vanilla Bean Yankee Candle ($15.99)

I love both these scents so together they make a winning combination that is perfect for summer!

Cold Shoulder Flounce Top ($58)

I love how fun this is for a summer outing. Light and sexy.

Sprinkle Donut Pool Float ($19.95)

I bought this for myself to hang out on the water and it was perfect. The best way to enjoy a day on the water.

NY&C Drawstring Dolman Romper ($21.47)

I love the look of this comfy romper, it looks great for lounging around in.

What are your favorite things for summer?

You can also check out my Summer 2015, Summer 2014, and Summer 2013 Favorites.

Filed Under: Beauty, Fashion Tagged With: beauty, fashion, summer, summer favorites

July Pinspired

July 1, 2013 by DetroitDuchess 8 Comments

I had fun putting together last month’s June Pinspired looks with Shay at MixandMatchMama, Sheaffer at Pinterest Told Me To and Mel at The Larson Lingo so I thought I would try my hand at a July Pinspired look. For those of you wondering I am still trying to complete my June look, but can’t find colored pants that look good on me. I have all of the other items, but am still on the hunt for the pants.

I am attending an outdoor wedding at a winery later this month and need to put a look together that is cute but functional. It will most likely be hot and I probably won’t want to wear heels. I really want to try a hi-low dress with wedges and I found a ton of inspiration on Pinterest:

Hi-Low Dresses

I liked this Suzi Chin dress in Paradise Pink for $81.99 for a number of reasons. I have another Suzi Chin dress and I love the cut of it, I like that this dress has a v-neck instead of a strapless or blousy neckline and I think the waistline will be more flattering on me:

Suzi Chin Hi Low Dress

The key to this look will be the accessories, they will really dress it up.

I am going to wear my Vera Wang Lavender Penny Wedges with this since I don’t want to wear heels that will sink into the ground. They are sold out, but you can still find a number of them in the nude color on eBay:

Vera Wang Lavender Penny Wedges

I plan to carry my Patent Leather Coach Ashley Wristlet:

Coach Ashley Wristlet

For jewelry, I want a statement necklace, so I decided to go with this Stella & Dot Bloom Necklace ($198) and to accessorize with earrings and a few bracelets that I already have:

I am excited about this outfit, because I already have most of the pieces and it will cost me $279.99 to finish the look (I just need to buy the dress and necklace). I could wear the necklace with a number of other outfits and it would be a good investment.

I think this is the perfect outfit for my upcoming summer wedding. Let me know if you have any other ideas on how I could dress this look up.

For more Pinspired looks, click here.

UPDATE So we went to the wedding and it was fantastic! I loved seeing my friends get married and it was great to hang with all of my besties at once. Here is a picture of us (isn’t the bride breathtaking?). I loved this look, the dress fit great and I love, love, love the necklace and can’t wait to wear it again.

Me and my friends with the beautiful bride

Filed Under: Fashion, Pinspired Tagged With: Coach, hi-low dress, Mix and Match Mama, stella and dot, summer, Suzi Chin, Vera Wang, wedding

Summer Favorites

June 22, 2013 by DetroitDuchess 5 Comments

Summer is finally here! This is one of my favorite times of the year. I am a summer baby and so are my husband and father which means lots of birthdays and celebrations. I think that 4th of July might be my favorite holiday. I used to be jealous that my grandmother’s birthday was on the 4th of July. I thought it was so cool that she got fireworks for her birthday every year. My husband also proposed to me on the 4th of July, so that cemented my love of the holiday.

I am especially excited about this summer and thought it would be the perfect time to share my favorite summer things!

Leinenkugel’s Lemon Berry Shandy

Leinenkugel’s Lemon Berry Shandy

Leinenkugel recently released Lemon Berry Shandy and it is available year-round! This is my go to drink for baseball games, parties and concerts. It is brewed with blackberry juice and a natural lemonade flavor. It only has 126 calories so it doesn’t completely blow your calorie budget either.

Michael Kors ‘Madison’ Watch

Michael Kors Madison Watch

I got this watch a few weeks ago during the Nordstrom sale and I LOVE it! The white ceramic band makes it the perfect summer watch. It seems to be out-of-stock at Nordstrom, but I found this one on eBay that is still available.

Steve Madden Cuff Sandals

Steve Madden Cuff Sandals

I first saw these sandals in gold on Ashlee Frazier (Bachelor alum) and thought they were so cute. I am not a huge gold person though and I saw the pewter ones in Nordstrom and immediately fell in love. They are so comfortable and I have been wearing them pretty much everyday so far. I may need to get an extra pair just in case I wear them out. They are $59.95 and worth every penny!

Natori Zen Bra

Natori Zen Bra

This bra is on my summer wish list. I have so many low cut dresses and tanks and this would be perfect to make them wearable for showers and work events. If anyone has tried this out let me know. It’s $58 at Nordstrom and the reviews look pretty good. I may have to get it in all three colors!

Donna Karan Cashmere Mist Deodorant

Donna Karan Cashmere Mist Deodorant

I recently discovered Cashmere Mist and had no idea there was such a cult following for this product (just read the reviews and you will see what I mean). This deodorant smells AMAZING! It is great for my sensitive skin and it works really well. It keeps you dry and smelling great for the entire day. This is a must-have for summer. You can get it everywhere, Nordstrom, Ulta, Sephora any major department store. It can run $10-20 depending on the size you want. I want to get the small travel size to keep in my purse.

CND Shellac Tutti Frutti

Tutti Frutti

This is my favorite summer nail color! I have already gotten this color three times in a row and can’t wait to get it again. For those of you not familiar with Shellac, it is a long-lasting gel nail polish. It lasts about 14 days and dries instantly at the salon. You can’t apply it yourself unless you have a UV lamp to treat it. My nail salon is running low and I might just buy my own bottle to bring in. It is $12.25 on Amazon. I have toyed with the idea of getting the UV lamps myself, but my nail salon does such a great job, I don’t really need to.

Nordic Care Foot Care Cream

Nordic Care Foot Care Cream

This is basically a magic foot cream. There is no other way to describe it. I love to wear sandals, wedges and heels in summer and that leads to blisters, cracked heels, calluses, etc. This cream is a godsend for summer wear and tear. I put it on at night and my feet are magically restored to normal the next day. I have never found another product like this and can’t say enough good things about it. It’s only $12.47 on Amazon and a little goes a long way.

Marc by Marc Jacobs Turnlock Katie Stretch Bracelet

Marc Jacobs Turnlock Bracelet

This was another Nordstrom sale purchase (it is still on sale for $34.80) and a great piece for summer. The best part about this bracelet is that it doesn’t clang on your desk when you are typing at work because it’s rubber. It’s very versatile – you can wear it with a dress or at the beach. I like this one so much I will probably get the pink one too.

Bath and Body Works Let’s Go to Italy Collection

Bath and Body Works Let’s Go to Italy

My husband and I LOVE Italy. We went there on our honeymoon and fell in love with it. I was so excited when Bath & Body Works came out with their “Let’s Go to Italy” Collection. John and I recently made our own limoncello (more to come on that later) so this was perfect.

My favorites are the Limoncello Candle ($10), the Gelato Candle ($10) and the Sparkling Limoncello Soap ($14.50). They are limited edition, so I am going to have to stock up before they’re gone.

Pig Corn Holders

Pig Corn Holders

My favorite summer food is corn on the cob. I have loved this since I was a little girl. My other favorite thing is piggies! I collect pigs and one day want to have a cute little potbellied pig that I will name Wilbur.

My mom will periodically bring me cute pig stuff for the kitchen and she recently got me these pig corn holders. I think they are adorable and bring my two favorite things together. You can still pick some up on Amazon for $10.08. I have already used them about five times now and I’m sure I will wear them out before summer is over.

So there you have it, my favorite summer things. Now that I’ve shared my favorites, I would love to hear what summer things you can’t live without, so please share them in the comment section below.

Filed Under: Beauty, Fashion Tagged With: favorite things, summer

Style Soiree: Lilly Pulitzer

June 12, 2013 by DetroitDuchess Leave a Comment

Today I am linking up for a Lilly Pulitzer Style Soiree with Sheaffer @ Pinterest Told Me To, Carmel @ Our Fifth House, Camila @ Effortless Style, Jenna @ Rain on a Tin Roof and Heather @ Southern State of Mind

The topic for today’s Style Soiree was to get inspired by Lilly Pulitzer. I don’t own any Lilly Pulitzer pieces and I thought it was time to change that. After looking around online I found some adorable pieces and decided to create a few outfits with white pants that I could wear this summer and on my upcoming New York trip.

I’ve wanted a pair of white pants for a long time now. I haven’t found the perfect pair yet, but I hope to by the end of the month. In the meantime these Lilly tops would go great with white pants for a casual summer look:

Nadel Top ($68) – I envision all gold accessories with this and gold sandals. This would be great for an outdoor party, sailing or dinner al fresco:

Nadel Top

Carlina Top ($76.80) – I LOVE the scalloped edges on this one, plus mint/turquoise is a hot trend right now:

Carlina Top

Terrace Sweater ($76.80) – I usually stay away from horizontal stripes because I think they make you look bigger, but these are on an angle and would be flattering on any body type:

Terrace Sweater

I also found some adorable must have accessories:

Who knew Lilly Pulitzer was so into elephants? My husband and I love elephants so I couldn’t resist this Spring Fling clutch with an elephant clasp ($128):

Spring Fling Clutch

Need some on-the-go flower power? You can try this mobile charger for your iPhone ($28). I have been wanting one of these for a long time and this print is adorable. This will be perfect for all my summer traveling!

Mobile Charger

I’ve never been a big scarf person, but I am loving the ombre look and this dip dyed Riley Scarf ($78) caught my eye. I would probably just wear it with a white shirt and jeans or a pair of white pants or colored jeans.