May 29, 2020

Friday Favorites: Bright White Blouses

TGIF! Gracious it's been dark skies all week so let's bright things up a bit shall we?!  A bright white blouse is my FAVORITE piece to wear and boy do I have an abundance hanging in my closet.  I can't tell you how many times my sisters, gal pals and even Ryan tell me 'SL you don't need another white blouse'. *eye roll* I will hoard them if I want to, thank you very much!



Gals, they're clean, fresh and brighten you up. Not to mention they pair beautifully with literally everything. Ah but they are so classic with a pair of medium wash jeans. So you have to opt out of spaghetti, avoid rainy days (and your kids), eh details.

Tips:
- always spot clean with cold water first (wise advise from my Mamma)
- skin tone bras & camis are best
- super dark denim with transfer dye
- Poplin cotton is my fav fabric for it's crisp coolness

Here are some of my favorite white blouses ... 









Bow








Wrap Sleeve

Dress Beautifully in a Bright White Blouse

XOXO Sarah-Louise

May 27, 2020

Fresh as a Daisy


It's a weird Wednesday, isn't it?? Whenever Monday is a holiday it makes the whole week seem off. And it looks like we are facing a second week with day after day of rain. BLAH

So I picked this fresh as a daisy dress to share today to lift our dreary spirits.  Y'all know I love a statement detail and these exaggerated flutters sleeves are amazing!

While puff sleeves are such a chic trend, I prefer sleeveless for movement and to stay cool ... if you're southern living you know! These flutter sleeves draw attention up towards your smile making you appear taller and your waist/lower body slimmer! (playing with volume emphasizes shape).

This blue color is so bright and the cheerful daisies make it such a fun piece for summer.









Dress Beautifully in a Happy Dress

XOXO Sarah-Louise

May 25, 2020

Memorial Fun


Happy Memorial Day!

I believe it's very important to have fun and celebrate the freedoms we have today. People have given their lives so that we would have these liberties and out of gratitude we should enjoy them fully.

Yesterday we did just that and worshiped outside in our church's parking lot.  Oh what joy it was to 'see' our dearest friends.  It was also so fun to leave our house in our Sunday best (matching naturally). Similar Jumpsuit


Some of our most fun memories are made in the great outdoors / our backyard. So I thought I'd share some of them with you and encourage you to share your laughter under the sun.


This splash-pad was such a treat for Vivian when she woke up from her nap on Saturday.  She had a blast jumping and playing in the water.
Vivian's Swimsuit
Splashpad



That tiny water heinie!



I bit the bullet and embraced one of those toddler activities and honestly it wasn't that bad.  It was amazing how long she was entertained washing her outdoor toys. It also made me happy because they had collected dirt and pollen and benefited from good scrub.


Another good one was painting the fence with water using a sponge brush. 
Excuse her mismatched outfit, her Daddy dressed her for bed the night before and rather than soil her clothes for the day we had a late morning getting dressed. 


She received this picnic table for her 2nd birthday from her grandparents and it's one of my most favorite things.  We do ALL the crafting activities here (because I'm surely not letting her make a mess inside). Watercoloring is fairly easy and a washable mess. 


Another great idea is to take a trip to a park.  While the playground is still off limits (I may have let her play on it anyways ... until the park police showed up with their sirens and announced on their megaphone to 'get off' UGH While it was breaking the rules I'm so glad she got 15 mins of play) you can visit the pond and have fun with a scavenger hunt, ball or hollering at geese.


This car is one of her favorites.  She drives to the 'grocery store' b/c it's the only place she's gone in months. We also push her in it around our neighborhood on our evening strolls.

Vivian's Sunglasses


She's really getting the hang of her tricycle. I love that she always wants a baby or animal companion.
Vivian's Shoes (a fav for summer - great for outside & water play)


Bubbles = Happiness!

She loves this chair! She moves it from her play house to our patio to the backyard.


We Hope that You have so Much Fun Under the Sun!

Dress Beautifully Making Memories Outside

XOXO Sarah-Louise

May 22, 2020

Hair Do

TGIF! Today we get a break from a week of so much rain! It has truly iced the quarantine cake when it comes to feeling trapped. This weekend we have so much sunshine to soak up. Saturday, it's literally going to be bright and I am treating Vivian to this new splash pad to play with in our backyard.  It will be her first swimsuit day of the year and I can't wait to hear her splashing giggles.

The happiest news of all is that we get to go to church on Sunday!!! I thought about texting my neighbors to tell them that everything was ok, because my squeals were so loud when the announcement was posted. We are meeting outside and will be keeping our distance from others. I have no clue how I'm going to refrain from hugging our dear friends and gracious my Sunday school students!! Not to mention, there will not be nursery for Vivian. I have no clue how I'm going to manage her through the service but none of that compares to the joy of getting to gather again with our church family in worship!


At the beginning of the year I asked you gals what you wanted to see more of on this blog. I had several requests for how I style my hair and how I manage to only wash it twice a week.
Surprisingly, I was asked the most about my workout routine & diet ... I still need to share more on that.

I find that since quarantining gals are going longer between washes and so many are struggling with unkept roots growing by the week.

Hair is unique to the gal that wears it.  I encourage you to work with the locks God gave you, enhancing them rather than trying to fight against them.  I have extremely thick, textured and very wavy red hair.  Rather than try and straighten it, change it's color or wear a slick style I embrace the large volume with a curly style and use products to enhance what I have.

Confession: I do add a little color to my mane.  As I'm aging my hair has become dull and darker.  Since I don't have grey to cover I dilute an auburn dye with water and shampoo it in once a month for just a little boost without the harshness.

So here are my secrets to having a coiffed mane with merely 2 washes a week
Note: These apply to working with an overdue dye job.


Day 1:


I wash with this shampoo & conditioner purchased at my salon.
I only condition the lower 3/4ths of my hair and comb it through with a wide tooth comb in the shower to distribute evenly. I wrap it in a hair towel and often let it air dry while I apply my make up to reduce the amount of heat from the blow dryer. I use this styling cream (avoiding the roots) prior  to drying.
I section my hair and use a large round brush to smooth it dry.


I use a 1" curling iron and curl sections away from my face.  The curls are smaller and tighter initially.  When complete I use my fingers to separate & loosen them and spray with this hairspray.

This is far curlier than I like but by starting this way the following days are just right with little to no effort.

I will sleep with it half up in a clip.

Day 2:


I run a wide comb through it and go.  This is my favorite day as the curls have fallen and are larger.

I will apply dry shampoo on the roots of the upper half of my hair before bed and sleep with it in a loose pony tail.  These are my favorite hair ties.

Day 3:


I will use a round brush to fluff and add volume around my face and wear it half up or in headband.


Day 4:  Same as day 3 but most definitely up in a pony tail.  I work out every day and there's no other option at this point.



REALLY REALLY want to try the Dyson AirWrap but goodness gracious it's pricey! 

Tips for concealing dirty/unkept roots:
1. Avoid a straight part
2. When pulling your hair back use your fingers to keep it textured/avoid brushing it smooth
3. Use headbands and scarves to 'dress' it up
4. Maintain volume with products such as this and dry shampoo

Since Summer is coming and bringing it's humidity & heat, I will style my hair in braids and forgo the blowdryer rocking my natural curls.


I love using vintage silk scarves to tie around clips and ponytails.  They add color and print allowing even your most basic of days to look cheerful and put together. 
I love them as an alternate to headbands! They won't damage your hair, don't pinch and won't get in the way of glasses.  
There are 2 ways to wear one: wrap it around tying the scarf at the base of your neck underneath your hair or tie it in a double knot on top and tuck in the ends. You may want to use bobby pins to hold it in place/keep it from sliding. 


These headbands are my fav! Headbands are a hot trend, especially ones with a knot on top.  Personally, I just felt like the knot looked like a horn on me.  A puffy braided headband was more even in shape and made me feel like I was wearing a crown! I found a pack of 4 satin ones in different colors that suit my fancy.

Dress Beautifully with a Coiffed Hair Do

XOXO Sarah-Louise

May 20, 2020

Rosy Posy Romantic


Airy eyelet, delicate lace and romantic ruffles are some of the sweetest design elements in making a pretty piece. This dress is full of so much of these details making it anything but simple yet at the same time one that isn't so elaborate it fades with the times.

I'm loving shorter dresses this season!  But let's keep it classy so not too short. An a-line shape on a shorter dress or skirt allows for more movement and coverage while sitting.  It also makes for a really fun twirl!

This muted rosy dress breaks my typical crisp, classic style with more whimsy.  I'm excited to continue to add more romance to my wardrobe with pieces that mix vintage vibes in modern ways.








Dress Beautifully in a Romantic Mini Dress

XOXO Sarah-Louise