B Packed: Accessory basics

Accessories are easily one of the most over packed things in your suitcase. You have so many options and their small size is deceiving. For this trip I tried to pack basics then added a few extra flares for night. This is my round up of 5 classics you can't forget when going on a long trip (especially when tourist/walking is involved).

Classic white tennis shoes were a must for me on this trip because I can't get away with flat sandals (since my injury, yes it still hurts). I even bought superfeet inserts to up the support in this classic tennis shoe so that while they look classic they have a lot more walking power hidden.

Visiting some sights in Europe there are sometimes requirements of covering of your head and if you're in the hot sun then a light hat just might be what you need. My lucky hat (you'll see in photos long enough) has been a big companion for these purposes or when I don't want to brush my hair. Win win!

On my list trip to Europe I purchased a few pashminas that are the eseential of my wardrobe. Bringing my most neutral color with me so that it goes with everything and still remains to reflect Summer with a nude color tone.

This is a no brainer right? You can't forget sunglasses and my ray bans are necessary to fit under my fedora since those huge bug eye glasses set weird. I brought 3 sunglass options on the trip: Ray-bans, Marc by Marc Jacobs and a pair under $10 depending on our activities.

Lastly, the large crossbody bag. This bag has been my best friend since I hurt my foot in January. Carrying my laptop and everything I need while on crutches and now being the perfect travel accessory. The soft leather is easy to pack and push into small crevices!

B's Guest: Brookelyn of BestofBklyn

Merhaba! That is hello in Turkey according to google if you didn't know. (If you are Turkish and I butchered that, I apologize.) We arrived in Izmir, Turkey yesterday to begin our tour of the seven churches! So while I am sweating the heat another guest blogger has stepped in. With the initial commonality of our first names, Brookelyn and I have created a friendship over Twitter without meeting despite us both being Arizona residents at one time! Hope you enjoy her post and creativity with wearing the same dress 3 ways, thank you Brookelyn!

Hi everyone! I'm Brookelyn, and I blog over at Best of Bklyn but today, I'm filling in for Brooke while she's on her European adventure (lucky duck). This summer, my fashion remixing skills have been put to the test. I'm spending the summer in southern California (not rough duty) with just two suitcases of clothes (Check out what I packed here.) Since I have a limited wardrobe, I've been getting a lot more creative with my outfits than I usually am at home, which has been fun! Today, I'm going to show you how I wore one dress three different ways!

First up, I wore this brightly colored floral dress from Basement boutique in Flagstaff, AZ as a dress. Nothing groundbreaking style-wise, but I loved that it made me feel girly and I adore the vibrant floral print. I paired the dress with Steve Madden shoes, a Gap belt, a thrifted necklace, and my favorite Michael Kors watch. It was the perfect ensemble for lunch with some old friends when I was at home in Scottsdale earlier this summer.

For the second (and my favorite) way I wore this dress, I tucked it in to a skirt I picked up at Gap, and paired it with some comfy black wedges by the brand R2, and Kendra Scott earrings my sweet husband bought for me as a gift. If there is one thing I've learned about packing for long trips, it is that cute jewelry takes up very little room in a suitcase, but has major outfit-changing potential! I wore this little outfit to Woody's Wharf in Newport Beach for a little lunch by the water with my family.

Finally, I made this dress a lot more casual by pairing it with one of my favorite pairs of jeans from Uniqlo, the same wedges as outfit #2, and the same necklace as outfit #1 (worn as a bracelet). This was the perfect outfit for cooler California evenings when I met some new friends for drinks and dessert.

A big thank you to Brooke for letting me fill in here today for her, and I'd love to see some of you over at Best of Bklyn!

B Copied: Kate Middleton's style

I have tried to hold off as long as I can on writing a post dedicated to the highly google rated Kate Middleton but I have finally been defeated. For the last few weeks we have tracked the Duchess' style throughout Canada and California where each time she gives us the most perfect put together looks for us to marvel. Her ensembles contain classic pieces that are tailored perfectly to keep them modern. To obtain Kate's style you just have to fill your closet with the clean basics with punches of color.

1. J Brand straight jeans
2. Santi Pailette clutch
3. J Crew twill trench coat
4. Tucker printed chiffon blouse
5. Vera Wang lavender label wedges

Kate image via weheartit

B's Guest: DIY Tie dye nails

Bonjour! While I have begun my European vacation in Paris this last weekend I have enlisted some of my blogger friends to share some great inspirations and ideas while I am away. I feel incredibly blessed to have such creative friends in the blogging community that are willing to fill in and I am happy to introduce to some of my favorite blogs. Thank you so much ladies and especially to Lauren who starts off the guest blogging with a fabulous DIY for you all! xo B

Hey everyone! My name is Lauren, from everyday to runway  and I'm so happy to be guest blogging for my blogger bff Brooke. After meeting Brooke at a fashion week event last fall, over a mutual admiration of Jeffrey Campbell (namely her Mary Rocks which I later purchased), I knew we'd be great friends. Despite living on opposite coasts our obsession with coffee, design, and of course, nail polish kept our friendship close! So when B asked me to share a post with you all while she's out having the time of her life in Europe, of course my first thought was nail polish!

I've been painting my nails rainbow, mix and match, stripes since middle school and now that the trend of nail art has exploded I've been experimenting even more. From having 'accent nails' of neons in neutral bases, or adding shatter polish or glitter to nail's edges, or my newest obsession: tie dye nails! Coming from San Francisco it's no surprise I love tie dye but when I heard about tie dye nails I knew I had to try it! Here's my way along with some tips & tricks I learned along the way...

What you'll need:

• A disposable bowl or cup (the more shallow the better) 
• Vaseline (or scotch tape)
• Nail Polish remover
• An orange stick or toothpick
• Cotton pads
• White polish, or a light colored base
• Any polish you want for your look, I used three colors but you can use 2-5 polishes 

Instructions:

1. Paint your nails one coat of white, or a very light shade, to serve as a base. This creates richer color at the end.
2. Prep your polishes (remove brushes for easy access).

3. Smear a lot of vaseline around your cuticles and the base of your nails. The more you put on the easier it is to take the remaining polish off later. (No need to go too overboard though).

4. Put an inch of water in your bowl or cup (I cut off the top of a red cup to make it only 2" high) and then add a few drops (I used a good amount, but also chose cheap polish as to not waste my expensive polishes) of each color.
5. Take a toothpick and swirl the colors around a bit. (tip: move quickly as the polish starts drying the second it hits the water.)
6. Dip your nails into the colored water I put more than one nail in at a time in order to use less polish water. (tip: again, move quickly or else the polish will start drying around the cup and not stick to your nails).
7. Polish will be stick to your fingers, use nail polish remover to remove around the nail. Add top coat and voila, tie dye nails!

Hope you enjoyed my little dye DIY and you head over and check out the rest of my site at Everyday to Runway.

Love, Lauren
 

B Parisian: Sipping on a cappuccino

Blogging with a cappuccino in a Parisian cafe is a vast improvement from the the day to day Starbucks venture. While the weather has been overcast and a bit too familiar with home the sites have been what was expected. My favorite experiences like most have been around the dinner table soaking in the atmosphere and French cuisine. As you can see the truffle ravioli were indeed amazing along with the mass amounts of pomme frites I have consumed. Here is just a peek at the beginning of our trip!

B Travels: Bon voyage!

It's been two years since this trip began in the planning stages and today I will be boarding a plane off to Europe. I have packed my bags with everything I think I may need and probably more. Traveling with my family I am hoping to blog while on the other side but have prepared for you posts so you won't miss out in my absence.

Our trip begins in Paris, France where I have traveled before which is fortunate considering our short time there. I know where I want to shop and which sites are great to see all with a croissant and cafe au lait in hand.

Following Paris, begins the reason for our trip with a tour of the seven churches in Turkey with our church. For the last few months my family has worked on a devotional preparing us and creating anticipation to see the ruins that still lie from centuries ago.

And what is a trip to Europe without some Italian stops along the way. Completing with a few days in Roma and Florence are just what we need to put our calorie counter over the scale. Prepare for insane amounts of pizza, pizza and pizza!

Be sure to subscribe to my tumblr feed and facebook page as I will hope to keep an iphone photo diary all along the way. Au revoir readers!

images via weheartit

B Grilled: Pesto and ricotta pizza

At the beginning of the week my family got together to try our new grilling pizza stones. Thin crust pizza is a family favorite so replicating the culinary treat at home is both dangerous and convenient. Placing a pizza stone on the gas barbecue we created a hot oven perfect for giving our pizza that crispy crust. Trying a bunch of different pizza toppings our unanimous favorite was with mozzarella, ricotta cheese and basil. With the pre-made pizza dough from Trader Joes this summer meal is easy cooking! I'm sure we'll be even more inspired to try again when we return from Italy. Here is a smiliar recipe I found if you'd like to try your own:

INGREDIENTS
12 ounces pizza dough
Flour, for rolling surface
Extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 cup basil pesto
2 cups ricotta cheese, preferably whole milk
4 tablespoons freshly grated Parmesan
Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Prepare a medium-hot fire in your grill, or heat a grill pizza stone over medium heat.

Roll the pizza dough into 8 small pizzas, each about 1/8-inch thick and 3 inches round.

Lightly brush both sides of the pizzas with oil. Grill the pizzas over medium heat until the first side is nicely browned and firm to the touch, 3 to 5 minutes. Turn the pizzas over on the grill. Spoon about 2 teaspoons of pesto on each pizza, spreading it to the edges. On top of each pizza, spoon 4 teaspoons of ricotta cheese, in little balls. Cook the pizzas until the ricotta just begins to melt, 3 to 5 minutes from the moment you turned the pizzas. Sprinkle Parmesan over the top of each pizza. Season with salt and freshly ground pepper. Serve warm.

Recipe//Foodtography