The Little Black Dress

Every girl needs a little black dress or five. I don't have enough fingers and toes to count how many black dresses I have although many are beachy/casual or maxi dresses. I wanted to share some of the true LBDs in my closet from the past and present.

20 Things I've Purchased in 2017

Looking back at my purchase orders for the year, I have to say I've been quite good with no major splurges just one off items here and there. Some for the house, some for Lola, and some for me... all usually on major sale.

Himalayan Hand Carved Natural Salt Lamp

Then & Now High-Low Hem Dress

I bought this high-low dress back in Summer of 2014 for a friend's wedding weekend in Punta Cana. The material is light and airy and it was perfect for a tropical venue. I wore it to their rehearsal party the night before the wedding.

Friday Faves

 

This cute little nugget joined our team at work on Monday morning. We call him a therapy dog (because of pure cuteness) not to be taken literally. He is as sweet as can be but we need to get over the potty training stage as with all puppies.

Boho Transition Outfit

I recently shared some affordable Festival Style outfits that I found at Target and Kohl's in anticipation for my first concert at the Red Rocks Amphitheater in Denver. I don't own many festival style pieces of clothing but my bestie recently gifted me this Boho Kimono which is made of super soft, lightweight material and is a great transition piece.

Festival Style

I don't go to as many concerts and festivals as I used to in the past but last night I booked flights, along with some friends, to Denver to see one of our favorite bands perform at the Red Rocks Amphitheater. It couldn't be more of a dream come true. K and I visited Denver last year but didn't make it out to Red Rocks which was high up on my list of things to do so this year I'm making it happen.

Friday Faves

Happy Friday lovely friends!

I'm relieved the weekend is here to relax a little but also entertain my in-laws as this is the first time they're visiting our new home. I had a late start at putting this post together so I'll keep it short and sweet just like I hope today plays out in anticipation of the weekend.

Friday Faves

As always I'm relieved it's Friday! I can't even complain that I had a crazy week or anything because it was quite stress-free for a change. I'm just looking forward to a fairly quiet weekend with no big plans or traveling so I can enjoy some downtime at home.

Off The Shoulder Swing Dress

Beach Please

I mentioned earlier this week that we decided to do something different this weekend instead of hosting our usual Easter dinner for friends. It didn't take a lot of convincing to get K to agree to a beach getaway, especially since he had enough hotel points to cover our accommodations. As much as we love enjoying the company of friends, I think we're both a little exhausted from our work schedules and really need a break to relax.

I think everyone knows I'm a beach baby at heart and love all the beach fashion, accessories, and the essentials for a beach trip.

Floppy hat / Sunnies / Wet suit bag 

Large Beach Towel / Tote Bag / Palm Tree Earrings

Bikinis

Of course bikinis are one of my favorite things to shop for and Target has been bringing out some impressively cute styles for an affordable price.

one / two / three / four / five / six

Beach Coverups

Most of these coverups are from Kohl's and I've noticed they've also recently stepped up their game in the swimwear and beachwear department.

one / two / three / four / five / six / seven / eight / nine

 Other Beach Essentials

Cooler Bag / Sunscreen / Portable Wireless Speaker

Cell Phone Power Bank / Reading Material / Waterproof Pouch

Happy Easter weekend everyone!

We're on our way to enjoy some sweet sunshine and much needed R&R.

Spring Casual

Fashion inspiration has started to hit home as the warmer days are settling in. As casual and pretty basic this outfit is for a sunny Spring day, it's my definition of comfortable weekend attire.

 

The Accessories

Lauren Conrad Rose Gold Sandals  *  Kendra Scott Danielle Earrings
Michael Kors Chelsea Aviators *  Fossil Rose Gold Watch

 

The Outfit

Zip front tank  * Supersoft jean legging  *  Black Cardigan

Fashion Faves & Looks from the Past

Happy Friday!

It's evident I'm not much of a fashion blogger but I do love shopping and fashion in general so every now and again I find some inspiration. My outfits range from beachy to sporty casual and, on very rare occasions, dressy/elegant.

The weather this week almost hit the 90's during the day which has me dreaming of laying by the pool this weekend. I'm in desperate need of some Vitamin D, of course with lots of SPF. 

Kimonos, coverups, mirrored sunglasses, and all the cute things in between for Spring (which is like Summer in Florida) are on my mind. The evenings can still be chilly enough for jeans and a jacket.

Fringed Kimono  /  Tassel Colorblock Hobo  /  Pineapple Graphic Cover-Up

Cold-Shoulder Top  /  Vogue Mirror Sunglasses  /  White Skinny Jeans

V-Neck Graphic Tee  /  Cuffed Ripped Skinny Jeans  /  Braided Thong Sandals

Looks from the Past
 

A mix of casual, beachy, and dressy. Can you tell I'm a huge fan of crossbody purses?

Fun with Friends
 

Recent Casual
 

Enter our fashion giveaway!

a Rafflecopter giveaway
 

Favorite Products & Purchases

After a super busy work week, I could definitely use a little downtime so my brain and body can relax.

The flowers in the photo above are from Valentine's day. I've said it before, I'm not a huge sucker for flowers but if you really want to give me flowers, carnations are my absolute favorite. They last long and are inexpensive. It's been almost two weeks and they look just as vibrant as in the photo.

On to some fashion, beauty, and home decor favorites...

The President's Day sales last weekend had me browsing and shopping around for good deals. I wasn't really in the market for new clothes but I picked up a few pieces for work and play at Kohl's.

one  /  two  /  three  / four

I was on the hunt for a cute yet smallish backpack for traveling and finally chose this one. Earlier this week I shared all the fun adult backpacks that Target has on the shelves (or online) so it was a tough decision choosing the right one.

I compare Formula 10.0.6 skincare products to the NYX brand in terms of great value for price. I've been using the skin toner for a couple years now and it's my absolute favorite...with a $6 price tag.

 The mattifying moisturizer works wonders with oil-control in the Florida heat/humidity (the only thing is it doesn't contain SPF.)

The newest product to me is the 3-in-1 Wash + Scrub + Mask which exfoliates and fights blackheads. I tried this mask for first time over the weekend and my face felt silky soft and so clean afterwards.

Happy Friday and I hope you have the best weekend!

Fun Adult Backpacks

I recently decided I needed a small backpack not only for traveling but also for the theme parks so I can fit a sweater, snacks, a water bottle and so on in there. Target came to the rescue! When I saw all the cute styles they had on the shelves I didn't know where to begin. It was tough choosing just one but I summed it down to three favorites based on the durability of the material and of course cuteness.

My favorite three are in the top row below but I wanted to share all the other backpack styles I was tossing up between. I eventually decided on "the one" and purchased it for 25% off during the President's Day sales over the week.

one  /  two  /  three

four  /  five  /  six

seven  /  eight  /  nine


Which one is your favorite?

Nice to See You Friday

I've been spotty with getting a post ready in time for Friday with my work schedule and other life events but today I have some fun things to share.

Boots, Books, Beauty, Baking & Bands.

All B's...somehow it worked out that way so I'm rolling with it!

Boots
I've bought 3 pairs of boots in the last couple weeks. All black. Maybe a little over the top but after moving and digging through my stuff, I remembered many of my black boots were given to Goodwill since they all had a good amount of miles on them so I'm starting fresh this "winter".

 one / two / three

Books
I'm wayyy late to the game on this but I've been "audio-reading" Eat, Pray, Love this week on my commute. Last week I finished reading The Couple Next Door which was a crazy, mind-boggling suspense book (that I thoroughly enjoyed) but it was time to change the pace and I feel this soul-searching book was the right decision.

image via

Beauty: Hair Products
My hairdresser convinced me a while ago that sulfate-free hair products are the way to go for my color-treated hair in terms of moisture retention and keeping my blonde looking vibrant.

shampoo / conditioner / 10-in-1 Elixir

I was pleasantly surprised when Influenster sent me these three L'Oreal EverPure hair products complimentary for testing purposes because they contain some main ingredients that I look for that are gentle on your hair and are 100% sulfate-free. I've washed my hair a handful of times now using all 3 products and my hair has been silky smooth since. I have to the say Elixir is one of my favorite products for detangling and using as a heat protector since I blow-dry my hair quite often.

Beauty: Lip Products
The Murad Age Reform Soothing Lip Care is quite possibly the most amazing thing that ever touched my lips. My Ethestician introduced me to it last weekend when I went for a facial and I hesitated to purchase the $22 product but I went home I found it for a more affordable price on Amazon.

Baking
I'm always on the hunt for new recipes since we tend to have the same rotation of meals for dinner during the week. K has mastered the art of cooking Chicken Cordon Bleu which is one of my favorite dishes so I was immediately intrigued by this Sundried Tomato and Cheese Stuffed Chicken recipe from SkinnyTaste. I can't wait to try it!

Bands
This one has me the most excited because I don't go to concerts often enough. We have tickets to see Florida Georgia Line this weekend so you already know I'm ready to get the weekend started!

All favorites aside, didn't we just ring in the new year and it's already the last weekend in January?

I hope you enjoy a weekend full of your own favorites.

Friday Favorites

With Monday being a work holiday, this week seemed to just fly by which is always a great feeling! After the busyness of the holidays, I'm welcoming a fairly relaxing weekend which is perfect since the weather forecast isn't looking good!

 
On Fridays I usually post about some favorites from the week. Today I wanted to change it up and share favorites that are relevant to the theme of my blog (all listed in my navigation bar above).

Martinis & Bikinis is a Lifestyle Blog so I talk about a hodge podge of things which inherently means these are the things I love and enjoy doing.

Orlando Living

I talk about my weekend whereabouts and all the things I love about my city including my favorite sushi restaurants, happy hour hot spots...and other fun things to do.

Travel
I have a huge passion for traveling so this comes in 2 parts...

Travel Planning
The only trip I have signed and sealed for 2017 is Boston in the Spring and I'm super excited about planning out the details of that trip!

I'm sure there will be other travel adventures throughout the year once we figure out our work schedules.

 via

Travel Recaps
A recent one was our company Cruise to the Bahamas last month and how much fun we had exploring Nassau.

That's me learning how to use a selfie stick. Still don't own one.

Style & Fashion

I'm a shopper at heart but I like to find the best deals and stock up when things are on sale. I mainly share fashion and beauty products that are very affordable, not that $3000 purse that nobody can afford. 

Recipes

I love cooking and sharing new recipes. Sundays are usually when I have time to try a new recipe and share the details on the blog. My recipe posts have slowed down recently but I do plan to share some healthy new recipes for 2017 such as this Jalapeno & Swiss Stuffed Chicken dish.

My Life: Family & Friends

With all of the fun things aside, I don't share too much details of my family life to keep a level of privacy from the internet creepers.

What I can tell you is....

- K and I have parents that are still married (40+ years)

- We both have one sibling - both sisters

- Our extended family is huge on both sides & very close knit

- We have no kids but Lola is the love of our life (and a handful enough)

- We have a great group of friends in Orlando 

- Both of our best friends are from childhood days

Happy (almost) weekend and I hope the weather treats you better wherever you are!

Swimsuits: Cute with Coverage

My company booked a 3-day cruise to the Bahamas this weekend for employees to relax and vacation after our huge annual seminar last week which tends to get stressful for us organizing the details during crunch time. While I love all my bikinis and even some of the "itsy" bottoms from Victoria's Secret, I went shopping for some swimsuits that had a little more coverage for this company vacation. I haven't worn a one-piece swimsuit since childhood but, with all the cute styles out there now, I'm ready to give it a go again! 

Strappy Back One Piece  //  Strappy Back Macrame Monokini

Crochet Inset One Piece  //  Halter Midkini Top

Striped Cross Body Bikini  //  Patterned Strappy Back One Piece

Black Strappy-Side Bandeau  //  Bandeau Tankini Top

White Strappy One-Piece  //  Black Mesh Inset Hipster Bikini

Target seriously came good this year with their fashionable tankinis and one-piece swimsuits (which are mostly all on clearance right now) and Express surprisingly also had some really cute styles that offered coverage.

With Hurricane Matthew now on the radar for this week, I'm not sure if we will even be going on the cruise but I presume it will be rescheduled for another weekend. At this point, I'm more concerned about the Hurricane and what it may bring our way and to everyone in it's path. The swimsuits I bought will be inevitably worn at some point.

Prayers!

21 Gifts for Fashion Forward Ladies

Shopping has been on the back burner for me the past few months other than for the essentials and random things from Amazon. It's the pretty things I've been avoiding by not clicking on that email from my favorite shop offering BOGO on jeans or some other irresistible sale. Online browsing leads to online purchasing, well it does in my case, so I've done a decent job at avoiding it.  Until recently.

It just so happens the majority of ladies in my life (my sister, mom, favorite cousin, and a ton of girl friends) have birthdays towards the end of the year, and with 2016 technically being half way through, browsing happened over the weekend.

Building a wishlist has to start somewhere so these are some of my favorite finds:

I'm clearly adoring all the soft colors for clothing yet shiny and glittery for accessories. And those coasters are my favorite for the home!
 

 Off the Shoulder Dress / Kate Spade Glitter Stud Earrings / 'Surf' Flat Sandals
 Kendra Scott 'Elisa' Necklace / MAC Mascara / Sleeveless Knit Romper

 BaubleBar 'Bold' Necklace  / MAC Eye-shadow  / UD 'Naked' Palette

Strappy Tank Dress / Floppy Straw Look Hat / Timex Leather Watch

Lumino Gilded Coasters / LP Dry Shampoo / Paisley Off the Shoulder Dress

MAC 'Look in a Box' / Ray-Ban Sunglasses  / Bobbi Brown 'beach' Body Oil

Kate Spade Journal  / Red Carpet Manicure Kit / Crossed Arrow Bookends

Faux Fashion

When it comes to faux fashion I automatically think of faux leather or fur vests but there are so many other cute styles out there that are worth taking for a spin in the dressing room. I've always loved faux leather tights but they are not flattering on my body type yet I do love how they look on women in general. The relaxed fit of faux suede has been on my radar along with some other faux pretties under $50:

one / two / three / four / five / six / seven / eight / nine / ten / eleven / twelve

I've only just begun dipping my toes into faux fashion but I hope to add some of these cute and affordable pieces to my closet when the prolonged shopping freeze comes to an end.


Do you have any faux favorites?

Lace Looks

Lace is one of those fabrics that automatically adds a feminine touch to any outfit. I have a handful of lace-detailed dresses that I bring out for special occasion but I've been browsing some more casual looks for the summer. There are so many affordable and cute options out there from lace-back tops to shorts with a subtle lace trimming as well as rompers and even swimsuits. These are some of my top picks:

one / two / three / four / five / six / seven / eight /  nine / ten / eleven / twelve


Do you have any favorite lace pieces in your wardrobe?