Home away from home

Before:

        After!

Just added some details to our suite to make it feel a little more girly, and a little more like home. One of my first posts was about adding details to your room, and surrounding yourself with things that make you smile. If my walls were bare, and there was nothing to brighten up a dull space, it would be easy to hate staying in a dorm. But, I'm so happy to be here, and that I've finally settled in. 

My room mates are amazing, and so sweet. I couldn't have asked for a better group of girls to go into this journey with.

How are you all doing?

Let me know!

Until then,

-K.

July Instagramistory : My favorite month so far.

A new love.

I've never been the type of girl to use a small bag, ever. The smallest bag I've ever carried was when I first started using purses in probably 6th grade, when I thought I was a diva for using a Coach handbag...which was inevitably stolen later that year...(my 6th grade heart still breaks....)

ANYWAY...
Something wild is changing within me because these past few summer weeks I've been so sick of lugging around my Le Pliage Large Longchamp bag. I never thought I'd say that. I almost feel bad for saying that because that bag is like a child to me. I call her champy..


And now I'm actually insane..


But it's been way to hot in New York to carry the ridiculous amount of stuff I do on a daily basis. In reality, I only need a few things in a bag, but when you have the room to put an extra this or that, it adds weight to a large bag...like my champy...

I found love in a hopeless place. I see Forever21 as jungle and when I actually find something that is in good condition, and good quality, I see it as a saving grace sent from the heavens above.  And this love is good. She is beautiful, and you would never think from the quality, and construction stand point that this little light of mine, was only $25.


On the website it's listed  as the 
" Basket Woven Crossbody" bag. It's $24.80, and worth about triple that. It's constructed beautifully, and for me it is a bit small, comparatively to every other bag I've owned, but it's not actually that small.

Isn't she cute?

It's not a secret that I'm a bigger girl to, so for me to recommend a small bag is out of this world for me. I was actually always afraid to carry a smaller bag, because I didn't want it to get lost against my frame. This looks classy, and is a perfect size for anyone.

I'm planning on doing a what's in my bag this week, so keep your eyes open to see what I actually fit in my new purse.

What do you like to carry in the summer?
Do you stick with a small bag, or go for a larger tote?
Let me know!
Until then,
-K.

Plus Size Fashion Dupe: Plus Size Pixie?

                                      Plus Size Fashion Dupe #1
I always hear about how amazing the JCrew Pixie pants are online. From vloggers to bloggers and everyone in between, I constantly see these plain black skinny pants everywhere! They seem to fit everyone perfectly. They kind of remind me of the jeans from "the sisterhood of the traveling pants." The thing is JCrew's pants only go up to a size 12. 

This world is full of beautiful, full figured women who would ROCK pixie pants if they came in ACTUAL plus sizes. I found something for us, plus sized girls, that are basically a dupe for the Pixie pant.

They are rightfully called the " Little Black Skinny Pant", and are for sale at Torrid for around $45. I know, for pants, that may seem like a lot of money. From a fashion point of view, I believe every woman should have a staple little black dress, neutral blazer, and a perfectly fitting pair of black pants. They are SO versatile. Now, from my point of view, I spend that on 2 pairs of leggings that rip in the thighs after 5 or 6 wears. Why not invest in a quality item that will last, and never go out of style?

Just so you all know, I'm about 5'6-5'7, and they hit me right at the ankle. I like that style of pants, because they're a bit cropped and won't get ruined by touching the ground. I think they tend to make my legs look a bit longer too, (since I was blessed with the tree stump legs from my Italian roots). Grazie.

Here's the link for the pants if you want to check them out. 
http://www.torrid.com/torrid/Clothing/Bottoms/The+Little+Black+Skinny+Pants-533311.jsp

**Also, if you're not a curvy girl, the pixie pants are an awesome addition to any wardrobe. I wasn't trying to diss the pants at all, but offer an option from my point of view!
Here's the link for the JCrew Pixie Pants.
http://www.jcrew.com/womens_category/jcrewweekend/PRDOVR~31090/31090.jsp


I hope everyone's having a beautiful summer break.
Talk to you all soon!
Until then, 
-K.

The lovely bubbles.

Hello again!

So...

Have you ever been slapped with news that automatically makes you want to shop?

Kind of like hearing that the college you're transferring to has an extremely strict business dress code. Right?

I found that little bit out about two weeks ago, and being the fashion junkie I am, I began shopping.

The necklaces shown are statement pieces called rightfully so, bubble necklaces.  JCrew is widely recognized for being the original creator of these beautiful pieces. 

JCrew, though, charges around $150 per necklace. 

Me, being the college student I am, couldn't imagine spending that on anything but gas and books.

   

Don't get me wrong, I'm not bashing JCrew in any way, shape, or form. I love the idea of the necklace and I'm sure the quality of their necklace is probably incredible. The two I purchased look identical to the original bubble necklaces, but cost....drum roll please...

$5.99 each.                     

I purchased them from an Ebay seller about a week ago and they arrived today. I am so pleased with the quality. If you ebay search bubble necklace, you can find so many in all different colors. In all honesty, I truly believe you get what you pay for. I was expecting much less than what I received with these necklaces. You can find this style of necklace pretty much anywhere now, though. I've seen them everywhere from Ebay, to Etsy, and boutique type sites like Marley Lilly. 

I'm planning on styling them with a collared shirt, so that it adds a little bit of fun to a plain button down.  Once I figure out an outfit with them (which I have many in my mind right now), I'll either do a post, or feature them on my Instagram - @Kristendari. 

How do you style statement pieces?

If you have instagram, take a photo of your favorite piece of statement jewelry and tag me in it, once again @Kristendari so I can get more ideas!   

I hope you guys are having a beautiful end of May!

Talk to you all soon.

Until then,

-K.                                                       

May Instagramistory

Sorry for the lack of posts! I actually went on vacation? 

Yes. I feel so much better now.

We all need it from time to time.

I hope everyone had an amazing May. 

(And a beautiful Memorial day weekend!)

See you all soon.

Until then,

-K.

My Sneaky Red Lip

I'm a huge fan of a "vintage inspired" red lip. 

But they honestly suck to do.

They never stay in place, and always smugdge onto your teeth, and instead of looking glamourous, and elegant, 

you end up looking like 

this..

This is a perfect example of what not to look like.

My trick is to ignore the obvious product that you would use for a red lip.

What is that you may be thinking? (Or you may still be looking at that picture of Paris Hilton and wondering what went wrong, and if you are it's okay because I am too.)

No red lipstick. 

Yes, I said it. 

I never use red lipstick when I wear red lips.

Think about it...red lipstick is what actually smudges because it's a cream!

Here's my trick..

1.Apply a little tiny bit of lip balm to fill in any dry spots on your lips.

2. Use a red lip liner and outline the lips, and then fill in completely. 

3. Use a balm stain type product over the liner.

*4. If you feel like it, use a tiny bit of red or clear gloss.

Products I use:

Nivea lip butter

Revlon Colorstay liner for lips in Red #675

Revlon Just Bitten Stain in Gothic

A tiny bit of clear gloss

That's all it takes. The liner makes the already longwear balm stain stay in place all day. It's not rocket science, I know, but mastering a beauty trick takes patience. Here's my little trick/gift to you all.

So, don't be afraid to wear a kick ass lip color this summer. 

Brighten up your whole look with a bold pink, coral, or red lip and make a statement.

Let me know if you try this, and let me know how it works for you!

Until then,

Kisses!

-K.

What's in my bag? May 2013

Hey guys, 

I am so obsessed with watching the " what's in my bag/purse" type of videos on youtube. I'm not sure what it is about them that I love, but I always like to see what other girls carry with them! I guess it's nice to see what other people consider their essential bag items.

So above is everything I'm carrying right now on a day to day basis, dumped out on my floor, minus about 300 receipts, and Starbucks straw wrappers. 

 Some beauty items I always carry. I know, 4 hand sanitizers. I cannot stop myself from buying them. I can always find myself reaching for them. Three lip balms is sufficient, right? The Nivea lip balm is my new favorite, but the baby lips and Nivea cherry are so good. I always carry the nailpolish I'm currently wearing just in case of chips. This one is Revlon's " Cool Beige". A bobby-pin can always come in handy, and so does a small mirror ( the pink snowflake round thingy. Good description, right?). The small red container is actually something you may not see all that often. It's paper soap strips. I always try to carry some sort of soap( just in case you use some kind of public bathroom, and they don't have soap!). Vanilla scented body lotion never leaves my bag. The two pink bottles are both perfume. The one is a Travalo, that I have filled with MAC's Turquatic perfume, and the other is an old Paris Hilton Perfume.

Above you can tell that I'm actually a huge nerd. Yes, that is a 1935 calculator( for my business math class). Under is my favorite thing in my purse. I swear by using an agenda, and it's managed to keep me organized for the last four semesters in college. I monogrammed it with a vinyl sticker I purchased off Etsy. Two huge paperclips may seem silly, but I have a class that requires us to print out like five power-point presentations at a time, and they actually are a life saver. I'd take a mechanical pencil to a pen any day, that's why there's a couple there, but since I am in college I do actually have to grow up sometimes and use a pen. Along with a  highlighter, I keep a mini stapler and hole puncher. I told you I was a nerd.

The rest of the crap is miscellaneous. Two pairs of sunglasses, a hair tie, and loose change that I haven't yet put into that black coin purse. A gold ring, an extra contact, and ear buds. All that's left is a giftcard, my business card, and a ticket stub from the most incredible concert I've ever been to. 

And that's all of the junk I pile into my purse. I typically have my phone in there as well, along with a notebook. I use to carry my books in my purse too, but I usually will only do that if I'm carrying my longchamp tote. 

What are your purse essentials? Am I missing anything?

Let me know!

Until then, 

-K.