Women Who Inspire: Payal Kadakia

June 24, 2015
SELFMadeTips-PayalKadakia-580x383

photo cred: Self.com

In recent weeks, I’ve had multiple friends tell me about the super convenient, easy to use membership service ClassPass which allows you to try out new workout studios and change up the routine a bit. I loved the idea of ClassPass because you are not limited to one gym and the classes they offer.  I’ve been truly contemplating signing up for the service but I already have a pretty awesome gym where I’ve been grandfathered into a great monthly rate. But when I was doing research on ClassPass, I was blown away to find out the co-creator is only 31 years old and the company is only 2 years old!

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Born to be Wild

June 23, 2015
summer maxi dress

Photography by Carlos Barron

Outfit c/0 Pink and Silver Fashion

Around this time last year, I went on a super secret road trip to Colorado (not so secret anymore) and traveled through the middle of nowhere Texas to arrive at our final destination of Vail. It was quite an adventure of a little over 1,000 miles and I was pleasantly surprised to see the natural beauty that exists in Texas. Well, I’m really experiencing some major wanderlust and want to rent an old convertible (like the one from Crossroads – you know that awful movie Britney Spears made that we actually like) and hit the open road and blast Born to be Wild from the speakers! I have this vision of  heading West, cruising with the top down, stopping at random diners, exploring the desert, breaking the speed limit in dangerous ways, driving with no GPS and just getting lost. So the speed limit thing is not that adventurous but I drive like a grandma so that’s kind of a big deal for me.

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Cuz I’m A 90s Baby

June 22, 2015
pink and silver fashion colorful summer

photography courtesy of Carlos Barron

entire look c/o Pink and Silver Fashion truck

You can’t take yourself too seriously, after all if fashion isn’t fun that what is it? Let me paint you a picture: a group of kids hanging out, late night on a hot and balmy summer night. One makes a suggestion they get into some trouble, could be toilet papering a neighbors house or hopping the fence into someone’s backyard to take their pool for a night swim spin it’ll never forget. The blonde towards the back says “WELL, I don’t know guys. What if we get caught? I’m not sure guuuuuyysss” in that voice that only THAT kid in the group would have. I’ll get real with y’all: I have always been THAT kid growing up. (at least that’s how I remember it)

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When in Doubt, Wear a Dress That Says “I’m A Trapeze Artist”

June 19, 2015
trapeze dress

The trapeze dress. What is southern girl’s best friend nine months out of the year, because let’s be honest, I’m not made of wax, but if I were, I would melt about five months out of the year (that’s being conservative Texas, so you can thank me later). I’m SUCH a baby when it comes to the heat. Two summers ago when I exclaimed to Mel that I could meet her after work because I was wearing jeans and it was way to hot outside to wear jeans, and that if I met her wearing these jeans it would have to be somewhere I didn’t have to do alot of walking to get to, we would either HAVE to sit inside somewhere or I’d die, she looked at me like the drama queen I can truly be on special occasions… WHEN ITS UNGODLY HOT OUTSIDE.

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Pretty in White

June 18, 2015
how to wear a white dress

photography by Carlos Barron

dress c/0 Pink and Silver Fashion | necklace c/o Swell Caroline | clutch (Adelante Boutique) similar | bracelets (Nordstrom Rack) similar

Imagine a world where fashion comes to you….Ok, so technically that exists with the Internet – I get it. But for you ladies that still like the experience of going to a store and trying on clothes and touching and feeling everything, you can book a mobile fashion truck to come to you! Genius, am I the only who loves this idea? Imagine gathering your fav chicas together for a fun shopping event. Call me crazy but this scenario sounds so awesome! I’ve always wanted to own a fashion boutique so when I met the owner of the Austin mobile boutique, Pink and Silver Fashion I was giving her major props for this clever idea (insert clappy hands emoticon).

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Confessions of a Romper-holic

June 17, 2015
confessions of a romper-holic

photography by Carlos Barron

entire outfit c/0 Pink and Silver Fashion

Remember the Traveling Pants? Well this super fringe-y awesome berry colored cardi is kinda like that but for summer, because we all know ever since the averages broke 90 on a consistent basis that we all tucked our jeans and pants away in the farthest corner of our drawers or closets. The thing about this cardi is that somehow it transforms to go with almost everything I want to wear in my closet from this GORGEOUS lace detail romper (under $30!) to several other summer dresses I have on repeat.

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Summer Stripes

June 16, 2015
Nordstrom rack finds

jacket (old Nordstrom Rack) similar | top Nordstrom Rack | shorts (Nordstrom Rack) similar on sale now | shoes Nordstrom | cross-body (old Nordstrom Rack) similar | bracelet (Nordstrom Rack) similar | necklace Kristin Miller | earrings Fail Jewelry

Horizontal, vertical, thin, thick – stripes come in all sizes and colors and I have dedicated a section in my closet to one of my favorite fashion statements. Because after all, you can never have too many striped tops. It actually came to the point where I banned myself from buying anything with stripes because it was becoming overkill. Hmmm, so maybe you can have too many. That’s besides the point, I love the look of a classic striped top because it can be dressed up or down and will never go out of style.

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Gone To Pastel Desert, BRB

June 15, 2015
lace peasant top

Wouldn’t it be nice to hop in a classic 911, turn the 50s up and go speeding out west with nothing but dust in the rearview mirror for a weekened? Well I’m back and I can tell you that the desert was definitely sweeter than I expected, sort of like a cotton candy dessert, not dusty desert!

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This Body, My Body: Love it just the way it is

June 12, 2015
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As a 30-year-old woman, I have learned to love my body just the way it is. Life has taught that there is no need to poison the mind with comparisons or judgement or believe the negative thoughts that people insist are truths. I’ve finally come to a place in my life where I feel confident, healthy, strong, sexy and wouldn’t change a thing about my body. I love every curve, stretch mark, muscle definition, thought in my brain and shape of my imperfect yet perfect body. I strongly feel in praising other women no matter their shape, size, color or any other meaningless stereotype we create to bring others down. So when Jen and I heard about #thisbodymybody movement by the ladies from Beyond the Clothing , I quickly knew I wanted to be a part of a positive message to make women feel beautiful and powerful, inside and outside.

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This Body, My Body: My 25 Year Journey in This Body

June 11, 2015
this body my body positivity no makeup

I could have written a million things about this topic, my body. I could have written about the struggles to accept my body. But instead when Mel and I were chatting about this, one thought kept popping in my mind over and over: that when I first wake up in the morning and I’m still lying in bed, I feel completely satisfied with my body. There is not an ounce of me that doesn’t appreciate the shape of it, how strong it is, where this body has taken me and that most importantly, I’m healthy and don’t have to worry about my well-being and living in this body. After all, that’s the most important thing! LIVING in this body. It’s not a tool for modeling clothes, or snagging the hottest guy, or a status symbol for which society will inspect and then say “yes, you go in this group” or “no, you go in this group” or “you earn this much” or “you’re worth less today”.

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Ladylike Lace

June 10, 2015
lace shorts with ivory top

blouse (Adelante Boutique) similar | shorts (old NM Last Call) similar style that’s a bit pricey but they’re totes adorable | shoes Franco Sarto Nordstrom | necklace Kendra Scott

This past Sunday, I did the most dreadful home chore I could think of – cleaning and organizing my closet. OK ladies, am I the only one who thinks this is torture? But it’s gotta be done. There comes a point in every woman’s life where it’s just time to do a major overhaul in your closet and decide what to keep and what to donate.  I blasted some old school hip hop and jumped right in. It felt good to purge the pieces I haven’t worn in years and reinvent the pieces I totally forgot I even owned. Hence, these adorable lace shorts that I bought over a year ago at Neiman Marcus’s Last Call. I vividly remember buying them because they were only $17 yet somehow were lost in the craziness of my closet. And I found them just in time for the hot weather coming our way. Hello Austin ladies, it was almost 96 degrees today…eek. So far all you ladies that need to tackle the mess in your closet, go for it! You never know what you will find.

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Bloggers Gonna Blog: Best Camera and Lens Advice for Newbie Bloggers

June 9, 2015
best camera and lens for bloggers

When Melissa and I started this blog, we had no idea how to use a camera, which one to buy, which lens would be useful and on top of that how to use all of it! I’ve always been a big fan of photography though, so I was super excited to learn and took on the research like it was my day job. I’m here to share with you what we’ve learned in the past 6 months of blogging with our current camera, what we did and what we would do differently camera wise if we had the chance to go back! We’re still figuring out how to get the best photos so this post will be more about your actual camera and lens than how to get the best photos. That post is still in progress lol!

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In Bloom

June 8, 2015
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top Nordstrom Rack | jeans Adelante Boutique | handbag (old Rebecca Minkoff) similar | shoes (old Michael by Michael Kors) similar | bracelet (old Nordstrom Rack) similar | necklace (gift) similar

A few weeks ago, I needed a little retail therapy so I impulsively headed over to the Nordstrom rack where I inevitably did some damage. It was hard to practice staying on a budget when I was having a less than stellar day (and had just consumed a glass of wine or two at happy hour) and everything in the store kept on screaming my name. I mean, it was to the point where the bangles shown in this pic came in five colors and instead of being a reasonable human being and recognizing that I only need one or two colors, I just went ahead and bought all five colors thinking I can just return the ones I do not wear. (FYI, I  haven’t returned them b/c turns out they really do match with so many outfits and they were only $9.97…but still that’s $50 in bracelets).

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I wanna get physical

June 5, 2015
zella workout wear

top Nordstrom | sports bra Nordstrom | shorts (old Nordstrom Rack) similar | shoes (old Nordstrom) similar

Sweaty, panting, torture….those are the three words that come to mind when Jen and I do Kayla Itsines Bikini Body Guide workout program. Now don’t take the word’s negative context as a sign of a treacherous workout routine that you should run far away from. As a matter of fact, it’s quite opposite! For you motivated ladies looking for a way to feel confident about your body, you have to try Kayla’s 12 week program to help you get fit, toned and strong. Her belief is simple – eat well, exercise often and make it about a lifestyle change.

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If I Was a French Girl…

June 4, 2015
olivia palermo inspired look

striped top H&M | chiffon shorts (old) similar | target flats | red clutch (vintage) love this clutch | necklace (old) kate spade similar

If I was a french girl, I would wear stripes, red lips, a beret and sit eating macaroons all day long in front of the Eiffel Tower before jumping on my bike with a straw basket on the front full of fresh blooms, a baguette and champagne. Fortunately, I at least have the perfect outfit that I would wear in this super specific day dream of mine! I know this is a super literal take on being a french girl, and they’re so much more than stripes, red lips and vespas with boys, but thats the literal french girl in me I guess.

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Cold Shoulder, No Way

June 3, 2015
All sunshine and no rain make me a very happy girl keeping it simple this sunny Sunday in emerald ruffles, #chambray shorts and straw fedora #seekwandershare #ootd#aboutalook #wiw

Whose ready to show off their sun-kissed shoulders? I am and nothing beats a flirty, off-the-shoulder top that accentuates what I think is one of the sexiest features on a woman – her shoulder/neck area. When I was younger, I used to wear so many tops that featured my shoulders but for some crazy reason, I’ve strayed away from them. Now that summer is in full force, I’m ready to show off my bronzy glow and all those tireless arm workouts I’ve been doing will finally pay off.

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Why I Returned My Dream Shoes

June 2, 2015
nude ankle strap sandals

Last week I was browsing Shopbop, as I often do, and I did something impulsive. When I saw that my dream shoes, the Stuart Weitzman Nudist smooth leather in the nude color, were down to the LAST pair and it just happened to be my size, I bought them. It’s my birthday month after all and I had been wanting them for what seemed like forever, but is closer to a year, but mostly I just did it, because I wanted to treat myself for my 25th birthday.

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Hello June, Hello Summer

June 1, 2015
summer beach outfit

shirt Nordstrom | shorts Sola ( similar ) | hat gift ( similar ) | shoes Nordstrom

Can you believe it?! June is here and the year is half way over. OMG! I wish that adults could have a summer vacation just like we did when we were kids in school. My summer vaca-y would consist of spending my time exploring the outdoors while the sun’s out and having lazy nights. It’s great to hike the trails, chill at watering holes and end the day at an outdoor movie with friends or sipping margaritas and eating chips and queso on a great outdoor patio. The fantasy of my adult summer vacation means that my go-to outfit would be cute printed shorts, a plain tee, comfy sandals and hat to protect my precious skin. Fun and relaxed, just like summer should be!

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Black is the new Black

May 29, 2015
black mesh jumpsuit

jumpsuit (gift) similar | shoes Ivanka Trump | earrings Kristin Miller | bag (old Marc by Marc Jacobs) similar

Lately, I’ve been wanting, wanting, wanting more and more and more. So now I’m trying to make a conscious effort to distinguish between what I want and what I need. I’m trying to take this approach to my wardrobe as well and hoping to be as simple and minimal as possible. It’s going to be a challenge to not be tempted to shop but I will try my hardest and with the money I’m saving I’ll be able to go on a trip this summer. With that being said, you can never go wrong with a simple, understated, effortless black anything – dress, jumpsuit, rompers, jeans.

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Happy Birthday Sis!

May 28, 2015
pink ruffle tank top

top (Found Boutique) similar | jeans Topshop | shoes (Luxe Apothetique) similar | necklace Rifle and Radford

Let the party begin because today is my big sister’s 35th birthday! Omg, she’s getting old…she will kill me for saying that. Actually, she would tell me 35 is right around the corner for me. She will be visiting Austin this weekend where we will grab dinner at the hottest sushi restaurant in town Uchi. I want to be cute but casual and comfy because I plan on eating quite a bit. Yes, I plan my outfits around how much food I’m going to eat that night. Doesn’t everyone?

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