Back to school is around the corner, and school shopping is on every girls mind. For this teacher appreciation post we chose a black and white theme for these looks. A black skirt is the perfect versatile piece for your weekly wardrobe. It goes perfect with black and white tops, or you could even add a pop of color. You can dress it with heels, wedges, or flats and add accessories to give it that finishing touch.

xx

So I finally got to make it out the island for the summer, I hadn't been here since March (that's long considering I live an hour and a half aways from it)! It's always nice to get out and get some sun, it really does the body good, and who doesn't love a nice golden glow. When going to South Padre Island here in Texas, there's just certain things you've gotta do, pack a swimsuit, grab a towel, and get outside! Here's my list of must haves/do while at the beach:

1.) sunscreen and water! It is so crucial to be protected from the harsh sun as well as stay hydrated. I keep refreshed with my 'Swell' water bottle, which keeps beverages cold for up to 12 hours! Yes, even in the hot Texas heat, with temps up to 105 degrees, my water was chilled and refreshing to keep me rejuvenated and hydrated for tanning. Speaking of tanning, SUNSCREEN is a definite must, don't burn your skin, lather up or even wear a hat with some sunnies, look cute while being protected.

2.) Simple Sandals! Walking around the beach and finding a spot to sit is hard enough carrying around your beach towel, bag, phone, and other necessities... don't wear sandals with straps, and buckles, laces, etc. It's going to get annoying having to put them on and off throughout your walk around the beach. I love the simple gold sandals pictured above, cute and super easy to just slide on or off.

3.) Cute Jewels! I'm not down for wearing a bunch of jewelry, but a couple cute bracelets are great to give your bathing suit a little extra oomph! The ones pictured above are so perfect for the beach: starfish, peace sign, tassels, I love the combo! My bracelets are 'Olivia Mango' and you can check out her jewelry here.

4.) Outdoors! I know this one sounds silly, but after being outside on the beach, we tend to want to go inside our hotels, condos, etc and hide away! Be on your balcony people! Enjoy the views, the island breeze, the shade... eat outside, have a drink outside, sit out, just enjoy your time being away from reality for a while.

5.) Cute Swimsuits! I got so many compliments on my bathing suit pictured above. I was really skeptic about the high-waisted trend, since I'm really short, but it worked out so perfectly! I got this one at Target, and together they look perfect, although they were separates, I feel they matched perfectly together.

6.) Burgers! Now this one may be a personal choice, because I'm sure if you ask any Texan where to eat burgers, they will not even hesitate to say 'Whataburger'! Now I am a vegetarian, so I haven't eaten meat in 5 1/2 years now, so my options are always very limited, but when we got a 'BurgerFi' here on the island, my heart was so chipper, because they serve veggie burgers!! My thoughts about "beach bod" go out the window for a bit, so I can enjoy a burger with fries!

7.) Nightlife! Going out at night by the water is the best! Have fun, have a drink, dance the night away, enjoy the breeze, relax with friends, that's what the beach is about.

xx

So earlier this month I got to be a part of this event here in the RGV called, 'Fashion Re-purposed', it was an event to help out 'Mujeres Unidas' and was done off strictly donated/thrifted clothing. It was hosted by Victoria Lopez and Mark Hanna, two amazing sweet people who made it such a fun event to be a part of.  I was chosen as a "trendsetter" along with 4 other local fashionista bloggers, and we had to style 6 models in 30 minutes off of a pile of thrifted clothes. It seemed quite easy at first, but once the timer started, it got a little hectic, rummaging through clothing while 4 other people are as well trying to get the best pieces for your models. I also had a male model, and I hadn't dressed a guy before, so that was definitely a new challenge for me! I amazingly styled my 6 models in 18 minutes! I was the fastest trendsetter to finish styling my models, I was pretty proud (haha). It was a challenge because, I didn't have a wide variety of sizes to choose from, and I wanted to choose the cutest styles, but also think about my models, their bodies, what would look best on them, and what their size was, so that was fun challenge to get across. I had SO much fun being a part of this event, and it was so amazing to see how the other trendsetters styled their models, and why they did. Some people here in the valley really have talent. It felt like such a real fashion show, and I'm so thankful to have been chosen.

xx