Summer – Aly Knows Best

Walk on the Wild Side

Last week, my sister and I made a trip to one of our favorite stores in Hollywood, Amoeba Music (and spent a little more time there than we maybe originally anticipated). Every time I find myself in that amazing store, I discover that I need things I never knew I needed! This time I found an awesome poster of the late great Janis Joplin that will be perfect for my new apartment!

What I’m wearing: Urban Outfitters top // Levis vintage shorts (I own 3 pairs) // Dr Martens (my sister’s) // Gold chain necklace: vintage from my grandma // sunnies: street vendor in Venice.

**Side note: A lot of people have been asking me about my hair lately. It is in fact naturally like this, but to achieve this type of curl, I rely on Catwalk by TIGI Curls Rock to get this kind of look (along with the good favor of the universe). I will do a post soon on my hair ritual to fill you all in completely!

Photos by: My fab sis Sarah

Thanks for reading!

xx Aly

Crop Top Queen

Earlier this week, my sister and I both had a day off so we decided to to take a trip up to Santa Barbara to shoot some photos and of course, do some shopping. I wore these high-rise Gap jeans I found on MAJOR sale about a week ago (and have worn them nearly everyday since). I decided to break out this floral American Apparel crop top that was part of last summer’s staple wardrobe in Europe. In the past, I’ve only worn this top with shorts and skirts, so it was fun to try something new and maybe a little more Carrie Bradshaw-esque. 😉

What I’m wearing: American Apparel top // Gap High-rise distressed jeans // Old Navy suede demi-wedge sandals // Urban Outfitters Initial Bar Necklace // Aviator sunglasses (borrowed from a friend 😉

Summer Ease with For Elyse

Last week I received an email from the cute and contemporary site For Elyse asking if I would be interested in doing a sponsored post with them and I didn’t hesitate to say YES! I chose this adorable floral kimono and am so excited to pair it with different pieces for summer!

What I’m wearing: Lush Cool Island Kimono // Old Navy tee (knotted) // Levi’s shorts (vintage) // DAV boots.

Post Sponsored By

Photos taken in Ventura, California by my dear friend Jess!

¡Viva España!

¡Hola!

Tomorrow I embark on a journey of a lifetime to Madrid, Spain. I will be studying art, spanish and photojournalism for the whole summer! I am also lucky enough to visit my friend Laura en Barcelona after my program is over! Check out her blog here about travel rocavenen.blogspot.com.

Follow my blog here as I try to keep it as updated as possible about my endeavors abroad!

xx Aly

Spain 2013

Hello everyone,

Unfortunately, I have been neglecting my blog for the past few months due to being extremely busy with school, work, etcetera. However, I am very excited to announce that I will be studying for the summer in Madrid, Spain. I will be taking classes in art history, photo journalism, and of course Spanish!

I am hoping that this trip revives my love of blogging and I can share some of my experiences with all of you here. I just purchased a great new digital camera (Canon Rebel T5i) that I plan to take with me so I can properly blog fashion, food, site seeing and much more!

I leave in a little less than a month so stay updated for photos and fun!

xx Aly

Summer Garden Party

Vintage Tracy Reese Top/ Nordstrom Trousers (from last winter)/ Zara Clutch/ Anthropologie Earrings/ Grandmother’s Vintage Gold Watch/ Aldo Heels.

Tonight I thought I’d put together a look for a “summer garden party.” I used some of my favorite pieces (and a new photo editor) to show what I came up with. Let me know what you think!

Dream On: What I Want For Summer

This week I scored a summer job at Gap in my local mall and realized that I will soon be able to purchase many things I have been lusting over for the season. Working at Gap means I get discounts at Gap (duh), Old Navy, Banana Republic and Piperlime (sometimes). After hearing this news I knew it was time to start picking out what I want from those stores (and more).

Above is a jumbled collage of what I believe I NEED:

The top is an alternative to the average structured peplum from Anthropologie that is gorgeous on and moves really gracefully. I desperately need a new pair of sunglasses and love this classic pair by Super. Jeffrey Campbell never ceases to impress me, I don’t know any girl who wouldn’t want a closet full of his outrageously fierce shoes. All available at Nastygal. I’m especially loving bright bags and belts, pictured here is a bag from the new Tina Turk Collection at Banana and a bright belt from Gap. The iPhone 4s case is one of the many patterns available at J. Crew. The simple striped dress is a Gap find. The necklace is a fabulous piece by Vanessa Mooney (love everything she does). Finally I saved, BEST FOR LAST: Rebecca Minkoff handbags. I really really LOVE her new summer collection (where the pink bag is from). My goal is to own a whole collection of her M.A.C.S and MINI M.A.C.S 😉 Oh and the inset is a classic VOGUE cover that I feel embodies my idea of summer living to a T.

Summer Party Essentials

Elizabeth and James Pink Anza sunnies $265, Proenza Schouler Suede Satchel $1,995, H&M Gold Hoops $2.95, Essie Nail Color in Tropical Aqua $8, Old Navy Polka Dot Dot Dress $25, Rebecca Minkoff iPhone 4S Cases $38, L.A.M.B. Inesa Wedges $345.

*Items available on Nordstrom.com, Oldnavy.com, net-a-porter.com, piperlime.com, hm.com and walgreens.com.