Props to Bloggers

No outfit post today.
Using this opportunity to thank a recent blog award, show my recent nail art, outfit of my friend which I helped style and do the Monday Mingle...

1. BLOG AWARD

PinkMate from The Pink Mate Project blog has given me a 

'Sunshine Award' on July 20th.

 To see the award post click HERE!

I am to answer the following questions:

1. Favorite color:   Pink
2. Favorite animal: Dogs
3. Favorite number: don't really have one.
4. What perfume am I using right now? Juicy Couture (the first original scent)
5. Something you always wear with you and identifies you: The very thin double chain gold necklace which was my grandmother's. You probably see it in my close-up photos. I never take it off.
6. What’s your passion? Living life and enjoying the present.
7. Getting or giving presents? both.
8. What was the last eyeshadow you used? e.l.f.
9.  Favorite day of the week: Saturday (my husband is not working and we always do something as a family)
10.  Are your nails painted right now? Silver and dark dark navy blue. (see photos in this post)

And now some new(er) blogs I have started following that I would like to introduce to you and pass the award on...

With their very unique Edgy styles these two are worth visiting:

Baby Budget Blog

Affair with my closet

Great streetstyle:

Melina from Cupcakeolicious

 

Mommy Blogger from my very own city!:

Kate from Iris Inspired

Cool new International blogs I have found and started following:

From Turkey (my home country): Aysun of Aysstyle

From Norway: Karoline Kalvo

From Philippines: Ace Du Chua of Picturemelove

Cool Artistic photography:

Lenara Choudhury

 

2. Now onto my recent nail art project:

It has now become a tradition where my bf and I get together every other week or so to watch true blood and do our nails at the same time. Last night we tried something different.

Got the idea of this from Pretty Shiny Sparkly blog post called 'half moon nails'...

This is her nails:

Here is our attempts in following her directions:

 I applied the one of two metallic nail polish I already had at home...

This was the only stickers I could find that would help us do the job but they did not stick good...

I realized I covered too much of my nails with the stickers and this turned out more half and half then just the 'moon' part covered in metallic paint...

 These were my colors. The dark color is actually dark navy but looks black doesn't it?

And here is my friend's base color (purple metallic):

And dark green top coat:

 These were her colors:

At the end though she didn't like it and took it off and put a what she called 'happy' bright pink instead. 

We decided to try again when we buy the right stickers and possibly another metallic color.

3. My Friend's Outfit:

So remember when I mentioned my friend came over the other night with a black dress she bought for her 20th high school re-union and asked for some fashion advice as to how to accessorize. 
The good thing is we wear approximately the same shoe size, so I could give not just advice but also stuff from my own collections to barrow. I felt like I was running a department store having her try one pair of shoes after another. I knew right away that going black would be just too boring. She needed something that was going to pop and add interest. I was leaning towards bronze or purple or red. The purple heels were not really her style. The bronze ones felt too casual but the red ones look amazing.
We then added bunch of arm candy and finally a black and white clutch to add even more color and tie in her beautiful white MK watch to the mix.

Her photos do not have the best lighting but here is the end result:

 

Her Dress - White house black market

my Clutch - Guess

Arm Candy - some hers, some mine from Charlotte Russe and F21

Her watch - Michael Kors

my Red Stilettos - Stuart Weitzman

 

4. Monday Mingle

I am also participating in Monday Mingle, a fashion focused initiative that sprung from the minds of BonBon Rose Girls, Momtrends.com and Glammamom.com.
Each week they’ll take turns hosting the linky and invite you to link up with any fashion related post that you would love to get some exposure!

BonBon Rose Girls is the linky host this week, so head on over to check out fabulous fashion themed posts!

 

........Well that is it as far as fashion stuff goes........

 

Today's Activities: Hosted the Monday play date today at our house. It is nice cause we don't have to rush to get out of the house but we do have to rush to get everything ready. So I had to cook and have all the food and house ready. The host provides snacks for kids and grown up and lunch for everyone. I actually cooked a pasta dish with salami and mozzarella I had copied from Jenny's Spry on the Wall blog. 

The recipe can be found in this link.

 

For the kids I also cooked mini tiny individual pizza's from Trader Joe's. As usual kids played for a long time at first then we had swimming then lunch then some more play time. It all usually ends by 1:30 PM. And the exhausted kids go down for nap/rest. In the afternoon my dad came over so I could finally go get a much needed pedicure.

Here are some photos from the afternoon pool/BBQ gathering we had yesterday (Sunday)...

Yes we seem to be hosting quite often these days...

 Kids' Table

Adults (yes, I am wearing something so stupid but I had to rush to put on something after the pool and before getting dinner ready for the little and big crowd)...

 Our two litte ones sharing a Popsicle and playing together... (they are 2.5 months apart)...

~THE END~

 

 

 

 

Roof Top Dancing

 This was the outfit I finally settled on for going out last night to my old Nanny's b-day part at a roof top club.

 Dressing up was not stress free last night. This is why I have my outfit lists. I hate trying to come up with outfits under pressure. It really is not fun. We came so late from the pool b-day party last night and had so little time. The good thing my mom and step-dad had already arrived to pick us up so I had my mom's help. We laughed a lot because I kept putting on outfits that were so casual and appropriate for day time and my mom kept saying 'I read your blog you wear crazy stuff during the day and this is the time now you are picking casual stuff!' Anyway, she told me to stop trying on t-shirts for once.

Hence I found my ruffle halter top which I wore new year's eve with tuxedo pants. It looked fine over black shorts as well...

Then added my extereme platforms and achieved the 'all legs' look I wanted without the mini skirt...

 The last two times we went to a club I wore a mini skirt. I love wearing super mini's with platforms. BUT, I hate dancing in them. I am a decent dancer and like to dance freely. When in a skirt I tend to stay within a mini square space just moving as much as the skirt allows me. Now I have seen girls that dance anyway they want in the skirts but looks really tacky in my opinion. In my clubbing days we used to wear pants. These days you will rarely see a girl covering her legs. So my happy medium is 'shorts'.

 Shorts bare the legs but provide coverage to let you do whatever dance move you like! :)

 

My step dad took these photos before it got super crowded...He was playing with effects of flash vs. no flash...

 Since we were so late with me taking forever to get ready. I put on these accessories with minimal thought...

Halter top - Bebe

Shorts - Express

Platforms - Aldo

Purse and leather cuff - Forever 21

CZ large ring - gift from Mom from Turkey

LAST NIGHT: 
We got ready in a fenzy as I indicated above upon our late return from the pool party. After putting the kids to bed and unloading wet towels and suits and greeting my Dad who came over to babysit, I discovered my husband was not feeling well and was showing signs of bailing out for the night. My mom and Step-dad had already arrived so I went solo with them.
We got the club early to avoid cover and very long lines and even managed to grab a seat at the only 'free' table by the fire!

 The roof top club had georgous views...

With my young and beautiful Mom:

(We are actually very close in height but discovered my platforms were much higher than her wedges!)

 I probably should note the b-day girl (and her sister) are Turkish. She was a nanny to my son for only a few months (my company closed the office) but continued to live with us and we became very close. She is dating one of my closest work colleagues. She is also close to my mom hence that is why we are all together!

Mom and Step Dad:

The Birthday Girl in a beautiful Max Studio one shoulder bronze knit dress:

Her sister who was wearing the most darling H&M pleated silk top over white capri's and nude heels:

 The Turkish Girls:

Dancing the night away:

Crazy Saturday

 Outfit I had on during the day today. Going out to a club of all places tonight so will post that outfit (which I still have no idea what I am going to wear) later tomorrow...

 This dress was a new purchase earlier this season and this is the first time I am wearing it. It is from Ruche. I love the color and the brown stiching...

 First I wore a brown necklace and it looked fine but then switched to this coral one and I think it looks more interesting. Blue would have also been cool...

 

Added blue to my wrist instead:

 My roman gladiator sandals. They zip in the back so very easy to put on and off...

 

Running to the playground for some fun poses...

Dress - Ruche (website)

Cardigan - La Redoute Catalog

Sandals - Victoria's Secret

Necklace - vintage my grandmother's borrowing from my mom.

Bracelet - Forever 21

Watch - Michael Kors

Today's Activities:
This is a super jam packed Saturday! I know we always have crazy days but this is somewhat off the charts...
1. Breakfast Event - left the house at 8 AM for a pancake breakfast at a park and rec center. Kids enjoyed the jumpy and pony rides.
2. Daughter's Ballet Class - I took her in while my husband stayed in the playground with my son.
3. Son's Hip Hop Class - dropped off my son at my mom's so they can take him to his class while we took my daughter home for lunch and nap.
4. Work Pool Party - My husband left to go to a pool party hosted by his work friend. We didn't join cause of kids' nap time.
5. Afternoon pool birthday party - My son's friend's 4 yr old b-day party in the afternoon. I took the kids and my husband met us there.
6. After the kids go to bed my dad is coming to spend the night so we can go out downtown to a club b-day party of our old nanny!
Is it crazy or what!?

Here are some photos from early part of the day:

BALLET CLASS: