I’ve tried off and on over the years, but I’ve never really thought of myself as a “hat person”.  I love what hats can do for an outfit, but I have yet to find one that looks just right on me.  (Perhaps this is due to my obsession with the bucket hat when they were popular a decade ago… yikes.)

But with Fall drawing near and hats back in fashion like never before, I’m determined to find something perfect.  And I bet you’ll like one of these, too!

This wool fedora totally gives off the Fall/Winter vibe, and I love the girly purple bow!  Get it at Nordstrom for $46.

Or go retro with this felt cloche hat, just $13.80 at Forever 21.

Also from Forever 21 (for just $6.80!!): a rosette-adorned beanie in a warm taupe color… perfect for chilly Autumn weather!

And this Brixton Stella Cap, from Urban Outfitters, is just plain sweet…

(In fact, I recommend you check out Urban Outfitters’ entire hat collection.  It has me drooling!)

Are you a “hat person”?  What is your favorite style to wear (or to see others wear)?  Which of these hats do you like best?  If you’re not into hats, do you wear any other fun hair accessories to spice up your outfits?  Tell me about it in the comments!

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I decided right away that I would be wearing flats under my wedding dress— I want to be super comfy throughout the wedding and I don’t want to be the same height as Travis!— but I’m stumped when it comes to the style.  Help me narrow it down, won’t you?

I’m not sure that any of these is the exact perfect pair, but once I figure out the type of shoe I want, it will be easier to find what I’m looking for!

Style #1: Strappy Flats. This was my original wedding shoe idea.  I’d want something either white or with rhinestones to give it a girly feel with a laid-back style.

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Style #2: Grey Ballet Flats. Grey is one of our wedding colors, and ballet flats are sure to be comfy.

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Style #3: Something Yellow. I’ve seen other brides bring a pop of color into their wardrobe by wearing super fun shoes under their dress.  Yellow is our other wedding color, so this would certainly work.  And I like how it sets the tone for a super fun party!

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Which of these styles do you like best?  Have you seen anything that falls into one of these categories and might be my perfect wedding shoe?  Would you (or did you) wear flats at your wedding, or are heels more your style?  Tell me about it in the comments!

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Travis and I met a couple of college friends for a double date on Friday night.  We hadn’t seen each other much this summer, and we were catching up on our respective jobs.  One of my friends works in Loss Prevention for a major department store, and a horror story she shared from work has forced me to re-think the way I shop.

Before you read on, answer me this…

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Full disclosure: I don’t usually wash brand new clothes before wearing them, but thanks to this little anecdote, that will no longer be the case!  Here’s her story…

Essentially, my friend’s job is to keep an eye on customers for any suspicious activity.  One day, she saw a woman acting strangely and collecting a bunch of expensive clothes, so she followed the woman to the fitting room and peeked through the door slats to see if she was actually trying the items on.  (Don’t worry— she promises that they only do this when they have a reasonable suspicion that a customer is stealing merchandise.)

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Sure enough, the woman stuffed the clothes into her purse and exited the dressing room.  My friend followed her up to the second floor, where she went into another dressing room, carrying a skirt.  Peeking again through the slats, my friend watched the woman urinate in the corner of the fitting room!  As if this wasn’t bad enough, she then used the skirt in lieu of toilet paper.  When she was finished, she left the dressing room, put the skirt on a hanger, and HUNG IT BACK ON THE RACK!!!

I honestly don’t even know where to begin.  The fitting room was cleaned, the soiled garment was removed, and the woman was arrested and will serve time for her horrifying action, but I can’t help but wonder: what if she hadn’t been caught?!

Do you wash brand new clothes from a department store before you wear them?  If the answer is yes, will you continue to do so after reading this story?  Have you ever heard of anything like this happening?  Share your thoughts in the comments!

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Yesterday in cosmetology school, I spent 6 hours learning how to do finger waves.  You know the ones: those sleek, glamourous, 1920’s waves that you see in old-Hollywood movies.  Needless to say, they are super hard to learn, and I needed a little inspiration.  So I took to the web to find some modern-day finger waves, and boy are they awesome!

We’ve been talking a lot about pixie cuts lately, and Halle Berry proved that finger waves look super great on this short style.

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But they also look nice on bobs.  (Isn’t Diane Kruger classy?!)

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Proenza Schouler showed off long, messy finger waves in their Spring 2009 collection.

I’m super determined to master this technique because I think it’s gorgeous!  Anyone want to be my model?

Are you into this look as much as I am?  Would you ever choose to wear this out to a fancy event?  Do you like it best on long, short, or super-short hair?   Tell me what you think in the comments!  (And have a happy weekend!)

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When I was 18, my hairstylist told me to make a list of traits that I wanted in a mate.  She swore that by putting the list onto paper and out into the universe, I was more likely to attract someone who was right for me.  I was skeptical, but after a string of not-so-great boyfriends, I decided to give it a shot.  Did it work?

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Not at first.  But a few weeks before my 19th birthday, Travis and I started dating.  And, well, the rest is history!

Unfortunately, I can’t seem to find that list (though I know it’s somewhere).  But I remember some of my must-haves (in no particular order):

1) He MUST be taller than me.

2) He has to make me laugh.

3) He has to like kids (and want some of his own one day).

4) He needs to be intelligent.

5) He has to be honest.

6) He should have a close relationship with his family.

There were more, though I don’t remember them all now.  Fortunately for me, Travis meets every criteria on the list (and then some!)  And it’s because of this that I wonder whether putting something out “into the universe” actually does work…

Have you ever made a list of traits that your future partner must have?  What’s on it?  If you’ve made a list, have you find a guy who meets many (if not all) of the criteria?  Do you think that creating something like this really works?  Tell me what you think in the comments!

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