friday link list

The funniest gif explanation of how INSANE Pretty Little Liars is right now at Buzzfeed.

A guide to not minding what people thing about you.

The songs of the summer, for the last 40 years.  This playlist could keep you entertained pretty much all day at work.

Planning on attempting this camera strap DIY Saturday.  Wish me luck!

Wine sippy cups: dorky, but also possibly genius for picnicking?

Made me laugh out loud: Maddie the Rebel.

How fun does this yoga class look?  I am thinking of requesting a trial of it at my studio!!

Kinfolk Magazine has now gone digital.  I'm thinking I may have to go for it...

Last but not least, how great are holiday weekends?  Go have some adventures!  I recommend this guide for a day of wandering.

yoga rocks the park

This is what husbands look like when you wake them up at 8 am on a Sunday morning to go to yoga in the park.  

But to yoga in the park we went, and oh it was so lovely!  There was a breeze, and shade, and I got to take a yoga class with lots of people and a new instructor.  They even gave us a 2-for-1 pass for the next weekend we can come.  And there are lots of weekends, because this was only the first Sunday of Yoga Rocks the Park in St Louis!  

I was so excited this came to our town.  Yoga Rocks the Park is an awesome idea, basically a 2 month long yoga festival, with a class every Sunday outdoors.  Each class is taught by a different instructor from the area (so neat to get to try all these different instructors without heading to 10 different studios) and they are all accompanied by live music!  Is there anything better than YOGA.  OUTSIDE.  with LIVE MUSIC.  Not to me there's not, although I'm sure there are people who would say otherwise.  Like my husband.  

They even have a kids class to bring your littles to while you practice, and I'd be lying if I said it wasn't hard to pay attention to our grown-up class, because little kids doing yoga is maybe the cutest thing ever.  

It's in over 15 cities in the US, and I highly suggest you check it out, no matter if you're a beginner or an experienced yogi.  If you aren't motivated enough yet, let me tell you, it ends with free chair massages and free food from Whole Foods.  So, think of it as free daycare with a massage : )  

Check to see if they have it where you live HERE.  

nail notes

In an effort to conserve money, my husband and I decided to cut my mani/pedi fund.  Depressing, I know, but in the long run it's actually been a really good thing!  

I've gotten really creative with ways to do my nails, and honestly I can get a more fun job done  with stickers and pens at home with less money most of the time.   These are two of my favorites lately - on the left, my take on this tutorial from Free People.  I loved it, and it was so easy.  

On the right, some stickers from the Maybelline line that just came out.  I actually bought a few different sets, they were WAY better than the Sally Hansen or Essie patterns and I found them easier to apply as well.  

previously worn

If you're been a longtime reader of this blog, you know it used to be a style blog.  But I was never that great at modeling, and my husband has a full time job and never wanted to take picture for me, so that went by the wayside.  Still, I love dressing up and wearing fun clothes, so I thought rather than have full-on outfit posts all the time, I'd just start a new column on Tuesdays with a little selfie recap of my fave outfits from the previous week.  

1st outfit: forever21 dress, lotta stockholm clogs, target bag.  

2nd outfit: free people tee, american eagle cutoffs, saltwater sandals

3rd outfit: forever 21 dress and necklace

Yup, pretty much my entire closet is from forever 21.  

beauty miracles: eyelash extensions

forgive the car selfie, me with no makeup, post eyelash extensions  

My first foray into eyelash extensions was for our wedding.  I thought it would be a great way to look good in every photo, and I could keep them on for the honeymoon.  Unfortunately, the kind I got for the wedding, Novalash, were crazy uncomfortable, stiff, and outrageously expensive.  I was really grateful that I tested them way in advance of the big day, because I would have majorly regretted spending my entire wedding day messing with my eyelashes.  

I figured I'd never try them out again, and just stick to falsies.  Still, there's nothing like waking up and looking bright eyed and pretty first thing in the morning, and extensions are pretty much the only way to make that happen.  I work in a small town in Illinois two days a week, where I grew up, and when I saw that a local salon was doing eyelash extensions for only $20, I was skeptical, but super intrigued.   A lot of the little nail salons in St. Louis are doing these cheaper versions now, but the idea of "cheap" eyelash extensions had always freaked me out.  I went for it anyways.   

IT IS GENIUS.  I don't know how, but these new versions that are inexpensive are amazing, somehow better than the fancy ones I got the first time around.  I go about every two weeks, and it takes all of 20 minutes.  Did I mention that the more expensive Novalash extensions took almost an hour?  

I walk out looking like the picture above (okay, I'm no model, but before the extensions and La Mer no way I would've posted a no makeup picture on the internet) and for $20 I'm super happy with that.  Moral of the story?  If you go to a little nail salon that offers this service, or see a salon in town is doing eyelash extensions for $20-30, don't be skeptical, be excited and go for it.  You won't look back!  Except with really pretty, long lashed eyes.