Glowing Green-Goddess-Dressing Dip

 

On Sundays, we eat crudite. 

Well, we basically have crudite available pre-dinner every night in my house. It is great way to stave off hunger while I'm preparing dinner and provides the perfect "crunch" craving solution without having to reach for the chips. I make simple small plate of raw vegetable spears and each week have a new dip for us to try. This recipe is inspired by my love for the classic green-goddess dressing I grew up on, but is in no way your grandmother's dip! This dip (also an excellent dressing for bitter greens and leafy crunchy salads) is packed with skin illuminating ingredients, such as amino acids, sunflower and flax seeds, olives and olive oil, and most importantly spirulina. For those of you unfamiliar with this superpower green powder, Spirulina is a plant-based protein, a freshwater blue green algae to be exact, loaded with all essential amino acids, a multitude of vitamins, calcium and minerals that are all extremely beneficial to our cardiovascular health, immune system, cellular health, and enormously benefits anti-aging from inside out. I try to hide spirulina in smoothies, dressings and dips wherever I can as you only need to add a little to your daily diet to reap the amazing benefits, most of which you will dramatically see within even 48hrs in the texture and look of your facial skin. 

BUT the best part about the Glowing Green Goddess Dip is that all these amazing health ingredients are virtually hidden in what tastes like a sinfully delicious creamy basil laced summer dip! For my small family, this recipe amount lasts us the work week, but for most families I would suggest doubling it, as you can always freeze half to bring out fresh midweek, preserving all the nutrients. It is also an amazing party dip, as the bright green color pairs beautifully at the center of a multi-vegetable platter!

Glowing Green Goddess Dip 

(or dressing) V GF DF

makes about 2 cups

Ingredients

1/4 cup raw cashews, walnuts, sunflower seed mix

1 heaping cup shredded or chopped zucchini and or summer squash

1/8 of a yellow or green bell pepper, cored, seeded, and chopped

1 cup torn up fresh basil

4-6 pitted olives

pinch of capers (5-7 aprox)

1/4 tsp garlic powder

1/8 tsp curry powder

1/2 tsp Spirulina

1/2 tsp ground flax seed/flax seed meal

1-2 shakes/sprinkles/pinches of Braggs Nutritional Yeast

About 1/2 tsp (or 3 squirts) Braggs Liquid Aminos

1 1/2 TBSP cold pressed extra virgin olive oil

juice of 1/2 lemon

small pinch of sea salt and ground pepper

*Serve with raw vegetables such as carrot and celery spears, broccoli, radish, snap peas and cucumber

Method

1. Soak the 1/4 cup of nut-seed mixture in a shallow bowl of filtered water for 15minutes. Drain, rinse and dry.

2. Add all ingredients into a high speed blender such as a Vitamix and blend on speed 3-4 for 30 seconds. Increase to speed 7-8 for another 30 seconds until all is blended, but do not over do it as there is no need to puree these ingredients to achieve the desired texture. Refrigerate for 1 hr, serve, freeze or save...

What are your eating secrets to great glowing skin? Leave me a comment bellow as I'd love to know!

Greenwich Village Garden Party

 Bekka Palmer Photography

Pink Bow Pumps, Aminah Abdul Jillil // Floral Romper, Honey Punch // Obi Band Belt, Joseph, old, similar // Lava-Lamp Globe Clutch, Kotur // Aviators, Ray-Ban // Scallop Petal Bracelet, C. Orrico Palm Beach // Lips, YSL Kiss & Blush, #5 Rouge Effrontee

Dinning outdoors in the middle of the New York City Summer is a true luxury I wait all year round for. Whether it's dinner in a star-lit atrium in Tribeca, a glass of wine on the sidewalk in Soho, or brunch in the back garden of a my favorite West Village restaurant, enjoying a meal al fresco in the city in this stolen season is magical. So here's a little taste of a recent date night outfit I wore to a friends garden party dinner. Everything about my look celebrates the glories of the garden- the floral pattern, zen green obi waist ban, and the soft pink petal-like suede shoes that are my most delicate and delightful find of the season. I opted to keep my accessories light, using a sweet scalloped -pattern cuff to echo the petal trim in the romper. My heirloom drop pearl earrings and Ray-Bans tied the look together keeping it sweet and simple but still city-chic. It was a gorgeous night to be out, and on week nights such as this, the great urban outdoors deserves to be feted by my fashion choices.

Wishing you all many more spectacular star-filled summer nights to come. And don't be afraid to take a theme, or even make a theme, and run with it! Summer is all about making fashion fun. So be fearless.

Glowing Green & Getting Clean : Quinoa Carrot Beet Risotto

This weekend marked an epic change in my life. When stacking up on summer reads a few months back, I discovered a book called The Beauty Detox Solution by Kimberly Snyder. Liking the reviews and the fresh take on health, wellness, and beauty-from-within, I added it to the queue on my Kindle along with a stack of great new healthy living and eating books, all of which I will be sharing with you in the coming week. I devour books on health and wellness like, well very healthy green juice filled, candy and it's not uncommon for me to get up very early with my dogs on a weekend, finish a book by breakfast and another by lunch! But when The Beauty Detox Solution appeared one morning last month at the top of my virtual-bedside stack, everything changed.

This is the first healthy eating book I have found that focuses concretely and understandably on digestion and food combinations. It's well researched, edited, and truly brilliant. And the real proof of it's validity is in the shockingly almost immediate results! The very basic premise of Certified Nutritionist to the stars, Kimberly Snyder's eating solution is to optimize the body's absorption of all good things, by insuring that we *gut* out all bad things by making continual cleansing a part of the everyday, and not some extreme crash fast. Getting as much as you can out of what you put into you, sure, but also understanding the power of alkalinity and how the body reacts to what it finds in it's stomach is at the core of this healing and healthy way of eating, enjoying, and living.

Rarely am I blown away, but today I am. However the real proof, the real power, can only be fully understood by testing it out for yourself. Whatever it is your are looking to improve: weight loss, bloating and gas, belly fat, energy, muscle and joint pain, arthritis, sleep disorder, SKIN, hair, under eye circles, brightness, lightness, anxiety, my gosh you name it you can make it better through this glowing lean solution to food.

So today I'm joining in Kimberly's Beauty Detox Challenge, and encouraging you all, my lovely readers, to join us too. It's simple: 10 days, 10 Glowing Green Smoothies, 10 days of Glowing skins, stomachs, and smiles. I'm going to provide the recipe for my own seasonal take on Kimberly's Glowing Green Smoothie bellow, which will yeild enough juice for a nice glass of GGS for each of the 10 mornings. I am also linking you to her recipe, and more info on the challenge and of course her terrific Glowing Lean program. So again, that's 1 recipe that will give you 10 morning meals, or at least a nutritious kickstart to your day. I promise you that when you accept this small 1 glass challenge and commit to 10 consecutive days of drinking one every morning you will see and feel such immediate results that you may never be able to stop!

So in preparation for this #GlowingGreenSmoothie #BeautyDetoxChallenge, I gave a little Babelicious Brunch yesterday for my few friends who are joining me in the challenge. Because EVERYTHING is easier when you do it with friends. When everyone arrived I poured them each a fun glass full of my summery take on the GGS so that we all could sip/"chew"and digest as we chatted before sitting down to a sun-filled superfood beauty-detox-solution-approved lunch. I made the ladies a new recipe of mine that is quite possibly one of the best things I have ever tasted. Truth. This quinoa risotto is vegan, GF, DF, Soy-Free, protein packed, digestion friendly, and unbelievably delicious, satisfying and, if I may say so myself, stunning to serve! Let's just say that if there were any skeptics at my table prior to taking that first bite, you would be hard pressed to find one sipping their green smoothie today, and basking in the glory of their newfound growing glow. Now, my TriColor Quinoa, Red Beet and Carrot Risotto...

Quinoa Carrot Beet Risotto
Makes 2 large lunch size serving, try to serve a fresh leafy green salad prior

Ingredients
2 cups, Ancient Harvest TriColor Quinoa (soaked in water overnight, rinsed and drained)
2 cups Beet Juice*, raw cold pressed and 2 cups low sodium vegetable broth (you can use more juice and less broth just make sure you have 4 cups ready to go)
1 tsp/1 tbsp olive oil
1/2 a leek, finely chopped
1 garlic clove, minced
1/2 tsp turmeric
1/4 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp ginger
pinch cayenne pepper
1/2 tsp sea salt
1 cup, shredded carrots
1 tsp Braggs Liquid Aminos

Garnish: 1 heaping tablespoon per serving of sliced Kimchi (homemade or I like Mother in Law's Napa Cabbage Blend & fresh Italian leaf parsley, chopped) Finish each plate with rinsed fresh sprouts (I like clover and arugula sprouts best)

*I often have left over raw beet juice blends in my fridge, you can make your own raw beet juice from a juicer, or try the Better Beets blend from RAAW

Method
1. Heat the olive oil on medium in the base of a small-medium dutch oven (I love my Le Creusets and who doesn't) then sauté the leeks until slightly softened, 1-2 minutes, before adding in the minced garlic and 2 cups quinoa. "Toast" the quinoa, garlic, and leeks for about a minute, stirring to give the quinoa a nutty flavor.
2. When the garlic has become slightly translucent and you can smell the quinoa's warmth, add in in 1 cup of the vegetable stock and stir with a wooden spoon, making sure any bits of flavor on the bottom of the pot release. Keep stirring occasionally and turn heat to medium to allow the quinoa to soak up the liquid gently.
3. As the quinoa takes on the liquid and has only a bit of stock left loose in the pot, start adding in the beat juice 1 cup at a time (the key here, as in any risotto, is to let the grain suck up the liquid slowly to round out flavor and texture and lusciousness).
4. Now add in the ground spices and keep stirring frequently, continually adding in the beet liquid/stock as the quinoa absorbs it. This should take about 15-20 minutes depending.
5. At about 15 minutes, add in the shredded carrots and season with salt and a touch of cayenne pepper. Stir to warm and soften the carrots a bit (they will still maintain a slight subtle crunch which I really like in this texture) Then add the tsp of liquid aminos which will immediately boost all the flavors in this fluffy textures decadent detox dish.
6. Once the quinoa mix has reached a risotto-like consistency turn off the heat and cover to keep warm (be sure not to dry it out too much, but if you do add a little more juice or stock or filtered water when warming or rewarming for a crowd to regain it's texture and lightness)
7. To finish, add the chopped kimchi and parsley just before plating. Serve one heaping ladle full of ruby red risotto in the center of a shallow pasta dish or bowl, and top with a nice pinch of sprouts for color and elegance.

And for the #GlowingGreenSmoothie #BeautyDetoxChallenge ...

My Glowing Green Summer Smoothie
adapted from the original recipe by Kimberly Snyder here
Makes about 80 ounces of juice

Ingredients
3 cups filtered water
1 head organic romaine lettuce, washed and roughly chopped
1 head or heaping huge handful organic spinach or baby spinach, roughly chopped
1/3 bunch parsley, rinsed well stems included
1/3 bunch cilantro, rinsed well stems included
3 organic celery sticks, chopped
1 organic apple (sweeter not tart, I like organic Fiji apples), cored and chopped
1 organic pear (any kind as I love pears), cored and chopped
1 heaping cup chopped organic pineapple
1 cup chopped organic english cucumber
Juice of 1 organic lemon
1 organic banana, broken in roughly 3 pieces

Method
1. In a high speed blender, a Vitamix or Blendtec for example, pour in the water add the romaine, spinach, parsley, & cilantro and blend until smooth, this should take 30 seconds.
2. Then add the celery, apple and pear and blend again until smooth- this may take 1 minute or so. Follow by adding in the pineapple cucumber and lemon juice and blend again on high for another 1-2 minutes to get it very smooth. Look at the texture and see if you need to add a 1/4-1/2 cup or so more of filtered water as you add in the banana which will thicken the texture slightly. Blend again for 20 seconds to combine.
2. Measure out 10 even servings, or 10 glasses and freeze 9 in tightly sealed or double seal ziplock freezer bags. Drink you first glass immediately, trying to chew the smoothie as much as you can to promote digestion. Each evening before going to sleep remove one bag from the freezer to thaw in the fridge overnight for the perfect start to the next day!

Joining us on this 10-day journey to glowing skin, silky hair, stronger stomachs, and endless smiles?

Share your own green smoothies on Instagram and Twitter and @thesuppermodel & @_kimberlysnyder making sure to hashtag #glowinggreensmoothie #beautydetoxchallenge !!

Drop me a comment bellow if you participate as I'd love to hear how you feel, what you think, or answer any questions.

Don't forget to check out Kimberly's site and find out more about the life changing Beauty Detox Solutions that are in your future!

Nautical Nights

1. C. Wonder School-of-Fish Coasters // 2. Joe Fresh Striped Canvas Tote // 3. Equipment Shane Stripe Silk Sweater // 4. J.Crew Chevron Jewelry Dish // 5. Serena & Lily AHOY Bath Mat // 6. Serena & Lily Maritime Napkins // 7. C. Wonder Pom Pom Stirrers // 8. Jonathan Adler Cote d'Azur Highball // 9. Serena & Lily Fouta Chambray Bath Towels // 10. J.Crew Metallic Cork Coasters // 11. Jonathan Adler Cote d'Azur Melamine Dinner Plate // 12. BaubleBar Cape Knot Necklace // 13. Serena & Lily Blue Deco Pareo // 14. J.Crew Tortoise Flower Bikini Top & Bottom // 15. Kate Spade Charlotte St Place Set

"Ahoy Polloi! Where did you just come from? A scotch add?"

And yes, that may just be what your guests, hosts, family, and friends ask you if you get as into the Nautical Theme this summer as I have! Caddy Shack quotes and jokes aside, this time of year as I know many of us do I desperately depend on escaping. I love to disappear to my summer home in my head that is right around this time when work is still cranking, days are sweltering, and my mind is clouding, fogging, and truly wondering. I start by browsing all the home good stores, tabletop shops, and retail sales that are over-abundant with all things roped, white, and blue this time of year. I save my finds to a secret Pinterest board, which I can travel to in the blink of an eye, or click of a mouse, when the weather turns grizzly midweek, or an all-nighter editing session has me longing for the fresh sea air, and glass of crisp cold Chardonnay. Oh to be a city-bound chick in the summer... C'est la vie...for now...

But say YOUR actual home needs a little summer refresher, say mixing up the everyday dinner wear adorable blue and white Kate Spade china, adding lavish fouta linens, or just a fun "Ahoy" bath mat from Serena & Lily to the master bath, my Nod-To-All-Things-Nautical shopping guide will get you in the booze-cruising mood. Not ready for that midsummer's pool party you are always invited to? Panicking about the OTT (that's over. the. top, not the rosé) lunch sail on the boss' boat? Or is it that midsummer's beach BBQ you have always, but never, promised to throw? From hostess gifts, to housewarming gifts, to helping-yourself-to-the-fab-online-sales gifts: you'll find my hand picked favorites above almost all at reduced prices! Don't fret, loves. Have fun, embrace the season, get a great beach-ready bikini, or treat yourself to a sexy sweater, and surround yourself with the calming presence of deep soothing blue and crisp palate cleansing white. No matter where life has you this week.

Cheers to having some summer sale fun, or to just dreaming about that summer home-by-the-sea...

All aboard my dear readers! Remember that if you build it, it will come.

Anchors Away, and happy shopping!

Mellow Yellow Mondays: 3 Ways to Always Nail Neon

Bekka Palmer Photography

Gray Romper, Wilfred at Artzia (also have it in black which I love) // Purse, Zara // Edilania Pump, Aldo // Necklace, Topshop // Abbey Road Ivory Wood Shades, Free People // Bracelets, Alexis Bittar, American Eagle Outfitters // Earrings, Kendra Scott // Lips, Revlon Colorburst, Matte Balm in "Audacious" 

Popping your weekday look with a flash of neon can be an intimidating trend to take on. And if it's yellow you're drawn to incorporating as your highlighter shade, the task can quickly go from fun and fearless to overwhelming and frightening. But FEAR NOT! Here are my full-proof ways to incorporate the oh-so-in electric tones into your warm weather wardrobe...

1. Start Small in Summer
Keep your pop of color isolated to accessories when experimenting with shocking tones for the first time. Summer is THE best time to try out a pop of neon, because tan skin and sun-kissed hair will support a neon tone much better than your mid-winter coloring will. Pick one color that speaks to you and try finding a shoe or a purse in that shade. These are the two best accessories to begin with because a colorful shoe or evening clutch lends itself to many more outfits than a neon mini dress does. I love a killer sunny-toned heel to show off your sexy tan legs on a summer night, and I can't get enough of a bright-colored beach bag to accessorize a white bikini, white sundress, and big bold shades.

2. Neutralize the Neon
Remember that you are in fact "popping" your look with a bold dash of neon color. So in order for the strong shade to shine and look sophisticated, you need to create a neutral base for it to actually POP off of. White and black are always excellent options, and will always work with any neon accent. But summer camel, tan, and beige tons pair wonderfully with orange, pink, and electric blue. This season I love experimenting with the grey family as a neutral, as shown above, which gives yellow an amazing glow in the sunlight. So if you're spending a little extra to purchase an unexpected bold and bright piece, use it to freshen up an old stand by white skirt or a beloved basic black maxi dress. This way your entire outfit looks and feels new, without breaking the bank.

3. Light Up Your Lips
When wearing neons, the biggest challenge I have always had is determining what to do with my makeup. My rule of thumb is to let the neon accent be the single source of shine shimmer or sparkle; that is, be careful not to compete with your accessories by using a matching neon eyeliner, or worse, adding a second neon to the look with an electric pink lipstick, this works on the runway, but rarely translates well to real life. Go for soft matte shades and powders. Think bronzer over blush. A smoky eye can work, but use matte grays and brown over deep black, shinny silvers, or sparkling gold lids. Now when it comes to your lips you can do more. I like to think about creating depth, texture, and color-play. NEWSFLASH: You CAN let your lips shine! Use a hydrating and highlighting lipstick or lip crayon, or a slightly luminous gloss over a trusted lipstick will achieve the same luscious pout. The challenge here becomes picking that right shade. Try complementing the neon accent color with the lip: for instance try a mauve lip with light neon pink; a dark rusty orange when wearing chartreuse, as I did above, or maybe a rich deep purple with electric blue or radiant orchid set off of a tan neutral. I am in love with Revlon's new collection of Colorburst balm sticks in both matte and lacquer finishes. You can find them at CVS, Walgreens, online here at Revlon.com, and every shade in the matte collection will work with your neons! So yay! But if you do get confused or need more help in this department here's what I would do: bring your neon accessory into Sephora and have a color expert find you some lip shades. Together you both can see what looks best when holding up the accessory to your face.

So how do you do neon? Leave me a comment as I'd love to know. And have a neon-centric question? Need a second opinion? Drop me a comment bellow- I read them all... 

City Chic: Woods, Whites, & Wringlets of Gold

 Bekka Palmer Photography

Leather Shorts, Zara, similar & similar // Batwing Blouse, similar // Gold Gladiator Sandals, Aldo // Cork Clutch, J Crew *On Sale // Gold & Wood Earrings & Gold Hand Cuff, Aldo // Belt, Hermes // Abbey Road Sunglasses in Ivory Wood by Free People, similar & similar

There is nothing better than summer light; how it dapples on the streets and grass on those hot evenings, warm and golden and breathtakingly brilliant. When deep summer casts it's glow on the city, I love to amp up my gold accessories and let the metallic tones do all the talking. In order to let these accessories shine like gold I keep my outfit simple but, as always, slightly unexpected. A crisp clean white shirt is always the right choice: it pops off of tan skin and reflects light onto any gold accessories with ease and elegance. And that of course is classic summer chic: easy breezy elegance. To jazz up the white and gold pairing I LOVE my collection of "chic city shorts."I look for low slung pieces that provide texture: silk, leather, and lace all work well this season, and will add depth and intrigue to an expected look. Big blonde beach waves, or soft Goldie-locks curls juxtapose the masculine lines of the ensemble and also keep this look feeling feminine and sexy. Add a killer pair of shades to pump up the volume, and gladiator sandals for a glamorous glow et voila!

Happy Weekend lovelies! May it be dappled with long shimmering sunny summer days.

Thanks for reading

Pink Lady

Bekka Palmer Photography

Ripped Hot Pant Jeggings, NEW American Eagle Outfitters // Blouse, H&M, similar // 

Heels, Sergio Rossi similar 50% off! // Round Shades, MINKPINK 

Being back home in NYC in the height of the summer heat, means the return of black basics, edgy accessories, and Grease-inspired "summer nights" day fashion. Today's errands and meetings required an evening ready outfit, as I have no time to get home to change and even less to post, prior to my evening commitments. So in very Pink Lady fashion, I'm hitting the streets with grease-lighting-ripped hot pants, a paint-brush blush printed blouse, serious patent leather platforms, sequined skull accessories, and killer retro shades. The girl you see here was clearly born to hand-jive baby, and what can I say? I'm a slave to the groove and hopelessly devoted to my bad girl side.

Happy Thursday. Stay cool out there and thanks for reading! 

Summer Road Trips

 Bekka Palmer Photography

Shirt // Cloth & Stone // Shorts, Klique // Shoes, American Eagle Outfitters 

Packing up the car early on an steamy summer morning, grabbing a large iced coffee, snacks, and shades, cranking up my ultimate American playlist, maxing the AC, and hitting the open road bound for the beach is simply synonymous with the American summer I know and love best. Growing up, such dawn marked drives meant heading north to Cape Cod to narrowly catch the mid morning ferry across to Nantucket island. Vacation didn't really begin for me in fact until the engine hummed, hot and heavy on the asphalt of the parkway, rolling into Hyannis Port. With the car parked on the ferry, I'd roll the windows down and close my eyes, only to smell the salty sea air as rolling east, and awoke an hour later to the blair of the fog horn, signaling the the true start of summer. 

Dave Matthews Band Under the Table and Dreaming was the summer soundtrack of choice then, and without a moment lost, my sister and I would take off, ants marching straight from boat to beach, suitcases still stuffed, unopened in the trunk.

Wheels are a summer girl's best friend. Whether it be a car, a bike, a vespa, you name it: the freedom to get up, get in, get on, and go is what summer in the states is all about.

So as I make my way on my first summer road trip with my own family, that is me, my husband and our twin corgis, I can't help but celebrate the stolen hours spent just cruising. Because there is an inexplicable joy; a total release when you feel the power to take yourself not just where you need to go, but where you want to go.

This summer, I wish you all more time spent out on the open road to find out where it may take you.

*Video* Star Spangled Sangria

**Star-Spangled Sangria**

This Fresh Blueberry and Rosé based Sangria is the ideal specialty cocktail to make for a crowd! Garnish with cute watermelon stars to make it a sip of star-spangled deliciousness!

STAR SPANGLED SANGRIA

Ingredients
2/3 cup raw agave syrup
2 cups. fresh blueberries
½ cup filtered water- room temperature or hot
1 750 mL bottle rosé (wine not champagne, try to choose a more sweet and   fruit-forward rosé rather than a mineral dry or acidic one)
2/3 cups freshly squeezed orange juice (from about 2 large oranges)
2/3 cranberry juice
1/2 cup All American Bourbon (I like Bullet but any authentic Kentucky Bourbon will work well)
1-2 shots Grand Marnier or Cointreau
2 sprigs fresh rosemary, rinsed
Juice of 1 lime
Juice of ½ a lemon

Garnish: 1 cup of watermelon *stars* watch the video to learn how-to, 1 cup blueberries (prepare a small plate of extra blueberries and watermelon stars for garnishing each glass as you serve the sangria)

Method
1. In a high powered blender, vitamix or blentec combine the agave with the filtered water and 2 cups of fresh blueberries. Process on high until the mixture is combined into a blueberry juice.
2. Strain the juice with a mesh strainer over a bowl, and press any solid mixture to maximize the amount of juice you get out of the blueberries. Discard the solids, and pour the blueberry juice mix into a large pitcher followed by fresh orange juice, cranberry juice, bourbon, Grand Marnier, lemon & lime juice. Then add the rosemary sprigs to the pitcher and the entire bottle of rosé. Stir to combine.
3. Finish by adding the a handful of more blueberries. Place the pitcher, covered with plastic wrap, in the fridge to cool for 1-2 hrs, or until very cold.
To serve, fill glasses with 3-5 ice cubes and pour the cold sangria over the ice. Garnish each glass with a few of the watermelon *stars* watch the video to learn how-to and blueberries a add a fun color straw to make it truly festive!

Video Credits:

Filmed by Mary Perrino

Edited and Produced by Virtuoso Picture House, Sebastian Savino

Music, "Fluctuations" by Randy K

Hair by Alexandra Archibald

Makeup by Maria Sanchez

Skirt/Top, Topshop Ltd Edition

Shot on Location, The Supper Model NYC

4th of July Flare

Bekka Palmer Photography

Shirt, Cloth & Stone // Flag Shorts, Klique // Shoes, American Eagle Outfitters // Beaded Headband, Urban Outfitters, similar // Shades, Aldo, similar

It was a brilliant 4th of July Weekend filled with family, friends, great food, and of course FESTIVE fashion! There can never be enough red white and blue when it comes to dressing for the 4th and my mantra for Independence Day? Go big or go home! This year I found a few fabulous flag-inspired fashion items that were all too good to leave at home, so with "the bigger and bolder the better" in mind, I celebrated from head to toe in stars, stripes, and spangled style.

Hope you all enjoyed the holiday weekend and thanks for reading!