Wandering the Web: Happy Easter!

Oh, hello again! Fridays really are the best, aren't they? Especially when Friday is pay day, and there's a major sale at your favorite store, am I right? ;) Let's just say I've sufficiently killed my budget for the month of March...oops! So that's what I'll be doing this weekend — how about you? Any fun plans for the first full weekend of spring? No matter what you do, I hope you have a good one, and here are some links I liked this week:

1. Photos of beautiful and unusual wedding themes. (Apartment Therapy)

2. Funny tweets in honor of Twitter's 10th anniversary this week. (The Blonde Salad)

3. Loooove this quirky manicure. (Because I'm Addicted)

4. Express is offering 40% off in select stores and online, and I have my eye on several items! Excuse me while I apologize to my wallet ;)

5. Can't get enough of this blogger's beautiful Instagram shots lately! (The Darling Detail)

6. Hashtag 90s problems. (Esquire)

7. Speaking of the 90s, what are your thoughts on the choker trend? (LaurenConrad.com)

8. And in case you needed any ideas for April Fools Day... (Buzzfeed)

Book Review: 'The Fever'

When I was a kid I used to love reading mysteries, anything from Nancy Drew to the Adventures of Mary-Kate and Ashley (my personal fave ;) to the Boxcar Children. I always love the suspense and trying to figure out what's going to happen before it happens. Even though I've been loving non-fiction and memoirs lately, I've getting back into the mystery genre with psychological thrillers.

My latest pick was The Fever by Megan Abbott, which earned high praise from Gone Girl author Gillian Flynn. I figured it would be a good read, and I really did enjoy the writing in this book. Megan Abbott has clearly spent a lot of time perfecting her craft, and it shows in her clean use of detail and storytelling. Aside from that, I felt the psychological aspect of the book was completely lacking. There wasn't much suspense throughout the story, and I didn't feel that the sickness spreading around the school was a solid enough plot to hold the book together.

The first girl contracts the mystery illness in the first few chapters, and from there a string of girls in the school come down with similar symptoms. A few possible causes for the "disease" are thrown around by other students and parents, like the contaminated lake the small town is known for. Maybe it was just that I couldn't get behind the idea of a mysterious illness that's only contracted by teenage girls, but I just didn't follow this story with any interest at all. I didn't find Deenie, the main character, very fun to follow, though I will give Abbott credit for knowing how to dive into the minds of teenagers and all the drama that inevitably follows them.

All in all, I'd probably give this book 2.5-3 stars. It wasn't as compelling as other thrillers I've read, but the writing and character development was well done. If you're looking for something to shock you and get your heart rate up, this isn't it.

Have you read The Fever? What did you think? I'd love to know...

P.S. Better thrillers: The Girl on the Train and Luckiest Girl Alive

transitional spring fashion

linen dress / cropped sweater / criss-cross flats / similar clutch / Rimmel by Kate lipstick No. 08

I should just title this post "Mom Style," because that's what everyone keeps calling this dress and these sandals... But I don't care because I love them both! I found them (and the sweater) unexpectedly while I went with a friend to check out the 40% off sale at Old Navy last weekend. Talk about a great deal! This linen dress is so pretty and perfect for spring/summer, and I can't explain my current obsession with flats like these ones. And for less than $15, can you blame me?

I'm planning to wear this outfit for Easter Sunday since it's supposed to be a little chilly here in Iowa, but also it's the perfect dress for a spring picnic or an afternoon by the lake, don't you think? Old Navy is still offering up to 40% off women's dresses, in case you're still looking for a good one to wear this weekend. I also shared two similar linen dresses that I love in my newsletter yesterday — if you're not getting it, sign up here!

P.S. 8 great wedges for summer, my spring wish list and my favorite nude lipsticks

Wandering the Web: have a fun weekend!

Happy Fridayyy! I have the whole weekend off, and I'm ready to both relax and spend some time catching up on all my to-do lists. Are you doing anything fun this weekend? There's a little snow in the forecast, but I won't let that stop me from partaking in a little post-St. Paddy's Day fun ;) I hope you have a good one, and here's what I'm reading this week...

1. Mint Julep milkshakes are the perfect thing for St. Paddy's Day weekend. (A Beautiful Mess)

2. Penguin bar, anyone? (Apartment Therapy)

3. The most influential people on the Internet. (Time)

4. Why you should skip the post-wedding honeymoon. (The Everygirl)

5. Eight tips for taking beautiful photos. (Cup of Jo)

6. A '90s boy band SyFy movie is coming out...for real. (Cosmopolitan)

7. Interesting tips on how to raise a more confident child. (Business Insider)

8. Dancing With The Stars starts again on Monday night, and I am beyond excited to watch Antonio Brown crush it every week! Will you watch? (ABC)

warm-weather necessity: wedges

1. G by Guess  2. BP 3. Michael Kors 4. BCBG 5. Dolce Vita 6. Steve Madden 7. Jeffrey Campbell 8. Guess 

There are so many reasons to look forward to summer, but one at the top of my list this year is wearing wedges. If you've been following miscelenious for a while, you might recall my little surgery last year, which prevented me from wearing heels for the majority of the summer (and most other types of shoes, sadly). So, this summer I am so ready and excited to wear cute new wedges! I want to invest in a really nice pair that will last a long time and go with everything... Maybe these adorable Jeffrey Campbell cutout wedges? Or the Michael Kors espadrilles with a nautical vibe? All of these pairs would be so versatile and fun for summertime! 

Which wedges are your favorites? And what are you looking forward to wearing most this summer? 

P.S. last year's summer wish list and my spring wish list

Wandering the Web: have a beautiful weekend

The Friday vibes are strong this week... I have so much to look forward to in the next couple days, including a Fall Out Boy concert on Monday — yay! This week has been a little crazy, with some personal ups and downs (more on that later), and I am ready to have a little time to relax this weekend. I hope you all have a good one, too!

1. The most beautiful home makeover I think I've ever seen. (Cup of Jo)

2. Looking forward to reading this book very soon. (Amazon)

3. Two essential stretches to improve flexibility. (Fit Sugar)

4. I'm starting to love the look of lace-up tops lately. What do you think? (Nordstrom)

5. Six things that affect your quality of sleep — No. 3 was a surprise to me. (Refinery 29)

6. Turns out, people's thoughts on gender stereotypes haven't changed much. (Science of Us)

7. I've been looking into better pre- and post-workout fuel, and this green smoothie looks so yummy. (Corals and Cognacs)

8. These Lucky Charms Rice Krispies treats would be great for St. Paddy's Day! (Shay Mitchell)

lipstick review vol. 4

In a nutshell, this has been my experience with nude lipstick: Two months ago I had zero nude lipsticks, and today I have 8 different nude lipsticks.

Yep, you read that right. 0 to 8 in practically no time. I'm obsessed with nude lips, and I wear them 90 percent of the time now. A nude lip is the perfect complement to any outfit, because it allows colors to be the main element of an ensemble and it also allows neutrals to stay neutral while adding an element of sexy. I love wearing my nude lipsticks with a brown and gold smokey eye for maximum effect. The gold and brown eye shadows really draw out the blue in my eyes, and I think the nude lips add an air of maturity and simple elegance.

To mix it up, I got this sample pack from Sephora with five different options to try. My favorite, by far, has been the Nudestix pencil in Whisper. It's the perfect skin-toned shade for me, and the pencil feels smooth and lasts reasonably well even through meals. The Nudestix is my top pick and I'd highly recommend trying it if you're looking to try a nude lip for the first time.

My second pick is the Laura Mercier lipstick in Milky Way. It's a little more chocolate-y brown (pun definitely intended), but it looks great on multiple skin tones. I like that it's a bit darker than the other lipsticks I have, and it looks really beautiful with neutrally colored outfits.

The Tart creamy matte lip paint in Namaste is a more pink-ish nude, but the formula is different than any lipstick or gloss I've tried before. It really does feel like a creamy matte lip paint, and it's super weird but really nice at the same time. The color is flattering, but it doesn't do well for all-day wear.

I was disappointed with the NARS Dolce Vita lipstick. The color is almost invisible, and the formula is very balm-like in that it doesn't even last through my morning coffee. I guess it would be a good option for anyone looking to dip their toes in the nude lipstick pond, but I definitely wouldn't pay full price for it.

And finally is the Marc Jacobs lip liner in Primrose, which has a beautiful peachy, pink color. I haven't worn it yet though because I don't have the right color lipstick/gloss for it, but from what I've sampled it seems like a good one.

Do you wear nude lipsticks or have a favorite? Or if you're looking to try one for the first time, which do you think you'll pick? I'd love to know! 

P.S. lipstick reviews vol. 1, vol. 2 and vol. 3

Instagram roundup No. 13

Happy Tuesday, friends! Sorry for being a little MIA last week, but between a(nother) cold and some blah feelings, I felt it was time for an unanticipated tech detox. But I'm back with another little Instagram roundup to get things going here again! First up: two beauty products I'm currently obsessed with. I bought this Too Faced eye shadow primer on a friend's recommendation, and I don't think I'll ever use anything else! And this Naked Dolly Too Faced lipstick had been on my wish list for a while, and I finally splurged. I need to get a good lip liner for it, but the color is beautiful!