A Little Bit of Detail

I love bling! This is truly my favorite summer top. I've had it for maybe three years and I only pull it out a couple of times in the summer so that it is still special and fun to wear. Last night we went into Old Town Alexandria to a very cool place called Virtue. The atmosphere was awesome and food yummy. Next time we will have to go earlier in the afternoon to enjoy all the great boutiques and cool little shops Old Town has to offer. I would honestly love to try each and every restaurant too.

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Top: Cache (similar)

Pants: Zara

Shoes: Aldo

Lipstick: Laura Mercier (Clementine)

Nail polish: OPI (Atomic Orange)

Bangles: South Moon Under

Fab Finds: Summer Sweater

Isn't this a beautiful summer sweater. Great color to go with any color pants. A really good substitute for the traditional cardigan. You'll be stylin' girl!

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Eileen Fisher at Bloomingdales

Summer Salmon Recipe

I am always trying to find something new to make for dinner with minimum effort. I made this one up. Throw a piece of salmon on the grill. Take a jar of sundried tomatoes in olive oil and spoon over salmon. Serve over butter lettuce with avocados and olive oil, lemon and garlic dressing. You can make the dressing or buy Tessemae's from Whole Foods. It its fresh with no preservatives. Easy and delicious! Bon Appetit!

Mad Men Style

If you've checked out Mad Men on television you would know that, of course, I am crazy for the styles on the show. This dress is a Ted Baker design and I love their pieces. I just discovered them last year when I found the style of trench coat I had been looking for. They are a London designer and offer unique and quality pieces. This style of dress may be trending right now, but in my opinion, it is a keeper.

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Dress: Nordstrom (only in stores) but similar style here

Shoes: Nordstrom (old)

Clutch: Nordstrom (old)

Pearl Neckaces: Nordstrom (3 different strands)

Fab Finds: J Crew Shoes

Take a look at some of the new shoes at J Crew. These would be awesome

 with a pencil skirt, capri or toothpick pants.

Love with pencil skirts, pants and jeans!

...with capri's, mini pants or pencil skirt.

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J Crew

Hats Galore

I am no longer self conscious about wearing hats. Since I have recently started to see a dermatologist I have realized I should have been doing this years ago. With the beautiful bronzers out on the market now that is the only way I am tanning my face. This cute hat (above) was actually a gift from my derm.

Summer makeup

Summer makeup should definitely feel and look lighter on your face. I take an equal interest in makeup as I do in fashionable clothes. I worked for Clinique and Lancome in my 20's and 30's and loved all the training I got. They used to call training "school." It was always at the Four Seasons and included lunch and a gift bag full of cosmetics. It was so much fun! Working as a makeup artist was particularly satisfying. Especially when you would see the "after" look of a very happy woman.  May I suggest that you put your foundation away for the summer and use eye concealer and a bronzer on your cheeks instead. Eye makeup is still very important especially for us 40 and 50+ ladies. Our eyes have really changed their shape. Eye lashes have thinned out as well and I love Lancome's Hypnose mascara. It thickens and lengthens giving you a "baby doll" kind of look. If you choose to use a neutral or nude lipstick, definitely use a lip liner in a light brown or pinkish brown color. Make sure it blends with the lipstick as well. Eyes can be accentuated more when you wear pale lip colors. But, don't be afraid to wear red either. It is acceptable all year round especially at night. Hope these makeup tips are helpful.

Guy Style: Nick

I thought it would be fun to do something totally different and feature a guy. Of course, he is one of my very favorite guys. Nick is the lead singer/songwriter in a band and I have so much fun styling him. We have totally changed up his wardrobe. No longer will you see him in Polo shirts and preppy pants which is totally fine with me. It's a lot more fun.

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Shirt: Guess

Jeans: American Eagle

Shoes: Aldo

Fab Finds: Summer Jewels

Accessories can change the look of an outfit. Especially something bold and chunky. Wear a statement necklace or a bunch of bangles. It is such a fun way to look unique.We all don't want to look like each other, right? What fun is that?

Stack a bunch of colorful bangles on your arm for a pretty summer look.

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Beaded necklace with seahorse: J Crew

Tangerine chunky necklace: South Moon Under

Bangle Bracelet set: South Moon Under

Gazebo Moments

This beautiful gazebo comes with the house we rent every year on Silver Lake at Rehoboth beach. It just may be the main reason why we keep coming back. It is a tradition that every evening we come out here to have our cocktails and jam sessions. I'm pretty sure we serenade the whole neighborhood. We have a lot of wonderful memories from previous years and looking forward to making more tonight.

Love my maxi's. I ordered this skirt on line a few weeks ago and honestly can't remember where I got it. The white tank is from Old Navy. Throw a faded jean jacket or shrug and you are ready to go. What a nice place to enjoy a refreshing vodka tonic don't you think?

Love the built in benches on either side. Very convenient.

Beach Time

I look forward every year to our family beach trip. We usually go to Rehoboth Beach and it is my favorite week of the year. We go with my side (Medina) of the family which includes my parents, brothers, sisters and our kids. We have a very musical family with a lot of talent and the very best part of the trip is the evening "jam sessions." Guitars and all. Everyone in the group would agree. It started out with the adults leading the jam but now the kids all bring their guitars and talent and it is awesome.  Wish you could come!

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Dress: (boutique in New Orleans) or this

Shrug: Cache

Fab Finds: Shirt Dress

 The Ralph Lauren Shirt Dress. A classic dress to wear from the office to a lunch with the ladies. What I love about this piece is that you can really wear it anywhere, but what makes it really fun is the color. It really adds style to what is a very basic dress. A plus is that it is machine washable too. Sizes from XXS - XL

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Bloomingdales