The Cambridge Satchel, a rainbow of bags.

I recently got back from living in London for a few months. It was such an eye opening experience not only cultural wise but fashion wise as well. The Brits have such a posh/quirky way of dressing that everyday I walked out my door it was  quite a learning experience. The way they put together outfits had such a creative process behind it and yet it looked as if they had just rolled out of bed looking like that. They mixed patterns, added spikes to everything, accessorized the heck out of every outfit, and everyone seemed to be carrying the same bag. The Cambridge Satchel.

One of each please!

                   You may have seen its imitators at Target or H&M but the real deal comes in a rainbow of colors and styles. You best believe I saw the Brits (and other fashionable Europeans for that matter) rocking every color on the daily. Their newest collection is called the “Chelsea” collection, most likely after the posh London neighborhood where you would find these lovely satchels. The palette of this collection is all pastels perfect for the warm spring and summer months. The old standbys include the classic collection, metallic: purple, cobalt, pink, and rose gold to name a few, jewel tones: emerald and sapphire, and the ever popular The Fluoro. Caution: please wear sunglasses when using this bag. These bags are the brightest fluorescent pink, yellow, green and orange bags you could ever want. And totally fantastic. There is no doubt you would stand out, from about 5 miles away.

People everywhere love them.

So chic, right?

I was originally planning on buying one of these versatile bags while I was still in London, however my bank account decided to laugh in my face and say "not a chance sweet thing". So, I am currently saving up yo buy one. The 11" classic yellow one that I am looking at is retailing for about $156. Oh, and did I mention they are handmade especially for you when your order comes in? Your bag hasn't been sitting a storage room for weeks until you hit the "order" button on their website. Nope, your bag is made specifically for you and no one else. Jolly good, I say! 

Xoxo, Audrey Anna

My love for Loft grows and grows

Loft strikes again! After falling head over heels in love with those gorgeous blue chandelier earrings I had to go home and snoop around their website. It was a treasure trove of amazingness. Seriously, go check it out.

            I’ve already professed my love of earrings so of course I headed there first and I came across these gorgeous pink, white, blue, and yellow pastel little guys. It’s like candy for your ears. I would definitely wear these during the day as opposed to the night just because they’re so bright and girly. So, perfect for spring (it’s coming I promise!) These are a little cheaper than the first pair and sell for about $30. But, don’t forget about the Spring Event sale coming up! 

            The pretty fest doesn't stop there either. Oh no, they also have these amazing statement necklaces. I remember seeing these in the store right before I left and thought "those are pretty" but I didn't really get to examine them like they deserved. These are colored stone necklaces that make a fun flower out of the stones and rhinestones. When I said it was a statement necklace, I wasn't kidding around. I love jewelry as much as the next girl but when wearing a necklace like this, less is really more. You want to look chic and stylish, not like you just raided a dress-up bin. I would wear these necklaces with a basic blouse, legging, and flats during the week or to work and with a maxi dress in the summer. Wedding season is coming up and these would be the perfect show stopping accessories. The lovely blue necklace is $80 and the fun yellow is $70. 

You my darling, belong in a museum.

They say diamonds are a girl’s best friend. Come to think of it rubies, emeralds, and sapphires aren’t too bad of company either. But unless you’re Kate, Duchess of Cambridge or your father owns an oil mine, you’re probably not going to be dripping in this luscious little sparklers anytime soon. I know, sad.

So, today I went into Loft with my sister looking for a dress to wear to an upcoming wedding we’re attending. I immediately got hot flashes when I saw all the jewelry and accessories that they had on display. It. Was. Heaven. I have recently been noticing how structured and geometric a lot of jewelry has been looking. I go through phases, sometimes I want tiny, gold, and delicate. Other times I want the astronauts to be able to see my gems from space. Today was an astronaut kind of day.

 I have always been a big earring fan. I feel like they bring attention to your face without wearing tons of makeup and are just very ultra-femme. I always feel a little sexier with a great pair of dangling earrings on. The Loft earrings that I saw today made my catch my breath, they were gor-geous.

A girl can never go wrong with a great pair of chandelier earrings. The colored stones (oh if only they were real!) are perfect for the spring season and I love, love, love the flash of tiny green at the top of the earrings. It would be like wearing a piece of fantastic art deco splendor. These fall about 3inches and are perfect for paring with boyfriend jeans and a blazer during the day or a cocktail dress and heels for the perfect date night outfit.

These are Loft Collection, and run about $50…but I’ll let you in on a little secret. On the 9^th of March Loft is having their Spring style event where you can get 30% off your entire purchase! Don’t mind if I do. 

Xoxo, Audrey Anna 

Look Like a Celeb Without Stealing a Designer Gown: 2013 Golden Globes Beauty

Got award season fever? Yeah, me too. I just can’t get enough of the amazing looks from the Golden Globes on Sunday. It’s not just the gowns that the celebs wore that I am obsessed with it’s their hair and makeup too. Let’s be real, the next time I’m going to be dressed in head to toe designer will probably be in my dreams but, I can rock the same shade of lipstick or chic ‘do this coming weekend if I feel so inclined. Lucky for us, most of the celebs kept it casual with their hair and makeup making our lives (and imitation attempts) much easier. Thank God, because stealing Kate Hudson’s McQueen dress was going to be a little tricky.

Graceful and Natural

There is nothing more appealing than that effortless “Oh, I Just Rolled Out of Bed Looking Like This” look. The ladies must have gotten the memo because this was one of the most popular looks on the red carpet. This look is beach waves meets glamazon and is so easy to achieve. First, add a root volumizer (either a mousse or spray would work) to damp hair. Dry your hair upside down until it is slightly damp, flip your head over and finish drying all the way. Once completely dry part your hair down the middle. To get the effortless curls that Claire, Kate, Amanda, and Hayden were rocking use a large1 ½ to 2 inch barrel curling iron to curl the ends of your hair. The important thing to remember is not to hold it for longer than ten seconds, anything longer will give you more structured curls rather than loose, carefree ones. Add a few spritz of hairspray and you’re ready to walk the streets like an A-lister walks the red carpet. 

The perfect California girl

Effortless hair meets sultry smoky eye

Still my favorite look of the night!

Casual Glamour

Most of the stars kept their makeup, like their hair, totally laid back. Natural eye makeup, neutral lips, and glowing skin were all the rage on Sunday. There was an occasional smoky eye or a pop of color on the lips, but for the most part stars were content with looking like their beautiful selves. 

Amy Adams looking fresh and pretty

Anne Hathaway, stunning as always

Sienna Miller, does she even have makeup on?! 

Nicole Richie really made a statement by rocking the same shade blue as her dress. Overkill? No way. This is a HUGE trend for spring. The key to avoid looking like a bad 1980’s nightmare is to keep the rest of your makeup super clean and simple so the focus is on your eyes. She nailed it.

Xoxo, Audrey Anna