A new species discovered...Arianis Bloggeristrus

The nonstop rain we've been having here in NJ has turned my backyard into a veritable jungle. Standing there in my bit of leopard print, I have to say, I felt right at home!

My red skirt from F21+ continues to be one of the best $7 purchases I've made all year, and I was happy to step away from my usual red/black/white combo by pairing it with this shimmy bronze tank and a touch of sheer leopard. I've had this button down from Old Navy for ages but always have trouble styling it. I know, I know - leopard, sheer; what's the problem? Well I figured it out, for today at least, by simply rolling the sleeves and twisting the front into a knot for a high-waisted look.

Are you surprised to see my nude Bandolino's make yet another appearance on the blog? They've been my footwear of choice for the past three OOTDs and many unblogged outfits in between. I just can't contain myself!

Button down: Old Navy
Tank: Lane Bryant
Skirt: Forever21+
Pumps: Bandolino via Lord & Taylor
Ring: Vintage via La Casita
Necklace: Gifted
Bracelets: Syms, Brooklyn Flea, F21

Thanks to the BF for being my photographer for these photos, even though he insisted on cutting off my feet in half of them ;) Gotta keep training him I guess! 

Oh, and don't miss my LucieLu Giveaway!

Adios, America!

It's vacation time!! Tomorrow I will be on a flight to Amsterdam, and a few days later on another one to my beloved Greece! I'll check in here and there and hopefully will even get an outfit post or two in, with a beautiful Mediterranean background of course! Until then, you stay classy San Diego!

Top: Forever21+
Jeans: Forever21+ 
Heels: Target
Necklace: (long) H&M, (short) Chrdesigns
Bracelets (from left): Syms,  Forever21, Forever21
Ring: Vintage, La Casita

Redo

Rushing to take pictures in crappy weather sure does no favors for the quality of my photos! But it's been a few days since I've gotten a chance to take some pics and I wanted to get these up for you all :)

You've seen this top from ASOS Curve before, and it's styled pretty similarly as well; I just changed up the jewelry and the shoes. I really want to pair the wrap top with a skirt but I have yet to find one that works. 'Til then, looks like this baby will continue to get the denim treatment!

Top: ASOS Curve
Jeans: Calvin Klein via Macy's
Sandals: Target
Necklace: Forever 21
Bracelet: Syms
Ring: Vintage via La Casita

Robin Hood, Men in Tights

So I have a complex with this shade of kelly green, especially when it's a dress. Everytime I pair it with something brown, like the waist belt I wanted to wear, I feel very Robin Hood-esque. Weird I know. That's why I decided to leave the tie belt on this dress rather than replacing it with a real belt, and I tried to keep the brown to a minimum by wearing my trusty light brown chain embellished sandals. I think I've safely steered clear of Robin Hood chic, at least this time.

I rediscovered this dress in my closet recently; I picked it up from Torrid probably 3 years ago now. I remember why I loved it so much! It's made of the softest, most comfortable cotton, and the cutouts at the neckline keep it airy, even in the 97 degree weather we had yesterday. Today's supposed to be even hotter...What I wouldn't do for a day off, a lounge chair by the pool, and a cocktail!

Dress: Torrid
Sandals: Steve Madden
Watch: Syms
Bangles: Old Navy
Necklace: Chrdesigns (more on that later!)
Earrings: Katherine's
Ring: La Casita

I also wanted to talk really quick about a product I came across recently. I know many of us battle with the dreaded chub-rub, and I've said before that I usually rock the oh-so-sexy bike shorts or Spanx under my dresses when bare-leg season rolls around. I've tried Monistat Chafing Relief Gel, and though it works, I hated the fact that you had to rub it on with your hands and get the gooeyness all over your fingers. Yuck!!

Enter Secret Shield by Skindura.

Description: "Protection no one knows you’re wearing but you. This non greasy, invisible balm provides long lasting prevention from skin on skin friction. Made of 100% veggie derived ingredients, (no petroleum, no animal by products, no silicone). But it also helps soothe skin that is already chapped and chafed so your skin will be good as new in no time."

And Secret Shield lives up to it's description! I smoothed it on before I left the house for work - with  no mess and no hand-washing because of the convenient twist tube applicator. Through an 8 hour work day and then an hour+ of shopping (lots of walking!) I reapplied twice, and experienced no irritation at all! Obviously the product doesn't prevent your thighs from rubbing together, but it creates a barrier that eliminates friction and allows your thighs to glide right past each other. In the 97 degree heat and humidity we had yesterday I have to tell you I was extremely impressed with this product. I'll definitely be using it on a regular basis - I love being able to go about my day without worring about Spanx rolling down or bike shorts riding up! This is going to be my savior when it comes to beach time and running around in a bathing suit!

Have you tried Secret Shield, or any other anti-chafing product? Let us know your experience!

Rainbow Brite

And we're back in business! Thanks, Blogger!

I love this outfit! This tank top is just so fun and bright, and the great thing is that you can pair it with any color - and with the size of my cardigan collection, that means endless possibilities. Today though, I decided to try a different route and paired it with this white lace blazer. I liked the combination of the blazer's texture with the print of the tank.

 

It's another (almost) head to toe day as everything I'm wearing with the exception of my Michael Kors pants and vintage ring are from Forever 21+. The tank is a 2x and a tiny bit snug in the bust; I've remedied the usual button gaping with a tiny safety pin. The lace blazer (2x), which I didn't look twice at on the site, jumped out at me in the store and fits to perfection. I never would have though I'd get such a great fitting blazer at Forever 21! It fits over the girls wonderfully, though it is button-less; but that's an easy DIY or quick tailor fix if you really need to button it.

Forever21+: Tank, Blazer

Forever21 accessories: Bangles, Shoes (in grey)

Pants: Michael Kors via Nordstrom

Ring: Vintage, La Casita

Tribal

I have to laugh at the awkwardness of taking outfit pics when people are watching, especially when it comprises of me balancing my little Gorillapod on the roof of my crookedly parked car. Gotta love it even more when a police officer rolls over in his patrol car to ask me what I'm doing. The exchange went something like this:

*I spy a police car driving over and flash him my brightest "please-don't-arrest-me" smile when he's near.
Officer: "So...what's going on here?"
Me: " Just taking some pictures, Officer!" (big smile again)
Officer: "...Of...what?"
Me: "...My outfit? You see, I'm a blogger...so...I take pictures of, ya know...my clothes."
Officer: "...Right..." *Cue suspicious look* "...Ok. Carry on."

He circled around once or twice more as I took a few more sets of photos, and once satisfied that I was not a threat to him, the nearby office building, or national security, he drove off.

With the exception of my gladiator sandals and vintage ring, I am literally in head to toe Forever21 today (and it won't be the first time this week either). I picked up this dress at the same time I bought the leopard print tee I wore earlier this week. It'll be a great summer piece, perfect for throwing over a bathing suit for the beach, with flat sandals for day, or dressed up with heels for night.

Forever21+: Dress (same style, different print), Tank, Belt
Forever 21 Jewelry: Bangles, Turquoise pendant
Ring: Vintage, La Casita
Sandals: Target

Go with the flow - ASOS Curve Tank

Can I tell you guys how obsessed I am with this printed tank from ASOS Curve?

Completely obsessed. It's so airy and comfortable, and the button detail down the front looks so nice and adds some weight to the shirt. I ordered this in the US18/UK22 as my usual US16/UK20 was sold out. It's so loose and flowy that I really don't think it would have mattered either way, but it fits great. Best part is the straps are adjustable so I was able to wear my usual bra and still be work appropriate in the cleavage department.

I'm obsessed with a lot of things lately, including this vintage rhinestone ring I bought at a little antique shop in Ridgewood. Also, with my shoes. Touche, Payless, touche. After the first wear, these are SO comfortable and easy to walk in, they've been my go-to heels since the weather warmed up. I'm seriously considering buying a second pair as backups because I love them that much. Also obsessed with Forever21 and their jewelry lately. But that's a story for another day.

Cardigan: New York and Company Outlet
Tank: ASOS Curve
Leggings: Torrid
Sandals: Payless
Bangles: Borrowed
Ring: La Casita
Earrings: Target