Saturday, April 30, 2011

The Royal Wedding







I know there are going to be a million posts on the royal wedding, but I had to chime in.  I Tevoed the wedding & finally had a chance to sit down & watch it today.  I must say, Kate & William found my romantic side (sigh).  Her dress was beautiful & I loved all the tradition & detail.  Another thing that I absolutely loved were all the hats!  Amazing!!  They have me very excited for Del Mar opening day this year so I can wear a snazzy hat & pretty dress :)

xoxo Shauna

Friday, April 29, 2011

Friday Quote Day...


This week I learned a very important lesson about my moral code & what exactly I can tolerate from other individuals.  Being a professional young woman has definitely had it's tests in the past & i've learned to grin & bear it, but at what point is disrespect too much to ignore?  Don't let anyone make you feel ashamed, humiliated, or belittled.  

If you don't respect yourself, no one else will…





xoxo Shauna

Thursday, April 28, 2011

Sweet Teeth

     Life is no piece of cake & neither is staying on a diet.  I'm usually a really healthy eater (I don't eat beef, pork, milk products, & stay away from fried foods most of the time), but I crave sweets daily. What gives?  

     I decided to get to the bottom of this & did some research on why we (I think it's mostly a woman thing) crave sweets… 

     Lets start at the beginning… The Neanderthal ages to be exact.  Early man had no idea where his next meal would come from (or even if there was going to be a next meal).  Thus, the human body adapted & at least two things happened:  

     First, the brain became adept at figuring out which foods were nutritionally dense and energy-rich and which ones were not (berries, yes… tree bark, not so much).  Our bodies realised that foods rich in sugar like fruits, berries and chocolate-chip-ice-cream (as anachronistic as that sounds) provided much needed energy to replenish the body from all those t-rex-avoidance marathons. The brain released certain chemicals called opioids which gave the body pleasurable feelings at the sight and taste of sugar so that it would never forget to get more of those the next time it found them.

     The second adaptation was that, of course, the body became an expert at storing energy in the form of fat. All excess food consumed was converted and stored in the gut (or booty) for the next dry spell.  This, of course, is why sweets (although heavenly) are considered satanic & mostly be avoided by me.  

     Fast forward to present day.  There are a few modern reasons why we may crave sweets, too.  Turns out, you can blame your mother for those ice cream binges (thanks, Mom).  As children, we are often rewarded for golden stars at school, no temper-tantrums in the grocery store, & being nice to our sisters by the promise of ice cream & other sweet treats.  These foods turn into cravings later on in life because they're comforting & are still seen as rewarding to our brains.    

     Also, modern day stress can be a reason why we reach for a candy bar on a busy work day.  The taste of sugar  releases endorphins that calm and relax us, and offer a natural "high".  Your body might also be low on serotonin levels.  Serotonin is a brain chemical that makes you feel content and happy.  Many antidepressant medications work by keeping serotonin levels high.  Sugar may increase the absorption of an amino acid called tryptophan, which the body uses to make serotonin. This means that eating something sweet may make you feel happy and avoiding sweets may make you feel crabby.  Turns out, common reasons for low serotonin levels is lack of sleep, poor diet, & not enough exercise.  

     No doubt, knowing this info isn't going to keep my cravings at bay, but understanding why i'm craving sweets will hopefully be helpful in making better decisions & practicing portion control (we can dream, right?).  With that, I leave you with some photos from one of my favorite bloggers: Frenchfrosting.  She makes dessert look so good, it should be on a runway.  


















Wednesday, April 27, 2011

The Look for Less

If you're like me, you're loving that the crochet craze is back in action.  Tons of designers are replicating the look, but you don't have to spend a fortune to get a super cute crochet number to wear this summer.



The Look for Less








The tops above will run you $598 (Ralph Lauren), $330 (Elizabeth & James) & a super steal of $138 (Anthropology).  I'm over spending over $100 on casual tops, so I opted for a more budget friendly version.  The top below is from H&M.  In my opinion, it's even cuter than any of the tops above.  I got it for $29!  :)


In the dressing room pic above I have on a pair of Paige dark denim, but I think this top would be super cute paired with distressed denim cut-offs & a brown belt or a pair of flairs & some wedges.  


xoxo Shauna

Sunday, April 24, 2011

Friday, April 22, 2011

Brand Obsession

Aqua, available at Bloomingdales, is one of my most favorite brands.  I have a lot of pieces from them & love the quality of their clothing & the reasonable price tag.  They have amazingly made staple pieces & also some fun tops & dresses for really reasonable prices.  Who said quality had to cost a fortune?  

Aqua Short Sleeve Detailed Back Top

PRICE: $68.00

Aqua Capsleeve Eyelet Jersey Dress

PRICE: $88.00
I LOVE this dress!  I'm just waiting for an excuse to buy it :)
  

Aqua Keyhole Back Sequined Dress

PRICE: $168.00
I can't believe this sequined dress is only $168!  
I've seen similar dresses for at least $400. 
  

Aqua Long Jersey Skirt

PRICE: $78.00 

Aqua Three-Quarter Sleeve Gauze Top

PRICE: $88.00

Aqua Short Sleeve Cropped Lace Tee

PRICE: $78.00
I purchased this top yesterday, along with some great basic black shorts & another lacey tank… All from Aqua.  I can't wait to wear everything this weekend!  Pictures to come :)

xoxo Shauna

Thursday, April 21, 2011

Friday Quote Day...

Friday THURSDAY Quote day…

So I saved a TON in my inspiration folder this week… 
So I thought i'd publish a day early.
Hope you guys enjoy.





















"No, i'm not sorry for anything."



xoxo Shauna