roped in.

i know, it's the hat...again.

just giving you fair warning that i'll be wearing it a lot.

not only did i love the bright colors in this top, but also the rope detail and open back. thought it would be ideal for summer with shorts. but because of its length and fullness in front,

i found it to be too much shirt for the shorts.

works much better with super long denim.

in other news, i've been trying to get back to a

three-step system for my face.

cleanse. tone. moisturize.

step two was usually ignored due to laziness or lack of time.

in addition, most toners were too harsh for my sensitive skin leaving it dry and flaky after a week or two.

since i use other olay products, i decided to try their toner.

scroll down for my thoughts.

(top, local boutique; denim, american eagle; fedora, joe boxer)

i picked up this olay oil minimizing toner with witch hazel a few weeks ago and have been using it ever since. i use it after cleansing in the morning and evening, and it hasn't dried out my skin. it has a pleasant fresh scent and leaves my face feeling clean and supple, instead of dry and tight.

and...at under six bucks at the drugstore,

it's definitely budget-friendly.

lights camera flop.

there's nothing more disappointing than taking a gazillion photos, only to realize (when you get home) that they were all bad...for whatever reason. sometimes they are happy mistakes and make for good pictures, sometimes not.

you've all been there, right?

if you're lucky,

you may find one diamond cubic zirconia in the rough:

but otherwise, it's...

hair in the face:

hello, remote!:

monochromatic setting? who set that up?!:

zoomed in and head cut off:

flash:

wind in hair:

(dress, american eagle; denim, old navy; floppy, walmart)

GIVEAWAY WINNER.

just a quick note to say thanks for your continued

reading and support.

i've started a few projects recently that have been draining my time: sorting thru the motherload, and more importantly, cleaning my closet. why does it feel like you have more to clean as you clean? been feelin a bit uninspired lately...quite possibly because my closet is out. of. control. i keep reaching for the same things because it's conveniently located near the front of my closet. same with my jewelry drawer, but that's a whole other project. so please bear with me as i finish cleaning my closet...i'll catch up on your blogs as soon as i can.

only left the house today to grab some shave ice and a vanilla rooibos tea latte. can't believe the mileage i'm getting out of this $3.99 f21 tank. and speaking of mileage, gas prices are insane. i know we're not the most expensive, but we're not the cheapest either.

what are you guys paying for a gallon these days?

(sweater & tank; f21; shorts, american eagle; bag, sonia rykiel)

and

the winner of the leather + wood giveaway is:

heidi heidi momeidi banana fana fofeidi

congrats to heidi of playground diva!