dating diaries.

single & not so ready to mingle

finding peace with ridin' solo.

{via hello fashion blog}.

to all my single ladiez. how many times a day do you think to yourself... "ugh, i wish i had a boyfriend..." can we all just stop that already? i had a chat with my friend from college the other day about the perks of being single, and how we need to take advantage of those instead of forcing a situation to happen. like they say, the grass is always greener on the other side....

east meets west.

the very anticipated moving day is this weekend! my valley girl/east LA soul is flippin' sides & going to the west side. i am beyond lucky to have such an amazing group of troopers to help me & plan on making it very worth their while when we celebrate on saturday night! 

{via with love from kat}.

while this is my very first official move...  i came up with a few tips for leaving your apartment for good...

dating diaries.

dating up, dating down.

as i have mentioned before, my entire senior year was dedicated to researching the cougar phenomenon at my university. it was just the thing to do. senior girls dated slash hooked up with sophomore boys... with no judgement. i was severely interested in the concept since the norm in society has always been that the male is older than the female, and i am assuming that is because women are just more mature than men, right!?

now that i am out of college, i have noticed that dating down isn't as big of a thing. women in their twenties want a MAN, not a BOY. we are thinking more long term now, not someone to keep us occupied during our four years of fake life...or what we like to call, a booty call. 

{via Free People}.

trendy tuesday.

go for the glam.

i was brainstorming trendy posts to feature on the blog and for some reason, my trendsetter and blogging bud kept coming to mind. meet olivia y'all!

Hi! I'm Olivia & I blog over at Go For The Glam :) I graduated from the University of Missouri last year and I now work in Digital Marketing during the day, followed by blogging at night. It's fair to say I spend way too much time in front of my computer. But when I'm not behind my laptop... I love traveling, eating good food, and spending time with the people I love. Thank you so much for having me, Blair! 

Get to know ODP...

a few of her favorite things include::

concealer / clutch / sunglasses / flats / dress  

time to bash

color coded bookshelves

Happy Friday everyone!

Ashley here from Time to Bash :) 

I came across Carolina Herrera's atelier and studio last week on Vogue's website. It's in Midtown Manhattan & is so incredibly chic yet undeniably "New York." One of my favorites things about her studio is the color coded bookshelf. 

{via Vogue}

girl crushin'.

jenna lyons. 

deemed the woman who dresses america, jenna lyons is such a badass. not only is she the president of jcrew... the best store out there, she has the most contagious confidence out of any woman i have never met! i constantly find myself reading about her, getting inspired, and completely looking up to this chick.

yes, i look up to her style and success. but i also look up to her honesty and self-acceptance. after divorcing her husband, she openly came out to be dating girlfriend, courtney crangi. so she has it all. courage. creativity. and confidence. the three c's i strive for in life.

dating diares.

she can play that game, too.

{via books-cats-coffee}.

it's funny that the articles i used to dreadfully get assigned in class and sometimes "pretended" i read the night before, are the now the articles i am on the lookout for, the ones that i am excited to read before bedtime. i was a sociology major at depauw university and when i tell that to people out here in LA, they don't get how i got here with that degree. i hear things from, "doesn't that mean you want to be a social worker..." to "girl, that has nothing to do with fashion." but you know what? sociology has to do with everything i deal with on a day to day basis...including the relationships i am forming, the conversations i am having, and the workforce i am joining. can you say that about your major!?

trendy tuesday.

oh deer.

{via Gary Spain}.

as you all know, i am moving in give or take... 2 weeks. yes, i am packing my bags for the beach and am beyond pumped. but there is one downfall in all of this... i am downsizing. i am more than lucky to have a walk in closet and my own bathroom attached to my room in the city of angels, so moving to a smaller room with no walk in... and to start sharing a bathroom is going to be a transition for sure! at least that bathroom is going to be shared with a girl :)

be always blooming.

{via Justina Blakeney}.

it is monday morning (possibly the worst chunk of time in all of the week...) but i woke up this morning with a feeling of happiness. the same kind of happiness i receive when i have fresh flowers on my bedside table, or the moment i put those bad boys in a vase and admire their beauty. and that happiness sure is contagious. there is something that flowers do to me, that i can't get many other places. i know it sounds super cliche since girls are always correlated to loving flowers, but i just can't help myself. peonies, hydrangeas, daises, roses, you name it. i love them all.

i want to start off this week the way a flower does. they are always blooming. they grow, become more beautiful (let's leave out the part when they die and turn brown...) i want to do the same. i want to grow this week. i want to learn things that i didn't by the time the weekend rolls around. i want to make others feel the way i do when i have fresh flowers in my existence. are you guys in? xx.

#tgif

hey fr!day, i've missed ya.

even though i have a busy weekend ahead, and while some of it involves work... i am super excited to sleep in, go on a hike, boozy brunch with my babes, rent some redboxes i have been eyein', and mock the model above... soak up the rays while reading gone girl :) 

weekends always go by in a blink of an eye, but since this is my first weekend back, i am going to make every moment count! this is also technically my last full weekend in my apartment, so i will be spending some time making more memories in #236.

what are your weekend wishes? hope everyone has a brilliant break. xx

my lucky stars.

i know i wrote a post about the free people horoscopes a few months ago, but i just had to bring it up once more. it's too good & too true not to mention again. i never really considered myself a "horoscoper" or that girl who believes everything she reads. BUT i must say, my girl Tracy Allen never seizes to amaze me. i look forward to the weekly horoscope posts on the BLDG blog... and even started to follow that chick on twitter. my girlfriend Katherine & I text and gchat about how accurate that astrologer is every single week!

the dating diares.

high school sweethearts.

lovebirds. did you know that a lovebird is a real thing? they are social and affectionate parrots who got their name because of the bond they share with other birds. this little nickname has caught on when referring to people as well... (mostly those PDA couples that make you want to puke). after my trip back home for 10 days, i realized that there are many couples that i went to high school with, who are still going strong. or good friends from high school who are now dating. i don't know if it is a small town thing, but it just makes you wonder. do you think you will marry a man from your hometown?

{via pinterest}.

trendy tuesday.

all about the ombre.

hi darlings! i don't necessarily feel bad for directing my audience to women, because let's be real.... i could name seventy three other things guys would rather be doing than reading a fashion blog. i have tried getting my male roommate into the whole thing, and i will never head the end of the sassy jokes having to do with my love for blogging and instagraming. and i don't think he is such a fan of me making his food pose for a picture before it is allowed to enter his mouth either. 

as i told y'all before, i am trying to become more consistent with my blog writing. it sure is hard to keep up with it, but it is my summer goal! i did a few minor changes with the layout last night which was super fun. sitting outside of kaldi's in the missouri humidity was sure a treat. so i am now dedicating tuesdays to trend...otherwise known as trendy tuesdays. i have such a passion & love for new styles, or putting a twist on an old one. trends, schmends. i don't believe in them! my grandma told me the other day that she thinks jack rogers are kinda out of style, nope. i think if you are going to wear something and rock it, there is no such thing as them being "so last season." it's all about confidence, ladies.

{via free people}.

the best is yet to come.

Happy Monday, friends! I hope everyone is recovered from the long holiday weekend... I am still home for vacation, so I have an even longer weekend :) I am loving my time home with family + friends... I have been spoiled with good food, shopping trips with grandma, and getting caught up on the flicks in the theaters! Not to mention, going out with friends a little too much :) But hey, it's my summer vacation, right?

This morning I am feeling many emotions. I have a couple more days at home, so I am trying to fit in as much as I can before heading back West. But, I am super excited for the next chapter in my life that I am going to start when I get back. I will be moving from the Valley to Venice in two weeks. While moving is pretty stressful, and change is sometimes scary... I have a really good feeling about the next year of my life. I am excited for a new + fun adventure! 

This reminded me of one of my go-to quotes... "The best is yet to come." This literally has been my motto for a few years now. While I have had some amazing times in my past, I truly believe that I have much, much better days ahead! I am really looking forward to my future, and while I may be completely unsure of what it looks like, I can't wait to see what comes my way. 

This quote is everywhere for me.  The picture above used to be the background of my computer...I have it written on my bathroom mirror in a dry erase marker, and I quote it daily! Are ya'll just as excited as what's coming up as I am? Keep your Monday happy by thinking of all the exciting things to come... xx

{photo via Sequins & Stripes}.

Time To Bash: Rockstuds

Happy Friday!

Ashley here from It's Time to Bash. I hope you all had a wonderful 4th of July. Now on to one of my favorite topics... SHOES.

The Valentino Rockstud shoes have been around for a few seasons but I hadn't truly fallen in love with them until now.

I am particularly fond of them in nude.

{via Instagram}

inspire someone today.

Today marks the first Monday Inspiration post! It is a new month, and I have a long list of goals to accomplish this summer... consistently keeping up with my blog is definitely on the top of that list. I have become so busy with many, many exciting things going on at The Effortless Chic that I am not giving Fashionista Fairytales enough love! So I am dedicating each day of the week to a new theme. And what better way to start your Monday than with a quote to get you over the Monday morning moody blues!?

Inspire Someone Today. Three simple words, with a whole lot of personality. It is easy enough to tell yourself to "inspire" someone. But, what does that really mean? I am constantly inspired by other people. Whether it is their beliefs, style, wisdom, experience, sass, or work ethic, I always find myself easily influenced by others. I am as some would say "easy" when it comes to forming girl crushes, role models, or anything of the sort. 

My goal of the day is to be that person... the one that inspires others. & I dare all of you to do the same too.

{Photo via The Girls of Soho}