this week's favorite links

find this and other whimsy sayings here
Ah, it's finally Friday. That means tomorrow I will be switching out my early morning coffee run for an alarm free phone, spend the day wearing anything but business casual, and use that whole afternoon getting ready to enjoy a precious friend's wedding day. Can.Not.Wait.
In the meantime, here's a few of my favorite links I've found throughout the week.
Hang On Honey's dead ringer post about loving you and not what your scale tells you I'm lusting over this adorable paper shop...especially when it comes to this wood grain washi tape. Casey Holmes' review for her favorite BB cream for oily skin (that I am in love with!) would love to take a getaway with this adorable, old fashioned suitcase I could certainly "work" this Ashley Brooke Designs mug into my collection and isn't this watercolor defining the south just grand? 

OOTD: stripes, dots, & anchors

see also: my poor attempt at an Outfit of the Day post...

see also: I'm terrible at taking "selfies"..

see also: I hate the term "selfies"..

see also: Ok, so maybe I don't hate the term "selfies." Just when my husband catches these sort of images on my iphone red-handed, and he makes fun of me.. 

Maxi dresses..I loveeee them. This one I found at Atlanta Mart during one of my work trips. Brand's by Sharagano. But a question: why is it like pulling teeth to get one long enough for my 5'9 frame? What I would give to be just two inches shorter like some of y'all ladies, and have to hem it! It gives me flashbacks of when I wore "highwater jeans" in my middle school growth spurt stage. So do any of y'all have a great recs for a long maxi dress? I am all eyes and ears!

Don't be fooled by my expression, my love for polka dots will last forever. Found this little number at the J.Crew outlet for a steal.

I don't sail, and I no longer live at the beach. But somehow I could not say no to this little J.Crew anchor tunic. Another great outlet find. 

And that's all I got.

OOTD FAIL.

weekday happiness

Curious to see how long my hair has gotten, I spent a full hour doing a professional blowout this past weekend (see also: I didn't use my flat iron.), and holy moly, I was reminded why I no longer wear my hair straight.

This week kicked off week four in the whole "traveling Monday-Friday" gig. I'm unsure of how long this will last, and how my mind will take it, but I'm still maintaining a positive spirit about the whole thing. Thank God for Starbucks, NPR, and Spotify to keep me from completely losing it on the open road. And not to mention my family and friends to let me talking on the phone with them for hours on end.

My sister got me hooked on these Dole salad kits. My favorite is called Endless Summer and is only 150 calories a serving. Not too shabby! There are also an Asian Crunch kit and a Southwestern kit that are equally good. 

The trailer for The Wolf of Wall Street came out, and I've seriously watched this thing way more than I should admit. Oh, Leo, you can do no wrong. No date set for it's release, but you'll know where to find me when it does.

I also narrowly entered this fabulous giveaway by Ashley Brooke Designs. And you can to! The contest ends tonight, so hurry up!

Anything new going on in your neck of the woods? 

top ten tuesday

Kate Spade Flatiron Nylon Davie - I love this hot pink nylon bag, because it's easy to see while fishing around in my larger than life tote. Extra bonus with the nylon fabric for easy to wash care. 

NYX Stay Matte But Not Flat Powder - I never thought I would speak the words, but..my MAC Studio Fix Powder I rave about (all.the.time.) is just not doing it for me this summer. After watching a YouTube beauty guru (who also has the same oily complexion as mine) mention this powder here and it's price point, I knew I had to try it. And honestly, this stuff fits the bill. I touch up a couple of times during the day (around noon and mid afternoon), but other than that, nadda. My skin is good to go and isn't shining like a mirror in the heat and humidity.

NYX Matte Bronzer in Medium - I think I found something to replace my Prestige bronzer as well simply because this bronzer has amazing pigmentation without all the glitter and nonsense that most drugstore bronzers come with. 

Stila shadow in Kitten - I like to blend this highlighting shade in the inner eye and blended out with a taupe shade like Victoria Secret's Metallic Mink or Urban Decay's YDK for an everyday eye. Just a little goes a long way, and these shadows are so easy to blend.

Garnier BB Cream in Medium/Deep - Yet another purchase due to this video here, and quite honestly, I've been looking for something a little lighter on my skin during the summer but would give me the coverage that I need...seriously, if you have oily skin like me and are looking for new products, I would watch all of her videos. 

MAC Pro Longwear Concealer in NW 25 - One of my newest concealers that is easily my favorite for hiding under-eye circles and uneven skintone. I apply it with my Beauty Blender sponge.

Chanel Rouge Allure Extrait de Gloss in 56 Imaginaire - The perfect pink/coral gloss.

MAC Prep + Prime Highlighter in Radiant Rose - If you saw my last vlog post, you know I'm getting really into highlighting and contouring this summer. I swipt this pen under my eyes, down my nose, and make a few swipes with what's left in between the brows and in the center of my chin for a light glow. You want to make sure this doesn't go just on the under eye area so that you don't produce a raccoon effect, and I blend it out with my Beauty Blender sponge.

Tocca Mini Perfume in Colette - This is the fragrance I chose to wear on my wedding day. During long days in traveling for work, I like to carry this mini with me to take me back to that day.

Olay Professional Pro X - This heat has my skin going crazy..dry one day, broke out the next. I can't deal. And as much as I would love the be the owner of a Clarisonic brush, that price just ain't happenin'. For me, the reviews for this little guy seemed right up there with the $200 version, and I haven't regretted it yet. My skin definitely feels smoother, cleaner, and I'm sure it's doing a thing or two at keeping my oil at bay. It comes with a small sample of the Olay Pro X cleansing gel, but I also keep using it with my ole faithful, a bar of Dove soap. 

surprise!

See anything new? It's looks a whole heck of a LOT better around these parts, no?  
I have been an avid reader of Erin's blog over at Two Thirds Hazel for awhile now (By the way, she is hysterical and you should totally hop over there and become a reader of hers too!). So when she mentioned she wanted to start designing blogs after her own self-designed blog makeover, I knew I had to jump on the opportunity. She was incredibly thorough, and the process was just way too easy..on my end, at least! Kudos to Erin for knowing all the ins and outs of HTML! ha
After emailing her links, photos, and my inspiration board for the color palette and feel I was going for...viola! That's Influence had a major face lift. Thank you, Erin. You did an incredible job! 

photos via Pinterest 
So what do y'all think? Is you blog needing a face lift too? You already know who I would recommend. ;)

a daughter and her father

photo | Studio Milly Jean Weakleg

I posted this photo of my dad and myself yesterday on my Instagram, and it is probably hands down my favorite photo of us to date. It was taken moments after finishing our father/daughter dance at the wedding, and it was at this very moment that I realized I was no longer just my dad's little girl. From the look on his face, I think he realized it too. :)

To the dude who gave me my sense of humor, my smile, and the freckles across my nose, words cannot express how much I appreciate you. To the dude who gave me my love of basketball, gummy bears, and the great outdoors, words cannot express how much I love you. And to the dude who taught me what qualities to look for in someone I would one day call my husband, thank you. I love you, Dad.