Briarwood Mall

Spring is coming up on the horizon, but here in Ann Arbor the snow seems to be sticking around for a little while longer. So I decided to try and squeeze in one last winter trend that I personally fell in love with over this past season, and that would be ear warmers.  Less of an all day commitment than a hat may be (hat hair anyone?) these are the perfect item to toss in your bag and take on and off at will --- but trust me, once you get used to these and how you can style your hair underneath them --- you'll be more likely to keep them on (we aren't even judging those ladies who have been spotted in the chilly lecture hall still wearing theirs!).

To be honest, I first looked upon this trend as a little strange --- coming from Southern California I did not really have to worry about bundling up for the cold weather during the winter months. Now being an Ann Arbor girl though I am always looking for cute and stylish ways to bundle up and stay warm when going outside. Having my ear warmers when it is snowing or just chilly allows me to keep my ears nice a cozy and they are so much fun to mix and match!  While walking around campus (UMich) I see many girls wearing ear warmers of all different types and with most of them at a fairly low price point -- you can snag quite a few to have fun with them yourself. There are so many different options to choose from when picking out the ear warmers for you, and you can customize it to your specific style. Plain knitted, crochet flowers, wild animal prints, or even sparkles --- some of my favorites are below!

So if your ears are begging for some warmth, go get some ear warmers before the season is over at Briarwood, and join in on this adorable trend while the weather continues to be chilly...and don't worry, this trend is likely to be back next year -- because being cold is never in style.

1. BKE Button Ear Warmer

2. Stripped Boho Head Wrap

3. Faux-Fur Earmuffs

4. 180s Ear Warmer

4. BKE Rhinestone Ear Warmer

For those who celebrate Easter, it is time to start pulling out the pastels, coloring some eggs, and decorating anything and everything with bunnies. I especially love Easter, because it is at a time when winter is moving into spring and all the flowers are starting to bloom giving us a new color pallet for the new season. It is also just another excuse to spend a holiday with your family, and spruce up your home to match the joyfulness in the air. I love putting little accents here and there in my home and room during any holiday, and decorating is general is one of my obsessions.

My top two picks to find anything you need for Easter over at Briarwood would have to be Williams-Sonoma and Pottery Barn. These two stores are completely stocked with table schemes, Easter recipes, and all the other fun stuff for your home. William-Sonoma offers a great array of Bakeware all in Easter themes and colors. They have everything under the sun to stock those Easter baskets beginning with the perfect wicker basket, all the way to yummy colored chocolate eggs. Then, for later in the evening when the whole family can sit down for a big Easter Feast, and enjoy the Pottery Barn tablescape that looks as though it came out of a magazine. First, set your table with an Easter themed tablecloth, embellish the table with candles and Easter accents, and tie it all together with a lovely festive wreath on your front door to welcome visitors. Hope you all have a wonderful holiday, and are able to impress your family and friends with your spot-on decor. 

I am so excited to let all of you know that Briarwood has big plans for the future! Briarwood will be undergoing renovations this year to make our mall even that much better. There will be many updates including a new children's play area, more seating and lounge areas, and fresh new decor additions like updated paint, architectural elements, and better lighting. These renovations will add a whole new look to Briarwood and make it feel like a new fresh place to shop, eat, and enjoy. Included in the renovations will also be additions of some new stores and restaurants to further increase the quality of the mall. New additions will include some brand new stores including Lush, Vera Bradley, Michael Kors, and many more great stores. There will also be added restaurants/food, so that after a long day of walking around and shopping you can enjoy a nice meal. I personally cannot wait for all these renovations to become a reality, and I hope you all are just as eager as I am. If you want more information on the renovations and updates on what is happening at Briarwood, check out the Briarwood Mall Facebook page. 

Hopefully you all have been holding strong on all of those New Years resolutions still. Like many of you I am sure, one of my resolutions was to get myself up and active in order to live a healthier lifestyle. I have been trying to eat better, and become a regular at the gym. Luckily for me, I discovered that though the gym is meant for sweating it out, you can still look cute while on that treadmill. With a bunch of people these days being on health kicks, the fashion at the gym has increased tremendously. There are many stores too, like Lady Footlocker (where all these styles are from) at Briarwood, that are full of racks of the latest in sports wear.  All the new great styles of gym clothes are even more of a motivator to get to the gym (and an excuse to go shopping too). First, pick yourself up some sports bras with fun fabrics and designs. Then, grab some shirts that show off your fabulous curves. Also, be completely in trend from head to toe with a pair of vibrant tennis shoes that are sure to catch anyones eye. Check out these great picks you should pick-up so you can sweat in style!

If you are like me, feeling like you are put together all depends on your nails. I am rarely seen without any nail polish on, and I think having your nails perfectly painted can add that much more to your look and make it feel complete. Spring is probably one of the best seasons for nails, because you have a little more room to play with different trends, pops of colors, and patterns of the season. This year we are seeing some of the old trends coming back, and new ones making their way. One trend that is really classy and in right now is the nude nail. This trend is for the classy girls who don't want their nails to distract too much from their outfit, but still ties everything together with a classic nail look. Next of course are pastel nails. This trend seems to come back every spring, because it is fun and flirty and reflects the change of season with all the bright flowers in bloom. Another fun trend is the metallic nail. These add a fun element to your nails that will get you noticed, and try added metallic pops and designs to your nails to really get that sparkle. Finally the last trend for nails of course is green because emerald is the color of the year. Having those perfectly groomed green nails will let everyone know you are a fashionista, and is another way to incorporate this hot new color into your look. 

Nude Nails: Try Butter London's "Shandy"

Pastel Nails: Try Butter London's "Kerfuffle" 

Metallic Nails: Try OPI's "On Her Majesty's Secret Service"

Green Nails: Try Essie's "Go Overboard"

So recently I headed over to Briarwood mall in the search of some basic to fill my closet, because these are staple items that can be worn throughout any season. I have lots of plain tops and bottoms that can be worn with any outfit, but after wearing them through a few seasons, I decided I needed to update the basic section of my closet. Walking around from store to store, I finally found my jackpot when I stepped into JCrew. They had racks, tables, and displays full of cute clothes, and TONS of basics T's, blouses, and even shorts (perfect for the upcoming warm weather). I love having that one tank that can always turn to when I need something quick to throw on or just to put on under a blouse. Basics are a must in every woman's closet, and JCrew offers plenty basics in every color of the spectrum. I got a little carried away, and wanted to pick up everything in every color because they were all too cute and I know I could find millions of ways to wear each and every one of them. So check out the many adorable and functional basics Jcrew offers so you can dress-up your style. 

First, I picked up some plain tank tops and T-shirts, because they are quick and easy to thrown on and even better to layer with.

Next, even though some of their blouses are plain, they have a certain chic element to them that can make any woman feel put together and classy.

Finally, these awesome shorts come in every color to fit your every mood, and there are even fun patterns and florals thrown in too.

* Bounus: JCrew offers a 15% discount to all students who show a valid school ID at check-out (score!)

This upcoming spring season we have seen black and white popping up all over the runways and celebrities as a trend to look for this year. I personally love this trend because you can wear black in white in so many ways because it is so versatile. From a more dressed down fun look to a classic and chic look, your black and white pieces will prove to be a staple and valuable item in your closet time and time again. The black and white trend has so many ways to sneak into your everyday style and even though black and white seems to be plain, there are many fun ways popping up so that you can incorporate them in unconventional ways than just solid black and white. Probably the biggest plus of this up-and-coming trend is that black and white will never go out of style, so you can stock up your closet and not feel guilty because you will get plenty of wear out of every piece. Make sure to head over to the shops and stock up on some black and white to look stylish this spring and summer and every season after! 

1. Leather

2. Inconspicous Pops

3. Color Blocking

4. Patterns

5. Classic

Image Credit:  Insider.com, Stylewatch.com, Women's Wear Daily 
 

It is about to be internship season, and what does that mean? It is yet another excuse for you to head over to Briarwood and go shopping for the perfect work outfits that will make you look appropriate for the first day on the job. Not only will you be getting noticed for your hardwork, but also for how you always look put together and have excellent style -- half of it is knowing the part and the other half is looking it. 

Shopping for work outfits may not sound as exciting as picking up a new party outfit, but trust me it can be fun trying to look for little things that make your outfits cute and stand out. Ann Taylor is a great spot to head to for your typical business attire, and has enough accessories and flares to make your outfit a little more fashion forward. There are endless options of pants, skirts, tops, and blazers ranging from a more classic look to more a modern and atypical look. I personally like getting a black skirt or pant suit and having my top or sweater add a pop to my outfit with a pattern or bright color. I am sure whatever your style is though; Ann Taylor will have something to "suit" you. 

Summer is slowly approaching and we all know what that means, bikini season! I talked in one of my latest blogs about how I have been on a huge health kick due to not only looking good lounging on the beach, but just to feel good too. I have been trying to add in small things to be a little healthier in my everyday lifestyle. One thing I have fallen completely in love with this past season is my Fitbit! It is this tiny little device that attaches to your bra or pocket and tracks so many things to make you more aware of how active you are in a typical day. You have three different Fitbits to choose from, the Flex, the One, and the Zip (they even have a scale too). They all have slightly different qualities to help you become a healthier you. I personally have the One, and have been loving my last five months with it. I mainly use it for tracking all the steps, miles, stairs, and calories I have done for the day. It gets even better though because it syncs to your computer or an app on your smartphone where you can enter your activities, what you eat, and it can even track your sleep patterns too. I cannot say better things about the Fitbit, because it is a small reminder everyday that I should be getting out and active to hit the daily goals it has. I make it a point to hit the 10,000 steps a day that people on average should be getting, and if I don't have that much towards the end of the day I just take a nice walk. All the Fitbit devices are available at Brookstone, and I highly suggest picking one up just to add that extra activity and have one place to keep all your diet and exercises stuff! 

Top: The One

Middle: The Zip

Bottom: The flex

Side: Fitbit's online daily activity tracker 

Now that the sun is finally coming out more often it is time to start protecting and showing off that lovely skin of yours. Spring is in full bloom and summer is not that far off, and the sun can cause some serious damage to your skin. With this great warm weather I'm sure you and your friends will be hitting up the beach, the pool, and getting some nice tans. I, along with most of you probably, want my skin to be looking naturally flawless during these upcoming seasons. So where exactly does make-up come in during all this activity and sun exposure to help you in your pursuit of perfect skin? Luckily Sephora makes sure your skin has all the proper tools and make-up to ensure your skin is up to speed with the new season. Here are a few tips to get a fresh face that everyone will be envious of. 

1. SPF is your best friend - As always it is good to keep your skin, and especially your face protected. One of my favorite brands from Sephora is Laura Mercier, becuase they have great products that aren't to harsh on your skin (check out their Tinted Moisturizer, it is fabulous). The Flawless Skin Mega Mega Moisturizer has the best of both worlds and keeps your skin super hydrated while also delivering that SPF your skin craves in the sun. 

2. It's all about the prep - If you want your make-up to stay on throughout the busy day, use some face primer to have your make-up go on smoothly and last longer. I suggest Smashbox's Photo Finish Primer (even has SPF too). 

3. Brighten up with a highlight - Add a small amount of a highlighter into your foundation, or to the places the sun naturally hits your face (checks, temples, chin, and the bridge of the nose) to get a fresh look. Benefit Cosmetics has some of the best highlighters, and has even come out with a wonderful Gettin' Cheeky box set so you can pick from three of their highlighters to give yourself an effortless glow. 

4. Hold off on the foundation - I personally like to push my foundation to the side for the hotter months of the year and switch over to tinted moisterizers or what has been really in lately, BB Creams. BB Creams, like Boscia's BB Cream, are moisterizing and lightweight but still give a nice coverage, and they are also enriched with ingredients like antioxidants that your skin will thank you for. 

5. Bronze it up - What is summer without freshly tanned skin? Use a bronzer to contour and add that natural warmth to your face. My personal fav along with almost every is NARS Laguna Brozer because it has the perfect amount of shimmer and the color goes great with lots of skin tones.