Designer Spotlight: Kenneth Jay Lane

Recently, Kenneth Jay Lane jewelry has really caught my eye. The vibrant and bold colors are perfect for pairing with some of summer's basic clothing items. I literally want every piece of KJL jewelry! Click HERE to see the collection.

Obsession with Celeb Hair

Why is it that we idolize and try to emulate celebrity hairstyles? I guess they are the only people that get photographed a million times where we are able to see their pictures all over the place. Also, they have a disposable income where they are able to get extensions and all of the best stylists in the world at the drop of a hat. Trust me, if I had an extra couple of thousand dollars laying around I would run to my stylist for hair extensions.

Anywho, enough of that crazy talk. Let's move on to some inspiration pictures for my hair color appointment this Thursday.

First of all, who could forget the amazing hair of Keri Russel? I think her hair color is about par for my natural color:

Edyta on Dancing With The Stars is my absolute favorite, and I'd love to be her hair twin:

And of course, Lauren Conrad has amazing hair and our natural color is very similar- i'll take her hair any day:

She also has the Chanel bag that I want, so I'll take that too, Miss Conrad:

And just for fun, who wouldn't want this hairstyle? Come on, you know you love the shirt:

What celeb hair do you all want?

Porter Grey

While browsing the new arrivals at Shop Bop, I was thrilled to see some adorable dresses by a designer I had not heard of before. After a little interwebs research, I discovered that Porter Grey is a line created by two sisters who wanted to create classic and easy-to-wear pieces.

How adorable are these pieces by Porter Grey? I want every single one of them! They remind me a little bit of Thread Social, especially with the one shoulder dresses.

See the collection on Shop Bop by clicking HERE.

Retin-A Review

Being the beauty product junkie that I am, I have researched all the creams and products out there to reduce the appearance of wrinkles and to make your skin have an overall better looking appearance. Time and time again I would come across Retin-A (or a retinoid cream) for being the only FDA approved and recommended cream for treating wrinkles, acne, and age spots.

I have been using Retin-A (topical) for about three weeks now and I am more than pleased with the results. Retin-A is a STRONG topical treatment that basically sloths away the first layer of your dermis eventually thinning the skin on the face. When you first start using it your face will get red, peel, and feel extremely tight and uncomfortable for a few days. Also, it is absolutely imparative that you wear sunscreen on a daily basis because the Retin-A makes your skin more prone to getting burned by the sun.

Retin-A is made to be used at night as your only topical treatment. I wash my face and apply only a small pea sized amount all over my face. In the morning I was it off and apply a heavy moisturizer (I use La Mer) to combat the dryness that is caused by the Retin-A.

Also, you should know that you cannot get Retin-A over the coutner. It is only prescribed by a Dermatologist. I have a pretty good health insurance plan and my tube of Retin-A only costs me 8 dollars.

Do any of you all use a Retinoid cream? Do you see results?

Goin' to the Dark Side

Well friends, I think my battle with roots has come to an end. I have searched and searched for an answer to the "root" problem, but it seems the only solution is to just dye my hair darker. As someone whose hair grows like wildfire, it's just impossible for me to not have darker roots within a couple of weeks. I have done this before in the past, but somehow my hair always ends up blonde again. Hopefully this time I will be happy with the result. As you all know, I have been gradually adding in more and more lo-lights. At my appointment next week I plan on keeping a few highlights on top, but dying the rest of my hair back to my natural color which is a dark blonde/light brown. I know most people go lighter in the summer, but here's to going darker!

Here is what I would look like with darker hair thanks to the In Style Makeover Feature:

90's Floral is Back!

Just when you thought you couldn't get enough of the 90's throwbacks yesterday, I am back with MORE! Get ready to bring the 90's into present day, because 90's trends are back in action!

I'm talking about 90's floral prints. Need a memory jog?

Just when you thought Kelly Kapowski left these floral prints at The Max, they are back again in 2010 in the form of dresses, shorts, skirts, and yes, even leggings. Soon enough we will be busting out our scrunchies and umbros.

Here are a few examples of the 'Return of the 90's':

I'm not going to lie- like all trends, I was apprehensive at first, but I am definitely feelin' the floral shorts trend.

What do you all think about the reemergence of this trend?

Nickelodeon Throwbacks

I hate to stray from the topic at hand over here at PIPM, but today I just had to share my late-night discovery. As a child born in late 1984, I was the prime age for all of the Nickelodeon television shows in the eary-mid 1990's. I lived for Hey Dude, Salute Your Shorts, and Are You Afraid of The Dark. Last night, I was randomly thinking about the characters on Hey Dude and what they might be up to these days. I decided to youtube search these shows and boy was I floored at the results I found!

First, let's talk about the Hey Dude theme song- WOW! Get along little doggie!

And next, Camp Anawana!

Lastly, Are You Afraid of The Dark has EVERY episode on You Tube! I was a total dork last night and stayed up watching the episodes that I can seriously remember word-for-word.

I know you all remember "The Watchers Woods" episode of AYAOTD. Seriously, the 3 old women in this episode used to give me nightmares!

And how could I forget the story about the haunted house with the mute girl who writes "HELP ME" a million times on the wall?!? This episode tops my list of creepiest episodes of AYAOTD-

Isn't it funny how we can remember exact details about these shows that we haven't seen in nearly 15 years?

What were some of your favorite episdoes?

Who Wears Short Shorts?

Well, it used to NOT be me. I used to be adamantly opposed to wearing shorts. I hate the way my legs look in shorts. I really don't think they're flattering on many people. Surprisingly, this season has me questioning my shorts ban. I am loving some of the silk shorts that have more of a trouser look that can be paired with chunky heels or wedge sandals. I also love the shorts that almost look like a skirt- floral shorts in this style seem to be very popular this year. I'm a changed woman! You will definitely see me rocking short shorts this summer!

Milly Obsession

As you all know, my favorite designer is Milly of New York. Michelle Smith's vibrant and fun prints keep me coming back every season:
Now, Milly has branched into jewelry. The gorgeous jewelry is priced well and will definitely be a staple in my summer wardrobe. Check out some of the Milly jewelry pieces:

You can check out the jewels HERE.

New Yard Sale Listings

Check out the new yard sale listings for summer dresses galore! Click HERE to view listings.

K. Jacques St. Tropez

When I was in France, several of my study abroad friends were raving about K. Jacques- St. Tropez sandals. Each pair are handmade and display excellent craftsmanship. Recently, they can be found on websites like Shop Bop and Saks Fifth Avenue.

Here are some of my favorite styles:

To browse Shop Bop's collection of K. Jacques sandals, click HERE.

Layering into Summer ...

If you will recall, I love to layer in the winter months. Well friends, layering does not have to stop in the spring. One of my favorite looks for the spring is to layer a summer dress over a white tee shirt or white tank top. This gives you the versatility to wear summer dresses in the spring months where it may not be warm enough to wear them alone.

{From L-R: C&C California White Tee, Marc by Marc Jacobs 'Bow Dress', White Splendid Tee, Milly Tank, SFAMK Ankle Jeans, White Splendid Tee, Splendid Dress}

Finding the Perfect Nude Shoe ...

Yesterday I was talking to GRITS about helping her find the perfect nude shoe for summer. I thought I would share my finds with you all because I think a nude shoe is a classic wardrobe staple. For summer you can easily do either a closed toe or peep-toe pump in the nude color. This list includes nude shoes of all price points.

1) Christian Louboutin 'Hidden Platform Pump'

2) Christian Louboutin 'You You Patent Pump'

3) Ferragamo 'Peep-toe Pump'

4) Stuart Weitzman 'Platswoon Pump'

4) Cole Haan Air 'Mariela' Slingback Pump

5) Nine West Peep-toe Pump

Here I am last year wearing a nude shoe with a pink dress (let's not talk about how long my hair was ... this picture makes me want to race out and get some hair-growth pills). I think nude shoes can really go with any item in your spring/summer wardrobe: