If you know me, you know I’m a little obsessed with the color green. I’m particularly crazy about the shade you see here.

Mint green is calming and serene. It conjures up the salty smell of the ocean and the cool breeze blowing through your hair.

It makes me think of mermaids rising up out of seafoam. Of steaming mugs of mint tea on a cold morning. Of Peppermint Patties melted all over my daughter’s little fingers.

Somehow, it even makes me think of Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream (something about enchanted forests and fairies screams this color to me. Any time I think of that play, the images in my head are washed in a mint green glow).

I even painted my bedroom this color, in hopes of making it a nice, calming little oasis.

That’s what I’m hoping I created for you here: a calm little corner of minty goodness in the midst of your hectic day.

1 Wren Willow :: 2 Betsy Jewelry Design :: 3 Polestar :: 4 Ikabags

1 ModCloth :: 2 Petite Delights :: 3 Voguedolly :: 4 Michael Antonio

Mint fashion? Yes please. Which of these pieces is your favorite? Do you lean towards laid back, casual mint fashion or is it a color that screams glamour and romance for you? I love it all!

big yellow earrings by The Peach Tree

So, I’m not really a yellow person. I’ve mentioned before that I tend to gravitate towards water colors and jewel tones, which is why it’s weird that I’ve been loving on citrus hues lately.

I think my objection to the color is because it completely washes me out. There’s just a little too much yellow in my skin tone for me to rock yellow.

So every time I try on a super cute lemon shirt or dress, I end up looking like I’m battling the flu or some other energy-sucking sickness. Let’s just say it leaves a bad taste in my mouth.

Lately, I’ve had a bit of a change of heart (maybe it’s because I haven’t been confronted by the sight of myself in yellow for a while?).

Yellow is just so happy, isn’t it? It’s bright and it’s cheerful and it alludes to sunshine and summertime and fluffy baby chicks. How could it not lift your mood?

I’m specifically drawn to yellow when it’s paired with a crisp, bright white. The combination just seems to make both colors brighter and more lively.

They make you want to do a little happy dance, don’t they?

I want to surround myself in this yellow goodness and create my own little happy bubble that nothing can burst!

Has this ever happened to you? I was flipping through a magazine and got all excited about a “get this look for less” story. I was excited, that is, until I looked more closely and saw that the magazine’s idea of spending less was an outfit made up of pieces under $100. The problem is, when you add all of those pieces up, you’re spending at least $500. And if you want just one little piece, most cost almost $100 anyway.

I don’t know about you, but I don’t have $500 to spend on an outfit right now–even if it’s made up of the most versatile pieces in the world.

So I bring you my first post of what I hope will be a helpful series. I will show you two similar looks: one made up of investment pieces that right now I will just settle for swooning over and the other made up of pieces I can actually afford.

Since wedding season is upon us, I thought it would only be fitting to show you a cute little outfit that you can wear to your first wedding of the season.

Look 1: $$$

1 Dalia MacPhee, $278 | 2 Elsa Peretti Diamonds by the Yard from Tiffany & Co $1,950
3 Menbur, $148 | 4 Brian Atwood, $675
Total: $3,051

Look 2: $

1 Forever 21, $34.80 | 2 So Chic Jewels, $22.99 | 3 Carlo Felini, $47.19
4 Jessica Simpson, $79.99
Total: $184.88

I started both looks off with a dress in this summer’s hottest color: coral. Both feature a really pretty and interesting petal effect on the skirt. I added some studs for some sparkle (the top pair is real, the bottom pair is not), a silver metal mesh bag and a pair of killer peep toe platform pumps in blue. Love, love, love a contrasting shoe!

Now the clutch and pumps are a little on the expensive side for a bargain hunter, but since the dress and earrings cost under a hundred dollars combined, there was a little more wiggle room–especially if you know you’ll wear them again.

What do you think?

One of my closest friends is getting married and has told us bridesmaids that we can wear whatever color shoe we’d like since our dresses (at right) are floor length.

Now this is a terrible thing to do to a person as indecisive as I am (I kid, Aimee!). Making the decision even more difficult is the fact that our gorgeous gowns are navy and will go with pretty much any color our little hearts desire. I thought it would take forever to decide on a color.

But my equally indecisive buddy (and one of my fellow bridesmaids) and I shockingly came to a color conclusion pretty quickly. Since Aimee (the bride) has chosen orangey flowers, we decided we want to play off of that.

Both of us like a bold-colored shoe–especially at a wedding!–but this is an extra bold move. I don’t think I own anything that’s orange!

The one thing that has been holding me back is whether or not I would actually wear these shoes again. How many chances is a girl going to have to wear a citrusy shoe when she’s more of a water and jewel tone kind of person?

After hunting around a little, I think there actually may be a lot of opportunities. Check out the outfits I came up with:

Brunch

1 Lucky Brand :: 2 Leather Wraps :: 3 Luxury Rebel :: 4 BagyBag

A brunch-y look is probably closest to what I would wear on a normal day. Since I’m not too keen on big doses of orange (I think it totally washes me out), I found basic pieces in neutral colors. This allows the orange to work as a bright little pop of sunshine.

(BTW if you’re loving that striped dress and the whole nautical thing that’s going on in fashion right now, check back tomorrow for a nautical fashion post!)

Work

1 Charter Club :: 2 Anne Klein :: 3 Marc by Marc Jacobs :: 4 RSVP

I thought the work look would be the hardest one to incorporate orange shoes into. It just doesn’t seem like a particularly professional color. But this was surprisingly easy! Just find a patterned blouse that the shoes can play off of and pair them with some great neutrals (a swoon-worthy Marc Jacobs bag always helps) and you’re totally set!

Ladies Night

1 Kensie :: 2 Kande :: 3 Bagatelles and Co. :: 4 Charlotte Russe

This is the look that you can have the most fun with. Think bold patterns and bright color combos (the look I’m showing here is a totally subdued one). There are tons of possibilities, especially during summer when bright colors are everywhere. I’m currently loving the tropical combo of orange and hot pink, which would be great for a night out on the town!

For better or for worse, I think just about everyone knows what it’s like to be dancing on the cusp of your breaking point. Whether it’s a big deal or a small one, it’s not exactly a party, is it?

Lately I find myself dangerously close to a breaking point of my own.

As someone who loathes confrontation (I’m all about peace and love!), I’ve been trying to push it aside or brush it off. But as that delightful old adage goes, it seems to be time to shit or get off the pot.

Since I try to avoid confrontation at all costs, I generally let irritation after irritation go without doing or saying anything to soothe it. I take a “let nature take its course” sort of approach. But like grains of sand working on a rock, what start out as small nuisances slowly morph into something of consequence.

What do you do when you feel yourself nearing a breaking point?

Right now, I feel like all I can do is gather my strength and prepare for battle. You’ll know I’m truly at the edge when I start dressing like a Dothrakian (see photo above) from HBO’s new series Game of Thrones (have you seen it yet? It’s awesome).

Maybe that’s why I find myself so drawn to these amazing pieces that have a bohemian, sort of tribal, almost warrior-like feel to them…

1 White Owl :: 2 Luxury Lanna Crafts
3 BOHOBO collective :: 4 Amanda Davie Wholesale1 Aida Coronado :: 2 DeOrdio Designs :: 3 Cloud 9 Jewels :: 4 Sparklefarm

Game of Thrones photo via The Comics Ninja.