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Guest Blog Post by Taisa; fashion enthusiast. In Shrug It Off, Part I I wrote about the looser, flowing, peasant style off-the-shoulder tops. Today, in Part II, I'll discuss the more body-con style.  Even though I love both styles, that the form fitting off-the-shoulder tops are a bit more trendy than the loser ones right now. This top is from a favorite brand of mine-- Brandy Melville-- and is only around $19. I styled it with distressed denim and a flannel for a bit more of an urban look.  If your off-the-shoulder top happens to be fitted, consider accessorizing it with a chocker.
Or take a cue from Kendall Jenner with a scarf and some retro sunglasses to give it a bit of a French flair.  Her blouse, another totally affordable option, is (not surprisingly) from the Kylie and Kendall line which you can find at PacSun for around $20. These tops are so versatile- you can easily dress them up or down depending on the occasion.  This green top from Windsor ($16), when styled with a pair of denim shorts, is perfect for a casual day out and about.  Off-the-shoulder summer weight blouses are the natural extension of the “cold shoulder” sweaters that were big this past winter. I believe that the shoulder highlighting trend will continue all summer and well into the fall, not only in tops but also in dresses.  This is great news because this trend flatters many body types. So go grab an off-the-shoulder top and style yourself up for a summer concert in the park or a date night. You’ll look perfect and on trend.
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by guest blogger Katherine  This sign caught the attention of many the moment it went up. Drift Co. opened recently in downtown Pleasanton and is dedicated to selling clothes that embody adventure and are bound to be worn when great memory making occurs. In fact, their website summarizes this goal perfectly: “Drift Co was dreamt up in pursuit of styling those adventures and bringing all the fun of fashion and glam into your most memorable moments. These are the moments that photos are made of so come drift away with us.” These are the moments that PHOTOS are made of: this place is just asking for a picture to be taken and instagrammed!  This location is instagrammable for a couple reasons. First, the workers are always nice, no one will wag their finger at you for posing in front of their shop (even if it takes WAY too long to get the perfect photo!). And second, it is absolutely adorable. It appeals to the teens in Pleasanton because it is artsy and antique with its faded brown and white color and aged wood frame. Drift Co. sells all sorts of clothes, it is a shop that holds items to suit every person who enters.  Hey… maybe you'll buy a floppy hat and proceed to model it in front of the sign for an even more (if possible) artsy look. Floppy hat or not, make sure to check out the Drift Co. sign in downtown Pleasanton! :)  For Alex's stylized shoot we went with a 90s theme. Hence the crop top & denim mini, neither of which are particularly hard to come across these days as "90s" is a pretty big trend. She didn't bring any scrunchies, but that's out there.     Yellow is also having a bit of a moment right now. It's hard to see here but Alex is actually sporting yellow nails. When I asked her about them she said, "Why not yellow? I've done every other color."   And I have to mention the glasses. She brought those along and I'm so glad she did; I really think they complete the look. Accessories, I'm telling you, can make or break a photoshoot. So if you are ever on the fence about whether you want to include something, throw it in the bag and bring it along!
Guest blog post by Taisa; fashion enthusiast.  Go out on any given Saturday night and you can't help but notice strapless off-the-shoulder blouses all over the place. They are light, filled with bright energy and are so easy to style during the summer. I have more than I can count; how can I stop myself? They are both the key to making your shoulders look killer and making you feel like a summer goddess.
There are two basic styles of these tops. The style I'm wearing here, from Brandy Melville ($19) is the more flowy, romantic peasant style top. Even though we all have our body hang-ups, these tops really look great on everyone.  My favorite off-the-shoulder tops come from a variety of stores and the prices are all over the map. I like Free People's “Darling off the Shoulder Top” ($48) in pale yellow because it has a relaxed 70s hippie vibe.
These tops can be styled with any type of jeans. I like to wear high waisted denim shorts or jeans when it’s a bit cooler out. Skirts look great with them too. If you want to mix things up for a more bohemian vibe pair the top with a flowy skirt and some gladiator sandals.
This maroon top is from American Eagle ($23). I just love the bell sleeves-- another trend to keep an eye on.  For jewlery I recommend toning things down with a small necklace and some studs. Simplicity works best considering the gentle, romantic look of this type of blouse. The necklace I'm wearing here with the tiny elephant charm is from a line called Dogeared. You can find it at Nordstrom for around $50.   Stay tuned for Part II, where I cover the other style of off-the-shoulder blouses; those that are form fitting.
Guest blog post by Abbie; frozen treat enthusiast  Icicles is such an exciting new ice cream place in Pleasanton! What sets them apart is that at Icicles they make the ice cream right in front of you, and it’s a performance.  Difficult choices must be made... After you pick the ice cream flavor, they pour the ingredients over a frozen metal plate and mix them as they freeze.  They smooth it into a flat rectangle and then scrape the flattened ice cream into little ice cream rolls!  They put the rolls in a cup and then allow you to pick as many toppings as you want. Their topping selection includes everything found at typical yogurt shops but they have one completely unique item: toasted marshmallows. And they roast them right in front of you!  You’ll want to go to Icicles with friends (or, as in my case here, with your sister) for a number of reasons. First, the place is crazy popular; it’s good to bring friends to entertain each other while you wait in the line that stretches out the door. Second, it’s just a fun thing to do to watch them make the ice cream. Finally, and this one is the kicker, bring friends so you can split the ice cream. An icicle costs $7 which is pricey for a frozen treat, despite the generous and seemingly unlimited varieties of toppings. If you split with a friend, you get a more reasonable serving of ice cream and the staff is super willing to split your sundae and even allow both parties to pick their own toppings and choose as many you want!  My top pick to order is the 'cereal killer' where they take the ice cream base and mix in a cereal of your choice; I picked Cinnamon Toast Crunch. Of everything I've tried here this had the most flavor. I also recommend cookie butter and rocky road. They even have dairy free options for vegan friends!  Photo bomb the little sis. My overall assessment is that this ice cream is pretty expensive and is on the rich side; I definitely consider it a special occasion place. 6 out of 10 cones!  A guest blog post by Abbie; frozen treat enthusiast.  The Meadowlark Dairy is a Pleasanton classic. If you have one day in Pleasanton, this is the one ice cream place you must try! The Dairy is the oldest ice cream establishment in Pleasanton and here is why: it’s a drive in, the classic soft serve is tasty, and it’s completely affordable.    They always have vanilla, chocolate, orange, and strawberry (and occasionally pineapple) soft serve brought out by friendly high schoolers. A small costs $2.25 but they still give you a generous amount of ice cream, and you can size up to a large for only $.50!  For vegan friends, the orange and strawberry flavors are dairy free. There are no toppings here, but you won't miss them. They even have wooden Meadowlark Dairy “coins” that are a great way to give someone the gift of a Meadowlark Dairy cone.
If you want to try something a little different, you can get a "Diablo", which is a mix of soft serve and slurpee for $3.50. I usually order a chocolate orange swirl cone; I love the mix of flavors. The ice cream is light, refreshing, and perfect for a summer day. The soft serve is also very photogenic if you like to take selfies! Overall ten out of ten cones for the Meadowlark Dairy!   |
© Samantha Grant Photography 2017