Summer plaid popover 2 ways + my life hacks

I really tried to put a more interesting outfit together for you today, but it's been raining for what feels like an eternity, and I just could not bring myself to wear anything other than an easy popover, plus leggings, and my wellies. I figured I would compensate for the not-so-exciting outfit by sharing (and re-sharing) another way I've styled this top as well as some of my favorite life hacks. Random, I know, but let's get started!

Outfit details--- Sunnies: Ray Ban (similar) | Necklace: Kendra Scott "Milla" | Plaid popover: JCrew | Stripe tee: bp (option) | Bag: Rebecca Minkoff "Regan" | Leggings: Zella | Rainboots: Hunter ---

I totally stole the idea of layering this plaid over a long sleeved stripe tee from J.Crew's stock photo. The top is very, very lightweight so even if I'm wearing it over a long sleeved tee, it still feels comfortable enough for spring weather. I will say that the striped tee is pretty thin also, and the temps were in the 60's thanks to the incessant rain. Regardless, I love plaids and stripes together, so it's a pretty foolproof combo.

Why these are my favorite rain boots

The thought of wearing anything but my rain boots made me cringe because I hate the feeling of wet feet. Absolutely one of the worst feelings ever! I have legit been living in these boots for the last few days. I have three pairs of rain boots now, this solid black pair being the most recent purchase of the three, and I definitely wear these the most. For some reason, my feet don't sweat as bad in these as my other two pairs which are both glossy. And as much as I adore my red wellies and my dotted wellies (hello old school awkward post!!), there's a time and a place for them, and the solid black are more universally outfit friendly. Also, the red pair require a lot of tender love and care. I have to shine them up every few wears, so just for the sake of time, grabbing this black pair without thought is way easier.

This outfit would work equally as well had I worn black, white, or traditional blue colored denim pants or shorts. The JCrew model is wearing shorts, and I loved that look so much that I created a flat lay of it here to remind me to wear it! I mainly chose leggings today since I was tucking them into boots, and let's be real, leggings are way less effort than jeans and this rain is sucking all effort out of me!!!

Original post here

As promised, here's a reminder of the last way I styled this top. Plaid shirts tied around my waist are one of my favorite accessories! But I do love the way it layers over this olive dress as well as in today's striped tee. Any piece that works well on its own or as a layer is worth spending money on! It will be great under a sweater or utility vest, too, come winter!

Life hack #1: Faux knot your top

See original post here

Buy clear elastics here or here

You'll notice that I knotted the plaid top in both outfits. That segues nicely into my first life hack that I wanted to remind you guys about! I'm a knot-tying addict. Sometimes a partial tuck just isn't enough, or it's so fussy and never stays put. But I never have enough material on my top to make a true knot, so I use the teeny clear elastics to fake a knot for me. Someone asked me if this stretches out the top, and my answer is no. I'm only gathering any excess fabric - I'm not overly pulling onto the material (because if I did, you'd see my back muffin top, and no one wants to see that!) It does leave wrinkles when you remove the elastic at the end of the day, but it's nothing my steamer can't remove in 2 seconds or less!

Life hack #2: Lash extensions

See first posts about this here and here

It's been awhile since I've talked about my lash extensions, so I thought it was time to bring it up again, especially for any new readers that previously missed the topic. This weekend, the photo on the left popped up as a Facebook memory and every time I see myself pre-extensions, I kindly freak out a bit. My lashes grow straight, perpendicular to my face. And since they are short and I have hooded lids, there really is nothing mascara can do to help my case. I've also tried false lash strips and they are so uncomfy and a lot of work! 

I took the photo on the right this weekend for comparison. I got a fill about 2 weeks ago, and I'm wearing a baseball cap and lip gloss, but otherwise no makeup. My extensions definitely perk up my face right out of bed. I realize this is a big time and financial commitment. I get my lashes filled every 3 weeks at $60 per fill. Each appointment takes an hour. But, there are some time and cost savings to help offset the investment! I rarely wear eyeshadow, and only apply liner and mascara to my lower lashes every day. On top of that, they give me confidence, as superficial as that sounds. But it is the truth! My extensions look so full because my lash gal uses a volumizing technique so each extension is 2 smaller lashes instead of one thick lash. I told her she must never leave me!

Life hack #3: Wash, shave, moisturize, and go!

L'Occitane Cleansing and Softening Shower Oil (also sold here)

I stopped by the L'Occitane booth in the networking hall last week at the rewardStyle conference, and the rep totally reminded me about how this shower oil truly is a life hack! I was first turned onto it thanks to Noelle. It's a little bit pricey at $25 per bottle, BUT, when I use it, I not only use it as a body wash, I can go ahead and shave my legs with it and not worry about applying shaving cream as an intermediate step. On top of that, the oils soak into my skin so well that I can typically skip lotioning up my body outside of the shower! If my skin is suuuuper dry and cracked in the winter, that may not be the case, but for this time of year, I can definitely just wash and go. It is worth the try if you have never used this before! I was thrilled that L'Occitane gave me another full sized bottle to have as a backup once my current stock is depleted!!

And that's all I have for you today! Some of this may be old news to you guys, but hopefully the reminder is still helpful!! Thanks for reading!

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Linking up with: Oh, Hey Girl!, What I Wore Wednesday