Weekly Inspiration: Keep on Dreaming

Throughout life, there will be many people who want to distract you from your dreams and aspirations. Truthfully, everyone goes through many, many dreams in their lifetime, some more intense than others.

But I'm willing to bet that nearly every one of us have one or two dreams that have stuck with us throughout various phases of our lives. The ones that we try to ignore, or push back, though they always come back to us like loyal dogs. 

It's important to never give up on those dreams, even if they don't seem attainable or even realistic at the time. Because dreams are what keep us going in life, they are what make the little things bearable. 

Even if you never achieve these dreams, even if you never really try, the point is that you've got to keep believing in yourself enough to think that maybe you will one day realize these dreams. Like it says, even if it breaks your heart. You've got to keep trying.

Quote from Even If it Breaks Your Heart, by the Eli Young Band.

Giveaway with Oasap

Hello, friends! I'm super excited to announce that I've partnered with Oasap to bring you guys the chance to win an awesome giveaway!

Oasap has a ton of amazingly adorable clothes. One of my lucky readers has the chance to win their choice of these items:

Candy Colored Skater Skirt//Elegant Mini Skirt with Chiffon Overlay//Shining Galaxy Print Leggings//Sweet Floppy Hat with Floral Embellishment//Eiffel Tower Print Tee//Pink Panther Tee//Sleeveless Crocheted Vest//Sleeveless Chiffon Dress with Asymmetrical Hem

I personally adore the skater skirt and the dress with the asymmetrical hem. 

How to Enter:

1. Sign up as a member of Oasap.com.

2. Follow at least one (1) of their social media accounts:

Pinterest : http://pinterest.com/oasap/

Facebook : http://facebook.com/oasap

Twitter : https://twitter.com/Oasap

Instagram : http://instagram.com/oasap_official

3. Follow Emphatically Elle on Bloglovin if you aren't already!

4. Leave a comment below with your name and the email address you used to sign up with Oasap. 

The contest will run from May 22, 2013 to June 1, 2013. The winner will be chosen by random.org on June 1st and announced later that day, 5:00 EST. It is open internationally and has a minimum of fifty (50) entrants. 

Good luck!

Links a la Mode Feature

I was very pleased to find that my editorial on vintage fashion was featured in this week's Links a la Mode roundup on Independent Fashion Bloggers. I just love their site, and it means a ton to be mentioned! While you're here, stop by the other fabulous posts from this week!

Slipping Into Summer

Are you counting down the days until summer? Heaven knows I am! With all the wonderful things you have time to do, when the heatwaves roll in, you know like going wine tasting, going on vacation, catching up on summer reading, wearing light and flowy dresses... Heck, even catching up on DIY projects! It's all possible when the days are longer! This week's roundup slips into summer, it's a wonderfully mixed bag of all the things you'll need for the summer, the pinafore dress trend, ironic style, pastels! So kick back, relax, and read on.

Links à la Mode: May 16th

• Cherie La Mode: Ways to Wear Black Lipstick
• Coco and Picasso: DIY: ASOS Fantasia Sweatshirt
• Couture Crush: Cat Ears... it's a hairstyle!
• DIY Doyenne: DIY Marc Jacobs Inspired Shoe Re-Do
• Eight Days a Week: Barcelona Bridal Week 2014: Top 5 Details
• Emphatically Elle: Style Editorial: Everybody Loves Vintage
• Fashion is Evolution: Warby Park Home Try-On Program Review
• Incognito: Be machiavelic or how to be part of the blogging community
• Inspirations & Celebrations: What To Wear To Go Wine Tasting
• Kat Skull: What to do After Purging Your Closet
• La Vie en Couleur: From Blogs to Books
• Lesimplyclassy: Loving right now: Red Shoes
• Look Sharp Sconnie: Why Irony is the New Cool
• Pink Chai Style: Update a Statement Necklace with Nail Polish
• Rose & Pine: Five Stylish Items for Your Perfect Vacation!
• The Curvy Elle: 5 Tips for Finding Your Individual Style
• The Urban Lioness: Style Guide: Graduation Dresses
• Undercover Dress-Up Lover: Pinafore dresses
• Voguette: Is it the end of the neon era?
• We Are Ready Made: Shoes are Boring, Wear Sneakers!

SPONSOR: Shopbop Finds Paralux, Anine Bing, Graf & Lantz, Nocturne, Eddie Borgo, L'Agence, Knight$, KJL, Vera Wang, Marc Jacobs, & Kors Watches

Style Editorial: Everybody Loves Vintage

In the past few years, the demand for vintage clothing, accessories, and all around lifestyles has completely exploded. Companies such as Modcloth and Shopruche specialize in vintage style reproductions for large amounts of money. The number of Etsy shops selling vintage items carefully thrifted from sales racks and flea markets have increased exponentially. 

So why does everyone love the vintage look so much? Why now, in the era of industry and capitalism? Of progress and change?

For starters, it has to do with romanticism in a way. People have overly romanticized the look of decades past. Wingtip liner, victory rolls, and a soft sepia photo filter will send these individuals into a frenzy. 

It has spawned a collective of people - teenaged girls in particular, though I hesitate to make generalizations - with Marilyn Monroe posters and tasseled sleep masks, flitting around, declaring themselves the next Holly Golightlys.

Of course, there's nothing wrong with this at all (in fact, I'm afraid I am one of these girls myself). 

There's also the fact that fashion - and indeed, life in general - is extremely cyclic and repetitive. Styles fade in and out daily, and some eras are perhaps due for a redux nowadays. 

However, it's not as if the world is fixating on one particular era. On any given day, you could see Mad Men-esque floral frocks from the 50's and 60's, a girl sporting pin curls and polka dots, post-war style, and dreamy finger waves and boxy sequined dresses reminiscent of the prohibition era.

It seems that the thing that is "in style" right now is anything old. Short of Victorian dresses, it's been anything goes for some time now. Later decades are coming into play, such as the colored pants of the 70s, neon hues of the 80s, and even the grunge look of the 1990s.

And as always, the media has had a major helping hand in perpetuating the trend. With period dramas on television and in the movies being in the spotlight the last few years - Mad Men, Downton Abbey, Les Miserables, and of course, Gatsby - the drool worthy costumes have been modernized and redistributed en masse. 

Whether art imitates life in this situation, or vice versa, it's really hard to tell. But with the two capitalizing off one another, the trend will probably be around for some time.

Not to mention the fact that some of the buzziest celebrities of the era have been promenading their vintage finds like crazy recently. Manic pixie dreams girls like Zooey Deschanel, Taylor Swift, Emma Watson, and more have been donning the vintage styles for photoshoots and more, inspiring their fanbases and admirers to try the looks out themselves.

Whether it's in an attempt to escape the ever modernizing world for a bit, an homage to days gone by, or just because, it's very clear that the vintage craze has hit full force and isn't going anywhere for a while. 

I, for one, am happy about this. I've always loved old things, and the vintage aesthetic has always appealed to me. In my books, this newfound fad is just an excuse to wear tea length dresses and oxfords around every day and not be judged too harshly.

What do you think of the vintage trend? Love it or leave it?

Weekly Inspiration: Better Things Ahead

We as humans tend to forget that goodbyes and endings are a natural part of life. Very often, they are difficult and messy and we like to push them under the rug and forget about it. Many times, they are for a good reason, or maybe for the best.

Sometimes, things end - whether it be a dream job, high school, or a relationship, romantic or not, that you thought would never ever be over. More often than not, these kind of endings leave us sad and unsure of ourselves and our surroundings. 

But what we have to remember is that every door closes for a reason. Things fall apart so better things can fall into place. It may not always be clear a week, or a month, or maybe even a year after you go through a devastating breakup or lose the perfect job. But things are looking up, and you have to remember to plan for the future but live in the present, and always know that there are better things ahead.

DIY Beach Hair Spray

In mid-Michigan, summer is at long, long last, finally upon us. A time for cut off shorts, tank tops, and beachy waves.

However, if you don't live near an ocean (or just don't feel like going to the beach for a hair do) there's an easy way that you can get the summery look with items you probably have in your bathroom cabinet!

Ingredients:

• 1 cup of warm water
• 3 tablespoons of salt (sea salt is best, but I used regular old table salt and it worked like a charm)
• 1 tablespoon of hair gel (can be the spray kind too)
• 1/2 a tablespoon of conditioner (can be the leave-in kind)
• Optional: a couple spritzes of your favorite perfume to give it a little extra oomph
• A spray bottle to put it all in

Directions:

1. Add the salt to the water and shake vigorously to mix it well.

2. Add the rest of the ingredients and shake again to ensure it's completely mixed.

That's really it. Surprising, right? To use, spray generously throughout dry or semi-dry hair and scrunch up. Instant beachy waves!

For reference, my hair was almost completely straight this morning before I used the spray. 

Enjoy!

DIY Simply Invigorating Coconut Ginger Body Scrub

Hello, friends! I apologize once again for the less than reliable posting lately. I've finally gotten my computer fixed, fingers crossed, and in four days will be home for the summer and will be able to focus on this!

A few weeks ago, I was contacted by Kendra Thornton, former Director of Communications at Orbitz and self professed travel expert. She's here today to show us how to make a relaxing and rejuvenating body scrub in time for summer! 

Why, do we as women, rarely take the time out of our busy schedules to relax? More and more, people are using spas as a way to regroup and de-stress, yet it seems that the only time we ever truly let ourselves unwind is when we are on vacation. We owe it to ourselves to set aside a little time each month to take care of ourselves.  Your skin and spirit will both thank you! 

As an avid traveler, I have had the pleasure of exploring many vacation spots and all of their amenities.  However, one particular trip to Oahu has stayed with me as a reminder of true relaxation bliss. While in Hawaii, I visited the Sheraton Waikiki Khakara Hotel and Spa where I was introduced to a simply divine body scrub. This hotel is rated as one of Honolulu’s top hotels for spa treatments, so I knew my body was in good hands. This body scrub was as delightful for the senses as it was for the skin. 

But jetting off to the tropics sadly isn’t feasible all of the time.  You can recreate this great scrub yourself to feel rejuvenated anytime of the year from the comfort of your own home!  This spa inspired recipe will slough away dead cells and moisturize your newly exposed skin, leaving you soft, tingly and invigorated all over.

Coconut Ginger Body Scrub

2 tablespoons Coconut Oil

1 tablespoon Plain Applesauce or Apple Puree

1 tablespoon Agave Nectar

1 teaspoon Ginger Powder

3 tablespoons of Raw Sugar

Directions
Combine the Coconut Oil, Applesauce or Puree and Agave Nectar together in a bowl.  If you are having trouble blending the Agave, you can heat it slightly.  Next sprinkle the Ginger Powder into the mix and begin to add the sugar.  Mix until well incorporated. 

When ready to use, step into the shower and scoop a small amount onto your fingers and apply to the skin using gentle, circular motions. You can also apply the scrub to a washcloth and apply that way, if you prefer. Completely rinse off the scrub before stepping out of the shower. Pat your skin dry with a towel and moisturize well before getting dressed and returning to reality. 

The Coconut Ginger Body Scrub is just one example of a beautifying and rejuvenating scrub you can use to refresh your skin and your senses.  By following the simple steps using all natural ingredients, you can save money and feel refreshed all year round!