Shop this watch here

I've always said this blog life is such an awesome opportunity to interact with other influencers around the world.  I feel like I've learned so much about new places and practically traveled vicariously through pictures shared on social media. With that said, I've had to remind myself over and over again that seasons are received completely differently and not all places are as sunny as Southern CA.  I feel like I've become a lot more sensitive to my friends who see me posting and wearing skirts and shorts around this time of year while they still bundle up in sweaters and rain boots!  Sorry, babes!  However, if there's one thing I know I've spoken a lot about on here, it's my total love for transitional closet items.  Something we can all agree on is having a good watch for the sake of having a trustworthy accessory year round.

In my accessories drawer, I currently count 5 watches I've had for years now that I have never had an issue wearing during every season.  I generally already find men's and women's watches as gorgeous statement pieces everyone needs at least one of, but I literally beam over the idea that unlike shoes and clothing, you don't have to change a single thing about how you wear a watch.  These days, spring can be a very tricky season.  One day we experience all the rain and the next it's back to being warm.  A lightweight watch like this JORD wood watch is a perfect piece to get anyone through all the bipolar weather spring can bring along.  Like shoes, bags and other accessories, you can totally shop for watches in all shapes and colors.  I know it sounds like a no brainer, but something I know a lot of people have in common is questioning whether or not one will wear an item minutes before checking out.  To be completely honest, I've never had this issue upon checking out for a watch - I just know I'll have places to wear them.

All in all, you simply can't go wrong with always having seasonal wardrobes, but you can definitely count on getting more bang for your buck with a solid transitional piece like a cool watch.  As a gift to help kickstart your year-round accessories collection, I've teamed up with my friends at JORD Wood Watches to give away a free watch from their Conway Series!  To enter, all you have to do is simply enter below via the link by May 7th, 2017 at 11:59 PM.  All contestants that enter will receive a $25 voucher to use towards a JORD Wood Watch - you're basically already winners!  Don't forget these codes expire on June 31st, 2017 so get to shopping and participating in this awesome contest.  Good luck!

CONTEST LINK

How to Make Floral Ice Cubes

As if I needed to toss in any more floral activity into my life!  I've been surrounded by all the event planning as of late, so minor details like floral ice cubes have definitely become my favorite.  They look so pretty within a tub full of drinks and the best part is they're super easy to make.  I know some people may not be into the tiniest of details, but to me, these are the ones I pay attention to the most!  These ice cubes take very little effort (practically no effort at all) to make so I just wanted to quickly share this DIY with you guys just in case any of you are planning some kind of event soon.  Okay, let's go over the details!

You'll Need

Ice tray

Flowers of your choice - I used Hydrangea petals to fit my small tray

Water

Freezer

How To

1. Snip a stem off of your bouquet and begin taking the petals off

2. Simply toss however many petals you'd like into your ice tray

3. Pour water into the tray

4. Freeze until the ice is completely frozen

5. Use within 24 hours 

Told you it was simple!  Happy crafting, loves.

Xo..Melissa Victoria

Closet Staple: The Statement Necklace

Shop my Favorite Lovita & Co Necklaces Here:

1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 

Ever since I was a little girl, I've always had a huge fascination with jewelry.  As I got older, that obsession didn't get any better haha.  Now, I basically can't go a day without some type of jewelry piece on - especially a statement necklace.  I absolutely stand by a statement necklace being my go-to item when my outfit has been in need of a boost, and trust me, I will always advocate for this!  The best part about these necklaces is the opportunity to wear them with basically anything and any way.  Some of my favorite ways include under a collared shirt, stacked, layered and over a plain colored t-shirt or dress.  The beauty of these necklaces is they also add major color to your outfit!  The outfit I'm wearing in this post is a perfect example of this concept.  I know maybe wearing black during the warmer seasons may not be too hot of an idea, but how fast did this bright royal blue and turquoise necklace turn my outfit into spring?!  Necklaces will always be my favorite things to stack up in my closet without feeling any sort of guilt.  They always come in handy and even better, they're super inexpensive depending on where you shop.  Anyway, go ahead and click on the links up top to shop the necklace I'm wearing in this post along with a few others I'm super loving from my friends at Lovita & Co.  Have a great weekend and hopefully it involves some statement piece shopping!

Xo..Melissa Victoria

Spring Dresses You Need To Have

Shop This Look

Dress: Buddy Love (shop here) // Shoes: Sam Edelman (shop similar here + here)

I've been on a major dress craze lately and I'm not mad about it!  In the past two weeks, I feel like I've added four dresses for every one top #obsessed.  A lot of my shopping has been done in-store, but I would be a huge liar if I didn't also browse the internet for some unique finds.  Enter my newest online muse, Shop Buddy Love, the most perfect online shop for the raging girly girl inside of you. From little white dresses, to off the shoulder numbers- I simply want everything on this site.  The one I'm wearing in this post had my jaw to the floor because of how GORGEOUS it is.  The print is perfect, the length is sexy and the off the shoulder detail is too much to handle.  I just want to live in it and find excuses to wear it casually and dressed up for all occasions.  Obviously I've cultivated a major wish list so let's start this virtual shopping trip together!

Off The Shoulder

I'm obsessed with this OTS that almost could be mistaken for chambray, this mint colored dress because everyone loves mint, this OTS maxi is a perfect combination of two of my favorite styles and this embroidered dress is fabulous for a beach trip.

Casual Weekender 

I want to wear this one with sneakers and sandals all day, every day!  It also comes in a few other colors so that's a major plus. This lace up detail is super fun to step up your weekend casual look, this ombre dress basically brings a beach sunset to you and this striped one doesn't need an explanation because well...stripes.

Little White Dress

A dress like this is such a staple for everyone's closet, this one has the cutest neck embroidery detail and also comes in a different color here, another item all girls should have is a tunic like this perfect one.

Maxi

Say hello to your next vacation dress here, this one is definitely called 'Riviera Costa Rica' for a reason, another staple is a white maxi like this one, I'm loving this transitional dress, the simplicity and cute buttons on this dress are everything and finally I'm simply obsessed with this one - it's sold out but you can sign up to be notified when it's back in stock!

So, how much was your damage?  Hopefully not too bad but if it was, I completely understand!  Anyway, don't forget to share your favorite selections with me in the comments or via Instagram.  I'll be back again soon!

Xo..Melissa Victoria

Refreshing Your Living Room For Spring & Beyond

Elephant Pillows: Shelby Dillon Studio (shop the current collection here + exact pillows here) // Polka Dot Pillows: Home Goods (shop similar here + splurge here // Gold Mirror: Target (shop here) // White Shelves: Target (shop here) // Bar Cart: Target (shop here + similar one here + splurge here) //Woven Wall Art: TJ Maxx (shop similar here + patterned one here) // Rug: Overstock.com (shop here) 

So spring started days ago, but we're in April now so I'm all about the new season haha.  With that said, it's all about color for me and that doesn't only include what I wear.  Home design has hardly ever been my fortè, but I feel like I've opened up to the subject A LOT more in the last few years.  I'm realizing more and more how much I actually enjoy it and felt so giddy about redesigning the living room with my sister to fit the next two warm seasons.  Refreshing an existing room does not require a complete wipe down of furniture or accessories.  It simply means to build around it in a new way.  I had a ton of inspiration for our living area and eventually went for the initial thought of a blue and gold design.  This room would have been done a while ago if I didn't pay too much attention to my options, but as any new job goes, there's always something to learn.  

Redesigning doesn't have to be complicated especially if you already have furniture to work with. In my case, I was working with a beige couch, wooden trunk and a white TV stand.  I'd say those are pretty solid color combinations that I essentially could throw any main color over.  To begin the refreshing process, I thought of a few items I really wanted.  My items narrowed down to throw pillows, wall art and accessories. These three do all the work!  Here's how:

Throw Pillows

They're fun, worth the price and you can mix-and-match.  I stuck to two pairs of the same pillows and then mixed in some solid and patterned white throws.  I've seen some awesome living rooms with a whole bunch of different colored, textured and printed pillows that completely work!  I'm a huge fan so if this sounds like your living room, please send a link to your space for me to gawk over.  The pillows I selected though couldn't have been any more perfect.  To start, I love elephants and the fact that these throws by Shelby Dillon look unlike anything you could ever find within your local Bed Bath and Beyond did it for me.  I had such a difficult time choosing anything from this designer but honestly, who's to say I can't order new pillows in the future?  Polka dots are also simply my jam so these were a NECESSITY for me as well.

Wall Art

This is basically how you dress your walls.  From mirrors to shelves, to picture frames and art...I love it all.  I didn't want to get too crazy and put so much up so for the main wall, I stuck to a round gold mirror, bohemian woven art and two white shelves.  For the inner wall, my sister left up wooden art to match the trunk.  If I would have done anything differently, I would have added a water art frame somewhere in the mix or not have done the mirror at all.  Water art is so pretty to me but I just could not find something at a reasonable price...and I also just felt like I could make it myself so that was my own issue haha.  Overall, our walls are very simple and I love that everything is different and not crowded with too much to look at.

Accessories

This is the fun part.  We have very little accessories that include greens, flowers, a bar cart, a patterned rug and chic lamps.  I mean it's not like we necessarily needed all of that but they just fell into the design that will live for months and years to come.  Thinking into the future, it'll be easy to swap out minor spring accessories to fill in a completely different season like fall.  For example, during fall, I would definitely pack up all that currently sits on our shelves and replace them with pumpkins and anything of that nature.  Always pay attention to what you're adding to your space and if the accessorie is a larger, more expensive item, make sure it's going to transition throughout the year.  

Phew...home design you guys!  It's so much fun and as much as I'm soaking in this new look, I'm very much looking forward to what our living area will look like during new seasons.  You'll just have to stay posted to view my next phase of design!  I'll be back again soon but in the meantime, don't forget to click on the links above to shop some of my living room picks. 

Xo..Melissa Victoria