{whatever wednesday}

{Sweet Treat for the Holiday:  Red, White, and Blue Brownie Pizza}

{Sips for the 4th:  Red, White, and Blue Sangria}

{4th Fashion:  Flag Short DIY}

{Hair How:  The chart that FINALLY taught me to do a fishtail braid}

{#lovewins:  Nurse's heartbreaking post shows why equal marriage is so important}

Stars, Stripes, and Sparklers: 4th of July Fashion

Life, liberty, and the pursuit of fashion.  You don't have to dress like a flag and go all out cliché
patriotic spirited style (but you CAN if you want).

Of course, cut-off shorts, aviators, and muscle tanks are the epitome of Americana trends.  Represent Lady Liberty by mixing printed red, whites, and blues or go with a classic white dress paired with nude wedges.  Tying colors like mint, turquoise, or yellow in with your "flag" article of clothing is a fun and unexpected way to break up the scheme of things.  Nautical styles (think espadrilles and stripes) are always a classy, patriotic combination and it doesn't scream "I'm here for the party, hand over the PBR and apple pie."

America by missallierae featuring white flats

Free by missallierae featuring a circle skirt

Honor by missallierae featuring crochet flat shoes

July by missallierae featuring cat eye glasses

Have a happy, safe and chic 4th of July!

Peace, love, sparkles and flamingos,

Allison

DIY: Flag Shorts

The inspiration:  Cute festive 4th of July Americana shorts to wear all summer (with full intention of wearing with tights and sweaters in cooler weather).

The supplies:
Denim shorts or a pair of jeans to cut in to shorts
(I used a 90's style Old Navy pair that I thrifted for a whopping $3)
Masking tape
Star stencils
Acrylic paint (red and white)
Paint sponges and a thin paint brush for bloopers

Step one:  Tape off your stripes and paint red

Step two:  Lay the stencil as flat as possible and gently sponge the white paint in on the stencil.  This can be a little tricky because the smallest move can make a star look like a blob.  We taped our stencil, allowed for some drying time, and wiped the stencil off before moving to the next.  I would recommend having a fine tip paint brush on hand to touch up if there happen to be any bloopers.

Step three:  Once the front is dry, flip them over and do the same on the back pockets. (optional)

Step four: When completely dry (we waited until the next day), wash them in cold water and VIOLA!  You have your custom flag shorts fashioned and ready to be rocked.

Modeling my 4th of July party look.                  

Oh, Hey!  There's me just jaunting around Coronado Island in my flag shorts, sipping on a Red Bull, cheesing in front of the Dragon Tree from Some Like it Hot.

Photo Credits:  Free People, We Heart It