Christina of Tide & Bloom – Page 3

summer vibes: cropped and wide

Well, this outfit was certainly a surprise. I saw this top online before I saw it in stores and it didn’t occur to me that it would be flattering let alone something I would actually want to purchase. I think it might have been the color that got me.

A lot of women seem to believe that this “cropped top” trend is not for them. I beg to differ. At some point within the last two decades, women were convinced that a longer top meant that she looks longer and leaner herself. This is not always true though and in fact, it can often do the opposite and truncate your figure and make your legs look stumpy. Crop tops, when selected and outfitted properly, are much more flattering because they don’t require any tucking! You can let your pants be your pants and your top be your top and that’s it. And so I’ve found myself purchasing many a top that is cropped of all different shapes. Some will flare out like this one, others may come to a knot at the bottom. Either way I’m pretty glad that trends cycle back and around again and again.

tropic feels

Maxi dresses will never ever ever not be in style. Jumpsuits are obviously having a moment (as evidenced by how many retailers are upping their jumpsuit game) so I had to tell myself I needed to cool it on the jumpsuit front and find other kinds of pieces. This maxi dress is one I resisted for weeks and then finally gave in to.

The ease of the fit plus the boldness of the pattern equaled perfection for me. It floats away from the body, allowing me to feel comfortable. I love that you can wear this casually or dress it up with the change of a hairdo and jewelry. As I’ve said before, I’m striving for a wardrobe that will take me through my 30s with ease. I think I’m getting there.

dress / anthropologie
earrings / anthropologie
sunglasses / anthropologie

the new star provisions

Change can be scary, but ultimately I think it’s usually a good thing. Change forces us to re-examine original intent and think towards future progress. When I first heard that Star Provisions was going to be moving, it scared me! To think of such a beloved and charming spot disappearing was hard. I’ve lived in Atlanta for 7 years now which means I’m starting to see a lot of this happen – places that made me fall in love with Atlanta are changing. Some for the worse, but many for the better as well.
This move makes complete sense but it still makes me a little sad. Given the nature of the ever-changing landscape of Atlanta, it was bound to happen but it just felt like this would be the last place it would happen to. Star Provisions and Bacchanalia continues to stand at the top tier in the food industry of Atlanta so it is shocking to hear that they would be financially pressured by the development happening in the city. Thankfully they definitely know what they’re doing so the new space is gorgeous, spacious, and maintains the integrity that so many people respect them for. The Star menu has also expanded, making me a very happy camper.
I ordered the breakfast baguette with prosciutto and brie… everything I could have hoped for. Damn, they know what they’re doing. I could have lingered for much longer with the amount of room they have. I expect to be making many more trips here on my days off and I’m crossing my fingers REAL hard for a trip to the new Bacchanalia. Maybe for my birthday…

pur cosmetics vanity palette

It’s been a while since I’ve posted, but not for a lack of activity in my life. Actually quite the opposite. It’s getting harder and harder to find the time to sit down and type out a blog post, but I do hope I can keep it up. Because having the space to write a little bit more than what I have on Instagram is definitely needed for clarity of mind.

The other day I tested out a full face of Pur Cosmetics for the first time. Wait I lie, minus the lips. I’ve used the 4-in-1 Pressed Mineral Powder before as a foundation but this time I got to use their recently launched Vanity Palettes, in addition to some others.

I started off with the Bare It All 4-in-1 Skin Perfecting Foundation. This is right up my alley, seeing as how I like liquid foundations that claim to improve my skin. It feels more like a cream than a liquid, but the coverage is really good and did last me all day long at work. Very often most makeup begins to dissipate from my face at the 4-hour mark because of how active I am at work, but this one stay put! I applied it with a dense foundation brush and then lightly set it with the Pressed Mineral Powder.

Onto brows, which really is the part of my makeup routine where I start to look alive. This Wake Up Brow pencil will be my new go-to once my current one runs out. It was the kind that isn’t super creamy so you don’t have to have a super sensitive touch like some other pencils. It includes a highlighter on the other end, but I didn’t really need to use it.

Here is the star of the show, the Vanity Palette! As you can see, it fits in the palm of my hand and the mirror pops out for added ease. This is a great palette to throw in your purse to touch up through the day since it does include highlighter, cheek, bronzer, and eye shadows. This, much like the brow pencil, was easy to use. The pigments are soft and blendable and great for beginners. I say that (me myself being a beginner) because I do own some palettes where the pigment comes off WAY too easily and then you have to spend a million years blending out your raccoon eyes. The whole palette is soft and buildable, lending itself to a bronzey romantic look.

I used more of the warmer shades because I have a yellow undertone in my skin so I just feel more comfortable using browns, oranges, corals. Once I was done and happy, I set the entire look with Balancing Act to make sure I wasn’t going to get too shiny throughout the day.

Overall I was really pleased with how everything performed! I got compliments on my makeup at work and I think everything is really well-suited to the girl on the go. I never do dramatic eye looks so I’m not sure if it’s good for that. Overall I think each and every product is definitely worth a try!

Pur Cosmetics products used:
Bare it All 4-in-1 Skin Perfecting Foundation
4-in-1 Pressed Mineral Makeup Foundation
Wake Up Brow
Vanity Palettes

linen on linen

I’m pretty excited it’s that time of year again… time for linen pants! I think I love them so much because they can look as edgy or classic as you want them to. It’s all in the styling.

Linen wide leg pants are a more recent obsession; it’s only in the last few years that I felt like I could pull them off and it’s probably because I finally found some that were flattering for my height (I’m 5’4″). All the wide leg pants I own (and flares) are petite sizes and I think that’s been the game changer. I do still have to wear a small heel but it’s the actual pant leg, not the length, that has become a better fit.

These new ones are particularly wide because of the slit on the sides, but they still look proportionately correct. They are slightly higher waisted but that means I can either wear them with a shorter top or tuck my top in for added definition. I create a linen on linen look here with this linen tank top but I’ve also worn these pants with just a tshirt tucked in to show off the rope belt detail.

linen pants / anthropologie
linen top / anthropologie
sunglasses / anthropologie
earrings / anthropologie
lip color / bawse by smashbox

kimono sleeve dress

If you told me I was gonna buy a dress that had kimono cold shoulder sleeves plus a lace bodice and burnout white lace pattern all over, I would die of disbelief. But it happened so now I can’t say anything about anything.

8 arm bar

When one of your favorite coffee spots opens up an al fresco bar, you go. So I went to 8 arm for some coffee and saw the bar open and instead of a coffee, I got a cocktail. What a treat! Twas a gorgeous day outside and we could’ve sat there all afternoon if not the need to beat traffic.

And those sweet vintage glasses?! Ugh, they just get me. Oh and don’t worry – the cocktail menu during the day wasn’t super strong. The drinks were appropriately light and fresh. It also didn’t hurt that there was an adorable pug laying down next to us.

the last season of girls is everything

Hey. I’ve been a bit quiet lately and not for lack of having things on my mind, actually quite the opposite. I haven’t been able to sort through all the feelings I’m having lately into a nice and tidy blog post. But thankfully Lena Dunham has done the extraordinary task of creating a season – really, the whole series – that mirrors the evolution of a 20-something creative girl trying to become the woman she always imagined herself being. And all the shit that happens because of how you’re trying to get there.

The post I’ve wanted to write has to do with growing up and redefining your perspective on your relationships with your family, friends, and coworkers. I’ve been overwhelmed thinking about discussing the complexity of it and then watching the penultimate episode of Girls last night made me feel ALL the feels. Still, I rewatched it tonight and I cried even harder than the first time I saw it.

I know that I’m not the only one who feels this deeply connected to this narrative. Maybe I’m one of only a few who will admit it straight up because a lot of people my age hate the idea of Girls being a true reflection of a female millennial perspective. But in doing so, they really are kind of playing right into it.

apron dress

Okay so by now, I can own up to it – I have a shopping addiction that is completely facilitated by the fact that I need to look good and fresh at work. While in my heart of hearts I know that new clothes are completely unnecessary and it contributes to the overall waste of the world, I also know that new clothes make me feel new inside too. Like when I feel stale and weird, a new piece can really pick my mood up. Superficial, maybe. But it’s just honestly what happens. Do you feel the same way?

headband, apron dress, seychelles mules / anthropologie

goat farm open studio

Not very much to say here, just some fun pictures to share. I had the pleasure of touring the Goat Farm open studio days two weekends ago and it was pretty much the best day. I love being able to explore artist studios, no matter what the work looks like. It’s always inspiring to me to see the physical spaces inhabited by creative minds. It didn’t hurt that it was a beautifully crisp day either!