Tuesday, July 31, 2018

Mom and Me Wearing the Same Jeans!

Mom:
Me:

talbots skinny jeggings

talbots fall new arrivals 2018


talbots shoes reviewed

mother daughter talbots outfits



talbots jeggings sizing info

talbots jeggings styled

talbots fall style 2018
Mom:

Me:
Thanks to Talbots for dressing my mom and me!

As I am sure many of you can relate, my family is the most important thing to me. I absolutely LOVE my family! When it comes to my parents, they really are my best friends. They are always there for me, always supporting me and caring for me. Not to mention, they are so much fun!

Obviously, I am biased, but my friends even say that my parents are more fun than our group of friends! They have so many friends and are always up for a good time. Their social calendars are always packed and I love that I am always included. We have a blast. 

The fact that I can quite literally include my family on Summer Wind is so special. To be able to share them with you means a lot! In the past 10 years that I have been blogging, these posts that I have created with my family are always my favorites and I know, years from now, I will look back on these moments fondly. Some of the photos from today's post with my mom are going into frames, that is for sure! 

So when Talbots asked if my mom and I wanted to be a part of their fall denim campaign, I excitedly said yes. I called my mom and she was thrilled, too. My dad is always the trooper behind the lens! Like I said, it's a family affair (we missed Callie)! 

I've mentioned this many times here on Summer Wind, but the women in my family (Grammie, Aunt, Mom, Callie, etc.) are die-hard Talbots ladies. In high school, I worked at Talbots Kids in our Galleria! 

On top of just loving the Talbots brand, they also happen to make my favorite denim ever. I've written so many posts raving about this denim and so many of you have gotten them and sung their praises, too. 

The denim sucks you in at all the right places. They are slightly stretchy for optimal comfort, are a perfect length (no hemming needed), and look new after tons of washing and wearing. They're high waisted in a flattering way and the pockets are thoughtfully placed. Not to mention, the white jeans are partially lined in nude (see blog post here) on the interior so they are completely opaque! 

My mom and I are wearing the exact same denim, which I think really shows off that these jeans look great on women of all different ages and bodies. If you didn't know, Talbots is very friendly to all shapes and sizes. They offer petite, plus size, and misses. The jeans are offered in sizes 0-24. They also offer their jeans in 5 different styles, plus a curvy fit, as well as tall/long options. 

Our personal favorite denim fit is the Jegging which is a high-rise, slim/skinny fit jean. It has a bit of stretch, hence the jegging name. I have been wearing this style for several years now. It comes in so many washes. I have the black (so slimming and chic), several denim washes, and their white jeans (which I wear all summer long). 

Sizing
They run pretty true to size. I wear a size 2 and waffle between a size 2 or 4 or 27 in most brands of jeans! Like I said, they have stretch but they don't really stretch out! The best part? They are under $100. I have tried designer jeans double and triple that price and I can truly say that these are the best!

All in all, my mom, dad, and I had such a fun time shooting this! Shooting fall outfits in the heat of the summer can sometimes be gross and sweaty, but we got so lucky with the absolute perfect night. It was like a little taste of early fall and we were cool the entire time. Afterward, we headed to one of our favorite places, The O, in Oakland for the best hot dogs. The O is an iconic Pittsburgh institution so it was fun to cap off the evening with that! 

Monday, July 30, 2018

Rosé Tasting

Rosé Tasting

how to host a wine tasting

the best roses

rose wine tasting

hosting an outdoor wine tasting
Every year at the lake we try to plan some sort of activity. Now that everyone is of drinking age, we've been planning 'tastings'! Last year, I wrote about our champagne tasting

This year, we did a rosé tasting. I'm honestly not a huge rosé person and this tasting confirmed it even more. I tried to get into it when it first started to take trend but it's just not my favorite. However, it was a lot of fun and it is always so interesting to hear everyone's opinions. 

There were 14 of us participating in the tasting. We had 7 bottles of rosé all differing in price (we all thought that amount was perfect!). The thing about a lot of wines such a champagne, cabernet, etc. is that they have such different price ranges. Everything from a $2 bottle to a $250 bottle, etc. 

With rosé you don't really have too many options in the 'higher' price range so our lowest price range started with Trader Joe's Shaw at $3.99 and the priciest we could find in the state store was Rock Angel at about $33. We tried to find Domaines Ott which runs around $40ish, but couldn't find it in a state store. 
rose wine tasting
The way we chose is just walking into a state store. Because of its popularity, there are so many rosés to choose from! Here is what we ended up with:

- Trader Joe's Shaw $4
- Whispering Angel $20
- 40 Rosé $18
- Cotes de Rose $18
- Miraval $22
- White Girl Rosé $15
- Rock Angel $33
how to host a wine tasting
This was a blind tasting so we got these small clear cups off of Amazon which were perfect. We had someone in the kitchen and that was the only person who knew which wine was which. We all tasted them one-by-one together, and then lined them all up once we had all 7 to assess their colors, and to compare tastes. 

We had snacks for fun and some to cleanse your palate. Snacks included:

- Hummus and veggies and crackers/pretzels
- Chips, guac, salsa, cowboy caviar
- Fruit 

Snacks are totally up to you but something bland like a cracker or pretzel is good for cleansing your palate so I recommend at least having something like that available! Here were the results (in order of my personal preference):


Whispering Angel $20 
This is probably one of the most popular rosés and I thought it might not be my favorite because popular doesn't always mean 'best'. But for me, it was smooth and very easy to drink. Most people had this at the tops of their lists. I would personally buy this over anything else after this tasting! 

Miraval $22 
For me, Miraval and Whispering Angel were almost a toss up at which one I liked better. I thought Miraval had a slightly 'lighter' taste than Whispering Angel but otherwise, it was very crisp and easy to drink. 

40 Rosé $18 
I had never heard of this before but the bottle is funny because it looks like a 40 oz drink! My sister picked this one out at the store! I thought this one was lightly sweet in a refreshing way. Even though it was a bit sweeter than the others, I would still definitely consider it dry.

Rock Angel $33 
This had really noticeable notes of fruit or citrus (comes from Chateau d'Esclans which is the same producer of Whispering Angel). Apparently, many sommeliers consider this a superior wine. I thought it was smooth and had a deeper taste... a little less refreshing than the other ones we tried and more bold flavor. 

Cotes de Rose $18 
This one has the most beautiful cut glass bottom and a glass cork. Based on looks, this would have been #1 on my list. I thought it was fruity in a sour way and it just seemed to taste of alcohol, if that makes sense. I don't think I would ever buy these last three on my list. 

Trader Joe's Shaw $4 
For almost everyone, this was at the end of the list, which I guess isn't shocking because it was the cheapest of the bottles. Oftentimes price doesn't equal bad, so I was a little surprised once this one was revealed! For me, it tastes very sour and didn't have much flavor at all. 

White Girl Rosé $15 
I wrote that this one tasted 'cheap'. It tasted thick, sweet, and even the scent was sticky sweet. It was undrinkable, in my opinion, and I only sipped it for the tasting and ended up tossing it.

So there you have it! It's kind of hard to write about tastings because I'm no sommelier. Taste is such a personal experience. My suggestion would be to throw a tasting party. It is so much fun and a good way to find new bottles you may love! Do you have a favorite go-to rosé?

Saturday, July 28, 2018

Saturday Shopping: Best Shampoo and Conditioner

the best shampoo and conditioner for damaged hair
(these are liter sizes, not the small sizes you see in the photo above!)

Happy weekend! Today's Saturday shopping is all about shampoo and conditionerLast month I posted a hair FAQ since my hair is one of the most requested topics in the past 9 years on Summer Wind! 

Since then, the Shampoo and Conditioner  I shared as my favorite, went on major sale. Major is not an overstatement. The liter sizes are typically $98 for the set and right now they're only $30 for the set. Yeah, it's that good. 

I know I have been sharing this on Instastories a lot so if you aren't an instory watcher, I thought I would share it here for you, too! This is truly the best and I could not recommend it more. I use it every single time I wash my hair.

It really smooths and tames my thick hair and moisturizes it without weighing it down. It's great for both color treated and non-color treated hair. 

Friday, July 27, 2018

The Best Face Sunscreen to Prevent Wrinkles

The Best Face Sunscreen to Prevent Wrinkles

The Best Face Sunscreen to Prevent Wrinkles

The Best Face Sunscreen to Prevent Wrinkles
As most of you know, I was just at one of my most favorite places, 'the lake'. It's a yearly tradition and it's the best week spent with friends, family, good food, a beautiful lake, and lots of relaxation. 

A huge amount of our time each day is spent in swimsuits down on the dock where we lounge in the sun, play in the water, go for a long swim, and take the boat and jet skis out. It really is the good life and a highlight of my summer. 

When I was younger, going to the lake each year meant getting as tan as possible. I would return home and be so tan. You can see all of the photos above which are all 10+ years old where I am SO TAN. 

Now granted, I love a good tan. I really do. The '2018 Sydney' works to achieve a nice tan over an entire summer instead of during a 10 day trip to the lake. The old Sydney would wear SPF 15 oil (if anything), but now I slather myself in sunscreen and reapply often. 

Being in Georgia, it's crazy hot and the sun is strong, so I am very conscious about applying SPF to my face every day. Your face is the part of your body that is the most delicate and shows wrinkles and age first! At 28, wrinkles are a real worry of mine and between my skincare routine and my sun protection, I work hard to prevent wrinkles. 

I have been using Olay Whips with SPF 25 ever since I was introduced to it a few months ago. It is the best sunscreen/daily moisturizer combo for your face. I have tried so many different face sunscreens for under my makeup and daily wear and I always go back to Olay Whips with SPF 25 because it is a moisturizer, primer, and SPF (UVA and UVB protection) all in one. You can put it on immediately before you put on your makeup in the mornings because it dries so quickly! Meaning, there is never an excuse for me to go without it. It feels so lightweight on my face!
olay whips spf 25

olay whips spf 25
One of the things I love about it is that when I am not wearing makeup, like when I am down on the dock at the lake, it mattifies my face so I don't look shiny. 
olay whips spf 25

olay whips spf 25
I am prone to breakouts and I'm also glad to report that this never makes me breakout. This is always something that is really important to me since I am so sensitive to products! 

You can find more information about Olay Whips with SPF 25, here! This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of Olay. The opinions and text are all mine.

Thursday, July 26, 2018

Lately 7/26/2018





 Dress// Hermes Oasis Sandals (similar)

This week just about killed me... not in a bad way! All good things, it was just a lot. It's especially hard when you come back from being away from your desk for an entire week (but so worth it!). There was a lot to catch up on and I'm not even fully caught up yet. It will happen, though!

Tonight I am excited because I am going to the Pittsburgh Symphony where they will be playing the scores from the first Harry Potter movie (The Sorcerer's Stone). The scores will actually be played live- set to the actual film playing on a huge screen. Pretty cool, right? My friend Aly and I bought these tickets months ago, so it's exciting that it is finally here! I'm such a Harry Potter fanatic... you can see the photo of me above at Platform 9 3/4 in London, ha!

Wearing: This floral dress is so pretty! It is a bit out of my comfort zone with the plunging necklace and asymmetrical hem, but there is something so youthful and fun about it, don't you think?

Eating: Georgia peaches are seriously one of the best treats EVER. They're so juicy and sweet. I brought some back with me and I've been enjoying them all week. 
Top (also in white)// Jeans (best white jeans ever)

Drinking: I wouldn't describe myself as loving lemonade. I don't order it anywhere but Chik-Fil-A. If you have not tried it you absolutely should! It's tangy and sweet (but not too sweet). I get the diet so it is low on calories. It's a nice sweet treat during the hot summer months. 

Reading: Everyone needs to read 'The Perfect Couple'. I loved it and breezed through it in 24 hours. It's light and fun with an unexpected twist at the end! I'm currently reading The Two Mrs. Greenvilles. I have had it on my list for a while and am just now getting around to reading it!

Sale-ing: The Nordstrom Anniversary sale is still going on. It ends 8/5! 

Watching:
 On vacation, we watched A Quiet Place, I Feel Pretty, and IT. They were all mediocre at best. Fun to watch with a group, but nothing amazing. Have you seen any really good movies lately? I am dying to see the Mr. Roger's movie! I am so fascinated with Fred Rogers- I read a lot about him. He is always one of the people top of my list when I make an imaginary dream dinner party list. Reading about him makes me want to be better and do better. He is a true inspiration. Check out his 2002 Dartmouth Commencement speech. It's moving. 

Listening: With so many road trips, I have now listened to the first season of Serial, the second season, and S-Town. I know these are all old news, but they're SO good. I still think the first season of Serial is the best, but they're all entertaining and worth a listen! I really love the crime-style podcasts, so if you have any recommendations, let me know in the comments below! 

Loving: These flats. They're a little 'much' but I think they would really dress up a neutral outfit and add some fun pizzaz! I'm also loving these navy blue suede mules- SO chic. Remind me a bit of the Prada bow flats! 

Wanting: I think I am going to try out a jean skirt... like the kind I used to wear back in early high school. I think that it might look really cute with a crisp white button-down and loafers. We shall see! What do you think of the denim skirt making a comeback? I'm also currently head-over-heels for this striped cashmere sweater. Swoon. 

Pittsburgh-ing: Just a heads-up, Restaurant Week is coming August 13-19th! I have been disappointed in the selections and menus in the past few restaurant weeks, so I am hoping this is a good one! 

Traveling: I'm headed to Ohio this weekend and next weekend. Oddly enough there are two weddings in similar locations...back-to-back weekends! 

Quoting: "Build someone up. Put their insecurities to sleep. Remind them they're worthy. Tell them they're magical. Be a light in a too often dim world." // See more of my favorites, here. 

Wednesday, July 25, 2018

Nordstrom Anniversary Sale: Styled Outfit







Thank you to Nordstrom for sponsoring this post. As always, all opinions are my own. I may receive a commission or a percentage of sales from items purchased.


Ever since I can remember, in terms of my wardrobe, I tend to pair a lot of pricier pieces with more budget-friendly buys! I fully believe in investing in things like leather handbags, classic fine jewelry, and well-fitting pieces!

Since the Nordstrom Anniversary Sale has so many different price points available, I thought it would be fun to share how to style a great, inexpensive sweater, with pricier tailored pants and designer shoes

The best part about all three of the items featured in my outfit is that they pair well together as an outfit, but they also look great on their own with many other items in your closet because they are classic and neutral! 

It was great to have gotten this delivery while I was at the lake! We had much cooler-than-usual temperatures (which were especially apparent in the morning and evening). So it was really nice to have this cozy outfit to slip on and enjoy morning coffee on the deck. I know I'll get a ton of wear out of this in the cooler months, too! 

All three pieces fit true to size. The sweater is big but that is because it is meant to fit oversized! 

Tuesday, July 24, 2018

Lake Vacation Recap

I just got back from our yearly family vacation! We went to Lake Chatuge in Hiawassee, GA. So many family and friends are there during the same time so it is always a packed house and we have such a fun time. 

Today I am sharing some iPhone photos from the trip. This is the one rare trip where I don't often whip out my good camera, and I just try to enjoy as much as possible. 
The trip started off with breakfast at Chik-Fil-A (one of my personal favorites). It's about a 9-hour drive so we needed all the caffeine we could get. Henry was an angel in the car and just snuggled up in the back with his bed! 

The pups absolutely loved the lake. Henry is on the left and my sister's dog, Bean is on the right. Bella, my aunt and uncle's dog was also there to play!

Henry was such a cutie and jumped right onto me from the dock! This was a giant inflatable 'island' that my parents found at Costco. Every year we find new inflatables. We have had trampolines, slides, and so many more fun 'toys'. This year we had the 'island' and a unicorn that I found on Amazon for just $30! 

Shirt (old, similar)// Best white jeans
We enjoyed cocktail cruises which is one of my favorite things. A great cocktail, some snacks, a little Sinatra and all my people! 


Henry was SUCH a cutie in his life vest. I got a lot of DM's and e-mails asking about this vest. I loved it and Henry didn't mind it at all. It was very well-made and sturdy so it made me feel good about letting Henry roam! 
Every afternoon we would bring cocktails down to the dock. I got these genius 'ice bags' that are basically reusable plastic totes that you fill with ice. It's like a water-safe ice bucket! 

The cocktail hour spreads are always the best. Everyone in my family makes such good food. Also, if you have an Ingles by you, you should definitely get their guacamole. It's SO good. 

Last year we did a champagne tasting so this year we did a rose tasting! I'll be doing a full post on this and sharing what the winner was! 
We all love our Jack Rogers!! 

Coffee from the deck each morning is always the best. It is usually insanely hot, but I was so happy that it was much milder than usual. In fact, sweaters and sweatpants were needed some nights and mornings!

We celebrated both my dad and aunt's birthdays! 

The food and drinks at the lake is one of my favorite aspects of this vacation. We usually only go out to dinner once. Hiawassee is a very small town and everyone in my family is such an amazing cook! Our dinners are out of this world delicious. I will be sharing our menu for the week and some of the recipes after I received a ton of requests for this one!

Going for a swim is always fun and I love that the water is never freezing. I received a ton of DM's about my sunglasses and swimsuit so I am linking them here for you!

As always, this trip was so wonderful. I got lots of sleep, we watched a few movies, played tons of games like Scattegories and Presidents.  We took family photos, laughed a lot, and went on jet ski and boat rides! Life at the lake is darn good! Do you have a special place like the lake?!
 

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