Guest Post: First Impressions

Hello lovelies!

Today we have Maria from First Impressions filling in for us!

Our first impression of her: we were obsessed.

We love her whimsical pictures and her laid back, feminine vintage style. 

Take a look at post below, and you'll see what we mean. 

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Hello, lovely readers of Awkward Girls!

Summer is slowly fading into fall, and I always try to soak in every little, beautiful feeling that the final breaths of summer bring about. I'd like to talk about one feeling in particular...maybe you've experienced it too, when you feel as if you're in a Jane Austen novel. You feel like everything around you is all too wonderful, and you can't stop daydreaming, and you begin to romanticize everything.

Speaking of Jane Austen, my favorite novel of hers is Sense and Sensibility. My parents got me this beautiful edition of it for my birthday last year, and the cover is almost as wonderful as the story inside.

 As well as loving to read in summer, I also love bicycle riding. Going down a sunny road with the wind flying through your hair...it's almost magical.

Enjoy the last few weeks of summer! There's too many delightful, beautiful, and magical things not to notice and enjoy.

xo
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See what we mean? Make sure to visit her at First Impressions!

Thanks Maria for showing us the beautiful things summer has to offer!

We will definitely take advantage of the little summer lovin we have left. 

xoxo

Guest Post: Wearing it On My Sleeves

Oh hello again! Today we have yet another guest post for you. If you haven't checked out Sarah from Wearing It On My Sleeves yet, then consider this your lucky day. Because once you see her oh-so-fly style and read her hilarious writing, you'll be hooked.

 (Fun Fact: One time we met Sarah whilst Zumba-ing. We were all really sweaty and it was awesome.)

Anyways, enjoy!

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Oh hey. sup.

I know I know I'm not the lovely Awkward Girls. 

They're partying it up and asked me to come on over and fill in for them (Thanks guys, I'll have them clothed, fed, bathed and in bed by 9!)

Whenever I see a guest post it's like I've just walked into my house and some random stranger is in my home wearing my bathrobe, using my toothbrush and simultaneously eating all my Nutella. 

You want them to leave as soon as possible so your once normal house can get back to unintruded bliss as usual. But don't worry, I promise they will be back in no time, but until then you'll just have to get to know this Nutella eating, bathrobe loving girl.

shirt/jeans: target, shoes: f21, bag: thrifted

I'm Sarah, from Wearing It On My Sleeves. I like clothes (wearing them, not eating them or something freaky like that), I'm sarcastic as crap (on that note, is crap REALLY sarcastic?), I'm in love with thrift store shopping and I have a hot tamale of a husband named Matt and a fluffy pup named Indie (and if that is way too broad for you, you can find a bit more out about me here.)

Fashion wasn't always easy for me. I always liked unique clothes and loved getting gussied up but I never really had a nack for finding trends and creating my own unique personal style.

So one day I just decided I would learn, and I've been on a journey to find out how to have great fashion, not break the bank, and still express my own personal style ever since, and it's been a blast!

Feel free to come check out my blog and go on my life and style journey with me.

Thanks so much girls, they were all little angels. Except for that one over there, she gave me the stink eye the entire time.

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Isn't she just great? Hopefully, when we decide to be in shape again we can continue our Zumba adventures and the world will be right again. Make sure you go check out the rest of Sarah's cute style at Wearing It On My Sleeves!

xoxo

Guest Post: A Fancy Day // Shabby Apple Giveway Winner

Today, we have the lovely Courtney from A Fancy Day! Not only does she have amazing, classic style, but affordable to boot! Doesn't get better than that, right? 

We also may or may not be obsessed with her hair color. 

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Pants: American Eagle, Shirt: H&M, Shoes: Gap, Watch: Charming Charlie

Hello Awkward Girl readers my name is Courtney from A Fancy Day a personal life and style blog. I originally started a Fancy Day to show others and myself that you don't need a lot of money to be a fancy stylish lady, so I try to keep things affordable over at A Fancy Day because who doesn't love a good deal? Especially when it's something that can worn over and over again like my white skinny jeans. I've pretty much been living in them this summer, they are super comfy and like I said easy to mix with almost everything in my closet. Making it a great addition to the wardrobe.

Big Thanks to Lauren and Madison for having me on their blog today, and feel free to stop by A Fancy Day anytime.
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 Thanks so much Courtney! We love our white skinnies too-- definitely a summer staple! Make sure to check out A Fancy Day to see more of Courtney's awesome style!

 Our final giveaway winner has been chosen! Before we announce the winner, we'd like to thank all of you so much for supporting us! This blog definitely wouldn't be the same without our amazing readers!
And another huge thank you to our generous giveaway hosts, Bobbins and Bits, Tela Clothing, JUNIEblake, Meagan from The Egg, and Shabby Apple!

Enough suspense, right? The giveaway winner to $100 to Shabby Apple is
Sarajolie from

The Russell Report!
  
Congrats Sarajolie! Be on the lookout for an email from us! 


Thanks again you guys! Have an amazing weekend!


xoxo

Guest Post: Deer Circus//Madewell Gift Card Winner!

Hey Guys! Today we have another awesome guest poster for you! We'd like to introduce you to Bridget from Deer Circus! We instantly fell in love with her amazing photography and adorable style, and we know you will too. Check it out!

PS. Check down below to see if you won the $50 Madewell Gift Card!

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hi awkward girls and guys abounding! if we haven't yet met, i'm bridget from the deer circus...and i'm sick of summer clothes. 

this record-long string of 90-plus degree days in denver was really floating my boat for awhile...but now it's become a horror. i walk into my closet and see sweaters and coats and tights and boots, relegated to the darkest, least touched corners. sometimes i run my fingers across a plush winter coat, and mouth the words, "i miss you." yep, i'm really that pathetic. 

after weeks of literally sweating it out in skivvies in my apartment, i couldn't stand it anymore: i threw on a midi skirt, a real blouse, bootie heels, and walked proudly into the sun. no, it's not quite a chunky sweater & riding boots yet...but it's a start. 

blouse, c/o mono b. belt, j.crew. shoes/skirt: forever21. 

and hey, for all my selfish grievances against the sun...someone else is counting the days down to autumn too: that'd be my husband, robbie. 

shirt: old navy. shorts: tommy hilfiger, macy's. boat shoes: sperry, macy's. 


i think he's a total charmer in stripes & boat shoes...but he & i both know the rate at which my heart melts when he's under a gray sky, boots laced up, the sleeves of a cardigan pushed up ever so effortlessly...

we're complete babies.

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Ugh. We totally agree about this warm weather thing. Bring on the boots and scarves and layers! And make sure you go stop by Deer Circus to see more of Bridget's cute life. 

Now, the moment we've all been waiting for. The winner of the $50 Madewell gift card is...
Bonnie from 
Creations by Bonnybee!

Congratulations Bonnie! Be looking for an email from us pretty soon!

Thanks to all who entered and to Megan for hosting this amazing giveaway!
Remember there's still time left to enter the $100 Shabby Apple Giveaway!

Now go have a fabulous friday.

xoxo

Guest Post: Classy Confessions Post & JUNIEblake Giveaway Winners

We are so excited to share with you guys one of our favorite Provo bloggers, Megan, from 
 Classy Confessions. 

Her preppy, fun style is just the ticket for some summer outfit inspiration! Check it out!

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Shirt: F21, Shorts: Topshop, Sunglasses: Chloé, 

Necklace: Borrowed from my Sister (Similar) 

Hello! I'm Megan and I blog over at Classy Confessions. I often talk about style, food, my life, and my adorable pup Winston. I am so excited to post on Awkward Girls. Lauren and Madison are the cutest and so hilarious! 

Because of the title of my blog, I often get asked (mostly by my husband), "What's your confession?" So, here it is guys: I like to hide behind sunglasses and bright pink lipstick. I actually don't have makeup on – besides the lipstick, and my hair is wet. Sometimes I want to be cute, but I'm just not dedicated enough to put in the effort. So what do I do? Cheat it. Fluorescent lipstick and giant sunglasses never let me down. 

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We feel you girl. Sometimes its so hot outside, that we don't even want to wear clothes... what?

Anyways...

Thanks Megan for the awesome tricks to still looking fabulous in the summer heat! We will definitely have to try them out!

AND the 2 lucky winners of the $30 GC's  to JUNIEblake Giveaway are...

Shelley  from Shelley Bean

and Beth from Comforts for the Soul

Congrats ladies! Be on the lookout for an email from us soon. 

And a big thank you to all who entered! Don't forget, there is still time to enter our Madewell and Shabby Apple Giveaways!

xoxo 

Guest Post: C'est La Belle Vie + Tela Clothing Giveaway Winner

Hey guys! Today we have another guest post from one of our favorite ladies, Charity from C'est La Belle Vie! We hope you love her awesome, laid-back style as much as we do. 

Spoiler alert: you will.

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Bonjour, awkward girls readers! I'm Charity & I blog about style, thrifting, food, & drinks at c'est la belle vie. Madison & Lauren are some of my long-time favorite bloggers so of course I was ecstatic to put together a guest post for them while they do some summer playing. Hope you ladies are having a lovely break!

Summer is all about simplicity & ease for me, especially when it comes to style. I wanted to show that simple vibe in this outfit post, while also wearing something that I feel like Lauren and Madison would rock--doesn't this top just scream Awkward Girls? I love it..so girly and carefree. I paired it with my comfiest jeans & favorite booties and was set for a summer brunch downtown with an old friend. 

blouse: Forever 21, jeans: Urban Outfitters, booties: Charlotte Russe, necklace: Zumiez

Nothing like some pink polka dots to make you feel good. What is your favorite thing about summer style? How do you dress up simple looks? Come tell me your thoughts! Thanks for letting me post, ladies! 

xo Charity | c'est la belle vie

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Thanks Charity! We would totally rock that outfit! And we're loving those summer boots.
Now without further ado, the winner of the Tela Clothing giveaway is...

Carina from 
The Little Antlers!

Congrats, and look out for an email from us pretty soon!

Thanks everyone for entering. Don't forget it's not too late to enter the JUNIEblake, the Madewell, and the Shabby Apple giveaways!


xoxo

Guest Post: L' Esthetique // Bobbins and Bits Giveaway Winner

We hope everyone had a fabulous weekend!



We spent our weekend roadtripping to California and spending time with our families!

As you might've guessed, blogging can get a little difficult when we aren't together.

So, instead of going on a blogging hiatus, we set up some guest posts for you!

While we're livin' it up, enjoy our awesome guest posts and check in to see our 1,000 Follower Giveaway Week winners!

Stay sweet.

xoxo,

lolomads

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Well hello, Awkward Girls readers! I'm Tiana and I am so thrilled to be filling in for Lauren and Madison while they're away. I blog over at l'esthetique, and like to consider it my home away from home. While many of my posts are ootd's and my random babbling about life, I wanted to bring you all something a lil'bit special and a lil'bit different - what I think are the fundamentals to a great summer date night! 

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1/ a fun, yet stylish outfit (sans uncomfortable walking shoes!)

My personal outfit: dress | similar sunglasses | sandals | camera bag | watch | local earrings




2/ exciting and unconventional restaurant selections

Try somewhere you've never been before! Explore new places! It'll be an adventure for both you and your date.



3/ a good attitude and an open mind!

Date nights are all about surrounding yourself with good people and doing things you both enjoy. Be positive and keep a carefree mentality. What you end up doing could be way more fun than what you had originally planned.



4/ a good listening ear

Take this time to learn something about your date that you didn't know before (and vise versa!). Regardless of if you've been dating 5 years or 5 minutes, there's always something new to be learned and something personal to be shared.



5/ a back-up plan

For those times when you finish eating early or have no idea what to do next, have a few activities in the back of your mind to suggest so that there are no awkward pauses or long bouts of silence. It could be anything from that movie you've been dying to see to your favorite dessert bar.

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These are simply the things that I find essential to a summer date night. They make be quirky, and they may be a bit old-fashioned, but they've never steered me wrong!

What are some of your summer date night fundamentals?

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Like promised, we have our first winner of the 1,000 Follower Giveaway Week!

The winner of the $20 to Bobbins and Bits is....

Bridget  from

Deer Circus!

Congratulations Bridget! Look out for an email from us pretty soon.

 

** It's not too late to enter our giveaways from Tela Clothing, JUNIEblake, Madewell, and Shabby Apple! Get on that!

Wanna see us in a laundromat?

We knew you would. 

Today, we are style crushes over at our smokin' hot friend Shannon's blog called GBO Fashion.

Meeting blogging friends is the best!

We met Shannon for the first time last week and we instantly fell in love. 

She is sooo funny, sweet, totally obsessed with her husband (it makes us jealous), a zumba instructor (which equals a hot bod), and has rockin fashion. 

Here's a little taste of what you'll see over at GBO...

See what we mean? Total hottie. 

Be sure to take a look at our featured post and her awesome blog!

You won't be sorry.

xoxo

Bangs and Bets

Today, you can find us over at Jessica Chronicled, where we'll be answering some questions and you'll learn more about us than you ever wanted. 

So lately we've been having the Great Bang Debate of 2012. We decided, as bloggers, one of us needed to get front bangs. It's just what you do apparently when you have a blog. 

The question was, who would it be?

After much debate and a fateful coin toss (seriously), Madison was the one to be banged.

We've been making "bang" jokes all day, btw. We're mature.

So as Lauren is officially the resident bang cutter, she took the tiny little baby scissors and went to work.

The final result?

Lauren's so proud of herself, she's gonna start a business where she just cuts bangs. Any takers?

And that's the story of how Maddie got bangs.

xoxo

Going Green

Hey everyone! We hope you had a fabulous St. Patrick's Day weekend!

First things first, we did some guest posts today. 

Check out some animal print loving over at C'est La Belle Vie

and the super cute story of how we met over at The Happy Hour

Well, speaking of St. Patty's day festivities, we decided to wear "green"!

No, not the color (mostly because we wanted to be pinched.. what?), we were talking about going green in regards to environmentally friendliness! Yeah it's nice to LOOK good, but it's also important to DO good. In the spirit of St. Patrick's day, we wanted to highlight some of our favorite "green" fashion brands that are doing their part in saving this nice little planet we call home. 

1. People Tree

People Tree is a UK based company that promotes beautiful, fashion forward clothing and eco-friendly principles. Through this, they are able to design clothing made with organic and recycled materials, as well as produce them with very little carbon footprint. They also participate in Fair Trade, which is an initiative to help people in developing countries learn the skills they need to escape poverty and promote sustainability. 

2. Eco Swim

Eco Swim by Aqua Green is a company that not only makes really cute, eco-friendly swimsuits, but also believes in giving back. With their profits, Eco Swim has funded several beach and waterway cleanups in areas of need. Plus, all of their materials used are 100% recycled! Read more about their sustainability efforts here.

3. Bodkin

Bodkin is high fashion meets sustainability. The designs are chic, modern, but comfortable. Three things we always look for in clothes. Bodkin uses organic cotton, post-consumer recycled materials, and employs non-harmful dye processes. What more could you ask for?

4. Kitty Cooper Shoes

Kitty Cooper is a line of super adorable heels that are completely constructed from ecologically friendly materials. All the leather used in creating the shoes are tanned with organic substances, rather than environmentally harmful chemicals found in most leather production. The fabric and trim used are all vintage from the 1920's to the 1970's. Oh, and did we mention they're adorable?

5. Alternative Apparel

Alternative Apparel is our go-to company for the softest and most comfy t-shirts and sweatshirts. The company is an advocate of social responsibility, and truly stands for what they believe. They produce clothing in the most fair and ethical way possible. They have guidelines that prohibit things like forced and child labor, harassment, and abuse within their factories and work with vendors to find a higher standard of environmental protection. 

xoxo

Guest Blogger: The Happy Hour

Hello pretty people! Today we have a very special guest blogger for you!

We serendipitously stumbled upon Meg's blog, The Happy Hour a few months ago and have been more than slightly obsessed ever since. She's not really a fashion blogger, but should be because she has the cutest style. Funny story: When she emailed us this guest post, she was like "sorry if my outfits aren't cute." Yeah Meg, they're pretty ugly... You should probably just send them to us and we'll get rid of them for you...

Anyways, enjoy!

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it's a happy day here in sunny california, it's 75 degrees out and i'm just lounging by the pool. ok, ok, so the pool part is not true, but that sunny 75 degrees sure is! let me rewind a little.... 

i am meg, he is tanner, and together we are the hams! after our quick meet-n-greet in banana republic in utah we became inseparable, (after i broke up with his best friend that is)... we then fell fast in love and were married in the summertime of 2009. peer pressure from friends and family of not starting a family in our first year of marriage, caused myself to start a blog! annd if blogging is anything like what type of mother i'll be... at least i'll be consistant even though i don't know what i'm doing! ha

since then we made a move to southern california where we currently live now. i am learning the ins and outs of my new town and good places for grub. while, i'm no fashion blogger, these beautiful awkward girls asked me to share some outfit love today. we hope you come and stop by the happy hour to get HAMmered with us! :winks: 

                 

with love,

the happy hour

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Are you in as much love as we are now? We thought so. 

And don't forget to enter the Jennie Moss Headband Giveaway!