Fashion Me Fabulous

Sunday is the 4th of July, Independence Day for all of us Americans. This means BBQs, picnics, ice cream and fireworks. It always seems a bit obvious to wear red, white and blue for the 4th, but there aren't many days such literal Patriotism is allowed. I plan on skipping the flag t-shirt and going for classics like a relaxed white button down, denim and a red tank to keep things casual and comfy. Low wedge sandals are required to keeping it cool and comfy outside (heels will sink into the grass). Add sunglasses for daytime and an over sized hoodie (steal your boyfriend's) to stay warm for bonfires and fireworks at night. This look costs $113.13, which leaves plenty of money for fireworks and a bomb pop . $150 Challenge: 4th of July by Fashion becca Fabulous featuring Anthropologie shoes Pictured: Long Red Tank, Target $8 White Button Tunic, Anthropologie $39.95 Denim Bermuda Shorts, Old Navy $24.50 Woven Wedge Sandals, Target $9.98 Aviator Sunglasses, Forever 21 $5.80 Plaid

I'm in love with this heart print blouse by ADAM . The cut is like any standard men's shirt, but the print and sheerness make it completely girly. The looseness would be excellent for the heat, and the light sleeves are helpful for protecting your skin from the sun. I want to pair it with shorts, sandals and aviators for a casual fight against the summer. Relaxed by Fashion Me Fabulous featuring Adam tops Unfortunately, $245 is out of my range for a casual button down. Here are a few lovely, work and weekend ready options under $100. Top: blouson floral top, Blue Fly $60 (Want!) sparse floral sheer top, Urban Outfitters $58 lace trim chiffon tunic, Nordstrom $78 Bottom: bow blouse, Pin-Up Girl Clothing $49 long floral tunic, Macy's $26.99 charm print bow blouse, Newport News $39

I was lacking in summer bottoms and lacking in money this year so I had a make a very careful choice for some sort of wear-everywhere summer pant or shirt. I decided on grey linen pants . They're low maintenance, easy to wash, quick to hang dry, comfy and versatile. Also they only cost $20 at Target (less if you catch a sale). They can go from a weekend brunch to the office to the beach to a night out (all with the comfort of a drawstring waist)! Weekend Brunch Linen Pants Saturday Brunch by Fashion becca Fabulous featuring Belle By Sigerson Morrison shoes Office Attire Linen Pants Office Attire by Fashion becca Fabulous featuring Rocket Dog shoes Beach-y Keen Linen Pants Beach-y Keen by Fashion becca Fabulous featuring Dolce Vita shoes Night Out Linen Pants - Night Out by Fashion becca Fabulous featuring Free People tops Buying Note: Linen pants get baggy fast. They have twice the bag factor of jeans in half the time. If they're a little snug in the store, just sit fo

becca and I noticed a display of loud bags at Marshall's. We couldn't decided if they had too many do-dads and shinys. The bags, by Nicole Lee , are coated in every bit of fringe, stud, grommet, chain, skin, ruffle and metal mesh imaginable. becca liked the grey version of the bag in question but thought the pink treaded into tacky. I didn't like either, but I like some of the designer's other offerings. Their chaos seems more organized, or maybe I'm picking out the best of a bad lot. What do you think of Nicole Lee's bag designs? The pictured bags are all available at The Buckle .

Maybe it's the trend of embellishments, strong silhouettes and bold prints, but shoes are toning down. Nude heels have been making a comeback. It's no surprise they're popular. They lengthen the leg and don't demand attention. Since we come in so many colors, I found three different nude tones on Endless for this week's pick. pale peeptoe pump, Rosegold "Judy" $148 (I know it's nearly white, but I'm that pale!) mid-tone patent pump, Steve Madden "Ulltra" $69 deep peeptoe pump, Martinez "Valero" $154.95 Apologies if you feel I didn't get you in this post. It's hard to judge the tone of the shoe when it's not on a foot.

Questions: What kinds of fashion gifts do you like to give ? How does this overdone horror make you feel? Do you have any advice for a chronic overpacker ? Picks: We've picked PetalMix as our Etsy shop this week and Olay Total Effects as our Pick of the Week . We've also rounded up basic capris and great deals on work wear . Pretties: See our round up of the 2011 Resort collections and some quirky bone jewelry . Join us on Facebook for links to fashion deals, interesting articles, cool pics and a look at our closets.

Project Design is our own friendly competition where we put together collection of independent designers for you to rate on your very own imaginary runway. Jael Paris has these awesome earrings made of snake vertebrae (she got them through Etsy). They look really cool. She suggested a round up some bone pieces for Project Design. Which of these bones would have you playing fetch? Serpent Bone Earrings by Lovecraftian Bone Bracelet by ChrissyGemmillJewels Thoracic by UntamedMenagerie Owl & Bone Earrings by PetitCercle Coyote Knuckle Bone Necklace by spacepearls Tingler II Earrings by CLoVeN Single Strand Vertebrae Necklace by KUZU poll by twiigs.com

More and more houses are putting on these between season shows. You'd think this would be good, leading to clothes on the racks faster and a spark of interest for the fashion set, but I hate it. Some of these shows are just as large as a Spring or Fall runway event. Were they all small shows, it would be one thing, but the push to be bigger and faster is stretching some designers thin. Were they to scale back, I think we'd have more pow and art and fewer pairs of $500 sweat pants . Moving on. Here's a brief rundown of what wasn't reprehensibly dull. Balenciaga and Yves Saint Laurent rode the bright train. Lanvin puts forth beautiful editorial shots for these shows, but the clothing is nearly impossible to make out. Marc by Marc is resort wear for the insufferable cast of The Hills ; no wonder I hate it. All is forgiven, however with Marc Jacobs ' main line -- a sleek blend of cute quirk and 60s Chanel. Chanel was and unholy mix of resort wear (fancy that!), rid

It's so hot! Each time I go shopping, even just window shopping for the blog, all I can think of is how to stay cool at work. The crisp cotton top in this week's challenge is a good start. And with a savings of almost $200, you'll be able to get yourself a fan and some popsicles. Office Cool by Fashion Me Fabulous featuring Naturalizer shoes tie-neck top, $39 (marked down from $135!) pink print pencil skirt, Target $24.99 low-heeled mary jane, Naturalizer $29.99 (marked down from $79!) bead and ribbon necklace, Anthropologie $29.95 (marked down from $42!) faux croc bucket bag, Urban Outfitters $19.99 (marked down from $58!)

We've talked a lot lately about the horror of Capri pants that hit that dumpy place on the leg making the wearing look shorter and wider. However, the right Capri or cropped pant can be quite flattering. The length and cut must be perfect though. (If you're short, you may have to invest $10 in getting a good pair hemmed). Not all of these pants are perfect for everyone because everyone requires a slightly different cut and length. These are just some basic finds to start any Capri lovers on their way to finding perfect pants. Pictured: Navy Stretch Capris, Dillards $41.40 White Tab Capris, White House Black Market $78 High Waisted Capri Trousers, ASOS $42.27 Pictured: Denim Cuffed Capris, YOOX $89 Stretch Sateen Capris, Dillards $39 Skinny Capri Jean, Victoria's Secret $24.99

My friends are pretty fashionable so if I'm doing any gift giving I'm usually giving something wearable. I usually give accessories so I don't have to worry about fit as much. (Even though I frequently see great clothing fitting each of my friends' personalities.) I love to give costume jewelry, hair accessories, scarves and the like. Do you give fashion-related gifts? What do you like to give? (select all that apply). poll by twiigs.com

Nary can I believe this bedazzled floral and denim skirt-beast has been marked down over 50%. Express must not have that many cheerleaders from 1994 frequent their store, but that would change if they sold big scrunchies and Joey Lawrence's rap album .

I recently went out of town for one night. There was a chance I'd be there for two nights, but the second day of clothing would have just been for driving four hours back home. I still managed to pack a full carry-on sized suitcase and a tote bag full of shoes. (Plus I had my computer, a short sleeved jacket and jean jacket that were just floating around in my car, and my pillow.) I'm not a light packer. No, that's an understatement. I always pack way too much. After all, I'm a fashion blogger. I think about clothing a lot. I love to accessorize and add cute shoes to accent my outfits. How can I leave without those things? I also worry about the weather. Growing up my dad would never let me leave the house without a jacket (even in July) so I'm usually ready for everything. Unfortunately, I'm usually carrying half of what I own with me. There have been a few occasions when I tried to pack light. Every time I do that, I regret it. I wish I had brough

Shop: PetalMix Why We Love It: These are simple, lovely flower accessories that let me have the beauty of flowers free of the sneezing from allergies. Price Range: $17 - $40 More Info: Gift cards are available. Hardware can be changed on items (ex: clip to brooch). Custom orders are accepted. Favorite Items: Black Coffee Barrette $33 (pictured); Sakura Blossoms Hair Clip $23 ; Rambling Rose Headband $32 ; Pumpkin Spice Brooch $27 ; Modern Romance Headband $32

My mom is pushing 60 and has great skin, so I've decided, with genetics on my side, to use her skin care product of choice -- Oil of Olay. I used the night cream all through high school and college. A few years ago, I bought the daily moisturizer with SPF15. Last time I was at the store, I thought I'd save a few pennies by buying generic. It smelled and felt greasy, but I thought aside from pleasantries, it couldn't be too different from the real thing. Except in a few weeks time, my skin had turned sallow. My pores were huge, and I was breaking out like a teen before class pictures. My new moisturizer made my skin look my feel horrible! I've since switched back, this time to Olay Total Effects with SPF 15 . It may be nearly $20, by my skin feels so soft and smooth and looks so amazing that I've once again decided to forgo foundation.

I'm exhausted from a friend's wedding. So here's a picture of Dita von Tess in weddingy Christian LaCroix to get you through the weekend. Get Comfortable: Find low heeled shoes for work . Vote for your favorite comfy summer dress . Stock up on cute and comfy summer pajamas . Deals & Delights: Get this anniversary look for under $150. Find fresh style with Freshy Fig on Etsy . Pick up an everyday pastel purse . And get a dose of fashion history with the documentary, Valentino: The Last Emperor . Fashion Fumbles: We're horrified by pants that make us look dumpy , which makes us wonder what kinds of summer pants you wear? Also, can big feet wear bold shoes or is that clown territory?

Project Design is our own friendly competition where we put together collection of independent designers for you to rate on your very own imaginary runway. When looking for inspiration for this week's Project Design, I just started picking out random clothing items from "Clothing" section on Etsy. Somehow, I picked out only loose-fitting, comfy dresses. These are the kinds of dresses I could live in forever during an eternal summer. Which dress would provide you comfort for all time? Never Again Smock Dress by thesimpson Greek Jersey Dress by flowersun Less Is More Dress by idea2lifestyle Helen Drawstring Maxi by cocoricooo 7 Ways Dress by Lirola Hippie Summer Dress by xiaolizi poll by twiigs.com

Film: Valentino: The Last Emperor (2009) To be perfectly honest, I've never been a fan of Valentino. As he said in this documentary covering his last last three haute couture shows -- Spring 06 through his 45th anniversary retrospective of Fall 07 -- he knows what women want. "Women want to be beautiful." Since I'm one of the rare women who doesn't dress with the goal of beauty, I'm not his market. That said, I respect his work. Valentino made his first splash on the international fashion scene in 1962. That height of couture with names like Chanel, Balenciaga and Yves Saint Laurent dominating the magazines will most likely never be captured again. It was a golden time to birth fashion. Each pleat, length of ribbon and rhinestone belt speaks to the era of his origin and his deep love of silver screen glamour (no wonder he's a red carpet favorite). Each of these dresses contain a surprising amount of hand stitched detail. Glamour and romance were all Va

I've been sick a lot lately. I'm allergic to nature so spring and early summer are always terrible for my allergies. This year has been the worst. Because of that, I've spent a lot of time sleeping and a lot of non-sleeping time cuddled up in my pajamas. Of course, being sick doesn't mean I can't at least feel cute in my jammies. Pictured: Lace Trim Cami/Short Set, JCPenny $22.99 Midnight Polka Dot Set, Kohls $30.80 Dot Tank & Boxer Set, Dillards $19.98 Geometric Print Short & Tee, Kohls $23.80 Horse Print PJ Set, Topshop $36 Pink Ruffle PJ Set, Kohls $34.40 Pictured: Orange Floral Crop Pant Set, Target $19.99 Black & White Jersey Print Set, Bluefly $27 Liberty Of London Smocked Tank Set, Target $19.99 Eyelet Cami PJ Set, Victoria's Secret $28