Summer marks the start of truly awesome arm parties.  Our arms are bare, and color is in full force.  This Summer, my favorite bracelet stack trends include mixing metals and color, embroidery floss and plastic, leather and beads, and I love it all.

And since I can’t get enough of the friendship bracelet trend, neon floss goes glam with with metal trimming, studs and crystals … ahem, this adorable little frieda&nellie bracelet and this Hipanema multi-cord friendship bracelet with heavy gold clasp. #swoon

I’m also all for throwing together DIY floss and beaded bracelets, including bright plastic summer camp beads – which I swear to you are still awesome to this day.  (By the way, I love Grace’s easy-as-could-be DIY chain and embroidery floss bracelets , Jenni’s suede knot chain bracelet DIY + the girls at Honestly WTF have a whole list of amazing DIY edgier friendship bracelet tutorials.)

Oh, and this Venessa Arizaga charm bracelet, well it’s just awesome.

Get the Summer Arm Party Look:

Images:  coohuco // Song of Style // Diana Kang // Jak & Jil // Song of Style // Jak & Jil

I am admittedly a huge fan of accessories. It’s all of that sparkle and color and mix-and-matching. I get caught up in it. And last summer, when the idea of an arm party full of friendship bracelets took it’s turn on the trend-wheel once again, I was right on board. Really, who didn’t love friendship bracelets back in the day? But fast forward to the present, and I quickly realized that a wrist full of neon-colored floss didn’t translate quite as well when I was meeting with a client or talking to a judge, so for the time being, all of my pretty homemade friendship bracelets are tucked away in a drawer until the next cruise.  But this season’s hottest arm party bracelets are full of mixed metals and leathers; a.k.a., I’m hooked. I love that the newest stacks of bracelets are a bit more sophisticated but still edgy.  And I want.them.all.

I love the idea of mixing different colors of warm leather, mixed metals, and plenty of sparkle. Are you re-creating your arm party this season?

Shop the look:

As a lifestyle blogger with a serious love of fashion, I tend to find inspiration in everything I see – from fashion to design, architecture, art, books, movies, you name it. I was born and raised in Miami, and the city’s sense of fashion tends to come out in full force in the summer months. The city comes alive with color, and we all learn to get creative when dressing for the heat. But truth be told, it’s so incredibly hot some days, that a thin dress, loose-fitting tank top, simple shorts, those become our staples, so accessories become a must for upping the fashion ante on our summer looks.

On the hunt for a few of my favorite bright accessory accents, I’ve rounded up the best accessories and pieces I’ve seen out and about and on the web this summer and uploaded them onto Instagram, all powered by the ‘Intel Ultrabook, the Ultimate Accessory for every Fashionista.’  Thanks, Intel!

Now you don’t have to sacrifice beauty for power. Introducing the ultra-sleek, ultra-responsive Ultrabook™, Inspired by Intel. Visit intel.com/ultrabook for more information.

Disclosure: Compensation was provided by Intel via Glam Media.  The opinions expressed herein are those of the author and are not indicative of the opinions or positions of Intel.

Summer is here and I have a few big and small trips planned (happy dance!), so I thought I’d make a packing list of carry-on essentials.  I don’t know about you, but my carry-on bag is ever-important.  In addition to carrying-on my passport, itinerary, and all of the important documents, I require entertainment, warmth, good snacks, and the best in traveling skin-care (think Proactiv®)!

A few of the flying and travel essentials:

• – A great big carry-on bag – the glitzier, the better.
• – Sunglasses – for take-off, arrival, and looking all-around glamorous in between (with or without sleep).
• – Friendship bling.
• – A chic scarf to keep warm.
• – Plenty of reading material.
• – Cell phone (can’t leave home without it!)(plus a fashionable case.)
• – Snacks.  (I’m a big granola fan!)
• – Passport (plus a pretty passport holder – so you don’t lose it, of course.)
• – Proactiv® Makeup Removing Cloths (because you should never sleep in your makeup and good skin is vital for looking fabulous on your summer vay-cay!  Plus, these convenient little wipes are air-travel friendly, smell great, and keep your skin clean and refreshed, sans blemishes.)
• – Chapstick, because it tends to get dry on flights.
• – Socks — flights are cold!
• – Minimergency Kit.
• – Headphones.  Necessary for long-flight-survival.

Proactiv® also sells their skincare line in travel size – check out the mini maintenance kit! So cute!

Disclosure:  This post was sponsored by Proactiv®.  All opinions are my own.

Now that Summer is officially here, I thought I’d roll out a mini list of the things I can’t stop clicking on, over and over and over again. And with my Birthday still months away, and the Holidays many months after that, I thought that by documenting my lusts, they might magically appear at my door if I talk about them … endlessly.  (It hasn’t worked yet.)

And yes, I wear boots straight through Summer.  Some habits a girl just can’t break.

NARS Schiap // Bobbi Brown Beach // Sonia Rykiel Cardigan // Cleobella Cantina Bag // Night Aster Set // BaubleBar Chevron Charm Bracelet // BaubleBar Bolt Bracelet // BaubleBar Neon Coral Triple Wrap Bracelet // Steve Madden ‘Tarnney’ Boot // House of Harlow 1960 Chelsea Cat Eye Sunglasses // Tory Burch Miller Sandals