All Greek To Me: Visions of Vacation

All Greek To Me: Visions of Vacation by elbonner featuring Hollister Co.

The past few weeks have truly been cold, miserable, a have sucked the joy and happiness out of just about everything. All it makes me want to do is daydream of somewhere sunny, warm, and far away from work and from the day-to-day crap that we all wish we didn't have to do. Since I'm not planning on going anywhere like this, I can at least have fun with the idea! I've recently been into everything Greek, and by Greek I mean Greek Islands. The blue Aegean, sun-soaked, whitewashed houses clinging to the sides of cliffs, surrounded by crystal blue water, topped off with little blue-domed houses dotting the skyline! That sort of scenery pairs perfectly with linen tees, slouchy jeans and some strappy, flat sandals. Don't forget a giant bag to hold all of your chicken souvlaki and pounds of feta cheese! I've really been digging the whole deep blue and white combo and decided to make a little tribute to the simple, yet beautiful pair. So, if you're in a winter slump, don't be blue, get some beautiful Grecian blue in your life! And besides, it's nothing a little ouzo and baklava can't fix! Opa!

Essie Nail Polish

YSL Nail Polish

NARS Nail Polish

Linen Tee

Boyfriend Jeans

Gladiator Sandals

Vegan Tote

Vefa's Kitchen

Korres Greek Yogurt Sleeping Facial

Instagram @e_bythesea

Pinterest @ebythesea86

I've Got That Beach Fever!

Beach Fever by elbonner featuring a bikini swim wear

Since my street is covered in two inches of ice and it hasn't made it past 23 degrees Fahrenheit today, I've been dreaming about a tropical getaway! It would be nice to start planning now, but where to go? Last year was a whirlwind of travel shenanigans and I'm ready for a new adventure. My travel partner, on the other hand, had his fair share of running around airports/foreign places, Dramamine tablets, and generally having too many places to go,  so he has been, understandably so, exhausted from all the friggin traveling we did last year. I'm hoping maybe we could take a short relaxation vacation somewhere not too far away where we can just hang out on the beach, drink rum punches, and be lazy. You need that sometimes and I don't think a long, stressful series of flights and layovers to some faraway exotic place is what we need after last year. I've been looking a lot at the Bahamas; more specifically Great Exuma Island. It is relatively close by compared to some other tropical locales, has white sand beach, crystal clear water, and little swimming beach pigs. I KID YOU NOT. Now, everyone knows that if you're going to plan a vacation you also have to have a dream vacation outfit to go with it, which is what I have done above. Nothing is set in stone, or really even more than a glitter in ones eye, but hopefully my partner-in-crime and I will be able to get away somewhere beachy and quiet and do absolutely nothing!

PS- I have got to get a jelly bag at some point in my life

Dress- Surf Bazaar
Bikini- Mara Hoffman
Bag- Factorie
Shoes- Ancient Greek Sandals
Nail Polish- NARS
Lip Balm- Sun Bum
Bracelet- Pearl. Love. Jewelry
Perfume- Comptoir Sud Pacifique

Outfit Inspiration: Beach Evenings

Beach Evenings by elbonner featuring t-bar shoes

I have given the whole "maxi" trend a lot of grief that it really doesn't deserve. When I first started seeing people out and about in maxi dresses, it was usually followed by some sort of snide comment along the lines of "who thought prom was at Walgreens? AmIright?!". I can now honestly admit that I was a jerk and have jumped on the maxi bandwagon, especially with the maxi skirts that have been surfacing recently. The fold-over ones are my favorites, combining the comfort and laziness of yoga pants with something that looks better than going out in pajamas. Like the title insinuates, this is a great llok for maybe evening bonfires on the beach or sunset boardwalk strolls. Pair with a flowy tank, a bandeau and two thing that will never go out of style: hoop earrings, and gladiator sandals. They've been around for 2000+ years, they are not going away any time soon. My favorite are Ancient Greek Sandals. Though they are on the pricey side, they are simple, elegant and very unique. I bought myself a pair as a graduation present last year and though they have the hardest soles of any shoe I've ever owned, I love them to death and always get a lot of compliments. Thrown on a fringe bag and a beachy fragrance and you're good to go for a carefree summer. Hell, you could even wear this to something like oh, I don't know, Coachella maybe? Or is it too feather-free? Either way, I think the way to go with most outfits is to keep it simple and not overthink things and this outfit makes you look cool without even really trying. Get comfortable Y'all!

Winter Getaway

Winter Getaway by elbonner featuring 1 piece swimsuits

I'm ready for a vacation that doesn't involve a lot of cooking and shopping.One where I can laze around in the sun and take a swim if I want to. This isn't something that can happen where I live in December which is why today I'm daydreaming about a winter getaway vacation! Since I've been in grade school/college/graduate school for the past almost 20 years, I haven't been able to really go anywhere in the winter time. Hopefully, with cooperation from the boyfriend, we can have arelaxing week away somehwere nice and warm. Since I am convinced that I have seasonal affective disorder since I get incredibly aggravated with the cold each winter, I think a beach vacation right in the middle will break up the cold and grey and also keep me from committing winter boredom suicide.  I've put together a little collage of what would be great for a winter beach vacation, including some things you can still wear once you get home!

1. Loose white t-shirt: great for layering over a bikini or layering under a big sweater once you return from your trip. Rag & Bone 

2. Beaded silk shorts: loose and flowy for the beach over a swimsuit, great for lounging around the house when you get home and realize how dumb it is to even bother going outside in January. Mara Hoffman

3. Swimsuits, two-piece and one-piece: a two-piece just because it's winter and you can and a one-piece in case the holidays have you feeling less than fabulous. Zimmermann, We Are Handsome

4. Gladiator Sandals: I'm convinced that gladiator sandals will never go out of style(they haven't for 3000 years) so get yourself a simple, leather pair and keep them forever. Ancient Greek Sandals

5. Sunscreen: just because it's winter at home doesn't mean you don't need sunscreen. This formula from Lancaster lets you get a bit of color while keeping you from getting the cancer. Lancaster

6. Big Cardigan: You have to come home sometime. Skip the big jacket and get a big, blanket-like cardigan that you can use on a chilly island night. Calypso St. Barth    

7. Lace Dress: this will look as at home on the beach as it will over leggings and under a giant coat once you get home. Free People

8. Wrap Bracelet: very beachy, but in a neutral tone that is great for winter too. Chan Luu 

9. Printed Backpack: You need a beach bag, why not get a pretty printed one that isn't a giant hot pink vinyl bag that looks odd and can't be used for anything else. Billabong 

Let's all keep our fingers crossed that our Christmas bonuses will be enough for a quick island getaway or that we'll meet a Daddy Warbucks while drunk at an office outing and never have to work again. However you get out of the cold this winter, go for it!