I make fun of hippies a lot. But it’s just because I don’t understand them. I’ve never been intrigued by recycling. Trees are cool, but they’re everywhere...so hugging them has never really made me happy. And a hippie’s desired dress code? That’s never really worked with me, either. Loose and flowy clothing sometimes only ends up making people look misshapen. And let’s be honest, hippies aren’t really into shiny things (which I love).

Here’s a list of things hippies wear:
Wooden beads
Shirts with trees on them
Birkenstocks (gag me)
T-shirts
Ripped headscarves
Cropped cargo pants
Awkwardly fitted denim skirts
Sweater tights
Peace-sign accessories

Doesn’t exactly rival the wardrobe of Audrey Hepburn, huh?

Here’s a list of things I wear:
Sheath, Shirt and Shift dresses
Diamonds
Stilettos or platform pumps
Designer shades
Collared shirts
Tailored jeans
Burberry polos
Cuffed shorts
Zebra print accessories

But occasionally, I shock everyone around me and wear an outfit that has some sort of hippie-cool undertone. That’s exactly what I did this week when I showed up to work wearing a blue cargo shirtdress with wooden bangles and giant peace sign necklace. It was chic, in an understated hippie way.

Who says two different things can’t co-mingle? Sometimes, oil and water don’t exactly mix—but it sure looks cool to swish the two around for a while. And that’s what I do when I mix up my style a little bit. I throw in a bit of modern, sophisticated cool with a little hippie-chick and the results are easy, stylish and worthy of a few compliments. It’s the harmonious integration of two styles. Proving that sometimes, it actually pays to give peace a chance.

I am fairly certain that I saw two people making fun of my outfit yesterday. I think they were just jealous because they knew they couldn’t pull off a leopard print shirtdress. They were sneering, looking and pointing through a window (that I believe they thought was tinted). Instead of casually pretending that I didn’t see them, I tilted my sunglasses down on my nose, smiled and gave them a little wave. And they stopped. I’m kind of a bitch like that.

I may have accepted their criticism had they been rocking frocks by the likes of Dolce and Gabbana, but they were wearing the hot, sophisticated looks of Old Navy (I sincerely hope you pick up on my sarcasm). I mean, is there anything wrong with dressing like a character from Sex and the City every day? I like shiny things, big earrings, bright colors, bold patterns and funky dresses. It could be worse. I could be into velour.

Today’s occurrence reminded me of a quote I posted a few weeks back by E. Jean.

"Fashion is ART. If you don't occasionally shock a fellow human on your walk to work, you're missing one of the joys of life."

I think that’s the beauty of having great style. Sometimes you win. Sometimes you lose. And in the process you find your favorite looks and go on to win more than you lose. But if you’re not bold, you just blend in with everybody else.

And then there’s that pesky saying that any publicity is good publicity. Let’s just say yesterday was a day for publicity.

Yesterday I dropped my computer on my foot. And this started a logical sequence of thinking in which I pondered how we treat our feet. I understand that most people don’t randomly drop laptops on their feet (but this was actually a blessing in disguise, because if the computer hadn’t hit my foot it would have hit the floor and probably broken, so even though my foot is purple and has a giant knot on it, my computer is still very much in tact).

As girls, we wear some pretty badass shoes. I’d say I get at least one comment every day regarding my fancy footwear. Lots of people actually say, “I can’t believe you’re wearing those shoes! You’re destroying your feet.” Well, let me ask you this. Have you ever seen a 70 year old in stilettos? (Think about it.) See? The answer is no. So that’s how I justify my shoe choices. One day, I’ll be forced to wear orthopedic support shoes because they’ll be all the rage among my old maids club. So, until then, I’m rocking the stilettos while I can (when I’m 70, the shoes I wear now won’t even be cool).

And just the other day I saw an entire group of women wearing tennis shoes. They might have been doing something weird, like exercising, but nonetheless, they were all wearing the most boring, basic shoes I’d ever seen. And that made me tremendously sad. The tennis shoes ruined their outfits, made them all look kinda’ frumpy and added no amount of fun to their lives. And they weren’t pushing 70. So in my eyes, they had plenty of time.

So why not have a little fun while you still can? I’m not saying you should go out and buy shoes you can’t walk in. There’s nothing worse than a girl whose entire look is ruined because she can’t walk in her shoes. But look for shoes that have fun colors, cuts, heels and maybe even some funky hardware! Here are some great ideas to get you started.

These Fendi Zucca-Medallion slingbacks are all luxe! The gold logo coupled with the high platforms make them a force to be reckoned with.

Like something from a fairy tale, these Christian Louboutin Candy Lace and Patent Spike pumps scream whimsy and sass.

Now, get out there and wear those completely impractical shoes with pride!

Let me tell you a story. Today I was telling some friends how excited I was about the sunless tanning offer Beautisol is extending to Pretty and Poor readers—the one where you get a FREE BACK APPLICATOR (see the post before this to get yours). To me, this is very exciting. And to me, a back applicator is a very helpful tool.

That’s when one of my friends said, “I already have a back applicator. His name is Josh.” Then, some of the other happily coupled people began chiming in with giggles and mentions of their personified “back applicators.” That’s when I responded.

“Well, I actually don’t have a back applicator named Tom or Bill or Rico, so the back applicator tool actually comes in pretty handy for me,” I said with a sassy demeanor. “And I also don’t have anyone to help me zip my dresses up in the morning, either! So most days I arrive at work with a half unzipped dress and ask a coworker to finish zipping it up! So, if they made a self-zipping tool, I’d probably get that, too.”

In fact, I’m thinking of trying that trick from 30 Rock. You know, the one where a string is tied to the zipper for easy zip-up? Plus, zipping up my own dresses? Applying sunless tanner to my own back? These will obviously be skills I’ll carry with me my whole life through—so I best teach myself how to do them perfectly (and all by myself, at that).

At the end of the day, however, this conversation just confirmed what I already knew: the world can sometimes be a cold, cold place for the single girl.

When I was on vacation, I got quite a bit of sun—even through my SPF 50. Now that I’m back in the frozen tundra I actually call home, I’m all about keeping my post-vacation glow. But I’m not down with premature aging, the risks of skin cancer or that beef jerky look women in their 60s develop after a lifetime of tanning. That said, I won’t be lying under any sort of bulbs. Instead, I’ll be using a great line of sunless tanning products I recently discovered.

Beautisol makes a line of self-tanning products that keep you tan all year long—without any of the risks of being in the sun. My favorite Beautisol product is the All Seasons Glow gradual to medium self-tanning lotion. This miracle tanner gave me the glow I needed to fit in down south. Plus, the gradual tanning lotion is something I can wear every day because it’s lightweight, moisturizing and (the best news of all) it doesn’t smell (I’m serious). It actually smells like flowers. Quite pleasant, really.

Beautisol also makes a ton of other terrific tanning products, including a dark self-tanning lotion, exfoliators to prep your skin for the perfect tan and kits that contain everything you need. (As a side note, Beautisol’s wedding packages are fantastic. It’s safe tanning for the bride and bridesmaids.) Check out their entire line here.

To help you gear up for summer, Beautisol is offering Pretty and Poor readers a special deal (because you are, after all, very special ladies…and gentlemen)! When you place an order on the Beautisol website, you can get a FREE back applicator! Perfect for ensuring your tan looks natural and even.

To get your FREE back applicator, put the back applicator in your cart along with your self-tanner choice, then apply the following code when you check out: PPBACKAP

Let me break that down for you.

Step 1: Head to the Beautisol website.

Step 2: Select the sunless tanner that works best for you (I highly recommend the All Season Glow gradual to medium self-tanning lotion). Also add the back applicator to your cart.

Step 3: Go to your shopping bag, enter your information and on the right side, enter the promotion code PPBACKAP.

Step 4: Complete your order. The back applicator will be FREE with the promo code!

Step 5: Receive your lotion and FREE back applicator, then use them to get that bronze goddess glow!

Go get that healthy, hot summer tan now! And let me know what you think of Beautisol. Happy tanning!

No. This is not a post about drugs. This, like so many of my posts, highlights my new favorite trend (and no, it’s not drugs).

My new favorite trend for spring and summer is the LSD. Not the kind popular with rock stars in the seventies. I’m talking about the Little Striped Dress.

As girls, we’re constantly adding to our collection of LBD’s—you know, those little black dresses that are safe, flattering and seem to go with everything. But if you’re looking for a summer piece that’s current, versatile and fun to wear, look no further than the LSD. I recently bought an LSD. (Even though my good judgment kept saying, “Emily, remember the last time you wore horizontal stripes? You were mistaken for a cruise ship in family photos.” Okay, that’s an exaggeration. But horizontal stripes are not the most flattering pattern on everyone.) The truth is, I love my LSD. It is flattering (no double-wide effect). It is extremely versatile (I wore mine at least four times on vacation). And it made me feel like a sexy, summer wonder.

Here’s me, hamming it up in my LSD. (Please note: I'm probably talking to someone super-important in this picture, such as my boyfriend or the president.)

Here are some options you can purchase, too! And the best news? There are literally tons of LSD options available for well under $100! Both of these come in way under that mark.

Click here for more information about the little striped dress above, from Bloomingdale's, and more options like it.

Click here to check out this option and see others like it!

I've given you the scoop, now get out there find yourself the perfect LSD! Happy shopping!

Texas really inspired me…to spend. I fell in love with the notion of buying a ranch. Sounds frivolous, I know. But in all practicality, a ranch could technically produce income. (I have a business plan, and if you’re interested in seeing it for investment purposes, lemme’ know.)

I can just picture myself riding a horse around my ranch wearing a giant rhinestone-studded belt with an adorable pair of ostrich cowboy boots. I’d tip my hat (a Stetson, of course) to all the cowboys that’d come my way. And after a hard day’s work, I’d have my hired help pour me a tall glass of lemonade and I’d sit on my patio and drink it. Ah…to live the life.

Truth be told, living is just bigger in Texas. Sure, the ranches are big. But Texas even has bigger cupcakes (shout out to Hey Cupcake! in Austin for some of the best cupcakes I’ve come across), bigger gentlemen (we met some real charmers in the Lone Star state) and bigger orders of fries at Dairy Queen (don’t judge me, I was on vacation).

A glimpse of the chocolate-on-chocolate cupcake (filled and topped with whipped cream) I devoured at Austin's Hey Cupcake! It might have been 102 degrees outside, but I braved the heat for a sugar fix!

In Texas, don't ask for large or super size. Ask for Texasize.

So here’s a big “thank you” to the state of Texas! I’ve still got a lot to learn about the place, and I intend on going back. But my common sense tells me that the diamonds are bigger in Texas, too!

It’s rare that I come across someone who is a bigger diva than me. But that’s just what happened last weekend as I lounged poolside in Texas. It was a lazy afternoon after a night of staying out late and dancing for hours. I was sitting in a chair with my black, oversized floppy hat, Jackie O sunglasses, sheer leopard print cover-up and St. John bikini on, but as I scanned the landscape, I realized that I was not the biggest fashionista at the pool.

Towards the deep end of the pool, I spied a guy who could nearly trump my seriously understated style. His getup? A headscarf adorned with a giant Chanel logo and those glasses from Lady Gaga’s Paparazzi video. You know, the ones that make her look like Mickey Mouse? I was in the company of a serious style maven. But nothing prepared me for the divalicious bag he was toting: an oversized, white Chanel beach bag.

I was overcome with emotion—a little admiration, a touch of jealously (where DID he find those Lady Gaga glasses) and a bit of wonder. Who was this stylish gent? Should I introduce myself? Would we be instant best friends or would I just grab his bag and run off? I just did what anyone would do in the company of a seriously intimidating diva: stare. Oh, and I (obviously) took a couple Pretty & Poor Paparazzi pictures.

His poolside style was fierce and eccentric. I loved it. And who am I kidding? We would have been great friends.

Last week, Pretty and Poor was featured on Denim Debutante, a fabulous blog about all things denim! Check out my interview by clicking here! And make sure to leave the fabulous Jaime at Denim Debutante some love!

Enjoy reading my interview!

Within the first hour of my trip I was laying poolside in a bikini. No problem. After my polish rendezvous, I went inside my hotel room to wash away my airport germs and freshen up for an evening out on the San Antonio Riverwalk. While I waited for my pals to arrive, I drank vodka, watched wedding shows and played with my beauty products (including this gradual tan lotion by Beautisol that has literally saved my pale little life—but more on that later). Since Friday at 10pm, the fun hasn’t stopped. Here are some highlights.

An eight-block cab ride that cost me $20. The driver’s name was Pepe and I don’t think he liked me any more than I liked him. But hey, at least he made some easy money.

High school people. While I was sitting at a bar on Friday night, I noticed a couple kids that looked familiar. But familiar in an “I’m not sure if I know them or not” kind of way. After awkwardly pulling a chair up to their table, I determined that we actually all went to high school together in Milwaukee. This confirmed that the world is, indeed, a small place. (And, that you should always risk awkwardly approaching people for the sake of possibly knowing them.)

Patron Margaritas. Yesterday I spent most of the afternoon doing a little something I like to call “overindulging.” The combination of Patron Margaritas, chips, salsa, guacamole and queso made for an interesting (and extremely bloated) afternoon.

I can’t wait to tell you all about the wedding because it was one of the best I’ve been to! It had all the elements of a successful evening: alcohol, dancing, new friends, laughter, suspense and adventure. But the wedding deserves its very own post—so more on that later! I’m off to explore the Alamo and take Texas by storm!