rainbow fishtail braid

i just had to share this amazing video free people shot on one of their catalog shoots.
anyone out there willing to come do my hair like that??
fishtail braids are super easy once you get the hang of it but they do take a little bit of time.
adding in the different color extensions gives it even more of a boho vibe. if you're blonde you could probably use colored chalk instead of the extensions too. 




video rights owned by free people. music by the dynamos.

Giveaway: Floral Infinity Scarf

oh, i am so behind on everything blog related. we got back home around 9 pm on wednesday after being delayed for hours and yesterday was spent unpacking, cleaning the house and weeding my overgrown vegetable garden. buuuut, i promised this giveaway and so here it is :)

i brought you back this lovely scarf by danish fashion and accessories brand "pieces". it is yellow with a pretty floral pattern and made of a light cotton. it's an infinity style scarf and drapes nicely.
to see more pictures of how i am wearing my scarf go here and here.
pieces make lovely scarfs and i am also a fan of their leather belts. everything is affordable and you lucky US ladies can even shop a selection of their items on ASOS now :))

this giveaway has ended. please check for a new giveaway in the upper right corner of the blog.

so, to win this beaut all you have to do is this:

to enter you must be a gfc follower of the forge and chose one other way to subscribe. Leave me a comment saying how you follow and also leave your email. (if you don't have gfc just choose two of the other options to follow along)

for additional entries you may:

subscribe via email 

follow via bloglovin'

like the forge on facebook

follow the forge on twitter @theforgestyle

follow on instagram @theforgeblog

leave a separate comment for each one you do! 

tweet about this giveaway and leave me the link in your comment

@theforgestyle is giving away a floral infinity scarf and you should enter too http://tinyurl.com/c6nv6b8 #giveaway #freebie #win

pin this giveaway to pinterest and leave me the link in your comment

enter @theforgestyle #giveaway and #win this floral infinity scarf http://tinyurl.com/c6nv6b8

post this giveaway to your facebook page and leave me the link in your comment

that's a total of 9 entries per person. just leave a comment for each one that you do.

i will draw a winner via random number generator on august 10th. 

US residents only (sorry everyone else) 

good luck :) 

this giveaway has ended. please check for a new giveaway in the upper right corner of the blog.

airports, an outfit and new hair

jeans: current elliott (similar), chambray shirt: jcrew (similar), sweater: esprit (similar), shoes: converse one star, bag: marc by marc jacobs, scarf: pieces

airports.
i have a love-hate relationship with airports.
they are an inevitable part of our traveling lifestyle, a starting or ending point, a point of passing through, the promising beginning of a trip into something new and possibly quite wonderful or the end of a long journey and the familiar face of coming home. however, mostly they are busy, stuffy, dirty, smelly, crammed, impervious and confusing. if you travel a lot you get to know airports quite well and you learn to adapt and blend into the natural flow of the airport menagerie.
the one thing that gets me every time though are the people. i can't help but wonder who all of these people are and where they are going. what are their stories? are they simply going on a quick vacation to some tropical island? are they going to see or pick up a loved one? are they on their third business trip for the week and really would rather switch places with one of those vacation travelers?
airports make my imagination run wild.
so while you're reading my little philosophical analysis of airports i am probably stuck in one, waiting for luggage, customs or maybe even immigration, still wondering who all of these people are and where they will end up at the end of their journey.
as for myself, i will end up in my bed with my two favorite guys trying to make up some lost sleep.
not much of a story but definitely good enough for me.


sidenote: i am giving away this yellow floral scarf on friday so make sure to check back and enter for a chance to win that beaut :) 


and yes, this is the new hair color... still hoping it'll lighten up a bit.

oh babe i hate to go!

pictures from our trip to the stuttgart wilhelma zoo and botanical gardens last week.

i can't even think straight right now with all the packing that's going on here. 

i'm very sad to leave my family and friends again after 6 fun filled weeks but inevitably that day always comes. so there really isn't much more to say than my heart is heavy but also filled with love and so many great memories to take with me. 

the best would probably have to be logan learning how to walk and then of course the way he adoringly squeals at his grandparents and uncles when he sees them. it's hard to put into words how these last weeks have made me feel. i am so grateful we got to be here because in the end spending as much time as possible with the ones you love is really all that matters. 

i want my children to know and love their grandparents no matter how far away they are and i want them to see as much of the world as we can manage to show them. i am excited to see what the next trip will bring... 

tomorrow, while we're crossing the atlantic up above the clouds somewhere, i will try to focus on all the great things that await us at home. i miss the dogs, my in-laws, my bed!!, the quietness of living on an acre of land and the smell of freshly cut grass (because someone is always moving) and as much as i loooove german food, i am ready for a good burger and fries. 

i won't dwell on all the things i am once again leaving behind because these things just can't be changed. the choices we make in life that are hard are the ones that give us courage to grow and shape us into who we are. my heart will always be in two places, sometimes more in one and less in the other and not always content but always grateful. 

so as this blog will now go back to its old (and probably much less exciting) self i hope you enjoyed this little glimpse at where i come from and i hope you'll stick around. i also hope you'll forgive me for not getting back to you on all of your emails and comments. i truly appreciate all the time you spend commenting and would love to answer the all questions you have. just know that time isn't always on my side but i do my best :) 

haircut

i got a haircut and color today and as much as i had wished that after showing these pictures I would leave the salon looking like this: 

source

source

the color ended up a little more like this (minus the sultry hotness that is megan fox of course) and even though it admittedly looks and feels a ton healthier now, i lost well over an inch of precious length. 

source

so while i mourn that extra inch and wash my hair twice a day now until i achieve a more subtle look you'll get to enjoy this handsome young man ;) happy thursday! 

style files: rockin' that maxi skirt and where to find a good white tee

top: loft, skirt: urban outfitters, shoes: tjmaxx, bracelet: local shop, sunglasses: cole haan 

i love my black maxi skirt. it's one of the most comfortable pieces in my wardrobe and so versatile.
when it's hot outside but i don't feel like exposing the legs I just throw on this fail safe combo of black skirt and white top.

a few of you have asked me where to find a good white tee that isn't sheer. well, I love myself a good white t-shirt and I like to keep a few slight variations on hand because they easily get stained and eventually, when nothing removes those ugly yellow armpit stains anymore, I throw them out. the fit is super important to me so if it doesn't fit perfectly I don't take it home.

here are a few of my go-to brands to replenish the white t-shirt stash:

american eagle - they always have a good deal on t-shirts that are good quality and have a great fit. my all time favorite shirt is their AE Favorite V-Neck Tee

old navy - they just recently came out with a vintage style shirt I absolutely love. it's heathered and soft, thin but not too thin and comes in crew neck and v-neck styles

tresics - i had never heard of the brand until i found one of their shirts at a local store. while searching online i found their website where you can place wholesale orders only. bummer. but there are a few other online options below. it also looks like anthropologie has sold tresics before. the ones i have are a little sheer but they are perfect for layering over a cami or top. they drape beautifully and are super light. even better: they are super affordable. a few favorites can be found here & here & here

loft - the top i am wearing above is from there and I love their 50% off sales (going on right now too)
favorites: here & here & here 

jcrew - well, it's jcrew after all ;) again I love the vintage feel their t-shirts have and whenever they are on sale I don't have to feel too bad about the price. here are the favorites: here & here & here

hope this helps you in your search for the perfect tee.

this post is not sponsored by any of the above mentioned brands but simply my own opinion. enjoy.

hiking in the alps

sorry for the picture overload today. we are back from our weekend trip to bavaria and i thought i'd give you a few reasons you should save up your moneysss for a nice little german vacation.

my parents live very close to a city called stuttgart in the state of baden-württemberg in southern germany. from there it takes about 2,5 hours to get to a part of the state bavaria called allgäu. my grandparents used to own a vacation home here so i spent many of my childhood vacations there, learning to ski, swim and hiking through the mountains.
the landscapes are beautiful and you are also very close to austria and switzerland.

we did a couple of shorter tours since logan had to be carried. i ended up getting around carrying him completely as my husband, brother and mama volunteered. unfortunately jason injured his back somehow and the second tour had to be a much shorter one. he is still recovering, walking like an old man and grunting with every move...

i realized how badly i need to get back into shape when we hiked down a super steep cow field and my leg muscles started to spaz out on me. yeah i'm still sore.

best parts about this mini vaca:

we got to pet cows on our hikes (they didn't like me)
eat warm home made cheese cake
went out to dinner where men in bowler hats stole the show and gifted Logan with a huge decorated ginger bread heart
my dad cooked a yummy goulash one night and we ate on the balcony with a gorgeous view
we took logan to the pool and he loved the water slides
listening to thunderstorms
fresh mountain cheeses OMG!
on sunday we celebrated our 7 year anniversary with a dinner date and some yummy ice cream


have you ever been to the alps/bavaria/germany before?