accessories are the punctuation.

I admit. Accessories are something I cannot go without. There is something about the right pieces that can turn any outfit around. Suddenly you feel glamorous, put together, and ready to conquer. Or at least that is how accessories make me feel when I am getting ready to go out. Lately, I have been going a little crazy. Why? The large majority of my accessories are still at my parents house. Even though almost everything has been moved over to our new apartment....the accessories? Still in the front hallway of their house. The truth is that I miss them.

I miss having choices and options. I miss browsing through my collection and deciding what I feel like that day. All I can say is thank goodness for the accessories I do have at the apartment. Not long before the wedding, my friend and I went out for a girly day. Which of course included a little bit of shopping. We ended up going to Ardene's and picking up a couple of surprise bags. Just for fun. Inside there were mountains of awesome accessories. Thankfully I was smart enough to leave them at the apartment rather than take them back home with me. So lately I have been adding these onto my every day looks.....along with a few others I picked up from TopShop not long ago.

Since I am all about accessories, I thought I would show you my (fairly recent) haul from Ardene's and TopShop. Take a peek!

The first group of accessories above comes from Ardene's. The surprise bag was full of goodies. Much to the delight of me and my friend. Inside my grab bags were some hair clips, bows, a few bracelets, tons of gorgeous hoops earrings (which I have been loving lately), tons of studs, and even some tights and socks. It was definitely a good haul....especially for ten bucks! You can't beat that price. These accessories have been coming in handy lately, for sure.

Now for a look at my recent TopShop accessories. One thing I love about TopShop? They have tons of great statement pieces. They tend to be a little bit different....and perfectly over the top. As you can probably see from the picture above. The last time I went shopping with my mom, I picked up a few bolder accessories to mix things up. I chose a pair of amazing (and heavy!) dangling earrings, an R ring (for my husbands initial), and some neon hoop earrings. They have definitely been fun to have around for the summer months.

A few accessories can make a world of difference. A simple outfit can be transformed into fun and flirty. And a girly outfit can look edgy and cool. That is the power of those finishing touches. Which is why I have been making the most of the accessories I have on hand.

What are your favourite accessories for summer?

xo Shannon