Mondays are for Maxi's

                  Macy's dress, Marshall's heels, Michael Kors watch

Getting yourself going on a Monday morning can be one of the hardest things to do so the simpler I can make my morning the better. A maxi dress has a way of looking put together - a day time elegance if you will without any effort whatsoever. This particular dress also brings back many memories for me as I wore it to my baby shower when I was pregnant with my daughter over three and half years ago. I had refused to buy a maternity dress (I'm a Taurus, what can I say) so I opted for a maxi.

If you haven't got dressed yet grab that maxi and have a great Monday morning!
xoxo
Tasha

Very Berry Summer with Dasani Drops

TJMaxx dress, Enzo Angiolini heels and Dasani Drops

I'm all about having fun in the sun so in order to make the most out of my day I stay hydrated by drinking lot's of water. Let's face it day after day of only having water gets a little boring so adding Dasani drops throws some flavor into my routine. The combination of reds, blues and purples in the Mixed Berry Dasani inspired today's look. 

Petits Fours

Haifa, Israel

On July 9th at noon every year Baha'i's around the world commemorate the Martyrdom of the Bab which took place in 1850. The Bab, meaning the Gate was the forerunner of the Baha'i Faith. The Bab like many other Prophets of God was killed for his teachings. You may be asking yourself why am I including such a tragic day in my petits fours post. While it is sad it had a huge impact on my week - a reminder of the roots of my faith. There are a lot of Baha'i books available if you are interested in reading more about this eventful day in 1850. I also found a couple of good articles in the Huffington Post that are very detailed. Feel free to email me too at polishedpractical@gmail.com if you ever have any questions.                      

Watts Towers, Los Angeles

I came across this photograph when I was in LA and was utterly intrigued. The Watts Towers took 34 years to build by hand and are listed as a National Historic landmark. Simon Rodia, a construction worker and clearly an artist named his masterpiece "Nuestro Pueblo", meaning "our town". What attracts me to the Watts Towers aside from seashells, tiles and glass adorning the landmark is the fact that Rodia had a goal of doing something big in his life and nothing could stop him from achieving this. Nuestro Pueblo is a "unique monument to the human spirit and the persistence of a singular vision"(The history of the Watts Towers website). 

c/o Lorna Jane 

7/12/13 was the book release date for MORE the second of Lorna Jane's books. I had the opportunity to review Jane's first book Move, Nourish, Believe and this next one only gets better. As you know I'm a book fanatic - I would live in a library if it were a housing option, so it's easy for me to know from the first page if the rest of the book is going to be worth the read. This one definitely is! Stay tuned for a full book review! 

I hope you are all enjoying your weekends. 

xoxo

Tasha 

Peplum & Hudson's

                      Anthropologie peplum, Hudson jeans, Ann Taylor heels

For the film showing of the documentary; Girl Rising, I knew I wanted to wear this lace peplum top from Anthropologie. The structured femininity is reminiscent of the Victorian ages. To prevent myself from looking too formal I wore my Hudson jeans. There's something about denim that always makes me feel sexy and strong all at once.

What would you have worn this peplum top with?

xoxo
~Tasha

Kickin it with the boys

University of La Verne baseball cap, H&M top, Ann Taylor shorts and Target wedges

The idea of wearing shorts anywhere but the tennis courts scares me, so you can imagine my surprise when I spotted these denim boyfriend style shorts. Teamed up with a flirty tank from H&M, simple wedges and the summer essential baseball cap repping none other than my Alma mater - Go Leo's!

Who says you can't hang with the boys and look cute at the same time?!

Granville Island

                                            "While there is tea, there is hope" 
                                                                - Sir Arthur Wing Pinero

I was given some Cream Earl Grey tea by my dear friend Pardis and of course couldn't wait to go home and try it! It's no secret I have an ongoing passionate love affair with tea.

Granville Island is based in Vancouver but entices travelers from all over the world for its extensive tea collection. The Granville Tea company is rumored to have up to 150 teas from diverse lands.

I actually drank this tea hot and then decided to experiment by making some ice tea! If anyone has any iced tea making tips they would like to share I would love to hear them. Lord knows I need them!

I used a teaspoon per cup but you can use more or less depending on how strong you like your tea

That lovely space looking glass dome sitting on top of a burner is my tea pot with inclusive strainer! Fancy I know, but not entirely necessary. If you are only just stepping foot into the tea world use a simple tea strainer like this one here. This way you won't gag on loose tea leaves when your having a cuppa! Add milk and sugar if you desire before drinking.
TIP: The longer you keep the tea leaves in there the stronger it will be. I found four minutes the perfect amount of time for brewing. Experiment a little so you can see what works best for you.

Ok so I had the bright idea of adding mochi balls to my iced tea. All they did was sink to the bottom and turn mushy! I recommend you simply crush some ice, pour the tea over with cold water and enjoy!

Red, White & Blue

Homemade crown, Bombshell lip gloss in Hot Mess, Halogen scarf, H&M dress, Ariat boots

When I picked my son up from school yesterday he had made me a necklace in honor of the 4th of July. It wouldn't fit over my head so we had to settle on a headpiece which put the finishing touches on my outfit for today's celebrations. I'm not one to dress in full garb for any occasion. Some of my color choices are more subtle as in the red lips - makeup should be a part of your outfit too.

Hope you all have lots of fun family time today! If you want to stay tuned with all things Polished Practical find me over on Instagram under Polishedpractical_style

Happy 4th of July!
 xoxo
~Tasha

From Work to Play

                        Dior sunglasses, Nasty Girl jacket, TJ Maxx dress, Aldo heels

The recent heat wave may have some people tricked into believing they are in two different time zones. What does this mean for all the fashionista's out there? It's time for transitional pieces.

The office always feels like an icebox so a jacket is imperative. This dress is pretty short by office standards so I used a boyfriend style blazer to give the illusion that the dress is longer than it is. Stick to a wider heel (gives more support) so you can actually look forward to going out at the end of the day, rather than wishing you could put your feet up! The gold studs on these beauties will have the whole office in shoe envy...

Oh yes the back speaks for itself. Can you say sassy? I love showing just a peek of skin in an unexpected place, it makes the ensemble far more exciting!

Now go show that date of yours who's boss - in and out of the board room ;)