Bikini Shopping Tips and Tricks

It's no surprise I love bikinis. It's also no surprise that bikini shopping can be difficult, for various reasons. For me, it's difficult because none of the bikini companies I'd like to own are sold in stores around where I live. Most are in Hawaii, Australia, and maybe LA. One of the difficulties that stems from that, is how in the world am I supposed to figure out which size will be best for me. The size charts rarely reveal what the size really is like-- and if they only sell cheeky bottoms, how cheeky will they really be?! [I've learned, very cheeky...like Anastasia Ashley cheeky] 

So how does one who chooses to shop online get it right?

1. There are a lot of bikini selling companies out there. Most are great and very helpful with sizing. If you're really not sure about sizing, email them! See what the measurements are in inches. Tell them YOUR size and see what they recommend. Make sure you let them know if you want more coverage or less coverage. I promise, they will be helpful...and if they aren't, why would you want to give them your money? Move on to a better shop.
2. The cost of some bikinis can be very expensive. Remember that high quality suits are an investment. I've found that cheap suits only last me one summer. If I buy two or more new, but cheap, suits each summer and they literally only last two months, what's the point of that? To me, $80 and up is an investment. Keep these little tricks in mind when you are purchasing expensive swimwear:

• If I am purchasing a bikini [or anything online for that matter] I will do my best to not pay shipping. Find the shops that always offer free shipping [Zappos is amazing with that] or shops that offer free shipping if you spend a certain amount of money. 
• I also highly recommend free shipping for exchanging/return purposes. When it comes to online shopping, you have to come to terms that not everything will fit like you hoped. Free shipping makes it all better.
• Wait for sales. There's a sale for anything these days. First day of spring, Memorial Day Weekend, Groundhog Day..literally anything. So never settle for paying full price. When there are sales, be prepared to shop right away..sizes will run out.

My latest purchase is like my new baby. Mostly because I've been eyeing it for over a year or so, but also because I make the emoji heart eyed face every time I look at it. My new Mikoh Maui top in 'tropical' is the perfect addition to my collection [yes, I wanted to sound like Ariel there]. I ordered through Bikini.com and I will order from there again whenever I possibly can. Free shipping over $50, so basically any bikini I'd want. When it arrived, I've never seen such a beautifully colored package...they even sent it along with a hand-written thank you note. Something small, but so personal, makes all the difference. So thank you Bikini.com and to everyone else, make sure to check 'em out.

Mikoh Maui top in Tropical

Where is your favorite place to shop for bikinis??

Summer's on my mind

I've been loving practicing my calligraphy lately. It's uber relaxing and I feel such an accomplishment when I can write any word in any font [in the three that I've learned]! It may not seem like much, but having no knowledge whatsoever prior to this, it's a big leap.

So this weekend, on a very rainy Saturday, I started playing around with watercolor lettering. I love the almost ombré effect you can create while using watercolors..and then I started using different colors, and then I used blue and it reminded me of the ocean...and then I couldn't get summer [or the idea of salt water on my skin] out of my head.

So here's to constant waves, warm water, sunny days, and soul in waves.

Lauren Bogosian Originals | Steve Burgos Music quote

Snowga

When snowboarding and skiing, most people go down the mountain at different paces, so you can easily lose the group you're with. Since that can happen, my family and friends often ride for a bit and then stop at an area to all wait for everyone and make sure we know which trails we will take. While boarding in Killington, Vermont this past week, a couple of us were waiting and I decided to see if I could do some push-ups while still being strapped into my board. I could. So I continued to see what else I could do...and that's when snowga ensued. The way my brain worked--"look it's yoga in the snow...snowga!" I thought I was being creative, but then I was quickly told snowga was already a thing. [drats!] Anyway, my brother joined in and we attempted crow pose simultaneously -- which is a lot more difficult with the weight of the board pushing down your feet. We have never even done yoga together before so it was so fun trying to do yoga with a snowboard on while also trying to balance at the same time [for a picture of course]. Sibling bonding at its finest. So here we were...doing warrior poses, crow, and push-ups while people were passing us -- probably thinking we were out of our minds but I'd like to think they really wanted to join in. 

Rome board | Men's Burton jacket (old) | Men's Burton pants (old) | Electric goggles

Burton Feel Good board | Burton pants (old) | Burton Radiant jacket