daily essentials.

i'm a night owl. with two wild & crazy boys, working into the wee hours of the night is the only way i can get anything done. unfortunately, that pretty much guarantees that i'm not much of a morning person. most days i sleep until one my of little ones decide it's time to wake up. which doesn't exactly leave me a lot of time to primp & prep for the day. most days my uniform is a t-shirt, jeans, a pair of flip flops and, if i don't get a chance to wash/dry/style my hair - a hat. & although the outfit may be simple, that doesn't mean it can't be stylish, as long as you follow a few tips & tricks.

• invest in a least one good pair of jeans. it doesn't matter if you buy them at target, gap or nordstrom, just as long as they fit. so go try on a pair, or two, or even a whole pile of jeans. bring a friend, or grab a salesperson for advice - but find a pair that fits. & personally, i don't have problem spending a little extra money on the designer jeans, seeing as i practically live in them. but if you do some shopping around, (be sure to check nordstrom rack) your bound to find a good pair on sale. as for me... my current favorites are citizens of humanity. although, a "new-to me" brand, william rast, is up there too.
• no matter what any one tells you, t-shirts don't have to be boring. there are plenty of places to find cute, fun t-shirts... personlly i love target's xhilaration brand (THIS shirt is a particular favorite & at $12.99 it's a steal!), junk food clothing has some great retro-inspired shirts, or urban outfitters always has great basic & graphic tees.
• or, if you prefer plain t-shirts, two of my favorites are realitees... tight in all the right places & just the right length (i usually pick 'em up at nordstrom) & american apparel.
• the great thing about t-shirts is, it just takes a few accessories ( a cute necklace, or some big earrings, maybe a bangle or two), & immediately you have an outfit that looks great.
  
• heaven knows i love shoes, i've got a closet full of them. but, most days i end up wearing flip flops. lately, my favorites are the puma basics... they are soft & comfortable, & i can definitely go all day at disneyland in a pair. although i'm itching to pick up THESE cute "slippers" from sundance.
• somedays i don't have time to shower (gasp!), other days i'm just too incredibly lazy to blow dry my hair. so, i'm always on the look-out for cute hats to cover up with. some of my favorites i've found are from urban outfitters, roxy & free people. these days i'm lusting over several: HERE, HERE, & HERE.
• as for make-up, i'm definitely not a pro. so, i try to keep things simple & natural. my everyday favorites are: too faced lash injection (they call it lash extensions in a tube), benefit's benetint & rush hour, & smashbox's o-gloss for that perfectly customized lip color.

any tips or tricks you'd like to share? what are you're "daily essentials"?

xoxo, K