Flawless Darling | Lifestyle & Fashion Blog out of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

by Carly Luitgaarden - August 28, 2017August 28, 2017

Happy Glamper

Camping Outfit

This summer has been full of adventures! Tristan and I have been getting into camping and it is so much fun. Okay fine… Glamping… also known as glamorous camping, which is a little more my style. You can get all of the outdoorsy-ness without having to sleep on the hard ground. This was a weekend getaway to huts in Maryland and I was definitely one Happy Glamper 🙂

Packing for a camping trip can be tricky: you can over pack, or even worse, not bring enough. And let’s be honest, even if you are glamping, there is nowhere to do a load of laundry. I packed a bunch of layers with the thought that I can always take my sweatshirt off if I am hot, but if I get cold I am out of luck.

At my sister’s wedding, we put several polaroid cameras out on the tables so that guests could take pictures and hang them on a picture wall. The idea was so cute, and I ended up with this awesome camera. Tip: Target will actually match Amazon prices! I realized last minute that I didn’t have film but was able to get a great deal on some from Target. I didn’t take a picture of my S’well bottle, but they are a MUST for any camping trip. Mine fit an entire bottle of wine and it stayed cold the entire weekend! Who knows… maybe I will do a giveaway for one in the future!

I stole this hat from Tristan a few years ago and I wear it all of the time! Navy is one of my favorite colors and we can’t all have good hair days while camping, so this hat was a camping must. Gray t-shirt, jean shorts, and… DONE. That was easy 🙂

Monogram necklaces are my absolute favorite, I wear mine all of the time. You are going to see a lot of monograms from me… stay tuned!

Where is your favorite place to go camping? I love recommendations and am always looking to try new places!

Thanks for following along! Don’t forget to subscribe 🙂

Safe travels!

by Carly Luitgaarden - August 21, 2017August 21, 2017

Overall, It Was a Great Weekend

overall dress

overall dress Washington D.C. is such a fun city to visit! I was just there celebrating my friend Emily’s bachelorette weekend. It was SO much fun. Eating, drinking, shopping, and spending time with great friends from college, what more can a girl ask for? (answer: more wine!)

The trip started off a little rocky Friday with a delayed flight due to weather, ugh! Luckily for us the weather turned itself around so we could start celebrating.

For a day of exploring, I paired this denim overall dress from Forever 21 with a white off the shoulder top and my favorite pink high tops. It was such a cute and comfortable look for a hot summer day.

Before a night out celebrating the beautiful bride to be, I went to brunch with my friend Ashley at J. Paul’s in Georgetown. They had the most incredible cornbread muffins! After brunch, or course, we went shopping. I can’t wait to show you what I bought! I absolutely love Zara, but we don’t have one in Pittsburgh, so getting to shop in the store was a treat.

After brunching and shopping with Ashley, I met up with my lovely friend Sara (thanks for the pics, Sara!!) When I was last in a D.C., I went to Sweet Green for lunch and had been craving it ever since. Have you ever been?! They have the best salads! Afterward, we stumbled upon an awesome juice bar called South Block, and oh my gosh was it good! I ordered an acai smoothie bowl with fruit and granola on top (YUM!) it was the perfect snack for a hot day.

If you can even believe that I had any more room to eat… we went to Barcelona Wine Bar on 14th street for dinner. The restaurant is wine centric with a really neat atmosphere. The menu had a list of over 40 tapas and phenomenal desserts. If you are an adventerous eater with a love for wine, I recommend this restaurant!

Where are your favorite weekend getaways?!

What fun finds do you recommend going to in D.C.?!

Thanks for following along! Don’t forget to subscribe for first peaks and fun looks 🙂

by Carly Luitgaarden - August 11, 2017August 11, 2017

One in a Melon

Watermelon Swimsuit

Watermelon Suit

Watermelon Swimsuit

Just got back from a trip to Deep Creek Lake, Maryland with my family and I am already ready to go back! It was such a fun week of boating, wakeboarding, jet skiing, tubing, eating and drinking. The best part is that it is only two hours away from Pittsburgh! Summer is the best and we definitely lucked out with some amazing warm sunny days (just a little sun burnt).

How fun is this one-piece watermelon suit?! It is so bright and colorful- truly one in a melon. This is only my third post and it is the second one about fruit themed clothing… told you I have a problem. This swimsuit is from Batoko. If you aren’t following them on Instagram yet, you need to be! One of my favorite things about Batoko is that when you purchase a swimsuit, you are helping to protect oceans, beaches, and marine life. Of course you can’t say no to that!

The one-piece bathing suit trend is one of my favorite looks of the summer. It was such a tough decision between the watermelon suit and cactus bathing suit from Batoko, BUT they are now having their SUMMER SALE (hurry!) so why not get both? They are located in England and I received my suit in about 7-10 days! I ordered a size medium for reference.

Also, speaking of watermelons, if you are in the mood for something refreshing while you’re sitting by the pool, this watermelon daquiri recipe looks delicious. It would be SO adorable on this this DIY watermelon serving tray. I know what I’m doing this weekend!

So where are your favorite summer vacation spots?! Any fun plans this weekend?

Where do you get your swimsuits from?!

Thanks a melon for following along! Don’t forget to subscribe for first peaks and fun looks 🙂

by Carly Luitgaarden - August 8, 2017

Does This Come in Pink?

Peplum Top

Two things you are going to learn about me pretty quickly: I am totally peplum top and sunglass-obsessed. I stole these from my mom (thanks mom!)

In 8th grade, a girl told me that pink was not my color. I don’t think I have worn it since, but now I need to make up for lost time! You can find me wearing pink head to toe these days.

I wore this outfit for a day out shopping with my mom. Ruffles and peplum, yes please! This pink peplum top is too cute and was only $17 from H&M. The possibilities with this top are endless. It looks great with jean shorts and flats, too. I’ve also paired it with light washed jeans and gold sandals. This top would be such a simple DIY for you crafty ladies out there. You can get some awesome ideas from the Cotton + Curls Blog. She has some great peplum top tutorials that I can’t wait to try.

This Kate Spade Confetti purse from Nordstrom is amazing, especially if you love a little glitz. It adds such a fun sparkle and pop of color to your outfit. You wouldn’t believe how many compliments I got while wearing it. Crossbody purses are always a great a choice, especially if you are on the go. It looks like it has sold out, but luckily for us, Kate Spade always has the best glitter collections! Her current Wedding Belles collection is too cute!

You could also wear this to a happy hour with your girlfriends…. in fact, I think I will tonight *clink*

What are the styles you can’t live without? I would love to hear where you love to shop and what your favorite summer finds have been this season!

Thanks for following along! If you want me to blog about anything specific feel free to contact me!

by Carly Luitgaarden - August 4, 2017August 4, 2017

Welcome, Darling!

Fashion blog

I’m Carly Luitgaarden, and I am the girl behind Flawless, Darling, a fashion blog – nice to meet you! I am 24 years old and live in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. In 2015 I graduated from Allegheny College and have had a mix of jobs in fashion, activewear, and sales since. I love all things fashion, makeup, travel and home decor. With a passion for fashion, my only regrets are the shoes I don’t buy. I started this blog to give you the inspiration to be Flawless, Darling.

Reading blogs is one of my favorite things to do. After years of reading thousands of fashion and lifestlye blogs, I have finally decided to start my own. Blogging is something that I have always wanted to do, but it is pretty scary to put yourself out there! So starting with my first post, I am putting my fears aside and going for it.

When I say I love all things fashion I mean ALL things. Some days I want to look preppy or casual, while other days I feel like dressing up. And then there are the days where I am all “messy hair don’t care!” You are going to see it all at Flawless, Darling. For those of you who are like me and want to look fab without breaking your piggy bank, you are at the right place!

Now let’s get to the good stuff: shopping!

Who doesn’t love black, white and red together? This look was EASY and even better… affordable! White jeans are one of my top summer staple pieces. You can add a flowy top and wedges for a night out or a strappy sandal for a more casual look.

It has been so hard for me to pass up any fruit themed finds this summer. How many watermelon tops and lemon print dresses does one girl need? “The limit does not exist” – Cady Heron. I got this strawberry purse for under $20 from Forever 21.

The off the shoulder trend is one of my favorites. I keep telling myself to stop shopping for the style, but I just can’t help myself… especially when I see one in gingham! This top is from Target, such a great find!

What are some of your favorite summer staples?

I hope you enjoyed this look <3 If you have anything you would like to see me blog about, please don’t hesitate to reach out to me! To follow along, make sure to subscribe!

Thanks so much for your support and following along.

by Carly Luitgaarden - August 2, 2017October 23, 2017

A Quick Detour to Ohiopyle

Ohiopyle

Tristan and I are always up for an adventure! So on our way to Maryland, we took a last minute detour to Ohiopyle and I am so glad we did! Sometimes the best plans are completely unplanned.

Ohiopyle is about an hour south of Pittsburgh, and is definitely worth the drive! There are natural waterslides, hiking trails, and awesome views. If you love to bike, hike, or whitewater raft, this is the place for you. The views were incredible! We off-roaded a little bit to find these scenic overlooks, but it is nothing the Jeep can’t handle.

At the Cucumber Falls waterfall, two men climbed down to the bottom of the waterfall and went behind it… crazy! Because it’s been raining so much, the water wasn’t extremely clear like we were told it normally is. The water also is moving SO fast because of all of the rain. Kind of a bummer since we were both really hoping to try out the natural waterslide.

I am not a pro hiker by any means, so if you are anything like me, A Woman Afoot is an awesome blog that I definitely recommend checking out for hiking tips and tricks! The blogger also has a post about traveling Iceland, which is somewhere that I am dying to go to! Has anyone been?!

My sister bought me my monogrammed LL Bean Raincoat a few winters ago and it really came in handy on this trip. It has definitely seen it’s rainstorms but has held up like a champ. It was pretty rainy, but we made the most out of it. This was a super cool find and I definitely recommend making the trip, even if it’s only for the day!

Fun fact: Cucumber Falls is one the most photographed waterfalls in Pennsylvania!

Where are your favorite places to hike?

Don’t forget to subscribe for more adventures!

Safe travels!