dresses x3

I picked up this gray striped t-shirt dress recently, and I’m disappointed I didn’t find it sooner. It’s so simple, and I can play almost any color scheme off of it.

Brights? Sure.

Neon. Why not?

Neutrals (my new fave)? Absolutely.

Did I mention it’s comfortable? And soft? And striped? Oh, and it’s gray.

*swoon*

dress: WalMart

statement necklace: WalMart

shoes: Nordstrom

This navy blue dress is a favorite around here. Last time, I took a patriotic turn. This time a green and brown approach. Nothing TOO terribly exciting, but a little different. And a belt at the waist makes it feel a bit more put together than say, a plain blue dress with no accessories.

dress: thrifted

belt: reallyyyy old

shoes: Rocketdog via DSW

And here’s the blue striped peplum dress. Feels like I can wear any color belt with it and immediately look put together (it helps that I don’t have TOO many belts that would look funny with it). Oh, and this belt just happened to go with my bright red wedges. Funny how that happens…

dress: Target

belt: thrifted

wedges: thrifted (ELLE)

backwards

So, I wore this dress backwards. The last time I wore it on the blog was here, and you can see the neckline is NOT a deep v-neck. But I really wanted to wear this dress for work, and I didn't think an open back would go over well. So I flipped it around and wore a light blue tank underneath. Can't wait to wear it again (without tights!) while it's still warm enough.

And apparently, my Mama's best friend's Mom (tracking?) wore her dress backwards at my Mama's best friend's wedding and she looked great. Nice to know I'm not the only one who thinks things can be wore backwards. Or inside out. Or upside down.

dress: Nordstrom

tank: Gap

belt: Target

shoes: RocketDog via DSW

big day

Remember a few weeks ago when I told you it's cool to still be patriotic after the 4th of July? Well, it's true. And here's more proof. Call me crazy, but I'm excited to style this scarf into fall and winter. 

In other news, today is a BIG DAY. One of my best friends is moving! And not just moving anywhere - moving to where I live! Not the same house, or neighborhood, but a lot closer than we've lived since...high school? She moved some things into her new apartment the week before last, and we spent all afternoon & evening talking. I didn't make it home til after midnight...So, this time, I'm wondering if I should pack my pajamas and a sleeping bag, just like we used to do in middle school.

I've been waiting all spring and summer for her to get here and now that it's finally (almost) here, I can hardly contain my excitement. We always keep in touch, but there's nothing quite like being in the same place with your best friend. My two other best friends live on the East Coast, and the other in Hawaii, and then of course my sweet sis-in-law is out east, too, so phone calls & texts are our main way of keeping in touch. But nothing beats staying up late and catching up with a friend in her new apartment, am i right??

dress: thrifted

scarf: Aéropostale

shoes: thrifted (ELLE)

Mr. Picks Mondays: Chambray Away

The chambray shirtdress makes another appearance. This was the day after we drove* back from a wedding in Missouri (most of the day was spent crossing Kansas - I cheered when my beautiful mountains came into view), so a one-stop-shop to get dressed was pretty great.

Dress and bright shoes – done.

Count it.

And I just got back from another trip yesterday, so a short post it is (I spent the 4th in Florida with my family and good friends - got the sunburn to prove it).

dress: Kohl’s

sandals: Target

*btw, I finished 3 books on the way to and from the wedding – thank you, Dramamine II!

Proportionally Speaking...

This dress makes me think of Neapolitan ice cream.

Or sorbet.

Or sherbet.

Something sweet and cold.

I really like wearing this dress (and all the other ones currently residing in my closet) in the summer - they're really the only way to stay somewhat cool. I dread having to wear pants (and close-toed shoes! the horror!) to work when I have to.

Switching gears, maybe it's just these pictures, but the top of this dress seems to be just a wee bit big on me. I'm experiencing a weird fit with some most of my clothes lately. I've been training for my half marathon and trying to eat really good schtuff and I think it shows, but some of my pants will be SO snug in my legs, then gaping in my hips and rear (and a good 4 inches too long, but that's neither here nor there)! Or, sometimes, the opposite. Or my shirts will be snug in my arms and over my hips, but HUGE from my shoulders down to my ribs. Maybe I've just got weird short-girl proportions that look better in dresses and sandals?

I'm gonna go with that.

Guess I need to move somewhere where I can wear dresses and sandals all year long...

dress: Kohl's

sandals: WalMart

Oh Hey. Chambray.

I’ve worn this dress several times before (check them out here), and every time I do, I’m again reminded of the sheer brilliance of it. 

Chambray. 

Shirt dress. 

It’s perfect in it’s simplicity. It’s lightweight, easy to dress up or down (obviously, I leaned towards casual), and the best part of wearing a dress: it’s a WHOLE entire outfit in 1 piece of clothing. 

Is there anything better? 

Raise your hand if you’re into keeping getting dressed simple.

*raises hand*

dress: Kohl’s

Cleopatra sandals: WalMart

Mr. Picks Mondays: Peppy in Peplum

The Mr. selected this striped blue peplum dress for me to wear (apparently he prefers that I wear blue striped dresses). This dress came with a skinny yellow belt, but in an effort to be more creative and not wear it EXACTLY as prescribed, I went with a brown belt and sandals, and mint jewelry. 

Peplum is great for many things - it’s sweet, a wee bit flirty, and expertly hides the evidence of a few too many breakfast burritos that one may or may not consume...

dress: Target

belt: thrifted

Cleopatra sandals: consignment shop (Candie’s via Kohl’s)

Mr. Picks Mondays: So Chill

I scooped up this little dress when there was still snow on the ground. I liked it, didn't love it, but for only a few bucks, I figured I could wear it once or twice and call it good. I wasn't expecting to love it so. dang. much.

The Mr. picked it out, and I was a bit hesitant at first - not sure why, maybe it's the change in pattern right around my hips/thighs? But the length and wide shoulders make it perfect for work, it's got low-maintenance-wearability [<-- is that a thing?] (no ironing!), light and flowy, kept me cool, and, I hate to brag, but I think the color made my eyes POP! And not to mention, I received plenty of compliments on it during the course of the day. It transitioned easily from work to celebratory drinks and dinner with a friend who got a big kid job, and did I mention I was incredibly comfortable all day? 

Last summer I wore lots of pants and capris, and I was so uncomfortable most of the time.

it. was. so. hot. 

So far this spring/summer, I'm more interested in comfort, and as such, I've been wearing more skirts and dresses. And I've been significantly cooler (so far!) :)

dress: WalMart

denim jacket: from a friend (Old Navy Outlet)

sandals: Born via DSW

New Schtuff from Aéropostale

Oh heyyyyy, there! I'm back with more goodies from Aéropostale - I'm loving the new stuff I got!

left to right: 

Ditsy Floral Scoop Neck Dress (exact)

This dress will be so fun for this summer. It's got a scooped back, and a really full skater skirt to swish around in.

similar to the shirt above

I couldn't find the exact one on Aero's website :/ but really excited to wear this lightweight button up this summer.

Scalloped Crochet Skirt (exact)

This will complement the rest of my lace skirt collection quite nicely.

I've got pink and orange, and now black!

left to right:

LLD Mixed Stripe Racerback Tank

You know how I feel about neon when it comes to my workout gear. I'm training for another half, so this should help.

similar in link

I can't find this exact reversible bandeau, but it's black on one side and white on the other. Perfect for when you need some sort of coverage, but a regular bra just won't do.

Picture Perfect Purple

I got this nail polish, because, well, I like nail polish.

And I don't have this color.

I can't find these exact bracelets, but here's a link to the rest of the bracelets on Aero's website: bracelets. I played with the idea of buying a studded bracelet ages ago, and the fox is just too. perfect. One of my best friend's last names is Fox, so, really, how could I not bring this cute little guy home with me??

I'll be sure to post pictures of me in my clothes soon - stay tuned!

Mr. Picks Mondays: Shades of Blue and of Gray

This week, the Mr. chose the dress, and I included everything else - it wasn't warm enough JUST YET for bare legs and arms. Soon, my friends, SOON! However, I think the different shades of blue, gray & taupe play off of each other nicely, dontcha think?

SHOP THE LOOK...OR SOMETHING SIMILAR

dress: thrifted (Old Navy) similar below

cardigan: local consignment shop

booties: Old Navy similar below