not a Tour de Fat outfit

I'm so excited to share this look with my beach cruiser today, becaussssssse

It's Tour de Fat!! We're dressed up all crazy, parading our bikes around town with several thousand other people. The drinks are flowing, the costumes are crazy, and the people watching is aaaaamazing.

This outfit is wayyy too tame for Tour de Fat, but I promise I've got something a little kooky on (follow me on Instagram to see us in real time).

I did, however, actually wear the above peplum top and black skinnies to dinner, and we rode our bikes. Mine has a sweet little basket on the front where I like to put my phone so it can play some tunes. I really love riding my bike - it's got one speed and back-pedal brakes, and a nifty little bell. The seat is wide and comfy, and I travel at about one speed (slow-ish). But I love it.

There's something so satisfying to me about riding my bike, and if I can wear a great ensemble comprised of favorites that are comfortable AND stylish, then I'm a huge fan. Bonus points for hanging with friends on their bikes, too.

peplum top: Ann Taylor Loft

black skinnies: c/o Aéropostale

black fringe sandals: Kohl's

necklace: WalMart

linking up:

Fashionista Momma // Jaymie Ashcraft

Rachel the Hat // The Red Closet Diary

trouser two-fer

I've got a two-fer for ya before this long weekend (don't worry - I've got posts coming 'atcha through the long weekend, though). This two-fer features the same pair of pants, but with different shirts each time. One shirt has polka dots, the other is a lace-detail chambray, but they're both button-ups. Points for me anyways?

Up first, polka dots on top, and light & subtle pinstripes on the bottom (tough to see in these pictures, I know). These pants are oldies, but they're the prettiest shade of light olive green with the most perfect little pinstripes. I'm so glad I've hung on to them since high school - aren't trousers making a comeback? Or something?

Secondly is something really similar to the first, but the shirt is different! It's chambray! *swoon* And no polka dots! And it has pretty lace detailing on the shoulders and back. Totally different look, right? RIGHT?

What's your favorite way to wear some trousers? Button ups? Blouses? Casual tees?

Spill.

polka dot button up: Old Navy

metallic sandals: Target

green trousers: GAP

lace detail chambray: c/o Aéropostale

beaded sandals: Kohl's

blushing leopard

When you don't know what to wear to a friend's wedding celebration, you pull out a statement piece and pair it with some (favorite!) neutrals.

Exhibit A (above):

statement piece - leopard print pencil skirt

neutrals - blush top, nude wedges + gold jewelry

(you might also wear your hair up, because, summer)

The really good news is, if you pick out favorites to wear, they're most likely rather comfortable. And they can probably take you from place to place. In my case, the wedding celebration to a free concert downtown. At both locations, I was not overdressed, nor underdressed -  I was like Goldilocks, and it was "juuuuust right." And feeling like a million bucks while still being comfortable in my own skin makes those summer evenings even that much more enjoyable.

And I'm featured over on Sydney Fashion Hunter for one of my posts last week - be sure to stop by and check it out.

blush blouse: H&M

leopard pencil skirt: thrifted (Target)

nude wedges: DSW

linking up:

Shopping My Closet // Tucker Up

Book of Leisure, Chic Street Style & Gracefullee Made

Pampers & Pearls // Classy Yet Trendy // The Pleated Poppy

Cappuccino and Fashion // Pumps & Pushups // The Mummy Chronicles

Sydney Fashion Hunter // Color and Grace

and again

Here it is again - another chambray over another dress (see the last time I did that here). I'm softly kicking myself for not having tried this sooner. But, better late than never, right? RIGHT??

This dress is a hand-me-down from my bestie, and I'm trying to come up with an occasion to wear it on its own, but so far, I got nothin'. And I had nothing on the books when she first gave it to me. So, I put on my thinking cap and decided to pair it with a chambray so I could wear it THAT much sooner and not have to wait (and wait. and wait. and wait) to wear my pretty new dress.

That's crinoline sticking out of the bottom, so the skirt is pretty full - meaning, I could fluff it out quite a bit, if I so chose. Obviously, I did not on this day ('twould be silly to wear a very poofy skirt to work), but the option is there, ready to be utilized.

Now that you've seen me try it a few times, have you knotted a chambray over a dress?? Or, any shirt for that matter? Oh, do tell.

dress: from a friend

chambray: thrifted

sandals: DSW

linking up:

I do DeClaire // Style Elixir

 Bless Her Heart, Y'all // Two Peas in a Blog

Monday brights

Unbeknownst to me in the wee hours of the morning, this brightly colored dress is the perfect solution to the Monday-don't-know-what-to-wear conundrum. It's a bright jolt to wake you right up, but, it's a soft cotton knit that is also comfortable / hides your weekend overindulgences / hides those Monday morning donuts you might happen to bring to the office.

And, a dress is a complete outfit - no need to find a top to match your pants or skirt, or finding that clean pair of pants to wear with the shirt you've had your eye on. A dress is a one-piece that covers your body in one shot. But, of course, if you feel the need to accessorize with a belt, or scarf, or layer on top, you always have that option.

Obviously, I did not add much to this dress - a necklace and some bangles, and I kept the shoes neutral. The dress is so bright that to add a lot more to it feels like I'm screaming.

And, on a Monday, that's definitely not appreciated, even if it comes with donuts.

Hope you had a great weekend, and hope your week is off to decent start...you know, for a Monday ;)

dress: Lilly Pulitzer

nude flats: Old Navy

necklace: consignment

bracelets: gift + BaubleBar

linking up:

Fizz & Frosting and The Color Palette

Fashionably Employed // Cha Cha the Fashion Genius

 Whitney a la Mode, A Little Bit of Cheer, and A Lovely Little Wardrobe

Garay Treasures // Mama and More // Elegantly Dressed & Stylish

undone favorites

Mint. Navy. Floral. Skinnies. Sandals.

These are a few of my favorite things. (bonus points if you know the musical I'm referencing. 20 more bonus points if you have the soundtrack on your iPod...no? just me?)

These pictures look grainy on my teeny laptop screen, but you'll have to believe me that the execution of this look was pretty great. I've found that  when in doubt, pair some of your favorite things together and watch as magic unfolds.

A mint v-neck tee, favorite lightweight scarf, skinnies + sandals. Messy hair helps, too (isn't that the key to every look great? something slightly undone/messy), as does a fancy belt and a half-tuck (that says "I'm fancy, but I'm casual and only tuck in my shirt halfway, some of the time").

mint v-neck: Old Navy

scarf: Target

skinnies: Aéropostale

sandals: Target

it rocks

You guys. This vest-y thing - want to wear it ALL THE TIME. And it's so unlike me (the vest, not the wanting-to-wear-something-all-the-time). I never gravitate towards these types of things (fringe. longer than my shorts. not very structured or tailored.), but, the love is real.

And it was perfect for traipsing around a rock quarry-turned site-to-see rock garden just before the heavens opened up and covered everything in some nice (COLD) summer rain.

Truly, though, this look is nothing fancy - ribbed tank top, denim shorts, sandals. But, add a nice completer piece (like this vest - ta da!) and BAM. You have a fun summer outfit, quintessential for brunching with good friends and rock-gardening.

tank: WalMart

shorts: Plato's Closet via Maurice's

sandals: Kohl's

vest: c/o Aéropostale

linking up:

Posh Classy Mom