Minty Fresh

lovin' on my Pretty Girl

LOVE this jacket, but I've had a hard time styling it, so today is its first appearance on Sweet Bananie!

Without the jacket, this outfit looks colorblock-esque. With the jacket, monochromatic-esque. With, without, with, without. Tricky, huh? ;) Either way, I like it! Perfect for having brunch with a friend before hitting up a thrift store on a beautiful spring day. 

I've been wanting to put together a monochromatic look for a few weeks. This outfit was a way to dip my toes into the monochromatic-outfit-pool without diving in headfirst. I'm afraid of putting something together that is just TOO much. But, this has given me the confidence to try this again with a different color scheme - hooray! Hooray for confidence building exercises in outfit choosing! (Was that nerdy? I think it was - oh dear...) Any other suggestions/ideas for my next monochromatic look?

These mint jeans are part of my purchase from Kohl's last week. I just couldn't wait to wear all my new finds - I was thinking up ways to wear them before I had even left the store. Does anyone else do that, or is it just me?

Also, Happy Mother's Day to all the mamas out there! We celebrated Mother's Day with my sweet mama last weekend, and are spending today with my mother-in-law, feasting on seafood and going to a movie. Be sure to tell your mom how much you love & appreciate her!

Shirt: Kohl's

Pants: Lauren Conrad - Kohl's

Jacket: local boutique

Sandals: Sears

Earrings & matching necklace: gift from my brother when I got my ears pierced ;)

Other necklace: gift from my Mama

Coated Denim

just hanging out at a playground

so many rocks in my sandals #playgroundproblems

my first pair of coated denim!

So, I did some shopping the other day. Let me just tell you a wee bit about it.

I had some Kohl's cash after a recent shopping trip for my Mr. So, after work the other day, I took my happy self to Kohl's to see what I could unearth from the clearance racks. About an hour later, I left with the above pants, a pair of mint jeans, and a sequined skirt. Those three items for under $10! I had downloaded the Retail Me Not app earlier in the day and discovered a 20% off coupon that I could use in addition to my Kohl's cash. Can we talk about a deal?!

Anyway, this is my first pair of coated denim. This is a different look for me, and I really like it! It's a bit edgier, and not so "sunshine & rainbows." Not that there's anything wrong with that, or that I dislike being an optimist who enjoys wearing bright and happy colors, but sometimes it's nice to mix it up and dress for a change - "live on the edge," if you will ;)

I wore this outfit on a double date to have dinner at Red Robin and then to see Iron Man 3. Robert Downey Jr. is so great as Tony Stark (and also as Sherlock Holmes). He's quick and witty, and delivers his lines so naturally and easily. Robert Downey Jr. IS Tony Stark.

Sweater: thrifted

Tank: Target

Pants: Kohl's

Sandals: Shoe Carnival

Necklace & Earrings: Target

Polka Dot Skinnies

Here's those polka dot skinnies again. I just love 'em!

ERMAHGERD! POLKA DOTS! I CAN'T GET ENOUGH!

And look at me, wearing polka dot pants and a striped scarf. I'm a print mixing master. 

Not really. But sometimes it's fun to pretend, right?

Let's talk about my shoe choice for a minute. I know they're flip flops. Foam flip flops. From a Walgreen's on the Las Vegas strip over Spring Break. Let me explain: I was in Vegas on Spring Break and my friends and I had gone out. I wore sandals that I had worn plenty of times before, but for whatever reason, a few hours in, my feet were swollen & bloody, with some pretty bad blisters. So, I ran into Walgreen's and bought these bad boys. Surprisingly, they're still around. Enough about how I acquired this spectacular footwear. 

My feet got pretty torn up during my race this past weekend, and I'm not able to wear regular shoes just yet. So, please, bear with me while my tootsies heal up and I rock my Vegas flip flops.

Shirt: thrifted

Pants: Old Navy via Plato's Closet

Scarf: gift from my sis-in-law

Earrings: graduation gift from my parents

Necklace: gift from my Mr. on our honeymoon cruise

Watch: New Balance via Kohl's

Flip Flops: Las Vegas, circa 2010

About Me

I recently added an About Me page - there are some sweet pics of my wrinkled pups & my Mr. for your viewing pleasure.

Also, you can follow me on Instagram & Twitter, if you're into that sort of social media creeping.

Instagram: SweetBananie

Twitter: SweetBananie

Happy almost Thursday!

Derby Derby

I attended a friend's bridal shower this past Saturday that was Derby-themed. We all wore fancy sundresses and hats, and the bride had the cutest fascinator she'd ordered from Etsy. She's a friend of mine from my sorority (Zeta Tau Alpha) and invited a few other Zetas to the shower, and it was so great to catch up with them. It's tough to get everyone together now, especially since we're all spread out over the state & the country.When you go from living in the same house and seeing each other multiple times a day, to living in different cities with different work hours, throw significant others & family into the mix, it's tough to adjust & make time for everyone. It's so nice when there's an event like this that brings us together.

I know this outfit seems very Americana/4th of July-ish, and to that I say, I love America!

Hope y'all had a great weekend!

Dress: Lilly Pulitzer (my sweet Mr. picked it out for my birthday)

Hat: Target

Flower clipped on hat: WalMart

Belt: thrifted via ARC

Shoes: ELLE via ARC

Clutch: gift from my brother & sis-in-law

Earrings & Bracelet: gift from my parents

We did it!

My Dad & I at the race expo the day before our half-marathon.

"running"

We did it! We ran 13.1 miles!

We started together, and we finished together (and ran the whole thing together, of course). Our time was 2:37:07, with an average pace of an 11:59 mile. We stopped twice - once for me to put on a blister band-aid, and the other to use the restroom and apply another blister band-aid. We slowed at the aid stations for water & Gatorade. Somewhere (maybe mile 9?) I asked if we could walk for about 100 yards. My dad said "Um, no!" and I'm so glad he did , because I can proudly say I ran the entire race!

We got on a bus to take us up to the start at about 5 AM, got to the start about 5:45, and started the race at 6:30. It was a mostly downhill course, with a few tiny uphill areas - we ran down a canyon and into town. There was a marathon, 10K & 5K, in addition to our half marathon. The first marathoner to finish passed us around mile 10 or 11, and finished 7 or 8 minutes before us - he wasn't even breathing hard! He made it look so easy! I can't believe he can run 26.2 miles in less time than it took me to do half that distance. My mom & my Mr. cheered us on and saw us around mile 9, and again at the finish. Then took us out to breakfast, then home for naps.

I took the day off work today and got a sports massage - so glad I did. My feet are torn up with blisters, and my legs are incredibly sore & stiff, but I'm so glad I completed the race and didn't walk! It was fun & exciting, but I'm glad it's over. I told my Dad we should talk in a week or so about doing another one eventually. We've thrown around ideas of doing a half marathon at all the major beaches/coasts/oceans - Key West being first on our list (the land of Jimmy Buffett - we're HUGE Parrotheads).

My apologies for the lack of Mr. Picks Monday this week - since I didn't go to work today, I didn't put on anything fancier than yoga pants. I hope you'll forgive me!

Minutes after we finished - FINISH line in the background.

Half-Marathoning

I didn't really wear these heels today. Cali didn't wear her heels, either.

THESE are the shoes I really did wear today.

It doesn't look like it, but these two nuggets love me. And getting their picture taken.

When this post goes live, I'll be running (possibly walking) my first half-marathon. I'm tingly just thinking about it. I've spent so much time thinking about it (lamenting my lack of training) that I'm ready for it to be done with. And ready to be eating a delicious brunch after it's all over. My dad is running it with me, and no joke, he can actually run circles around me while I'm running - I'm THAT slow. Anyway, it's happening Sunday morning, whether I'm ready or not, so, wish me luck!

Sweater: Target

Pants: Lauren Conrad via Goodwill

Shoes: Bongo

Necklace: my grandmother's