Day 10...my favorite things about summer...

Day 10...my favorite things about summer...

Happy Thursday and welcome to Day 10 of the 31 day challenge!! If I haven't said it yet, thank you Faith, Allie & Juliette for introducing me to this challenge!!! We are a third of the way there and so far it has been awesome!! Today I am going to share with you my favorite things about summer. This list was super hard to narrow down because I honestly love everything about summer…except for the mosquitoes…and the smelly armpits…and the swamp ass…but seriously, other than that, I would be happy if it were summer all year long!

My favorite things about summer are.....

*Baking in the sun until my pale vampire skin turns golden brown…or stop sign red*

*Being in the pool…especially when it involves lazily floating around for hours*

*Playing washers…if you’ve never played before, you are missing out*

*Wearing maxi dresses & maxi skirts without freezing my tush off*

*Bar-b-ques…hosting them, attending them, smelling them from my neighbor’s yard…yum*

*Drinking fruity frozen drinks…ok if I’m being honest I enjoy that all year long…sue me*

*Going to the beach…and I just so happen to live 20 minutes from one of the most beautiful beaches in the USA…seriously, be jealous*

*Going on vacation…less than 2 months until our cruise!!!!!!!*

*Just being outside…swimming, sitting in the garage, enjoying a campfire, taking sneak attack selfies while the hubs is on the phone…pretty much anything*

*Eating juicy de-lish watermelon…omg I love when it’s in season!*

What about for all of you lovely ladies that are not taking part in the challenge? What are your favorite things about summer?!

<3 Oh sweet summer, how I will miss you when you're gone... <3

(cred) 

Summer Business Attire

Summer Business Attire

As the weather slowly inches towards the 90's and our thoughts drift more and more towards the beach, sometimes it can be hard to differentiate between "professional" work attire and "OMG it is 100 degrees outside and I want to wear a bathing suit" attire. Having worked in a professional environment for the majority of my career, there are a few tips & tricks that I have found when it comes to "professionalizing" your wardrobe (I may or may not have made that word up...I'll get back to you later on it) in the summer. These may not work for everyone, but if I can save even 1 person 10 minutes in the morning then I have succeeded.

THE RAINY DAY

When most people think of Florida, they picture sunny skies, bikini-clad bodies strolling down the street and lounging in the pool day in and day out. While that may be the case in the movies, the reality is that it rains every.single.day in Florida. It may not rain all day, but at least once a day the sky will darken, the clouds will roll in, and for a few minutes you are in the middle of a monsoon. To get through those rainy days, I recommend the following:

A black and grey color scheme will match the rainy-day mood perfectly, and they are always office-appropriate colors. A pulled-back ponytail is a must, otherwise you are dealing with frizz, soaking wet strands and that wonderful wet-dog look. Boots are also necessary as it tends to flood in about 45 seconds here. Round it out with some leather leggings to add a little flair and sass, and you have a great go-to summer office staple.

THE BRIGHT MAXI

I am a HUGE fan of the maxi. In fact, I have one on as we speak. Most people would stray away from the overly bright colors and crazy pattern for the office, but I welcome it with open arms! Take this outfit for example:

Pairing a colorful maxi with a structured blazer instantly tones it down.  I also added a gold statement ring (which I picked up for A DOLLAR at a flea market...score) and a long necklace, taking the focus away from the blinding colors. Since my nails were also pretty funky, I went with a basic hairstyle and minimal makeup, and Voila! An office-friendly maxi!

THE SASSY

Who doesn't love a good animal print every now and then? I personally feel like now matter how bold the print, it can always be brought down a notch with some neutrals. For whatever reason, animal print has pretty much stayed out of the professional realm of fashion. Well I am on board to bring it right in!

 

For this outfit, I paired a bold leopard blouse with some boot cut grey slacks. I added a grey belt with some gold accents, and then threw on some gold jewelry to match. For makeup I went with more of a neutral/brown theme to match the blouse, and of course I added some sparkle with my glittery gold shoes!

So there you have it. 3 different ways to keep your office wardrobe professional without losing the fun, summer feel. I hope I was able to provide some tips and insight! And I hope everyone is having a fabulous week so far!!!!

Oh April, how I love thee

So you know how everyone looks forward to certain months for certain reasons? For example...The start of November puts me in the holiday spirit. In less than a month I know that there will be turkey, sweaters and Christmas trees everywhere! Then comes December, and the rush of Christmas excitement kicks in. The shopping, the wrapping, seeing the hubby's face when he opens all of his gifts--it's the best! Well that's kind of how I feel about April. I know that the cold weather is hopefully done, which means that I can finally pack up the sweaters and whip out the bikinis! April means planting flowers and getting the garden ready. April means flip flops. all.the.time. April means that our weekend beach trips and afternoons lounging in the pool are only a stone’s throw away. No more defrosting windshields and grabbing a just-in-case cardi EVERY day. Ohhh the sweet taste of April.

On a side note---there is a particular shade of pink nail polish that I wear like all summer long. I call it summer pink..mainly because I don't know the real name of it, but also because it is the best shade of nail polish for the summer. It is literally the brightest neon pink you can buy, and it makes your feet look about 100 times tanner than they really are. It has been my go to shade for years. Reason for telling you this? It is April 1st and I have officially debuted the summer pink. And I'm not even a little bit sorry. I would snap a picture of my toes but considering feet are one the ugliest things ever created, I'll pass on that. And I would share a picture of the bottle with you but considering I am like the worst beauty blogger in the world, I'll just tell you again that I call it summer pink.

In keeping with the pink theme, I threw on one of my new pink maxis (yes, there are multiple) and hit the road. Ok, not really the road, but I did go buy new patio furniture and a wind chime! Here is a look at my weekend attire:

 

Dress: Rue21 (here) 

Shoes: Bongo Flats...can't find them online anywhere!!!

Watch: Kenneth Cole

Bracelets: Rue 21

I hope everyone is having a great week so far! Stay tuned tomorrow for my newest fashion find---a palazzo romper!! Yep, sure did!

Spring has sprung!!!!!

Happy Spring!!! I am so excited that spring is FINALLY here!!! This winter was entirely too cold and I am way over it. I am tired of seeing frost on my windshield, tired of being wrapped in a blanket just to sit by the fire pit, and SUPER tired of having to grab a jacket or sweater EVERYDAY. Trust me, by the time September rolls around, I'll be the first one to admit my excitement about pulling out the boots and cozy sweaters, but for now, I am done with the cold! I'm ready for tanks and flip flops, beaches, tan skin and working in the garden.

 

To help get everyone ready for spring, I decided to share a few of my favorite items with you. Feel free to use this as a guide, especially if you are stuck in a "boots-with-skinnies-because-that’s what’s-in-my-closet” rut. (Not that there is anything wrong with boots and skinnies---I have more than wore them out this winter!!)

 

Maxis Dresses: Maxis are my absolute 100% favorite item for the spring (and the summer..and the fall). They can be paired with a cardi for chilly nights, dressed up with some wedges, or dressed down with some flip flops and chunky jewelry. Here are a few of my faves: 

Maxi Skirts: Maxi skirts are right up there with maxi dresses for me. Like dresses, they can be paired with a blazer and wedges for a night out, or you can throw on a tank and some flats for a quick errand. I like to buy mine super long because they ALWAYS seem to shrink, and then I can’t wear them with heels. Here are some that I am loving right now:

  

Denim Jackets/Vests: I bought a denim jacket last year (which has polka dots and is from the kids department at Target—and I love it dearly) but I have been looking around for another one. During my most recent shopping trip I was able to find 2 denim vests and another denim jacket, and I am LOVING them! They look great over a maxi dress or paired with skinnies and a tank.

Feathers & Dream Catchers: I am loving the look of long dangly feathers and bold aztec-y (it's a word) dream catchers. Here are a few that I was able to find:

Everything that I showed you may or may not have come from Rue 21 (it sure did) and I may or may not own everything on the page (except the accessories…yet). I was going to include a link for where to find each one, but I figured you could peruse through the site and find some other good deals while you are on there.

I hope I was able to provide some good ideas for some warm weather wear, and I hope everyone is having a wonderful week!!!