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Thursday, May 31, 2012

Summer Wardrobe Staple: Jack Rogers Navajos

Hope y'all have had a great week! I want to devote a post exclusively to my favorite summer footwear: Jack Rogers Navajo sandals. Jack Rogers are designed and produced in Palm Beach, so it makes sense that they would go perfectly with all my favorite Lilly Pulitzer outfits. I live in my Jacks during open-toe shoe season. Jack Rogers Navajos are extremely versatile-they look great with shorts, skirts, jeans, and sundresses. Navajos are available in so many different colors, but I recommend investing in a metallic pair first (gold, silver, or platinum) because they will go with the most outfits. Currently I have a silver pair and a gold pair and love them both. I am sure I will eventually add to my collection! People of all ages can appreciate the beauty of a good pair of Jacks-read my earlier post about a compliment I got on my gold ones from the sweetest little girl. Some people may disagree, but I find them very comfortable to wear and breaking them in is not bad at all. It is hard to put into words how fabulous Jacks are, so here are some pictures of my favorite Navajo colors:
Silver Hamptons Navajo

Gold Hamptons Navajo

Platinum Hamptons Navajo

Fuschia/White Palm Beach Navajo

Light Blue/White College Colors Navajo (Go Tar Heels!)

Napa Valley Navajo

Sardinia Snake Navajo in Silver Snake

My best friend and I sported our Jacks at the beach over Memorial Day Weekend. I'm wearing my gold Navajos and she's wearing the Sardinia Snake Navajos in bronze.

Are you a Jack Rogers fan? How many pairs of their Navajos do you currently own? What colors are on your wish list?
xoxo

Wednesday, May 30, 2012

Coming Soon: Trina Turk for Banana Republic

This summer California designer Trina Turk has created a line exclusively for Banana Republic, which is scheduled to hit stores on June 7. People Style Watch showed a sneak peak of the collection in their June issue and today Gilt Group featured select pieces available for pre-order. I do not have anything by Trina Turk and am not quite as familiar with her clothes as I am other designers, but her items have  the bright prints and colors characteristic of Lilly Pulitzer, which y'all know is my favorite! I am definitely a fan of the previews I have seen of the Trina Turk Banana Republic Collection and am looking forward to seeing the whole line when it arrives in-store and online next week! Although this collection is more expensive than the designer lines recently created for Target (The Webster, Jason Wu, Missoni) these Banana Republic pieces would be a great way to add some Trina Turk style to your closet at a significantly lower price than regular Trina Turk pieces. Here are some of my favorite items I have seen in previews. 

Chai Silk Tie Shoulder Dress  $130
Most Trina Turk short dresses run from $250-$350

Turquoise Cocktail Ring $50
The average Trina Turk cocktail ring ranges from $75-85

Bonita Tunic Dress $150

Printed Clean Sateen Short $55
Trina Turk shorts generally retail for around $170

Medium Cosmetic Case $34
A Trina Turk cosmetic case retails for about $58

Images courtesy of gilt.com

What do y'all think about the Trina Turk/Banana Republic collaboration? What are some of your favorite designer/chain retail collaborations from the past? What designers would you like to see team up with a clothing retail chain to create a lower-priced collection in the future?
xoxo

Monday, May 28, 2012

Memorial Day Weekend Outfit

Hope y'all had a lovely long weekend! Happy Memorial Day and thanks to all branches of the military for defending our freedom!
Here is a featured outfit I wore while at the beach with my best friend this weekend:
Top: Lilly Pulitzer cotton Elsa in Hotty Pink
White jeans: Joe's Jeans High-waist Skinny Visionnaire 
Shoes: Jack Rogers Navajos in gold
Earrings: Kate Spade Metropolitan Pearl Studs
Necklace: Honora Pearls
Ring: Lilly Pulitzer Cherry Blossom Critter Ring

The accessories are one of my favorite parts about this outfit so I wanted to show a close-up of the cocktail ring:

What are some favorite outfits from your Memorial Day weekend celebration?
xoxo

Sunday, May 27, 2012

A Precious Compliment

Hope y'all are having a lovely Memorial Day weekend. I got the most precious compliment today that I want to share with y'all. This afternoon I was out with a friend wearing my gold Jack Rogers. A little girl approximately age 7 came up to me and said in the sweetest little voice "excuse me but where did you get your shoes?" I replied and said "this store called Monkees." She then said "they're really pretty." I thought it was absolutely adorable and it made my day! She definitely has great taste at a young age, a little fashionista in training!

Friday, May 25, 2012

Friday Favorites

Time for another Friday Favorites post to jump-start your holiday weekend!

Printed Shift Dress:
Lilly Pulitzer Worth Shift in Pandamonium. This fun dress is from the Originals line of Lilly's Spring 2010 collection. And it is extra special since it's the first Lilly dress I got. I couldn't resist the adorable pandas and Lilly donated 10% of the proceeds from this dress to World Wildlife Fund to help save endangered species like these precious bears (also mentioned in my Shop For A Cause post). You might still be able to find one on eBay or the Re-Lilly Facebook Page.

Cocktail Dress:
LulaKate Angela Dress with full skirt in Aluminum silk shantung. This was the dress I wore as an attendant in my lovely cousin's wedding. Thanks to her for picking out a bridal party dress that I could actually wear again! I have already worn it to another wedding since and it will definitely make many more appearances at events in the future! Plus LulaKate is a classy Charleston, SC based designer!

Earrings:
Honora Cultured Freshwater Pearl Studs. I was lucky to snag these real pearl earrings from a Rue La La boutique a few weeks ago for a GREAT deal! The color is "champagne" but they appear lighter in person and go with almost anything! (Because pearls do in fact go with everything). You can sign up for free here to join Rue La La!




Sorry for the short post this week but it's time for some Memorial Day weekend fun! Hope y'all have a safe and enjoyable LONG weekend!

Tuesday, May 22, 2012

Featured Outfit

Here is an outfit I (in middle) wore for a recent girls' night on a lovely spring evening:
Dress: Lilly Pulitzer Cocoa Dress in Hip Hop Hooray (from Spring 2010 collection)
Earrings: Kate Spade Metropolitan Pearl Studs
Shoes: Jack Rogers Hamptons Navajos in silver

What are some of your favorite springtime girls' night outfits?

Sunday, May 20, 2012

Lilly Pulitzer Summer 2012

Lilly Pulitzer debuted their Summer 2012 collection in stores and online a few weeks ago and I have been meaning to blog about it for awhile. Although I won't be able to buy any of it for awhile here are some favorite pieces that I have been admiring.

Franco Dress in Multi Summer Plaid. This is my absolute favorite piece from the collection and I hope it makes its way to my closet eventually. As y'all know from my previous post, I'm a sucker for seersucker, and the plaid is oh so summery! Plus the Franco ties in the back, which is super adorable!


MarieKate Dress in New Green Go To Batt. I love the vibrant green color and the all-over lace detail!

Frankie Dress in Pink Salmon A Dollop of Scallop Eyelet. A classic strapless dress, but the vibrant pink color, ruffles, and extra large eyelet detail make it anything but boring! 

Lonnie Dress in Starfruit Yellow Ric Rac Lace. Pink will always be my favorite color, but there's something about a yellow sundress that I just love, and this classic shift is no exception! The ric rac lace pattern adds something a little different. This dress also has an exposed zipper in the back, which is definitely on-trend this season.

Carreen Dress in Dandelion Yellow Sweet As Sugar Eyelet. Here's another great yellow dress from Lilly's summer line. This knit eyelet dress is somewhat more wallet-friendly than other solid Lilly eyelet and lace dresses available right now, but is equally precious. I really like the flounce at the bodice!

Rilee Dress in Multi Sailor Patch. A lot of my favorites from the summer collection are obviously solid dresses with that extra Lilly touch, but I am loving some of the printed items too. The lace-up at the front of the bodice is very nautical, but my favorite part about this dress is the patchwork skirt that contrasts with the solid navy bodice. I always love a Lilly patch print! 

Tinsley Dress in Hotty Pink Light My Fire. This halter dress has a high neckline, with a really unique cut-out in the back. I really like the contrasting waistband. This is actually a seersucker dress, but instead of the classic stripes that we are accustomed to seeing on seersucker, this is a fun pink and white print!

Elsa Top Embroidered in Starfruit Yellow. The Elsa is one of my favorite Lilly tops and the white embroidery at the bottom adds a lovely detail. The flowy, airy fit of the Elsa goes great with a pair of white skinny jeans!

Knotty Bangle in Hotty Pink. This bracelet would add a fun extra touch to any summer outfit, plus it's only $28. It is available in several colors, so you can choose your favorite. I happen to like the pink best, of course!

Shell Yeah Necklace. Normally I'm not a huge fan of statement necklaces, since I prefer to stick with a classic strand of pearls around my neck (hence the name of this blog). However, this gold shell necklace would go with almost anything and the back of it is a bottle opener, which I find super clever!

Carded ID Wristlet in Hotty Pink Lucky Seersucker. This little wristlet is perfect for holding essentials, and the outer pocket fits an iPhone! The pink seersucker is absolutely precious! 

What are your favorite items from the Lilly Pulitzer Summer 2012 collection? Have you bought anything yet?
xoxo

Friday, May 18, 2012

Friday Favorites!

Hey y'all! I'm back this week with another Friday Favorites post!

Shorts:
J.Crew madras shorts. I was super excited to snag these recently at the J.Crew outlet for 50% off! The 5-inch inseam is perfect and these are great for summer!

Lip Gloss:
Girl Scout Cookie flavored Lip Smackers. After seeing these featured in a recent issue of People Style Watch I knew I had to get my hands on some. I finally found them at Target this week. I got a three-pack with Samoas, Thin Mints, and Trefoil flavors. 

White Jeans:
Joe's Jeans High-waisted Skinny Visionnaire. After searching several weeks for the perfect pair of white jeans I finally found these at a Joe's Jeans outlet store. The exact style I got at the outlet isn't available online but you can find a very similar high-waisted white skinny jean by Joe's here.

Perfume:
Lilly Pulitzer "Beachy." Lilly Pulitzer quit manufacturing perfume over a year ago. However, you can still find it at TJ Maxx and on eBay, Amazon, and the Re-Lilly Facebook page. I was super excited to find a bottle in the "Beachy" scent at TJ Maxx a couple weeks ago and it smells amazing! Plus it comes in a really pretty bottle! Image via Amazon.

Dessert:
Dairy Queen Confetti Cake Blizzard. I had one of these last weekend and it was amazing! It's literally cake and ice cream combined into one delicious concoction! Image via Google.

Quote:
I found this on Pinterest recently. Love it!



Thursday, May 17, 2012

Colored Denim

Colored jeans are a hot trend this spring, as many designers are branching out beyond the standard blue, black, and white. I do not currently own a pair of colored jeans, but I am definitely a fan of this trend. Here are a few of my favorites:

J Brand 811 Mid-rise skinny leg in neon pink

Joe's Jeans High Rise Skinny in Baltic

Citizens of Humanity Skinny Leg Jeans in Mango Tango

James Jeans Twiggy in Peppermint

Gap 1969 skimmer legging jeans in Lemon Drop

Old Navy Rock Star Pop-Color Jeans in In The Pink

J.Crew Toothpick jean in Festival Green

What are your thoughts on the colored denim trend? Have you bought any jeans in bright fun colors yet? What are your favorite colorful denim styles? Do you wear your colored jeans with a neutral top and accessories or do you colorblock with a complementary colored top and accessories?
xoxo

Sunday, May 13, 2012

Beach Gear!

Hey y'all! Happy Mother's Day to all the moms and moms-to-be out there! And sending prayers up for everyone who has lost a mom or a child in the past year. This year I went to the beach with my mom and dad for Mother's Day weekend. I enjoyed being at the coast for the first time since Labor Day 2011. Here are some of the essentials I take with me for an afternoon of relaxation on the sand.
1. Lilly Pulitzer Insulated Cooler. This is marketed as a cooler but I use it as a beach bag. It comes with a pink Lilly Pulitzer bottle opener as well!

2. Lilly Pulitzer Insulated Lunch Tote. Perfect for keeping drinks and snacks cool!

3. Lilly Pulitzer Koozie. A cold drink just isn't the same without a koozie, and a Lilly koozie makes it even better! The print shown here is Scarlet Begonias but I have multiple prints in my koozie collection!

4.Vineyard Vines flip-flops. This particular patchwork style is not available online right now but you could potentially find it at a Vineyard Vines outlet or browse the Vineyard Vines flip-flops collection for similar styles.

5. Lilly Pulitzer re-usable sandwich bag. These are great for holding snacks that don't need refrigeration or just random loose items you keep in your beach bag. If you use them for food, they are washable.

6. Calvin Klein sunglasses from TJ Maxx. I know I've mentioned these in several posts already, but they are great sunglasses that I found a couple years ago and I get frequent compliments on them. 

7. Lilly Pulitzer sunglasses strap. The Lilly sunglasses straps are available in multiple prints. The one pictured here is Scarlet Begonias. They are reversible and have print on one side and a fun saying on the other.

8. Lilly Pulitzer Tunic. I use a Lilly tunic I found on sale last summer as a cover-up. This exact tunic is no longer available but you can find a similar style here.

9. Tommy Hilfiger towel. You can see a tiny bit of my pink and green Tommy Hilfiger beach towel that I found at TJ Maxx a couple years ago. It has green and white stripes with pink flamingos, and is extra long-which I love!

Add a good book and a great bathing suit, and you are ready for a day at the beach! Just don't forget to wear sunscreen and drink plenty of fluids to stay hydrated! I'm thankful it has been consistently warm, but can you tell I'm excited for it to be summer already!

xoxo

Saturday, May 12, 2012

New Beauty Buy!

Hope y'all are having a great weekend so far! I want to share with y'all a favorite beauty product I have recently discovered. A couple weeks ago I found this Neutrogena Age Shield face sunblock lotion at Target. It has an SPF 110 and also provides exceptional protection against the UVA rays that contribute to the aging of skin. Plus the formula is oil-free and non greasy. I have started applying it before I put on my make up even on days that I'm not spending lots of time outside. It is also waterproof, although you should always reapply after long periods of swimming or excessive toweling. Although I am blessed with an olive complexion that tans easily I still ALWAYS wear sunscreen when I'm spending time laying out. Even though I'm fine with using SPF 30 on the rest of my body, upping my face protection this summer with an SPF 110 formula that provides superior anti-aging effects just makes me feel really good!
What kind of sunscreen do y'all use on your face?

Friday, May 11, 2012

Featured Outfit

Here is an outfit of the day from a couple weekends ago. I'm wearing my Lilly Pulitzer Callahan shorts in the precious strawberry print featured in last week's Friday Favorites. I have paired it with my extremely versatile Lilly Pulitzer Cassie Top in Hotty Pink. This comfy cotton slub top can be worn year round and goes with sooo many things! For accessories I have on my trusty Kate Spade pearl studs, and a classic Honora pearl necklace. A Lilly sunglasses strap holds my Calvin Klein shades from TJ Maxx around my neck while I'm in the shade! You can't see my shoes, but silver Jack Rogers pull together the ensemble.
I love this outfit for a low-key Saturday hanging out with friends. What are your favorite casual weekend outfits?


Tuesday, May 8, 2012

Bathing Suit Bonanza

Hey y'all! So we are just a little over two weeks away from Memorial Day weekend, which marks the unofficial beginning of SUMMER-my favorite season! Which means lots of time spent at the pool and beach! However, it is not too early to begin shopping for a bathing suit, especially since in the South we have already had many summer-like days. And while a lot of pools may not open until Memorial Day weekend, many people are already taking advantage of residential pools that are open for use right now. Plus it's not too soon to take a weekend trip to the beach or the lake to get a head start on soaking up the sun. Just be sure to wear sunscreen!

Here are a few swimsuit suggestions. The first three featured are from Old Navy, which is currently where all my bathing suits are from. With all the wear and tear swimsuits withstand from the sun, salt, chlorine, and sunscreen stains, I don't like to spend a whole lot of money on one bathing suit. Plus I like being able to get several so that I can have multiple looks for the pool and beach. Set A is an Old Navy two-piece mix & match combo I just purchased this spring. I was in desperate need of a bandeau top since all of my other bathing suit tops are halter-style. The past few summers I have gotten really bad tan lines since there is no way to undo the straps while laying out without flashing everyone at the pool or beach. So incorporating a bandeau top into my line-up will hopefully alleviate this issue! Also, I really wanted to get more tie-bottoms, since you can adjust them for that perfect fit. With basic bikini bottoms I get what I think is the appropriate size to have adequate coverage, but then they end up stretching out really badly throughout the summer. Set B is another Old Navy set I just purchased- a string bikini top and tie bottoms in a fun print. Although they are called "string bikini", I still feel that they provide ample coverage. As a general rule though, I usually size up from my normal clothing size when buying bathing suits just to make sure they aren't too skimpy. This is just my personal experience and preferences-try them on and decide which size you feel most comfortable in! Set C is an Old Navy mix & match set with halter top and basic bikini bottoms. I have a couple suits like this that I bought in previous years. Although I prefer the tie-bottoms, this is still a flattering style that I recommend. I would suggest finding a string bikini bottom that matches the halter top you want. Old Navy swimsuits are inexpensive, but you can wear them for more than one summer! This is definitely my top bathing suit shopping destination. You can find suits with a flattering shape, bright colors and prints, and a great price!

Set A:

Old Navy Swim Separates Bandeau Top

Old Navy String Bikini Bottoms (both pieces featured in Madagascar color)


Set B:

Old Navy Mix & Match String Bikini Top 

Old Navy Mix & Match String Bikini Bottom (both pieces featured in Warm Floral)


Set C:


Old Navy Mix & Match Halter Top

Old Navy Mix & Match Bikini Bottoms


The next two-piece set featured is from Target. I have never purchased a bathing suit from Target before, but I saw this polka dot bandeau top and tie-bottoms online. It is another cute suit for a great price that would be worth trying out.


Target Mossimo Bandeau top

Target Mossimo side-tie bottoms

The remaining suits are out of my bathing suit budget, but I still wanted to include them because they are cute options from some of my favorite brands. If I had to choose between a Lilly dress or a Lilly bathing suit I would pick the dress, and I would choose another pair of Tory Burch flats over a Tory Burch bathing suit. However, if you are willing to splurge on a bathing suit then check them out! And if not you can admire from afar like me :)




Vineyard Vines Whale Watching Bandeau Top and Ring Side Bottom

Have you bought any new bathing suits yet for the upcoming summer? Where are your favorite places to shop for swimsuits? Are bathing suits a "save" or a "splurge" item for you?
xoxo