Weekly Favorites

The past couple days I have only had Internet access via iPhone. The Blogger app for iPhone is AWFUL and sooo frustrating. But I still wanted to post since I missed last week's Friday Favorites. But since it is no longer Friday I will call this "Weekly Favorites." Please excuse any formatting bloopers due to the awful mobile app as well as any issues with the date heading. Stupid mobile blogger wants to post this as Thurs June 28 even though today is Sunday July 1. Hope y'all are having a great weekend!

Cut-outs:

Lilly Pulitzer Ricci Shift in Bright Navy Look Lady (from Spring 2011). Love the cut-outs at the neckline on this dress!

Picture Frame:

Lilly Pulitzer Picture Frame in Stuffed Shells.

Food:

Few summer lunches are better than a big Greek salad!

Book:

A Southern Belle Primer (Or Why Princess Margaret Will Never Be A Kappa Kappa Gamma). This fun book is a must for any Southern Belle.

Drink:

Mello Yello Zero. This is the perfect carbonated beverage for a summer day at the pool or beach. 

That's it for this week!
-L
xoxo

One Month 'Til The Olympics!

Today begins the one month countdown to the 2012 Summer Olympics Opening Ceremonies, which will take place July 27 in London! I have loved watching the Olympics for as long as I can remember. This week I have enjoyed watching the swimming Olympic Trials and this weekend I am looking forward to watching the gymnastics Olympic Trials! I really hope Nastia Liukin and Alicia Sacramone make their second Olympic team. The Olympic Trials going on for multiple sports gets me even more excited about the 16 days of competition that will kick off in just one month! I love the nonstop coverage on the various NBC networks. In honor of the one month countdown to London here are some of my Olympic faves:

Favorite Sport to Watch: Gymnastics

It absolutely fascinates me how these girls make flipping on a four-inch wide piece of wood, flying on the uneven bars, and tumbling at great heights seem so effortless! Photo is from Shawn Johnson's gold medal balance beam performance at the 2008 Games in Beijing. Image from USA Gymnastics.

Olympic Sport I love to watch and can actually do pretty well: Swimming

Although I was nowhere near Olympic or even elite caliber I did swim competitively for significant portion of my childhood and adolescence, beginning with a summer league at age 11, then a year round team from ages 12-16, and then the varsity team all four years of high school. High school swimming was definitely my favorite because I got to concentrate on my specialties. My best event was the 500 yard freestyle and I also swam either the 200 free or 200 individual medley in high school meets. So even though I never had any Olympic aspirations I can relate to the swimmers the most. I may not be anywhere near as fast as them but I can do all the strokes and know all the terminology. Image above is Micheal Phelps and Ryan Lochte in the 200 freestyle finals at the 2012 Olympic Trials. From USA Today.

Watching all this swimming makes me miss these days-throwback from one of my high school meets. Check out my pink goggles!

I also enjoy watching: Diving

I am definitely much less adept at this aquatic sport, but love to watch all the tricks they do in the air before gracefully entering the water. Image via USA Diving.

Favorite Olympic Memories:

Atlanta 1996: The "Magnificent Seven" wins the first and only team Olympic gold in women's gymnastics. Image via Google.

Made possible by Kerri Strug's epic vault. Image via Google.

Athens 2004: Carly Patterson wins the gymnastics Individual All-Around gold medal, becoming the second American woman to do so, and the first American women at a non-boycotted Olympics (Mary Lou Retton won in Los Angeles 1984, which was boycotted by the Soviet Union.) Image via Google.

Beijing 2008: Nastia Liukin becomes third American woman to win Individual All-Around Olympic gold in gymnastics. Shawn Johnson wins the silver, making it the first time ever that American women finish 1-2 in the gymnastics all-around! Image via Google.

Beijing 2008: Shawn Johnson finally wins a gold medal on the balance beam event finals, after winning silver in all her other events. I remember being so happy for her! Image via Google.

Beijing 2008: Men's 4x100m freestyle relay wins gold, setting a new world record and out-touching the French in a very intense race. Image via Google.

Are y'all looking forward to the Olympics too? What are your favorite sports to watch? What Olympic sports are your favorite to participate in? What memories from past Olympics stand out the most to y'all?

-L

xoxo

Happy Belated National Pink Day!

Hello to all my lovely readers! I have been super busy the past several days and have not had time to blog at all. This past Saturday, June 23, was National Pink Day. And no, I am not making this up either! I find it very appropriate that National Pink Day falls in the same week as National Wear Your Lilly Day. Anyone who knows me at all is well aware that pink is my absolute favorite color! One time I was buying some pink towels at Bed Bath & Beyond and the cashier said "you must really love pink." In my head I thought "that's an understatement!" So in honor of belated National Pink Day here are a few of my favorite pink things:

National Pink Day was already printed in my Lilly planner-proof I'm not making this up!

My Lilly Pulitzer Adeline seersucker dress. I wore it to a friend's bridal shower the day after National Pink Day, and the bride-to-be happened to be wearing pink as well!

Lilly Pulitzer cotton Elsa top

Lilly Pulitzer Cherry Blossom Critter Earrings

Lilly Pulitzer Adrianna Dress in Daquiri Pink Wishing You Were Here from the Resort 2009 collection. Comes with a matching sash that ties around the waist!

Pink Lilly Pulitzer bottle opener that came with my insulated cooler bag!

My camera is pink!

My pink iPod nano I've had for nearly four years. It's a great companion for working out or laying out!

Lilly Croakies in Scarlet Begonias with a witty saying about pink on one side.

Not surprisingly, many of my pink favorites also happen to be Lilly Pulitzer. They just know how to do pink! And I know I've blogged about several of these items before but they are so great I had to include them in this National Pink Day themed post as well. Do y'all like pink as much as I do? What are your favorite pink things?

-L

xoxo

Happy National Wear Your Lilly Day!

Many people, myself included, consider Memorial Day Weekend the beginning of summer. Today, however, was the first official day of summer and I hope everyone has enjoyed the longest day of the year! Equally important, today was "National Wear Your Lilly Day"!!! No, I did not make that up-if you visit the Lilly Pulitzer corporate page on Facebook or any of the Lilly Via store pages, you will see lots of conversation about this. Of course, I don't need an excuse to wear Lilly, because every day is a Lilly day for me. Even if I'm not wearing Lilly on a given day, I still use Lilly accessories (wallet, iPhone case, camera case, etc). "Wear Your Lilly Day" is an especially great day to celebrate the fabulousness of all things Lilly Pulitzer, and here is how I celebrated:

Lunch with a friend-I'm wearing the Ricci Shift in Turquoise Kissue from the Spring 2011 collection and she's wearing a Clare dress! I have a pair of Lilly croakies holding my sunglasses around my neck too!

I also wore a Lilly watch and my Lilly Cherry Blossom critter ring!

Head-to-toe shot! My gold Jack Rogers complete the outfit!

Late afternoon I spent some time out by the pool and used my Scarlet Begonias Lilly koozie to keep my drink cool!

And I used my Lilly insulated cooler in Limeade Floaters as a pool bag and my Desert Tort Lilly lunchbox.

These are some highlights of my very Lilly Day! What Lilly did y'all wear today to celebrate?

-L

xoxo

On Trend: Mint Green

While pink is my favorite color, I am loving the mint green trend of this spring and summer. Here are a few favorite examples of this trend:

J.Crew Jackie Cardigan

Lilly Pulitzer Cassie Top Slub

J.Crew 5" Chino Shorts

7 For All Mankind Crop Skinny

OPI Gargantuan Green Grape

Jack Rogers Bahamas Navajo Jelly

Although mint green is a trend, most of these pieces are classic preppy staples that you can enjoy wearing for many seasons! What favorite mint green pieces have y'all spotted?

-L

xoxo

Recipe: Skinny Taco Dip

Today's favorite recipe is for Skinny Taco Dip. I found it on Pinterest and made it for the first time a few months ago when I had some friends over to my place for a Final Four viewing party. This recipe is super easy and super delicious. The base of the dip is a mixture of reduced fat cream cheese, reduced fat sour cream, salsa, and taco seasoning. After spreading this mixture in a shallow dish, you then top it with shredded lettuce, Monterrey Jack cheese, olives, and tomatoes (I omitted the tomatoes when I first made it). If I'm not having having a big group over or going to a party, then I like to just mix the cream cheese, sour cream, salsa, and taco seasoning together and keep it in a container in the fridge and eat on it for several days. Paired with chips and a side salad, it makes a good light meal. Here is a link to the complete recipe. Enjoy!

The complete dip (sans tomatoes)

Just the cream cheese, sour cream, salsa, taco seasoning mixture

-L

xoxo

Friday Favorites

Hope y'all have had a great week! Time for some Friday Favorites!

3/4 Sleeve Dress:

Lilly Pulitzer Balletta dress in Skye Blue Exbloomsion (from Resort 2010). The picture doesn't do this super cute and comfy dress justice. It looks great belted and unbelted. Even though the material is cotton jersey it looks nice and put-together for a variety of events (informal weddings, football tailgates, Sunday brunch, etc).

Tote Bag:

Vineyard Vines UNC Classic Tote. The canvas tote bag by VV is a preppy classic, and the Carolina blue silk trim with UNC logos makes it even better. It is the perfect size-holds a lot but not too overwhelmingly large to use as an everyday purse if you desire. Unfortunately Vineyard Vines currently only has a few schools available online in their Collegiate collection-they used to have a much larger selection. 

Cardigan:

Lilly Pulitzer Caroline Cardigan in Lagoon Green. This 3/4 sleeve cardigan is perfect for year-round wear. And since I am petite I love the fact that it hits me right at the waist. The green color is gorgeous and goes with so many items in my closet.

Dessert:

Breyers Blasts Oreo Birthday Blast. Breyers was on sale this week so I bought this treat to try and absolutely love it! It is a birthday cake flavored frozen dairy dessert with sprinkles and Oreo bits! Breyers Blasts are comparable in nutrition to low-fat ice cream. The Oreo Birthday Blast has 130 calories and 4.5 grams of fat per 1/2 cup serving.

Wall Plaque:

I love this wall plaque about the South that my best friend got me for my birthday a couple years ago. It's pretty self explanatory! Click on the picture so you can read it better. You can buy it at Swoozies.

Devotional Book:

Jesus Calling by Sarah Young. It is difficult to put into words just how amazing this devotional book is.  No matter what you are going through are what phase of life you're in each day's reading will speak to directly to you and bring you great encouragement and comfort.

Have a great weekend!

-L

xoxo

Wear It Now, Wear It Later

Spring/Summer clothes are definitely my favorite. I am so glad summer has just begun so I can continue wearing my warm weather faves for a few more months! However, it is always nice to buy an article of clothing that I can wear year-round. Here is a look at three pieces of clothing I bought and wore last fall/winter and have continued to wear this spring and summer. Then when cooler weather returns (not anytime soon thank goodness) I still incorporate them into my wardrobe.
Item 1: Lilly Pulitzer Hotty Pink Elsa Top

Right now I am wearing this loose cotton blouse with my white skinny jeans and Jack Rogers.

During the colder months I swap my white skinny jeans for dark skinny jeans, and my
Jacks for my Tory Burch Reva ballet flats. I often swap my pearls for a cashmere/silk blend Lilly scarf (the pearl earrings are a constant though)!

Item 2: Lilly Pulitzer Paley Cardigan in Bright Navy Showtime Dot

Right now I am wearing this fun cardigan with shorts and Jack Rogers. I currently don't have any white shorts so I would actually wear my khaki ones, but I really like the way white shorts look with it.

Then in the fall/winter I pair it with dark skinny jeans instead of shorts, and cowgirl
boots instead of Jacks.

Item 3: Lilly Pulitzer Printed Cassie Top in Starry Blue Drama Queen

Right now I am wearing this printed cotton top with white jeans and gold Jack Rogers.

Then when fall rolls around it's skinny jeans and cowgirl boots.

Wear It Now, Wear It Later by lillyliz on polyvore.com

All three of these "wear it year-round" items are by Lilly Pulitzer, which shows that even though Lilly is best known for bright printed summery sundresses, they definitely know how to incorporate some versatile pieces into their collections that can be worn during the warm and cold months. 

What are some pieces y'all are wearing this summer that you also wear in the fall and winter?

-L

xoxo

Summer Reading Recs!

My favorite summer past-time is relaxing on the beach or by the pool with a good book! In case you're looking for book ideas for an upcoming beach vacation or a lazy afternoon by the pool I have listed some recommendations below. I am a huge fan of the public library and highly recommend getting a library card wherever you live. It's usually free or a very minimal cost and gives you access to lots of books! Of course I do purchase books I especially enjoy or know for sure I will love because it is nice to have a personal book collection as well! For instance, I bought Olympic gymnast Shawn Johnson's book the day it came out (featured in last week's Friday Favorites post). For a more detailed description or plot synopsis of each of these books you can click on the links I've included. Happy Reading!

Love The One You're With by Emily Giffin

Emily Giffin is one of my favorite authors, and this book is my favorite out of her five published chick-lit novels. I'm definitely looking forward to the release of her sixth book later this summer!

Redeeming Love by Francine Rivers

This is an amazing Christian fiction work based on the book of Hosea and set in a nineteenth century mining town. Don't let the length intimidate you-it is so incredibly good that you will keep turning the pages and finish in no time!

Confessions of a Shopaholic by Sophie Kinsella

This is a humorous read, the first installment of Kinsella's "Shopaholic" series. Reading about all the scrapes protagonist Becky Bloomwood finds herself in will keep you highly entertained! After you finish this one then read the rest of the series (there's about six books total).

Summer Rental by Mary Kay Andrews

Three childhood friends take a month-long beach trip together and encounter some unexpected twists and turns during their stay.

Shoe Addicts Anonymous by Beth Harbison

Four women from completely different walks of life bond over their common love of shoes and size 7.5 feet.

Chalked Up by Jennifer Sey

This riveting memoir by the 1986 national gymnastics champion shares some of the dark aspects of elite gymnastics, including her struggle with an eating disorder.

So Long, Insecurity by Beth Moore

I just read this book this past spring in a Bible study group and highly recommend it to every woman, because we all struggle with insecurity in some way, shape, or form whether or not we realize it!

Confessions of a Rebel Debutante by Anna Fields

This is a hilarious, entertaining memoir by a Southern girl trying to navigate Deb culture and be a proper Southern Belle. While I may not identify with the author now, it is definitely a must-read for anyone who has felt out of place or struggled to fit in at any point in their life.

Writing this post has made me want to re-read some of these books that I haven't read in at least a couple years! There are definitely many other books out there I have read and enjoyed. I might feature some of those in a future Friday Favorites post. As I read new books this summer I will be sure to share those that I especially love! Have y'all read any of the books I've included in this post? What are your favorite books and what books are you hoping to read this summer? I'd love to hear from y'all so comment away!

-L

xoxo