Summer Essentials: Sweet Shorts

My apologies for being so slack with posts lately! I promise I have lots of ideas for posts in my head, it's just a matter of sitting down and making them happen! Plus I was out of town again last weekend, and blogging seems to take a backseat whenever I'm traveling, regardless of how brief the trip is. Anyways, today I'm sharing some of my top picks for fun shorts this season. Shorts are the ultimate casual summer wardrobe essential, and you can never have too many! It's always good to have a variety: solids, stripes, and prints; neutral and colorful. They are perfect for lounging around the house, running errands, or a enjoying a low-key gathering with friends. You can also dress up shorts with a nice top, wedges, and jewelry for going out. Here are some pairs currently available that I am especially loving:

Lilly Pulitzer Callahan Shorts in Ice Cream Social

I just bought these shorts last weekend. They are even brighter in person, but I love that! And I adore the name of this print!

Lilly Pulitzer Seersucker Buttercup Shorts

Seersucker+scallops = another winner from Lilly

Old Navy Green Plaid Printed Shorts

These Old Navy shorts are cute and inexpensive. Sometimes Old Navy stuff looks and feels cheap, but I have these shorts and they are definitely not. They are great quality for the price.

Old Navy Black&White Gingham Printed Shorts

Another great value pair of shorts from Old Navy! I have these as well and love them! They are a great take on the black&white trend.

Lilly Pulitzer Callahan Shorts in Chin Chin

One of my favorite Lilly prints of all-time comes in the Callahan shorts!

Lilly Pulitzer Callahan Shorts in Sand Bar Blue Splish Splash

This is one of my favorite prints from Lilly's Summer 2013 collection.

J.Crew Factory Pink Seersucker Shorts

You can't go wrong with a classic pair of pink seersucker shorts from J.Crew Factory!

J.Crew Factory Summer Plaid Shorts

I have and love these classic madras shorts from the J.Crew outlet.

J.Crew Factory 5" Chino Short

These are the perfect basic khaki shorts. Other colors are available too!

Lilly Pulitzer Buttercup Shorts in Glenda Green Pretty Gingham

Gingham and scallops: another adorable combination from Lilly!

J.Crew Factory Dotted Chambray Shorts

J.Crew combines two popular trends-chambray and polka dots!

Lilly Pulitzer Barclay Short in Glenda Green Beach Bash

This pretty green crab print is another one of my favorites from Lilly Pulitzer Summer 2013!

Old Navy Embroidered Pineapple Shorts

A fun, preppy, and inexpensive pair of critter shorts from Old Navy.

Old Navy Bright White Embroidered Shorts

I have these shorts as well, and they are a great pair of plain white shorts to match everything! The all-over tonal embroidery adds a nice texture to them, and prevents them from wrinkling easily the way that white chino shorts tends to do.

As y'all can tell, there is no shortage of cute shorts to be found this summer! Where are your favorite places to shop for shorts and what are your favorite styles?

-L

xoxo

Featured Outfit: Black & White With a Pop of Color

The classic combo of black & white is on trend this Spring, and I incorporated this trend into a recent outfit, but added a pop of bright color with a statement necklace. I wore this outfit out to a country western place when I visited my friend a couple weeks ago.

Top: LOFT; Shorts: Old Navy; Boots: Ariat Heritage Western R-toe; Bubble Necklace: J.Crew Factory; Bangle: Banana Republic Outlet; Earrings: Kate Spade

How do y'all like to wear the black & white trend? Do you stick to just black & white or do you like to add a pop of color too?

-L

xoxo

Featured Outfit: Old Navy Sweater Dress

Here is another recent outfit I've worn that I wanted to be sure and post before it goes out of season, since Spring is almost here-thank goodness!!! I love this sweater dress I found at Old Navy this past fall. It fits me super well, and is classic and budget-friendly!

Dress: Old Navy; Tights: Target; Cowgirl Boots: Ariat Heritage Western R-toe; Earrings: Lilly Pulitzer bow critter earrings (Resort 2012); Pearls: Honora; Cocktail Ring: Kate Spade

-L

xoxo

Featured Outfit

This recent Outfit of the Day (OOTD) is a winter staple- classic cable-knit sweater and colorful scarf combination. As y'all know, I love my Lilly scarves. But I also adore the Old Navy scarf I'm wearing as part of this outfit, because it's pink and the colorful polka dots remind me of confetti. Plus it's also special because a dear friend gave it to me for my birthday a few years ago. She always picks out the most thoughtful gifts that are so "me." 

Sweater: Lilly Pulitzer; Scarf: Old Navy; Jeans: !iT Denim; Boots: Banana Republic Outlet; Earrings: Kate Spade

Closer view of the sweater and scarf

-L

xoxo

Featured Outfit

My first Featured Outfit post of 2013 includes a super cute and super inexpensive printed tunic-style shift dress from Old Navy. The fabric is 100% polyester but looks silky so it is great for dressier occasions yet doesn't look too over-the-top for more casual events. Plus it's machine-washable, which is always a bonus! It's always good to find nice dresses like this for a great deal at Old Navy. I most recently wore it out to dinner with my best friend during our Christmas celebration.

Dress: Old Navy; Tights: Target; Shoes: Tory Burch Reva flats; Earrings: Kate Spade Putting On The Ritz studs; Pearls: Honora

-L
xoxo

Friday Favorites

My apologies for being slack on posting lately. I hope everyone had a Happy Thanksgiving and stayed safe and sane if you ventured out on Black Friday. Here are this week's Friday Favorites:

Lip Balm:

Softlips Watermelon flavor

I've used Softlips products before and really liked them, and I love anything watermelon flavored. So when I saw this new watermelon Softlips lip balm at Target I had to try it, and I was not disappointed. This lip balm has SPF 20 and protects against dry, chapped lips.

Fall Treat:

Orange KitKat

In the weeks between Halloween and Thanksgiving I enjoyed snacking on discounted candy, like these delicious white chocolate flavored, orange colored KitKats.

Bargain Buy:

Beyond Tuesday Morning by Karen Kingsbury

I was able to add this KK book to my collection for only 25 cents at a used bookstore sale! It made me very happy.

Dress:

Old Navy Printed Tunic Shift Dress

As much as I love my Lilly dresses I have also been able to find some cute dresses lately at Old Navy for a great price, like this printed dress. It works well with tights and boots so can be worn all through fall and winter.

Jeans:

Joe's Jeans The Skinny

I recently got a great new pair of high-waisted skinny jeans at the Joe's Jeans outlet and absolutely love them!

Hope y'all enjoy the rest of your Thanksgiving weekend!

-L

xoxo

Beach Week Outfits

As y'all can see my beach trip has inspired lots of blog posts. Today I want to share a few more featured outfits I wore during the week.

My best friend came for a couple days and we went out to dinner the first night she was there.  I wore a lightweight sleeveless printed top from Old Navy, my white Joe's Jeans skinnies, Honora Pearls, and my Kate Spade Metropolitan Pearl stud earrings. You can't see in the picture, but my silver Jack Rogers completed the outfit nicely.

The next day we went to a surf shop on the island that also carries lots of preppy clothes, including Lilly, Vineyard Vines, and Trina Turk; as well as a decent selection of Citizens of Humanity and 7 For All Mankind jeans. Here I am sitting in a Lilly chair wishing I could take it with me! I wore my Lilly Pulitzer Petula dress from Resort 2009, along with a Lilly watch (similar style here) and cocktail ring. Lilly croakies are holding my vintage Ray-Bans around my neck. My Honora pearl necklace and Kate Spade earrings made a repeat appearance. 

The last day my bestie was there we both rocked printed shorts. I am wearing a sleeveless Polo Ralph Lauren top I've had for about seven years with my favorite Lilly shorts-the Creme Fraiche Callahans from Summer 2010. I'm also wearing the Honora pearls, Kate Spade earrings, Lilly watch and ring, and vintage Ray-Bans again.

-L

xoxo

Friday Favorites

Happy Friday y'all! Can't believe it's already June! Here is this week's installment of Friday Favorites. Enjoy!

Cocktail Ring:

Lilly Pulitzer Critter Ring in Cherry Blossom. This ring is so fun and goes with lots of my outfits. Plus I love that Lilly jewelry comes with a printed drawstring jewelry pouch.

Belt:

Lilly Pulitzer Sullivan Belt in Natural. This lovely woven belt is one-size-fits-all so you can adjust it to fit you perfectly and wear it at your natural waist or through the belt loops of a pair of shorts or pants. It's great for defining the waist of a loose-fitting dress or for adding an extra touch to a shorts and top ensemble.

Bathing Suit:

Old Navy Bandeau Top and String Bikini Bottom in Red Tile. I added another bargain bathing suit from Old Navy to my swimsuit collection. I really needed another bandeau top and I just love this print. I think it has a Tory Burch look to it, but at a fraction of Tory Burch prices. My best friend's mom was very impressed that I found a suit this cute at Old Navy!

Beach House Decor:

This picture is from the bedroom I stayed in at my best friend's beach house over Memorial Day Weekend. I love the pink and green color scheme and the adorable margarita wall hanging. Just looking at this room puts me in a beachy mood!

Vintage sunglasses:

Ray-Bans. While cleaning out my room at my parents' house I found a Ray-Ban case. I thought that it was just a spare sunglasses case, so when I opened it up to see if another pair of my sunglasses would fit, I saw that there were a pair of vintage Ray-Bans already in there! I think they are on old pair of my mom's that she never wears anymore and I liked how they fit so I claimed them as my own! I have no idea what style these are but I think they are from the '80s. Not everything about '80s fashion was unfortunate!

Have a great weekend y'all!

xoxo

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

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 :)

Lilly Pulitzer Boardwalk Bikini Ties Top with Sandy String Ties Bottoms

Tory Burch Mixed Print Bandeau Bikini Top and Banded Bikini Bottom

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