Summer Blues

Hat - Target (Men's), Dress - Macy's, Cuff - ModCloth

I feel like fashion bloggers across the board are talking lately about how they can't wait for fall and the fashions that come with the upcoming season. Uh, am I the only one who is dying to make summer last just a little longer? I started hyperventilating the other day because I noticed that the sun set just a little earlier than it had a few weeks ago. OK, so it might have also had something to do with the fact that my DVR somehow accidentally erased an episode of Pretty Little Liars. Don't judge. But anyway, I love summer fashions. I love bright colors and light and flowy fabrics...not to mention sandals and sundresses! I just love how in the summer you can throw on a dress and a hat and "BAM!" you're ready to go. I think I'm going to start saying "BAM!" when I'm done getting dressed. Maybe I'll even add a fist pump to it. Yeah, the bf is reading this over my shoulder and shaking his head violently "no." I guess not. Such a party pooper.

Seriously though, how cute is this precious little chambray dress? I bought it in the wintertime and wore it like this during colder temperatures. Don't you agree that the summer outfit is much cuter than the winter outfit? Come on, summer, hang on a little longer. I have rompers and dresses and sandals (oh, my!) that I need to wear before you leave!

What's your favorite fashion season? Are you ready for summer to be over (tear)?

Freedom

Top - F21, Skirt - Nordstrom

I came to the disturbing realization over the weekend that summer is almost over. And I nearly cried. If you're not new to this blog, then you know that I always have a hard time dealing with the end of summer. It's probably just a left over Pavlovian response from being a student and feeling that the end of summer marks the end of relaxation, irresponsibility, long days, and warm weather activities. But it also means the end of super cute summer outfits. I know there are so many bloggers out there who crave fall weather and the outfit possibilities it brings, but not me. I love skirts and tank tops and dresses and sandals. And I'm just not ready for scarves and boots and jeans. I have a lot of cute summer wear to get through before cold temperatures force me to bundle up, so I'm on a mission to squeeze them all in while I can! 

Yes, I fully recognize that this crisis of wanting to wear all my cute summer clothes while I still can is pretty insignificant in the grand scheme of things. You'd think binge watching six hours of Orange is the New Black over the weekend (can I just reiterate how awesome this show is?!) should have given me a whole new perspective on what I consider problems. But I figure that's part of what freedom is, right? The freedom to sweat the small things or the freedom to find joy in rocking a cute new outfit. In my case, it's probably also the freedom to sit on my couch eating frozen yogurt and fruit and watch multiple episodes of OITB on a Sunday afternoon without feeling like a sloth. Freedom is freedom, yo. (That "yo" is my tribute to Tricia's character on the show. Yes, I might be getting a bit obsessed.)      

Scream for Summer

Top - Target, Shorts - Old Navy

It's Friday, so I'm going to publicly confess that my girls' night out this week very unabashedly involved delicious Thai food and some delicious Channing Tatum. That's right, ladies. I saw Magic Mike. And before you judge me...It. Was. Awesome. And by awesome, I mean terrible, but so terrible it was good. Let's just say that a movie where Channing Tatum dances with his shirt off for two hours would have been a GREAT movie in my book. As it turns out, a movie where Channing Tatum dances with his shirt off for only 30 minutes total was just an okay movie. There was just too much plot, too much dialogue. Less talking, more Channing dancing. I'm going to write Steven Soderbergh a letter.

Anyway, before you leave the blog in total contempt of me, a bit about my outfit. I was inspired by this PIN to try pairing a soft grey with mustard yellow, and I was really happy with the results. There's just something about brightly colored shorts that screams summer, and now that it's already almost August (*gulp*), I need all the screaming about summer I can get. If you've been a follower for a while, you all know how much I dread, hate, whine about, protest, lament the end of summer. I'm going to ride out this season for as long as I can.

One of my summer traditions is driving to the California State Fair, which I will be doing this weekend. I plan on ingesting a disgusting amount of deep fried food (deep fried Twinkie? Tried it. Deep fried Oreo? Tried it. Deep fried BUTTER? Didn't have the guts to try it, but saw someone do it and almost retched.) and walking around all the vendors, looking for needless gadgets that I simply must have. Have a great weekend!

Rock the Colorblock

Top - Marshalls, Shorts - Old Navy, Sandals - Aeropostale, Watch - Michael Kors

Now that summer is sadly coming to an end, I feel this odd pressure to just colorblock my little heart out. I know that in California, I can get away with rocking spring and summer colors for a few more weeks, but with the temperatures starting to get a little cooler each day, I already find myself gravitating toward fall neutrals. Must. Get. All. My. Colorblocking. In. At least before summer is officially over. And summer is officially over for me when Starbucks starts serving my favorite: the pumpkin spice latte.

I love how purple hues are a great colorblocking choice, especially with yellows and greens. I'm also a Northwestern University grad, so I'll always have a soft place in my heart for purple. This violet top (I know it looks bluish in these photos) is becoming one of my favorites. I love the cut outs in the shoulders and the sheen to the fabric. I spent a few days in Washington D.C. recently, and rocking this top was a perfect way to keep a touristy, comfy outfit from being too boring or sloppy.

More DC photos to come next week. Sorry, I'm so behind on my posts, but these past few weeks have been just a disaster when it comes to time management with my day job, my soap making, and all of the end-of-summer activities that popped up all at once. I promise to be better next week!

Summer Romp

Romper - Gifted, Sunnies - FrockCandy

The temperatures around here reached scorching proportions over the last couple of weeks, and even though my body wasn't ready for the sudden heat, inside I was cheering because it feels like summer is here at last. Summers in my neck of the woods mean that it stays light out until 8 p.m., the weather remains at a balmy 75 to 80 degrees until 10 p.m., backyard barbecues happen nearly every weekend, cool summer cocktails are a must, and you can spend late nights at the drive-in with the windows rolled down so you can breathe in the scent of fresh buttered popcorn. Summers to me also mean rompers, rompers, rompers. This gorgeous colored romper (that I got as a birthday gift last year) is the perfect outfit to keep me cool and comfortable but still looking put together this summer. I rocked it here with some silver jewelry and neutral wedges, but I could have dressed it down with some leather bracelets and some gladiator sandals. If you're a curvy girl, rompers are a GREAT way to hide a little tummy because it hugs your body in the most flattering places. See more short romper examples here and here.

This will be my LAST outfit post featuring my long, long hair. As you heard here, I chopped my hair off this past week on a whim, and I'm excited to debut it on the blog next week with some fresh new outfits. It's amazing how changing your hair length can instantly change the look of an outfit. I've been experimenting with different looks and can't wait to share them with you! Have a great weekend!

Let It Be

Dress - Vintage, Shoes - boutique by Nordstrom

If you're not new to this blog, then you know that I have a serious love affair with vintage dresses. But one of the things that can be difficult about incorporating vintage items into your wardrobe is deciding how and whether to alter them. Sometimes, altering a vintage item can freshen it up, make it your own, and take the item from tired to amazing. I recently bought a vintage dress that had been marked down to FIVE dollars because the owner said everyone who tried it on said it looked funny on them. I saw the problem right away. The long tight sleeves made the dress look like something your grandmother would wear. Fifty years ago. So I simply took the sleeves off the dress, shortened it, and voila! It is now totally wearable and totally ADORABLE (can't wait to wear it on this blog!). Wearing vintage sometimes means having a little imagination.

But on the other hand, sometimes, I really feel like you have to respect the vintage item for what it is, and let its own character shine through. If you alter it too much, or alter a key element of it, then it may as well not even look/feel/be vintage anymore. It's like the Beatles said, baby. Sometimes you've got to just let it be. That's what I did with this dress. Every instinct in me told me to shorten it, shorten it, shorten it, because midi-length dresses are so hard to wear for the petite. But I just respected the dress too much and I left it alone. I'm so glad I did! This dress totally looks like something my mother wore in the 1970s, and I love it because the midi length adds to that vintage feel. What do you think? Did I choose right?

I adore how bright and colorful this dress is. Just wearing it brightens up my mood and makes me feel like summer. Speaking of summer, this weekend will be full of great summer activities. Laying out by the pool, a picnic on the beach where we'll shuck fresh oysters, and a trip to the drive-in are all on the agenda. Ah, I love them summer weekends. Have a great one, loves!

Island Dreams

Dress - gifted from Hawaii, Necklace - Banana Republic, Watch - Michael Kors

It's right about this time of year, when the weather starts to warm up and summer looms, that I start dreaming about my vacation plans for the rest of the year. Maybe it's the years of conditioning that we get while attending school and growing up that summer means vacation, but I still feel like summer = vacation even though there is no such thing as summer vacation in the corporate working world. (Yet another reason to rebel against it).

If you're a regular on this blog, then you know that one of my fave places in the WORLD is Hawaii. And since it has been almost two years since I've been (yikes!), I am determined that a Hawaii trip is in order before the end of 2013. With that on my mind, I couldn't resist donning this gorgeous printed dress from Oahu that my sister brought me back last year. The fabric is cool and loose, which was a must when the heat wave hit last week, and the print is just beautiful. It's actually kind of a shapeless homewear type dress, but I couldn't resist belting it and rocking it outside because it was just too pretty to wear only at home. If I wear it, the vacation will come, right? That's how the saying goes?

Those Summer Nights

Dress - H&M

So it's summer here in Cali, which means it is hot hot hot during the days. But in the evenings, the temperatures dip down a bit, and I'm always looking for something to wear that is still summery but won't make me feel cold. Enter the maxi dress. I adore maxi dresses, as you can see here, here, and here, and they are the perfect summer night go-to look for me, especially with a jean jacket thrown on top. This tie-dyed one from H&M is simple and comfy (read: stretchy!) and best yet, it only cost like $13. 

I also did something a little out of my comfort zone with this one, which is to belt it at my natural waistline, as opposed to higher (right below my rib cage) like I usually do. As a curvy girl, I usually wear my belts higher because I'd like to accentuate the smallest part of my waist...and as a petite girl, I usually wear my belts higher to lengthen my legs (sheesh, it's so hard being me!) but I kind of like how the belt-at-natural-waistline look turned out. It looks like a completely different dress with the belt dropped lower, and now I'm thinking I might try it with a lot of my other dresses. BAM. See what I just did there? I just doubled my wardrobe. 

I'm doing my darndest to try and keep this weekend a relaxing one by not committing myself to much. I'm in desperate need of some quality time at the park with my pup and some relaxing time with my Kindle by the pool, so I can soak up the last bits of summer before its gone. Happy Friday, loves!  

Blue Me Away

Dress - Lulu's, Belt - some shop on Melrose

How is it possibly Friday already? I swear that the weeks, just like the summer days, are getting shorter and shorter as we near the end of summer. I'm trying not to get too depressed about the fact that we are officially now in September. Even though I haven't been in school for a while, it's hard not to feel like September marks the beginning of a new year. And I have to say, I'm not ready for a new year yet! I have colored shorts and rompers and cute sandals and white pants to wear! You'd think that the summer would be a little more considerate of my fashion needs.

I guess if I did have to finish out the year in August, I don't have much to complain about. Back to back trips to Vegas, parties, barbecues and fun get togethers with friends and family are a great way to celebrate the end of one year and the beginning of another. Here's an outfit I wore to see the "Love" show in Vegas over the weekend. For those of you who might not know, it's an amazing Cirque de Soleil show set to an all Beatles score. It. Was. Amazing. I was awed by how visually stimulating the show was...not to mention getting to listen to the Beatles, which is one of my fave bands of all time. One of the best things about the show was the cool decorative walls in the theater that made for great outfit photo backdrops. See, your perspective is just different when you're a blogger, isn't it?

Starting the "new year" off right this weekend, with the wedding of one of my dearest friends. Can't wait to sneak some outfit photos in between my bridesmaid duties. My duties are just to drink champagne and try and look cute, right? Done and done. Have a great weekend, loves!

Perfect Saturday

Jacket - Gap, Tank - Tunic dress worn as tank from F21, Shorts - Banana Republic, Sandals - Target, Ring - gifted (sister)

This past weekend was one of those fabulous weekends where you literally ache on Sunday night because it's come to an end. As I mentioned, we drove out to Point Reyes on Saturday for an amazing picnic/barbecue, complete with fresh oysters that you shuck yourself. I, of course, did no shucking. I ate a ton, but the boyfriend did the shucking, thank goodness. As accident prone as I am, I probably would have lost a thumb, although it would have been for a good cause. The oysters were delicious! We rounded out our feast with gourmet cheeses, wine, proscuitto, breads, barbecued chicken, sausages, sauteed clams, and homemade strawberry shortcake. SUPER thanks to my girl, Miss B, for preparing most of the yummy grub!

I couldn't resist going with a nautical themed outfit since we were heading to the water, and this navy tunic and white shorts proved to be comfortable and weather-appropriate all at the same time. I felt like the outfit looked a little boring and was thrilled to add a teal belt, since navy and aqua is becoming one of my favorite new color combinations for the summer. There's just something about white shorts and a brightly colored belt that screams summer, and the outfit got me excited before we even loaded up the car to head to the beach.

After our serious chowfest, we packed in our goodies and headed to a local beach (where I found a great graffiti wall...I love graffiti art!) to watch the dogs play in the surf and sip on some more wine. Well, let's be clear here, my dog refused to go anywhere near the surf (uh, it would mess up her hair!) and sat on the beach blanket with me while our friends' dogs played in the water. The weather was in the high 70s and amazing. It was one of those perfect days that can really only happen in the summertime. Have I mentioned that I love summer?