Friday's Fancies: Beach Day Essentials

Unfortunately I don't have any beach trips lined up this summer, but you never know I might throw in a day trip somewhere. Growing up we spent weeks ever summer at my family's little beach cottage on St. George Island on the Florida panhandle. We have some fantastic memories there with some good friends and family, and beach trips haven't really been the same since my parents sold it.

GANT slim shirt / Pleated maxi skirt, $23 / Miu Miu bow bandeau bathing suit, $155 / River Island gold handbag, $38 / GUESS hat / GUESS by Marciano sunglasses / Sun care / Turquoise Teshvikiye Linen Turkish Towel

What's a beach day with out a little touch of glam right? I typically try to cover up as much as I can when traveling to and from the shore, I always seemed to get the worst sunburns walking home. Seriously I love oxfords to lounge around in and they provide tons of coverage from those intense florida rays. To keep the look from veering too far into prepster-ville I added the sparkly bag and the white maxi skirt. Then add a floppy hat, some cute sunnies, oh and the perfectly classic girly suit. Perfect beach wear.

Friday's Fancies: Summer Wish List-- Target Maxi Dresses

Greetings! As you read this, I'm on the road to New Orleans for a little weekend visit with my Mom. So far my little vacation has been lovely (minus the crazy early mornings two days in a row). Today marks the first official day of summer, and let me tell you it feels like it! DC has still been cool, but Arkansas and Louisiana are quite warm, let me tell you.

For this week's Friday's Fancies theme we are discussing our summer wish list. Mine is long, but since I'm moving I've put myself on a spending freeze! I don't want to have to move anything extra! Whatever doesn't fit in my Jetta isn't going to make it with me to NOLA.  I have been lusting over one piece... and I think I could make an exception to the spending freeze. The Target Jersey Maxi Dress.

Mossimo petite dress / Mossimo pocket dress / Mossimo see through dress / Mossimo petite dress

Are they not killing it lately? That black and white one, first introduced to me by the lovely Alissa, I'm obsessed. 

Wish me luck house hunting this weekend, and please excuse me for potential delayed posts next week as I'm traveling Sunday and Monday! Have a great one gals!

Four Things: Floral

I had so much fun with last week's four things link-up I decided to come back for more. This week's theme is "Floral: Anything Goes." Now normally I'm not much of a floral person when it comes to my wardrobe. I just checked my closet and found 3 things. woops. But, since florals are so trendy right now, I've been trying to broaden my horizons a bit.

Lipsy flower print shirt, $44 / Accessorize satin ballet flat / FOSSIL floral tote / Diptyque Roses Scented Candle

I'd love to add this cute top to my collection. Or a fun tote, or even hide my florals inside my shoes. But if I don't accomplish any of that, rest assured I'll always have gorgeous floral candles around. Don't forget to come join the fun with Ashlyn and Kristin.

Fun note, I'm heading to the deep south tomorrow for a little relaxation and to get ready for a big move in 6 weeks! Yay! Both Little Rock and New Orleans are on the agenda! I'm even hoping to maybe get in a little pool time while I'm at my parents! So here's to it being my friday! Woohoo!

Friday's Fancies: Weekend Weddings

We made it again! Happy Friday y'all!  For this week's Friday's Fancies we are talking wedding wear. Shockingly I don't have any weddings to attend this year (though with quite a few engagements I'm sure next summer will be very busy). But if I did have a wedding to attend I would certainly love to show up in this little pretty.

Dress,/ ankle wrap sandals / Leather clutch /  cuff bracelet / Wire jewelry

I'm still loving all things metallic, and bronze seems perfect for summertime. Pair it with a golden makeup look? I'm thinking it's summer time perfection right? Now since it's Friday I won't keep you here too long, but y'all seriously need to check out some of these posts below. Can I just say it was a pretty epic week around the blog-o-sphere.

Link Love

• I want my new apartment to include all of these pretties Erin curated.
• Julie wrote beautiful and thoughtful post about being real or fake in blogging. I couldn't agree with her sentiments more.
• Ashley shared her top five photo editing apps. Shocker. Instagram DIDN'T make the list.  
• In the mood for a yummy cocktail? Laura's got you covered with this Orange Ginger Mojito. 
• Betsy introduced us to beer pasta this week. Need I say more?
• Finally we talked brows with Meg, definitely something I need to work on. 

Four Things

Happy Wednesday! Seriously, I feel so much better on Wednesdays because I know the weekend will be here before we know it, and this weekend promises to be wonderful. So today I wanted to join some of my favorite gals in a four things link up, and share four things I'm loving today.

gelato / havaianas / fathers day / lulu and georgia 

Is there really anything better to cool you off during the summertime than some ice cream? I popped in to pitago gelato over the weekend, and I haven't been able to get the stuff out of my head. DC area folks. White Grapefruit Sorbet. If you want to get crazy add it to the Chocolate Noir sorbet. It's beyond amazing. 

I picked up a new pair of havaiana's at south moon under a few weeks ago, and oh my gosh I forgot how comfortable they are. If you've never tried them, go get you some ASAP. 

Father's Day is this weekend! What are you getting your dads? I love getting to celebrate a day of Dad's, but let me tell you... mine is SO hard to shop for! If you have any awesome dad gift ideas please send them my way!

I'm sure by now y'all have heard of lulu and georgia but as I'm apartment hunting I can't help but dream of a new place decorated entirely with their gorgeous pieces.

What four things are you loving today? Don't forget to link up!

A Little Gap Love

Since it's been raining pretty much nonstop for days I'm dreaming of some warm sunny summer fun. So what's a girl to do, obviously a little online shopping right? Somehow I wound up at the Gap and was actually super impressed with the selection this season.

Gap tall maxi dress / Gap dress / Gap flip flops / Gap platform wedge shoes / Gap leather tote bag / Gap straw fedora / Gap Tortoise Bamboo Sunglasses

I haven't really perused their website in years, but I'm loving all of the maxi dress options, fun sunnies and even some cute shoes.  What do y'all think? Have you visited the gap lately?

ps. don't forget today's your last chance to enter to win a $50 Shabby Apple Giftcard here!

Friday's Fancies

Is it just me, or did that week just fly by? Time seems to just keep moving faster and faster. While it's overcast and rainy thanks to that pesky storm Andrea. While I don't mind the cooler weather and rain, I would like to break out my sunglasses this weekend.

summer sunnies by bluedogbelle featuring stella mccartney

I need them all, obviously.  Don't forget to come link up with Alison so you can see some other fabulous shades to last you through the summer and beyond.


Link Love

• In need of a fabulous cocktail? Natalie's got you covered with these cute printables. 
• I loved this board of four favorites. Definitely thinking about this color scheme for my new apartment. 
• This is SUCH a good idea for decorating an apartment! Who doesn't love Washi tape?
• I've been on a quinoa kick lately. Definitely going to attempt to make this little cake. 
• Shay had a great list of books to read in your twenties. I had better get a move on if I want to get it all done!

Since it's supposed to be rainy tonight I may just stay in and do a little reading in bed. I went to the library yesterday and picked up a few books to read to prep be a bit for law school. I doubt I'll make it through all of them, but I'm just feeling so antsy about all the upcoming change, I felt I needed to do something tangible.

Anyways, have a fabulous weekend dolls! Oh... and don't forget about the Shabby Apple Giveaway!

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Friday's Fancies: Winning in White

Are four day weeks not the best? I can hardly believe it's Friday, but I'm certainly not complaining! This week's Friday's Fancies theme is very appropriate, as summer time weather has officially arrived in DC.

winning in white by bluedogbelle featuring stainless steel jewelry

Flower dress / Topshop leather shoes / Accessorize evening handbag / Kate Spade earrings / French Connection stainless steel jewelry, $145 / San Diego Hat Co. wide brim hat

Honestly I'm still way behind in my reader... so I haven't gotten to troll through as many posts as I would like, but I certainly still have some link love to share with you all.

• Pugly Pixel had this great post about free downloadable art from the  Rijks Museum. I may have to nab a few for my new apartment!
• Alyssa from The Glossy Life wrote such a beautiful and poignant post yesterday. It's definitely worth a read. 
• This trick from The Beauty Department is genius, and actually works! Who knew?
• I loved Allyssa's summer reading challenge, and think I may play along. Anyone else?
• Now go make this deliciously southern summertime cocktail and start the weekend off right. 

Have a great one gals!

Friday's Fancies: Memorial Day Diva

We made it again folks! Boy am I glad this week is over, and it's a three day weekend to boot! Yay! since my days in DC are numbered I've decided to stick around town and take in some of the best sights this city has to offer. A National's game on Sunday, the Memorial Day Concert on the mall on Monday, it's going to be great! And I'm pretty sure this is the perfect outfit for all that gallivanting around town.

seersucker dress / flat sandals / tote bag / pendant jewelry / sunglasses / Sunscreen

How cute is this seersucker dress? First of all I love anything seersucker, but how perfectly patriotic for Memorial Day weekend right?

Since I'm going to be out and about quite a bit I'll definitely putting my sunscreen supplies to good use. Don't forget ladies! No one wants wrinkles or skin cancer!

Okay, now for a little link love. PS I hope y'all are liking this new weekly feature! It's quickly becoming one of my favorites!

• Need a one stop show for creative blog resources? Ashley Ella Designs put together a great one this week! So helpful. 
• Like any true southern girl I love me some boiled peanuts, but I've never thought to make them for myself. Thankfully Carlene is here to rescue us all with this recipe. Rumor is she's going to make boiled peanut hummus soon too. Yum. 
• Since summer is unofficially here we all need to remember to protect ourselves from the harmful rays of the sun. Here's 12 things you're doing wrong with your sunscreen right. 
• I'm SO doing this to my vanity! 
• How amazing does this chicken sound? I love all of her recipes, but this one is just calling my name! 
• I think I've found my next DIY project! I love this camera strap! 

Alright gals! I hope y'all have a fabulous long weekend!

South Moon Under Shopping

Last week I made the trek out to South Moon Under in the Mosaic District in Fairfax for the Rebecca Minkoff trunk show, and let me tell y'all it was well worth the adventure. I know I'm making this sound like it's hours outside the city, but like many other district dwellers I rarely venture out to virginia, let alone outside the beltway! 

Honestly though, I wish I had done it sooner. Fabulous boutique shopping, many of my favorite DC area restaurants and target in one place? I don't even have to pay for parking? Amazing. Anyways, South Moon Under is a gem, so many unique and on trend pieces I definitely know where I'll be doing my shopping from now on. 

I was beyond impressed with the selection, and hey a 20% off night doesn't hurt either right? 

Gilded Stripes

Well folks, we made it once again! Happy Friday! I can tell already this summer is just going to fly by (yay/sad).  This week has been an absolute whirlwind and I really don't know where the time keeps going! But anyways, let's talk about more exciting things like Friday's Fancies. I decided to go a bit more formal for Friday's Fancies this week. While the theme was stripes, I seemed to be craving any and everything gold.

Lace top / striped pencil skirt / shoes / sandals /  handbag / bracelet  / disc earrings / pearl drop earrings

I don't know about you, but I'm absolutely and completely obsessed with this pencil skirt! 

UPDATED

Oh my gosh y'all! somehow I forgot to do a little link love this week! How did that happen? Maybe because I stayed up entirely too late last night watching the epic office series finale. Before we get to link love can we just talk about the office for a minute? Oh my gosh, I'm so sad. I was a little disappointed with the ending, but I think that's more in the fact that it's ending not so much the writing. I was definitely great to see the whole gang together one last time and get some resolutions for so many of my favorites. Seriously. Thursday nights are never going to be the same. 

Okay, enough ranting about TV. Link Love time. 

• Now that summer weather is quickly approaching I've been craving fruit like crazy. This teriyaki chicken with strawberry mango salsa sounds right up my alley. 
• Anyone in need of a few good DIY ideas? Design Crush pulled together some great ones this week. 
• I am not the best about cleaning my makeup brushes, but I would say it realistically happens every 3-4 weeks. This is a great guide on how to not only clean, but sanitize your makeup brushes. 
• It's friday, obviously time for a cocktail tonight and this one sounds so perfect.
• I am officially half way through my twenties, scary. I loved this cheat sheet for winning at life in your 20's. Definitely some lessons to learn. 
• Not that I need to do any more shopping, but I loved each and every one of these shops featured on Dooley Noted Style this week. 

And that is all she wrote. Happy Weekend Y'all! I'm finally seeing Gatsby and checking out Opera in the Outfield. Other than that, I'm going to enjoy this lovely weather! 

Surprise Kate Spade Sale!

Guess what happened yesterday? I was just minding my own business checking emails on my phone when all of the sudden I see this gem...

Yep. Time to break out the credit card. While I'm not going too crazy (with moving and law school on the horizon I'm trying to save money like crazy), but I have a few gift cards burning a hole in my pocket. So I need y'alls help! What should I get?

I do actually need a new wallet. I've been rocking the same (fake *gasp* D&B wallet for over 2 years).

Wellesley Stacy

I am obsessed with this blue beauty. 

Wellesley Zip Travel Wallet

This wallet is HUGE, such a steal. But how do I feel about the orange? Hmm...

Pasadena New Sander

Blue. Patton. Leather. Need I say more? 

Or maybe I should get some fun jewels? You can never have too many right? 

Gumdrop Studs

These studs have been a go-to gift of mine lately. They are so fun and chic, and everyone loves them! Maybe it's time I get some for myself. Plus, hello? $19? 

Chandelier Earrings

How fun are these beauties? 

And just for fun, maybe a new bag?

Wellesley Alessa

A perfect fun little beauty to run around town with me on the weekends? I think so.

Striped Flicker Bon Shopper

Or maybe this one? Perfect for toting law books around New Orleans right? I think so. 

So, what should I do? Get a wallet I need? a fun little bit of glitz? or splurge for another bag? Or is there something out there I'm not seeing? Hmm... you can shop the whole sale here. Did I mention it ends TONIGHT! Hurry up and get to shopping gals. 

Friday's Fancies

Wow. I cannot believe it's Friday yet again! The days seem so long, but the weeks are short. This week marked the 100 days to law school count down. Can you believe it? I certainly can't.

Lately I've been itching to embrace my inner hipster on the weekends. I think it's my new camera, I feel  so much "cooler" if I dress the part of a hipster photographer as I try to learn how to take a decent picture.

dress / shoes  / shoulder bag / earrings / watch / printed hat / sunglasses

What's more comfortable than a flowy maxi dress and some havainas for walking around the farmers market? Yoga pants, but that's not chic enough for Friday's Fancies.

Now I have a little link love for the week.

• How great are these prints from Ashley Ella design? I'm definitely going to print these for a gallery wall in my new place.  

• I'm always trying new face masques but after this review I think I may have found a new favorite. Have y'all ever tried something like this? Let me know.

• Lately I've been loving getting tips on how to be a better blogger. I've fallen into a bit of a blogger rut, so in an effort to change things up I'm following all of Sarah's tips.

• This Lemon Basil Jello definitely peaked my interest this week. One of my favorite flavor combos in squishy form? I'm in. 

• The Beauty Department is one of my go-to's for any and everything hair and beauty. I loved this tutorial for soft waves. This actually inspired my hair yesterday. Super duper easy. 

• Two of my favorite beauty bloggers in once place this week? Loved it!!! 

• Finally I could not get over this series on Apartment Therapy. How cute is this little apartment? I'm taking notes.  

Alright boys and girls. I'm signing out for the weekend! I'm heading to Williamsburg, Va to celebrate my bestie and her husband's law school graduation! PS. How adorable are these two? I'm obsessed with those pictures! 

Spring Gingham Dress

A while back I was approached by eshakti to review a dress from their spring line.  If you haven't heard of eshakti before, it's a great concept for perfectly fitting clothes!  They allow you to choose a garment and customize the style (think neckline, sleeves or length). Even better than that, everything is available in any size 0-36W! They have a wide variety of styles too, so there's something for everyone. Love that.

I picked out this dress at the end of February, but it was such a cool spring, I've only just been able to start wearing it. These were taken a few weeks ago and I'm just going to warn you about my blindingly white legs. Sorry. 

Dress c/o eshakti {similar | love this one}, glasses {target}, Shoes {old}, Watch {michael kors}

Thanks to my lovely photographer for playing with me in the middle of the DC streets. We live life on the edge.


*I was gifted the dress in exchange for review, but as always all thoughts and opinions expressed are solely my own.