Wednesday Wants: All Things Blue and White

As I look at this week's Wednesday Wants, it's apparent that I'm having a minor obsession with all things blue and white. I think it's a hold over for all things Mexico related from the summer collection of Stella & Dot. It all started with the tunic from Urban Outfitters and Gaucho's from Joe's Jeans. From there, I just continued to find blue and white pieces I have to have for summer! And I'm totally into basic tees. Especially ones made of linen. Remember this one from Target that I wear all the time? 

So with all that being said, I bring you this week's Wednesday Wants!

1/2/3/4/5/6/7

Dressing for Spring...

Vest: Zara (cute option); Tee: Boden; Jeans: Ann Taylor (similar); 

Sandals: Pour la Victoire (similar); Jewelry: Stella & Dot; 

Lip Color: Revlon HD Matte in  Love

It can be hard to dress for spring around here due to the fact that the weather is so inconsistent! It's 75 one day, 51 the next, raining buckets another day, and 81 after that. On this particular day, it was humid, but not terribly warm, so I went with lighter layers. And I couldn't be happier that it's finally sandal weather! I've missed all my open toed shoes!

I love the stripes against the eyelet. The stripes play peek-a-boo under the subtle circles making it a little playful. And I liked keeping the vest open. However, I think I might add a thin belt over the self-belting next time. It will add a little dimension. Adding a nude shoe keeps the focus on the stripes. Plus, you know how I feel about trying to match navy's. Just don't!

The Vest: Before and After

   

 

If it weren't for McKinley getting up around 6:00 this morning, this post may have never happened. Yesterday is a blur as we had so much going on. By the time bedtime rolled around, I realized I had never blogged, but when your child asks you to lay down with him and sing him to sleep, you simply can't refuse! Definitely not an excuse for not blogging in my world!

It's a stormy morning around here with rain forecasted all day! I'm thinking it could be a pajama day! But, I'll be back tomorrow with some Wednesday Wants that I've had my eye on! Until then....

West Bottoms

Vest: H&M; Tee: Target; Jeans: Loft (similar); Booties: Vince Camuto;

Handbag, Shades, and Jewels: Stella & Dot

A couple of weeks ago my mom, McKinley, and I loaded up and headed down to the West Bottoms for a little site seeing. My mom had never been and McKinley had been dying to go down and see the old rail road tracks and old buildings. My mom and I wanted to check out some of the stores as we're debating setting up a booth in one of the retailers. We found the perfect one! Not sure if we will really take the plunge, but I am all about taking a leap this year! No matter what, the weather lent itself to an awesome afternoon of walking around. 

This is piece number three from the H&M shopping spree! I am digging these long BOHO pieces! This green vest was the first thing that caught my eye and you can totally see why, right? The color, the design, the style.... The reasons are endless and the amount of times I plan to wear it are endless as well. Such a cool vest!

 

By the way, the t-shirt has become my second skin! I got this from Target from the Who What Wear line and I wish that I had purchased 10 more! It's linen and it's absolute perfection. The color, the length, the fit, and ease are all the reason to order one for yourself! You won't regret it!

Look at me starting off the week with a blog post! Feels good. Almost as good as that tee! 

Happy Monday, Fashionista's!

No More Excuses....

Sweater: H&M (gift); Tee: J.Crew Factory (cute option); Jeans: Zara; Booties: Vince Camuto; Belt: Target

Handbag: Stella & Dot; Shades: Stella & Dot (black version); All Jewelry: Stella & Dot

I realize that my t-shirt reads blah, blah, blah, and what I'm about to tell you could be misconstrued as just words, but I'm hear to tell you that I'm trying not to make any more excuses about not blogging! 

I could tell you that I'm tired, that it was a mama night to put McKinley to bed, that it's 9:30, that it's midnight, that I was crafting, that I was cleaning out the DVR, or simply that I just wasn't in the mood. And lately that's been a lot of it. I just haven't been in the mood. I haven't been motivated to get dressed. I haven't loved what I actually wore that day. I didn't have anyone to take my picture because my husband is getting tired of doing it. And, that I've been focusing all of my energy on getting my business up and running.

But I miss it. I miss sharing my looks with you, when I like what I put together. I've missed sharing styling tips with you because that's part of the business of blogging. And, I've just missed writing. I know that blogging about my day to day fashion isn't true writing, but it's a creative outlet right? And I need to carve out time during the day to get back to what I really love, fashion!

This is a new sweater, a gift from my mom, when she shopped at H&M for me several weeks ago. (Remember the chic jacket? This was from the same trip.) This sweater is like wearing butter, if you could wear butter, and I'm obsessed with the length. It's been great for chilly spring mornings and it will be even better on chilly fall days. It's the perfect layering piece and I love how it looks with a graphic tee, distressed jeans, and my all time favorite booties!

And what about this raffia bag! It's from our Stella & Dot summer collection and it's a Limited Edition! Get one now before they're gone for good! I've literally carried from the minute I pulled it out of the box! The essential summer bag!

 

It's Friday!! And it's a busy weekend for us! It's my hubby's birthday this weekend so there will be cake decorating, crafting for McKinley's gift to him, a possible date night, and watching him paint while he's on the roof. What's going on in your world?

Have a great weekend, Fashionista's!

A Statement Jacket

Jacket: H&M (check stores for avail); Tee: Who What Wear for Target; Jeans: Joe's Jeans;

Heels: Ivanka Trump (cute option); Shades: Prada; All Jewels: Stella & Dot;  

Lip Color: NARS Heat Wave 

Last Thursday my mom treated McKinley and I to lunch at Nordstrom Cafe. It was in honor of McKinley's fifth birthday and I just got to tag along and enjoy. The perks of being the mom of the birthday boy!! We dined on salad, pizza, (mac/cheese for McKinley) and my mom and I toasted McKinley with wine while he drank water. It was the best way to continue celebrating age five, if you ask me!

After lunch we strolled the mall and let the birthday boy do just about whatever he wanted to do. He got new tennis shoes, a Build-A-Bear dog he named Blackie, and a horse trailer with truck from the toy store. I got a couple of new things as well. I had a gift card to JCPenney where I got a cute summer top. My mom gifted me with a few things from H&M. One of them being this oh so chic, Aztec inspired print jacket. I first saw this statement piece when McKinley and I went on the Easter Bunny tour on the Plaza several weeks ago. It had been on mind ever since. When a green and cream print vest caught my eye on Thursday, I couldn't help but look for this stunner. Turns out, it was one of three left! And just my luck, they had my size. 

 

When styling the jacket, I wanted to keep the focus on the amazing design. A cream tee, skinny jeans, and coral heels were all this look needed. That and some incredible fun jewels to compliment it! (And don't tell anyone, but I wore it the next day as well. Post to come....)

Happy Monday, Fashionista's!!

Those Mimosas.....

Blazer: Loft (similar); Tee: Prep Obsessed (c/o); Jeans: Loft; Booties: Vince Camuto;

Handbag: MbyMJ (cute option); Jewelry: Stella & Dot; Shades: Karen Walker via Gilt

My sweet baby boy turned five on Wednesday and I've cried, smiled, laughed, and cried some more. I can't get over the fact that five years has passed by and that he's growing up to be such an amazing big boy. With Kindergarten looming in the fall, I find myself needing more mimosas to help celebrate this momentous time and to help cheer me up! I mean how doesn't love orange juice with a side of bubbles!

And this tee is going to keep me on the cheerful side of life as well! This was the first item that really caught my eye on Prep Obsessed's Instagram and you can see why. The gray is the perfect shade of gray. The white letter makes it pop. And the softness of the fabric is unreal! Seriously, order this tee today!! You will never regret it. 

My mom, son, and I went to Nordstrom's Cafe yesterday to treat McKinley to lunch as we continue to celebrate his fifth birthday. And when I got dressed, I knew that this tee was the perfect piece to style for an afternoon of posh lunching, shoe shopping, and mall walking. With a chill in the air, I paired it with my favorite black blazer. Dark denim helped keep the look dressy and my go-to spring booties were the best "walking" shoe for the occasion. I topped it all off with fun jewels and hints of pink. Definitely my favorite look this spring!

 

The Blazer: Before and After

  

 

 It's FRIDAY!! We have a huge weekend planned. Actually, my April is out of control and in a good way. What I'm hoping is that I can keep my calendar in check, my spring style evolving, and mimosas on the weekend.

See you all back here on Monday!

MUAH!

Another Dollar General Find....

Dress: Dollar General; Jacket: My Mom's; Handbag: Kooba; Booties: Vince Camuto; 

All Jewelry: Stella & Dot

Whenever my family and I take the trip down to my parents house in Southern Missouri, my mom and I always find a reason to head to town. What we really want to do is hit the local Dollar General and buy scratcher tickets at the grocery store. We live it up on vacation! And whenever we visit DG, I always find a good find. Like camo maxi dress! I got this last fall and only worked up the nerve to wear it this spring. I always worry about cotton and it's ability to tug and pull on all the wrong places on my body. But when I put it on for a lunch date with my friend Stacy, it actually fit in all the right places!! I will definitely make this a staple come summer.

In order to make it appear to fit better, I'm going to talk about something we women never share. Undergarments. No, I didn't wear Spanx, although I own several pairs. I wore non-cotton granny panties! That's right, granny panties! The full coverage ensures that all my unflattering parts are nicely covered and the non-cotton doesn't allow the cotton of the dress grab a hold and never let go. It's worse than static cling! I recommend a jersey blend material to achieve this type of look. And make sure they are seamless!

 

The Denim Jacket: Before and After

    

These booties are simply the best booties I've ever owned! They are the perfect heel height for the copious amounts of walking we do and they literally work all year round!

  

 

When it comes to shopping, I have to repeat myself when I say never underestimate bargain shopping! Walmart, Dollar General, and K-Mart have provided some of the cutest pieces that have become staples. And I never want to hear "I can't afford to shop" when there are pieces like this that are under $15!!! A cute, trendy piece that will last season after season.

Blogger Collaboration with Prep Obsessed

I love bringing new companies and lines to your attention, even if you've had them on your radar, but haven't taken the time to look closer at them. I've been following Prep Obsessed on Instagram for awhile and I've fallen in love with their darling, full serve line of the girliest things for your daily fashion fix or your home decor.

Prep Obsessed is based out of Palm Beach Gardens, FL, and they have the preppiest style this side of Lily Pulitzer! Owned and operated by Nina Vitalino and Corey O'Loughlin, these two friends founded the company back in 2013 when they found that they needed to shop for clothes, gifts, and accessories "at three different stores, and even then, we'd have a tough time finding items for ourselves and our friends. Our goal was to create the one stop shop for likeminded women across the country and around the world." 

When I approached the company about working together, they didn't hesitate. But, I didn't want to just feature all my favorite things in a blog post, which I've done below. I wanted to talk with them about why they created their company, what inspired their business (see above), what their mission was, and where they saw themselves in a year. 

Their mission is "to find unique items that will set our customers apart from the crowd for all the right reasons. We aim to offer items that are fun, classy, and affordable - all while providing top notch customer service", and when I asked where they get their motivation, the answer was easy. "We have a running list that all of our friends contribute to." As for their quirky quotes? Whenever they go out, they end up coming up with a slew of them. "Our friends definitely inspire so much of what we do." I love that!! 

As I mentioned earlier, Prep Obsessed has a full service line of products, but I need to elaborate. I adore their bar/drinkware, and I'm pretty sure I've chosen every tumbler they offer! I think I need the "Everyday I'm Hustlin" one for sure. Their Monogram line is every Southern girls dream and the baseball cap is on my radar. The chambray one is super cute, but the black is so chic. And check out that octopus shot glass holder! Talk about a statement piece at your next cocktail party! I would love to give that as a wedding gift! So unique! And the piece that started it all for me is the "Mimosas Made Me Do It" tee. And for all of you who know me, you know that is not a lie! 

Check out the top 10 pieces I've chosen!

Prep Obsessed's team was so generous to supply me with a few blogger gifts and I can't wait to share how I've styled them! But in the meantime, I want to highlight their pineapple earrings. These are their Signature Pineapple Pearl Pop Studs and they are the epitome of adorable! And while I'm on the subject of pineapples, the large array of pineapple themed items are super cute! 

So where do Corey and Nina see themselves in a year? "That's probably the toughest question of all! We've been growing so quickly that in the next year we'll probably have purchased 100 new storage solutions to try to make our current shop work for a few more months (we're BURSTING at the seams), have added some great new members to our team, and ideally have created some fantastic new products that we're obsessed with!" I hope all of this becomes a reality for this darling duo and their chic boutique! And as for me, I hope to be a part of that team from a blogger stand point and consumer!

See anything you like? Shop the link here! Whether it's for you or a friend, you will love everything you've ordered! 

Happy Monday and Happy Shopping!