10 Pool & Beach Essentials

1) A Great Bathing Suit & Cute Cover Up
I'm currently on the hunt for a new one piece for the summer. I'm really leaning towards buying this one (it's an extra 20% of the sale price with code CLEAR20 and so it's only $28!!). If I was going to splurge, I'd definitely get this ADORABLE suit! See a bunch of other options below! Also, I love this lace, off the shoulder cover up.

2) Sunglasses
It's really important to protect your eyes! My "go to" sunglasses are Ray Ban aviators. However, I love these fun round, oversized sunglasses (only $12)!

3) A Pool Float
You have to get this one because...duh, it's a donut!

4) A Straw Bag
I love this $35 tassel bag! (EXTRA 30% OFF WITH MEMDAY30 making it $27!!!). I think this straw bag is the cutest thing ever and I would definitely get it if I was going to splurge!

5) Cute Sandals
I love these cute sandals (25% off) and these palm print ones (33% off).

6) A Straw Hat
I have this $14 hat and love it! For more of a splurge, I LOVE this adorable hat!

7) Sea Salt/Texturizing Spray
I love the messy, sea salt look that the ocean gives my hair but I am always dying to wash my hair after spending the day at the beach! A solution that has worked well for me is this super cheap sea salt spray (and it smells amazing!). I have also heard that this texture spray is amazing (more of a splurge).

8) Sunless Tanner
I've become a big fan of sunless tanner because I want a great tan without all the wrinkles (ugh, I never used to worry about wrinkles...definitely a sign I'm getting older!). I've been happy with this one and I've also heard this one is good.

9) Clarifying Shampoo
Because after all of that sun and salt, your hair needs a good cleaning! I actually really love this $2 shampoo and use it once a week and I've also heard this one is really good.

10) SPF Lip Balm & Sunscreen
This one has SPF, tint, AND it exfoliates your lips! Also, I'm prone to acne and so I've used this face sunscreen for years and never had any problem with it breaking me out!

Currently Loving 05.05

Spring is certainly here and I'm loving all of the new spring/summer fashions out there! A few things I've been loving lately are:
1) Cute sundresses like this one and this one
2) Off-the-shoulder tops and dresses like this one, this one, and this one
3) White jeans (I hope to buy these soon)
4) Scalloped bathing suits like this bikini and this one piece
5) Bright clutches like this one
6) Cork wedges like these (on sale!) and a dupe for this more expensive version
7) Anything gingham! I love this cami, this top, and this dress
8) Contouring (I recently bought the LORAC Contour Palette for a wedding I was in and it is AMAZING!! This contour palette will help you achieve the perfect summer glow without frying yours skin in the sun)
9) Mules and open toed booties like these and these
10) Midi skirts (i've been hunting for the perfect, inexpensive midi skirt and haven't found one yet...here's one good and inexpensive option)

 ASOS Sundress // BP. Scallop Bikini // Articles of Society White Jeans //
Old Navy Dress // LORAC Contour Palette // Rebekah Minkoff Clutch // BP. Wedges

Fashion Friday: Pink Blazer & White Jeans

I think a good blazer adds so much to any outfit! Blazers are one of my favorite things to wear and I love the tailored, classy effect they give to anything you wear (even if it's just paired with a t-shirt!). I got this coral linen blazer at the J Crew factory a few years ago and I wear it a ton in the spring! I am also wearing the best tunic EVER (and it's under $30!) and my favorite pair of wedges (also on sale for under $85!). This outfit would work well for many occasions and can be dressed up or dressed down. If you wanted to wear it to work, you could just switch out jeans for white or tan dress pants or pencil skirt.

Blazer: J Crew Factory (Similar here and here); Tunic: Lush (Same in "ivory"); Jeans: Gap (Similar...I plan on purchasing these soon!); Shoes: Sam Edelman (Same and on sale!); Earrings: BP (Similar)

Fashion Friday: 7 Essentials to Pack for Traveling

Today I'm sharing with you a few of the essentials I am packing for my trip to London! Over the next few weeks, I'll do more posts on a few specific outfits I wore while in London. For now, here's a few things you should be sure to pack if you're traveling in the next few months:

1) A Comfortable Pair of Shoes
A comfortable pair of shoes is really important, especially when traveling to Europe or places you'll be walking a lot! I wanted to be really comfortable when walking around London but I also didn't want to stand out like an American in tennis shoes. I studied abroad in London several years ago, and one thing I quickly learned is that Europeans only wear tennis shoes and athletic gear when they're working out! To give myself a few options I am bringing a pair of flats, booties, and riding boots.

2) A Good Water Bottle
When you're traveling and walking around a lot, you need to be sure to drink water! I LOVE my new Swell bottle that I purchased at Target! You can use it for hot or cold drinks and it keeps them hot/cold all day. I'm also prone to spilling my drinks easily and this bottle doesn't spill in my bag!

3) A Selfie Stick
A selfie stick is essential when it's just you and your significant other (or friend) traveling together! I learned the hard way during out honeymoon when we'd visit gorgeous sites and there wasn't a person around to get a picture of my husband and I with the view in the background. This one is SO cute!

4) A Good Coat
A good coat is super important, especially when traveling somewhere as rainy as London! I really wanted to purchase a classic trench coat like this one before my trip, but that's not in the budget right now and so I'll be sticking to a military style coat. A great coat like a trench coat is always a great addition to your wardrobe because it is so classy and you know that it will never go out of style!

5) A Good Bag
You'll need a good bag with you when you travel to carry all of these things! I also REALLY wanted to buy this backpack before our trip, but I resisted! I am carrying everything around in a tote bag like this one. 

Sorry about the super low quality of this picture! I just wanted to give you an idea of what the jumpsuit looks like. I'll have a full outfit post on it soon but wanted to go ahead and share it since it's ON SALE FOR $32!!

6) Neutral Clothing
Another thing I learned while studying abroad is that Europeans wear mostly neutrals which is perfectly find by me because most of my closet is neutral! Packing mostly neutrals also works great because then you know that everything will match! I brought a few tops like this striped one, this cami, and this tunic. In addition, I'm really excited to wear this jumpsuit I just purchased ON SALE for $32!!!!!! It's super comfortable and cute! I've been searching everywhere for a jumpsuit that I could wear to shoot weddings, in Europe, etc. I wanted something comfortable but I didn't want it to be made of jersey material because I think that makes it look too casual. I also wanted something with a looser fit but not too loose (because then I just look like I'm drowning in it). I've looked a lot of places, and, in my opinion, this one is one of the best and one of the cheapest!

7) Your Favorite Lipstick
Don't forget your favorite lipstick so you look good in all of your vacation pictures! I recently tried Mac lipstick for the first time and all the hype you hear about them is true. I'm OBSESSED! One of my favorite colors is "Twig" and that's what I brought with me on this trip! I like "Twig" because it's a great mauve, semi-matte lip color that is little darker than my natural lips and so it gives me some great color without being too dramatic. 

Alex and I are having a great time! I can't wait to share more pictures with you soon!

Flats: Old Navy (Similar); Purse: Banana Republic (Similar and similar); Water Bottle: Swell (Same); Selfie Stick: Target (Similar...this one is so cute); Lipstick: Mac (Same...color is "Twig"); Striped Top One: Old Navy (Similar); Striped Top Two: BP (Similar)

Fashion Friday: The Perfect Dress

There aways seems to be a lot of graduations, parties, and weddings in the spring! A chambray dress is very on trend this season (and so is embroidered anything!) and I think it's a perfect dress to wear to any occasion! I'm actually planning to wear this to a bridal luncheon this weekend! What I love about a chambray dress is that it can be dressed up or dressed down and worn during all seasons (just add a cardigan and boots for the fall!). My dress is Jessica Simpson and a I bought it a few years ago at TJ Maxx, but there's tons of super similar options out right now (see all the options at the bottom of this post). I also love the pop of color that color/pink shoes add to this outfit. Coral is one of my favorite colors to wear in the spring and summer and I think it's a color that is flattering on just about everyone! 

I hope everyone has a wonderful weekend!

Dress: Jessica Simpson (Old, similar here, here, and here and more listed below), Shoes: J Crew (Old, similar here, here, and here and more listed below), Bracelet: Francesca's (Old, similar here and here), Earrings: BP (Old, similar here). 

*Thank you to Sammi Evans Photography for these pictures