An Emerald Dress for the Last Days of Summer

It's not even close to the "last days of summer" here in Houston where the heat and humidity continue to be bountiful. I'm more ready for fall than I ever have been.  Alas, mother nature probably won't grant us cooler temps until October, so I'm still wearing some of my favorite breezier summer dresses.

This one, from Lulu's, has a beautiful low back which is a fun and unexpected detail. Plus, it keeps you pretty cool.

 (...and you can still see the scar from my mole removal. sigh.)

Dress - c/o Lulu's | Sunglasses- c/o Lulu's | Necklace- GroopDealz.com (similar) | Hat- Walgreens (similar, similar, similar) | Bracelet- J.Crew (and here and here) | Lip Gloss- Almay Color+Care in Blooming | Shoes- Ivanka Trump- (similar, similar)

Hope you're enjoying cooler weather---or if it's still hot, I hope you have a fully functioning A/C system :)

Wishing y'all a great weekend!

Outfits This Week...

Today when I got in my car after work, the outside temperature was 104 degrees. I am OVER summer. Bye bye, seriously. 

I am ready for layers and not sweating profusely on my way home.  I'm driving our other car right now since our SUV is the only one that has a car seat (our car will have one soon, we just ordered it and will have it installed by the car seat specialist at the store). Anyway, the A/C in that car is not as intense and takes forever to cool down the car. So basically it's a sweat-fest all the way home. 

Having said that, my office is as per usual, freezing. So dressing for the weather, the office temp and for pumping has been loads of fun. Below I'm sharing three outfits I wore this week. My apologies for the iPhone photos but the idea of getting out of my car, my torso drenched in sweat, and then having my H take photos in the blazing heat has been a big "nope, not happening!" this week.

Cardigan- Zara (old) similar, similar |  Pants- Zara (old) similar |  Tee- J.Crew Factory (sold out) similar, similar | Shoes Ivanka Trump (old) similar, similar | Bag- LV Neverfull GM | Necklaces- J.Crew/Tiffany & Co. | Sunglasses c/o Lulu's

Outfit 1: Tee- J.Crew | Skirt- J.Crew | Sweater- Express (old) similar, similar, similar | Necklaces- J.Crew/Tiffany & Co. | Shoes Ivanka Trump (old) similar, similar | Sunglasses c/o Lulu's

Outfit 2: Shirt- GAP (old) similar, similar | Skirt- J.Crew | Necklace- c/o T&J Designs USE CODE FF30TJ FOR 30% OFF OF YOUR ENTIRE ORDER! | Shoes- Nine West | Sunglasses c/o Lulu's

Happy Thursday! Can you tell I love polka dots?! 

Green for Brunch

This afternoon I met up with a bunch of my friends for brunch at Etoile in Uptown Park. I hadn't been before and the food was delicious. I had a tomato omelet with potatoes and a salad and a croissant on the side with raspberry preserves (amazing!)

A lot of us wore green for St. Patrick's Day!

Because it was such a beautiful day outside, I had my husband snap these quick shots when I got back from brunch. I think it's safe to say my belly is getting big and this dress definitely shows it off!

Maxi Dress- Forever 21 (old); Shoes- Ivanka Trump; Bag- LV Neverfull

Wishing you all a wonderful rest of your weekend and thank you to all of those who took the time to leave comments on my last post, I really appreciate it :)

Sunday Brunching

This Sunday, a group of us blogger gals got together for some brunch at Cuchara Restaurant. I can't say I loved the food and tiny menu, but the amazing company more than made up for it. 

From left- Bethany, Jamie, Magen, Mishelle, Meg (with baby Kennedy) and moi.

Also, I got to look at this adorable face all afternoon:



Kennedy is seriously the best baby.  She was so good the entire time and eats like a champion.  Yay for awesome babies!

It was a little cooler in Houston today (thank God) so I opted for dark jeans, a dress shirt and cardigan for warmth.  Of course I had to add a bubble necklace for good measure.

 It was SO windy when we shot these. Hello crazy hair!

Cardigan- J.Crew (buy it here)

Shirt- GAP (buy it here)

Jeans- 7FAMK Dojo (buy them here)

Shoes- Ivanka Trump (similar flats)

Bag- Kate Spade (buy it here)

Necklace- c/o Groopdealz

Hope everyone had a great Sunday!

Watercolor for Polo

***Before I begin this post, I want to send my heartfelt thoughts and prayers to everyone affected by the tragedies of 9/11.  Today is a day of remembrance.***

I attended a Polo match/fundraiser on Sunday and had no idea what to wear. A hat was a given, but what kind of dress?

Since it was so hot out, I opted for my watercolor print dress from Ann Taylor. I have worn this dress plenty of times since I got it so I would say it's been a pretty versatile piece for me.

 Dress- Ann Taylor (similar, similar, LOVE this)

Shoes- Ivanka Trump (buy them here)

Hat- Zingara (similar, similar for $25!) 

Necklace- Regina Pierallini (email her to custom order!)

Bag- Kate Spade (buy it here)

Have you ever attended a Polo match? It's definitely a really fun time!  I also got to meet one of my readers at the match---she spotted my pink bag and knew it was me :) I love meeting my readers! Here's a shot of Bella and I (she is on the right). She is the owner of Bella Body Fit here in Houston!

The Not Feeling So Hot Outfit

I haven't been wearing pants a ton lately, but on days where I'm tired or feeling kind of "blah" I sometimes opt for a skinny pant because it's easy, stretchy and comfortable. 

This outfit is a little dark for the hot weather, so I decided to add my turquoise bubble necklace to add some color.

Blazer- Gibson @ Nordstrom (similar)

Shirt- J.Crew (buy it here)

Pants- Banana Republic

Shoes- Ivanka Trump

Necklace- c/o GroopDealz

What do you wear on days when you're not feeling your best?

Lace, Lilac & Lulu on a Friday

Though I haven't quite jumped on the peplum train yet, I do have one top, that, when belted, nearly fits the bill.

It's not quite the same look, but it's a nice change over having every top tucked in.  Perfect for a Friday at the office.

 

Lace top- Zara (similar, similar, really cute option)
Skirt- J.Crew (buy it here)

Belt- Express (buy it here)
Shoes- Ivanka Trump
Bag- Kate Spade (buy it here)

Hope everyone has a great weekend!  

If You Like it Then You Should Put a Belt on It

I've worn this dress/jacket combo a few times now and wanted to find a way to make it feel fresh when I was getting dressed this morning.

I don't usually belt my blazers, but I've done it a few times in the past and decided to resurrect the belted jacket look this morning.

Dress- J.Crew Lucille dress (in yellow lace; incredibly adorable option under $50; another gorgeous option)
Jacket- Nordstrom (similar by same brand)
Shoes- Ivanka Trump
Belt- J.Crew (similar)
Bracelet- c/o amour couture- chain bracelets now come in lilac and pink!
 

Do you ever belt your blazers or jackets?

Re-Styling a "Memorable" Dress

Sometimes when a dress really makes a statement (like my yellow lace Lucille dress from J.Crew), you tend not to want to wear it as often because it's so "memorable." 

I think they key is to have fun with the piece, everytime adding one or two different elements. This time, I switched out the fabric belt the dress came with to this hot pink belt that I got at the J.Crew outlet last summer. I also later added the navy blue cardigan. It's about making little tweaks that make the piece feel fresh.

Dress- Presley Skye at Nordstrom
(buy it here; more gorgeous Presley Skye dresses here; here and here)
Shoes- Ivanka Trump (buy them here!)
Belt- J.Crew (buy it here)

Sunnies- Chanel (love these, too!)

How do you re-style a "memorable" dress?  Share your ideas below!

Shorts That Go the Distance

My bright purple J.Crew chino shorts are arguably one of my best summer purchases. They're comfy, versatile and fun.  So fun, that I seem to live in them on weekends.  Today was no exception. I met with Magen, Monica and Mishelle (whoa, that's a whole lotta "Ms") for brunch at Tiny Boxwoods. If you haven't been there, it's amazing! I had the chipotle steak salad and their cinnamon coffee is to die for. I plan to sprinkle cinnamon in my coffee forever now. Also, the restaurant is absolutely gorgeous. Rustic meets glam meets urban garden. It truly feels like an escape from the city with it's perfectly manicured gardens and wicker chairs. Sigh. I just want to hang out there for hours (we kind of did, haha).

I chose my trusty Zara tunic to pair with my shorts, and I sweat right through that darn blouse, but it looked pretty cute. I think I would have sweat no matter what I wore though, it was THAT hot and humid here today. I was wearing workout clothes as I ran errands later in the day and the sweating continued. Ick.

 

Tunic- Zara (similar, similar)
Shorts- J.Crew (buy them here)

Wedges- Ivanka Trump (buy them here
they are incredibly comfortable & go w/everything!)

Bag- Kate Spade (in coral)

How did you spend YOUR Sunday!?  If you're in Houston, have you been to Tiny Boxwoods?