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What I’m Loving for Spring and Summer

May 23, 2016 by Virginia Evans Leave a Comment

Spring and Summer Accessories and Beauty

Outfit photos just didn’t happen this week so instead I want to let you in on some of the items I’ve really been loving lately, either because I’ve been using them non-stop or because I’ve been waiting to purchase!

1. Saddle Bags – These are all over because of the Chloe obsession. I can’t afford a Chloe bag, but there are a lot of great affordable options out right now! 1 / 2 / 3 / 4 / 5

2. Mirrored Aviator Sunglasses – Because of the Ray Ban following, these have been in trend for the last few summers. As a result, there are finally a variety of more affordable options from less expensive brands. 1 / 2 / 3 / 4

3. Colorful Clutch – As soon as I saw this clutch, it instantly jumped onto my “lust” list. I love the bead work and the beautiful colors!

4. Milani Amore Mattalics – I picked these up when I was grocery shopping for the week since I love the Milani Amore Matte Lip Cremes so much (see this post) and love these new metallic versions. They last almost as long as the Lip Cremes and have a metallic shine!

5. Tassel bag Charms – A charm like this can be added to a variety of bags to add some color. I would add it to this one, or this blue noir one! (Also love this one!) If you’d rather, this straw bag from Target comes with the charm!

6. Physicians Formula Eye Booster – This is one of my newer “can’t live without” makeup items. This liquid eyeliner is cheaper than the Stila one I used to use and is GREAT for beginners because it’s so easy to use. Highly recommend.

7. Hourglass Luminous Bronze Light – Now that Summer is coming, it’s fun to have a little bit of a glow. I only tap into this bronzer a little bit (a little goes a long way) and it adds warmth and glow! It’s a pricey product so if you want to try it out first, head to Sephora!

8. Physicians Formula Butter Bronzer – Also recently discovered, this Butter Bronzer is a great drugstore bronzer for those who want the warmth but not the glow. Plus, it has an amazing coconut scent! You can find it at most drugstores. Make sure to pick up a big fluffy brush to apply it!

9. Essie’s In the Cab-ana – Though the picture above shows this on the hands, I use this for the toes! It’s a great color to compliment all the blues and turquoise I wear during the summer! Plus, it lasts forever on my toes! Also, as mentioned in this post, I’m loving Jamberry nails. If you haven’t had a chance to check them out yet, go here!

10. Colourpop’s MatteX Lippie Stix – For only $5, you can’t beat these lipsticks. This new MatteX forumla has great pigmentation and lasts almost all day on my lips! I own Poppin’ and Bootie (a GREAT Orange Red!).

11. J.Crew Factory Denim Jacket – I lost this jacket (worn in this post) sometime last fall and repurchased it when it went on sale because I kept going to grab it for outfits, only to remember that I lost it somewhere. I am so happy that I repurchased because I wear it all the time!! Grab it while it’s on sale!

What are you loving right now for Spring and Summer?

Striped Dress from Work to Date Night

May 16, 2016 by Virginia Evans Leave a Comment

I have had this dress in my closet for a long time and absolutely love it. It was affordable ($9 at Ross!) and there are so many ways to wear it! Today I’m showing you how I wore this dress two ways and took it from the work day to date night.

Striped Dress: Wear to Work

Striped Dress Work outfit with statement necklace

Work Outfit to Date Night Dress with Cat Eye

Cat Eye sunglasses and Striped Bodycon dress

Bodycon and Chambray for Work to Date Night

How you wear this bodycon dress to work really depends on your work environment. Since I teach high school, I decided to wrap a chambray top around the waist to take attention away from the form-fitting around the waist and also to break up the dress and give myself a waistline. I like the effect.

Since I had already divided up the space by making a waistline, a statement necklace was appropriate for the top. It pops against the stripes and is the perfect length to sit right in that space created by the tied top. I love leopard shoes paired with stripes, and the gold in the necklace ties in the golden and browns of the leopard pumps.

A dress like this is the perfect day to date dress since it can easily be dressed up and down a number of ways.

Work Outfit Details:

Striped Dress: Ross, in store. Most similar here and here. Sleeveless here and here.

Chambray Shirt: TJMaxx, old. Similar here and here.

Leopard Pumps: Nordstrom, sold out. Same pattern on options in widget below.

Fringe Necklace: Baublebar, here. Almost exact here.

Polka Dot Laptop Bag: Betsy Johnson via Ross, no longer available. Another polka dot bag here.

Cat Eye Sunglasses: Nordstrom, sold out online here. Can still find in store. Other options in widget.

Pave Link Bracelet: Boutique, old. Similar here and love this stretch version here.

Gold Watch: Charming Charlie, old. Similar here and here.

Pave Ring: Baublebar, sold out. Similar here and here.

Earrings: Similar here and here.

Lip: Colourpop Lippie in Lumiere (only $5!).

Now to make this a work to date outfit, ditch the chambray and switch the shoes and necklace!

Striped Dress: Date Night Outfit

Day to Date Night Outfit with Striped Bodycon

Striped Bodycon Date Night Outfit with Floppy Hat

Kendra Scott Rayne necklace for Date Night Outfit

Striped hat and dress with Kendra Scott Rayne necklace

When taking the Chambray off and making this a date outfit, there needs to be something else to break up the stripes. Instead of a necklace closer to the neckline, I chose a longer necklace that would hang lower and break up the space a different way. This Kendra Scott necklace is a great way to do this and would be a great investment piece, as it can be worn in all seasons. I added the matching Turquoise earrings and a turquoise bracelet to match the new color scheme. Turquoise is a key color for spring and summer so make sure to check out the widget below with other turquoise jewelry items.

The other main item to switch out for date night is the shoes. While I would never wear these for work, they are perfect for date night, making the outfit more feminine. Without the chambray shirt to break it up, this dress looks longer and “heavier” up top. Pumps don’t quite look right and a more delicate heel is appropriate.

Date Night Outfit Details:

Striped Dress: Ross, in store. Most similar here and here. Sleeveless here and here.

Ankle Strap Heels: Steve Madden, old. Almost exact here and here. More buying options in widget below.

Striped Hat: Local Fair Booth. Most similar here. Lots of other options in widget.

White Clutch: Boutique, old. Love this one. Other white clutches here and here.

Rayne Tassel Necklace: Kendra Scott, c/o in Turquoise. More buying options in Turquoise Jewelry Widget below.

Danielle Earrings: Kendra Scott, c/o in Turquoise. Also in Turquoise widget below.

Ring: Kendra Scott, old. Similar here and more in widget below.

Cat Eye Sunglasses: Nordstrom, sold out online here. Can still find in store. Other options in widget.

Pave Link Bracelet: Boutique, old. Similar here and love this stretch version here.

Pave Ring: Baublebar, sold out. Similar here and here.

Lip: Colourpop Lippie in Poppin’. Love this formula! Stays nearly all day and is only $5!

Turquoise Jewelry for Spring and Summer:

Well, there you have it! Take a striped dress from day to date night! Thanks so much for visiting and make sure to check out other work outfit ideas using the tags below!

What to Wear to Brunch or Tea

May 9, 2016 by Virginia Evans Leave a Comment

This weekend, my family treated my Mamma to high tea. Ever since I can remember, my sister and I have always found “having tea” special because my Mom instilled that love in us. When we were little girls she would bring out one of the beautiful child-sized china tea sets that my grandparents had given us, and set us up at our own little child table. We would put on our pretty play dresses with the lace sleeves and the tulle skirts, and go through her jewelry boxes (I’m trying to remember if we were allowed to do that or whether we just did that…ha!) to drape ourselves in her costume jewelry and pin brooches on our dresses. Then we would sit down to dainty sandwiches (probably PB&J!) and our own tiny pots of tea.

When we were older, we got to use the beautiful china teacups she had brought back from her European travels and her lovely antique teapots. We would walk over to her china cabinet and get excited about which pretty cup we would use this time. I remember thinking then about how wonderful it was that my Mom had traveled all over and brought back so many pretty things. When I was old enough, I traveled the world too and when I finally found the man who was my forever-match, my mom and sister hosted a bridal tea to celebrate my wedding.

When I was in college I started collecting my own pretty tea-things and tea was made extra special for me when my college work-study supervisor, Sharon, put on a yearly tea party for her workers. Like my mom, she would let us dress up – decking ourselves in hats and gloves and fur wraps – and then we would all sit down to tea, scones, and home-made lemon curd and Devonshire cream. When I was away at college, Sharon was a mother and grandmother to me, and like my own mom, she knew that having tea was a more than just sharing a meal – it was a way to share lives and love.

So, for Mother’s Day for the past two years, I have been taking my Mom to tea. We get dressed up, get excited about the pretty table and the pretty china, and share stories between scones and cups of tea. This year was extra special because our husbands wanted to come along too.

Mother's Day tea outfit flutter sleeve top

Ankle Pants and flutter sleeve blouse brunch

Brunch Outfit statement necklace and Flutter sleeve

But what do you wear, when you’re an adult, to brunch or tea? I opted for nice slacks paired with a fun flutter sleeve top. The flutter sleeves make the top fancy enough for brunch or tea but also simple enough to be paired with any number of statement necklaces that pop against the solid colored top. I would always wear a necklace with this top since the space between the sleeves needs something to balance out the movement at the sleeves. Also, when wearing a top like this with lots of movement at the top, balance it out by pairing it with sleek or fitted bottoms. This top looks great with a pencil skirt or nice slacks.

Tea Outfit Fringe Necklace and Kendra Scott Alexandra

Pair a blue top with a pop of pink!

Magenta Earrings // Pink Lipstick // Statement Necklace

Statement necklace and ankle pants for tea

Love these pants! They’re lined, so no worries about wearing white!

So what did everyone else do for Mother’s Day? Let me know in the comments below! And if you haven’t had a chance to check out Jamberry Nails, make sure to check out this post!

Outfit Details:

Drew Fit Ankle Pant: The Limited, here.

Flutter-Sleeve Top: Banana Republic Factory, here (under $25!). More spring colors here! Other flutter sleeve tops here and in the widget below!

Nude Heels: Nordstrom, here in Bisque.

Fringe Statement Necklace: Baublebar, here. Similar here.

Milani Amore Matte Lip Cream (16, Sweetheart): Walmart, here. Also here, and here. Stays all day!
Quilted Bag: Target, here.
Earrings: Kendra Scott c/o, here in Magenta.
Cuff Bracelet: Kendra Scott, sold out. Similar Kendra Scott cuff here and here.
Pave Link Bracelet: Boutique, old. Almost exact here and here.
Watch: Charming Charlie, old. Almost exact here.
Rings: Baublebar Ice Lateral Ring, sold out. Similar here, here and here. Bow Ring via Tradesy. Most similar here. More in widget below.

Thanks so much for stopping by!