LOFT Picks for VA Tax Free Weekend!

Hey there! It's almost tax free weekend here in VA, so I thought I'd give you a little glimpse into what I'll be shopping for this weekend at the LOFT.
I'm normally don't gravitate towards golden yellow, but I'm dying over this skirt and blouse. They don't scream Fall, so I can easily wear them now and still transition them into the colder months. The skirt is a light cotton and the top is a super comfy, but classy jaquard print sweater. Pair this skirt with a tank for Summer or this fun top for an early Fall look.

 Autumn Bloom Pencil Skirt, Leaf Jacquard Sweatshirt Tee

These skinnies are perfectly comfy. They can be dressed down with a t-shirt and sandals for the weekend or dressed up with a sweater and heals for casual Friday. Great closet staple.

 Relaxed Skinny Jeans

I'm obsessed with this blouse. You can pair this with your favorite shorts for a casual Summer look or you can throw it on with a pencil skirt and scarf for the office.

 Floral Bud Utility Blouse

How perfect is this jacket? I see myself wearing this with the above blouse and relaxed skinnies as we hit September.

 Zip Front Field Jacket

This is a great neutral flat that you will be able to pair with any of the above looks. I'm really excited to try these, as they can be both dressed up or down. Plus I like that they have some texture. 

 D'Orsay Flats

Last, but not least, I'm obsessed with this grey tulip dress. I think this is going to be a major staple in my closet this Fall and Winter. I see myself wearing it with a belted cardigan and ballet flats; heals, statement necklace and blazer; or tights, boots, and a boyfriend cardigan. All great looks for the office, church, or dinner.

 Floral Jacquard Tulip Dress *online exclusive.
So these are just a few of the looks I'm keeping my eye peeled for this weekend. Which item is your favorite?

Nordstrom Anniversary Sale- Top Picks

So it's that time of year folks! The Nordstrom Anniversary Sale is upon us. The luxury brands are marked down to an attainable price so we don't have to break our budget :)
Have you shopped the looks yet? I was a little behind shopping the sale this year, but here are some of my late top picks. They're kind of random, but I feel like that is how the contents of our shopping bags look after after a long day of hitting up the sales. :)
Here goes!
I love these long running pants. They can be expensive, so being able to snatch up a pair before the cold weather hits is always a nice perk.

Zella 'Live in' Leggings
I'm a sucker for an MK watch. This beauty is not only at a comparable price with non luxury brands, but the tortoise and gold are the perfect pairing for either dinner or a day in the dog park. 

MK 'Bradshaw-Mini'

Everyone needs a great eyeliner. This Diorshow brand is perfect for that timeless cat eye, without breaking the bank.

'Colour Icons - Diorshow Art Pen' Eyeliner

Um, can we say Gorg? I love love these leather boots. The slight heal makes them dressy enough for a dress or skirt at the office, but also versatile for a pair of skinnies and your favorite sweater. The buckle detail is just darling. A bit equestrian, without going overly casual. And who can resist that price??

Enzo Angiolini 'Colston' Leather Boot

I'm a big fan of a simple stud earring. If you don't have a pair in your jewelry box, get these. They'll go with everything.

Boxed Square CZ Stud Earrings

I love fun nail polish. For a set of three, this Julep option is not only perfect for Fall, but also well priced. Love that this set includes a light and dark shade, as well as a nail treatment. 

Julep Nail Color and Treatment

Hello Equestrian!(are you sensing a pattern?) Love love this belt. Perfect with the above boots, jeans and a slouchy sweater :) Try pairing it with a tucked-in sweater, oxford and pencil skirt for a dressier look. 

Lauren Ralph Lauren Equestrian Belt

Speaking of slouchy sweaters! This one is a great option. It comes in several different colors and can be easily dressed up or down.

Trouve Textured Striped Crewneck Sweater 

And finally, I always love a monogram. This Kate Spade 'One in a Million' necklace is a classy way to wear your favorite initial. And not to mention, it would coordinator nicely with the above earrings :)

Kate Spade NY 'One in a Million' Initial Pendant 

Did you shop the Anniversary Sale? Do you have a top pick? Share what you got in the comments- I'd LOVE to hear it! :)

Winter Herringbone Vest

It all started on Pinterest . . .
It was a cool Fall day in November, when I took to my normal comfy spot on the couch. I had a warm cup of coffee, a blanket and my computer. The essentials for a Pinterest marathon.
As I browsed through my feed, this photo stopped me in my tracks . . .

Photo via Southern Sweetie Effortless, yet so put together. Girly, yet rugged. I mean you could literally wear this traipsing through a field or out shopping with your girlfriends on a rainy day. Perfection.
So I made my mental list : Leggings? Check. Boots? Check. Chambray? Check. Vest? Hello vest??? Nope.
I was on a mission. I clicked the photo, tried a search on Pinterest, google searched "herringbone vest" . . . nothing. I then started going through all the websites of your top run of the mill stores I thought may sell something like this: Anthropologie, GAP, Old Navy, JCrew . . . 
Score!!
I finally found this little herringbone vest. I was prepared to pay full price, because I mean it really is that amazing. But of course, as with most items I find of this caliber, it was Sold Out. Such hurtful words. 
Sadness settled in, but the drive was still there. So I did what most people do, I headed to Ebay.  Of course I found this little number. It was listed at $75, but I quickly learned it wasn't just me who desired this beauty. Many, MANY more did as well. As I watched the vest over the next week or so, it quickly went up to over $200 pesos. I loved it, and I may have even loved it $200 dollars, but I just couldn't do it. I checked JCREW's sight frequently hoping for a restock, which never came. It was eventually removed from their sight all together. That was a sad day.  It never came back in stock and even this Summer, this vest was well over $150 on Ebay.
Well, that brings up to the present.  And IT IS BACK! JCREW Outlet has come through and brought me this beautiful vest once again. And this time, it's mine :) I purchased an xsmall and am crossing my fingers that it's true to size. I may even purchase the small just incase :)
So, there's my adventure. Everyone is flipping out on Instagram over the restock, so if you love it...or even like it, my advice? Buy it here and buy it soon, cause it's already on backorder :) 
Here are a few looks that I can't wait to pair with this vest for Fall. 

Photo via Surf and Sunshine

 Photo via Southern Charm

Can't you just see the vest over this adorable knit dress 

with some flats and a ponytail for the weekend? Swoon.

 Photo via lolobu

 Photo via Pinterest. Source not available.

Photo via IpickPIC Thanks for reading! How would you wear this vest?

The Shirt Dress

The Shirt Dress:   Amazing.   Comfortable.   Casual.   Transitional.  

Even though it's a boiling 90+ degrees here in the NOVA, the Fashion world is jumping into Fall . . . hard.

Don't believe me? Take a peak into your favorite clothing stores. I promise you'll see scarves, sweaters, long sleeves, heavier knits...the list goes on.

Crazy I tell you.

Even though we probably have a solid 2 months left of warm weather, I can't help but start to think about that "transitional wardrobe" that I'll be donning as we hit the end of September.

These shirt dresses will take you straight from the sweltering sun of Summer to the brisk breeze of . . . well, Fall. Sorry, alliteration. I tried. :)

Observe.

            LOFT Polka Dot Shirtdress                 LOFT Striped Shirtdress           LOFT Dark Chambray Shirtdress

Pair these three little numbers with sandals, sunnies and a tote for all of your Summer excursions. Cooler weather approaching? Grab some ballet flats, a boyfriend cardigan, a cute scarf and you're good to go!

My personal favorite. Polka dots just make me happy :)

Thanks LOFT ;)

P.s. If you find these little darlings a wee bit short, try ordering them online in a Tall for some extra length. Need some cooler weather comfort? Grab a pair of tights or leggings for some extra coverage. :)

Thanks for reading! Which dress is your favorite? Leave a comment!

Grapes, jewelry, and friends oh my!

Hello there friends!

 

Happy Monday!!

 

This weekend my sweet friend, Svetlana, invited me out to The Winery at La Grange for a little girl time. I've never been to La Grange before, but let me just tell you, the atmosphere was beautiful! You don't have to be into wine to enjoy this view! :) 

Svetlana is a trunk keeper for Chloe and Isabel. I've never played in their jewelry before, but I will tell you this- I was not disappointed :) 

Their jewelry is so on trend, beautiful, and quite frankly irresistible (I may have splurged a bit on this, this and this!). :)

It pairs perfectly with your weekend shorts or that little black dress. 

These lovelies here definitely stole my heart.

Pearl + Crystal Floral Filigree Earrings 

She had the cutest set up topped off with a fun Photo Op that we definitely took advantage of :)

Love this girl!
 

Had to get the grapes in there :)

LOFT Top (old), WHBM shorts (see post here), LOFT sandals (see post here), Premier Green Earrings (linked here, access code 2014)

 



If you want to see more of these fabulous looks, check out Svetlana's Online Boutique and her FB Fanpage for some style inspiration...a little birdie told me there may even be a sale going on ;)


Thanks for reading!

 

Share Beauty Contest- Braided Hair Tutorial

Hey there Peeps! Yay for Friday Eve!!!

I'm super excited to share this post with you today! As I've mentioned before, The Small Things Blog is one of my absolute Favorite beauty blogs! It's one of a few that I actually check in with every day.  I can quite literally spend hours browsing around her blog watching hair tutorials. Kate is that good :)

When I saw this post about the #ShareBeautyContest campaign and the new double braided hair tutorial (check it out here!), I knew I just had to participate! 

I am by no means great at styling hair, but this style was just too cute not to try. I've got a little more length going on than Kate does, but here's my best go at it!

Here are the products I used. I don't recommend the Suave Volumizing Root Spray, but it was what I had on hand.

Ok, I first divided my hair up into sections and used a 1 1/2 inch curling iron to get a loose wave going. 

After each curl, I ran my fingers through my hair so it would look like this and not Shirley Temple :) 

Sorry folks, I do my makeup last :)

Continue curling and running your fingers through the rest of your hair. 
It may look like this...yikes.

Lol!

Okay, okay. Now it's time to start that adorable braid. 

Make sure you braid it away from your face so it lays flats against your head. After I made the braid, I went back and loosened it up a bit for a softer look.

Now, you want to take the braid and pin it back towards the center of your head. Use 2 bobby pins for a secure hold. 

Repeat the above on the opposite side. When pulling the braid around back, fold it slightly inward before securing with 2 more bobby pins. This will "hide" where the braid ended. 

It should look something like this . . .

Spray that sucker and there you have it folks!!

 *I went back in and added an extra bobby pin to flatten the fold after I took this here pic. Definitely not as pretty as Kate's, but that's why she's the professional ;)

 

Time to get ready for date night! 

P.s. I really love a Peter Pan collar :)

 

And we're off! 

 LOFT Curvy skinnies (here), LOFT blouse (here), LOFT earrings (similar), Target sandals (here), H&M Seersucker jacket (old)

Thanks for reading! Leave a comment and tell me what you think!

Organize Me

I have a lot of jewelry. 
A lot. 
And because of said jewelry collection, I find myself looking for more creative ways to keep it organized, yet visual. :)
A couple of weeks ago, I popped into Home Goods and picked up this little organizer! This is what is currently sitting on my bedroom dresser. 

It's been perfect for those pieces that I tend to switch out during the week, however, I'd like to input a more permanent solution for the masses.

Here are a few of my favorite simple Jewelry Organization ideas I've stumbled across! If you want to check out more ideas, follow my Pinterest Board here!


An adorable option by the Thinking Closet. Perfect for those little studs. 

Love this display by The 36th AVENUE. So organized!

I love this artistic display by thefabguide.com

And, finally, a beautiful DIY option to display those favorite pieces. :)  Check out a tutorial here!

Thanks for reading! Comment below your favorite!