The Kentucky Derby

This weekend was my first Kentucky Derby... and probably my last. It ended up being fun and was a big event on my "bucket list", and I LOVED seeing all of the different dresses and hats, but it was just WAY too crowded. I think in the future I would like to try The Oaks (the day before the actual Derby) or go one of the days earlier in the week when it's not AS busy, but still dressy!

Unfortunately I did not do any betting. I picked the horse who won it all based on name and colors the night before (I'll Have Another in purple and white) without having any idea what any of the stats were, but did not end up placing a bet because I didn't know how! Lauryn and I sat together and our dads took the other set of seats, so we spent most of the day playing fashion police rather than being too concerned with the actual racing.

Here are a few pictures from the day:

 

Outfit

Hat: Berkeley Hats

Dress: Torrid

Shoes: Target

 Dad and I 

 Lauryn and I

 Our dads becoming the best of friends over cigars

 Class acts!

 The craziest hat we saw all day

 One of my favorite hats. You can't really see the shape, but it was Mad-Hatter-esque!

 Mint Juleps, of course!

 Another favorite hat. I think I just liked anything pink...

This is when the winning horse (white/purple) made the dash to take on the lead right in front of us!

Overall I think I would prefer horse racing much better if I knew how to bet and could do so on a slightly cooler day. I'm sure I will be back for more races at Churchill Downs, if only to have an excuse to buy another hat!

ASOS Curve

Here are some of my current picks from the ASOS Curve line:

Swing Dress with double layer 

$53.72

Exclusive Dress in butterfly print

$68.04

Wrap Dress with bow detail

$62.67

Playsuit with flippy short

$62.67

Tank Dress with bubble skirt

$44.76

Skinny Jean in true red

$57.30

I might have to take some upcoming birthday money or raid a little bit of my savings to grab a few of these. I love the flowy/flirty feel of the dresses!

A Summery Spring

Temperatures have already hit the mid 80's here in Southern Indiana, and it's becoming apparent that our extremely mild winter is transitioning straight into summer. This means tights and leggings are largely out of the picture and sandals are being dug out of the closet!

Outfit
Dress, Sunglasses: Target
Cardigan, Flip Flops: Old Navy
Bracelets: Charlotte Russe

Lipstick: Revlon Colorburst in True Red

I have definitely been favoring coral this spring for everything from lipstick to shoes. Are there any spring trends or colors that you are in love with this year?

Spring Time Floral

I made a stop by Target today and am so glad I did a quick peek at the clothing section because I ended up coming home with FOUR of the dresses. Isn't it always when you least expect it that you end up finding something you really love?

I had to get multiples of this first dress (I also bought the second pattern shown) because I LOVED it. It was very similar to another dress I have from Target that I have absolutely worn out. The fit is really flattering, so I felt justified buying three of them. Not to mention the fabric patterns were all so different that they practically look like different dresses as it is.

I bought this one, but I'm still thinking about it. I love the overall fit and the feather pattern on the dress, but it definitely accentuates your back side because of the gathering and I'm not sure my butt needs any more accentuation. Haha. We'll see, but I'm guessing I'll end up keeping it.

These next two are dresses that I tried on but didn't end up getting. The first one was just a bit too tight in the chest and the second is probably better for those of you who don't have much of a butt. I did love the details on both of them though. The back of the first one is SO cute and it's more of a turquoise color in person.

I skimmed through the Jason Wu collection and there were definitely some cute items embracing the spring florals, but nothing really stuck out at the fit of dress I was looking for. Have you bought any of the Jason Wu or current Mossimo dresses? I'm looking forward to giving my daily wear a little dose of spring!

Tulle Time

Yes, you're welcome for that cheesy Home Improvement reference.

We have less than two weeks left in the Chicago apartment and are trying to make the most of it (though I'll be gone this weekend for a wedding), so last night we went to dinner at one of our favorites: Sullivan's Steakhouse. Long Island Martinis, Filet Trio, and White Cheddar Au Gratin Potatoes? Check, check, and check. Yum.

I love this dress because it's comfortable, cute, and so easy to accessorize with a million different things. I like to keep a little edge on the tulle so it doesn't look too frilly, and these boots did just that.




Oh! And you'll have to excuse me because it does have a little bit of product in it, but for the most part my hair is still pretty silky and shiny from the olive oil treatment the other day- even after a coloring! I'm thinking I might start doing these at least once or twice a week.

Now you'll have to excuse me, I'm off to pack for my second of three moves in less than 6 months. Let's cross our fingers that by the end of January I'll be settled in Denver and won't have to worry about moving for a while!

A Night Out in Denver

Outfit
Dress: TJ Maxx
Leggings, Purse, Cardigan: Old Navy
Boots: DSW
Socks: Target
Necklace: American Eagle
Bracelets: Charlotte Russe

I just got back from spending a few days in Denver and I miss it already! The day we landed the weather was right around 50 degrees, which was a welcome change from the temperatures in the 80's that we had been experiencing in Chicago before we left. I'm not totally in love with Indian Summers... when fall gets here I am always much too excited about it to have it taken away again so soon!

The temperatures got up to the 70's the other two days in Denver, but because we would often leave in the mornings and not always come back until later at night I had to work with layers to make sure I wasn't too hot/too cold at any given time. This outfit was the perfect blend for a nice dinner at the Capital Grille downtown on Larimer followed by a few bars with my dad and what ending up being nearly a whole convention of friends from his industry who were in town. I am absolutely falling in love with these boots and I am so glad I kept them! (They were a bit of an impulse purchase and I wore them around the apartment for two days trying to decide)

Larimer Street in Downtown Denver

A New Love for Brown

This is a dress that was a little bit of a surprise purchase the other day at Target. We had to go to get some other things and it had been a few weeks since I had looked at their dresses and thought I would check it out. I picked up four or five to try on, and was hesistant about this one because the pattern at first glance almost seemed a little too "camo" or something to me. I'm not normally really attracted to thinks with a brown base color, but I gave it a shot. It didn't hurt that I knew I could wear it with my brown wedges, which were really my first brown-based inspiration.

I didn't end up liking a single other dress but LOVED the fit of this one! This is actually the dress I mentioned in the last post about wanting to get in more than one pattern or color but they only had this and leopard print. I was also surprised how much I ended up liking this print... it paired REALLY well with the belt from Forever 21 that I have been favoring lately, and of course my brown pair of super-favorite-wedges from Target. And I won't lie, I think this dress really emphasized my tan, which is always a big plus in my book.

One of my favorite parts is the neckline. It comes up high enough to cover plenty and not be too revealing but is also open enough to not feel too restricting. (Forgive the bangs, they're looking a mess in this picture)

Outfit
Dress, Shoes: Target
Purse: Nine West via TJ Maxx
Belt: Forever 21
Bracelets: Charlotte Russe

Edgy Floral

Taking floral prints and adding an edge is becoming one of my new favorite go-to's for outfits, whether it's the denim vest, or going with all black accessories, lots of rings, and feather earrings. This was another night in Destin of dinner/shopping, and maybe a few cocktails. We went to a restaurant at The Village at Baytowne Wharf called The Village Door (Which was REALLY good by the way! The food was great and apparently they always have some kind of live music going on.) and sat on the back deck which was right on the marina. It was a gorgeous night, and I only wish the weather had been so nice and not humid the rest of the week!

Outfit
Dress, Flower Ring, Wedges: Target
Bracelets, Feather Earrings: Charlotte Russe
Purse: Carlos Santana via TJ Maxx
Belt: Forever 21
(Drink: Vodka Cranberry)

(By the way, this is the little bun I have more or less been rocking for the entire summer. I am so sick of humidity, and SO glad the weather in Chicago has been gorgeous this week. Hard core contemplating cutting a few inches off my hair!)

Yet Another Leopard

Remember the Forever 21 leopard print dress I posted about a while ago? Well, of course I bought it. I really wanted to wear it with my black strappy wedges, but this was on a night in Florida when we were going out to dinner and potentially doing a bit of walking around a shopping area so I didn't want to end up with angry feet.

Outfit
Dress, Belt: Forever 21
Sandals: Target
Earrings, bracelets: Charlotte Russe
Purse: Carlos Santana via TJ Maxx

I actually just got another dress from Target that I REALLY loved the fit of, enough that I wanted to buy it in another print. It's a pretty basic pattern so could easily have been dressed up in different ways, but unfortunately the only other pattern was leopard print. LOVE leopard print, but given I now have this and the other leopard print dress I posted in the last outfit post, I figured I probably was good on that for a while.

(Side note: Does anyone know how to get pictures to not be quite so blurry when you make them bigger? When I upload pictures, even though the original size is HUGE and can be seen by clicking on it, the vertical pictures are always too small and get blurry when I enlarge them. I have it set on the largest upload setting, but don't know if there's any way to get around this and make it bigger but still clear?)

Chicago Brunching

Three of my good friends were up in Chicago last weekend for Lollapalooza, but we didn't walk over to Grant Park until 3 or so most days which left plenty of time for experiencing some of South Loop's finest brunch locations... or at least our favorites. This was probably the first time in quite a while I had made any real attempt at getting dressed/dolled up with moving and as hot as it had been, so I made a point of getting some pictures.

Outfit
Dress, Shoes: Target
Belt: Forever 21
Bracelets, Earrings: Charlotte Russe
Headband: DIY
Purse: Nine West, TJ Maxx
Sunglasses: Delias
(RIP... these little guys didn't survive the weekend, and they didn't even get worn to the actual festival!)

Brunch was at Eleven City Diner, a particular favorite of ours. I alone have been there a handful of times and somehow had never discovered how amazing their pancakes are!!! I definitely stole a few bites from Katelyn.

Heat Wave, Martha and the Vandellas Style

It finally rained today and brought the temperatures down just a little bit, but prior to that I think most of us in the U.S. have been dealing with some not-so-pleasant temperatures. So what's the plan for getting dressed to leave the house? Easy: things that are as un-clingy as possible, as uncovering as possible without being too-showy, hair UP, and little to no makeup. Here's how that plan pans out...

Outfit
Dress: Old Navy
Pocket Vest: J.C. Penney
Sandals: Target
Purse: Nine West, T.J. Maxx
Headband: For Love 21
Necklace: Target (I think?)

These shoes have been my "go-to nicer-than-flip-flops-but-still-comfortable-summer-sandals"... SUPER comfortable, though even these could not stand up to all of the walking required by a NYC visit. At least they match my summer purse almost perfectly.

How have you been staying cool?