A Few Days

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Hi Friends! Happy hump day y'all!

This little space has become one where I feel I can be quite honest with you, and the honest truth is that I need to take a few days "off". I've had some not-so-happy things happen in my personal life this week, and I need to spend a few days mending my heart. I love keeping this space happy and bright, so taking a few days break will allow me to come back refreshed and ready to do that for you :) I hope to share a little more when I'm ready (I tend to keep my personal life close to the vest) but if you could send some positive thoughts and prayers my way that would be the best!

Thank you so much for reading! It means so much to me and  I will see you back here on Sunday with a wonderful Sunday scripture and then on Monday I have a great collaboration with a sweet blog friend! XO

PS- Tonight I'm going to see Dave Matthews and I've never been to his concert- I think I'm in for a treat! :)

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Catalina

We're going to keep things simple and easy today ok? I was up FAR too late watching the finale of the Bachelorette (#teamShawn forever and always) so today's look needs to take not too much thought ;) Dresses like this cutie from Lou & Grey make getting dressed simple, and after feeling all the feelings last night, that's just what I need! What did y'all think about the most Dramatic. Finale. Ever?!

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Workweek Uniform

Kate Spade Pearl Studs // Alex and Ani Bangle // Lilly Pulitzer Elsa Blouse (view all options here) // J. Crew Pixie Pant // Michael Kors Watch (Part of the Nordstrom Anniversary Sale until Aug 3rd!) // Tory Burch Reva Flat

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Currently Obsessing Over… {v. 41}

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Woah friends! What a busy and wonderful week it has been! As you may have seen on Instagram, yesterday I had the amazing opportunity to speak at my alma mater, the University of Florida, to a class of business & retail students about my career path in retail and my tip and tricks for them to land their dream job. I was such a humbling experience to speak with students whose shoes I was in just 5 years ago (omg time flies!!) I had a blast and it was neat to see everyone respond so positively! So thankful for a great day (and thank you so all the students who attended both in-class and online, y'all rock)!

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Summer Party Wear

Is your fridge covered in invitations this season like mine is? Social events, engagement parties, weddings, and baby shows have my magnets working overtime! Since I know many ladies are in the same boat, I thought I would share a dress style that works for any of these occasions with small accessory changes. Since we don't all have unlimited budgets, it's nice to have a dress that can work overtime for your party needs :) I styled this dress how I would wear it for a baby shower, with some easy Palm Beach Sandals, a simple clutch, and my go-to bangles. But adding wedges takes you to an engagement party, and swapping in nude heels and a glitzy gold bangle stack takes you to the wedding day (as long as it's not a black-tie wedding)! This really is the dress that does it all! 

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How to Dress for a First Date

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As a girl who is "out there" in the dating pool, I've had my share of prepping for first dates and I know the stress that can come along with trying to pick the perfect outfit. I've been thinking for awhile that it would be nice to share some tips I've picked up and tried-and-true outfits that may help you too if you are also on the hunt for "Mr Right" :) AND, if you've already found your hunk-of-burning-love, then let these looks inspire you for your next date night with your hunny!

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Palm Print Romper

Romper: Old Navy (on sale for $12!!) // Necklace: Kendra Scott // Watch: Jord Watch 

Keeping things pretty simple today, because when you're at the beach who wants to pile on a lot of "stuff"- talk about too hot! This romper is the perfect piece for your next beach vacation, or a Tuesday, or really any day ever that you want to wear it. ;) I love the pop of color that my all time favorite Rayne necklace provides against the green background and adding my lightweight Jord Watch is the perfect neutral touch. 

Tonight's the night I lead my first Junior League General Membership Meeting and I'm feeling nervous excited! So if you could send some good vibes my way… this girl would sure appreciate it! I'll try and share some snaps if I have time to take a picture or two! XO

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Who "Runs" the World? Girls!

Working out has always been an important part of my life. As a girl "blessed" with a curvier bottom half that gains all my weight, a healthy dose of cardio has always needed to fit into my schedule. I'm a big fan of Zumba classes (gotta love all the booty-shaking) and I love the motivation of group fitness classes, but I've recently picked up a running regime too. I think it had to do with getting my Fitbit in March, but all of a sudden I became obsessed focused on not only meeting my 10,000 daily steps goal, but beating it! Logically, running seemed to be the fastest way to do that (and I'm all about an efficient workout). I still hesitate to call myself a "runner" but I'm enjoying my newfound hobby and the freedom I have to do it anytime & anywhere.

All that said, my workout gear needs to keep up with my busy pace and be able to move & sweat right along with me. Being cute too is a huge positive! That's why I love these RBX Active capris- they are lightweight, yet have full coverage (no peek-a-boo!) and they stretch and move like it's nobody's business! Luckily for you, they are offering my readers a 25% discount on their entire site through July 31st with code "Active25" so you can pick up some fab workout gear too!

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Sunday Scripture

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"He fills my life with good things" (Psalm 103:5)

Thankful today for a rejuvenating weekend that has been filled with the perfect balance of fun, friends, and relaxation. God is good y'all!

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Five on Friday

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Rather than doing my usual "Currently Obsessing Over" post this week, I thought I would mix things up a little and share with you the five things I'm excited about this weekend. I've really been making more of an effort lately to be grateful for the "little things" and truly celebrate the good in everyday. So without further ado here are the five things I'm looking forward to this weekend:

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Lou & Grey Fluid Shorts

Since we made it past humpday, I think it's officially time to start dreaming of the weekend! Today I'm sharing one of my go-to weekend looks with you. My weekend wear most definitely involves comfy shorts (these from Lou & Grey are beyond soft y'all) and minimal jewelry. I like ease of use when it comes to my clothes because I'm always running around town and toting lots of "stuff" - so my clothes need to make it easy to do that! What is your go-to weekend look?

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Totally Awesome Amazon GIVEAWAY!

When I started this lil blog of mine, I had no idea how much this space would come to mean to me. It's consistently a source of inspiration and encouragement- and just flat out fun! But it's all those wonderful things thanks to YOU my amazing readers who take the time to stop here, follow along, and say "hello". Seriously, y'all rock! Today I have a super-fun giveaway for you as my way of giving you a huge bear hug and saying "thank you for reading!" You mean the world to me! XOXO

GIVEAWAY DETAILS

Prize: $500 Amazon Gift Card

Co-hosts: Cityrocka's Celebrity Accessories and Gossip Blog • Stylish Adventures with AL • Jenn's Blah Blah Blog • TonieGirl • Avec Amber • Fresh Fit N Healthy • Style Tab •  Handbags + Handguns • Gettin' Fit Fab • Stripes N Vibes • Six One Six • The Mommyhood Mentor • Blog by Donna • Mommy on the Money • Stacy's Savings • Geniabeme • Behind Blue Eyes • Laura Jane Atelier • Virtually Yours • Lilac Reviews • Simone - Your Style Architect • The Adventures of My Family of 8 • Wedding Thingz • Becoming FAB • Good Girl Gone Glam • Girl Meets Bow • Trish Sutton • Fashion Fairy Dust • Food, Folks and Fun • Mommy Knows What's Best • Deliciously Savvy

Giveaway organized by: Oh My Gosh Beck!

Rules: Use the Rafflecopter form to enter daily. Giveaway ends 8/14 and is open worldwide. Winner will be notified via email.

Are you a blogger who wants to participate in giveaways like these to grow your blog? Click here to find out how you can join a totally awesome group of bloggers!


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Summer Dresses

So who watched the Bachelorette last night? I was crushed to see Ben H. go home, but I honestly thought he was too nice for Kaitlyn and have no doubt that he is in the running for the next Bachelor (or at least will have every girl in his hometown lined up for him!) This season has been so weird! They've been in Ireland for most of this season - what happened to the travel budget?? And all this Shawn and Nick drama makes me think no one is really "in love" (but maybe very in lust!) And then the hometowns were in a random hotel in Utah- not even the guy's home towns! I'm shaking my noggin' y'all! Do you watch? Are you #teamShawn or #teamNick? I'm casting my vote for #teamShawn but have a sinking suspicion that Nick is going to take this one…

Now onto the clothes!

I'm pretty honest that dresses are my summer jam. They make getting dressed (and keeping cool) super easy- which are two very important qualities in summer clothing! When I think about summer elegance my mind instantly goes to maxi dresses, with their movement and drape they are just so sophisticated. What is your go-to look to achieve summer elegance? 

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Back in Stock + New Collaborations + Sales!

Today I have a fun little round up of goodness to share with y'all to start off your week! 

First up- this dress is back!! Y'all went bananas for this dress and it is finally back in stock in orange, but if the previous sellouts were any indication, it won't last long so scoop yours up now! :)

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Sunday Scripture + Thoughts

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Lately I've been thinking a lot about shopping (but not in the way you think!) Between working in corporate retail and writing this blog, it's all too easy to get caught up in the need to constantly have new. I've even found myself valuing my worth based on my outfit; and that's when I knew things needed to change! 

I love fashion, I love clothes, I love the thrill of a shopping find. There is nothing wrong with that at its core. But when these things become the benchmark I measure my worth against then things are out of whack. Because God doesn't look at my outfit, he looks at my heart. Making a difference in this world, spreading love and hope is not tied to the clothes I am wearing but instead tied to the condition at my heart. 

So I'm working on it. I'm reevaluating how I look at the "things" in my life (and my closet) and seeking to find the Lord first- above all else- and making sure that my heart is far more beautiful than my wardrobe. 

Happy Sunday friends! May you be filled with the hope and love that this day brings!

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Nordstrom Anniversary Sale Favorites

Have y'all gotten sick of hearing about the HUGE Nordstrom Anniversary Sale yet?! I'm not going to lie, I was really wondering what all the fuss was about until I stopped into my Nordstrom today, and holy smokes y'all!! I sure do get it now! Brand spankin' new pieces are on major sale- we're talking your fall essentials at less than retail before it's even hit the shelves! Right now the sale is only open for Nordstrom cardholders (it's super easy to become one and you have a debit or credit option)  but it opens to the public on July 17th and runs through August 2nd. Wowza!! So much fun! Here's what i picked up, loved, and recommend from the thousand of products available:

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Currently Obsessing Over… {v. 40}

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Is it just me or did this week go from Monday to Friday in about 3 seconds flat? I had a 24 hour event at work on Wednesday so we were crazy busy prepping for it at the beginning of the week, and then have been nutty recapping it since then. (Retail right?! That's the beauty of it!) Luckily there have been all sorts of goodies popping up on my radar that I'm pumped to share!

So let's get right to everything I'm obsessing over this week shall we?!

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Work Style: Loft Cranberry Drop-Waist Dress

When it comes to my work wear, I like pieces that are simple and statement making all in one. Red is always an attention-grabbing shade & I don't own anything else in this pretty cranberry color so I thought it was the perfect addition to my rotation! I was hesitant to try a drop-waist style (since often they are too fitted through the hips for my shape) but this one is purrrr-fect y'all! It's got a loose and easy drape that leaves plenty of room for your curves; speaking of which- you can also size down in this dress because it's so roomy! (I'm wearing a small for reference) Adding my new favorite wedges makes this dress perfect for the office, but with a denim jacket and flats it would easily transition to your fall wardrobe too (ugh… are we already talking about fall?!) ha!

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Summer Style: Loft Red Embroidered Swing Dress

Y'all swing dresses are just about the only thing helping me to beat the heat these days! I don't know how your temps are going, but Florida's are Hot Hot Hot!! When I spotted this cute red number at the Loft, I had to snatch it up (and the 50% off didn't hurt!) The breezy, floaty shape is the best for the summer & I can't get enough. Sidenote: you can also eat as much as you want when wearing one & no one can tell ;)

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Fancy Pants Tee

Fancy Pants Tee (shop more graphic tees here) // Blaque Label Maxi Skirt (shop maxi skirts here) // Sam Edelman Gigi Sandals // Rebecca Minkoff Black Mini Mac // Baublebar Fluoro Fringe Necklace // BaubleBar Pearl Two-Finger Ring ($10 for a limited time!) // Kate Spade iPhone Case

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Toasts and Tailgates

Today's post is one I've been straight-up chomping at the bit to share with y'all but I've been waiting for the "perfect" time! Since tonight I'm headed to a Dierks Bentley concert (country at it's best) it seemed pretty fortuitous to share my toasting and tailgating look with you now! :) I love the bright orange and blue colors in this dress (perfect for Gator games!) and that it's got such a loose fit (perfect for eating lots of tailgate treats!) and the fact that it matched my picnic blanket so perfectly is just icing on the cake! :) 

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Summer Footwear Guide

As of June 21, summer is here! That means that your wardrobe better be ready- and that includes your shoes! Today I'm sharing my footwear guide of the shoes you need in your wardrobe & the styles that will get you through the next few months. Which ones are you planning to add to your closet? :)

Tory Burch Reva (I linked to the full collection b/c there are so many amazing options!) / Kate Spade Flamingo Flats / Tieks Ballet Flats / Kenzo Orange Espadrilles / Kate Spade Pink Bow Flats / Sperry Top-Siders (the ultimate summer shoe!) / Sole Society Ruthie Pink Flats / Soludos Navy Striped Espadrilles

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