Love Thy Neighbor: Hurricane Irma Resources and Relief Efforts

Happy weekend friends! Today I am grateful to be able to share with you a comprehensive list of ways that you can help victims of Hurricane Irma. I feel extremely lucky that both my homes in St Pete and Orlando escaped major damage, but there are thousands of people who can not say the same. Our neighbors in Naples, the Carribbean, and the Keys have been devastated by this natural disaster and my heart's call is to do whatever I can to help, donate, and raise awareness. I am so grateful to see so many people step up to the plate and present so many opportunities for us to give back in whatever way we are able!

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Checking In: Hurricane Irma Status Update

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Hey friends! I am humbled, grateful, and thankful to be writing this post today. There are not enough ways for me to say THANK YOU to every single one of y'all for your prayers, DMs, comments, and messages throughout this unknown period of Hurricane Irma. I seriously felt the encouragement & hope from every single of them and they were immensely appreciated! 

Since it has felt like #irmageddon has been the only thing on my mind for the past week, I thought I would check in today and let you know everything that happened and how I'm doing! (Spoiler Alert: all is good on the home front and I'm THANKFUL!)

Ps- this is certainly now going to be the most glamorous post ever, but it's about as honest as can be! (There's not many ways to be cute during a hurricane!)

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Summer Loving in Loft

Romper: Loft (runs TTS, loving this option too) || Sandals: Palm Beach Sandals || Necklace: Kendra Scott Rayne || Clutch: Marley Lilly (option 1/option 2) || Apple Watch

I think it's pretty clear that I'm having a major love affair with the Loft this season. Their fall collection may have been a bit of a dud, but they totally made up for it with all the goodness this spring & summer! One part of the collection I haven't shopped a ton? The Beach line; and after scooping up this darling printed romper I am wondering why! 

If you haven't shopped the beach collection before, then I'll give you the heads up that it's lighter weight materials than their regular line - since it's made for the beach! But what I adore about it is that even thought it's light weight it's NOT see through- so it's pretty perfect for summer in Florida! (Or really any steamy state this time of year). The fluttery back on this romper gives it a little something extra too- and it's unique details like that which make me swoon! I jazzed it up here for daytime, but you can easily throw this over your swimsuit and be on your way too.

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Stand Up to Cancer with Cabana Life

Rashguard: c/o Cabana Life || Bathing Suit: Target || Sunglasses: Target || Croakies: Simply Southern

Do y'all know what day it is?! (Besides Wednesday of course!) IT'S THE FIRST DAY OF SUMMER! There's just no way around it... this Florida girl is thrilled that my favorite season is here! Give me all of the long days, longer nights, summer parties, picnics, warm weather & ocean breezes... I'm pumped!

It's also why I felt like today was the perfect day to share some snaps from my sister weekend with you and our fun day at Madiera Beach! See, here's the thing, this girl can be really bad about not taking advantage of the fact that the beach is right down the street from me, and was in desperate need of a tan, so we packed up and decided that relaxing by the water was the only thing on our agenda! And boy did it feel good to do just that :)

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Girl Meets Bow

Custom Tee: c/o The Greek Ink Press || Skirt: Loft (similar here) || Shoes: Converse || Apple Watch || Bangle: Lilly Pulitzer (almost exact)

This outfit (and all the sunshine) are pretty much a perfect match for my mood today! Even though it's Monday, I had such a sweet weekend that I am heading into the week so very thankful. On Friday I donated all my old furniture to an amazing local organization, the St Vincent House and then spent all day Saturday deep-cleaning my apartment. It sounds like the most "adult" way to spend the day but I am thrilled that I finally was able to get my place looking spic-and-span! Then Sunday all my new furniture got delivered and I am SO excited! My sweet parents came to help me get everything organized and set up (so thankful for you guys!) and I am just in bliss with all my new pieces that are helping my turn my house into a home. It's the best feeling! 

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Weekending: Gator Style

Like I told y'all about on Friday, I spent this weekend in Gainesville (home of the Florida Gators) so my sister could do a campus tour and learn more about some of the programs she's interested in. It's so crazy that she's looking at colleges, because she was 8 when I went off to school at UF, so to think she's almost 18 and ready for this next life step makes me want to say "slow down time"!! 

We had so much fun looking all around campus and I loved sharing all my memories with her! I've got my fingers and toes crossed that my sweet sis is the next girl in the family to wear orange & blue! :) (PS- sorry to my dad who didn't make it in any pics since he was so busy taking them!) 

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Weekending

I've never really done a "weekend recap" before, but I always have fun reading them on some of my other favorite blogs, so I thought it would be fun to share mine today! I had a wonderful weekend with my girlfriend Stephanie who came to visit from freezing Chicago! Florida totally turned on the charm for her and she got a gorgeous weekend of 70 degree weather and lots of sunshine (#thanksFlorida)! 

First up on the agenda? Manicures! I never take the time to get my nails done, so when Steph suggested it I was totally game! We stopped next door at Starbucks (the new Tiramisu Latte is TDF!) and settled in for a super relaxing afternoon pampering :) 

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Dressing for a Sunny Winter

I recently got my first reader request for a style post (thanks Margaret- you made my day!) and she asked if I would help explain "Florida Style" since she is moving here from the chilly North! She pointed out that in researching the area she noticed we have a much more relaxed style, and wanted to know how that translated in the warmer winter months. I loved the idea!!

Our style here in the Sunshine State is different from just about anywhere else in the country- and I wouldn't have it any other way. While I am working on a fun style collaboration with some other blogger friends, I thought today would be perfect for a roundup of some of my favorite winter looks for the sunniest "winter" around!

1) I think I have a new mantra in life, "Aztec is always the answer" (ha!) A cozy tribal sweater on a chilly 50 degree day is the perfect combination. I love pairing these sweaters with my favorite ponte pants and riding boots. It's got the right weight to keep you warm, while not making you burn up!

View full post and outfit details here

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How to Style Your Hunter Boots (in Florida)

One of the coolest things since starting this blog has been having friends reach out to me for style advice- fashion is my favorite thing to talk about and I love sharing it with my gal pals! Recently my friends Samantha asked me how to style her new Hunter Boots in our muggy Florida heat. I pulled the below looks for inspiration, and I love them so much I wanted to share them with you too! 

How do you style your Hunters? 

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A Tracy a Day {Strollin'}

Welcome to Day 2 of my "A Tracy a Day" series. What I love most about statement maxi dresses is that everything else can stay super simple so that the focus stays on your dress- which makes getting ready a breeze! This simple and easy look is then perfect strolling around town and wandering down to the beach. I am OBSESSED with the bright jewel tones in this dress- they are just gorgeous! Lucky for you Tracy brought back this popular style dress this season! Do you love statement maxis as much as I do?

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Beach Bum

There is seriously nothing better than a great beach day... the sand, the surf, the sun- it's heavenly! Recently I had one of those way to rare "free" days, and putting my toes in the sand was the only "to-do" on my list - what a treat it was! When I do slip over to the beach, I love reading a fun book (chic-lit is my favorite) and working on my tan. There are definitely a few perks to being a Florida native ;)

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Ahoy Matey!

Anchors and the ocean go together like puppies and snuggles- a perfect duo! For an evening stroll on the beach it seemed only appropriate to be covered in head-to-toe anchors. For a bold print like this I left my accessories simple so my dress could do the talking for me (and my windblown hair... that did a lot of talking too!) :)

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Sunset Maxi

I don't think there is anything more beautiful than Gulf Coast sunsets on the beach. I love watching these natural moments and reflecting on all the beauty in my day. And can we discuss how beautiful this maxi is?! Friends if you haven't discovered Kiki La'Rue yet then you absolutely MUST click over now and check out her amazing store- she has the biggest heart and the cutest clothes for girls of every size/shape/style! With a dress this dramatic, I kept my jewelry simple so I didn't distract from the drama.  I had so much fun styling this look (and twirling in the sand)!

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Springtime Stripes

The minute I laid eyes on this dress my brain shouted "me me me"... and when Old Navy ran a 40% off dresses promo- well it was a no brainer ;) I love the stripes (surprise surprise) and the lightweight, breezy material- It's absolutely perfect for a hot Florida spring!

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Palm Fronds and Pink

Happy Monday Y'all!

It's a bright new week so why not kick it off with a whole lot of color? I have been dying to break this skirt out of my closet- it just screams spring! The weather has been glorious so it was definitely time to take it for a spin. I thought it would be fun to pair it with this lime green tee for an extra dose of bright! With colors like this I'm always going to be in a sunny state of mind!

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Tropical Oasis

Happy Friday Y'all!!

It's the end of a busy week and I felt the best way to celebrate was with a whole lot of color! If I can tell you the truth, I have never in my life owned a pencil skirt! I have always been self-conscious about my curvy hips and felt that pencil skirts just accentuated that fact.  But last summer I fell madly in love with this skirt from LOFT... the tropical print + bright colors were perfect for my wardrobe! When it went on sale for under $10 it was a no brainer! Friends I am so glad I took a chance on this fun piece. Although I am not a convert to pencil skirts I love how this one fits and it has given me a fun, new look in my closet.

It will be a busy weekend over here with the Junior League "Once Upon a Tea Party and Fashion Show" (I'm modeling- eek so excited!!) Can't wait to share this fun event with you next week! Have a wonderful weekend!

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What I'm Loving Lately: CYNTHIA, Cynthia Rowley

If you're not from the south then you may have never heard of a great department store called Belk. About a year ago Belk began revamping its marketing campaign (and its image) and now advertises that it is the headquarters for "Modern, Southern Style". They carry all of your favorite designers plus some great local southern lines - it's a great place to shop!

Well I was pursuing their website this week and saw tons of fabulous pieces from their CYNTHIA by Cynthia Rowley line and I was hooked! The best part? All these below pieces are on super-sale currently! Here is what I am coveting this week:

A fun, flirty dress for Spring (here)

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A Favorite: Pink + Navy

I know I'm not the only girl out there who has those days when I don't know what to wear. For someone who is constantly thinking about clothes, there are still times when I can't put two pieces together! So what do you do when your closet it stumping you? For me, I go to my favorites- whether it is a favorite piece, or in today's case, a favorite color combination!

I love, love, love, pink and navy together. There is something about the two colors that is so nautical, preppy, and classic (three looks I love). Whenever I am standing in front of my closet and struggling with outfit ideas I go to this color-combination and without a doubt I am always able to pull out a fun look!

What do you do when you are asking the eternal questions... What should I wear?

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