Floral maxi dress

The Limited necklace

Forever 21 Maxi dress

Express, Topshop, and Target bracelets

Kate Spade Saturday ring

JCrew "Emery" heeled sandals

This dress is at least 4 years old, and I look forward to wearing it every summer. It has a tiered chiffon outer layer so the movement when I walk always makes me feel super girly - I love it! And for Forever 21, it's great quality - fully lined and also a little padding in the bra top. Gosh. I just really love it. I almost didn't wear it today because it was cloudy and rainy again when I woke up - I expected to wake up to sunny skies. Alas, I wore it anyway. It's already August 1st, so I need to maximize my summer wardrobe before I'm back in cardigans and boots!!

Linking up with Elle and Jacqueline, Bethany and Meghan.

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Lacy peplum

Forever 21 earrings and ring

NY&Co necklace (option) and bracelet

Express peplum top

Banana Republic/Milly Collection skirt

Tory Burch wedges (option)

Peplum is everywhere, duh. What I love about this top is that, not only is it lace, but it's lined with a soft cotton material. It's crazy comfy and movable, but the lace keeps it feminine and fun. And I love the contrast zipper, which coincidentally went really well with this skirt. And then there are these wedges. I did a Shoesday post on them awhile back. I forgot how awesome these are and how happy they make me. The best part about them is that they don't scream Tory Burch. OK, no actually, the best part about them is the glitter. Glitter is always the best part. 

Linking up with Lindsey, Shanna, and Tara.

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Animal print, literally

TOMS Sunglasses

Personalized necklace from MyNameNecklace.com

Gap outlet top (option)

Anne Klein charm bracelet

7 for all Mankind cuffed chinos

Kensie t-strap Mary Janes

If you haven't noticed, I've been linking up regularly with Erin and Laura for their Trend Spin linkup. They assign a theme to each week and solicit bloggers as well as non-bloggers to participate. The themes are always fun and provide great inspiration for an outfit. I don't know about you, but I sometimes agonize about what to wear. Staring at my clothes and feeling like I have nothing to wear - which is ridiculous. These themes at least give me a context in which to look at my closet, narrowing down my choices, so to speak.

Hokay, all that being said - this week's theme is animal print. I've realized that I tend to do more animal prints in the winter and fall - don't get me wrong, I love leopard. I love anything animal print, really. But as I sifted through my summer clothes in my head, I realized my choices are limited. And then I remembered this lovely top I just got from the Gap outlet. It's literally printed with animals. I was quite proud of my cleverness this morning when I made this connection.

I hope to see you all over at the link up! There's lots of awesome inspiration, I promise! And if anything, Erin and Laura are hostesses with the mostesses, so check them out!

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Printed shorts

JCrew earrings (gifted)

The Limited necklace (option)

Top from Marshall's (option)

Belt from Nordstrom (option)

Kate Spade watch

Topshop bracelet (sold out, but as a necklace here)

Banana Republic Factory shorts (option)

Sperry Topsider "Harbordale" espadrilles

I'm honestly pretty boring typically when it comes to shorts. I usually go for the solid color chino type because they're super soft and comfortable. It's probably a bit late for me to jump on the printed shorts bandwagon, but these were an additional 40% off at the Banana Republic factory store, and I just really loved this pattern and color. They *scream* summer, and I wish I could get away with wearing them at work so they'd get more air time.

Today we were celebrating the arrival of the first grandchild on the husband's side of the family. The weather was absolutely perfect (sunny, clear, and 70s) and his parents have a pretty grand outdoor living space, so we hung out outside, ate some homemade enchillads and passed the baby around. 

I like to think he's contemplating what shoes he is going to wear next. He's pretty freaking cute. Have a happy Monday!

Linking up with Kayla.

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Routine

TOMS Sunglasses

Francesca's earrings (option, with a bow option)

Stella and Dot "Serenity" necklace

American Eagle top (other colors here)

Kate Spade Saturday foldover bag

Kate Spade watch

American Eagle skinnies (limited sizes here)

JCrew "Emery" heeled sandals (on sale for $84 from $248!)

Don't get me wrong, vacationing and traveling is awesome. However, I think I'm a creature of habit because I do like settling back into my routine again. And I missed blogging - dressing up, taking photos, linking up, checking out other blogs - all of it! It was great to kick my feet up in the recliner and start this post. 

You guys have seen these pants a couple times now; I reached for them again today. I bought this top when I was in Lexington back in April, but I hadn't worn it yet. I was actually second guessing whether or not I liked it, as I feel like high necked, shoulder exposing tops aren't flattering on my body. However, when I paired it with these pants, I really liked it a lot. Like a lot. The sandals are a recent purchase that I was eager to wear - they're so awesome! Strappy, leather, studded sandals? Yes, don't mind if I do! And can we talk about this bag for a second? 

I decided to just wear it as a foldover clutch with this outfit, but I love having options! This turns into the perfect carry-all tote in a pinch. Like, lets say my heels are hurting and I have to switch into emergency flats. Voila! The tote can hold my heels for me. Really the possibilities are endless, and it's mint, AND it's on sale, so it's a win no matter which angle you look at it.

Happy to be back, y'all! Enjoy your week!

Linking up with Jenny for Sunday Style and 
Amy and Amber for a belated Friday Five!

READ MORE... "Routine"

More outlet mall shopping

Any vacation that involves trips to two separate outlet malls is a pretty good one, if you ask me. I promise I will get back to normal outfit posts next week, but in the meantime, I thought I'd share with you the second half of my outlet mall finds. We were at the Premium Outlets in Aurora, IL.

First stop was the Gap, where I didn't venture in when I was in San Marcos. I'm kind of kicking myself for not buying the Banana Republic/Milly Collabo elephant shorts because I love them so much (shown here):

Source

I don't know if those shorts just spawned a weird craving for elephants, but when I saw this top at Gap, I had to try it, and when I tried it, I decided I had to have it. Adorable right?

Every summer I also invest in a new maxi dress. I did buy one from the same Banana/Milly collection, but this one is a little more on the casual side. I was surprised because it's a bit thicker - not super thick, but I just feel like maxi dresses nowadays are a super thin, unforgiving jersey (ladies, you (yes, even you perfectly thin ladies) should turn around and look at your booty in those dresses before you leave the house...) so, I loved that this one had a little more structure to it even though it's not noticeably thicker looking at it. Definitely still lightweight for a casual summer look. The print is awesome.

I did also buy a super cute mix-n-match navy and white printed bikini top and bottom, but I don't think I need to put myself in a bikini out there on the interwebs. The top is navy with a white floral print and the bottoms are navy with white polka dots. Other than that, I found a  black and tan sleeveless wrap top and some lime green printed shorts from the Banana Republic Factory store. Unfortunately, I did not photograph those, so you'll just have to trust me that they're amazing finds. The shorts were an additional 40% off.

Of course you know I have to go in the Kate Spade outlet again. I can't not do it. I just can't. I avoided the bags and jewelry this time since I splurged a bit last time. What does that leave? Clothes. I found a couple of really cute peplum tops to try. It was on redonk sale. Original $260ish, on sale for $59. I loved both of them but ended up just getting the black and tan one. Here they are in the cutest dressing room ever.

(Pardon the shorts)

That was enough damage for a second trip, although I know I could have bought more. There were a couple skirts at the JCrew Factory that I ended up putting back. Probably for the best! For my wallet, anyway. Now it's back to reality, back to the chaos of work. I have to say this was quite the random vacation - Alamo, outlet malls, concert, half marathon. It was all pretty great though so I can't complain. I got to see a lot of my favorite people this last week, so that alone was worth it. Now I'm counting down to our beach vacation in September!! Have a great Friday!

READ MORE... "More outlet mall shopping"

Justin/JayZ Legends of the Summer Tour

I spent a long weekend in Chicago, and the original reason for doing so was not actually the half marathon. I was there for the Justin Timberlake/ Jay Z Legends of the Summer Tour. Yes, yes, I've obsessed with Justin ever since his ramen-noodle hair days from *NSync.

Photo Source

I've seen him live about 10 times now or so, whether that be solo or with his other boy banders. Anyway, I was over the moon excited with the news that he was back into his music again. Not that I can really complain because I've watched Friends with Benefits about 2579347875 times. I figured for this post I'd go ahead and give you my little review (as a super fan) of the concert. I was actually exchanging emails with one of my friends who saw him recently at a music festival in London, comparing notes on our experiences. Rather than re-invent the wheel, I shall just share with you what I wrote her:

OK, so Jay Z was actually half of our entire show. They opened with Jay Z's holy grail song and then basically took turns performing, sometimes co-performing depending on the song. 

Jay Z feat: Justin "Holy Grail"

So here are my thoughts.

I was super bummed with the seats. The face value of the tickets were $177 before taxes. So, we paid $600+ for our 3 seats, and there's no way I could have even made out who Justin was without seeing the screens. We were only 7 rows off the floor, just offset from the middle of the stadium. Sadly, if it were in any other non-football stadium, the seats would have been great. They are in the usual sweet spot I look for tickets. I didn't realize it was a football stadium though when I bought the tickets, or else I would have held out for better ones. We were probably on the 20 yard line while the stage was at the opposite end zone, if that makes sense. (attaching a pic) I just didn't think those with that view were worth $200 tickets - maybe for a football game watching the Packers, but not for a concert. Looking at how small the initial list of tour dates were (before they added the fall dates), I'm wondering if the tickets were so expensive merely because of limited availability.

Second, the show was supposed to start at 8pm. There was no opening act or anything, just the two of them. They didn't come out until almost 9:30, with no update to us on what was going on. I was getting really impatient and angry. After the show started, I assumed that they just had to wait until it was dark (stadium was open, not covered) because otherwise you'd never be able to see the projection screens. I was just a little annoyed that he was so late, but none of us knew what the reason was. I still don't know. I'm just speculating it was because it took forever for it to get dark.

Third - it was awesome seeing and hearing Jay Z, but it just made for a totally weird mix of people. I.e. I smelled pot the entire show. You had the typical girl groupies, but then add in a lot of other ghettoness and tough boyfriends who sit down for Justin then stand up for JayZ. Just weird.

Jay Z "Ns in Paris"

All of that being said - I LOVE Justin. I just love him. He's amazing, I can watch and listen to him all day long. I didn't realize how much I missed him until I heard him performing - especially some of his older stuff. The cool thing about us being in the huge stadium is that I have never been to a concert with that many people before. It was almost surreal, and I can't imagine what they were thinking or feeling looking out and seeing the ginormous crowd. No lie, I shed a tear at the end when they said goodbye just trying to imagine the magnitude the crowd has on them. I also kind of felt like it was a good dichotomy of performances - Justin with his teeny bopper background, and then thugged out Jay Z, together on stage, and working really well together. Both maturing in their own way - Jay Z a new dad and settled down with his wifey. Justin also a new husband, settling into his career as a well rounded entertainer and getting his taste back for music again after such a long hiatus.

Justin "Mirrors"

I would obviously pay a lot to see Justin, I always have. I wish he would dance more - he seems to be moving more towards just singing, which is great because his voice is amazing, but I miss seeing him dance for EVERY song, not just sporadically.

Sigh. So that's it!

Reading my review again, I know there seems to be a lot of negativity in there, but I guess at the end of the day, I would have rather been there than not. I just wish that our seats were better as I know it would have been a completely different experience. I'm just not a fan of going to concerts where you can't even see the performer without looking at the screens - because at that point, how is that different than watching them on TV? Yes, it's also about the experience of feeling the excitement of everyone around you, but yeah, going from touching ALL FIVE NEW KIDS to not being able to make out who Justin was on stage and paying less for the NKOTB concert? Bummer. But alas, I can never quit you, Justin.

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The Half Marathon

View from the McCormick Center on the day we got our race bibs

This has been a weird posting schedule for me. I should have probably just planned ahead and written posts ahead of time, but alas, you are getting these live time. Ok, so that being said, you remember this post about me all excited about signing up for the half marathon? Well, my training turned into much of the same as last time, and I didn't feel quite prepared. However, one of my friends is training for the full marathon in October, and she was happy to be my pacer and get me over that finish line. And I am staying with my cousin-in-law here in Chicago, who was an awesome cheerleader for me. Case in point #1 - she made me my pre-race dinner.

The night before, we met some friends for cocktails and snacks around happy hour, which was torture not to drink the entire pitcher of margaritas because it was so delicious. We called it an early night, and I ate my last minute power dinner pictured above before bed. Race morning came pretty early. We planned to be out the door by around 5am.

Via Instagram

The weather ended up being perfect. There was a storm that blew through Saturday night, which cooled things off for the morning. It was barely 70 degrees by the time we were ready to start.

Via Instagram

My friend took this pic of me running towards Nordstrom, which I thought was great motivation for me. haha! I made it to the 5 mile mark before the first time I had to walk, which seriously, if you understood my training (or rather, lack thereof) was a good thing for me. I was still able to run pretty steadily up to around mile 8, but after that, it was very difficult to run much more than a quarter mile at a time. We were trying to run a quarter and walk a quarter at that point. 

Post and pre-race photos, and the medal

I made it though, and after about an hour or two, I went from feeling like death to feeling accomplished and proud of myself. I finished, and I finished without injury - those were my two goals. As far as my time - it was a bit weird because her GPS (and everyone around us) was way off the race mile markers. Really off - ours said we ran 14.55 miles vs the 13.1. According to her GPS, I beat my last time by 13 minutes. According to the race clock, I was 8 minutes slower. Regardless, I have to remind myself that I finished, and didn't quit, although I seriously considered dropping out of the race many times. While I certainly don't recommend or condone running a half marathon without adequate training, I've proven that it can be done. Especially when you have a good support group.

The two most rewarding parts about running the marathon were 1) seeing how many steps I accumulated on my FitBit and 2) getting to divulge in a ridiculous amount of calories and not feel bad about it.

Via Instagram

Chicken fried chicken with cream gravy (I also ordered an extra bowl of it),

with cheesy mashed potatoes and cole slaw

Oh and also - there were tons of spectators and supporters. I recreated my two favorite signs.

Hope everyone has a great week! I have one more day of vacation left and I'm back in the office tomorrow afternoon. Hurts to think about it (physically and mentally.)

READ MORE... "The Half Marathon"