Life has been a bit hectic since we got back from vacation, hence my sporadic posting. I've still had blogging on the brain though and I've accumulated some outfit photos on my phone as a result. It's just that none of the photos alone seemed enough for a full post, so today's post is a massive dump of photos showing what I've been up to lately. Let's just get started!
What I've been up to lately
Funny thing happened a couple of weekends ago. The husband went to his parents house and when he got home, he happened to be recapping a conversation with this dad that went like this:
Husband: So my dad asked if we were invited to Megan's tomorrow. And I told him we were, but we weren't going.
Me: Wait, what? Megan who? And invited to what?
Husband: My cousin Megan! The baptism is tomorrow.
Me: Uh, I didn't see an invite?! I would really like to go to that!
Husband: But it's in Chicago.
Me: Uh, I would really like to go to that!
So long story short, we drove to and from Chicago for a quick day trip a couple of Sundays ago. It's about a 4 hour drive from here each way, and I've definitely done the trip before, but had I realized this was happening, I would have properly planned to be there for the entire weekend! Oh well!
You've seen Megan on the blog several times! Our epic walk. Supporting me and my half marathon. Justin concert. Her bachelorette party. Her wedding. This pregnancy wasn't an easy one and on top of that, the baby was born 6 weeks early! I really wanted to make sure that we were there to support her while we celebrated baby Quinn! For so many reasons!
After the ceremony, we went back to her house for some eats! It turned out to be a really nice day; one of the first and only days this summer where it wasn't deathly hot outside!
Dress: ASTR | Necklace: Kendra Scott "Aiden" | Bag: Rebecca Minkoff | Sandals: Sam Edelman "Yaro"
This dress is the dress that keeps on giving. If it weren't so recognizable, I would be happy to wear it to every and all occasions! I'm tempted to get another color, but deep down, I know it's best in white. I knew I wanted to wear a dress this day, but none of my other dresses felt particularly good to me. I wasn't feeling any of them, so I pulled this one out because it never lets me down.
Sunnies: Quay | Top: Charming Charlie (c/o) | Shorts: Banana Republic | Sandals: American Eagle
Sometimes you just have to dig deep into your closet, grab some pieces you know you love and not worry about whether or not anything is still available to buy. That's how I was feeling this night when we were stepping out to grab some Mexican for dinner. Blogging puts this unnecessary stress on me sometimes to always be current in what I'm wearing. Even though 90% of my closet is filled with things the mass public can't buy anymore. I don't dress just so I can promote things to you. And this outfit proves it since everything is multiple seasons old.
Earrings: Nickel and Suede in large rose gold
This is a close-up of my hair from the same night. Stacy from CS Gems posted this video of this cute ponytail on their Facebook VIP page. You know I love me a good hairstyle, and I decided to try it myself except with a low-slung, offset ponytail. (My face just does not look great with a regular ponytail! I don't know why!) Anyway, I loved it. It was really easy to do and added a great detail to an otherwise simple pony! The only thing I did a little bit differently was tease the crown before pulling my hair back.
Cap: From the St. Louis Cardinals store | Tank: Captain American from Universal Studios | Skirt: American Eagle (option) | Sandals: Sam Edelman "Gigi" (other colors here)
Is it just me or was the week of July 4th weird for everyone?! I was hoping it would be slow at work - similar to how quiet it is between the week of Christmas and New Year's. It was not quiet though. It felt extra hectic and extra busy - especially since it was filled with TWO Mondays not just one. You think TWO Fridays would feel great, but the two Mondays negated any of that! At any rate, we rolled out of bed the morning of the 4th and decided to dress super American and eat at Cracker Barrel, naturally.
They just re-opened the Arch grounds after being under construction for about 4 years, and I've been wanting to go! I convinced the husband to go after breakfast. Fair St. Louis was happening, specifically the air show and that is always a good time to see. Unfortunately, it was SO HOT. I was a sweaty mess and all the walking did not help. We ended up seeking refuge in a local bar so we could cool down while we had a cocktail. The walk back to the car though was BRUTAL! We went back downtown again for the fireworks over the Mississippi River. It worked out great! We found a parking lot, set up some chairs in the back of the husband's truck, and enjoyed the show.
Drinking lately
This is a Bomb Pop martini which was recreated by one of our friends based on a cocktail served at Peel! It's layered with vodka, pineapple juice, lime juice, peach Schnapps, Grenadine, and Blue Curacao. You do have to mix it before you drink it, but I think she did a hella good job with the presentation! And it was delish. I may or may not have had 3 of them. Maybe 4.
Speaking of martinis, this is my standard - Grey Goose martini, dirty, straight up. Yes, I love my bourbon, but sometimes when I *REALLY* need a drink, I turn to my old faithful. These are dangerous for me because I can drink them like water. It's been a particularly stressful time at work for so many reasons I won't get into right now, so I've been partaking in a few dirty martinis lately!
These are the drinks that helped cool us off on July 4th. We stopped into the FOX Sports Midwest Live! Restaurant. What you're seeing on the left is called the Clark Street Cooler which has Bacardi Pineapple, Bacardi Limon, pineapple juice, sour and Sprite. The right is the husband's drink which was simpler - sweet tea vodka and lemonade! It is called the Triple Play Tea.
Buying lately
Foot health is so important with Pilates because your stance starts all the way down at your feet! A lot of issues we may have in our knees and hips often originate in our feet! I decided to buy a set of toe correctors to have for my home studio. They're meant to help strengthen your toes, give you feet more flexibility, and help correct any alignment issues. I made the husband try it out and it is deceivingly difficult! If you're interested to see how this could help you, you should ask your Pilates studio if they have these for you to try!
Because I've been blogging a bit more sporadically lately, the one benefit is that I'm no longer hoarding new purchases for the sake of blog photos. I'll wear new purchases more immediately now, which is nice. When I was putting together my post about Michigan, I found this maxi dress in the process and thought it was gorgeous. My long-time fave maxi dress officially died on me, and this is a good replacement! I got it in my normal size 4.
I've only had this tunic for about a month, but I've already worn it 3-4 times. It's great! The print is so much fun, it's so easy to thrown on, and I feel great when I wear it. I sized down to an XS.
I have been loving these cork sandals, too! I haven't gotten a super great photo of them on the blog, but they really are the perfect nude colored sandal. I've worn these several times since I bought them less than a month ago. And suffice it to say, I'm officially obsessed with these off the shoulder tees. They fit so so well, and I get so many compliments when I wear them. They make me feel good - for a basic tee, that's a win/win!
This top arrived last Thursday and I wore it the next day on Friday! I was pleased with the fit - I was worried it would be so low cut that I would need to wear a bralette or cami underneath. It fits great on its own though. That said, I did size down. These sandals are the same ones you saw in Monday's post here. I knew I wanted to wear it for floral Friday, but when I was trying to pair floral on top, it was a bit too much. So I went with an otherwise solid outfit and let the heels speak for themselves. I threw my coworkers off though. I walked into the room and they were all giving me grief for not wearing floral! Apparently I wasn't obnoxious enough! Regardless, the sandals are fab and they were the perfect finishing touch to this outfit and complement to my new top!
Whew! That's all I got for you! A bit of a random roundup with even more randoms thrown in here! Hopefully that makes up for my absence! I will try and be better next week, too!
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Sounds like you've been doing lots of fun stuff and I love your new maxi, it is gorgeous on you.
ReplyDeletexo
Pinksole
Wow this post was full of goodness! I wasn't expecting to get so much today! Life update with all kinds of things I didn't know about (even though I follow you everywhere! ha!) and lots of cute outfits! I appreciate when you share "older" items because it's fun to see what stands the test of time for you and what you reach for repeatedly. (vs. when most bloggers say, "I wear this all the time!" means they wore it one day for breakfast, lunch and dinner before changing. LOL). Hope you had a nice quick trip here!
ReplyDeleteGina || On the Daily Express
You've had a fun July!
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