White Eyelet and a Bow!

Top (similar here and here) - LOFT / Shorts - Old Navy / Bag - Clare V / Hair Bow - J. Crew / Sandals (similar here and here)- Dolce Vita / Necklace - Stella & Dot

A couple of weekends ago, Jeff and I planned a last-minute dinner date to celebrate some good news we both had in our work lives that week (last minute because my mom texted me asking what we were doing to celebrate, and I was like, oh, duh, we should do something hahaha - thanks Mom!) I had grand plans to get dressed up, but then it was about 95 degrees out and I was exhausted from throwing a bridal shower earlier that day, so shorts and a cute top it was! 

I love cute little white blouses like this for summer. They're so easy breezy, fun to wear, and just scream summer. I love that this one works great dressed down with shorts, but also tucked into a skirt for work. This particular blouse is sold out online (noooo, don't you hate when I do that to you?!) but I was in the store over the weekend and saw a bunch in the clearance section. I also linked up some similar blouses here: 

To make the outfit a little more fun, I added in this cute gingham hair bow! Hair bows were huge last winter but took a little pause when all of the velvet and sparkles didn't seem quite right for spring. But with gingham? I'm so back in on this trend. 

For dinner, we headed to Drawl, a new place in Lincoln Park that is so cute. I don't know about you, but I'm very pro when restaurants think about how to be the most Instagrammable - I mean, just look how cute! It's a fun mix between modern southern and fun vintage stuff you might find in your grandma's house (or is it just my grandma's house that's full of hunting dog paintings and maybe a giant dog statue or two?) - and the food wasn't bad either! We loved the she crab soup and the fried chicken - yum!! 

Top (similar here and here) - LOFT / Shorts - Old Navy / Bag - Clare V / Hair Bow - J. Crew / Sandals (similar here and here)- Dolce Vita / Necklace - Stella & Dot

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What Helps You Concentrate?

Top (on sale for less than $8!) - Loft / Shorts - Gap / Sandals - Target / Bag - Sole Society / Earrings - BaubleBar

I've been working basically non-stop lately, so I've been thinking a lot about what helps me concentrate and get more work done, faster. And I feel like it's probably different from what you need to concentrate. 

I hear a lot of people say that they have to have it silent when they work, or they need music without words to really get stuff done. While that helps if I'm really concentrating hard on writing (and I mean, like, writing a white paper, not writing a blog post or an email), I actually usually need noise. I actually love to have the tv on while I work - probably because my easily-distracted mind needs lots of stimulus! The funny thing is, if I'm working I won't watch it at all. I'll often turn on a show, and then not notice that four hours have passed and I'm now watching something terrible like My 600 Pound Life. Jeff comes home to me watching the most random things, and I literally won't have noticed. 

The weirdest thing is, I can't actually listen to podcasts. I've tried it several times, and it's too distracting to me. Something about a person talking directly into my ear really catches my attention, which is funny because Jeff basically only listens to podcasts at work, and he can't handle talking to me and looking at his phone at the same time.

Watching my favorite old shows and movies over and over is usually my go-to - I could watch Parks and Rec or 10 Things I Hate About You or Cool Runnings (and lately the first season of Bug Juice on YouTube - did you hear they're making a new season?!) over and over and over while I work, and it's okay because I only look up now and then to catch a funny line and then go back to work and forget that it's on until the credits start rolling. 

Weirdly, this is also the trick I use to fall asleep - I swear I've been watching Gilmore Girls on repeat at bedtime for 10 years now - something my college roommate can definitely attest to! I'd like to take this time to publicly apologize to you for all the times you had to wake up to the DVD menu on repeat ;)

So tell me - what do you need to help you concentrate? 

Top (on sale for less than $8!) - Loft / Shorts - Gap / Sandals - Target / Bag - Sole Society / Earrings - BaubleBar

Linking up with Trend Spin Linkup, Friday Fab Favorites.

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Pink on Pink on Pink

Dress (currently on sale!) and Sandals - LOFT / Jacket - J. Crew Factory / Bag (similar) - Coach / Earrings (super similar) - BaubleBar

So we have the little black dress, and the little white dress, but what about the little pink dress?? On first glance you might think I'm wearing white here, but this dress is actually a really pretty blush color. And I have to tell you, this blush is really feeling more like a neutral to me than anything else - it seemingly goes with everything! Like, all of the coral accessories in my closet. Plus, this dress works in the way a little black dress does, in that you can dress it up or dress it down. I'm not sure how I haven't shared pictures of it before, because I've managed to wear it to work, on the weekends, and even to a wedding since I bought it! Which, really, is the trifecta of clothing.

Dress (currently on sale!) and Sandals - LOFT / Jacket - J. Crew Factory / Bag (similar) - Coach / Earrings (super similar) - BaubleBar

Linking up with Style Me Wednesday, Style Sessions.

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Orange on Orange

Dress - J. Crew / Belt (similar) - Old Navy / Necklace - Stella & Dot / Sandals (similar) - Sole Society / Bag (similar) - Ann Taylor / Bracelet - Michael Kors

How have I not shared this dress on the blog yet?! I bought it back in May for my sister-in-law's graduation, and have since worn it all over town. It may actually be your lucky day though, because the dress is now super marked down. I actually was going to buy the white version, but the sales lady told me I had to go with the orange. I'm pretty glad I listened to her! I thought that the orange would be a little too crazy with my hair, but somehow it works.

Somehow my closet has gone from crazy colorful to super neutral over the past few years, and having something fun and bright to pull out is so perfect for the summer. I especially love it for the office. My office is pretty casual so traditional work dresses can feel a bit stuffy, but in orange (and paired with my denim jacket) it's just right. I'm kind of wishing I had a late summer wedding coming up so I'd have a fun reason to dress this little number up a bit like I did here! Last year we had wedding after wedding all summer long, but this year we just have a couple in fall and early winter (which means I get to break out this ruffled number again - eee!).

Linking up with Friday Fab Favorites, Summer Style.

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Navy Eyelet

Do I have a thing for eyelet? Umm apparently yes, yes I do ;) Eyelet is such a pretty choice for spring and summer that I just have a hard time resisting. Paired with some pretty ankle tie espadrilles and a fun straw bag and you're good to go for all of your warm weather activities, whether it's a backyard barbecue, brunch with your girlfriends, or a day out shopping. Toss on a denim jacket in chilly air conditioning or when the sun goes down.

dress / necklace / bag / nail polish / jacket / espadrilles

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Eyelet for Work

I snagged this gorgeous eyelet dress at J.Crew a couple of weeks ago (except I opted for bright orange!) and while I wore it to a graduation over the weekend, I can imagine it working really well for the office too. The oversized sleeves are fun, but the sheath cut is all business. Is your office an ice box in summer too? Just toss on a denim jacket or navy blazer depending on your dress code and you'll be good to go.

dress / necklace / bag / sunglasses / nail polish / sandals

Would you wear eyelet to the office?

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Navy & White

Top - JCrew / Jeans - Old Navy / Sandals - Target (old) / Bracelet - BaubleBar (similar) / Necklace - c/o Anjolee

Seriously, the cool summer weather has got to stop.  It's so confusing, because I still want to dress summery (even though my new fall clothes are calling my name from the back of my closet) but don't want to be too cold.  Enter white jeans and a sweatshirt top.  White jeans just say warm weather to me, and while this top is a sweatshirt, it has eyelet on the sleeves which adds to the summery vibe.  Plus, the classic nautical combo of navy and white is just about as summery you can get.

Have you been experiencing cooler weather in your part of the country?  I still haven't fully thawed from last winter, so I'm hoping for more warm days before fall rolls around.

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