Black Floral Spring Dress

Dress - J.Crew Factory / Sweater - LOFT / Booties - TOMS / Bag - Tory Burch / Sunnies - Amazon

Look you guys, an actual outfit post!! And I'm not even trying to get dressed around a gigantic bump anymore!

Jeff's parents hosted a little engagement / stock the bar party for his brother last weekend, and I used it as an opportunity to break out a pretty new spring dress. I love little dresses like this because they work so well dressed up or down. I wasn't really sure how dressed up people would get for the party, so it was nice to be able to sit at middle ground. By taking this dress that could be perceived as "dressy" but adding casual elements like the cardigan and booties, it perfectly toes the line. And it was good I went this route too, since some people showed up in dresses and heels and others were in jeans and tee shirts.

I also love black floral print dresses for spring in Chicago because you can still easily pair them with black tights. That doesn't work quite as well with pastel floral dresses. I am not a proponent for freezing your butt off during Chicago's "spring" days, so tights are a must for me! Turns out as you get older, you really just want to be comfortable all the time.

In case you were wondering, this dress does have a hook and eye closure so it does work for nursing. That's something I've really been looking for in dresses for spring and summer. If I'm in a tee and shorts I can still figure out how to feed little Mia, but I've realized that if I'm in a dress that doesn't open easily I basically have to get naked for her snack time, which I don't think will work quite as well out in public ;)

Dress - J.Crew Factory / Sweater - LOFT / Booties - TOMS / Bag - Tory Burch / Sunnies - Amazon

Follow along with everything Kristina does via Bloglovin!

Fall Florals

Dress and Sandals - Ann Taylor / Bag - Tory Burch / Earrings (similar here and here) - J.Crew

Whew! Now that the cat's out of the bag (in case you missed yesterday, I'm pregnant!) it feels like we can talk about everything over here again! My August budget post was pretty light partially because I'm still not really sure what non-maternity items will work for pregnancy (I obviously will get some maternity clothes but would prefer not to buy a ton!) and because I actually spent a lot of my time shopping for maternity jeans! I know some people hold off on that purchase and go as long as they can in their regular pants, but as a woman who holds most of her weight in her belly already I was ready to hop into the maternity jeans basically as soon as possible! Of course I've hated basically every pair I've tried on - all of the rises are too high on me plus barely any retailers seem to make long lengths (but why?!?) but once I hit on some good ones I'll let you know. I currently have an order that was supposed to be delivered last Monday (yes, as in a week and a half ago) floating around somewhere with FedEx.

But anyway, back to the dress! This shift dress is so cute, and definitely bump friendly. I don't usually like such high necklines on me, but I think the sheer sleeves help to balance it out and not make me feel so covered. It also de-emphasizes my chest which helps the high neckline work. I love the length too - it hits me just above the knee, which feels appropriate for work but still short enough to wear on the weekend. I am 5'9" though and get most of my height from my legs, so it might be a bit longer on you.

In case you're new around here, my legs are amazingly long - I wear the same inseam as Jeff who is 6'3"!! Funny story - when my brother Pat came back from his first year in South Korea wearing skinny jeans and all kinds of fun trendy styles, a pair of my jeans went missing. I was poor and unemployed at the time and literally only had two pairs of jeans, so that was a big problem. Yep, you guessed it - they were in my brother's closet. He, "thought they were a little tight," but 100% thought they were his.

So, all of that was to say, if I can manage to find a dress that isn't too short on me, I'm a very happy camper.

Dress and Sandals - Ann Taylor / Bag - Tory Burch / Earrings (similar here and here) - J.Crew

Follow along with everything Kristina does via Bloglovin!

Little Floral Dress

Dress - Topshop / Jacket - J. Crew Factory / Sandals - Ann Taylor / Bag - Sole Society / Earrings (back in stock!)  - J. Crew / Sunglasses - Urban Outfitters / Necklace - Stella & Dot

I've officially hit that point where I'm completely tired of my wardrobe. I have a couple of favorite tops and dresses that I've been wearing on repeat all summer, and while I still love them I really wanted something new. Enter the little floral dress. This dress is so '90s but in the best way possible, and the dark floral pattern will work well for the end of summer as well as into the fall. I'm wearing it with sandals now, but come fall I'll definitely layer in some tights and booties. 

This week has been a busy one for me. Between my trip to San Francisco last week and heading out for Labor Day Weekend tomorrow, I've been trying to play catch up at work and at home. Basically my house is a mess and my inbox is full. There hasn't been a lot of fun, but I'm hoping to get as much done as possible tonight so I can head out worry-free tomorrow. Wish me luck!

Dress - Topshop / Jacket - J. Crew Factory / Sandals - Ann Taylor / Bag - Sole Society / Earrings (back in stock!)  - J. Crew / Sunglasses - Urban Outfitters / Necklace - Stella & Dot

Linking up with Friday Fab Favorites.

Follow along with everything Kristina does via Bloglovin!

9 Spring Dresses under $150

I don't know about you, but every spring I end up needing to dress up more than I expect. Between weddings, showers, Easter, and work events, I always end up needing a pretty spring dress or two. I looked in my dress closet and realized that most of my pretty spring dresses have been around the block a time or tow, so I've been on the hunt for something new to add to the closet. I actually ordered this one but I have a feeling it isn't quite going to work on me, so the hunt continues! I'm always looking for dresses that are under $150, aren't too revealing (for all of the church events), and have pretty spring colors or details - all of these fit the bill! Which is your favorite?

one / two / three / four / five / six / seven / eight / nine

Follow along with everything Kristina does via Bloglovin!

What I'm Wearing to a Wedding

Sidebar - today I'm being featured on Coffee Beans & Bobby Pins / FACE IT CATALOG and Chelsea and the City. 

Over the past few weeks I've been posting what to wear to different types of weddings.  This Sunday I'm hitting my first wedding of the season, so I thought I'd share what I'm planning on wearing.  I'd share the invitation too, but you know, I don't want you to stalk me.  It'll be a fairly formal and religious wedding, so I'm dressing up a little more than usual and trying not to show too much skin.  And also, apparently wearing every color in the rainbow.  Don't worry, I tried everything on together and all of the color actually worked.  Like, almost too well.

Dress / Heels / Earrings / Bracelet / Clutch

I actually have a whole weekend of wedding fun planned.  Tonight is my future sister-in-law's bachelorette party, and tomorrow I'll be heading out to the suburbs for my cousin's (shark themed!) bridal shower.  I hope you have a great weekend!!




Follow along via Google Friend Connect or Bloglovin!