Light Layers

Dress - Old Navy / Wrap (almost identical) - LOFT / Sandals (similar here) - Dolce Vita / Bag - Sole Society / Necklace (similar here) - BaubleBar

You may or may not have noticed I've been posting a lot less around here lately. I used to be really strict and would pick a schedule and stick with it - if I said I was posting five days a week, you had better bet there were five posts up! But I'm hitting a few compounding factors at the moment. We're hitting our busy period at work gearing up for our big annual conference, which is leaving me with a lot less free time. We're also in that weird place between seasons, where I don't really have anything new or exciting to show you clothes wise because I haven't been wearing anything new. I'm not the kind of blogger that shows outfits I'm not really wearing! And frankly, I've just been feeling a little uninspired. I'm hoping things change as we move into fall - I guess we'll see! Oh, and of course, it doesn't help that there's four hours of Bachelor in Paradise to watch each week ;) Anyone else watching this season? I am very, very amused.

So I said I haven't been wearing anything new - technically this dress is new, but I've been wearing it so much (literally several times a week - ha!) that it doesn't feel like it anymore. It's seriously so comfortable, weirdly flattering for a swing dress, and really versatile. I'm loving it here with this wrap, which makes it still feel summery while ensuring I don't completely freeze in the office. But I've also paired it with longer cardigans, which I think will be so cute when you add in some booties come fall. And I love the idea of it with a blanket scarf for fall too. Like I said, so versatile!

In other news, have I told you Jeff is getting a new little sister? Yep, that's right, his dad is having another kid with his new wife - you might remember they got married earlier this year! We're really excited about the new member of the family, who is supposed to arrive in the next week or two. Not many siblings have 33 years between them!! It's kind of funny to think just how old we'll be when she graduates high school or gets married - the old fogeys!

We went out to dinner with Jeff's dad and extended family a couple of weeks ago, which was really the last hurrah before the baby comes. His dad just moved to the Gold Coast, so we hit up their new favorite restaurant Nico Osteria. I was telling Jeff I'm definitely not mad about it being their go-to - the food is so good!! I had the lobster spaghetti this last time and it was so freaking good. After dinner we went for a little wander through the neighborhood to look at the pretty pretty (multi-million dollar) houses and snapped these pics. Think we'll win the lottery soon so I can move to Gold Coast??

Dress - Old Navy / Wrap (almost identical) - LOFT / Sandals (similar here) - Dolce Vita / Bag - Sole Society / Necklace (similar here) - BaubleBar

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Friday Finds

While I'm still in full summer mode over here in my dresses and sandals, fall clothes are starting to come out and I can't help but be a little excited to shop! I've definitely got an eye on these sandals - I have them in green from last summer and they are so comfortable, the deep purple would be so cute for warm fall days! Oh and if you've been eyeing my polka dot romper, there's a plain black version available now! Just a note, EVERYTHING I'm sharing today is 40% off!! Yep, those sandals are definitely going into my cart ;)

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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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This Weekend...

This weekend I...

...Got dragged with Jeff to see the new Mission Impossible movie. Okay, not fully dragged, I made him promise to buy me popcorn and candy ;) It was fun to watch them zooming around Paris since we just went last fall, but really that stuff is not quite my cup of tea. I was laughing because I literally forgot we went to wee it, and on Sunday Jeff was still talking about it.
...Tried running some errands on Saturday morning, only to discover after driving all over the city that Nordstrom Rack doesn't accept Nordstrom returns any more - nooooo!!! Come on guys, I need to return like $500 worth of shoes hahaha. I took out my frustration by going on one of those Target runs where you thought you needed two things and end up checking out with a completely full cart. Whoops.
...Went out to see the Cubs lose terribly on Saturday, but you know, at least we got to sit outside and eat hot dogs! Have you ever noticed that I'm particularly food motivated haha?! We went with Jeff's cousin, and ended up meeting up with a bunch of his family and family friends before the game at Vines. A bunch of our friends had been on an impromptu Diivy bike bar crawl during the game, so we ended up meeting up with them afterwards at Dovetail for a few beers. I didn't even realize it existed, and it's walkable from our house! Handy ;)
...Went out to dinner with some more of Jeff's family at Nico Osteria to say goodbye to his cousin who is moving to Nashville for school. I've been there a few times now - it's Jeff's dad's current favorite restaurant - but had never tried the lobster spaghetti before. Oh my goodness you guys, it is good.

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Friday Finds

one / two / three / four / five

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Rainbow Bright

Tee - J. Crew / Shorts - J. Crew Factory / Bag - Clare V / Sandals (similar here, here, and here) - Ann Taylor / Earrings (similar here, here, and here) - Charming Charlie / Necklace - Stella & Dot

Okay, so I know Rainbow Brite wore a whole lot more color than I'm wearing here, but this outfit just makes me think of her! Sometimes clothes should be serious, but sometimes you should just wear a rainbow shirt with bright pink earrings and green sandals. Am I right or am I right?

I shared this tee in my budget post yesterday, and really like I said, it's the most fun thing to wear. I love that the rainbow stripes give it a little retro vibe, and the flowy cut of the sleeves makes it so much more flattering and fun than a regular tee. Paired with white shorts, it's perfect for summer! Of course, paired with white shorts, it is not the best for hanging out with a bunch of toddlers, which is where I ended up wearing this outfit. Whoops. Somehow I survived the chalk / sprinklers / playing games on the ground / eating barbecue seated next to a three year old unscathed. Praise be. 

I briefly mentioned it yesterday, but I'm out in San Francisco again for work for a couple of days. I've been out a lot lately (I went back to back weeks in June!) and I love getting to explore the city, except every time I'm there there's a freaking high of 60 degrees!! I honestly am so confused every time to be dressing for 60 degree weather in the middle of the summer - I show up in my full fall gear, and the San Francisco crowd somehow manages to still dress summer-y. This time I spent about 10 minutes staring at my closet before I just gave up and packed a bunch of my new #nsale purchases - I was most excited to break out this tote but also wore this cashmere poncho on the plane. Because comfy is my personal style ;) 

Tee - J. Crew / Shorts - J. Crew Factory / Bag - Clare V / Sandals (similar here, here, and here) - Ann Taylor / Earrings (similar here, here, and here) - Charming Charlie / Necklace - Stella & Dot

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July Budget

Every month I post about my clothing budget. My budget per month is $350, which may seem like a lot to some and a little to others, but feels just right for me. You can read my thoughts on my 2017 budget here.

...So, you think I bought enough this month? Lol! I'm actually a little embarrassed - turns out in July I shopped a lot. I returned a lot, but I seem to have kept a lot too.

This is always the month where I start shopping for fall (thanks Nordstrom Anniversary Sale!) and I'm really pumped about my fall wardrobe so far. I freaking love that fuzzy pullover - I saw it on repeat last winter but never bought it because the sizing made it seem like it would be way too small. I ordered a large, and it actually fits great. I ended up wearing it over the weekend on our trip to Michigan and it was so soft and cozy. I'm also weirdly psyched about the tee shirt dresses from Old Navy. They were incredibly inexpensive and are so comfortable and versatile - definitely layering these with all of my cardigans and scarves come fall!

So, here are all of my purchases for July. Just a note, I am holding off on sharing a few of my #nsale purchases that I'm not 100% about keeping yet - the rest will be included next month!

Halogen Tee - originally $39.00, on sale $24.90. This is the perfect layering piece, tried on here.
J. Crew Rainbow Stripe Tee - originally $42.50, on sale $29.75. This tee is so fun to wear, especially with white shorts!
Old Navy Flag Hat - originally $16.99, on sale $10.00. I snagged this for the Fourth of July, how freaking cute!
J.Crew Factory Pom Pom Trim Tee - originally $44.50, on sale $18.00. I literally forgot I bought this because I wore it for about an hour and immediately spilled on myself. But, it seems to have come through the wash alright and I rediscovered it this week. The pom pom detail makes it so cute for summer!
BP Plaid Poncho - originally $39.00, on sale $25.90. So cute for fall but sadly already sold out!
Adidas Sneakers - originally $85.00, on sale $63.90. I have such picky feet, even when it comes to sneakers, and I was so happy to discover these are so comfortable! They're a sock style shoe that slips on and contours to your foot, and you don't actually have to wear socks with them. Love love love.
Halogen Cardigan - originally $79.00, on sale $42.90. This was a late sale purchase for me after I didn't love a few other cardigans I tried, and I'm so excited for this one! It's really soft, I love the length, and the green color will be so pretty for fall and the holiday season.
Old Navy Tee Dress (purchased in black and gray) - originally $26.99, on sale $10.00.
BP Pocket Plaid Shirt - originally $49.00, on sale $31.90. This was another late sale purchase, I love that there are only buttons on the top which gives it a great fit. RETURNED!! I never wore this so I ended up taking it back. It just didn't quite work for maternity.
J.Crew Factory Chambray Shorts - originally $34.50, on sale $19.50. I ordered these kind of on a whim after trying them on here and not being wowed. And have basically not worn another pair of shorts since. They're so comfy and go with everything!
Sole Society Tote - originally $64.95, on sale $42.90. I loooove this bag, it's super high quality for such a good price. Packed this as my personal item for my flight out to San Francisco this morning!
J.Crew Factory Sandals - originally $59.50, on sale $19.50. I honestly bought these because the price was so good, which is not a good reason to buy something. But I love the calf hair leopard print, and have worn them a few times (though not nearly as much as my TKEES!) so I'm getting that twenty bucks out of them!
LOFT Cardigan - originally $49.50, on sale $29.70. I'd been on the hunt for a summer weight cardigan, and this one fit the bill. It's really soft and comfortable, perfect for all that air conditioning!
Thread & Supply Wubby Fleece Pullover - originally $78.00, on sale $51.90. In case you haven't figured it out, I love this. Got a size large and the fit is perfect.
LOFT Eyelet Top - originally $59.50, on sale $35.70. I love a good white blouse for summer, so sad this is now sold out!

Total Spent: $434.55
Total Saved: $311.37

Whew, so just a little bit of spending, right?! So, for August I can really say I'm not shopping for anything in particular, and will be attempting to hold myself back. Wish me luck!

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