Today I am excited to share with you an upcoming summer shopping event that I am hosting next week.  For those of you in the Charlotte area, I hope that you swing by the Tory Burch store at SouthPark Mall to shop with champagne, macaroons, and an exclusive discount.  In the meantime, I've rounded up 12 of my favorite pieces from the summer collection.

[dress: gap (old, but similar and on sale here) // jacket: old (similar) // kicks: vince camuto (similar) // baubles: stella and dot (here, here, and here), michael kors // purse: tory burch // sunnies: rayban]

[shirt: jcrew (another sparkly mint option) // skirt: jcrew (similar) // kicks: valentino // baubles: michael kors, stella & dot, jcrew (love this one) // sunnies: rayban // bag: tory burch (similar)]

Happy St. Patrick's Day to you! I hope you are spending the day celebrating this grand Irish holiday.  For this look, I opted for a less traditional green on green option.  Today, I'm rocking a more traditional take, but I couldn't resist the urge to push the boundaries a little bit.

[blazer: tinley road (similar & under $50!) // shirt: jcrew // skirt: banana republic (similar) // kicks: stuart weitzman (similar) // baubles: jcrew, michael kors, loren hope // sunnies: prada]



My saga with OTK boots dates back to the Nordstrom Anniversary sale when I was desperately trying to make another pair of Stuart Weitzman's work.  I point towards my wider feet as the culprits behind those not working out and as such I had really given up.  Subsequently every time I'd see someone rocking them, I had a twinge of coulda-woulda-shoulda.  Then my shoe guy at Nordstrom convinced me to give these a try and bonus they were on sale.  The rest, they say, is history.  If you are like me and holding out on a pair, I'd highly recommend biting the bullet and just doing it.

[sweater: juicy couture (military inspired coat here and here) // skirt: jcrew // shirt: jcrew // kicks: DV (similar) // baubles: michael kors, stella & dot, jcrew, gorjana // purse: tory burch // sunnies: ray ban]

I love a good military-inspired look and when it was warm enough last week to rock only a sweater, I knew that this tried-and-true was dying to be pulled out.  The mix of the structure of military-inspired wear with the softness of the pleated fabric was just the perfect combo for me.

[jacket: similar // dress: jcrew // scarf: jcrew // baubles: michael kors, stella & dot, jcrew, kenneth jay lane // purse: tory burch // sunnies: rayban]

This dress is such an easy throw-on - seriously, dress it up, dress it down - it works in practically every situation.  I have been rockin' it since I nabbed it and it's still available and causing me to consider nabbing it up in every other available color.  Added bonus for shorties like me - it's also available in petite sizing (hooo-ray!)

[coat: anthropologie (alternative styling option) // dress: ella moss (similar) // baubles: michael kors, stella & dot // scarf: express // kicks: sam edelman (similar) // bag: tory burch // sunnies: prada]

Growing up I was taught that clothing is seasonal; when the leaves started to change, you packed up all of your warm weather clothes and replaced them with sweaters.  Though I think the sentiment that clothing is seasonal holds true to some extent, I argue that you can actually keep much of your warmer-weather-clothes out and transition them into the cooler months relatively easily.  I tend to keep most of my clothing easily available year-round for such opportunities.

Take this dress - it's a lighter material and better suited on its own for warmer temps, but the long sleeves and length make it a prime candidate for taking into the cooler months.  Layer on a favorite scarf, a cozy jacket, and throw on some boots (I like either a taller pair or a pair of booties) and you've got a bonafide cooler weather look.

[sweater: jcrew // shirt: topshop via nordstrom // pants: jcrew factory // kicks: louboutin // purse: tory burch // baubles: jcrew (here & here), michael kors // sunnies: prada]

You'll notice that sweater hemlines are rising these days.  For people like myself who have long torsos, this can be a little problematic.  To help bridge that gap, I love to layer longer blouses and tanks underneath.  Mixing and matching fabrics like lace and wool is a fun way to subtly add dimensions to your look.

[jacket: similar // sweater: jcrew // skirt: jcrew // tights: dkny // kicks: dv (similar) // baubles: michael kors, jcrew (here & here), stella & dot // sunnies: prada // clutch: tory burch (similar)]

Last week the temperatures dropped, the leaves turned gorgeous shades of yellows & oranges, and it was just enough incentive for me to break out the tights.  Here's the thing, a younger me loathed disliked tights, but now an older me realizes that they are a really great alternative to keeping legs warm while still wearing skirts this time of year.




Some other fall times love: cozy knits like this cropped one from JCrew and ikat prints...I mean, really! FTW.