Laced Up

Skirt and T-shirt: Ann Taylor, Shoes: Enzo Angiolino, Necklace: For Love 21,
Sunglasses: Kate Spade, Watch: Michael Kors

When summer finally rolls around, my go-to uniform pretty much instantly becomes my bathing suit and flips flops. I don't mean just for going to the beach. I mean for basically anything I do. Cleaning, cooking dinner, watching TV . . . you name it, I've probably done it in my bikini. Bathing suits are like my summer sweatpants. It might not be a pretty sight to see, but you try living without air conditioning and let me know long you last wearing real clothes. Unfortunately (at least for me) bathing suits are not yet considered work-appropriate attire. So this tiered lace skirt is pretty much the next best thing considering I have to show up at an office five days a week (or at least I'm supposed to). It's loose enough to still be comfortable on 90-degree days, but dressy enough to trick people into thinking I put some effort into getting dressed. Which I did. It took a lot of effort to not just wear a bathing suit. Plus, it's super versatile. I wore it way back here in December with tights and blazer . . . when I was ironically also talking about my bathing suit. That might be the sign of a problem.

MemoriAli

Dress: Ann Taylor: Blazer: thrifted, Necklaces: Lion's Mane Vintage and Elizabeth Ngo

As I do every year on Memorial Day, I spent the holiday weekend in Omaha celebrating my best friend Rachel's birthday and having a mini-college reunion of sorts. This year, a bunch of our guy friends also made the trip, so to truly recreate our college experience we pretty much lived like hobos all weekend. Thankfully I got these photos before heading out to dinner the first night that everyone arrived before things went completely downhill. It was the only day cool enough to even consider wearing a maxi-dress. It was actually chilly enough that I had to resort to stealing this great silk blazer from my friend's closet. After these were taken, I didn't wear much beyond a bathing suit and a water-balloon soaked cover-up for the rest of the weekend . . . even when I went to the grocery store. I'm like a "pioneer of shame" as one of my guy friends put it. But in my defense, there's really nothing else to wear when you spend four straight days playing 4-Square, having water-balloon fights, and hanging out on a driveway in 95-degree heat. 

I also got to visit my friend's new store while I was in town! She recently opened her own vintage boutique in the Benson neighborhood of Omaha, so if you're anywhere near there you must must must go check out Lion's Mane Vintage. I'm probably just a teensy bit biased, but the store is amazing. It's like hanging out in some cool, trendy, hipster closet full of vintage pieces you never even knew you needed. As someone who is in awe of vintage, thrifted pieces (but can never find them on my own) I was blown away. I bought way too many necklaces while I was there, including the turquoise beads I have on above, which I didn't take off all weekend. And just in case you don't make an annual pilgrimage to Omaha like I do, you can also check out her store's Facebook page here or her Etsy page here. 

Love-Hate Relationship

Dress: Target, Belt: J.Crew, Shoes: Enzo Angiolino, Necklace: Tiffany's. Watch: Michael Kors

When I first bought these giraffe-print wedges, I LOVED them. I mean really loved them. The"I like my Sketchers, but I love my Prada backpack" kind of love. Now, we have more of a love-hate relationship. As in, I still love them, but they hate my feet. They're adorable shoes (god knows I love anything in animal print) and great if you're planning to spend most of the day just sitting around, showing off your feet and only have to walk for few minutes at a time. But I made the mistake of wearing them to run errands at Target after work one day and seriously considered taking them off and going barefoot, "shoes and shirts required" sign be damned. (I mean, I was going to keep my shirt on. One out of two isn't bad, right?) Since I spend most of my day sitting at a desk, I thought I'd be brave enough to try wearing them again. It wasn't a total disaster — I managed to hobble outside in them to take pictures since they're so fun with this color-blocked dress from Target, officially the number-one provider of my summer-dress wardrobe. And I even managed not to grimace in most of the photos . . . at least not the ones anyone will see. 

Bigger is Better

 

    

  

Jeans: Democracy, Tank top: Joie, Blazer: Kenneth Cole Reaction, Shoes: Target, Scarf: Nordstrom,
Sunglasses: Kate Spade, Earrings: Simon Sebbag, Bracelets: J.Crew

I swear to god, this blazer gets bigger and more oversized every time I wear it. Which isn't to say I don't love it. I do — especially paired with this equally loose feather-print silk tank top and summery scarf. But because seems to grow magically larger when ever I take it off, it's often forced to spend much of its life hanging in my closet, unworn and unloved. I always feel like I'm playing dress-up when I wear it. Or like I'm Tom Hanks in Big when he's all of a sudden a little kid again, but still wearing giant, grown-up sized clothes. You'd think something that makes me feel tiny would get more play since my style aesthetic is pretty much defined by super tight pants and loose, flowy tops that could potentially double as a maternity smocks. I don't care what anyone says, that's the most comfortable outfit there is. Other than sweatpants, obviously. Sweatpants win every time. 

Minty Fresh

Jeans: Urban  Outfitters, T-shirt: Jason Wu for Target, Blazer: H&M,
Shoes: Bandolino, Sunglasses: Kate Spade

Inspired by the fact that it officially feels like summer here (which means sandals 24/7) and that when I talked to my mother the other day she was at a salon getting a pedicure, I finally worked up the energy to give myself a manicure/pedicure this past weekend. Since I don't have the same baller lifestyle (or income) as my mom, I treated myself to a poor-girl's mani-pedi. Aka, I turned on some soothing music, opened the windows in my sunroom, and painted my own nails. I wish I could say that I planned the turquoise color to match these great mint-colored jeans from Urban Outfitters, but that would require me to know what I was going to wear more than five minutes before getting dressed. Clearly I don't have that kind of foresight. So it's just a happy coincidence that my nails have somehow managed to coordinate to everything I've worn this week. Of course I've only managed to take outfit photos once (fresh air tires me out), so you'll just have to take my word for it. 

Short & Sweet

  

Skirt: Jason Wu for Target, T-shirt: Ann Taylor, Shoes: Nine West, Necklace: Eddie Bauer,
Watch: Michael Kors, Bracelets: Simon Sebbag and Ralph Lauren 

If I look a little frazzled in these photos, it's because they were taken in the 3-minute window after I careened my way home from work (blaring teeny-bopper music the entire way) and before I literally sprinted back out the door to happy hour. I almost had to take them barefoot because I seriously didn't think I could wear these shoes for one more second. They're fine at first, but after hobbling around Target in them I practically lost circulation in my toes. Because clearly shopping at Target is what I needed to be doing. Like I need more dresses from there. I'm still struggling to work my way through everything I bought on my last Target shopping spree. Case in point, this Jason Wu for Target skirt, which I bought in February and didn't wear until yesterday. I'll confess, it was a little tighter than I remembered it being when I bought it. I may or may not have had to sort of tip over into the driver's seat of my car while wearing it. (And by that I mean I obviously did.) It was that or hike it up to hip-height, and while that might have been entertaining, I think we can all agree that flashing people in the parking lot probably isn't the most ladylike option. I don't know how the entire cast of Ally McBeal got away with wearing skirts this tight for 5 seasons. Maybe because they never had to get in and out of car. On the upside, wearing this skirt did give me a chance to practice getting in and out of my car like my idol, Kate Middleton. Now if I could just get ahold of Prince Harry I could practically be her doppelgänger. 

Saved by the Bell

Skirt: H&M, Leather t-shirt: H&M, Purse: Jason Wu for Target, Shoes: Franco Sarto,
Necklace: Ann Taylor, Watch: Michael Kors, Bracelets: Lucky Brand

Finally some outfit photos of me doing something other than going to work! Of course it chose to rain in the midst of my going-out extravaganza, but that didn't dim my enthusiasm for either going out or wearing this outfit, which I'd been planning all week. When I bought this faux-leather T-shirt from H&M I didn't really take into account that I have a freakishly long torso and crop tops aren't exactly a good look for me. At least not present-day me. (You'd better believe I rocked some OshKosh B'Gosh crop tops growing up, though.) Luckily I also found this high-waisted floral skirt there recently, so I can start wearing this T-shirt instead of just looking at it longingly in my closet. As much as I love this outfit, the pattern on this skirt reminds me so much of Saved By the Bell. Don't get me wrong, I love it, but I did feel the need to warn my friends ahead of time that I'd be dressing like a cross between an 80's escort and Jessie Spano. Although I'm pretty sure this outfit wouldn't have flown at Bayside High. 

Ketchup-and-Mustard Combo

Blazer: H&M, Shirt: Jason Wu for Target, Skirt: Hinge (Nordstrom), Shoes: Nine West,
Sunglasses: Kate Spade, Earrings: Target. Watch: Michael Kors, Ring: Vintage

I only got a few photos in this blazer because it was so hot here the other day I was convinced I was either having flashes or getting heat stroke while wearing it. Sad because I was so delighted by this ketchup-and-mustard colored ensemble. It wasn't so hot that I didn't immediately walk 3.5 miles to get frozen yogurt after this, but that's beside the point. This outfit is kind of a rip-off of one of the looks from the Jason Wu for Target lookbook except for the fact that I already had a remarkably similar skirt already hanging in my closet. See, it pays to know what you have ahead of time! Especially since I'm pretty sure the black skirt in the lookbook is the only thing I didn't buy from that collection. I have no shame. I had more planned out to say about this outfit, but now it's Friday, and I'm tired, and all I can think about is what I'll be wearing to go out with friends tonight. Rest assured it won't be quite as buttoned-up as this outfit, nor will I look as classy as I do here. But if I'm lucky, the night will still end with frozen yogurt. 

Simply Irresistible

  

Dress: Target, Cardigan: Leifsdottir, Belt: J.Crew, Wedges: Franco Sarto, Earrings: Kendra Scott,
Ring: Ann Taylor, Bracelets: J.Crew, Watch: Michael Kors

There is nothing I love more than a good summer dress from Target. Seriously. They make up the majority of my wardrobe in the summer months (and also in the fall thanks to my stage-one hoarding of tights and boots). So when I saw this navy ruffled dress in the Target ad a few weeks ago with a big "sale!" sign plastered on it, I knew I had to have it. (Full disclosure: I may now have it in more than one color. Don't judge.) It takes a stronger girl than me to resist the allure of Target. Anyplace that let's me buy apples, toilet paper, and a great dress all at once is simply irresistible.

On a separate note, I've been waiting to announce it until everything is finalized, but I'm so excited to say I'm moving! I'll be heading to Chicago at the end of the summer! I can't wait, even though it's going to be sad and hard to leave my friends and co-workers here. With only three months left in Minneapolis, I feel like there's still so much I haven't done here. One of my best girlfriends and I have made it our mission to spend our last few months here exploring areas we've never visited, trying new things and places, and just generally being ridiculous, because honestly what do we have to lose? I feel like I should say sorry in advance to anyone in Minneapolis who has to hear us yelling, "Whatever, we're moving!" while doing something super inappropriate. She snapped these photos for me when we went for a walk in some fancy neighborhood the other night (probably looking like hoodlums who were casing the joint) before going out for ice cream and beer — the official dinner of champions, in case anyone was wondering. But my rhubarb ice cream had real fruit in it, which basically makes it a health food, so I didn't feel bad at all.