Today’s post is going to be rather quick. I’m filled with a bit of nerves: I’m doing something pretty exciting (and something I’ve been looking forward to for over a year now). So, I thought I’d do a quick “drive by” and share a recent outfit…

I am a big advocate for holding on to certain items of clothing over the years. I’m not saying to keep everything: just some things! Each season I try to go through my closet and take a hard look at what I have. If there is no chance that I’ll ever wear it again or if it no longer fits I put it in a pile for consignment or donation. However, there are always some items I hold on to. These shorts are one of them.

I picked up these printed shorts at Target about 2-3 years ago (they’re Thakoon for Target, by the way). I wore them only a handful of times and then they landed in the back of a drawer. Until a few days ago. How in the world had I not been wearing them? With all of the floral prints we’ve been seeing in stores lately, they are right on trend! I have a feeling these shorts will be getting quite a bit of wear during the summer months…

Striped henley: Merona, purchased at Target, Floral shorts: Thakoon for Target – similar here, Studded handbag: purchased at Marshalls, Black and brown wedges: Coconuts, purchased at Marshalls – similar here, Purple stretch bracelet: Cara accessories, purchased at Dillards, Sunglasses: Ray Ban New Wayfarer

Ok, so I’m off to do exciting things today…wish me luck! I’m excited to share what I’m up to very very soon (and stay tuned tomorrow for a great beauty-related giveaway…yay)!

Did you recently rediscover an item in your wardrobe that you’d forgotten about? What was it?

Happy Monday everyone! I hope you had a wonderful weekend.

My weekend was filled with a few fun items. For starters, Justin and I kicked off our weekend with a lovely dinner at Casa Ludovico. It’s always delicious. We enjoyed a few cocktails with our bread basket…

Then an arugula salad with sheets of shaved parmesan (topped lightly with olive oil and balsamic. Oh my gosh.):

Justin enjoyed the Penne alla Norcina: penne pasta with spicy Italian sausage, a touch of cream, aged parmesan, and a splash of truffle. Rich and delicious:

Of course, I couldn’t stray from my tried and true classic: the special pizza. Grilled crust with chopped cherry tomatoes, basil, mozzarella, and fresh basil. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: I dream about it.

I also took a trip to my T.J. Maxx (as usual), and picked up an amazing statement necklace – this is the orange version. I picked up the lime green, but they also offered it in hot pink, blue, and white. It was only $24.99 – can you believe it? I can’t wait to show you how it looks in an outfit post…

We celebrated my dad’s birthday (which is actually today) – we made pulled pork tacos and enjoyed some key lime coconut pie from JJ Gandy’s. Again – one of my favorites.

If you have never had key lime pie, you have to taste the version at JJ Gandy’s. I typically don’t like key lime pie, but this is one of my favorite desserts of all time. It is so fluffy and creamy. Excuse me while I go drool for a minute just thinking about it. We enjoyed the pie, and I was able to take a few minutes to snuggle with Theo and Stuart. My sweet little boys…

And because it’s his birthday today – Happy Birthday Daddy! I love you (and even though I’m not this small anymore, I’m still a daddy’s girl)!

What were you up to this weekend?

I feel like every woman should have a “little black maxi” as a part of her wardrobe. Maxi dresses are so comfortable and have the ability to be dressed up or down depending on the day! Just throw one on with flip flops and a tote to run a few errands around town…or glam it up with a statement necklace and a patterned clutch for an evening out! You can’t go wrong.

After featuring my own maxi dress yesterday, today I wanted to do a little round-up of some black maxi dresses…you can go with a strapless option:

L to R – Smocked tube maxi dress: Old Navy – $29.94

Michael Kors strapless dress with rope belt: Piperlime – $140

Hive & Honey tulip hem maxi: Piperlime – $69

Gabriella Rocha Hally: Zappos – $65

If you aren’t in the mood for strapless, there are also quite a few options that don’t show as much of your shoulders:

L to R: Braided rope cross maxi dress: Old Navy – $29.94

Tinley Road cutout maxi dress: Piperlime – $89 (this is my personal favorite of the bunch!)

Karen Kane ‘Julie’ maxi: Nordstrom – $109

Sparkle & Fade sheer button front maxi: Urban Outfitters – $69

Have you found some awesome black maxi dresses lately? Do you plan on purchasing one this season?

I’m pretty sure that a black maxi dress could end up serving as a uniform of sorts for me. The versatility of a simple black dress is hard to beat, wouldn’t you say?

I love that I can throw on a fun, bright necklace, a few bracelets, and a graphic tote…then I’m good to go! Colors and patterns really pop against the black backdrop.

Black bandeau maxi dress: c/o Karen Kane, also at Nordstrom,

sunglasses: Ralph Lauren from T.J. Maxx,

beaded colorblock necklace: Forever21,

black and white printed tote: J.Crew (purchased in 2008) similar here,

wedges: Jessica Simpson from Marshalls, bangles: purchased at Dillards,

nail polish: Kylie by Zoya

I was absolutely drawn in by this beaded necklace when I spotted it at Forever21. The texture and pattern is so fun, and even though it is a large statement necklace, it is very lightweight!

If you’re looking for some beaded accessories of your own, here’s a collection for you to check out:

Clockwise from top: Natasha Couture mixed necklace – Nordstrom: $98

Bib seed bead necklace – PacSun: $10.50

Beaded tribal necklace in red and gold – Forever21: $10.80

Layered beaded necklace in turquoise and white – Forever21: $7.80

Layered tribal necklace in brown and white – Forever21: $9.80

Tribal beaded necklace in gold and black – Forever21: $12.80

Egyptian necklace – LuxVixensFashion on Etsy: $136

So tell me: are you a fan of a simple black maxi? Also – have you picked up a beaded accessory piece this spring?

When I was toiling away at wedding planning, Etsy was one of my best friends. I scoured their handmade and vintage offerings to add to my wedding attire, my decor, and even my cake topper (which was the cutest cake topper EVER…just saying).

Nowadays, I’ve been browsing their diverse offerings to find some everyday jewelry. And boy oh boy, are there some beauties. I thought I’d share a few of my current favorite items/shops with you in case you’re in the market for some goodies!

To start: a few statement necklaces!

Left to right: Turquoise spike chain necklace: LouiseLoirette – $40. How amazing is this necklace?!?! Seriously. Want.

Green jade and turquoise statement necklace: fourhandsNYC - $82

Left to right: Leather feather statement necklace: LoveAtFirstBlush – $75

Zebra stone drop necklace: SweetRockJewelry – $35. Aren’t the stones so unique?

There’s also a plethora of potential arm party action going on…

Clockwise from top left: Crystal rhinestone friendship bracelet: MetaluxeJewelry- $100 – I love the punched up version of the friendship bracelets that we used to make as kids. A little sparkle helps!

Rhinestone suede and chain bracelet: NALYJEWELS – $45

Gold bolo leather wrap bracelet: Leatherwraps – $48

White and gold rhinestone bracelet: delmarlady – $32

So – do you have any favorite Etsy shops to visit for jewelry? Tell me about them – I’m always looking for something new!