So some stuff has happened...

Since my last post, a BIG HUGE LIFE CHANGING EVENT occurred. On August 16th, my boyfriend returned home after living in Dallas all summer for work. Well, on that same day, he asked me to marry him!

After I got home from work, he asked if I wanted to go eat at a nice Italian restaurant in town. He was wearing a blazer, so I had a feeling something was up, but when he just started driving home after dinner I just assumed he wanted to look nice for a date after not seeing me for 3 months. On the way home, he started driving towards the north of town turned into the parking lot of a local archaeological center. When he said he wanted to go sit at one of the picnic tables in the field, I definitely knew something was up. We sat there for about 15 minutes watching the sun set before he finally got down on one knee. It felt so special and romantic because we were the only ones around, and it was so quiet outside except for the sound of the breeze and the birds. Of course, I said yes. It was probably one of the most emotional moments of my life. I started sobbing, which in turn made him start crying, and it was just really a really sweet and special moment between the two of us.

The bench where we were sitting. 

And here's the ring! He did such a good job of picking it out. It helps that he knew exactly what I wanted. ;) I wanted a solitaire because I knew it would never go out of style. In 5 years or 50 years, a diamond solitaire will still be the "classic" engagement ring. 

So... now I need to start planning my wedding! Since we both love October and old things, we want to have a "Victorian Halloween" wedding. Not sure if that makes any sense, but essentially we want to have a vintage, Halloween themed wedding with elegant touches. Mainly, we picked that theme because we want it to be FUN! Neither one of us is into the "hearts and doves" mushy romantic weddings, and since we don't plan on having a big wedding we wanted to keep the theme interesting and informal. It will be a majorly DIY affair, since I can't justify spending tons of money on one day. Expect lots of posts about wedding planning over the next year! Pinterest is my best friend right now. 

Anyway, even though this happened over a week ago, I'm super excited! We are going to look at our first venues in Dallas in a week. Even though I'd rather put off the planning for a while, you unfortunately need to book venues early if you want to get the date you like. Wish me luck!

Show Your Stripes... And Spots

I'm back! I took about a month-long hiatus from blog posting, partly because I went to Florida for a while and when I came back I was busy with work and a crafting project I wanted to finish. I wore this outfit a couple of weeks ago, but I kind of fell in love with it. Turquoise, stripes, and leopard print? Bring it on.

Cardigan: J.Crew Factory Classic Crewneck Cardigan -I've said it before and I'll say it again- this is almost exactly the same as the classic Jackie cardigan, but it comes in different colors and is cheaper. The quality is just as good in my opinion. 

Pants: American Eagle

Watch: Target

Bracelet: J.Crew Factory

Shoes: Academy? I can't remember. They're old. 

I'll post pictures from my Miami/ Key West trip soon. It was amazing and so much fun. I think I liked Key West better than Miami, but just being able to sit on the beach all day made the whole trip worth it. Sadly, despite my Mediterranean ancestry I managed to get sunburned and I am now peeling all over the place. Super gross.

From Work to Play

A couple of weeks ago a friend and I went out for dinner and drinks after work. I didn't have much time to get ready before we went out, so I just changed out of my work dress but stuck with the same colors and accessories so I didn't have to think too much. 

Here's what I wore to work. I love love love the Elinor Dress. It has a sash attached that you can tie in front or back. Since I wear cardigans to work, I tied it into a cute bow in front. This dress has a very classy, vintage look to it. 

Dress: J.Crew Elinor Dress (size 0)

Cardigan: J.Crew Factory Classic Crewneck Cardigan in Extravagant Green (size S) Essentially... this is the Jackie cardigan. I can't tell the difference between these cardigans from the factory stores and the ones from the regular stores. 

Shoes: MIA (from T.J. Maxx)

Watch: Target

Pearl bracelet: J.Crew Factory

Ring: LC Lauren Condrad

And here's what I wore to the bar. I traded the dress out for a pair of shorts and a shirt. It was still dressy because of the heels, but not as "in your face," if that makes any sense. 

Shorts: J.Crew Factory 5" Chino Short (size 2)

Shirt: J.Crew Factory (old... size XS)

Belt: J.Crew

I wasn't done with the dress yet though. A few days later I wore it to a friend's wedding. I actually did my hair for once, and wore a floral headband from J.Crew. 

I added lipstick and jewelry later... but you get the general idea. 

A Very J.Crew Day

I went to Dallas to visit the boyfriend this weekend. I spent way way way too much money at J.Crew when I was there. Oh well. Everything was on sale. 30% off of sale items at J.Crew, and 30% off of almost everything at J.Crew Factory. J.Crew Factory has really stepped it up recently. A lot of their clothes are just as good as the ones you'd find in the normal stores. I can barely tell the difference between the Jackie cardigans at the two stores. Also, how fun are these pants? I've made it a goal this year to add more "statement" pieces to my wardrobe. I've been building up my basics for a long time, so now I can branch out and get things that are more interesting. 

Shirt: J.Crew

Cardigan: J.Crew Jackie in Navy

Pants: J.Crew Cafe Capri

Shoes: Nine West

Watch: Target

Bracelet: J.Crew Factory

I booked my hotel for Miami today. We were able to find a cute little art-deco boutique hotel in Miami Beach for only $86 a night with the AAA discount. If you don't have a AAA membership, I highly recommend one. It definitely comes in handy when you travel. I also qualify for government rates at hotels since I'm a state employee. Usually that's cheaper than the AAA rate, but not all hotels offer government rates. Our hotel is about 2 miles from South Beach, but that's fine because my mom and I didn't want to be close to the party scene anyway. We just wanted to be able to walk to the beach. Hopefully the good reviews online were telling the truth! Now I just need to book a hotel for Key West, and all the major stuff for my trip will be planned! Gahhh I can't wait!

The Better Half: Chronic Interns and Standing Out

Advice for interns and Average Joes- my next column for men is up on Electrogent.com!

Red, White, and Blue

I had such a hard time this morning trying to decide what to wear. I knew I wanted to wear my J.Crew jersey dress (it looks black in this picture but it's navy), and my new white summer wedge heels. I tried it with a white cardigan at first, but I wasn't feeling it. A tied button down shirt was the perfect solution. It adds texture to the flat navy, and it gives off a cute 1940's vibe, especially when paired with bright red lipstick. These heels are crazy high (I'm 6'1" tall when I wear them), but they are super comfortable and I wore them all day without my feet hurting. 

Navy dress: J.Crew

Shirt: Kohl's

Shoes: MIA (from T.J. Maxx)

Watch: Target

Lipstick: MAC- MAC Red

(I'm obsessed with this lipstick. So much so that I'm going to write a whole post about it later.)

I don't know if anyone else does this, but when I can't decide on something in a store, I take a picture of it. I can usually get a good idea of whether or not something looks good on me if I look at a photograph, rather than in the mirror. Anyways, here's a picture of my wedges from when I tried them on in the store:

My HG Lilly Skirt and Summer Vacation

After waiting months for this skirt to go on sale, I finally found it for 50% off at my local Dillards! The colors in this skirt are bright and happy, and it's fun to find all the little details in each of the state patches. It's definitely my holy-grail Lilly skirt. 

Skirt: Lilly Pulitzer Roslyn skirt in Lilly's State of Mind

Shirt: Lilly Pulitzer Lana Top in Lagoon Green

Sandals: Tommy Hilfiger

And of course, the best accessory for any Lilly outfit is a pair of pearls! ;) 

I saw Snow White and the Huntsman this weekend. Visually, the movie was absolutely gorgeous. I'm not sure I buy the fact that Kristen Stewart is "fairer" than Charlize Theron, but at least her acting was much better in this film than it was in Twilight. I felt the plot left a little to be desired, but that's ok- I can overlook the plot issues because of Chris Hemsworth. Enough said. Watching Thor kick ass and take names as a grungy, drunk, Scotsman redeems almost any problems I had with the movie. I mean helloooo, look at this man. Does your movie suck? Just add Chris Hemsworth! Instant box-office success. 

In other news, I booked my flight to Miami today! My mom and I are flying to Miami in July for a girls-only vacation. I can't remember the last time I went on vacation, and I'm so excited I get to see my mom for a whole week! We're going to do Miami for a couple of days, and then we'll drive down and visit Key Largo, Islamorada, and Key West. I've already started packing in my mind... 

Summer Reading List

These are the books I have on my summer reading list. I'm an avid reader, and I have plenty of free time now that my boyfriend is away working in Dallas for the summer. This list is sure to expand. I go through books way too fast. Thankfully, my library has an e-book loan system, so I never have to buy books or even leave my house if I want to check out a book. (Books I've already read are crossed out).

Ape House by Sara Gruen
A Reliable Wife by Robert Goolrick
Can You Keep a Secret by Sophie Kinsella
Charlie St. Cloud by Ben Sherwood
Fifty Shades of Grey by E.L. James
Fifty Shades Darker by E.L. James
Fifty Shades Freed by E.L. James
Home Safe by Elizabeth Berg
I've Got Your Number by Sophie Kinsella
Lake Overturn by Vestal McIntyre
My Horizontal Life by Chelsea Handler
Private Life by Jane Smiley
Remember Me? by Sophie Kinsella
Stash by David Matthew Klein
That Old Cape Magic by Richard Russo
The False Friend by Myla Goldberg
The Good Daughters by Joyce Maynard
The Missing by Tim Gautreaux
The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern
The Particular Sadness of Lemon Cake by Aimee Bender
The Peach Keeper by Sarah Addison Allen
The Postmistress by Sarah Blake
The Stuff that Never Happened by Maddie Dawson

What are you reading this summer? Have you read any of the books on my list? 

50 Shades of Navy

I'm back!  I've been away for a few days because I was too busy reading the 50 Shades of Grey trilogy. Seriously. I was hooked! They were definitely racy, but I have a soft spot for trashy romance novels. You can definitely tell that they started out as a Twilight fan-fiction though. Just replace Grey with Cullen and it's basically Twilight 2.0. Moving on.... My outfits from the last few days have been very navy-centric. Thus, the title of this post! (And if you look in my closet, there probably are 50 shades of navy in there...)

Cardigan: J.Crew Jackie in navy

Shirt: Jones New York (T.J. Maxx)

Skirt: Dillards? I honestly don't remember where I got this. 

Ring: LC Lauren Conrad (Kohl's) 

Shoes: Nine West

Dress: Antonio Melani

Cardigan: American Eagle

Belt: J.Crew Factory

Watch: Target

Shoes: Nine West

Pink and Poppy

I'm really bad at remembering to post every day! I had a lovely weekend though. I spent lots of time catching up on good books and watching my favorite girly TV shows. 

Monday's outfit: PINK!

Cardigan: Target (Currently on sale for $15!)

Skirt: Lilly Pulitzer Avery Skirt in Hotty Pink Cherry Begonias

I absolutely adore this skirt. It's pretty and feminine, and juuusst long enough to wear to work. 

Tuesday's outfit: POPPY!

Shirt: J.Crew (old, but I know the color is 'Poppy.')

Cardigan: J.Crew Jackie

Pants: J.Crew Cafe Capri

Necklace: Forever 21

Watch: Target

Did anyone else watch Venus cross the Sun today? It wasn't as impressive as the eclipse a few weeks ago. It basically just looks like a tiny speck on the sun. Still pretty neat though... And I did get to wear these very fashionable glasses while I watched it: 

Did anyone else see Venus? 

Summer Colors

I know it's not officially summer yet, but I can't help it- I love summer! It's finally getting to be around 100 degrees every day and I love it. These are just a few pictures I took from the past few weeks that reflect the bright happy colors of my favorite season. The nail polish is Essie Turquoise and Caicos,  the strawberry margarita is from Taqueria Jalisco (the best Mexican restaurant in Lubbock), and the last photo is how I spend every weekend! :) 

Happy SUMMER!

OOTD: Navy Now, Navy Forever

My favorite color is, and will always be, navy blue. As you know from my previous posts, I also love blazers. Needless to say, I super-love this navy blazer. I luckily found it on the clearance rack at Banana Republic a few months ago, and it was love at first sight. I liked the tipped details, and the striped lining in the sleeves is a fun detail. I didn't show it here, but it also has fun gold crest buttons on the cuffs and on the front. 

Here's a closeup of just the blazer. 

Blazer: Banana Republic

Shirt: J.Crew

Chinos: J.Crew Bennett Chino

Shoes: Eddie Bauer

Watch and Necklace: Target

How do you wear blazers?

OOTD: Soft Pink

Nothing exciting today... I was in a hurry to get to work. 

Shirt: J.Crew Painter Tee

Chinos: J.Crew Factory 

Shoes: Steve Madden

The Better Half: Proposals and Home Decor

Marriage proposals, window treatments, and throw pillows, oh my! Check out my column on Electrogent.com!

OOTD: Mixing Patterns

I really just love this outfit. Mixing stripes with a patterned or textured skirt is a good way to keep things interesting. And I love the way the blue looks against the coral skirt. 

Closeup of the lace overlay on the skirt. 

I finished today's outfit off with a pair of Kate Spade All Aboard studs and pearls.

Shirt: Aeropostal (old)

Skirt: Willie Smith (from T.J. Maxx)

Belt: J.Crew

Tortoiseshell watch: Target

Shoes: Eddie Bauer

Earrings: Kate Spade

I hope you had a great day!

OOTD: Double Trouble

My boyfriend left for Dallas yesterday, so I've been in a bit of a funk. I miss him so much! I'm so bad at taking care of myself when he's gone. I did manage to make myself dinner tonight though, so I consider that an accomplishment. 

Monday's outfit: 

I think this outfit could probably work for any time of the year. It's pretty simple and low maintenance.

This picture doesn't do this scarf justice. I love the yellow rope detail. It gives a nice pop of color against the black and grey. 

And of course no outfit is complete without a bracelet "stack."

Shirt: J.Crew

Chinos: J.Crew Bennett Chino

Cardigan: Target

Scarf: Target (similar)

Shoes: Eddie Bauer Annie Moc

Today's outfit: 

 I just love the Lilly Pulitzer Jia dress! It's one of the few that are work appropriate on me. 

I seriously wore this dress all day before realizing there were seahorses in the print...

Dress: Lilly Pulitzer Jia in Bright Navy Coral Siesta

Cardigan: J.Crew Jackie Cardigan

What's your favorite work outfit? 

Seersucker Weekend

This is a double OOTD post because I was so lax on posting this weekend! AKS is leaving Lubbock tomorrow to go back to Dallas to work for the summer, so I spent all weekend spending some quality time with my boyfriend. On Sunday we went to a rooftop bar near our apartment to watch the solar eclipse. Unfortunately, the sun went behind a cloud right before the full eclipse happened, but we were able to see most of it so it wasn't a total loss.

Saturday's outfit:

Shirt: Kohl's

Shorts: J.Crew Factory Seersucker Critter Shorts

Belt: J.Crew Factory

Shoes: Kohl's (old)

Monday's work outfit: (excuse the messy hair)

Shirt: New York & Company (from T.J. Maxx)

Seersucker blazer: Banana Republic

Navy pants: Calvin Klein (from Ross)

Shoes: Nine West

Belt: J.Crew

...and pearls (of course)!

I can't believe my boyfriend is leaving tomorrow! I don't know what I'm going to do for 3 months without him here. I'm thinking about volunteering at the museum across the street from my apartment. Even though it's small, I've been missing the museum scene and I think volunteering could help with that. 

How was your weekend? 

OOTD: Work Anniversary

AKS and I went to the grocery store after I came home from work today. I was wearing this outfit and he was wearing a maroon Brooks Brothers bow tie with gold polka dots and a blue and white university stripe OCBD. At the store, a woman stopped me and AKS in the dairy aisle and said that she had been following us around the store. She told us that we "looked like a model couple" and she half expected us to break out into a song and dance. She then went on to say that we looked so good and that her and everyone else in the store looked like they were tired from working all day. (This wasn't true at all- she was adorable, and wearing a very fabulous orange and navy striped dress.) Then, the checkout girl asked us if we were on our way to a date because of the way we were dressed. We explained to her that, no, that's just how we always dress. I think most people are just surprised to see 20-somethings in Lubbock wearing clothes that aren't oversized t-shirts and flip flops.

The sun finally came out today after raining for a week- sandal time!

I love the cute coral tassels! I think preppy details like this really help pull an outfit together. 

Dress: J.Crew

Cardigan: Target

Belt: J.Crew Factory

Shoes: Tommy Hilfiger (found at T.J. Maxx)

In other news- today was my 1 year work anniversary! I can't believe I've been there for a whole year. It seems like I just started yesterday. I really love my job, and it's been made all the better because of my amazing co-workers. 

OOTD: Sweater Weather

Another cold and rainy day...

Sweater: J.Crew Factory Striped Fisherman's Sweater

Chinos: Gap Broken-In Stright Khakis in Bright Coral

Loafers: Eddie Bauer

Necklace: Target (old)

Weekend Update

I need to air some grievances...

I've been having so many problems with Blogger lately. For some reason, it deleted all the blogs I follow from my reading list, and it won't let me add any of them back. I checked the forums and apparently other people are having the same problem, so I hope they fix it soon! I really don't want to have to make a new blog just to follow my favorite blogs!

Rue La La has also been incredibly frustrating to me lately. I ordered a Lilly Pulitzer dress from there a month ago, and they still haven't shipped it yet. I've contacted them several times, and each time they say someone will look into it, and then I never hear back. I finally e-mailed them today and told them to just cancel my order. Waiting one month to get something you ordered online is just a bit ridiculous.

Finally, I found an incredibly cute Ralph Lauren swimsuit at T.J. Maxx this weekend. I had to return it though because the bottoms showed a little too much booty. AKS thought they looked fine (of course  he did... he's a guy...), but I like to keep things a little modest when I'm in a swimsuit. Such a shame though... everything else about the swimsuit was amazing.

On to happier things... My friend was out of town at a family reunion this weekend, so I got to dog-sit for her. Her chihuahua just puppies a few weeks ago, so I basically spent all weekend cuddling with squirmy little puppies! They are at the cutest age... their eyes are open and they can bark and walk around, but they're still all wobbly and unsure on their feet. 

Puppies!

Puppies turn me into a blubbering mess. 

After playing with the puppies, AKS wanted a break from studying for finals so we went to Texas Roadhouse. I love this restaurant. In my opinion, they have the best fried pickles out of anywhere. This might be a Southern thing, but if you've never had fried pickles, you are seriously missing out. (My friends up north always look at me like I'm crazy when I talk about fried pickles.) I love them so much, I want them at my wedding. 

Yummmmm. 

I'm excited to say that I'm going to be involved with The Smart Girls Group in the upcoming months. The details are still being hashed out, but I'll post more once everything is settled. 

OOTD: Rainy Thursday

Today it was rainy and miserable outside. I hate cold weather, and it was about 57 degrees in Lubbock today. 57 degrees! It's the middle of May in Texas- it's supposed to be sunny and hot by now! So of course I wore a Lilly skirt to cheer me up. Seeing this picture reminds me that I need to make my bed before taking pictures...

Skirt: Lilly Pulitzer Roslyn Skirt in Open Call

Navy Shirt: J.Crew (old)

Navy Cardigan: J.Crew Jackie 

Lilly Pulitzer for Barnes and Noble

Anyone who knows me knows that I love to read. My Nook is one of my favorite possessions, and my town library has an e-loan program, so I never have to buy books. Even though I read mostly e-books, AKS and I still like to go to our local Barnes and Noble and walk around and just browse their selection.

Well, when we were there last weekend I saw something familiar over by the Nook accessories. Lilly Pulitzer is back at Barnes and Noble! These all looked great in person, and if I didn't already have a nice (pink!) leather cover for my Nook, I definitely would have bought one. If these are sold out by you, they're still available online. (I've included the links below).

"Jumping the Line" for Nook Color or Nook Tablet ($39.95)

"Falling in Love"  for Nook Color or Nook Tablet ($39.95)

"Lavish Lillies" for Nook Simple Touch ($29.95)

"Summer's Night" for Nook Simple Touch ($29.95)

Since I have a Nook Tablet, I think the cover in "Jumping the Line" is probably my favorite. The little frogs in the print are just so cute! The inside of the cover has cute phrases written in cursive, which might be a bit distracting for some people. However, I didn't think it looked too bad. I think these would also make great Mother's Day gifts!

OOTD: A few of my favorite things

I got this coral blazer from Banana Republic a month or so ago. It's quickly become one of my favorite things in my closet. Wearing it just makes me feel happy! (It kind of looks hot pink in these pictures, but in real life it's definitely coral.) 

Blazer: Banana Republic (As far as I know, this was only available in stores and not online). 

Pants: J.Crew Bennett Chino

Shirt: J.Crew (old)

Belt: J.Crew (old)

Shoes: Eddie Bauer

Watch: Target

Bangle: Banana Republic