Maxi'd Out!

Oh how I love summer! Lazy days, swimming, vacations, this is definitely my favorite time of year. And yes, believe it or not, I love the heat! And here in west Texas, it has been hot and unbelievably humid!  Since I'm off for the summer, I have not had to get up and get dressed up everyday. So I've been wearing t-shirts and throwing my hair up in a top know almost every day. When my husband told me he was going to take me on a date this weekend, I thought, YAY! Time to dress up!

Right now, maxi dresses and maxi skirts are on trend. Time to stock up! You can find them everywhere! One problem that I have is that I am very short (5'2"). This dress that I am wearing is actually a skirt. I purchased it here from Jade Mackenzie. When I got it in the mail and tried it on, it was SUPER long! I could probably wear it as a skirt if i folded it over and wore heels. But then I got the bright idea to try it as a dress and what do you know!? It looked great!

I did have to layer a tank top underneath it, so that it wasn't too low. The color on the website says that the skirt is mint green, but it was actually closer to turquoise. There is also one on the website with a black damask pattern instead of this green. The white is more of a cream color and not true white in both this and the black.

With a maxi dress, there are a number of ways you can cover up on top. You can wear a 3/4 sleeve shirt underneath it, you can wear a jean jacket over it, you can tie a button up shirt over it (I almost did that with my chambray shirt but it was too hot to wear it like that!), you could wear a button up sweater, or you can do like I did, and wear a cardigan. A cardigan is an open front type of sweater. You can find them in thin material like this one and it is great for summertime! Here is a great short sleeve one you can buy online. Now, for church, I would definitely wear longer sleeves like this, this (which I have in white), or this.

I've totally gotten tired of wearing my hair in a ponytail or topknot everyday. So I scoured Pinterest for a cute updo to wear. I didn't get a good picture of the other side, but it has a braid from my ear, back to the bun. 

I got these fabulous flip flops at Macy's and they are on sale here right now! You can get them in this bisque color, black, or red. AND if get them before midnight tonight, enter the code SUPER to get an EXTRA 15% OFF!!!

I found this quote and I hope it speaks to you like it did to me:

“One of the first evidences of a real lady, is that she should be modest. By modesty we mean that she shall not say, do, nor wear anything that would cause her to appear gaudy, ill-bred, or unchaste. There should be nothing about her to attract unfavorable attention, nothing in her dress or manner that would give a man an excuse for vulgar comment. When we dress contrary to the rule of modesty we give excuse for unwholesome thoughts in the mind of those who look upon us, and every girl who oversteps these bounds makes herself liable to misunderstanding and insult, though she may be innocent of any such intention.” 

― Margaret Hale

Carmen

XOXO

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Black and white is boring without a little color!

One of the big trends this summer is black and white. Stripes, polka dots, any print you can think of in black and white. It is a timeless color combination that anyone can wear and it looks very chic.

But if you ask me, black and white can be boring without some color! Especially in summer when everything is supposed to be bright and fun! So, I paired this black and white polka dot with a bright candy apple red pencil skirt. 

You could really pair black and white with just about any color and it would look great. This search will help you find a polka dot shirt. I got mine on sale at Stein Mart. I also got the skirt at Stein Mart. (I got to go shopping this weekend for my birthday!) Unfortunately, Stein Mart does not have online shopping but if you need help finding one, don't hesitate to contact me, I'd be glad to help!

I don't usually change purses but I used my black Coach with this outfit. My husband bought this for me our first Valentine's together. He picked it out all by himself! :)

I got this fabulous headband from a missionary who came to our church this weekend. His daughters make unique headbands. It's funny because right before church, I was complaining to my husband that I needed a new headband. And as soon as I walked in the foyer, ta da! There was a table full of headbands! Isn't is amazing how God gives us even the smallest desires of our hearts? 

T-strap heels give your look a more vintage feel. Unfortunately, I could not find these shoes on Dillard's website. I got them last year, so they may be discontinued. But, I did find some other t-strap heels that were similar here (on sale!), here, and here.

Here's the final look one more time with my little photobomber! I am babysitting my sister's dog and she kept trying to get in the pictures too! 

Have a blessed day!

Carmen

XOXO

Linking Up With:

Romantic Florals and Waves

Guess who's back?! Well, I apologize for having been gone so long. I'm not sure how many people actually noticed I was gone, but anyways... May and the beginning of June has been VERY busy/crazy. Choir show, Talent Show, end of school, end of school packing and cleaning, we had puppies, we went out of town for a wedding... and now things are finally settling down.

I didn't exactly get time to do a "fashion shoot" at the wedding but I did get some good pictures of me and my husband, who was the best man. It was at a beautiful ranch in Comfort, TX. The whole wedding was absolutely amazing. Right now as you know, it's wedding season. Love is in the air... In fact, we got married two years ago on June 17.  So wondering what to wear to a wedding?

I chose this great floral faux wrap dress. It was a thin polyester fabric, which helped keep me cool at the outdoor ceremony. This fabric also travels well and does not wrinkle. Here's a great tip for any dress at any time... Don't be afraid to invest in a full bodyshaper slip. It helps to keep any panty lines from showing and smooths everything out. When you are buying one, it shouldn't be so tight that you can't breathe, just a nice comfortable fit. I don't necessarily wear mine with every dress, but with those fabrics that are a little less forgiving than others :) And that usually means special occasion dresses.

I also have my fun Gianni Bini heels on. They have beads that dangle across the t-strap in front. Here's what the heels look like close up. I couldn't find them online :(

Florals are big right now and they are great to wear anywhere. They give a romantic vibe that goes great at a wedding. 

Another great tip for weddings this season is to wear waves in your hair. No kinky curls, but loose waves. A kind of 20's inspired look. I got mine by using a curling wand and curling my hair from about my ears to the bottom. I sprayed each strand of hair before and after I curled it. Before you brush through the curls, let them cool off and set. Get dressed and right before you leave, brush through them and voila! Beautiful waves. (I used lots of spray since it was an outdoor wedding and a little humid.)

XOXO

Carmen