Don't tell me you don't have a #TacoTuesday dress? I do, & it makes this weekly tradition that much more festive! While Denver is currently experiencing snow, I know the sun is just waiting to make its return, so this dress will be ready to go once it does!
Do you celebrate Taco Tuesday? Where is your favorite local spot??
Yesterday was our 2nd wedding anniversary, & my husband was actually in Denver interviewing for jobs, which perfectly sums up this chapter of our lives - moving & shaking!
These past 2 years of marriage (& 7 years total together!), have been so incredible. It is wild to think of the person that I was when I met Tyler at age 22 & the people that we have grown up into in the intervening years. I can honestly say that we are better together.
I LOVE love & wedding season is such a fun celebration of the very thing I've signed up for, for the rest of my life #tilldeathdouspart (just realized #TillDeathDoUsParty would be a killer wedding hashtag!). Weddings are all my favorite things - getting to see all of your friends, travel to new cities, & dance the night away (now if only plane tickets and hotel rooms grew on trees!). This outfit below is my Nashville wedding guest look - most of the weddings I've attended here have been dressy, but as Nashville is a slightly more casual city, this is the perfect look for a day time wedding in our part of the world. The best part is that all of the individual pieces can all be worn other ways - both dressed up & down!
I will always be a dresses over pants girl - not only can you get fully dressed in 30 seconds flat when you wear dresses, but they are so much more forgiving & easy to find the perfect fit than when pants shopping!
I reviewed this dress on Snapchat last week (are you following? Find me by searching for jesshereandnow), but I'll repeat my gushing here too :)
I initially saw this dress online, & then again in the store, & didn't think much about it. However, when I was headed to the dressing room at Old Navy, it caught my eye once again & I thought "why not!?", adding it to my armful of clothes to check out in the fitting rooms.
Once on, I was pleasantly surprised by its fit & details. Adjustable straps, slightly nipped in waist that looks great with or without a belt, flattering midi length, & smocked back to help it fit just right. And most of all, this dress *almost* makes me want to throw on a white baby doll tee underneath & re-live my 90s child glory days! But only if I still had my pair of Doc Martens!
dress: Old Navy slip dress Not a joke - Old Navy just posted an awesome coupon code: 41% off 1 item + 30% off the rest of your order! Code: NOTAJOKE
Ok I promise I am still working on that Asheville guide, but life has gotten a little crazy this week (job interviews, watching my students dominate at their soccer games & gearing up for end of the year testing) - oh how difficult that little thing called BALANCE can be!
Now on to the outfit - when I saw this top I knew that it was a total ME piece, the only problem was figuring out what color/print to get it in! Ultimately, I couldn't narrow it all the way down, so I got two (whoops!) - this block printed one & the adorable gingham one I linked on Instagram here & here.
I basically wore some version of this outfit for our entire visit to Asheville & it really did work for all occasions - from brewery tours, visiting the Biltmore, & grabbing dinner downtown.
I have also worn this top multiple times over the past two weeks & I definitely recommend it! The adjustable straps make it practice & ruffle bottom is just too FUN!
What pieces have you been gravitating to this Spring? Any duplicate purchases lately?
Yes, I know that every blogger under the sun got this dress over the Summer, but I just couldn't keep myself off the bandwagon! I had a Napolean Dynamite "I want that" moment, & had to have it! (if you don't have the movie memorized like the 9th grade version of myself did, check out this gif)
I have worn this dress probably 5 times already, & it has yet to not draw compliments (possible the most confusing sentence I've ever written) - basically, people like it, & everyone thinks that it is legit embroidered, but you know it is screen printed because you got it for a STEAL!
So yea, I endorse this dress. Just remember to size up.
I have been living in my straw sunhat (now 30% off!) all weekend long - first on the river, then for poolside dining, & Nashville exploring! Not that I need another, but how amazing is this ombre one?!
Shop my favorites below, & enjoy the Memorial Day sales at both J.Crew & J.Crew Factory!
I have spoken of my love for Shabby Apple before (see the last post here), & this site continues to be a go-to for both work & play dresses. This is my new Summer favorite that easily goes from work to play, although, after this week, I have 6 weeks of all play! #teacherlife
(I even attempted my hand at a little DIY, cutting off the front wrap pieces from the dress, making it a bit more streamlined)
Shop all of my current favorites from Shabby Apple below - now 20% off!
My Summer outfits are best punctuated with yummy cognac accessories. Shop my favorite belts & sandals below:
Well folks, we have survived the first year as Mr. and Mrs.
It is funny how when you get engaged, everyone comes out of the woodwork to share about how happy you will be, telling stories of their fairytale marriages, waxing poetically about how beautiful love can truly be.
After the wedding, suddenly all of the, "but you know it is going to be a LOT of work" people begin to circle (ugh, those people!).
And you know what, our experience of marriage IS work, but we wouldn't rather be working harder at any thing else.
Tyler & I are extremely similar, but somehow very opposite at exactly the same time. While I am still trying to get him to read about my Love Language, one year of wedded bliss has taught me that he speaks the "actions speak louder than words" love language, while I speak the "I need personalized compliments every 5 minutes" love language (that reference is around the 2:30 mark in the linked video - hilar!). We certainly don't have it all figured out (how boring would that be) & I am so excited I have this human to study for the rest of my days!
My 1 year of advice (so take it with a huge grain of salt):
- Communicate. About everything! Getting to know someone at this level is just fun. We still play the question game (we try to think up as many questions as we can - about anything and everything - going back & forth until we can't think of any more!)
- Talk about your past 1 time, get it all out, and then move on. Enough said - you are creating a new life together after all!
- Make a budget. For us, sharing all of our finances works, but we still have a budget so that everyone feels like they are equally contributing, & also equally reaping the rewards.
- Carve out time for each other sans phones/computers/TVs. We have spent too many nights on the same couch but not actually hanging out. It is nice to unplug!
- Enjoy each other's hobbies, while also letting some things be just for you. Tyler and I have been pretty successful about merging our lives, without totally losing our sense of self. We do stuff together, but have our own plans as well. It is fun to spend separate time, because then you have more to look forward to when you come back together.
- Enjoy the moment, but don't be afraid to dream big. Ty & I love our life in Nashville - our 2 pugs, the tiny apartment, our favorite restaurants, & even our itty-bitty salaries. It is where we are NOW. But we also have a healthy love of painting what our future will look like together. New city? Kids? More pugs? A house? Who knows!
{ What I Wore: J.Crew sundress (shop my favorite white dresses under $100 below) // Nisolo sandals** // Ray Ban aviators }
Did you figure out why this post is called "Willie"?
Also - totally into mixing black + cognac accents these days. This striped dress was a major steal from Old Navy 2 Summers ago. But seriously, I'm pretty sure that I could wear stripes everyday!
Old Navy has an amazing selection of striped dresses (all on sale right now!) Shop my favorites below (for some the thumbnail is of a non-striped dress, but striped pattern is available is you click through!)
*I was provided a complimentary subscription to Rocksbox, but am truly hooked - in fact, these earrings have come home to live with my permanently! Sign up using my code & get your first month free! "HEREANDNOWLIFEXOXO"
I wore this outfit to go wine tasting in Napa for a friend's bachelorette party 2 weekends ago. Can we talk about the California countryside!? I grew up in the "country", but this part of the world is nothing like my wild 5 acres back in Arkansas. I would like to retire in California wine country & I would like to take that retirement early! #pleaseandthankyou
This outfit was the perfect combination of things that I have had in my closet for years (dress, scarf, bag) + some new favorites (sandals, earrings). I also really appreciated the scarf/shawl as the day turned into a beautifully crisp evening (it has subtle slots so that you can easily drape it in different ways!).
Looking to upgrade your Spring wardrobe? Shop using these special blog reader deals below:
