Bloggers Who Budget: Florals for Less

Sharing My Sole | The Style Letters | Let It Be Beautiful | Here&Now | Pearls & Twirls | Stylin in St. Louis | Living in Color Style | The Pumpkin Spot

The Bloggers Who Budget are back with our favorite trend for May: Floral! Be sure to check out the bloggers above for budget friendly inspiration of how to rock these fun prints!

I adore this skirt! I dressed it up with a chunky belt & heels for brunch, but it was also perfect with flip-flops & a knotted tee in Vegas.

{ What I Wore: J.Crew Factory tank // boutique belt // skirt ℅ Chicwish (shop more floral skirts at the bottom of the post) // DSW mules (similar styles under $70: 1, 2, 3 + a splurge style for $150!) // Ray Ban aviators }

All Photos | Kate Davis Photo

Shop my favorite budget friendly floral skirts below:

all season long

{ What I Wore: dress ℅ Maggy London (shop this dress + my current crushes at the bottom of the post} // Steve Madden heels // vintage clutch // Toloni scarf // Ray Ban aviators }

All Photos | Kate Davis Photo

With a wedding season that stretches from March to September this year, my wedding guest attire is going to have to get creative!

Thankfully I was recently introduced to the amazing cocktail dresses from Maggy London - the cuts are super flattering, with unexpected finishing touches like mesh tops, low dipped backs, and exquisite embroidery, patterns, and colors. While the temps are still a little chilly at night, the dress I picked out is perfect with a light wrap. But seriously you have to see this dress in person to really get all of the amazing details!

Shop my favorite Maggy London picks below (the dress I'm wearing is now available here - it was just released today!)

What are you best tips for surviving wedding season as a guest?

piano keys

{ What I Wore: J.Crew tee (similar styles linked at the bottom of the post) // Paige Denim jacket (in "Westward" wash) // vintage bead necklace // skirt ℅ Chicwish (shop all of my current favorites under $60 below!) // Steve Madden heels // Coach purse ℅ Dillard's Green Hills }

All Photos | Kate Davis Photo

This is officially my preferred length of skirt. Perfect to wear while teaching, but still fun & modern enough to wear out & about! Chicwish is killing it with their skirt selection right now. I love the thick pleats on this one, & can't help but think about piano keys every time I see it! I about died with I saw this sequin number ($50) on Jackie's blog post, & then couldn't stop thinking about the swan skirt ($33) after spotting it on Instagram (still trying to remember whose profile it was!) I just got this floral maxi skirt ($60) & know that the cobalt blue eyelet gorgeousness ($42) is coming home with me next! 

And on the topic of graphic tees - I have had this one from J.Crew since college (it says "seize the day" in Italian), & have yet to find an outfit that it doesn't work well with (see how I've worn it in the past), but when I pulled it out this most recent time, I noticed several holes front & center (how does that happen? snagging on zippers??) #bummer. While it can still be worn tucked in (I have a hard time getting rid of things!), I am looking to add a few new graphic tees to my collection - good thing all of these on my wish list are under $25 (with most under $18!):

Top 10: Girls' Night

{ What I Wore: Nordstrom romper (shop similar long sleeve rompers at the bottom of the post) // Jason Wu for Target pleated skirt // Steve Madden heels // Ray ban aviators (mine are the gold/green) }

All Photos | Kate Davis Photography

Headed to Vegas this weekend with the girls & I am so proud that I didn't pack my whole apartment. I like being the person on trips who has what everyone needs, but sharing a hotel room with lots of people, means I need to have a small footprint. One of the ways that I managed to pack lighter? Smart outfit planning. This is actually a romper + a skirt. The romper (previously worn here) will be worn to Wet Republic, & then I can add the skirt over it for dinner the next day at Sage Aria. 

While I didn't get anything from the Lilly x Target launch (tear), this skirt remains my favorite Target collab piece. The knife pleats make it a versatile outfit maker, & when traveling it doesn't get wrinkled! Now if I could only afford more Jason Wu stuff!

Shop my favorite pleated skirts & long sleeved rompers below:

Shop my favorite long sleeved rompers:

polished

{ What I Wore: wrap dress ℅ Shabby Apple // J.Crew Panama hat // DSW booties (similar) // bracelet via Rocksbox* }

All Photos | Kate Davis Photo

As you all know, I have been working on building my Teacher Wardrobe. Finding what works for my new lifestyle of bending over to pick up dropped pencils, reaching up to write on the white board, standing on my feet all day, all the while trying to not expose too much around a classroom of 12 year olds. This means no low necklines, saying good-bye high hems, & avoiding straps that aren't wide enough to hide my bra/under garments. 

I have purchased things from Shabby Apple before (like my fun tulle skirt!), but now I am perusing their website with a new filter - stylish workwear that keeps me comfortable & polished all day! And while this is a little thing - I adore that they show their styles on women wearing mostly flats. I try to bust out my comfiest pairs of heels once or twice a week, but I will mostly be wearing any of my work clothes with flats - so I appreciate seeing them styled that way.

I am currently in a wrap dress phase of my life & instantly fell in love with the fun colors & print on this one from Shabby Apple! I wore it with black flats for work (even got a compliment from our rockstar principal!) & then will heels and my weekend hat for Saturday adventures around Nashville. This dress has earned a front row spot in my closet!

What pieces have been the major players in your work week style?

Get social with Shabby Apple: Pinterest // Twitter // Facebook // Instagram

And be sure to check out my Teacher Style Pinterest Board with lots of stylish teacher outfit inspiration! 

this dress was gifted to me by Shabby Apple, but all reviews/opinions are my own. 

Spring Vibes

{ What I Wore: J.Crew blouse (shop similar below) // skirt ℅ by SMITH // bracelet + earrings via Rocksbox // Steve Madden heels // Ray Ban aviators (mine are the green + gold) }

*I was provided a complimentary subscription to Rocksbox, but am truly hooked! Sign up using my code & get your first month free! "HEREANDNOWLIFEXOXO" 

All Photos | Kate Davis Photo

Happy Easter, Happy Spring, Happy Happy Everything!

I am excited to introduce you to a new Southern designer - Smith Sinrod's line, by SMITH.

I love that the designs are inspired by lovely Southern cities - including Nashville! Taking the eclectic personality of the city, to create modern but not totally trend driven - classic pieces you can wear for forever. I wore this last weekend, and couldn't have felt more feminine!

Eyelets, chic black & white AND pockets - you know I am one happy gal! Shop this skirt here & be sure to check out all the other Spring pieces. 

Shop similar blouses below:

polka dots in the city

{What I Wore to sightsee: J.Crew button down // J.Crew Factory shorts (now on sale!) // Jack Rogers sandals (the "platinum" color is perfection!) // Rebecca Minkoff purse // Ray-Ban aviators (mine are the green + gold)} 

I snapped these photos with the sweet Bryn of Stone Fox Style while out adventuring in San Francisco last month. Check out her blog here: Stone Fox Style.

I am super excited to be starting the Top 10 Remix Challenge with the lovely Sarah of Sarah's Real Life. One of my top 10? Silk buttons down blouses. One in each color please!

What are your top 10 wardrobe items? Find out more about this fun April challenge here.

Willie

{ What I Wore: J.Crew Factory "Clare" cardigan // Old Navy striped dress (from last year - obsessed with this year's style for only $22!) // Nisolo sandals** // J.Crew straw tote + belt // Ray Ban aviators // necklace via Rocksbox* }

*I was provided a complimentary subscription to Rocksbox, but am truly hooked! Sign up using my code & get your first month free! "HEREANDNOWLIFEXOXO" 

**Get 10% off your next Nisolo order using this unique referral link: http://nisolo.refr.cc/JXVHV36 

(I also get $10 for each person that uses my link)

All Photos | Kate Davis Photo

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!)