baby blues

Happy Summer AKA Wedding Season. I love weddings as they are a wonderful excuse to party with family & catch up with friends, & to get a pretty new dress too of course! When I saw this ruffled beauty, I simply couldn't help myself & can't wait to put it to the twirling test on the dance floor at our next event.

This is my first dress with this halter style, & while I was afraid it would look wonky on my shoulders, I actually find the cut to be very flattering. One thing to note about the fit of this dress, I am typically in between a Small & an Extra Small, but ordered this in a Small, & it is as tight as I would want it to be in my bust/around my neck. It works for sure, but if I wanted to go with a loose fit, I would have certainly gone back for the Medium. It does come in 5 gorgeous colors & if you order the coral one ("red saucy" - best color name ever), you have to tag me on social media, because I know it is going to be a showstopper.

Also on my must have list for wedding season is a go-with-everything clutch & this one from Gigi New York is perfection. It has a removable strap, so it is super versatile for those destination wedding weekends where you are exploring by day & then dancing the night away. My new obsession is traveling with the least amount of items possible (anyone who has traveled with me before is laughing, because that has not always been the case) & these do it all wonder pieces are what has been making it all possible.

What are you wedding guest must haves?

dress: Nordstrom halter ruffle dress (available in 5 gorgeous colors, and if you are stuck between sizes, go a size up - I got a size Small and it was just a tad tight)

purse: Gigi New York convertible purse (if you are looking for something smaller, I love the tassel on this clutch, and this style is so versatile!)

shoes: Steve Madden

All Photos | Noah Berg Photography

{shop these exact pieces}

Bloggers Who Budget: Dresses For Less

We had our first wedding of the season this past weekend, & it was such a beautiful & totally "Nashville" shin-dig! I wore this dress, & I've gotta say, it was very nice to receive many compliments on it, and ever nicer to be able to brag about how affordable it is!

This month, the Bloggers Who Budget are showing off the budget friendly dresses that we have been loving lately! Check out these babes below & their warm weather looks:

Pearls & Twirls | Living in Color | Here&Now | Stylin in St. Louis | Sharing My Sole

dress: pink satin dress ℅ Chicwish

When I first tried on this dress, I was admittedly underwhelmed & shared my "blah" feelings on Snapchat. While the dress did have some fit issues, I loved so much about this dress (the open back, perfect blush color, length, thick satin fabric) that I was dedicated to find a way to make it work. I considered getting it tailored, but the open back straps made that route more complicated than I wanted to deal with. Then I remembered my favorite armadillo belt (leave it to Kate Spade to make a chic armadillo belt!) - and as it cinches to any size, it did the perfect trick for making it fit along my waist, & made the back ruffle detail look much, much better.

The wedding involved lots of dancing, and I felt secure and confident in this dress all night. Sometimes just playing around in your closet leads to the best outcomes!

*Backless/open-back dresses do come with their own underwear issues, but I have a low back bra (similar to this one) that I wore on my own wedding day, that I still wear with any open back dresses - I love that the bustier style stays up so much better than most strapless bras do on me!

belt: similar skinny gold belt here & here (both under $40!)

shirt: Suburban Riot graphic tee

shoes: Steve Madden heels

All Photos | Catherine Truman Photography

Have you had any recent triumphs in solving a clothing fit issue?

Any one else super excited for wedding season?? I love getting to party with my friends & see their love cemented into something so special!

garden party

{ What I Wore: Dress c/o DresseStylist // Sole Society heels // Maddy Nash clutch }

I have some words for the first day of Spring in Nashville... 30 degrees is not the way I want to welcome Madame Spring! 

Come on garden parties, picnics, Sunday afternoon motorcycle rides. Bring on the sundresses, wedges, & straw hats. Round up your gloves, puffer jackets & snoods to be packed away once & for all!

With my recent engagement on my mind, I can't help but dream of a Spring filled with wonderful celebrations & fabulous dresses

This kelly green number is certain to get major action in my Spring wardrobe, it IS the color of the year after all!

What are you dreaming to do this Spring?

Have you picked up any Spring dresses in Emerald Green (Pantone's Color of the Year) yet?

dress it up & a giveaway

Last week I shared one of my closet secrets - renting dresses & the fabulous new dress rental company Lendperk. I also told you that I'm not very good at "re-mixing" my dresses. Some of you said that you are dress styling masters (so jealous!), while others fessed up that you are a one-&-done dress wear-er too (don't worry, you are not alone).

So in the spirit of trying something new, I wanted to share with you how 1 rental dress can be worn 3 ways - seriously, you guys make me better!

With Lendperk, you keep your rental dresses for as long as you like, so why not maximize your new wardrobe addition before sending it back!?

Using this colorful key print Anthropologie dress, I have created a whole weekend of looks.
Look 1: Running errands, perfect for checking out some new shops with friends

{ What I Wore: Anthropologie Eva Franco Keys Dress c/o Lendperk // Gap denim jacket (similar) // J.Crew men's belt // boutique boots (similar here, here, here all under $100) }

Look 2: quirky coffee shop date 

{What I Wore: J.Crew Factory blazer // Kate Spade armadillo belt (love this one!) // ShoeMint gold Mona loafers // Urban Outfitters attitude glasses }

Look 3: going out on the town, date night style!

{What I Wore: J.Crew cardigan // belt comes with dress rental // Zara heels (these Jessica Simpson ones are super adorable!) }

How would you wear this dress?

Well you better start thinking about it, because YOU could win your very own unlimited month of dress rentals from Lendperk!
*winner announced Tuesday February 12th, 2013

a Rafflecopter giveaway