Coverup Swim Top Swim Bottoms Beach Bag Flip Flops
Feeling confident in shorts
This is a post about styling my favorite flowy shorts, but it’s more than that. At the end of April, I pulled out a most of my summer clothes and as I was trying on some of my shorts, they just weren’t fitting right. They were either too small, they seemed like they were too short now and I just felt blah. I looked at myself in the mirror and started feeling bad. I did a little power shopping before my little brother’s graduation because I knew I was going to need shorts. It was going to be 90 degrees and humid every day and I needed something that was going to be comfortable, cute and I would feel good in it.
Most of my shorts were actually from college and my body has just changed some. My cute tight shorts are still cute, just not as much for me anymore. So, I decided to try something a little different in the store and found a bunch of flowy shorts. I bought a couple pairs and brought them home to try on. I got home to my surprise, I loved them. They were fun, flowy, and felt fantastic on. I wasn’t feeling blah anymore and felt confident in them! I knew these were keepers and I would be bringing them on my trip and wearing them all summer!
It just got me thinking more. I wanted to go through my closet and give away anything that didn’t make me feel amazing. If I didn’t feel good in it, then it needed to go. What is the point of keeping something that might make me feel bad. I want clothes that fit, I feel confident in and can throw on and feel great in all day. This is how everyone should feel when they wear their clothes. I have always loved clothes. It is a way for you to express yourself. There are so many different styles and colors and everyone can be different.
Here are a few ways I styled the flowy shorts!
The first way is with my favorite white sweater, neutral colored mules and high-waisted leopard print shorts. I love how it’s simple and neutral, but the leopard print adds a little fun to the outfit.
The second way I styled the shorts was a little more casual. I took my favorite white tank and tied a knot in the front (this is my go to, especially on the weekends) and put on some tan sandals and another great neutral outfit.
Then I traded out the sandals for the mules again and added a jean top. This would transition the other outfit for an evening summer outfit. I keep it pretty casual in the summer especially in the our tourist lake town, so the way I dress up is normally throwing a dress on and calling it good to go. So, I love this shorts and jean top combo, for a casual cute outfit for dinner.
I kept the jean top on and switched to green shorts and my tan sandals. This is great for a lunch out, some shopping downtown, or just bopping around town.
My final outfit I did with the green shorts was with my favorite lace tank and jean jacket. I like to keep my outfits simple and can be used in multiple ways. As you can see throughout the outfits, I reuse pieces. That is one of the great things about neutrals, they go together and with everything else.
Shorts Tank Jean Jacket Sandals
I’m sure I’ll be adding a few more flowy shorts into the mix, but these are my favorites right now. I hope everyone feels confident in themselves, I know it’s something I have to work on at times. But, sometimes the right outfit can help!
Weekly Outfit Roundup
A Fun Surprise with Wide Leg and Flowy Pants
I recently tried out a pair of flowy pants. I was actually feeling a little discouraged because I was trying on my spring/summer clothes and they were all feeling a little tight from the winter. Anyway, I found a pair on sale and tried them out. When I got home I put them on and wow! I felt great! They are so comfortable, so flattering and very cute!
I normally stick with skinny pants or leggings and I have been trying to branch out. The two flowy styles shown below have a paper bag waist, which is super flattering. It shows off your waist and hides other parts…for me it’s great. I have a small waist and don’t always want my butt and thighs accentuated. These are great! I love wearing them. I love that I can move, feel comfortable and still feel fashionable.
The green pair I am wearing below are more structured. I got them on sale at Anthropologie. I went in to return something and went into the dressing room with a few items. Per usual, one of the ladies working there brought me a few additional items to try on. One of which was these green pants. I put them on and it was magic! I wanted every color! This is normally what happens going into Anthropologie. I go in looking for one thing and one of the ladies working there bring me something I would probably never try on myself and it ends up being something better than I could have even thought.
If you think wide leg or flowy pants aren’t your thing, maybe give them a try. You might be pleasantly surprised!
Here are a few ways I styled the pants. There is a little bit of everything! Links below 🙂
Styling the Perfect Summer Sweater
Since I live in Michigan, I pretty much need a sweater with me year round. Our summer night are often cool and I like having a lightweight sweater with me. I am also almost always cold indoors, so I like to keep a sweater with me at work, shopping, going to the movies, and whatever other indoor activity I do. I love this white sweater because it’s lightweight, bright and looks great with everything! This is also perfect for Memorial Day Weekend styles too!
Here are a few ways I style the sweater! I use a lot of neutrals and repeat some things. I like the neutral colors because everything goes with each other and you can mix and match outfits.
The first way I styled it is with my favorite pair of flowy shorts. I love the neutrals together. It’s so cute and comfortable and an easy outfit to throw on!
I also style it with a pair of jeans. I normally don’t like wearing jeans because I don’t find them that comfortable, but the pair that I styled them with are so comfortable. They are definitely my go to pair when I decide to wear jeans.
The third way I styled the sweater is a little dressier. I would probably wear this to church, a nice girls brunch out, or maybe a summer date night!
The final way I styled it is a great weekend outfit. I would definitely wear this bopping around town running errands, out with friends, to the farmers market….really anywhere! It may be a dress, but it’s so comfortable. This dress styled with the sweater over top and knotted is perfect! I added some slide on tennis shoes to keep it casual and there you go! The perfect weekend outfit!
Enjoy! I can’t wait to see everyone styling their summer sweaters!
Weekly Outfits Roundup!
Links to my outfits from this past week. Enjoy!
My Outfit:
My mom’s outfit:
Madewell Sandals Jeans Off the shoulder floral top Black Dress Green Shorts Lululemon shorts Leopard Shorts Creme Tee Floral Tee Pink Lace Tank White Lace Tank White v-neck tank Live Fully Hat Bag (similar) Shoes
Tank Shorts Shoes Bag Scrunchie
Outfits of the Week
I decided that at the end of each week I will do a post with all of my outfits from the week. Then if you want to shop something specific, you can!
Albion Fit Top (same style, but my pattern is sold out) Sunglasses
How to style your hair scarf
One of my favorite ways to add a little fun to my hair, is to tie in a hair scarf or bandana. It is the perfect touch of color and the perfect accessory to a simple basic outfit. Most of the time when people think of accessories they think of jewelry or bags, but putting a scarf on is one of my go-tos in the spring and summer. Even your hair needs a little fun 😉
I love pairing it with my basic dresses (see post here), jeans and a white tee, and really any time I’m wearing all neutrals.
I normally wear it as a head band or tie it around my pony tail. Here are just a few examples of different scarves/bandanas and how I wear them in my hair.
I hope you feel inspired to try one out this spring!
Here are a few hair scarfs if you don’t have any of your own:
All you need is…a basic cotton dress
I love my neutrals and I especially love my basics when it comes to clothing. In the store, I always gravitate to whites, blacks, and greys. I just love the look of the colors, especially a new crisp white top. Neutrals and basics are essential to my wardrobe and that is where my basic dresses come in to play.
As soon as the weather even starts to get above 50, I pull out my spring clothes. Don’t get me wrong, I love my boots, coats, and winter sweaters, but after 6 months of winter, I’m ready to put them away.
Below are a few of my favorite basic dresses. I love that they can be casual or you can dress them up. Most of the time I throw on a jean jacket, but I also love adding a cozy cardigan for a dressy cozy look. If you can’t tell, I always try to be cozy…even when I’m “dressing” up. My town is pretty casual in general, so it’s not very often I go out in heels or I’m dressed to the nines. But wearing a simple dress makes me feel put together and like I’m dressed to perfection.
Accessories are a perfect touch too. I like to keep my jewelry simple, but love a good hair scarf. Here are some good ones. Look out for a post coming soon about how I style mine 🙂
All I have to say is don’t underestimate the effect of a little basic dress. They are easy, cute, so comfortable, and you can find affordable options as well!
Here are links to the dresses or similar ones and the jean jacket and sweaters I am wearing.
Black and Grey dress are the same and bonus, it’s on sale right now: Leith Dress
Cheaper version here: Target t-shirt dress
Blue/purple t-shirt dress: Madewell t-shirt dress
Caslon Shirtail Hem Tank Dress: Similar version here
Barefoot dreams cardigan (this is the best cardigan ever! It’s so soft and you will never want to take it off): Coziest Cardigan Ever!
Pink Sweater: Cozy Madewell Sweater
One of the best things about a jean jacket is that they go with everything AND you can splurge or be budget friendly when buying one. I have had mine for 6 or 7 years, but here is a similar version: Jean Jacket
The best DIY night
This past weekend I went to the most fun girls night with my mom, cousin and grandma. We signed up for our first Board and Brush class!
Before you attend the class, you pick out the wood design you want to create, so Board and Brush can have all of your wood materials ready to go.
We arrived early to make sure we had time to grab a drink and walk around to look at all of the example designs. I fell in love with the place! This is definitely my style…it’s just like my “merry and bright” sign!
The class began with a quick overview of the night and then we started in on step one, which was probably everyone’s favorite part. We were all given a flat hammer to spend about 7-10 minutes banging the wood pieces to make them look more vintage. We could also use chicken wire and screws to add a few other unique looks to the wood. Then we had to sand down all of the corners and edges to make sure our piece was smooth to the touch, so we could handle it easy and no one would get any splinters.
Next, we picked our stain. There were 9 different stains to choose from and all were beautiful. I picked the All-American stain. It was middle ground between the light grey and dark brown stains. I love the natural look. We stained our entire wood piece, wiped any excess stain off and let it dry.
After the stain, you could either start in on painting you stencil, paint the wood a solid color, or do some kind of wash. I did a mix between solid and wash and did a light layer of white paint to the front part of my design. All of my furniture is white and I always seem to gravitate to it, so I knew I would be happiest adding a little white to my design.
I went back and forth throughout the night deciding on my color. I thought about a blue color to go with my bedding, I contemplated a purple color because I have been loving all of the purple hues this spring, but thanks to my cousin I went with a beautiful green color that looks perfect! It’s natural with a little brightness, just how a fern leaf should be.
We finished by lightly sanding the paint, so it didn’t look like “new paint” on “old wood” and then put a wax over the front of the wood piece. I couldn’t be happier with my piece and I can’t wait to hang it up in my room!
I would recommend Board and Brush for everyone! It’s the perfect girls night out, you get to dive into your creative side while, snacking and socializing. What more could you want?!
