If I had to define a “summer uniform” for me, I’d say: flip-flops, 5″ chino shorts, and a v-neck tee.  I pretty much wear that outfit 6/7 days a week. (No lie.)

If you look in my closet right now (or, err, in my laundry room), you would see probably 25 different colored v-neck tees.  #sadbuttrue  I just love them.  They go with everything – skirts, shorts, jeans, cardigans, statement necklaces, etc. etc. etc. – and are relatively inexpensive, so it’s easy to stock up.

Given the above, I consider myself kind-of a “v-neck tee connoisseur” and thought you might like to see a few of my tees of choice:

 1. Target – Vintage V-Neck Tee by Merona ($10.00)

2. Old Navy – Vintage-Style V-Neck Tee ($7.00)

3. JCrew – Vintage Cotton V-Neck Tee ($19.99 – $29.50)

4. JCPenney – Essential Spring Slub V-Neck Tee by JCP ($6.99 – $14.99)

5. Gap – Essential Short-Sleeve V-Neck Tee ($11.99 – 19.95)

And, because I need all the help procrastinating the unimaginable amount of unpacking and laundry I have right now that I can get , here are a few ideas for styling your simple v-neck tee:

Plain Tee + Colored Chinos + Statement Necklace + Neutral Sandals = My Standard Summer “Uniform”

White tee with jeans, a colorful blazer, nude flats, and fun earrings

White tee with pleated maxi, leather belt, and gold accessories

Well, there you have it! Now, go buy some v-neck tees!

E

It’s time for another “Wardrobe Wednesday” post, and today I’m totally taking the easy way out and sharing some photo inspiration from one of my favorites… Reese Witherspoon.

Anyway, if you’ve read the 50 Random Facts on my About page (ha, has anyone actually read those?!?), you may remember this one…

Admittedly, this was more my mantra when I was in college – think Walk the Line and Sweet Home Alabama – but, while she hasn’t been at her best (at least not morally) in the last several years, girl’s still got some style… 🙂

I love that her look is always classic and put together, without being overly fancy or extreme.  She (usually) looks like a (mostly) regular mom, but with a preppy-meets-trendy flair.  In short, she’s totally my “fashion idol” and – with the exception of all the big name bags on her arms – her look seems pretty attainable too!

Here are a few of my favorite looks from Reese lately:

April 2014 – White denim pencil skirt, chambray top, chunky necklace, and nude shoes.

March 2014 – Dotted dress, denim jacket, and bright accessories

March 2014 – STRIPES and cuffed jeans on her birthday – which, I just learned is only two days (and 8 years) before mine! 😉

February 2014 – Simple red sweater, bar necklace, and jeans w/ leopard flats.

February 2014 – Looking professional in a crisp white shirt, JCrew (I think) pencil skirt, and nude heels.

February 2014 – Preppy layers and jeans

January 2014 – The same simple, patterned blouse, cropped skinny jeans, & blue heels.

*All photos from www.justjared.com – in case you missed the big yellow watermarks. 🙂

I mean, seriously, I had to stop myself… I love everything she wears!! In general, I feel like my real-life style is actually pretty similar to Reese’s (on a good day) but I could definitely improve my shoe (hello heels) and hat (I haven’t braved the fedora yet) collection.

How about you? Do you have a fashion idol? Who is it?!?!

E

P.S. Anyone else looking forward to her new movie WILD this winter? Have you read the book?

Monday will be the seventh anniversary of the day I married my best friend! Part of me can’t believe it has been SEVEN years, and another part of me feels like we’ve been together our whole lives.  When I think back on the first year or so of marriage, I can’t help but feel like we were two little kids playing “house.” Regardless, I’m thankful for all the joy and adventure the last seven years have brought us, and I can’t wait to see what the next seven bring!! (You can read more about my handsome husband – and why I really don’t blog too much about him – in this post.)

I don’t know about you, but for the last several years, our summers have been FULL of weddings! (Which I LOVE, by the way!) When it comes to buying gifts, I tend to lean towards something practical and off the registry, but I’ve been getting wilder lately and branching out a little and trying more personalized and/or creative gifts instead.  So, today, in honor of our seventh anniversary, here are 7 fun gift ideas for the weddings on your calendar this summer:

1. Mr. & Mrs. Koozie Set from Crystal Faye – adorable for the couple honeymooning in the Caribbean, and would complement a cooler, picnic basket, or ice bucket off the registry nicely.

2. Custom Wedding Portrait from My Little Buffalo – We got our first family portrait from My Little Buffalo this year (see it in this post), and I think it’s great!!  In the future, I’d like to get more and put them all on the same wall to show how our family grows and changes.  Wouldn’t this be a cute way to start that tradition for a new couple?!

3. Happy Home Hook Pillow from Heart & Home – I have a little thing for pillows, and I just adore this one!  So cheerful and cute!

4. Willow Tree Nativity – We actually received this nativity as a gift when we got married from some of Jeff’s relatives.  (It’s genius actually – all the adult kids from the family went in and bought different parts of the set.  So, it was several separate gifts that all fit together to be a complete nativity.)  I LOVED it, because it is totally something we want(ed) for my family, but would not have thought to (or had the money to) by for ourselves. Now, every year when I get the pieces out of the box, I think of these particular loved ones – and what a great gift it was! 🙂

5.  Personalized Stockings/Tree Skirt from Merry Stockings.com –More Christmas in July!! This idea is in the same vein as #4, but even more creative and personal!! (Just choose a simple design that could easily be added to as the family grows.)

6. Custom Stationary & Return Address Stamp from Walnut Paperie – Having my own address stamp and “fancy” stationary totally made me feel like a real grown-up when we first got married… I love this idea, just make sure the couple is in a place they will be settled in for a while before buying!

7. Three Nights Wine Box from Uncommon Goods* (and your favorite wine, of course) – You really can’t go wrong with wine, and this box is awesome!  The newlyweds would certainly enjoy choosing the special occasions to open the first two, and the last could be shared with the top layer of their wedding cake (if people still do that – we did) – so sweet. *This item is currently out of stock but can be found at the link above when it is back!

Alright! Hope you all have a great weekend!

Until Monday,

E