Dress Down Fridays

As a teacher, I am lucky enough to be able to dress down on Fridays, while supporting my school with its colors (navy and white!). I put together this comfy ensemble for last Friday, and I got so many nice compliments on it! I was super cozy, but still reppin' my Wildcat Pride! My new obsession is these navy and white Chucks. I wore them for the Notre Dame game, too; they are going to be on heavy rotation for my casual looks! I totally have to give credit where credit is due, though; Mike bought a royal blue pair and a black pair (he loves to wear them while drumming!), and I actually copied his style. Haha!

I wear this Lilly popover so often. It's just the comfiest, softest half zip.

I love wearing it to airports or traveling. Mike actually bought it for me for our honeymoon traveling!

It works great with a layer underneath, too! I have been very self-conscious of my back brace, but I definitely think the extra room in the popover hid it well :)

This J. Crew Factory buffalo plaid puffer vest is another one of my favorite fall/winter transitional pieces. I bought it two falls ago, but they continue to bring out similar ones each year.

I love wearing it over my chambray collared shirts or other plaid button ups!

These are my skinny Loft jeans from a few seasons ago. I love the style and fit; plus, mine were $29 when I bought them. You can't beat that price! I can't do any destroyed denim at school on Fridays, so I like that these are a classier wash, too! I usually do two rolls at the bottom (more on that, soon, thanks to my good friend Julie's idea!) for the warmer months.

My Moon and Lola monogram necklace!

It is my favorite! I have the large monogram in mirrored gold. 

Also, how fun is that nautical zipper detail on the Lilly P. popover? Obsessed. 

New specs: Fendi from Third Street Eyecare. Shout out to Amy for the help! 

What's your dress-down look? 

xxoo

Mary 

So Long Sweet Summer

I honestly thought this weekend would never come. I have had an extraordinarily long summer break (I am NOT COMPLAINING!) due to my school's renovations, and we are finally heading back with kiddos on Tuesday! I am enjoying every moment of this long weekend; I need to soak up these remaining days. 

I know people used to be very adamant about "no white after Labor Day", but I still somewhat abide by that. I like to keep my brightest Lilly dresses for the time between Memorial Day and Labor Day. I do like to bust out my Lilly prints in the spring, just to get my spirits back up from those winter doldrums! :) Usually I just can't rock white in the winter simply because I AM SO PALE! 

Friday night we headed to Villa Verone (omg, best Italian food in Geneva, hands down) for dinner al fresco, and we got these pics along the way. So many people at the restaurant (men and women-- haha!) stopped us to tell me they loved my dress!  I am all about a comfortable shirtdress. This Lilly Pulitzer shirt dress was originally $168, but I got it for $59 on the After Party sale! It was so incredibly comfortable; it was perfect for eating a feast of a meal (I got the lobster ravioli special and ate every last morsel).  I belted it for a more refined look, but it would be great sans belt, too! This is a size small for reference. 

My dress is back up to its original price of $168. (Also, I love this print!)  But, here, here and here are some great alternatives to avoid that price tag! 

Tassel earrings: here, here and here. 

I love the detail on this dress. The front is pleated and has buttons. 

Tory Burch flats: here, here and here. 

My TB flats are my live-in shoes for the school year. You can stand in these babies all day with no pain at all. Very comfortable, and they literally last for years! 

Digging these major sale dresses: here and here.

^^^ Mike's proudest photography moment to date! Hahaha!

My belt is super old/super sale from Gap. But here are some belts to try: 

black or brown. This is $6.97! So is this! 

Side note: I am OBSESSED with the below Buttercup shorts by Lilly Pulitzer. I wore these out on Saturday night to visit our friends Laura and Dave. They were $39 on the Lilly P. #afterpartysale -- but, I would absolutely recommend them even at the full price. The scalloped detail is ADORABLE; they're super comfy, too!  I tried these exact shorts on in Florida in March, but I had to be stopped. LOL! They are TTS for reference. 

Chambray popover shirt: J. Crew Factory

Sandals: Jack Rogers 

Here are some transitional shirt dresses to take you into fall:

How did you spend your Labor Day Weekend?

xxoo

Mary 

The Perfect Lilly Shift Dress

I just got back to Illinois after being away in Ohio for a long weekend. I had such a blast celebrating Jimmy and Megan, two of my very closest friends who I have known since we were elementary schoolers! More on their beautiful wedding to come, but I wanted to highlight this teal shift (and other Lilly Pulitzer shift dresses) today! It's a perfect wedding guest dress -- remember my step brother's wedding in Florida? It's also an ideal wedding shower or rehearsal dinner look as a guest. It's classy, extremely flattering and has just the right amount of pizzazz to it, without being overly showy (particularly when you're just a guest, not the woman of the hour!). I even own it in white (with just a slightly different neckline) that I wore to my own bridal shower (pictured below).

PS: did you guys catch the Lilly Pulitzer after party sale? She has 2 major sales a year-- at the end of August and then closer to Christmas. The sales are incredible-- more than 60% off everything. This is when I do the majority of my Lilly shopping. I bought Christmas and birthday gifts for family, too! It was so funny because three different people let me know about the Amazon "deal of the day" being Lilly during her huge sale! I was flattered! I would also recommend joining some of the Lilly re-sale groups on Facebook (if you type in "Lilly Buy Sell Trade" in the Facebook search, it will pop up! There's another great one, Lilly Pulitzer: Dressed to Impress that has incredible deals. While you're on FB, feel free to like my Belle On Trend page, too! haha! #shamelessplug). It's a great way to buy your first Lilly dress without spending an exorbitant amount of money. That way you can see if you like the cut/style of the particular dresses.  For reference, in these shifts, I wear a size 6. 

My forever wedding date ^^^ love this stylish man!

Here it is in white, above! I wore this for my own shower last year. Pictured with my besties Courtney and Caitlin!

Smooches from the hubs!

His gingham pants and Allen Edmond shoes are my FAVE! Mike can attest to this, but his Allen Edmonds are going to last forever. He has had them for years, and they look brand new. Also, you can have them re-soled for the rest of your life! An investment for sure, but they will be his dress shoe for years and years to come. They do go on sale, too! 

DAPPER! 

The back of this dress is another highlight! I love that low scoop back. Showing just enough to be modest and to wear to a church ceremony, but it is not TOO stuffy. 

Gold earrings: old Macys, similar here. 

Head over heels for my Alex and Ani bracelets. The best gift to give and receive! 

Watch: Michael Kors.

Crystal bracelet: J. Crew.

Bow Bangle: Kate Spade.

Clutch: Old Marc Jacobs for Target, similar here. 

I wear my wedding shoes so often! The glitter makes me so happy. They were old J. Crew (2014) on super clearance, but similar shoes here.

At the Springfield Grille for the lovely rehearsal dinner. 

My very best friend, Megan! The bride!

Her dress is BHLDN: similar style here. 

The bridesmaids and flower girl! What beautiful women, inside and out! So glad they're all in my life, too!

Do you own a Lilly P. shift yet? I highly recommend them! I have had many of mine more than 4 years, and they are in impeccable shape. They dry-clean really well, too. I've never had any issues with LP dresses. They are without a doubt an investment, but I promise you, they will last for years to come! 

xxoo

Mary

Backless Ruffle Dress

One of my fun "summer/party/occasion" dresses this season is this tie-back ruffle dress from Urban Outfitters. It's currently on sale for $29! OMG! This is the time to go backless. It's hot out, and it's festival season-- summertime in the city calls for open back and less coverage. I first wore this buffalo-plaid number at Megan's bachelorette party in Nashville. It was perfect for the steamy temps and dancing with the girls! 

Author's note: sorry all the pictures in this post will be from my grainy iPhone cam! 

My girl Lauren and me-- mirror selfies while getting ready!

Many thanks to my darling Amanda for the Lilly P. for Target travel cosmetics bag. I use it CONSTANTLY! 

Tory Burch cross body purse: similar here. Every year I tell Mike I am going to sell this purse on eBay (it's also from my ex BF, like the Burberry coat! Haha), but every year I keep it because it's SO darn practical! It can be a clutch, a larger cross-body bag (not folded over) or a fold-over as shown above. I usually try to put it on eBay right before Lollapalooza, but then Mike reminds me of how convenient it is, and I wimp out. Even though my ex-boyfriend bought it for me, it's REALLY awesome. I have had it for 4+ years; it's just amazing quality. 

Similar Lilly Pulitzer cosmetics bags: here and here. 

Similar Lilly Pulitzer phone case: here. 

How fun is the back of this dress?

You'll need this backless bra from VS. It's reusable up to 25 times. It's a sticky bra, perfect for any backless shirt or dress. Follow the directions for application, and it will stay put for hours!

My lovely bestie, the bride, Megan! 

Nashville was sooo much fun celebrating this bride-to-be.

A special shout out to Jackie for letting me borrow her fabulous cowboy boots! I fit in perfectly with the Nashville crowd! Thanks, girl! 

Just dancing with Megzo!

Besties since bowl cut age!

 

I wore this dress again for Lollapalooza (Sunday). Here's our group before Silversun Pickups-- who were INCREDIBLE!  

Scott, Matthew, myself and Mike!

Below are some more backless dress picks from Urban Outfitters. A lot are on sale, so the time to buy is now! You can tuck them away for next summer, too!

Which backless dresses are your favorite?
xxoo
Mary

New Buffalo Anniversary Trip, Night One

I cannot say enough about how wonderful our anniversary weekend was. (Check out my first ever Belle On Trend post about our wedding!)  We had SUCH a good experience where we stayed, ate and dined/explored! Mike planned this whole weekend himself for us, which was the kindest gift to me ever.  Our first anniversary trip was absolutely fantastic, and I want to recommend the places we went to you. Whether you have an anniversary or birthday approaching, this is a spot for you and your significant other.

This is the deck outside our door at the Lake Country Inn. It is a small hotel, with about 10 rooms, but each is a color. We were in the "red room", not to be confused with REDRUM, haha. It was SO CLEAN and spacious and gorgeous. Everyone we met who worked at the hotel (the owner, his wife, another employee) were just so lovely. They were kind and happy we were there. The other people we ran into who were also staying there were all so friendly. It was awesome.

I LOVE Adirondack chairs. I don't know why, but I have such an affinity for them, particularly colorful ones. When I saw these on the deck, I was sold! 

The Lake Country Inn is walking distance to anything you'd want to do/see in New Buffalo. Staying on the water or marina is much more expensive, but honestly, this was the greatest experience that even if we had more money to spend, I wouldn't choose another location. 

Dress: Lilly Pulitzer. Mike bought me this one down in Florida in March, but linked are the updated patterns.

Earrings: old Stella and Dot, similar here. 

Lips: Stila in Amalfi. 

This is my favorite Lilly Pulitzer dress I've ever worn (and not just because my hubs bought it for me!). It is fit and flare, which is most flattering on my body. It has a half zip back that is stretchy. I needed a size 4 for this, so I sized down from the shift dresses (I am typically a 6 in those). 

Purse: old Banana Republic, similar here.

Wedges: old Lilly Pulitzer (4 years old to be exact! I will always know because I purchased them for my mom and step dad's wedding in July 2012). Updated styles here and here. 

The outdoor/backyard area of the Inn was so peaceful and shady. We loved sitting on the deck to eat our breakfast (which was complimentary, I might add!). 

Bangles: left, old Kate Spade, similar here. Right, bow bracelets (and here) by Kate Spade.

Watch: Michael Kors. Pro-tip about MK watches: both my silver and gold MK watches were purchased during the Nordstrom Anniversary sale in years past. I have had my watches since 2009/2010-- they last forever! I've only replaced one battery on my silver watch. But, definitely wait to get the Michael Kors watches on the #Nsale. Starting very soon (credit card holders had access on July 14), you'll be in Nordies Heaven!

Mrs. neckace: Kate Spade.

Another huge bonus to this dress: POCKETS!!!!!! 

Had to turn the camera on my amazing hubs.

One of the many reasons I am so madly in love with him is his style. He's effortlessly cool, and I love that about him. He bought these gingham pants, and I DIED! STYLISH! 

Sunglasses: Kate Spade.

We walked over to the marina for a spectacular dinner at Bentwood Tavern. I highly, highly, highly recommend their crab salad, guacamole and shrimp (the trio!) as an appetizer! YUM! 

Gorgeous view from dinner. 

Outside the Bentwood Tavern with my love.

The wind kicked up my skirt a little-- haha!

I will say, this dress is shorter than my typical Lilly dresses. However, I usually wear a size 6, so that might have something to do with it. Also, the heels might add to it. 

I was so shocked at how late the sun went down in Michigan! I couldn't believe it was this light out at 9 pm! Mike grew up in Michigan, and he was used to this.  I was really surprised and jealous, haha. I would have loved to play outside as a kid until 9:30 pm!

Gorgeous sunset by the marina. 

Even better view with my MAN! 

Have you ever been to New Buffalo? I had only driven through on a few trips from South Bend to Chicago, stopping at Redamaks (!!!). Thanks to Julie for exposing me to those amazing burgs! It is another must-do-- Velveeta cheese burgers at Redamaks on your way home! More on that in the next installment... ;-)

xxoo

Mary