Memorial Day

Happy Tuesday - wouldn't it be great if all work weeks started on Tuesdays?  I feel like (am hopeful that) this week will fly by with the late start.  Summer arrived in PA just in time for this kickoff weekend and we had the best weather all weekend long - finally.  We spent the weekend with friends at The Hotel Hershey and took in lots of pool time which I'll share all about tomorrow.

In an effort to ease into the week, today I'm giving a quick share of our annual summer kickoff BBQ - my parents had us all at their house last night to grill out - my favorite way to start off this fun season.

The weather was great - not too hot and we had a great cocktail hour with feta cheese dip, guac, a cheese platter and some others.  For the main course we had all the classics - burgers, sausages, pasta salad, asian coleslaw and fruit salad and we finished things off with some sweet treats from the chocolate capital.

doggie ice cream for the spoiled pups... 

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Looking forward to all that this summer has in store! xx

Loving + MDW Sales & Favorites

Happy Friday - We made it to the holiday weekend! How's everyone spending the weekend?  We're heading out later to spend time with friends in the sun then finishing off the weekend at home with an annual family BBQ.  The weather is finally nice around these parts and we couldn't be more ready for it.

Here's what I'm loving this week…

clutch / float  / dress / wine table / romper / earrings / beach towel 

Another great highlight about this weekend is all the fantastic sales; & I'm sharing some of them below as well as a couple items from my favorites...

Loft: 40% off

romper / clutch /  necklace 

Gap: 35% off online

romper / maxi / top

Lilly Pulitzer: free items with amount spent  (see below or see here) 

dress / clutch / tunic 

Any spend - beach ball
$200 spend - fridge bracelet set (+ beach ball)
$500 spend - oversized beach towel set ( + bracelet set, beach ball)
$800 spend - beach umbrella ( + towel set, bracelet set, beach ball)
$1200 spend - beach chair set (+ beach umbrella, towel set, bracelet set, beach ball)
$3000 spend - beach hammock (+ beach chair set, beach umbrella, towel set, bracelet set, beach ball)

JCrew: 30% off

tassel earrings /  off the shoulder top /  sandals

Other Sales This Weekend: (so far...)

• Ann Taylor: 50% off (full price styles)
• Banana Republic: 40% off
• JCrew Factory: 50% off 
• Mark & Graham: 25% off sale items 
• Steve Madden: 20% off $75+ / 25% off $100 +
• Vineyard Vines: 30% off sale items

Enjoy your long weekend & Happy Memorial Day; Cheers!

Summer Accessories Under $50

This weekend is the unofficial kickoff to summer which also means the best season to accessorize will have arrived.  Finding pieces that don't cost a fortune are key because with all the adventures this season brings something is sure to get broken, lost, etc.  All the brights, tassels, beach accessories - some of my favorites are below...

sandals / tassel earrings / tassel tie / crossbody / bracelet stack / pom clutch /

sunglasses / tassel stack necklace / straw hat / earring two set

We dined outside on our deck (even though it's not set up yet) for the first time this season which is a sure sign that summer is almost here...

Inside Lillyland

Everybody knows the story behind Lilly Pulitzer - the juice stand she had where her clothes would get stained with spills so she asked for a colorful dress to camouflage the stains, began selling two styles for just $22 at the juice stand and the rest is history.

However, something people are always very surprised to hear is that the headquarters of Lilly Pulitzer, otherwise known as the Pink Palace, is located right here in King of Prussia, PA.  The bright Lilly dresses that are prominent in Palm Beach and the south aren't as popular in the north except for just outside of Philadelphia on the Main Line.

Once Lilly was "over it," closed up shop and filed for bankruptcy after 20+ years the brightness tapered off until two local businessmen living in the area bought the rights to the company - ever since it's continuously grown into something bigger and better than ever (ex - the craziness and chaos that was "Lilly at Target", the insane lines at the warehouse sale and website crashes for just about every online sale).

Read all the facts from the article as well as the craze for the company and more in "A Stranger in Lillyland" right from Philadelphia magazine.  It's a must read for any Lilly-loving lady out there!


I hope this kicks off a bright day for you; cheers! xx

Wedding Time

We kicked off wedding season with our first celebration this weekend to celebrate Derek's best friend's wedding.

To kick off the wedding day, my good friend, Johnny did the best job with my hair - if your in the Northern NJ area - go see him at Trendz salon.  I'm pretty sure I officially wish he was my personal hair stylist now.

We celebrated Friday night at Crystal Springs Resort and the celebration didn't stop until midday on Saturday.  Cocktail hour with gorgeous views and perfect wedding, a fabulous time at the reception, after party drinks at the hotel bar and things kept going with a brunch the next morning followed by time spend at the gorgeous indoor pool facility.  It was a blast catching up with friends that we don't get too see too often.

dress: here / earrings: here / heels: here / purse: here

Other Happenings:

We got into NJ Thursday night so Derek could attend the rehearsal dinner and I took the time to catch up with some girlfriends.  We split a small feast of small plates and had the best martinis.

earrings: here / necklace: here

Since Derek was busy with wedding festivities leading up to the ceremony I spent the day with my best friend doing lunch and hitting the hair salon.

We stayed in town the night after the wedding also to spend time with Derek's family including a delicious dinner out.

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Thanks for stopping by - have a great week! xx

Loving

Happy Friday - I'm so glad that the weekend is here - and a weekend with 2/3 good weather days at that (it's been a while for us around here).

Blue, white and off the shoulder as well as pink, green and palms are the perfect patterns for me.  Also perfect?  All the new tassels this week in the scarf, earrings and especially tote.  My floppy hat collection seems to be constantly growing but it's hard to pass up the cute black tie.  Rounding out the favorites are the Jack Rogers jelly sandals mainly because the blush color is a top pick of mine and they are 40% off (making them UNDER $30!!!) and they are available in all sizes...

off the shoulder top / tassel scarf / jack rogers / palm dress / 

straw tote / tassel earrings / floppy hat

Enjoy your weekend! Cheers!

Kick off to Wedding Season

Happy TGIT! Wedding season is upon us and despite this month already being all about wedding events (a bachelor party for Derek, bridal shower for me) this weekend kicks off the season for us with our first wedding of the year.

Shopping for a new look for each occasion is a blast (sometimes - as long as you can find what you want!) and I usually just keep my eye out anytime I'm shopping or online browsing for whatever weddings are in the near future.

Below I have some of my favorite picks for a variety of occasions - feminine, elegant, casual, floral and the good news is all the dresses come in at under $100 and most of the accessory items could work for any occasion/outing, not just weddings... 

Feminine: dress / purse / studs / heels

Elegant: dress / heels / earrings / purse

Casual: dress / purse / necklace / wedges

Floral: dress / necklace / purse / heels

Almost to the weekend - enjoy your day! xx

Looks & Life Lately {20}

An archived Lilly coffee table book?  Priced at under $4?  My kind of book - I've yet to find time to read it, but it looks good to me!

candle holder: home goods / essentially lilly: here

Family time on the couch is becoming more and more regular and I'm happy to say I'm caught up (I think) on DVR... getting easier with season finales.

As always... loving blue/white especially this embroidery. 

top / jeans / necklace / wedges

Rainy days are perfect for hiding under the table.

We've only had one night of al fresco dining but I love that this season is just about here - and at my favorite spot!

Shopping and lunch with mom is one of the best ways to spend a day.

The Pet Resort where Stella and Nash (our family dog) stay never texts pictures (I wish we could see them play more often) but they passed on this Nash selfie when we were away - too cute.

Double dates, good food and sweet little boy cuddles - a nice way to spend a night out.

top - same style / earrings

It's always the best treat to have friends stay with us.

Enjoying delicious snacks is just as sweet.  We rarely make breakfast at home but when the house is full and monkey bread has been craved - it works out.

cutting board

Being reunited with this group is such fun... I think we might still be catching up from the weekend.

top (same style) (same color) / necklace

The nicest way to relax... 

Thanks for stopping by - Have a good day! xx