what to wear: wedding attire in your late 20's

The past weekend officially kicked off this year's summer weddings. I don't know about you all, but I'm at the point in life where I have LOTS of weddings. Like, 9 this year, with one this weekend!!! With weddings comes shopping for dresses, and I personally have a tough time finding age appropriate dresses. It's the Britney Spears conundrum - I'm not a girl, not yet a woman! Although I guess I am technically a woman, just a young woman. When I'm shopping for dresses now, I want a balance of pretty but chic, appropriate but a little sexy. I don't want something too sweet, and trendy, but rather beautiful and timeless - something I can feel confident wearing year after year. Is this a challenge for anyone else, or just me?!

A few good brands I've found that accomplish that strange, mid-to-late 20's to early 30's gap: Elizabeth & James, Club Monaco, Milly, Tibi, Rebecca Taylor, etc. etc. I've pulled together a few of my favorite options below, and I actually ordered this Club Monaco dress for a wedding in June.

Club Monaco Nimah Dress 

(comes in white, too! and is on sale for under $130!)

Elizabeth & James Phoenix Dress 

(comes in multiple colors, on sale for under $170!)

Milly Modern Camo Dress 

(not as simple, but I think it's fun and could be worn year after year)

Tibi Strapless Dress 

(I think this is GORGEOUS. Also comes in red and is on sale for under $225)

Tibi Amara Dress 

(I think there's something really pretty about this. Comes in black too, would love with gold jewelry!)

What are your go-to places for dresses? I'd love to hear where you all shop!

A VERY HAPPY WEEKEND

Oh, Monday. Here again way too quickly. Doesn't it always feel like there should be another day to recover and rest? 

I had the happiest of weekends, and I hope you all did too! On Friday, I got last minute tickets to the Taylor Swift concert through work and oh my gosh. The concert was ah-ma-zing. I've always been a fan of T-Swift, but I was blown away by her show. It's not just a concert, it's a complete production. She sounds incredible live, and just does a fantastic job entertaining her fans. It's safe to say I have never seen so many blinking lights and young girls at a concert, but I loved it. So much screaming, it was hysterical. 

Saturday morning I drove up to Indiana with Claire and Courtney for our Brookie's wedding! The ceremony was in a gorgeous Catholic church and Brooke as well as the bridesmaids all looked stunning. The reception was held at a family friend's house under a big white tent. It was seriously so beautiful. I'm so happy for Brooke and Mark, and wish them nothing but the happiest of a life together. 

One of the best parts about the wedding was that we had a little sorority reunion! Fifteen of us made the trip celebrate the Elliott's big day, and it was just the happiest. It reminds me how lucky I am to have so many amazing, incredible, loving friends all across the country. And whether we haven't seen each other for a couple months or 2 years, nothing has changed between us. We are still the best of friends, having a great time together, dancing the night away, limbo-ing, and breaking into the hotel pool at 1 AM. Fabulous weekend, girls. Let's have another engagement ASAP so we can have this much fun again! Any takers?

Happy honeymooning, Brooke and Mark! We all love you! :)

Have a great Monday, everyone.

Wedding Bells and Gifts

We've gotten to that age and that time of the year where it seems like weddings are taking over our summers and before we know it, it's fall. Yikes! While weddings are incredibly fun and exciting, they can also be exhausting. And eventually, you may run out of gift ideas for the bride and groom. While it's easy and efficient to turn to the couple's registry, sometimes it's fun to be a little bit more creative. Here are a few of my personal picks for couples everywhere.

Jonathan Adler Letter Pillow  // Perfect addition to the newlywed's home.

Crate and Barrel Corn Picks // This seems silly, but with summer in full swing, these will come in handy! Plus, they are a great color. Add some salad tongs and cutting board and any grill master will love this gift.

Mr. and Mrs. Cocktail Glasses // These are just too cute not to give a newly married couple. Agree?

Kate Spade Illustrated Cake Plate // Because there are certain to be many celebrations that require cake and a great cake plate.

Weekend Review - Home Again

There really is nothing like going home and seeing the friends and families you grew up with. This past weekend, I was home for a wedding, but it was so wonderful to be in Champaign, even if it felt like hardly any time at all. While my time was incredibly limited, I still managed to pack in a lot. On Saturday morning I woke up early to spend time with my mom, tour her garden, and eat waffles with the family. We went to our favorite girls' soccer game and watched both of them score goals. I saw my two friends get married, and in between the ceremony and reception, stopped by the Hobbs' for a Derby party to visit with more family and friends. By 6:00 we were back to the country club for an evening of - no joke - non stop dancing to Maggie Speaks. Sunday brought church and brunch on the club with the family - so wonderful. It was such a lovely and perfect weekend, and reminded me of how lucky I am to have such a great hometown to go back to. I'm not sure when my next visit will be, but hopefully it is before Thanksgiving! That's just a little too long to go without some Champaign loving :)

Our two soccer stars

Mint Juleps in honor of the Derby

My horse bets

Best friends dancing to Maggie Speaks... Christy couldn't look more beautiful!