Friday Finds: Red, White, and Blue

You guys, the Fourth of July is next week! I know, I know, say what?! We usually host a Fourth of July party and it totally snuck up on me this year - we just managed to invite people on Wednesday haha. So our friends and family who keep their plans loose will be coming ;) It's going to be a little more low key than usual this year since I have basically zero planning time - right now I'm completely focused on the baby shower I'm throwing for my sister-in-law Claire tomorrow. Omg it's tomorrow - cue the panic!

I haven't really planned any red, white, and blue outfits this year since we've been out of town so much, but I own so much blue and white I decided to just go get a red mani-pedi and call it a day. Oh, and I ordered this hat and this hat - let's see if either come on time!

Here are a few more red, white, and blue items in case you're doing any last minute shopping for the holiday:

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June Budget

Every month I post about my clothing budget. My budget per month is $350, which may seem like a lot to some and a little to others, but feels just right for me. You can read my thoughts on my 2017 budget here.

I had completely convinced myself that I hadn't bought anything new in June and that there wouldn't be anything to share. I've basically been traveling the whole month so there wasn't even time to shop! Of course, I forgot about all of those purchases I made back at the end of May that didn't arrive in time to include in my May budget post. Duh. Don't worry, in the three days I've been home I've already ordered about a hundred things, so there should be lots to share for July!

LOFT Kimono - originally $49.50, on sale $29.70. I'm actually wearing it while I type this! I love the concept of the kimono, they're such a fun lightweight layer for summer, and easier to wear than a scarf. This particular style is sold out, but I also love this one and this one.
J.Crew Factory Embroidered Tee - originally $59.50, on sale $29.95. This tee is so cute I'm willing to forgive it for being super sheer - it's actually fine if you wear a nude bra underneath but just wanted to put that out there as a word of warning! The embroidery is really pretty, and it's nice and lightweight for those hot summer days.
LOFT Ruffle Shorts - originally $49.50, on sale $29.70. These have the look of a mini skirt thanks to the ruffle and are so cute in person - you can see me trying them on here. I love that they're a slightly dressier shorts option.
J.Crew Factory Sweater Blazer - originally $98.00, on sale $49.00. I tried this on in stores and fell in love - it's so comfy but slightly more dressed up than a regular sweater. Definitely perfect for chilly summer offices!
Lou & Grey Hoodie Tee - originally $59.50, on sale $35.70. I've been wearing this basically non-stop around the house (well, at least for the few days I've actually been home!) and it is SO soft and cozy without being too hot for summer. The sides have slits which makes it a little breezier, although I wear a tank underneath.
LOFT Summer Vibes Sweater - originally $59.50, on sale $35.70. How freaking cute is this sweater?! It's the perfect weight for chilly summer nights and has a great drape to it.

Total Spent: $209.75
Total Saved: $165.75


Waaaaaay under budget for the month - high five me! So far for July I've bought two hats and a bunch of shorts. These purchases feel very not me haha, but I realized with all of our travel that I was basically just wearing the same two pairs of shorts over and over. For the rest of summer, I'm looking for lightweight dresses that can work for the office or for the weekend. The Nordstrom Anniversary Sale will also be here in July so I'm probably going to start shopping for fall. I know, I know, I'm disgusted also. But if there's anything I've learned from shopping (or not shopping) the sale in the past, it's that I should buy the stuff now, because inevitably come September I'll want it and then have to pay full price. Want to shop the sale early? Be sure to sign up for a Nordstrom card now for early access!! Having the card last year was amazing because so much stuff sold out after the first couple of days and was never restocked.

Did you budget this month? How did you do?

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Life Lately

Dress / Similar Earrings / Bag / Sunglasses

Oh hey there! Did you miss me?

I meant to post yesterday, but our flight ended up getting delayed on Sunday night, which meant I missed my bedtime (yes, I'm a toddler) and was exhausted. So, I decided to give myself a break. I'm always go go go so that's pretty unusual for me. I don't know when I turned into such a workaholic!

And you know what? My Monday evening was so nice. I laid on the couch, I got a few things done for the baby shower I'm throwing this weekend (Yes, another one! Check out the baby sprinkle here if you missed it.), I finished reading Faithful (which took a while to get into but then I finished the second half of the book in 24 hours), and I basically got my life back on track after being gone for, oh, the last three weeks. 

Just goes to show you, sometimes you need to give yourself a little break!

The week in San Francisco was actually really fun. We had a big offsite for my full department at work, so the week was full of happy hours, lunch dates, fun dinners, an afternoon of bocce ball, and of course a ton of presentations. I stayed at the Intercontinental Mark Hopkins which was up on top of Nob Hill, an area I haven't gotten a chance to explore before so it was fun to see a new place. The hotel itself is beautiful too - it's right on top of the hill, so my room had a view down to the bay out of one window and out across the city through the other. There's also a rooftop bar which has stunning views too, which you may have seen on Instagram stories ;)

Jeff flew in on Thursday afternoon and picked me up after we finished up at work, and we drove out to Napa to celebrate our third wedding anniversary! How has it been that long?! I'm so grateful that my work sends me to San Francisco all the time, because it's led to three Napa trips over the past three years! I'll share more on the trip soon, but we actually ended up basically copying our itinerary from our last trip. Partially out of laziness, partially because we lacked planning time, but mainly because we loved our last trip so much!

Now that we're back in town, it's all family time. Seriously, our next couple of weeks are packed with family activities! My brother Pat and his wife Claire are visiting from South Korea for a couple more weeks so we're sneaking in a baby shower for them over the weekend, plus a birthday party for my niece Mae - she's somehow turning three!! Then we're hosting a Fourth of July party next week, and then squeezing in a birthday party for my dad and a family Cubs game around one of my friend's wedding over the weekend. I'm a little tired thinking about it, but also really excited - bring on the family time!!

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Old Navy Wishlist

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Friday Finds

Happy Friday!! I'm just finishing up the last bit of my travel month this weekend with a little trip to Napa with Jeff to celebrate our third wedding anniversary!! I can't believe it's been so long since our wedding already, it still feels like just yesterday. Or maybe last week ;)

We've been to Napa twice before (check out my travel guide here) so we're excited to head back and visit some of our favorite places again, plus sneak in a little pool time. Oh, and the wine. I'd be remiss not to mention the wine.

If you want to see what we're up to in real life today, be sure to follow me on Instagram. Otherwise, on to this week's finds!

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Scallops and Embroidery

Tank - J.Crew Factory / Skirt - Loft / Bag - c/o Wikibuy / Sandals - Treasure & Bond / Earrings (super similar here) - J.Crew

Are you looking for a cute work to drinks outfit for warmer weather? Well then this is it! Just add a denim jacket and you're set for the office. And, you know, take the jacket off when it's time for the fun to start ;)

I haven't been into the office much so far this summer between vacations and traveling for work (I'm in San Francisco right now!) so I keep repeating this outfit when I do have to get dressed for work. I got this skirt in a tall and the length is perfect for the office. I also love this tank - the straps are adjustable so you can put away your cleavage in the office. Oh and whenever I show a tank or an off the shoulder outfit someone always asks - this strapless bra is my favorite!

I love wearing a good dress in the summer, but it's so nice to have separates you can mix and match as well. With a tank this skirt is dressy enough for work, drinks, a dinner date, or even a baby/bridal shower. But paired with a white tee and a light jacket, it can be really casual instead. Well, casual according to me at least - my sister would probably still complain that I was too dressed up!

Tank - J.Crew Factory / Skirt - Loft / Bag - c/o Wikibuy / Sandals - Treasure & Bond / Earrings (super similar here) - J.Crew

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LOFT Summer Wishlist

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Blue & White on the Beach

Top (exact sold out, similar here and here) - LOFT / Shorts - J.Crew Factory / Bag - Clare V / Scarf (similar here) - Vera Bradley / Earrings (also available here) - BaubleBar / Sandals (similar here and here) - Old Navy

These pictures are really making me want to take another trip to the beach - anyone else? 

I love going to the beach in Chicago, but it's so nice to go and stay right on the beach sometimes - it means you can visit all throughout the day. My favorite part of our trip to Florida was the morning Jeff and I got up early (okay, 7am ;) and headed out to take a walk down by the water. We basically had the whole beach to ourselves! 

Whenever I take a beach trip, I basically pack all blue and white clothing. It's partially because all of my favorite clothes for summer are blue and white, and partially because it just makes packing that much easier - you just know that everything can mix and match! 

I'm loving this top but this exact one is sold out. Here are a few similar blue and white options in case you have any beach trips coming up - or are just as in love with blue and white in the summer as me ;) 

Top (exact sold out, similar here and here) - LOFT / Shorts - J.Crew Factory / Bag - Clare V / Scarf (similar here) - Vera Bradley / Earrings (also available here) - BaubleBar / Sandals (similar here and here) - Old Navy

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This Weekend...

This weekend I...

...took the train up to the suburbs with my dad after work on Friday (with train beers, of course ;) for a family dinner because my brother and his wife are in town! Something you might not know if you're newer over here is that my brother and his wife live in South Korea - he's a history teacher over there. They usually come back for a few weeks every summer. This one is a shorter visit than usual because my sister-in-law is actually expecting a baby this fall! Can't wait to meet my little niece or nephew!!
...went on a bridal shower and then part of the bachelorette party for my friend Marina from high school! Yep, all in one day ;) We started with mimosas and presents at 404 Wine Bar, and then moved downtown to Rock Bottom for drinks on the rooftop. I've been to Rock Bottom a ton of times with my family (we go every year on Black Friday, we've been going since I was in middle school!), but somehow have never made it up to the rooftop before - such a fun spot downtown!
...met up with Jeff for drinks and snacks (and all of the oysters) at Oyster Bah. This is the second time I've been and it somehow was even better this time than the first. I actually don't usually even like hush puppies and theirs are incredible. Plus it turns out they have an awesome happy hour, even on the weekend.
...went with a bunch of friends to Brews at the Zoo at the Lincoln Park Zoo for a bunch of craft beer and, of course, checking out all of the animals. I've been to the zoo's winter beer events and was kind of down on them, but this one was so much better! It probably helped that it wasn't below zero, but it also felt a lot more relaxed and less crowded since people could hang outside. Definitely check out some of their other events if you're looking for something fun to do this summer!
...packed it on up again for another trip - I'm leaving for San Francisco tomorrow. We have a big offsite for most of the week, and then I'm taking off early for a three day weekend with Jeff out in Napa to celebrate our wedding anniversary - bring on the wine!
...baked up a batch of my grandma's sugar cookies, which are basically my favorite cookie ever! Some of them are going in the freezer for the baby shower I'm throwing in two weeks, and the rest are in my suitcase to San Francisco today for a little baking competition with my coworkers out there - wish me luck!

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Friday Finds

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