Happy Monday, friends! I hope you all had a wonderful weekend! We had such a productive two days — we accomplished all of our indoor cleaning, yard work and even all our errands! After so many weekends away from home, it was amazing to get things done around the house. It’s just the best feeling!
I have been stalking THIS dress online for a few months now. I loved the color, the cut and the length while browsing online. The only thing that stopped me from buying it sooner was at this price point, I suspected that the fabric would be thin and it wouldn’t be lined. On Saturday, I stopped by Nordstrom and saw the dress. I decided to go over to check it out, since I had admired it from the Internet for so long. Much to my surprise, this dress was even more gorgeous in person and believe it or not, it was lined! I couldn’t believe my eyes, I kept staring at the tag to make sure this was the dress I had been looking at for months, and it was! This summer essential is also available in white, but the coral color is SO pretty and vibrant, I couldn’t resist. And at $68, it is such a steal! I went with my regular size, medium, but I could have probably sized down. Although, I do love the extra movement the bigger size gives the dress 🙂
Now, why you NEED this dress. Like I mentioned in last Thursday’s post, I pretty much live in dresses during the summer. And what finally sold me on this dress, besides the quality and color, was that I would be able to wear this so many times over the next few months, it would completely justify it’s reasonable price. This dress can easily be worn from date night to work day {I already have it planned for this work week!} depending on how you accessorize. It was super hot yesterday when I wore it, but it would be so cute with a denim jacket for cooler days, too!
P.S. If you buy THIS dress, than you need THIS lipstick too. It’s a perfect match!!
Thanks so much for dropping by and have a wonderful start to the week!
There is no denying my love for dresses, especially maxi dresses in the summer. Dresses make up pretty much my entire summer wardrobe — actually, I have worn one each day this week to work, whoops! Maxi dresses are so comfortable and cool and are the perfect way to combat the DC summer heat.
Embroidered details have been a big trend for the past few months, I’ve been seeing it everywhere! But, when I saw this dress from THML Clothing, complete with the fun details around the neckline AND the embroidery, I knew I had to have it. Not only is this a great daytime dress or date night dress, it would also make the cutest cover-up at the pool or beach!
And since I have a serious obsession with pink {did you catch Monday’s post?} I couldn’t resist adding my favorite hot pink accessories: trendy tassel earrings and my monogram clutch. I finished off the look with my comfy flat studded sandals {you may remember them in red from yesterday’s post!} for the perfect summertime cool look.
I hope you all have a wonderful weekend! Believe it or not, this is the first weekend since before Easter that I have been at home. Needless to say, it’s been non-stop travel for the past few months for me! I have big plans for cleaning, relaxing and grocery store shopping. It’s the little things 😉
Thanks for stopping by and see you back here on Monday!
There is something about summer that always makes me want to wear red, white and blue. With Memorial Day just a few weeks ago and the Fourth of July right around the corner, I have had the color red and anything striped on my mind a lot lately!
Although this isn’t my post for July Fourth outfit inspiration {check back next Wednesday for that!} this could definitely work! Stripes are probably my favorite pattern regardless of the season, but I love how THIS top also includes the pom pom trend we have been seeing since spring. How cute is that?! And THESE red studded sandals will be great all summer. I have them in the nude color {last seen HERE & they will also be in tomorrow’s post!} and I’ve been wearing them every chance I get.
As for accessories, I couldn’t help but share THIS cute watermelon clutch with you. Priced at only $16, you will be carrying this the rest of the summer…it’s the ultimate conversation piece for summer parties! And, since we are speaking of deals, how amazing is THIS crystal watch for only $22! It reminds me so much of THIS watch at a fraction of the price.
I love that this casual summertime look can take you from running errands, to a BBQ or even for a casual date night. What are some of your favorite casual pieces for summer?
Thanks for dropping by and have a wonderful Wednesday!
Happy Tuesday! I’m switching things up a little this week to recap our trip last month to Palm Springs. Stay tuned, there will be a new sweet treat food post for you next Tuesday!
Last month, we traveled to California to celebrate our 5th wedding anniversary. We typically plan a trip around our anniversary and most of the time, we head to Napa for a jam-backed week of winery visits. But this year, we wanted something more relaxing. We spent part of our honeymoon in Palm Springs {we actually stayed at La Quinta Resort} and decided it would be fun to go back. As much as we liked La Quinta {and would definitely recommend it!} we wanted to stay somewhere new and try out a different desert city. I should also mention that when I say we were in Palm Springs, I’m using that city loosely. There are several desert towns around Palm Springs and for this trip, we stayed at the Ritz Carlton Rancho Mirage.
Overall, we had a great experience and are looking forward to going back one day…maybe even next year for our anniversary! I will highlight a few aspects of the resort below and also share some snaps that I took while we were there!
Ritz Carlton Rancho Mirage
Location: Located in Rancho Mirage and only 10 miles from downtown Palm Springs, you are close to all of the historic and famous restaurants and attractions of Palm Springs. When we stayed at La Quinta, we were about 20 miles from downtown Palm Springs and never actually made it downtown during that trip. Rancho Mirage is definitely more centrally located in the desert.
Rooms: There was nothing to complain about when it came to the rooms. They were spacious and we had a beautiful view of the pool and a cute porch with seating. The greatest part about the room was the in-room Nespresso machine that they restocked each day with new pods! My husband and I love coffee so this was such a treat to have it in the room. I missed the Nespresso so much when we first got back, I even considered buying one!
Adult-only Infinity Pool
Pools: The resort had two pools: a larger, main pool and a smaller, adult-only infinity pool. We actually stayed at the larger pool throughout our entire trip! The adult pool was pretty small and too quite for us — or maybe we are just too loud for the adult pool!! And the adult pool was where Air Pool Bar, the poolside restaurant, was located, so there was no chance I was going too far away from the food 🙂 I will get to the food in a separate section, but the pool food was pretty tasty with super fast service.
Outdoor Seating at State Fare Bar + Kitchen
The Edge Steakhouse
Outside of The Edge Steakhouse
View from The Edge Steakhouse Overlooking the Coachella Valley
Restaurants: We tried all three of the restaurants at the resort, and like most resorts, the food was over-priced. I will say that typically, resort food is over-priced and not that great, but overall, the food was delicious and the serving sizes were average to large, which is pretty unusual when it comes to resort food. We went to the State Fare Bar + Kitchen two of the afternoons for a happy hour menu with discounted appetizers and drinks. The avocado fries were amazing! For our anniversary dinner, we ate at The Edge Steakhouse. Situated on the cliff overlooking the Coachella Valley, this restaurant did not disappoint in the food or view categories. I will say, I was skeptical about making reservations here. When checking out the menu beforehand, the prices seemed totally outrageous, which totally turned me off. But, my husband said we should give it a try since it was our 5th anniversary and we had heard it was fabulous. I guess you could say it was one of those “once in a lifetime dining experiences”. Well, I’m glad he convinced me to go because it was probably the best restaurant we have both ever been to. The service was impeccable — the staff brought out a small plate for each of us, as compliments of the chef. When I had to turn mine down because it was shrimp {I’m allergic!} the chef brought out a specially-created vegetarian plate for me. I was shocked! They even gave us a card that was signed by all the staff wishing us a Happy Anniversary with a beautiful picture of the views from the restaurant. It was definitely a wonderful dining experience!
Spa & Exercise Facility
Spa & Exercise Facility: Although I did not try the spa while visiting, I did spend a lot of time in the exercise facility. Included in your resort fee {$30/day} you have access to a free fitness class! I read about this awesome feature before even arriving and was so excited at the prospect of attending a fitness class each day. This is something I can only dream about when back at home! Our instructor, Bill, was great and we did both Pilates and Yoga throughout the week. We attended class each day {except the last day — class didn’t start until 11am that day and since I never really adjusted to the Pacific time zone and was up at 5am each morning, I was ready to head to the pool by 10am!} and used the fitness center before class. The fitness center was absolutely amazing. It was basically a full-sized gym with all new equipment! Another highlight: it was connected to the spa and there was a large dispenser that was always filled with fresh coconut water. It was so delicious, I can still taste it!
It was a wonderful anniversary trip and we are both looking forward to going back one day. For those of you who have never been to Palm Springs, it is definitely a place to add to your bucket list. The weather is wonderful with no humidity and just a gorgeous place to visit! Let me know if you have any questions about the resort or if you are planning a trip and looking for restaurant suggestions and attractions to visit!
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Here are some of my favorite looks from the desert:
Happy Monday, friends! I hope you all had a wonderful weekend. First, thank you so much for all the kind words from Thursday’s post. It truly meant the world.
We snapped these pictures yesterday before heading to the lake for the afternoon. It was pretty hot all weekend, but by the lake, there was this amazing breeze, which really was so nice since the temperatures were in the 90s all weekend!
It’s no secret pink is my favorite color, but I think this is my new favorite shade of pink! As my aunt said yesterday, that’s Lilly Pulitzer pink…and I think that’s the perfect way to describe it. There is just something so bright and fun about this shade, and it screams summer. Speaking of summer, with THIS sweater’s summer-friendly fabric, I love that I was surprisingly cool even in the warm weather.
Thanks for dropping by and have a great start to the week!
Happy Thursday, friends! Only two more days until the weekend! We all know how much I love tassels and how big of a trend they have been this spring and summer. When I saw THIS tank from Mint Julep Boutique, I was obsessed! Not only do I love the cute tassels on the hemline, but the colors and this fun pattern make for such a great tank for the hot summer. I love how the tank just flows — we shot these on a semi-windy day and I was loving all the movement when I walked! As for the material, it was super cool and light — I could even see it being worn as a swim cover-up! I sized up so the tank would be a little longer. Mint Julep Boutique has the cutest dresses, tops and accessories. And so affordable!
When I first saw THIS tank, I knew it would be a perfect match for THESE fun tassel earrings. I bought these when I bought the pink tassel earrings {last seen HERE} and have been waiting for the opportunity to wear them. I don’t think I could have found a more perfect top!
On a more personal note, I have been unplugged from the social media and blogging world since last weekend when I had to make an emergency trip to Ohio. My grandmother passed away on Monday at the age of 96 and yesterday, we celebrated her long and wonderful life.
It’s hard to believe that Father’s Day is already next weekend {how is June practically half over already?!} so I thought it would be a good time to share with you a little gift inspiration in case you are still looking for the perfect gift for dad.
For the more sporty dads, I found THIS touch screen smart fitness watch that’s priced at $200. Appearance wise, it reminds me a lot of the Apple Watch, at a fraction of the price. This fitness watch not only has all the essentials like all-day activity and sleep monitor, music control and call, text and calendar alerts, but this stylish watch also has a heart rate monitor, color screen and connected GPS! Available in three colors — black, blue and plum — this smart fitness watch is even on my wish list!
For a more traditional gift, these are some of my favorite essentials: THIS classic polo is a wardrobe necessity and available in a variety of colors {and it’s under $40!}. Or if your dad is more of a tie guy, THIS one is available in a fun geometric print and in two colors. Lastly, if you are looking for gifts that are a little more unique, I have had so much luck with Uncommon Goods. I have bought my husband a few birthday gifts from them and have been so pleased. This bluetooth tracking tag is a super handy gift, and reasonably priced! And I love the golfer BBQ set — perfect for my dad since he loves to golf and just got a new grill!
Happy Monday! Just a quick post to share with you the look I wore to a friend’s wedding over Memorial Day weekend. This was my first experience using Rent the Runway and although I was a nervous-wreck leading up to the delivery day {what if the dress didn’t fit a day before leaving?!} I couldn’t have asked for a better experience. Besides the fact that they quality of the dress was fabulous, the shipping and returning process was quick, easy and issue-free.
For so many years, I felt like I was buying new dresses each time we received a wedding invite in the mail. Inevitably, I would wear the dress once and then it would sit in my closet collecting dust. I love the concept of Rent the Runway because you have the ability to pick something new and exciting each time…and not have to worry about being pictured twice in the same dress 😉
As for accessories, I went pretty simple with statement earrings, a gold woven clutch and these versatile black sandals. I definitely wanted this Rachel Zoe dress to stand out — with a navy stripe pattern, an illusion neckline and full skirt, this midi dress was super elegant. As for sizing, I actually went down a size from my usual and it was a perfect fit!
Thanks for dropping by and see you again tomorrow!
When I first spotted this top from THML Clothing, I knew that it would not only be the perfect top for Memorial Day or the Fourth of July, but it would be a great shirt to wear all summer long. I love anything with stripes and the colorful detailing around the neckline of the top adds a fun element to the shirt and goes with virtually anything in your closet!
As for the rest of this look, I went more casual with my super distressed jeans {they are more of a boyfriend fit, so size down if you want them to be more fitted} and my red accessories in honor of the holiday. These red ankle flat sandals were some of my favorite summer shoes last year and I’m so excited to be wearing them again. Although, this season’s version is SO cute with the eyelet detail! I don’t really need another pair of red sandals, but they are also available in white…I might wait for them to go on sale and scoop them up!
I hope you all have a wonderful weekend and see you back here on Monday! As always, thanks so much for stopping by!
Happy Wednesday, friends! Wednesday Wishes will be back next week, but today, I wanted to talk about three of my favorite trends for summer and a quick Instagram recap! When it comes to the trends, these are three things I have been wearing much of the spring and I suspect I will continue to all through summer!
1. Tassels, Tassels & More Tassels: I have been swooning over the tassel trend all spring and my obsession seems to only be getting greater as we head into summer. I think tassels are such a fun way to accessorize and change up an outfit. THESE earrings and THIS bag are two of my favorite tassel pieces of the moment. Although, I do have my eye on THIS LBD dress and THESE cute lace-up sandals, too 🙂
2. Fun Earrings: Recently, I have added a few fun, statement earrings to my collection and I can’t get enough of them! I love that just by adding a fun pair of earrings, you can instantly change your look. You obviously recognize my hot pink tassel earrings {see above} and the floral statement earrings from J.Crew {these are sold out, love THIS floral pair}, but I also recently purchased THESE and I cannot wait to wear them. Also on my wish list: THESE coral, gold and turquoise drop earrings and THESE bright green drop earrings — a great color for summer!
3. Monogram It!: Although monogramming isn’t a summer trend for me {it’s a year round trend 😉 } I have been seeing so many monogrammed pieces I love for summer, including THIS monogram sun hat {see the Instagram shot below} that I picked up before our trip and currently on my wish list, THIS monogrammed ring. Combine bright colors with a monogram and you have a fun summer piece!
Now, on to the Instagram recap. For those of you who follow along on Instagram {rach.mccarthy} these pictures are nothing new. We were in Palm Springs for our 5th anniversary two weeks ago, so most of these snaps are from our time there. Stay tuned next week for a full recap of the trip, but in the meantime, here are just a few snaps from the desert!
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