A Blonde's Moment

Nautical Stripe Dress

April 27, 2017 by Rachel McCarthy

After the week started off with some cooler temperatures, the warm weather is back {and in full force — it’s going to be 90 degrees on Saturday!} and it is the perfect opportunity to break out this cute nautical dress.

How to Wear a Striped Dress in the Summer

Stripe Dress: cabi c/o {available May 4th!} | Sneakers: Converse | Bag: Rebecca Minkoff, larger style HERE {love THIS crossbody for $40!} | Bracelets: David Yurman | Earrings: Sheila Fajl | Sunglasses: Karen Walker | Lipgloss: #09

I know, I know. More stripes! {FYI: stay tuned because there is another one coming at you next week!} Spring and summer are the seasons of stripes and I find myself adding more and more pieces each year to my closet. Stripes always make me think of the water and warm spring and summer days and when I wear blue and white stripes, I instantly reach for my red accessories. Not only is it a great color combination, but I love adding these patriotic details as we gear up for Memorial Day in just a few weeks.

Cabi’s newest arrivals {available next Thursday, May 4th!} have all the nautical feels. You can’t get more nautical than a stripe dress! But this isn’t your ordinary stripe dress. With the lace-up details around the neck, shirttail hem and side panels at the hemline, it’s a soft and swingy dress that is perfect for a casual, warm weather weekend. I paired this dress with my red accessories {this is my favorite red lipgloss — it lasts all day!} and red bag. To capture that more casual/weekend feel, I finished the look with these slip-on sneakers, which are becoming one of my favorite weekend shoes in my closet. You can’t beat the slip-on style!

I hope you all have a wonderful weekend! Today is the last day of my work event on Capitol Hill — it’s been one long week! Looking forward to relaxing a little this weekend and working on some fun food posts that I will be sharing with you in the coming weeks! See you back here on Monday!

This post is linked with: Mix & Match Fashion | Twenties Girl Style | Stylin in St. Louis | Living in Color | Pumps and Pushups | Thursday Fashion Files | Rachel The Hat | Fashion Friday | Friday’s Fab Favorites | Daily Style Finds | East Coast Chic | Friday Favorites | Casual Friday | My Refined Style

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Mother’s Day Gifts Under $100

April 26, 2017 by Rachel McCarthy

Halfway through the week, friends! Can you believe it’s time for a Mother’s Day gift guide already? The last time I shared a gift guide it was December and we were preparing for Christmas (which feels like it was only a week ago!). Where does time go?! Regardless, the day to celebrate all the moms out there is just around the corner and I’ve complied a few of my favorite pieces under $100 !

Where to begin with all this pink? The love for this color is one of the many things I share with my mom so I couldn’t resist keeping to the color theme. Plus, there are a ton of fabulous pink pieces out there at great price points! Of all the people on my list to buy gifts for, my mom is probably the easiest. We have very similar tastes which makes picking out the perfect gift pretty easy. Although, it is difficult to pick favorites from this set, but here are a few:

As soon as I saw this statement ring {available in several colors} I honestly thought it was a new David Yurman style. Needless to say, I was shocked and excited when I saw it’s under $100 price tag!

I have been seeing THESE bow slides everywhere, but mostly in the plain pink. Although the all-over pink is great, I love this striped version. It would go with so much in your closet, you will be able to wear it all spring and summer long. Don’t they look so comfortable?!

I’ve included a few beauty-related gifts in the collage because it’s the perfect day to pamper mom! This silk pillowcase, strawberry sugar scrub and lip kit would all make fabulous gifts. I have a similar silk pillowcase {mine is leopard!} and I swear by it. Since switching, my hair is healthier {my hair was growing longer on one side than the other for a while before this pillow!} and it also helps with keeping your skin healthy and wrinkle free! I highly recommend these pillowcases, and it makes a great gift for mom too!

As always, thanks for dropping by and happy shopping!

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Easy Crockpot Dinner: Pesto Chicken

April 25, 2017 by Rachel McCarthy

Crockpot Pesto Chicken Recipe @rachmccarthy7

Happy Tuesday! Gearing up for a crazy week at my 9-5 job so I thought this quick, weeknight dinner would be a good recipe to share this week. I’m always trying to come up with quick and healthy dinners for the work week and as I have mentioned before, the crockpot is my best friend when it comes to this. I made this a few weeks ago for dinner and we just loved it: only four ingredients for a complete meal, quick and easy and the chicken came out super tender. I’m not the biggest fan of chicken, but it’s tolerable for me in the crockpot. This chicken was delicious and I ate every bite! Totally unusual for me, so this weeknight dinner is highly approved!

Green Floral Dress

April 24, 2017 by Rachel McCarthy

Happy Monday! Today I am sharing this green floral dress that I wore for Easter two weekends ago. It’s no secret I love a good dress and this short sleeve textured jacquard dress is quickly becoming a favorite in my closet.

Dress: Draper James | Shoes: BP. | Earrings: Gray Monroe seed bead tassel style | Clutch: Urban Expressions, old {similar style HERE} | Sunglasses: Karen Walker | Lipstick: #47 & #200

I saw this dress back in March and instantly fell in love. The color {color of the year!}, print, scallop hem, grosgrain ribbon around the waist and of course the pockets just make this a dress that screamed my name. It’s such a versatile dress that not only is perfect for the spring but also as we head into summer. We had a serious warm up last weekend for Easter and I was stumped as to what to wear. I was so not prepared for an Easter dress with the temperatures in the high 80s! I decided that this would be perfect and with so many upcoming graduations, showers and weddings, I will surely find another way to wear it in the coming months. As for accessories, I kept everything pretty simple for Easter Sunday: beige sandals and clutch and fun tassel earrings.

I hope you all had a wonderful weekend! The weather cleared up yesterday and we were able to take Ella to the dog friendly winery. It’s one of our favorite Virginia wineries and we love that they welcome dogs. If you are in the DC area or ever visit, I would highly recommend Stone Tower Winery! It’s going to be a crazy week at work so I apologize if I’m a little MIA this week! Have a great start to the week, friends!

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Orange Swing Dress

April 20, 2017 by Rachel McCarthy

Orange Pleated Dress Nordstrom @rachmccarthy7

One of my favorite colors this spring has been orange. I don’t have a lot of it in my closet, but while shopping the past few months, I have been drawn to the color more so than normal. There have been a few dresses that I have almost bought that were this orange hue, but ended up deciding against it. Then I saw this flowy, pleated bright orange dress. I instantly knew it had to be mine!

Cute Spring Dresses Under $100 @rachmccarthy7

Nordstrom Dresses Under $100 @rachmccarthy7

Gold Caged Lace Up Sandals @rachmccarthy7

Kendra Scott Gold Tassel Necklace @rachmccarthy7

Cute Spring Dressed Up Outfit @rachmccarthy7

Dress: adelyn rae {under $100!} | Gold Tassel Necklace: Kendra Scott c/o | Gold Sandals: Ivanka Trump | Clutch: similar woven style HERE, love this gold & cork clutch HERE | Sunglasses: Karen Walker | Lips: Boldly Bare liner, #47 lipstick & #200 lipgloss

Until the dress arrived, I was a little concerned about the length. Seeing it on the model and reading the length, it seemed like it might be too short. But, with the high-low hemline, I was optimistic. Although it is a little shorter in the front than I am typically accustomed to, it’s a perfect fit! I am wearing a medium and I’m 5’8 for reference. Since I wore this look out to dinner last Saturday night, I styled the dress with gold accessories for a more dressed up look.

I had been searching for a pair of caged gold lace-up sandals since last summer so when I discovered these a few weeks ago, I was thrilled! They are super comfortable for a high heel and I love the lace-up and back zipper details. I finished the look with this gold tassel necklace, which I’m completely obsessed with! I love that you can tie it different ways depending on your look. It was the perfect longer piece to wear with a relatively plain dress.

I hope you all have a wonderful weekend! Not too much planned for us — we were thinking about taking Ella to a dog friendly winery on Sunday, but it looks like the day could be a wash out 🙁 Let’s keep our fingers crossed that the forecast changes! See you back here on Monday, friends!

This post is linked with: Mix & Match Fashion | Twenties Girl Style | Stylin in St. Louis | Living in Color | Pumps and Pushups | Thursday Fashion Files | Rachel The Hat | Fashion Friday | Friday’s Fab Favorites | Daily Style Finds | East Coast Chic | Friday Favorites | Casual Friday | My Refined Style

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Bright & Sunny

April 19, 2017 by Rachel McCarthy

Spring and Summer Yellow Outfit Inspiration @rachmccarthy7

eyelet dress | side tie shirt | lemon cooler | daisy perfume | stripe pillow | midi skirt | tassel earrings {available for pre-order HERE} | detangler brush | bucket bag | lemon recipe book | ankle strap flats | lemon tree earrings

Happy Wednesday! Doesn’t this bright yellow just instantly put a smile on your face? It sure does for me and has me so excited for the warmer spring and summer temperatures! Although I personally don’t wear a ton of this bright hue, it is a color that can put you in a good mood. Here are a few of my favorite yellow pieces that will make your spring and summer wardrobe just a little more happy…

These tassel earrings have been on my wish list {also available in other colors} and although they can’t be purchased yet, you can pre-order them here and receive them by the middle of May. You can bet I already have my name down for these!

With picnic, pool and beach season upon us, this lemon cooler was just too cute to not include! The cooler has a top zip closure, it’s water resistant and insulated and it’s only $32!

Although this dress is a little on the pricey side, I just can’t get enough of all it’s details: the length, silhouette, tassels and eyelet fabric. The possibilities are endless when it comes to wear this dress over the next few months: bridal and baby showers, weddings, summer parties and barbecues and more!

Thanks for stopping by and have a wonderful Wednesday!

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Healthy Blueberry Muffins

April 18, 2017 by Rachel McCarthy

Healthy Blueberry Muffin Recipe @rachmccarthy7

Happy Tuesday, friends! With these warm temperatures, it really has me dreaming of summer. One of my favorite summer morning treats — let’s be honest, it’s my favorite year round, but the fresh blueberries make them that much better — are blueberry muffins. My mom has been making them since I was little and the other weekend we decided to swap some of the ingredients to create a healthier morning muffin.

Easy Blueberry Muffin Recipe @rachmccarthy7

There is just something about these muffins. My mom will make these muffins most weekends I visit because they have always been my favorite. You should know, it’s pretty much impossible to just eat one of these. And if they are hot out of the oven, look. out. haha!

A few weekends ago, I was talking to my mom about these delicious blueberry muffins and thinking of ways we could substitute the original ingredients for some healthier ones. There is always a chance when substituting ingredients that the recipe won’t turn out as well and bake times could be different, but I think we have found pretty good alternatives! Check out the recipe below! These muffins are just as good as the original…and with the healthier recipe, it’s ok to have more than one 🙂

Easy Healthy Blueberry Muffin Recipe @rachmccarthy7

print recipe

Healthy Blueberry Muffins

by Rachel McCarthy April-18-2017

Ingredients

1 3/4 cup flour
2/3 cup sugar
1 tablespoons baking powder
6 tablespoons margarine
3 tablespoons egg whites
1/2 cup almond milk
1 teaspoon lemon zest
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup blueberries
3/4 teaspoon salt

Instructions

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Line the muffin pan with wrappers. Mix the flour, sugar, baking powder and salt in a medium-size bowl. Cut in the margarine until cumbly. Beat the egg whites, milk, lemon zest and vanilla in a second, medium-sized bowl. Stir in the flour mixture until moist. Stir in the blueberries. Pour the batter into the muffin cups. Bake 15-20 minutes. Enjoy!

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Thanks for stopping by! I hope you have a wonderful Tuesday!

This post is linked up with: Tasty Tuesdays | Tickle My Tastebuds Tuesday | Two Cup Tuesday | Weekend Potluck | SITS Girls

BLONDE

April 17, 2017 by Rachel McCarthy

casual weekend outfit idea @rachmccarthy7

Casual pieces are some of my favorites. Easy to wear, comfortable and the perfect weekend attire. When I spotted this “blonde” t-shirt, I knew it had to be added to my collection. It was too cute not to have!

Casual Spring Outfit Idea @rachmccarthy7

BLONDE t-shirt: BRUNETTE {entire collection HERE} | Denim: Articles of Society {under $60 — size down} | Bag: Mark and Graham c/o | Sneakers: New Balance | Sunglasses: Ray-Ban | Lipstick: Passionate Peach & Turkish Delight

I wore this casual look on Saturday for some shopping and errand running. This t-shirt is super soft and a little on the oversized-side. For reference, I’m wearing the medium-large — I was going for an oversized look, but if you would like a little more true to size, I would size down.

I styled the t-shirt with these distressed white jeans. which are stretchy and super soft. Soft definitely seems to be the trend of today’s post! And since there is a good amount of stretch with this pair, I would suggest sizing down. I love the distressed details around the knees, but also the fringe hem is a fun addition. And they are priced under $60!

I hope you all had a wonderful Easter and weekend! Stop back tomorrow for a healthy twist on my very favorite morning muffins. Have a great start to the week, friends!

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Pinstripes & Bows

April 13, 2017 by Rachel McCarthy

Blue and White Pinstripe Top Outfit @rachmccarthy7

Stripes, bows and blue. Three spring favorites in one top! I’ve been on a real blue kick as of late, but I had to share one more post featuring this pretty spring hue. Especially since this cute pinstripe top is on sale for under $40!

Kendra Scott Sophee Earrings @rachmccarthy7

Cute and Casual Spring Outfit @rachmccarthy7

Pinstripe Top: Madewell {on sale!} | Jeans: Old Navy | Bag: Sole Society | Earrings: Kendra Scott c/o | Bracelets: David Yurman cuff, link | Shoes: Jeffrey Campbell {updated style HERE} | Sunglasses: Karen Walker | Lipstick: Kim KW & #200

When I first bought this top a few months ago, I couldn’t wait to wear it with my white jeans. White jeans seemed fitting with the blue and white pinstripe. But as I was planning outfits last week, and after last week’s Wednesday Wishes, I decided to just go all blue for the look and keep the accessories neutral. I felt like white jeans were an easy choice, but the blue denim was a little more unexpected. I know, I’ve just been loving this color!

As you can tell, the wind was pretty crazy while we were taking these pictures and the top was blowing quite a bit. When trying it on in-store, I was a little concerned about the length — I can’t stand anything that is too short. But even with all that wind, the top stayed down and was the perfect length for these mid-rise jeans.

The neutral accessories were a good contrast to the all blue look and it gave me a chance to break out these Kendra Scott earrings with the most gorgeous silhouette. Don’t get me wrong, I love brightly colored, tassel, pom pom or other statement earrings, but sometimes it’s nice to throw in some classic sliver and gold every once in awhile, especially since that is what I wear during the work week! Also, for as large as these earrings are, they are pretty comfortable. I wore them to work the other day for over 12 hours and had no problems!

I hope you all have a wonderful weekend and Easter! See you back here on Monday!

P.S. In case you missed yesterday’s post, I rounded up a few of my favorite pieces from Shopbop’s Event of the Season. Save up to $25% off with code EVENT17. Happy Shopping!

Black & White: Splurge vs. Save

April 12, 2017 by Rachel McCarthy

black and white outfit inspiration @rachmccarthy7

Another splurge vs. save and today it’s all about the classic black and white. I don’t know if I’m noticing it more or brands are knocking off more designer pieces, but these designer lookalikes seem to be everywhere these days. And although the colors might be a classic combination, these splurge and save styles are super trendy and are perfect candidates for save options!

I always enjoy putting these posts together. With each post, I get more and more determined to find an exact match for less! Although, I must confess, this week’s was pretty difficult. I can’t even begin to count the numbers of drafts I went through searching for the perfect save item. I think it probably has to do with the fact there are A LOT of cold shoulder black tops and one shoulder white tops, for example, out there right now. It was tough deciding which to share!

Of all the pieces in today’s post, I think the favorite has to go to the cold shoulder dress. Talk about the perfect LBD for spring and summer! And with it’s under $70 price tag, it’s a pretty good deal — especially compared to the splurge version. And although this dress might be a little more on the trendy side, it would be easy to dress up with sandals and jewelry or more dress down casually with flats. Versatile dresses for the win!

It’s difficult to pick a second favorite, but my love for pearls runs deep and when I saw these save sandals, I just knew there must be a designer pair that was similar. Needless to say I had no idea that there would be that big of a price difference! Although there are some slight differences between the two sandals {I do love that cute bow on the splurge version!} I think the save version is enough like the splurge to justify all the money you could save!

And speaking of saving money, Shopbop’s Event of the Season starts today through Friday. Receive 20% off orders under $500 with code EVENT17 and 25% off orders over $500 with code EVENT17. You can find some of my favorite Shopbop finds below. Happy Shopping!

Do you enjoy these splurge vs. save posts? I would love to hear in the comments section below. Have a wonderful Wednesday, friends!

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