During our trip we did two separate excursions to explore Aruba. First up was a Jeep Tour to the Natural Pool with De Palm Tours. We had such a fun time on this tour, which was a lot like a roller coaster thanks to all the bumps and ups and downs. The first stop was snorkeling in the Natural Pool which was really cool. After that we visited the Natural Bridge, the oldest church in Aruba and the California Lighthouse. The tour was 5 hours long and worth every penny!

Here's my only outfit post from Aruba. Most of the other days I wasn't thinking about taking photos by myself so they're all group photos. These were taken when we did a Jeep tour to see some of the sights and snorkel in the Natural Pool. More photos from that tomorrow!

Dress: Elle (Kohl's), Sandals: Ancient Greek Sandals 'Athena' (Gilt), Sunglasses: Ray-Ban 'Erika' (Ditto)

Another hot Summer day, another pair of shorts. And who doesn't love a nice black and white leopard print? Added a bit of gold to the outfit with accessories to jazz it up a little bit more. Look out for Aruba posts next week! :)

Top c/o Simple Retro, Shorts: Zara, Sandals: Isola c/o Marshalls, Necklace: bought in Greece

I'm am (or should be) home from Aruba! My flight got in at 12am and I'll be spending the day working at my Aunt's house since she's only 20 minutes from the airport and I didn't want to drive an hour home after landing so early (or late). This is a pre-scheduled post from a couple weeks before I left.  I'll probably share some vacation photos next week - I may or may not have taken outfit photos. Haven't decided as of the writing of this post. I'm also off to Rhode Island for a week on Saturday, but I'll be working from there.

Top: Tinley Road (Piperlime), Shorts: Zara, Sandals: Mula c/o Marshalls, Necklace: House of Harlow 'Sunburst' (gift from Lydia)

This month's wardrobe update is coming a few days early because I'm off to Aruba today and taking a break from blogging while I'm gone! My goal for July was to not spend any money on clothes since I went a little overboard on entertainment purchases last month. Sadly I failed.

I bought a bathing suit from Old Navy with a gift card, so I didn't break my no spending rule there. What got me was Net-a-Porter's End of Season sale. I almost made it through because the one thing I really wanted (Lanvin sandals I posted here in February) had sold out. But then in the last week of the sale one pair came back in stock in my size and it was an extra 20% off so I pounced. Bye bye $316 and my well-behaved month.



THE (modified) RULES

1. Be mindful of purchases 
2. Quality over quantity
3. Basics are best

MY PROGRESS 

Clothes:

1. Saint Laurent Silk Patchwork Blouse ($350 via eBay, xmas money, $2390+ retail)
2. Free People Jax Patched Skinny Jean ($52, retail $128) 
3. Jason Wu snakeskin pussy bow blouse ($122 via Roundabout, $1395 retail) 
4. Cynthia Steffe 'Naomi' feather print shirt dress ($10 via Lord & Taylor, $248 retail) 
5. Greylin 'Osten' Open Back Romper ($27 via Gilt) 
6. Proenza Schouler Jacquard pants ($247 via Yoox, $1,650+ retail) 
7. Zara striped knit dress ($35 via Poshmark)

Basics:

1. J.Crew Factory colorblock sweater ($24, used gift card)
2. Banana Republic 'patch-pocket' shorts ($11 at Clinton Crossing Premium Outlet) 
3. *NEW!* Old Navy black bikini top & bottom ($18, used gift card)

Shoes:

1. Ancient Greek Sandals 'Athanasia' in Croc ($238 via Moda Operandi, $280 retail)
2. J.Crew Raffia Seaside Sandals (Mom bought at Clinton Crossing) 
3. *NEW!* Lanvin Studded Suede Sandals ($316 via Net-a-Porter End of Season Sale, $790 retail)

Accessories:

1.  Gemstone Necklace via Geclassics in Boston ($8.50)

Gifted from Brands:

1. Simple Retro crop top (via Amazon)

Total spent in 2016:  $1066.50
(not counting Saint Laurent top which used Christmas money)

1. The Perfect Bathing Suit: You can't go to the beach without a bathing suit. Whether it's a bikini, tankini or one-piece make sure you feel confident! That's all that matters.

2. Silky Sunscreen: Who wants their skin to feel gross and oily in sunscreen? That's right, nobody! Make sure to pick up a sunscreen that will leave your skin feeling silky.

3. A Cute Coverup and Stylish Flip Flops: You'll want to go from the beach out to eat or shop so pack a cute sundress that will easily transition you from beach to bar. And some stylish sandals...not the $2.50 ones from Old Navy! (although I love those too)

4. Fancy Shades: I don't know about you but me + sun = squinting. That's not cute so I always have a sleek pair of sunglasses to protect my eyes. (But be careful of getting a sunglasses tan!)

5. A Big Bold Beach Blanket: Last but not least you'll need a fun blanket or towel to get your tan on or dry off after a dip in the water!

Are you taking any beach trips this year? First up for me is Aruba, and then the week after I'll be at my favorite beach in Rhode Island. But the latter is a working vacation, so beach in the morning work in the afternoon! 

Say hello to my gorgeous new sandals!! After 5 months of drooling they have finally joined the rest of my shoe collection. I can see these getting a LOT of wear all through the year! Such a great transitional shoe since they're sandals but also suede.  Hopefully I'll get the cost per wear nice and low! The cost per wear on these shorts is already nearing $1 per wear and I've only had them a few months. Definitely my favorite piece of the Summer, so far!

The Net-a-Porter sale ends TOMORROW, so snatch up some pieces while you can! Use SALE20 for 20% off Sale Must Haves!

Top: Equipment c/o Marshalls, Shorts: Banana Republic Factory, Sandals: Lanvin (Net-a-Porter Sale), Necklace: BubuRuby

Are you a shoes or bag girl? Most people are one or the other. While I do skew more toward shoes I love a well-made handbag. (Ex: my Chanel and Emm Kuo splurges) I'm a huge Burberry fan and have a couple pairs of shoes by the brand, what I need next is a Burberry handbag! I'm not talking about the iconic Burberry plaid, I'd go for one of the more unique bags.

Sadly the ones I like are a bit expensive, but thanks to Lyst I can keep an eye on pieces I like and find out when they go on sale.  With Lyst you can follow your favorite brands and people to be the first to see the latest looks and lyst items you love to receive sale and stock alerts. I have emails set up for certain brands and items, which is a bad idea for my wallet but great for finding out when my favorite things are back in stock or go on sale.

I'm a big fan of brighter bags because they go with everything. So as you can see there's a bright purple Burberry bag below!

Other items: Coach sunglasses, Bing Bang ring, Lana Jewelry necklace, Ancient Greek Sandals 'Clio', Chloe camera bag, Sophie Hulme bag charm

A simple outfit with a dress I don't wear nearly enough. I always think it's too dressy when I see it on the hanger but when I put it on it's so comfortable and can be dressed up or down. Making a mental note to bring this out a lot more!

 Dress: Rebecca Taylor (Roundabout Resale), Sandals: Simply Vera by Vera Wang (Kohl's), Necklace: gift from Lydia



The Original:

We had quite the heatwave last week, complete with nasty humidity! What's a girl to do when it's so hot you don't want to step outside? Put on a super soft top and even softer shorts. These Rag & Bone shorts I got at Marshalls are so comfortable it's like wearing pajamas. They're a little big so I always need a belt, but that doesn't stop me from wearing them!

Top: Cynthia Rowley (Marshalls), Shorts: rag & bone c/o Marshalls, Belt: Kenneth Cole Reaction (Marshalls), Sandals: J.Crew Factory