Dress + Cardigan = Foolproof

Aside from the accounting practice set that I've been assigned to do before school starts, the only equation I'm working with this summer is the above.  Flouncy sundresses take up a pretty big chunk of my summer wardrobe, and with good reason- they're cute, they're not clingy in sticky Midwest humidity, and they're so incredibly easy.  I don't know about you, but it can be stressful to try to pair a top with some pants or a skirt, especially if you're running late.  They're also incredibly versatile- wear a dress with a blazer or cardigan for work or on its own for bebopping (my new favorite verb) around town.

But I'm probably preaching to the choir- if you're reading this, there's a good chance you love dresses as much as I do, so I'll stop gushing now and instead post my outfit for this beautiful day!

Dress: Jason Wu for Target; cardigan: LOFT; flats: Payless; watch: Macy's; belt: JCP; crappy phone quality courtesy of the iPhone 4 (I need to upgrade...)

And a quick shout-out to my awesome shoes: I ordered these after returning my Tory Burch flats that mutilated my heels, and lemmetellyou they are TEN TIMES BETTER! And way waaay more affordable. Katie has some too; she was the one who introduced me to them. The soles are made with two layers of Memoryfoam so it's kind of like prancing around on cumulus clouds all day. You can buy them here!

In other news, right now I'm on my lunch break, sipping iced coffee outside of Panera and eating my packed lunch (just call me Ms. Frugal). Just in case you wanted to know:)

Hope everyone has a wonderful day! 

xo

Courtney

Well Hello There, Talbots.

Talbots was always a store I associated with, well, grandmas.  As a grumpy preteen tagging along with my mom on shopping trips, I'd be forced to spend precious Hollister/American Eagle time among the utterly boring cardigans and bermuda shorts.

Fast-forward to present day, and it's now one of my favorite stores in the mall. (Actually, that's not saying much considering the Columbia Mall is a bit pathetic.)  Maybe it's the fact that I'm now in a workplace environment that necessitates the "boring" stuff, or maybe it's because I'm now old enough to appreciate the quality and timelessness of a lot of their clothes.

I left there yesterday with a classic navy pima cotton cardigan, but I can't tell you how tempted I was by some of the other items. I tried on this dress and fell in love:

The dress behind me was also super cute- it definitely had a Lilly Pulitzer vibe going.


Other items of note:

Adorable patent bow belt in lots of fun colors

Nautical knot necklace

Starfish sandals

They're having a 30% off everything sale in stores and online, so hurry if you see anything you like!

xo

Courtney

(This is not a sponsored post, even though it may seem like it} ;)

Summer Smoothies in Style

Columbia has officially succumbed to the healthy smoothie trend, and I am just fine with that. There's a place that opened recently called Suite Leaf that offers meal-replacement smoothies that 1) incorporate HerbaLife products, 2) have a bunch of protein and are thus quite filling, 3) are all less than 230 calories, and 4) come in a lot of delicious flavors. You think it, they probably have it-- butter pecan, blueberry muffin, Snickers, cinnamon roll, etc.

Katie and I went when it first opened, but today on this sweltering day I brought my friend Megan along for a refreshing "lunch". We even got some outfit photos without melting!

On Courtney- dress: Express; shoes: American Eagle; purse: Nine West; bangle: Forever XXI; sunglasses: Loft

On Megan (she's got that blogger pose down pat!)- dress: Maurices; heels: Marshall's; bracelets: Loft and American Eagle; sunglasses: Fossil; purse: Coach

A little note about Megan: we met in our high school astronomy class and became fast friends. I count her as one of my closest girls, and if you heard our conversations you would probably think we were crazy/from a different planet. We can laugh 'til our abs ache but then we also have some deep, thought-provoking talks. Love ya girl!:) 

My dress collar kept flipping up in the breeze!

So I just went with it.

Meg didn't know what pose to do next.

I think she was singing "Mirrors" despite looking as though she's doing the Soulja Boy.

The freckles are starting to come out of hiding!

Megan got the German Chocolate and I opted for Turtle Cheesecake. Both were delicious! If you're in the area, give it a try! Smoothies are $5, which, considering they're a meal, isn't that steep. You get a complimentary "aloe shot" to drink beforehand which helps with digestion, and if you're willing to pay an extra $2 you get a metabolism-boosting iced tea. 

Say selfie!

xoxo
Courtney