I Hate Doing These Posts...

...mostly because I hate admitting that I've been a horrid, inconsistent blogger. I'm so sorry, y'all. On that note, it's roundup time!

I promised I would recap Country Thunder for you, and I have to say, it was a super fun weekend. Two of my friends and I drove up each day which was not as bad as it sounds, plus I got to use my own shower each night. Huge plus.

{First day with one of my Poms teammates!}

{Riding the bull on Day One!!}

{Day Two with another teammate!}

{Day Three}

The performers were awesome. Keith Urban rocked it out on the first night, and Brad Paisley was a huge hit. But my favorite was definitely Jake Owen on Sunday night to wrap it up. 

Next highlight of the last few weeks was the Poms Barbecue. It was weird with it being the first of many "lasts" this year, but I had so much fun with my friends regardless!

 {SENIORS!}

 {My best friend and fellow captain}

 {Most of Varsity}

{The Five Best Friends}

{With 4 of our 5 wonderful new baby sophs}

This last weekend, Mama, Little Sis, and I took an impromptu trip up to Saugatuck, Michigan, complete with horseback riding, ice cream from Kilwin's, and stand-up paddleboarding! By the way, I'm obsessed with paddleboarding–so much fun and a killer workout.

{On the pier}

{Horseback riding!}

On the college front, my applications to both Alabama (ROLLLL TIDE) and LSU have been completed, and my Common App is just about done, so three cheers for being ahead of the game!

Last big announcement, the new and improved Smart Girls Group relaunches September 1st! Mark your calendars, ladies, because we have an awesome new issue of the Guide coming out as well as a new and improved Loop! Everything is going to be bigger and better and we are so happy to see our sisterhood grow.

XO

C. Orrico

Last week, I found myself in quite the jam. I'd been lusting after the Lilly Sarasota Tunic, but they were all out of my size in the print I wanted (life is hard, I know). Normally I would have just given up, saying it wasn't meant to be, but I was ordering for the Beyoncé concert on Wednesday (YES BEYONCÉ). And being the resourceful girl I am, I immediately began googling for my blouse.

The first link that came up was for C. Orrico. The name sounded vaguely familiar from other blogs, so I clicked the link. Sure enough, there was my top! After a little fact checking to make sure the site was legit, I placed my order.

C. Orrico, much like The Pink Pelican and In The Pink, is a Lilly Pulitzer Signature Store–a retailer licensed to sell Lilly items. They usually have their own sales, whereas the Lilly website itself rarely hosts sales (except for Endless Summer and New Year Cheer!). Like in my case, they can swoop in to save the day when something is sold out on the main Lilly website. It's great to have these stores in your back pocket, you never know when you may need them!

{How cute is the packaging? I'm a sucker for pink and green!}

I shipped my order with standard UPS Ground and was thrilled when it showed up on my doorstep yesterday! The tunic fits perfectly, and I could not be more happy with it. I ordered the small and am definitely glad I didn't go up anymore–I would have been swimming in it! I plan on wearing it Wednesday with white chino shorts and nude wedges....I just wish my gold monogram necklace was here!

Have you ever shopped with a Lilly Pulitzer Signature Store? What has your experience been like?

XO

Last Week

Yes, last week rocked.

I turned 17.

{My best friends surprised me with a dinner reservation to my one of my favorite places downtown: Bull and Bear!}

I got a car.

{Muffy and Me. Isn't she gorge?!}

I celebrated my favorite holiday ever.

 {Who doesn't love the Fourth?}

Now let me just say, I got countless compliments on the tank I wore on the 4th. It's from The Fraternity Collection (formerly known as The Frat Collection), but I picked it up from a local store called Country Classics. I got a medium because I wanted it to be a little oversized, and that worked perfectly. I think I would have been swimming in a large! The quality is also top notch–good fabric for the pocket, supersoft cotton on the tank–I definitely recommend the brand, plus all of their shirts are fully customizable on the website!

And on top of all this goodness, I also found not one, but TWO part-time nannying jobs that I can balance with each other and still have time to dance. How great is that?

XO

What To Wear: Fourth of July

My favorite holiday is close upon us! I'm in love with the Fourth of July because it combines my favorite things: summer, parties, and patriotism. It's the time to celebrate all that is great about America. I'm always sporting something festive with red, white, and blue. Of course, I already have my outfits picked, but if you're still looking for inspiration, search no further.

Tank | Shorts | Hat | Sandals

Polo | Skirt | Sandals | Sunglasses

Dress | Necklace | Bracelet | Sandals

Bikini Top | Bikini Bottom | Flip Flops | Sunglasses | Hat | Shirt

What are you wearing this 4th of July? Do you have any fun plans? Let me know!

XO

Weekend Recap

This weekend was a good one. Really, really, off-the-charts, wonderful good.

Friday night was Little Sis's birthday party. A bunch of her friends came over to celebrate with a barbecue and a bonfire. Even though they're so much younger than me, I have to admit that my friends and I did have a great time mingling with the kids and the grown-ups!

My best friend and I with my neighbor's sweet baby boy! {shirt: J.Crew | skirt: Lilly Pulizer (old)}

Not to mention the incredible cakes from Three Tarts.

Make a wish!

Saturday was a lot of grad party hopping, followed by having my closest friends over to watch the Blackhawks game and a bonfire after. The Hawks pulled off an awesome win to make it a great night.

Some of the gals! {shirt | shorts: both J.Crew}

Finally today after an impromptu breakfast with friends, my boyfriend and I went to catch the last day of the PGA Encompass Championship being played at North Shore Country Club. 

{polo: vineyard vines | skort: Lilly Pulitzer (old) | sandals: Jack Rogers

watch: Michael Kors (old) | bracelet: J.Crew (old)}

We saw some great golf, and even bumped into Fred Couples as he was walking back into the clubhouse!

{via}

It was so hot out on the course that we headed over to my boyfriend's club after to lounge at the pool.

Except for a thunderstorm rolling in in the late afternoon, I couldn't have asked for a more perfect weekend.

On Tuesday, I go to UDA Elite Camp at Illinois State University for four days! I won't be posting while I'm there, but hopefully I'll find time tomorrow to queue some posts!

How was your weekend? Let me know!

XO

Friday Five

1. I'm officially a senior!!! It's crazy insane, but it feels so good!

2. We had perfect weather today, so of course I took at advantage of it and laid out for a solid three hours. Can you say addicted to sun?

3. How perfect is this watch from Kate Spade? I think I just need it.

4. J.Crew is having a fantastic sale–25% off everything! Use the code SUMMER. How I wish I hadn't just gone shopping!

5. And speaking of J.Crew, how fun are these shorts? This print is all over their latest collection and just screams summer.

XO

Summer Essentials

Post Memorial Day Weekend, it's officially summer! At the beginning of each summer, I reevaluate what my list of essentials will contain. It stays pretty much the same from year to year; regardless of the actual styles I choose, the core is always the same. I'm still working on rounding out my collection, but for the most part it's complete! Without further ado, here's what I'll be living in for the next three months.

1. Bright Bikini I spend the majority of my time in the summer at the beach or the pool, so my swimsuit collection is full of fun, bright suits. While I usually stick to my usual bandeau or triangle top styles, I'm really loving this asymmetrical take from Becca. {top + bottom}

2. Reusable Tumbler I constantly have a big cup with me for any drink from water to iced tea to Diet Coke...even iced coffee! (Did you know Starbucks gives a discount for orders filled in a reusable cup?) Not only are you keeping hydrated during the hottest months of the year, but you're also being eco-friendly! {tumbler}

3. Sleeveless Tops Who needs sleeves during the summer? Tops like this one are a polished departure from your worn out tees and tanks, and they transition seamlessly from poolside to the dinner table. {top}

4. Chino Shorts You need shorts. These are perfect. And all the bright colors just make them so much better. {shorts}

5. Shift Dress It's a safe bet that when I'm not in a bikini I'm in a sundress. Shift dresses are my favorite because they are so flattering and so versatile! Of course, I'm a Lilly girl through and through–after all, she basically invented the shift dress as we know it. {shift}

6. Tote Since I'm always on the run in the summer, I try to keep everything I might need throughout the day with me at all times. Naturally, not everything will fit in a little crossbody bag. But it does fit in a tote, and you can bet that more often than not, it'll be riding shotgun in my car for easy access. {tote}

7. Sunglasses It's a known fact amongst my friends and family that I cannot drive without sunglasses. I also am not the biggest fan of my eyes, so I definitely think I photograph better with sunglasses on. I'm a Wayfarer girl, but lately the Clubmasters have been calling my name. Is it time for a switch-up? {sunglasses}

8. Croakies And with sunglasses you must have sunglass straps. It's a match made in heaven. {croakies}

9. Sandals Much like with the shorts, I don't really feel a need to explain the benefits of sandals. It's summer. AKA sandal season. Don't get me wrong, I love a good wedge just as much as the next girl for a night out, but I swear by my Jack Rogers Navajos three times out of four. {sandals}

10. Maxi Dress Last, but certainly not least, maxi dresses are super underrated in my opinion. I feel like they're so much less worn than short dresses, even though it really only makes sense to wear maxis in the spring and summer. A good black maxi dress will serve as a perfect backdrop for all your different statement jewelry, and the printed ones are strong enough to stand on their own. {maxi}

What are your summer essentials?

XO

Oh Dear...

Hello, friends. I just logged into Blogger for the first time in ages and sincerely hope that you haven't missed me too much. I'm ready to make a return to blogging consistently, something that I've really missed. I've got a ton of post ideas that I'll be queueing up this weekend for the next couple weeks! For now, let's just do some quick life updates.

Prom was a ton of fun, for the second year in a row! Because I'm on student council, I've gotten the opportunity to attend prom for the past two years for free. And because we don't actually go to prom, all the girls just wear cocktail dresses.

{Me with two of my best friends, Poms teammates, and fellow board members!} 

{Friends!} 

{Some of the Poms seniors with my best friend and I}

The weather is finally getting consistently nice and warm...it's about time! Summer is my favorite season–for clothing and in general–but I've been putting off buying all my clothes, so a shopping spree is definitely in order!

At the top of my must list:

This top from J.Crew and this tunic from Lilly!

And while we're shopping, it's also time for a new watch and a bag for summer, so if y'all have any suggestions, they'd be much appreciated! Especially for the watch...I've been wearing a huge, white resin Michael Kors for a year or so now, and it's time for a change! I definitely want something with an actual strap, preferably a light, neutral leather.

I'm currently in the middle of hell week, as we call it at my school. The week before finals is always packed with projects, papers, and presentations. I'm finishing up my final English paper tonight, and I am beyond excited to be done!

XO

California Recap

Better late then never, yes? At the beginning of August, my family and I took a vacation to Southern California to visit Mama's family that lives out there. We had a fantastic time together! My ten day stay was packed with shopping the local boutiques, fun family dinners, running on the beach, catching up with old friends, and even a surprise trip up north for Little Sis and me to visit our aunt, uncle, and cousins!

from my Instagram

My closest friend from California! She's the best!!

Redondo Beach, CA

Redondo Beach, CA

Little Sis, my little cousin J, and me at their house

I had a fantastic trip!! It was a really nice end to my summer!

XO

OOTD: Stripes on Stripes

Shirt: J.Crew | Skirt: Lilly Pulitzer (old - similar) | Shoes: Jack Rogers | Bag: Longchamp | Watch: Michael Kors (old - similar) | Cross Bracelet: Ribbons Boutique (similar) | Sugar Cubes Bracelet: Bon (similar) | Pearls: Old

Nail Polish: Fingers: Essie Need A Vacation | Toes: OPI Cajun Shrimp