Wacky Watermelons

I'm honestly not sure what would be my favorite fruit . Actually, it's probably the obscure star fruit, but watermelon would be a close second. Not only are watermelons delicious to eat, they're also a lot of fun to wear as well! This spring I picked up this cute watermelon crossbody bag and even though it's quirky, it seems to go with everything I own; I get a ton of use out it! The watermelon button-down here is a more recent find, plucked straight from the clearance racks of J. Crew Factory.

I thought it might be a little much to pair one watermelon themed item with another, but since the print of the shirt is relatively small, I think it works and therefore doesn't scream, "Hey! There's a woman who is obsessed with watermelons!". If you are also obsessed with watermelons or want to wear them head to toe like I am in today's post, check out some of my watermelon picks below. Many of them are on sale, now that summer is coming to an end, so it's the perfect time to stock up!

Shirt: J. Crew Factory similar watermelon button-down here
Skirt: J. Crew scallop chambray skirt here
Shoes: J. Crew similar red flats here, here
Bag: SheIn love this leather watermelon bag here
Sunglasses: Prada "Baroque" here
Earrings: Charming Charlie "Austin" here

Summer Shift

It seems like it was only a short while ago that I was excitedly writing about the beginning of summer vacation and my overwhelming joy of having a lot of free time on my hands. Sadly, I am now lamenting the fact that I am down to my last few weeks of vacation time. It's amazing how time flies when you're having fun and not working, but I can't complain because I am lucky to have so much time off.

At the beginning of summer, I wrote a post about my aspiration to be a "lady who lunches" or a lady who has essentially a life of leisure! Well, to bookend that post from the beginning of summer, I think this little shift dress also embodies the spirit of ladies who lunch. Plus, I went out to an extraordinary lunch of potato leek soup, filet mignon and a glass of Cabernet the day I wore it, so I was really "classing it up". Sadly, in a few weeks it will be back to microwavable frozen dinners for lunch (yes, I eat them most days at school), so I might as well enjoy the nice lunches with wine while they last!

The earrings I wore for my lunch date are courtesy of Rocksbox, which is a jewelry subscription service. The earrings were part of my three piece set of jewelry that I got for the month. I actually think they were probably my favorite thing that I received in the box because I am really enjoying wearing fun, dangly earrings this summer. If you would like to get a free one month subscription to Rocksbox, use code hellokatiegirlblogxoxo so that you too can try out earrings like these or any jewelry that suits your fancy!

Last of all, I think the picture below sums up my feelings of shock regarding the end of summer! I am not really sure what I was thinking when I took this, but a woman walked by the alley where I was shooting this photo and she probably thought I was insane! Maybe I would best qualify as a crazy eccentric lady who lunches?

Dress: J. Crew similar shift style here, here, and here
Shoes: J. Crew similar silver wedges here
Bag: Louis Vuitton Epi Alma similar yellow tote here
Earrings: c/o Rocksbox (use code hellokatiegirlblogxoxo for one month free subscription)
Sunglasses: Celine

In Shape

It seems like news of the Nordstrom Anniversary Sale has permeated almost every fashion blog and Instagram account as of late. Normally, I don't shop a lot at Nordstrom, but they do seem to have some great deals going on right now. Unfortunately, I ended up finding just one thing I had to have at Nordstrom this month and, unfortunately, it wasn't on sale! I am referring to this geometric sash tie skirt and, although it might not be part of the Nordstrom Anniversary Sale, it's still a winner in my book!

I found a perfect graphic black and white wall as the backdrop for today's outfit! Originally, I had another wall just down the street in mind, but it was recently graffitied. Plus, I had already used it in a previous post, so I thought I would try this one. It really was the perfect backdrop for all the different shapes and colors going on in my ensemble, namely my circular Clare V. Alistair bag, which offsets the more angular geometric shapes in my skirt, and my new hexagonal watch. 

Here I am debuting my new Wristology watch, which I picked due to its unique hexagonal shape. Wristology lets you customize your watch by picking from a variety of fun shapes, designs, colors, and straps or bracelets to create an individualized piece that's fits your unique personality or mood. They have a lot of fun and quirky designs, such as the one I am wearing today, in addition to some more traditional styles. You can get 10% off your order at Wristology with promo code Katie10

Skirt: Norstrom Halogen sash tie skirt
Tee: Target here
Shoes: Ralph Lauren similar red espadrilles here
Bag: Clare V. petite Alistair bag
Watch: c/o Wristology
Necklace: Anthropologie similar bib style necklace here
Sunglasses: Prada "Baroque" here

Palm Trees, Succulents and Cacti...Oh My!

I happened upon this wall of succulents and cacti while going out to lunch with my husband. I can't believe the extent to which these types of plants have become a trend! I have to admit that I have latched on to this trend recently in two ways. The first is regarding certain articles of clothing featuring cacti or succulents and the second was re-landscaping our yard to make it drought tolerant. Due to the process of the latter, I've become quite familiar with various types of desert plants. I think I've actually become a "plant lady" if you can believe it! I sort of enjoy going out and watering them in the evening and checking on their progress or defending them from evil caterpillars that prey on some of the plants!

Obviously, the palm trees from today's post title comes from the ones featured on my linen palm tree skirt. I feel bad that a lot of the things I've been posting on my blog lately, like this skirt, are available in limited sizes or not at all at this point in the year. Usually I wait until things are pretty deeply discounted before I purchase them and then by time I get around to doing a post on them, they're gone! Have no fear, however, as it seems that certain items are popping back up on the J. Crew website from time to time. Also, if you're interested in this skirt, I've linked to some other palm tree skirts that might be of interest.

Skirt: J. Crew linen palm tree skirt here
Top: Zara similar print and style blouse here
Shoes: J. Crew similar silver sandals here
Bag: J. Crew similar here
Earrings: Sugarfix here
Sunglasses: Celine same style here

Lemon Twist

I'm back at it again with the lemons! Yes, more lemons! In my previous post called A Lust for Lemons, I vowed to curb my addiction to lemon print items, or at least I admitted that I had way too many things with lemons on them. After seeing countless people on Instagram with this lemon print shell, however, I just knew I had to get it! I also bought the matching cardigan, but considering the temperature is currently around 100 degrees here, it's way too hot for a cardigan, even one with summery lemons.

The reason I'm calling this post "Lemon Twist" is because I'm changing up my style a little bit with these fun wide-legged striped pants. I tried them on last month at J. Crew and I was on the fence about whether or not I could pull them off, because they are obviously different from the normal silhouettes that I wear. After trying them on and settling on the idea that maybe they weren't for me, I left them on the rack. After thinking about it longer, however, I decided to give them a try and ordered them off the website. I am definitely glad that I did because they are so comfy and make me feel like I have chic pajamas on all day! It should be noted that my husband said that I looked like a fashionable sailor or pirate in them! Perhaps I should have titled this post "Lemon Pirate" instead?

Shirt: J. Crew "Jackie" shell in lemon print here
Pants: J. Crew cuffed pant in shirting stripe here, here and here
Shoes: J. Crew similar gold sandals here
Bag: Clare V. Petite tote similar here
Tassel: Clare V. here and similar here
Necklace: J. Crew Factory here
Sunglasses: Celine

Changing It Up With Rocksbox

As I've stated before, I'm prone to getting stuck in ruts when it comes to my wardrobe. Take, for example, what I'm wearing today. How many times have I worn a check shirt with a floral skirt and a leopard belt? Too many times to count! Getting stuck in a rut isn't always a bad thing, but it is fun to change things up once in awhile, which is why I was so excited when Rocksbox contacted me to try out their jewelry membership service that allows you to try out new, trendy pieces of jewelry every month!

Rocksbox is a fantastic way to try out new jewelry before you buy or to just try some styles that you might not normally wear. Basically, the way Rocksbox works is that you fill out a profile about your jewelry preferences and choose a wish list of jewelry from their extensive collection. A personal stylist then selects three pieces for you based on these preferences. When you get your first Rocksbox in the mail, it's a little bit like Christmas morning, because you don't quite know what to expect in the box! I was pleasantly surprised by the three items pictured below that came in my first Rocksbox set.

As you can see, today I am wearing the pink Kate Spade bangle from my first Rocksbox set. I don't currently have anything like it in my jewelry collection, so it was fun to style it with some different looks. I'm also consider purchasing it, which is a great option that Rocksbox gives you with pieces that you fall in love with!

If you would like to try Rocksbox for free for one month, you can use this promo code: hellokatiegirlblogxoxo

This promo code allows you to try Rocksbox free for one month! After that, the membership is only $21 per month, which allows you to treat yourself to three pieces of jewelry at a time with free shipping both ways. If you decide to buy any of the pieces from your set, they will credit the $21 towards that purchase.

Skirt: J. Crew Factory here
Shirt: Ralph Lauren similar here
Shoes: J. Crew similar gold sandals
Bag: Rebecca Minkoff similar here, here
Belt: Target here
Sunglasses: Prada

Very Cherry

I love the sales this time of year! All of my favorite stores, from J. Crew to Zara, are offering mega deals right now in an effort to clear out summer styles in order to make way for fall. Not being one to miss out on a good sale, I've been taking advantage of these deals over the last week or so.  In my shopping for these summer deals, I've noticed a pattern with some of my purchases in so far as many of the clothing items I've purchased are fruit themed! This obviously includes the cherry print shorts that I have on today, which I picked up for around $20 at J. Crew.

In addition to cherries, I've also purchased other fruit themed items including ones with watermelons, lemons and ladybugs. Yes, I realize that ladybugs do not qualify as fruit, but they do help to keep pests off plants (possibly fruit plants?), so I am going to throw them in the fruit mix as well! Why not?

Styling these shorts was easy! Online I saw that J. Crew had paired them with a striped ruffle top. Luckily for me, I have many such tops already in my wardrobe! In the future, I could definitely see these shorts paired with either a navy or red striped T-shirt or just a polo shirt for more of a preppy look. Just like a fruit salad, the possibilities for what to mix these shorts up with are endless!

Shorts: J. Crew chino shorts with embroidered cherries here
Top: J. Crew similar ruffle top here, here
Shoes: Ralph Lauren similar red espadrilles here, here
Bag: H&M similar gold straw clutch on sale here
Necklace: J. Crew Honeymoon necklace here
Sunglasses: Celine same style here