Happy 4th of July

Today we celebrate the birth of our great nation. Over the years, the meaning seems to have diminished, but coming from a state that is steeped in rich history (Virginia), I always pause for a moment and remember what the true meaning of what independence really is and how we got to where we are today. Whatever the day means to you, I hope you all have a wonderful day!!!

Since yesterday was supposed (keyword here is "supposed") to be light day at the office, I went casual in honor of the holiday. I am off the rest of this week (hell yeah!!) so it was technically my Friday. 

Top - Anthropologie (purchased on Ebay)

Jeans - Gloria Vanderbilt (thrifted)

Shoes - Mossimo at Target

Purse - Avon

Necklace - Mark by Avon

Bracelet - Charlotte Russe

Sunglasses - Kate Spade

Brunch to Dinner

Shorts have never been a staple in my wardrobe during my adult years. It is so difficult to find them to fit me properly and it seems that most styles in today's fashion industry are geared towards younger women meaning shorter than I prefer. Inspired by some of my favorite blogs, I decided to try some on recently and was pleasantly surprised to find two pair fit me perfectly. After buying them, I wanted to experiment to see how to style a pair from brunch to dinner. This was the result.

 

 

 

This was perfect for brunch on a Sunday morning. Now...to carry this same outfit over to a casual dinner, I changed out the flat sandals and added a heel. The heels gave the outfit a little dressy feel (in my opinion) and I didn't have to change into another outfit - I detest wearing two outfits during one day. 

 

Shorts - Joe Fresh for JCPenney (on clearance)

Top - Anthropologie

Necklace and Earrings - New York & Company

Bracelet - Avon

Purse - London Fog

Sandals (both pairs) - Christian Siriano for Payless Shoes

Bachelorette Party

One of my teammates here in Arizona is getting married in October, but she is moving back to California in a few weeks. Affectionately known as Slam Helliot on the track, she has become one of my closest friends and I will miss her tremendously. We have spent many nights in my pool gabbing around the "table of truth", hanging out in the hot tub until the wee hours of the morning, dancing our feet off on the Wii and skating our hearts out on the track in bouts. I was truly honored when she asked me to be a bridesmaid in her wedding and I look forward to standing up for her on her special day, but I am sad that she will be leaving Arizona. Cheers to you my friend!!!

This weekend was Slam's bachelorette party - something I have not experienced in recent history. The bridal party and most of our team crash landed in Scottsdale for a day and night of debauchery. We had a suite at the W Hotel which was filled with an excessive amount of alcohol and food for everyone to enjoy. We spent the fourth hottest day on record (it was 119) in the pool at the hotel. Then, we all donned our finest black dresses and colorful shoes (the bride's request) and dined at a local restaurant. Our plans were to hit up a club for some dancing, but the club was not jumping so we headed over to a local strip club (again, the bride's request) for some fun. It was quite the evening and I got home around 3am this morning - exhausted, but happy that we could make one of her last days here special.

Here's a few pics that I had a friend take of my outfit and a group shot of everyone just before dinner. I went with a jersey flare bandage dress, my favorite poppy colored heels, gold jewelry and a royal blue clutch - in honor of the Scrappers (my derby team). It was a fun night with a bunch of crazy women who mean the world to me.