a lovely living

Happy July, guys!! We seem to have finally hit our summer groove in our household. The days are stretched a little longer, my kids seem to be turning into little fish and our grill is getting nearly daily use. I love celebrating the 4th, but hate to see it pass as summer always seems to fly by afterwards! That’s when I need a daily reminder to make sure we do ‘all the things’ before it’s too late.

In honor of July 4th, I figured I may as well do more of a patriotic try-on. Loft makes it easy with plenty of red, white and blue to choose from. I also threw in some leopard because as you’ll see, there are some adorable options! Right now, you can get 50% off dresses and tops and 40% off just about everything else! For reference, I’m 5’7″ and typically wear a size 0 or XS in Loft and Lou & Grey clothing unless otherwise noted. Also, these are the sandals that I’m wearing throughout this post. As another option, how cute are these?!

I quickly fell for this adorable, striped maxi dress. It’s as through I’m walking around in a cozy nightgown looking cute and pulled together!

I had to try on this little number because I knew it would be adorable. It’s light and flowy with a cute tie waist. This could obviously be dressed up with heels, but would look great for work with a black blazer layered over top.

One more dress for this try-on session and it’s this cute, casual Lou & Grey striped dress. It’s made of a thicker linen and can be worn tied at the waist or left loose and undone. You could even throw on a fitted white tee underneath for a different, layered look!

I haven’t been able to track down this striped tee with beaded cherry detail online yet, but you may be able to find it in store. The shorts are Lou & Grey and are much more muted in color than this image is showing. I’m more often an XS in L&G but went with a S in these as they were running a little small.

I love the gingham on this top but the fit wasn’t quite right on me. The top was too loose for comfort which may have been in part due to the fact that it doesn’t have any type of hook/closure. The wide-leg pants however, were a fantastic fit and they come in a handful of colors.

Here’s a better look at them. I love the wide leg and cropped length. They are perfect with flat sandals but would also look cute with a little kitten heel.

Here’s another wrap top that had a better fit on me. There was a snap closure on this one at the bust that kept things in place. All I’m missing with this look are my patriotic stars!

This top was another piece that came home with me. It’ll be so versatile year-round to layer with and I love the playful print. I went with a small here which gives a great drapy, loose fit.

Here you can see it styled more for a business environment with this chic shift skirt (say that three times fast!). The skirt has a great fit and you can see more of the pocket detail here…

If you need a great beach pullover sweater, this is your guy! It’s very soft and cozy and I tried it on with these bermuda denim shorts. I sized up to a small in the sweater so it was a little roomy and the shorts were a size 2.

I loved this striped shirt. I loved having the sleeves rolled and knowing it could be worn tied, tucked or untucked for some added versatility. The shorts were another great find…

They have a very modest length to them and could potentially be worn for casual work environments through the summer. I love the added button detail on the waist.

Here’s a better look at the look and length of shorts overall. They are actually navy despite looking black in these images.

This cute tee was very soft and comfortable! I’d prefer for it to be a little shorter to work better with my predominantly high-waisted bottoms, but for those of you that aren’t into the high waist, you’d like this one.

I’ll end with this cute, casual yet festive look. I love the more muted red on this striped top as well as the cute flutter sleeves. The jeans were a good find too! I’m wearing a 2 in them and they fit really well with just a bit of stretch to them.

With summer in full swing I know many of you make your way to the water at some point over the next few months. We don’t head to the shore until August when the kids wrap up swim team and the water has reached a temperature that I can handle! I figured I’d share my inspiration board that consists of all things beach related. Some things I have (like the swimsuits I shared with you on Instagram last week and these easy pull-on shorts) and others I need (like these water proof phone cases). This year we are past the point of needing a baby tent. Alternatively I can rarely get my kids to sit still in any shade for brief periods of time when we’re at the ocean! It’s the place that everyone is content and can play for hours on end without any signs of boredom. You could say it’s our happy place :)

If you’re planning a trip, where do you head? I love hearing about everyone’s go-to’s! You can find us at our favorite little beach town, Stone Harbor, NJ come August <3

I hope you all had a great weekend! The rain finally gave us a break and we had the most gorgeous few days enjoying the sunshine. We took a family bike ride and spent quite a few hours enjoying the pool. What’s better is that our week looks promising as well!

National Stripes Day was last week and although I may have missed the day, I love that they are celebrated because, why not?! Stripes have a way of bringing interest to any piece of clothing without being too intimidating. From pin-stripes to thick bold stripes, they run the gam-mot in size and color alike. Had this skirt been a solid color, I likely would have passed on it, but the stripes gave it a fun, playful vibe that I couldn’t pass up. I’ve paired it with a chambray top as well, but this time around I wanted something comfortable and casual so I decided to tie up a light-weight tee and define the waist a bit. A cute graphic tee is another option I’ll likely pair it with as well. You know I love those mix and match pieces!

Details: Tee (similar here and here) / Skirt / Slides / Sunglasses / Earrings

It’s no secret that Everlane is becoming one of my new favorites. Their wide-leg crops are what I was first drawn to (you can see how I styled them multiple ways here), but I also found that I love their straight leg crops just as much. And dare I leave out my favorite black, high-rise denim that fit like a glove! Needless to say, when Everlane reached out to ask if I’d be interested in sharing and giving my feedback on some of their products, I was thrilled! I can’t speak highly enough of the quality and fit of those pieces I already own, and knowing they are all ethically made is basically the cherry on top.

This time around I wanted to focus on some warm weather pieces. I selected two pairs of shorts as well as one of their denim skirts. Spoiler alert, I love them all! I hope you enjoyed the video above, but I also wanted to go into a little more detail on each piece for you.

These shorts have a very similar style to the wide-leg crop pants. The cotton twill material is also the same which I’m a huge fan of because they have a great, comfortable structure to them. I sized down to a 0 in the cropped pants, but went with my true size 2 in these shorts. They make a great alternative to denim shorts but I can see myself reaching for them just as often!

I don’t know about you, but I’m a sucker for an elastic waist. These shorts have a casual vibe and a perfect length, short but not too short. I’ll likely be wearing them casually more often than not, but I could also see them paired with a button-up chambray and a cute pair of wedge sandals for a date night. These shorts also run true to size, I’m wearing a size 2.

I cannot tell you how happy I was to find this denim skirt. I have this one from J.Crew which has a longer length and I love, but I had been on the hunt for one that was more of a mini skirt without being too mini. I couldn’t be happier with the fit of this one. I’m wearing my typical size 26 and it fits just the way I’d like it to. I likely could have sized down and had it fit my waist a little closer, but the length would almost certainly have gone too short for my comfort. I’m 5’7″ for reference and this falls just about mid-thigh on me. I also love the ‘faded indigo wash’ as well as the slight distressing. It’s a big winner overall in my book!

Thank you to Everlane for gifting these awesome summer pieces! I’m thrilled with them all and you’ll surely be seeing much more of them over the coming weeks!

Shop the Looks:

There are some color combos that I just adore together, pink and green ranks towards the top of them. Pink and navy is right up there too, they’re just so good together! If you’re looking for a sleek pair of cargo pants, these are it. They have a great fit with a bit of stretch and don’t give me the ‘rear gap’ as I often encounter which is in part thanks to the higher rise. They also come in a few other colors, but the green was the most appealing to me and I appreciate how well they’ll work when we head into fall. This blazer was one that I took into the fitting room with me during my latest Loft try-on and I instantly fell in love. Of course the pink lured me in, but the relaxed, drapy fit with its longer length is what hooked me. It would obviously make a great layering piece if you work in an office, but I’m also drawn to the casual vibe of throwing it on over a cami or t-shirt and a pair of jeans. Either way, it’s a great addition to any closet!

Enjoy the start to your week. We are heading off to a chilly, rainy first day of swim team practice. Wish us luck!

Details: Blazer / Camisole (similar) / Pants / Heels / Sunglasses / Earrings

With the kids home and summer in full effect, you’ll typically find me in denim shorts and a t-shirt if I’ve had the chance to make it out of my morning workout gear. I can see a post in my future sharing some of those every day go-to’s if you’re interested, but for today, I wanted to share simple pieces that allow you to look a bit more polished. I’ve been adding more casual dresses and skirts to my wardrobe than I’ve typically been drawn to in the past. I’m not sure if the selection has better caught my attention or if I’m just realizing that I can still dress casually while at the same time feeling a little more pulled together. Below is my curated collection of casual skirts and dresses that I envision wearing for everyday with the kids, picnics, amusement parks, church and and other relaxed outings you may have planned this summer. These are the types of skirts you can throw on a white t-shirt with or dresses that you can toss a denim jacket over. A handful of these pieces are already in my wardrobe, so maybe I’ll consider putting together a few outfits later on to give you some #IRL examples. If these ideas are something you’d like to see, let me know! :)

Date night is something that Jack and I do our best to prioritize in the midst of our busy lives with three young children. It can be a challenge, but it’s so necessary for us to recharge and have uninterrupted conversation! Once in a while we double date with friends which is all the more fun and just as refreshing.

I wore this look out last week and even though the temperature has warmed up, it’s guaranteed to be chilly in the air conditioned restaurants. This light weight sweater is my first piece of clothing from Stella & Dot (whose jewelry and accessories I love) which I discovered thanks to my girlfriend. I love the slight off-the-shoulder look as well as the asymmetrical hemline. I’ll likely be pairing it with these white cut-off shorts (which have a great fit and run true to size) later on this summer.

Details: Sweater / Denim (updated style) / Sunglasses (similar here and here) / Sandals / Earrings