Steeper or Cheaper: Emerald Peasant Tops

Old Navy embroidered jersey peasant top, $12.00
Ruche Psalm of Life embellished peasant blouse, $36.99

Which of these peasant tops is your favorite?

Peace out, Summer! Jewel Tones

Today I wanted to share another take on transitional summer-to-fall colors.  The jewel tones that are popular right now are amped-up versions of Pantone's Vivacious, Acai, and Emerald.  These colors are bright and cheerful enough for September, but their rich tones are a reminder that fall is on the way.  Wear them now, throw on a drapey cardigan or structured moto jacket when the weather gets cooler.

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1. Old Navy cross-front maxi dress  2. Mossimo embellished tank from Target 3. Old Navy belt
 4. Ruche peasant blouse  4. Vera Bradley tablet cover  5. Dorothy Perkins straight leg jeans
 6. Dior nail polish (from the "Samba" duo) at Macy's  7. Julep nail polish (similar colors)
8. Marais sandals from ShopBop 9. Aldo handbag in Cognac

clicks of note: what are you listening to?

get your week off to a colorful start...

LISTEN.

• Chris Stapleton has one of the most soulful voices I've heard in a long time - I hope that he finds a lot of success!  I head "What Are You Listening To?" on my favorite country station this weekend and fell in love instantly.  I'm linking up with Musical Mondays at My So-Called Chaos today.

SWOON.

Ashley Slate Photography via Wedding Chicks

• Wedding Chicks features the most gorgeous summer bouquets.
• Such a cute, bright engagement shoot from Dabble Me This.
• State flower cookies are the cutest favor idea (Once Wed).
• Style Me Pretty features a lovely San Francisco area wedding.

SMILE.

• Wood slabs for the tabletop - the perfect fall party touch (Apartment Therapy).
• After the party, use those wood slabs to make stamped art (Jones Design Company).
• Or make a rustic chalkboard (Lindsay Letters).
• I'd be happy all the time with a reclaimed wood whale on my mantel (Finding Home).

FLASHBACK.

• Last year I shared my end-of-summer Instagrams, orange and blue and apple orchard wedding inspiration, kelly green wardrobe ideas, and roundups of geometric home decor pieces and fashion accessories.  
• Two years ago, I broke down the cost of our DIY wedding flowers, showed off photos from our rehearsal, and shared my favorite peach pie recipe.

sunday simplicity: kindness and love

Juneberry Lane

That best portion of a good man’s life

His little, nameless, unremembered acts of kindness and of love.

- William Wordsworth, “Lines Written a Few Miles Above Tintern Abbey”

Kinfolk Magazine

style: A Southern Prep Game Day

If you've been hanging out here for a while you know I'm a proud graduate of the University of Virginia - for a poor girl from a small rural town, getting to attend one of the oldest and most respected colleges in the U.S. was a dream come true.  One of my favorite times of year on Grounds was always football season!  Even though I'm not a huge sports fan, I loved the atmosphere of school spirit and celebration.

It's been over a decade since UVa faced BYU and the Wahoos will be opening our season this year by hosting our non-conference opponents from the midwest.  The game day wardrobe motto when I started college was "guys in ties, girls in pearls," and UVa students were known for the game day "fashion show."  It was a little overwhelming at first for me - at my high school, the height of "preppy" fashion was Abercrombie + Fitch - I'd never even heard of Lily Pulitzer, J. Crew, or Vera Bradley, the brands I was quickly surrounded by and eventually swooning over in college.

Eventually I realized that having a certain brand on my clothes wasn't anywhere near as important as feeling good - and feeling like myself- in what I was wearing.  I decided not to worry about fitting in with the country club set and to just have fun.  Still, I love the way dressing up for football games is a way to embrace a Southern tradition and I think that the first game of the season is the perfect time for girls to break out their cutest sundresses and sandals.  I was inspired (by nostalgia for my undergrad days) to create two very traditional, preppy UVa game day outfits.

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Disclaimer:  ModCloth items contain affiliate links.

1. Scotch Naturals nail polish in "Flying Scotsman"  2. ModCloth orange swing earrings
3. Lily  Pulitzer Kennett dress  4. Vera Bradley pocket ID clutch  5. Jack Rogers sandals from FarFetch
6. BeBop juniors dress from Macy's 7. Fossil glass dot earrings
8. Pomander Place bracelet from Tuckernuck  9. Lalu Penny clutch from Pret a Beaute
10. Victoria's Secret sandals (similar from Sam Edelman)

What are your favorite Game Day traditions?

Steeper or Cheaper: Swiss Dot Chiffon Blouses

J. Crew Chiffon Dot Top (out of stock)

J. Crew Factory Dotted Keyhole Top in navy, Dublin green (shown) and ivory

Old Navy Swiss Dot Chiffon Top in wine, navy, white, coral, and lagoon (shown)

One of my favorite purchases so far this season has been a Swiss dot chiffon blouse.  It's a little bohemian, but still very ladylike, and super versatile.  I snagged mine at Old Navy, and felt very proud of myself when I saw a very similar shirt for a hundred dollars more on the J. Crew website.  The J. Crew blouse is now out of stock online but may still be available in stores; as far as I can tell what the J. Crew and J. Crew factory versions have going for them that the Old Navy version doesn't are a thicker fabric (ON's blouse is super sheer and must be worn with a cami) and nicer cuffs - the Old Navy ones are elastic; both J. Crew version feature a hemmed cuff and button.  Old Navy offers the style in a wider range of colors.  For a teacher's salary and wardrobe, the Old Navy version hits the spot!

fall color: linden and deep lichen green

I'm sure you've already noticed the prevalence of mossy greens in fashion this season.  I am loving these go-with-everything shades, which fall along a spectrum from peridot to dark olive and can be dressed up or down to suit any style.  The Charlotte Russe scarf below and an olive sweater just got added to my wish list for fall.

See this board on Polyvore

Boho look: Charlotte Russe tribal print scarf, Old Navy swiss dot chiffon blouse, Fossil watch, Rescue Beauty Lounge "Liberty" nail polish, Target bangle bracelets

Preppy look: Tom's Bellevue sunglasses, Kohl's sterling silver peridot bracelet, Uniqlo mohair sweater, Old Navy chambray shirt, Chanel "Alchimie" nail polish from Nordstrom, Tom's olive classic flats

Edgy look: Forever21 open-knuckle ring, Chanel "Mysterious" nail polish from Nordstrom, Old Navy boyfriend khakis

Classic look: Ruche bow blouse, George pencil skirt from Wal-Mart, Rescue Beauty Lounge "Orbis Non Sufficit" nail polish, leopard print kitten-heel pumps (same style, similar print)

clicks of note.

get your week off to a colorful start...

LISTEN.

• IT HAPPENED.

SWOON.

Sonya Khegay via Wedding Chicks

• Gloriously colorful bohemian bridal inspiration from Wedding Chicks.
• The perfect rehearsal dinner outfit from Betsy Transatlantically.
• New York Magazine offers a closer look at the fashion inspiration and choices in The Great Gatsby.
• I want to stay  in this warm, inviting guest room from Red Fly Creations.

SMILE.

• Ashleigh's sweet reflection on her son, a ballet dancer (can we all agree to be this kind of mom?)
• Casual entertaining picks in a fresh green color scheme from Celebrations at Home.
• I hope our next house has a mudroom (round-up from The Inspired Room).

FLASHBACK.

• Last year I shared neutral wardrobe inspiration and home decor ideas and daydreamed about a mod-influenced citrus wedding.  Two years ago I shared inspiration for a destination wedding in tropical shades and a pump-it-up playlist.