Chambray Fun

 

Happy Friday, friends! I'm getting back on my game and am pleased to be participating in {AV's} Friday's Fancies again this week. Nothing says warm-weather denim like chambray. Although the weather here is already hitting 90 degrees, I'm totally diggin' the layered look of chambray underneath a dress or blouse.

via

If you have only one chambray item in your closet it needs to be a shirt. Layer it or wear it by itself, it will become a staple if it hasn't already. Here are a few of my favorite chambray shirt picks.

Picnic Primped + Chicken Salad

When I saw a Southern Living article earlier this spring featuring Mad Men's costume designer, Janie Bryant, I knew that a picnic theme would be perfect for a Friday's Fancies outfit! I emailed Alison and she thought it was a wonderful idea. I instantly fell in love with the blue Yumi Kim romper and immediately had to track it down online. Janie's picks for a picnic got my mind reeling in the direction of planning a spring picnic. {Click here see the article on southernliving.com}

To me, the perfect picnic includes a red and white checkered tablecloth and a wicker picnic basket full of goodies such as wine, cheese and chicken salad on croissants. What better way to stay cool than in a floral romper and big floppy hat?! You're shoes are probably going to get kicked off anyway, so wear some comfy flats.

Thursdays are date nights at our house. Sometimes Bryan plans the night, sometimes I plan the night, sometimes we just grab pizza and a movie. This week I decided to take the reigns and plan a little picnic.

Plates, wine glasses, napkins, a plastic tablecloth and bug spray were among the must-haves for our evening outside. My mom gave us the cutest picnic basket when Bryan and I got married, but unfortunately we have no extra space in our house so I had to improvise without it.

{Please excuse the ugly wrinkles in the tablecloth}

Bryan had requested chicken salad on croissants, so that's what I made as our main dish. I picked up a broccoli salad, cheese, honey and dessert at two local shops.

Thanks to a friend we found the perfect place for our picnic at a lake a little bit outside of town. Do you like to go on picnics? What are your go-to items to take?

{Super Simple} Chicken Salad

2 cups rotisserie chicken, chopped

1 1/2 cups grapes, halved

4 green onions, sliced

1 stalk celery, chopped

1/4 cup light mayo

1/3 cup walnuts, chopped

Mix well and serve on croissants.

*Green or red grapes work well in this recipe.

*I always start out with 1/4 cup of mayo, but add more if needed.

...........

Don't forget that today is the last day to enter my Kate Spade giveaway!

Pastels + Giveaway

TGIF, right? Yesterday I cleaned the house and ran to a couple of shops in town. I'm giddy with delight that I am one person shy of 400 followers! I cannot tell you how much it overwhelms me that so many people actually like reading what I have to say each day. I truly take to heart each of your comments and want you to know how much each and every one of you mean to me. My smell-good supply was running a little low, so I picked up a little something sweet.

And a set for you, too! It includes one Kate Spade Twirl body wash and one Kate Spade Twirl shower gel. I figured each of us can never have too many girly products.

The giveaway will close next Friday, April 29th at 11:59 pm. Leave one comment for all of your entries.

1. For one entry: You must be a follower though GCF. 

2. For two extra entries: Tell me what you enjoy most about reading Sweet Tea and Stilettos.

3. For three extra entries blog about this giveaway. (Sorry I don't have a fancy button to grab--it's on the list of improvements.)

...........

One of my favorite things about spring are all of the lovely colors that blossom into being. Babies are born, grass grows and life is renewed again. The beauties of our world morph into all forms, but I love the feeling I get when I see the baby blue sky or a vase full of light flowers in very subtle hues. Pastels outshine brights in my book any day. This week's Friday's Fancies is all about the pastels. It strikes me as funny that brights and neons are in style, yet so are pale pastels. Thanks to sweet AV for hosting this fun link-up each week! 

via

Surprise, surprise, but Tibi has produced some of my favorite pastel pieces this spring. The Man Repeller totally rocks this look, don't you think? {If only I had her closet.}

via

I'm dreaming of sitting at a cozy table overlooking the ocean, with lights twinkling along the pier and soft music playing in the background. The waves rock back and forth against the sand as I sip on a glass of crisp white wine. Simplicity is key, but just because an outfit is simple doesn't mean that it can't look effortlessly chic. Shall we dance?

Flower Power

I've gotta admit, I'm hooked on florals right now. All of the fresh spring blossoms put me in the mood to wear something light, airy and covered in flowers. Back when it was still chilly, I spied a blue flowerdy Yumi Kim romper. It sucked me in and now I want my closet full of floral designs. Floral jeans and shorts? Put me on the list. Fresh flowers on the kitchen table add cheer to the room, so why not add a little cheer in your outfit? Here are a few of my favorites.

p.s. Flutter on over to see all of the other outfits that are blooming at Long Distance Loving today. 

Friday's Fancies: Let's Fly Away

I am thrilled to be participating in my third week of Friday's Fancies with Alison over at Long Distance Loving. Don't you just love what she created for me? Of course it's pink and green! This week it's all about travel. I don't know about you, but in the dead of winter I am ready to go somewhere for a break. The past couple of weeks my sister and I have had multiple conversations about jetting off somewhere--preferably somewhere sunny with a drink in our hands. On the other hand, if I had one place to pick to go right now it would be Italy. If I only travel one more place before I die, this would be the place. Bryan has promised me that before we have kids we will tour Tuscany and sip wine. I want to explore every town and place that Italy has to offer. Not very realistic, but I do want to take off for two to three weeks and really travel around the country.

Tuscany

In reality, I would probably add a maxi dress as an alternative to this outfit. But I thought what better to wear than colorful shorts and a scarf to walk the streets and enjoy the views.

I am already off, dreaming of another world now. What better way to start a Friday morning, right? Have a great day, fellow travelers!

Friday's Fancies: Spring Fever

Woohoo for Friday!! Today I am linking up with Alison from Long Distance Loving for her Friday's Fancies series. There are so many wonderful links being posted, be sure to go over and check them out! This week's theme is "Spring Fever". I don't know about you, but this mild winter we've been having has got me dreaming of spring extra early this year.

Coral is by far one of my favorite colors right now. I see it everywhere, I like it everywhere. When I found this picture on Pinterest, I knew that the search for this dress had begun. I've tracked it down to Mango's spring collection, but is is not available on their site yet.

Thus, I have come up with my own day-to-night creation that is very similar. I am always such a sucker for stripes, so it is no surprise that I am already dreaming of wearing brightly colored stripes this spring.

This is a very simple dress that can easily be dressed up or down. I can see it easily being worn during the day, then sprucing it up at night with a belt and heels. It would also be a versatile piece to take on your spring break trip. There are tons of striped dresses out there right now, but of course I like the pink best. Have a fantastic weekend!

..........

Don't forget that Sunday is the day that Jason Wu's collection debuts at Target!