Fourth of July Fashion - For Actual People!

Friends, the most patriotic week of the summer is upon us. This is the week we wear our red, our white and our blue to celebrate Independence Day.

I'm not going to beat my 4th of July fashion sense into y'all again...because then I'd sound like a grumpy old lady. However, I WILL show you some awesome real-life blogger examples of a fashionable salute to Independence Day. These ladies (below) know how to fROCK it. :)

Tara from Mix & Match Fashion

Penny Pincher Fashion

Lindsey at Follow the Ruels

Merrick at Merrick's Art

Jessica at Bows and Sequins

Fash Boulevard


Grace at A Southern Drawl


Audrey at Putting Me Together


Have a Happy Independence Day!

Independence Day Weekend Recap

Well my looong 4th of July weekend consisted of the usual fare: food, family, friends, fun and fireworks. The first pic is of my sis and I with our patriotic "gear" on.

After spending the day with my fam, I went over to M's family for dinner. Oh, and they are big on fireworks. My fam was never big on them growing up...partly because they are slightly scary and partly because we live a mile from a major theme park and have always been able to see those fireworks from our house. Oh, and also partly because most fireworks are illegal in my state.

It's a good thing M's fam lives in another state*, where fireworks that shoot up into the sky are legal. This makes them much more firework-savvy. So, M's dad and brother in law put on a great fireworks "show" with a pretty awesome finale. I was majorly impressed.

Also, another couple of awesome things that happened over the weekend: watermelon cookies and a last-minute Target dress** find on the morning of the 4th of July (evidence below). A note on the watermelon cookies...

I do not like watermelon. Well, actually I don't enjoy melons of any kind. My friend made these adorable (if I do say so myself) cookies and I loved how cute they were. Naturally, I texted her the next day for the recipe and had a double batch made by noon. :) This is the kind of watermelon I can really be excited about! AND, they don't taste like watermelon at all. They are sugar cookies with vanilla icing...but how CUTE are they? I just can't get over their cuteness...

Speaking of cuteness...how cute are we? Or, how cute is M?! His presh li'l SC hat and shirt. Love him. Also, I think this pic does a fairly good job of showing how TALL M is. He's almost 6'5". 

What can I say, I like a tall drink of water, y'all. :D

So, now, tell me - how was YOUR weekend?

~April

*Though M's parents live in a different state, it isn't very far away from me. In fact, M also lives in a different state, but isn't very far. I live (literally) 5 minutes from the NC/SC state line. 

**Dress is from Target - here. Cardi from...you guessed it...Target as well.

Linking up with Funday Monday!!

Fourth of July Fashion (on real people!)

Friends, the most patriotic week of the summer is upon us. This is the week we wear our red, our white and our blue to celebrate Independence Day.

I'm not going to beat my 4th of July fashion sense into y'all again...because then I'd sound like a grumpy old lady. However, I WILL show you some awesome real-life blogger examples of a fashionable salute to Independence Day. These ladies (below) know how to fROCK it. :)

Tara from Mix & Match Fashion

 

Penny Pincher Fashion

 

Katelin at My Wardrobe Staples

 

Lindsey at Follow the Ruels

 

Merrick at Merrick's Art

 

Merrick at Merrick's Art

 

Carly at Lipgloss and Crayons

 

Corilynn

 

Jessica at Bows and Sequins

 

Fash Boulevard

 

 

Happy Almost 4th!

 

~April

 

 

 

 

How to Dress for the 4th and Not Look Like a Dork!

How's THAT for an assonant rhyming title?

It's almost that time of year when red, white and blue becomes the fashion color choice of most...cough...cough...aka Independence Day (U.S.). For those of you non-'Murricans, Independence Day is also referred to as the "Fourth of July"...hence my snazzy title rhymes. :)

I've blogged before about how to dress for different holidays, but I figured The Fourth needed a little extra how-to love. I should also preface this how-to post by saying that you'll not catch me wearing anything with an American flag on it. Partly because I think it's a bit kitschy and partly because I think the American flag should be a flag...and not a t-shirt...or a pair of shorts...or shoes...or a bedazzled patch on the back of someone's Hello Kitty backpack. True story. But that's just me. However, there IS a way to dress for the Fourth without wearing the American flag...check it out below.

dress for the fourth by aprilanne147 featuring h&m jeans

 

 

With these outfits, I wanted to show that incorporating patterns (that aren't strictly stars or stripes) can work. Also, it's important to not feel the need to wear red AND white AND blue. It's okay to just do navy and white or red and white. I did show all three in the outfits above so y'all can see it's possible to wear red, white and blue and not resemble Old Glory.

 

So, what are you wearing for the Fourth?

 

~April

OOTD: Nautical Mint

Navy & White Top | Cardigan | Jeans | Necklace: Via Groopdealz | Purse | Shoes: Payless (similar)

It's amazing how the addition of a new mint purse can take a basic outfit from blah to BAM! After admitting that I had almost no mint in my wardrobe, I've quickly remedied that with the purchase of this purse and the necklace recently. I also love navy and mint together so I figured I'd put together some of my old favorites (navy blue and stripes) with my new favorite (mint) to get a very fun outfit.

Also, this bag. Oh, this bag. I literally stalked it at Target for over a week (because there was only one on the racks) and when it was still there a week or so later, I decided it was fate. ANNNNDDD, it quickly made its way into my buggy. (which is a shopping cart for you Yanks) It's the softest fake suede and I've already received tons of compliments on it.

Would you ever wear navy and mint?

Linking up with Lindsey @ The Pleated Poppy.

OOTD: New Faves

Cardigan | Pants: New York & Co (similar) | Top | Shoes: Target (similar) | Necklace: old

Well, y'all this is officially my new favorite outfit. I can't stop wearing it! It literally encompasses some of my absolute favorite things: stripes, navy blue, sequins and flats. Of course, I'll try experimenting with other colors I can wear this same top and pants with. I love the mustard, but can't wait to try it with coral, kelly green or even red!

Y'all, I loved the outfit so much I wore it to work. Yep, WORK! I thought the sequins might be a bit much for daytime...and maybe they were. But it certainly did make me feel sassy all day. So, I'll definitely be putting this tank into my daytime repertoire.

Would you ever wear sequins or glitter to work?

Linking up with Miriam and Lindsey.

OOTD: monochromatic

Monochromatic. All of one color.

It's not a look I'm especially fond of, but I wanted to really give it a whirl since it was the theme for this month's Everybody, Everywear challenge.

I chose one of the easiest (non-neutral) colors - blue. Light blue striped skirt, royal blue cardi and navy flats. All three shades of the same color. I think that's the key in wearing all of one color.

Cardigan: Gap (similar, similar) // Skirt: Handmade // Flats: Target (similar, similar) // Nails: Celebutante by Ulta

Also linking up with The Pleated Poppy for What I Wore Wednesday!

monday space:functional farmhouse style

Happy Monday, friends!

I've got some gorg photos to share with you. Though the farmhouse style is not generally something I'd gravitate towards, I really love how this room pairs both modern and country elements together.

Oh, and I just really love the blue and white print that's repeated throughout the room, too. ;)

source

Oh, and did I mention that I'm moving? Moving back to Charlotte in a little over 2 weeks and I'm SO EXCITED! Whoo hoo!

it's official...i've got spring fever!

Ugh, it's only the beginning of February but I've already got spring fever! I can't WAIT until the weather warms up. The good news: Paunxatawney Phil saw his shadow so we'll have an early spring. The other good news: Spring officially starts on March 21st. The bad news: It's freezing cold out today and we may have snow flurries where I live. :(

So, to get us all in the spring mood, here are some beautiful pictures I found on Coastal Living.

sew simple: tank top tote

This is the easiest sewing project EVER and it can be done with or without a sewing machine.

I originally found this project on Craftbits.com but I tweaked it a little to make it work with what I had.

Unfortunately I don't have a "before" picture of the tank top...but I do have an "after" complete with the 4 instructions to make this.

And the result is a cute tote bag that is recycled and cool! This was actually a maternity tank that I had (hence the empire waist piping) so the end result is more like a slouchy hobo bag, but I've seen it made with an A-Tank (also unfortunately called a "wifebeater") and it was just as cute.

Using a sewing machine makes it go by faster, but it's just as fine to not use a sewing machine because you're essentially just sewing the bottom shut. Go over a few times to reinforce it.

Happy Crafting!

splurge vs. steal: laptop bag

I'm desperately in need of a sturdy laptop bag. Lately, I've resorted to either carrying my laptop in my arms like a large book (and the charger in my purse) or in a semi-flimsy shopping bag.

I know.

It's pathetic.

So, I'm on the lookout for a sturdy and stylish laptop bag.

Here's one that I lurve! It's called the Virginia Canvas Laptop Tote by Rebecca Minkoff.

But for a cool $175, it ain't happenin'.

So, upon further investigation, I discovered this beauty called the Seaside Wayfarer Messenger from Pesky Cat Designs on Etsy.

And did I mention it's on sale for a sweet $55.00? Seems a bit steep but it's handmade...which is always better than store bought. AND it's nautical. Oh snap. I believe Valentine's Day is coming up and I do LOVE this bag.  Ha! ;)

Enjoy your weekend!

right now

Right now, I'm loving blue and white. This color combination is definitely coming back in! Yay!