Collecting Things in my Car!

I got a new car in February, and promised myself that I would keep it clean and neat.  With my previous car, I had a bad tendency to use it as a second closet.  By the time I turned it back in, I dragged out 4 pairs of shoes, three cardigans, an extra set of workout clothes, a linen dress I hadn't seen in three years, and a whole lot of other random things.

So, ever since I've been in my new car, I've been trying SO HARD to stop myself from just leaving things in it "in case I ever need them."  

Although I did notice that I had three T-shirts in the trunk today (whoops), I have to say I've been doing a lot better and I am pleased with my progression….

These are the essentials I am currently keeping in my center console:

1. Legally Blonde CD-- absolutely a must

2. Target Umbrella-- crucial for the out of nowhere Florida storms

3. Sunglasses

4. Sharpie Pens

5. Sour Ice Breakers-- SO good

6. Various Bracelets in case I forget to put on jewelry 

7. Listerine Strips 

8. Aquaphor Lip Ointment-- nothing works as well as this does

9. Mini Lint Brush

10. "Well Kept" "Everything" Wipes

Hope you had a great Monday!

xo, 

Grace

Desk Particularities!

Happy Friday friends! I hope everyone is gearing up for a fun weekend!

While I enjoy having a clean house in general, one thing that I can't stand being cluttered is my desk. For some reason, I have to have all things "desk-y" tucked away at all times, looking as clean and crisp as possible.

This lacquered desk from Ikea definitely helps me achieve that look (can't find online, but I think is still available in stores).  I also use white lacquer boxes from The Container Store to hide away pens, stationary, bills, staples, etc. The Desk Chair I have is also from Ikea and it is super comfy- lined with memory foam!

(also doubles as my Bachelorette watching station!) 

How do you keep your desk clean??

Have a great weekend!

xo, 

Grace

On Sale!

Hello Hello! I hope everyone is having an excellent week so far-- If not, it's about to get better!

One of my favorite clothing/accessory companies is in the midst of their biggest sales- their Semi-Annual sale (up to 70% off).  If you are not familiar with C. Wonder you should definitely check it out, and if you are, you'll know what a great opportunity this is to snatch up some fun things… Just hurry before they're all gone!

Here are my picks from the sale:

1. Sleeveless Chambray Shirt // 2. Printed Signature Tote // 3. Stretch Cotton Animal Print Short // 4. Block Heel Sandal // 5. Signature V-Neck Cardigan // 6. Tall Dots Glassware Set // 7. Cork Zip Pouch // 8. Monogram Jewelry Box // 9. Star Stud Gladiator Sandal

Enjoy and Happy Shopping!

xo, 

Grace

Bachelorette Weekend!

This past weekend, my amazing bridesmaids surprised me for a bachelorette weekend on Dafuski Island, SC. I was so surprised and loved every single minute!

Here's how it went down:
About a week and a half ago, one of my bridesmaids, Claire, called me to tell me she and her sister (also one of my bridesmaids), were going on a last minute girls weekend trip to their family beach house in South Carolina because of their grandmother's 80th birthday earlier in the week.  Since Claire is interning in New York, this would be a great time for me to see her since the beach house is only about a four hour drive from Florida.

I was so excited about these "last minute" plans, and with my fiancé's encouragement to go for it, I told her I was all in! I didn't even pack until the morning I left, unconcerned with what I would be wearing on this lounge-y weekend.

I left earlier than I planned (classic Grace), and to get onto the island where the house is, you have to take a ferry that only runs at certain times.  I was planning to take the 3:30, but since I was making such great time, I started to try and aim for the 2:30. Little did I know, the rest of my bridesmaids were all racing me there!!

I ended up pulling up at the ferry house right at 2:40 and calling Claire that I had gotten there.  Much to her relief, I had missed the boat that my sister (maid of honor) was sailing over on! Phew!

When I got off the 3:30 ferry onto the island, Claire was waiting for me and I was so excited and happy to see her!! She drove me back to the house in their golf cart (there are only golf carts on the island-- how cool is that!?), I started telling her some really detailed story and was totally oblivious to my surroundings.  We pulled up on the beach road to behind the house, and I was facing away from the house looking at her and talking.

Suddenly, she yelled "LOOK!" and I spun around, shocked to see my bridesmaids (minus one who is in Kenya-- love you Stu!) holding signs that say "Grace's Bachelorette Weekend" and "Surprise"-- sorry for the bad I-phone pic-- but here you get the idea:

 It was such a great surprise and I was so overjoyed to have my favorite ladies in the same place for such a perfect and thoughtful weekend. They truly are the best!

We had such a blast, and here are some shots of the lovely decor set up by my lovely ladies (Mary Rives is an excellent crafter and party planner)!

- Personalized Cocktail Napkins-

- Printed Totes and Koozies-

-Handmade Paper Banners-

- And of Course, a Hashtag Canvas- 

Thankful for such wonderful friends!! Love you all!

xo, 

Grace

Happy Father's Day!

My dad is an incredible dad for many many reasons, but here are some that I will highlight this year:

• not afraid to take risks or take on new challenges
• generous and gracious in every circumstance
• could moonlight as a stand-up-comic
• is always calm in a crisis
• encourages me in everything/anything I love
• kindness, kindness, kindness

Happy Father's day to all of the wonderful dads out there. 

This quote always makes me think of my dad and the way he lives his life… Thank's for the example you provide!

xoxo

Grace

New Week New Look!

Happy Monday friends! So you may notice, my blog is going through quite an overhaul right now. Please bear with me as it looks currently looks a bit disorganized! Hopefully by the end of the week everything will be looking beautiful so stay tuned :)

The process of organizing and streamlining my blog reminds me of one of my favorite (Florida appropriate) quotes:

Do your best and love the rest!

Have a great day! 

xo,

Grace

Summer Book Reccomendations!

Hello Hello! In honor of SUMMER and my absolute life-long love of reading (thanks to my mom and dad), I want to share some of my top recommendations for summer reads. I am a big fan of mysteries and find that they are great page turners for poolside reading or rainy days on the sofa, so *disclaimer* these will be mostly mystery/suspense novels.

I'm not going to go into too much detail describing them (I really dislike when people give away something to do with the plot), but hopefully give you enough info to be inspired to read one (or all!!).

1. Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn. This has been out for awhile now, but if you haven't read it, you should! It is super suspenseful without being gory or really terrifying. It kept me guessing the entire time about the recently married couple, and I absolutely love the way Flynn writes.
*If you like this, pick up Dark Places, one of her other novels that is excellent.

2. The Fault in Our Stars by John Green. If you are turned off by the fact that this book is "young adult" you shouldn't be because it is absolutely a story that applies to every age and every phase of life (BTW- If you have something against young adult books, you should re-think that philosophy because some of the very best books somehow get marketed in that genre).  I read this in about 3 hours and could not put it down. Not a mystery, but an incredible, emotional, tear-jerking love story.

3. The Light in the Ruins by Chris Bohjalian.  I picked up this book because it takes place in Italy (which obsessed with) during World War Two-- one of my favorite historical time periods to read about. This is an amazing story that takes the reader in so many different directions- love story, war story, loss, regret, new beginigs.  It is definitely a mystery, and I could NOT put it down. PS-- It's on Oprah's "Must Read Book" list. 

4. The Innocence Game by Michael Harvey. This novel about three graduate students studying journalism and capital punishment, started off as a familiar mystery book, but-- I bet if someone took photos of me reading this, my mouth would be open in a silent gasp for 70 percent of this novel. It is SO GOOD!!!! And pretty scary, so if you get easily freaked out, maybe leave this one for daytime reading only.

5. Inferno by Dan Brown.  I know not everyone likes Dan Brown, and to be honest I'm not a huge fan of his in general, but this is a good, good book.  I was surprised by how much I enjoyed it, and the references to Dante, Italian Art, etc. really hooked me in. It would be an excellent summer read and I think you would also be surprised by how much you like it!

6. The Cuckoo's Calling by Robert Galbraith (J.K. Rowling).  Detective Cormoran Strike is a distinctive, funny, relatable, and tough protagonist, and this novel presents a "classic' detective story with classic J.K. Rowling flair.  It has just enough humor and suspense to keep the pages turning!

What are your favorite summer reads? Have a great weekend!

xo, 

Grace

Easy Summer Dresses!

Hi guys and welcome back to What I Wore Wednesday! With the recent move to Florida, and just summery weather in general, I have been reaching often for a comfy, flowy dress.  In wearing one of these articles of clothing basically every single day, I have been on the search recently for {moderately priced} casual summer dresses and am realizing that they are actually really hard to find! Here are some of my recent favorites:

The Gap is my go-to for casual dresses. They are often on sale, super easy to wash, and work for all kinds of occasions.
I have this Trapeze Midi Dress and wear it all. the. time. It is super soft, and looks great with some simple sandals or dressed up with heels and a chunky necklace.

The Stripe Ballet Maxi is also one of my favorites.

Splendid is another favorite for this kind of clothing, but they tend to be a little on the pricey side.  That being said, their higher prices are totally worth it.  The fabric quality does not diminish after washing, and they stay in amazing shape forever. The other day at the mall I splurged on this Splendid Stripe Blouson Dress and have already worn it three times.  It is lightweight and airy, but still a thick enough fabric that it does not feel like a beach coverup. HIGHLY recommend :)

Splendid  is having a 30 percent off sale today on select items so go check them out!! Unfortunatley, this dress is not available on their website (link for it goes to Nordstrom) but they have some other great items on sale…

Garnet Hill is another brand I LOVE for this type of clothing. I swear that I looked through their catalogues for YEARS before actually buying anything, but once I did I was hooked on their amazing quality and reasonable prices. If you've been looking through their catalogs forever wondering wether or not to buy, go for it!!

I currently have a big crush on the Modern Surplice Maxi Dress… such a great graphic print in an easy to wear fabric and cut. This would work well on so many body types and you can always add an easy cami underneath for some extra coverage.

I am also seriously loving this Grecian Goddess Dress from one of my fave's, Sundance.  It looks perfect on her at the beach, but throw on a cardigan and some wedges and its a perfect summer date-night look. 

Now, onto Old Navy where there is a 25% off regular prices sale going on!!

This Cap Sleeve Wrap Dress is another amazing find, at only 12 dollars!!!!!! There are other colors available too in more sizes for 19-20 dollars.  Such a flattering, easy dress for an incredible price.

I'm going to pick up this Lace Trim Gauze Sundress in the sale. Loving white right now and the hem on this dress makes it look extra special.  Now, I just need a tan...

Finally, H&M has some amazing early summer dresses. This Short Sleeved Jersey Dress is a perfect blank canvas to either be dressed up/down, run errands in, or head to the pool. I love it with a bright colored belt and espadrilles. Plus, it comes in four colors!

Also loving this Mint Lace Dress that also comes in black and cream...

… and this other Lace Dress

I used to be really reluctant to buy some dresses like this because in general, thin dresses tend to be a bit see-thru. I finally broke down and invested in this Commando Tailored Slip and it has changed my life. It makes it so easy to wear dresses that are a bit too sheer, have low armpit holes, or are a bit too low cut for me. It is so comfortable, doesn't cling, and has adjustable straps so you can control the length.  I HIGHLY recommend!!

I hope you like some of these! Let me know if you have any other go-to places for easy summer dresses. Enjoy your monday!

xo, 

Grace