Charleston Summer Packing List

I don't know about you, but whenever I'm going somewhere new the first question that pops into my head is, "What should I wear?" I mean seriously anything new- a restaurant I haven't been to, a sporting event, a new store, vacation, etc. Anybody else with me?


So naturally once my family decided on the date and location of our summer family vacation, my first instinct was to start looking up what to wear. I consulted with pinterest, several blogs, and my friends who had been there before.  I had some what of an idea of what to bring, but I wasn't 100% sure.  The weeks leading up to our trip, I kept a list on my phone of possible outfits and I stalked the weather to compare it to where we live.  After doing my "research" I decided I was finally ready to pack the day before we left for our trip.

Just a few pro tips for packing for a trip:
Make sure all of your laundry is done before you start packing. 
There's nothing worse than going to pack an outfit just to find that the top is dirty.  Plus, it's always nice to come home to clean clothes rather than dirty laundry.

Check the weather
Chance are the pictures you see of your destination are always on the days filled with beautiful weather. News flash, the weather isn't always as it seems in the perfect picture.

Pack outfits rather than random items
Packing outfits rather than random shorts and tops makes packing much more efficient. This also prevents you from hitting the bump in the road while you're on vacay getting ready for dinner and you realize you don't have the right top or undergarments to match the skirt you brought.

Less is More
Mix and match. Don't be afraid to re-wear items.  Pack some basics that way you don't have to pack as many clothing pieces.  If the place your staying has a washer and dryer, then you will be able to wash your clothes!

Roll your clothes
If you roll your clothes, then you can actually fit more in your bag and your items won't get wrinkled.

XOXO

Conquering the Lilly After Party Sale

In case you didn't know, the Lilly Pulitzer After Party Sale is today beginning at 8 a.m.  Last year I got a ton of great items for my mom and myself.  However, this year I have decided not to shop the sale. I've collected quite the number of Lilly Pulitzer items the past few years, so I'm pretty satisfied with my current Lilly filled summer wardrobe. I am working on saving money for adult things like a car and moving out of my parents' house, so dropping a few hundred bucks on the sale isn't in the budget for me. I also feel like if I spend any money on clothes it should be Fall and Winter items rather than more summer clothes that I will only wear for another month and a half. We will see how good my self control is because I said I won't be logging on even just to browse, and if you know me then you know that I'm pretty much a shopaholic.

You may or may not know already, but Lilly Pulitzer rarely has large sales... in fact they only occur three times a year (June- Warehouse Sale, August, and January).  Due to the low frequency of the sale there is always a lot of hype surrounding it.  You have to be strategic about your shopping and it helps if you know some of the secrets to conquering the sales, especially the online ones. I have a few tips to help you out, in case you didn't shop the sale yet or are waiting in the over an hour long line. 

Create an account

If you're able to, it's always best to create an online account ahead of time. It speeds up your checkout process. You can also save your billing information to make the check out process even quicker!

Once you're in the virtual line, DO NOT HIT REFRESH!

This is probably the biggest thing you need to know. It can be annoying waiting in line and sometimes it moves pretty slowly.  It is tempting to hit the refresh button to see if anything will change, but I'm warning you that you will regret it. Hitting the refresh button will take you to the very back of the line. 

Know Your Size
It's important to know your size because all items purchased during the After party sale are final sale, which means there's no returning.

Have a Positive Attitude
Just like anything you do, there are things that might frustrate you about this sale. There's a chance that you might not get the item you've been lusting over. You might get jealous that your frenemy was able to log on and claims to have gotten everything she's been wanting from Lilly while you're still patiently waiting in the virtual line. Being optimistic through the whole shopping process will make it much more enjoyable. After all, who can be grumpy when shopping at Lilly?

Self Control
We all know that Lilly Pulitzer items rarely go on sale. It can be quite tempting to go a little overboard when shopping the online sale. Try to make a budget and stick to it. You don't want to regret over spending your money on items that you won't be able to wear much longer since the summer season is coming to a close.

Best of luck shopping!

XOXO

A Guide to Rehoboth Beach & Dewey Beach

The summertime is the perfect time to head to the beach. There are so many beaches out there to go to, and each beach has its own personality.  Everyone has their favorite go to beach, whether it be where they went as a child, a place where they love the food, or somewhere with lots of activity.  Regardless when we hear the word beach, we each picture somewhere a little different.  For me when  somebody says the word beach, I immediately think of Rehoboth and Dewey Beach located along the Atlantic Coast in Delaware. 

I have been going to these beaches since I was a small child. I have collected so many memories here from over the years and I'm sure there are still many more to create. We are fortunate enough to have close family friends with a house who let us come down and stay pretty much whenever. After spending the holiday weekend here I thought it would be fun to share a little travel guide with y'all.  Below you will find some of my places to eat, drink, shop, hangout, and have fun. 

Enjoy!

XOXO

Red, White, & Blue

Happy Fourth of July, Y'all!

I hope you have a fabulous day filled with friends, family, drinks, fun, and tasty food!

image via

XOXO

Lilly Loving

r Happy first day of summer 2016. Today (June 20th) marks the official start to this summer.  The first day of summer is also known as National Wear Your Lilly Pulitzer Day. When I think of my summer wardrobe I immediately think Lilly Pulitzer. The designer's use of bright colors, fun patterns, and an array of styles just speak to me.  Over time I have built up quite the Lilly summer wardrobe. I have a combination of old prints and new ones, but regardless of when they were made I love them all.  Some of the vintage patterns are actually my favorite, and I think some of the older dresses are actually made with a higher quality fabric. 

Oh Shift! Here's a little glimpse at my shift dresses.  These are great to thrown on during a hot summer day, wear to a wedding with a nice pair of heels, appropriate for work, or pretty much any event in the summer months. 

The callahan shorts are my favorite style of shorts. They are not too short nor too long. The perfect length for people like me who have longer legs. I have several pairs of them and am able to mix and match tops to create many outfits out of them.  

Today I'm wearing a pair of callahan shorts paired with a washed pocket tee tank from J.Crew.

I'm spending the day nannying two boys, so I needed an outfit that was cute, comfortable, and included some Lilly!

What are you wearing to celebrate the first day of summer and wear your Lilly day?

XOXO