My Monochromatic Life

Fourth of July Prep

Wednesday, June 28, 2017

Happy Wednesday party people1 Can you believe the Fourth of July is less than one week away? I just can't believe it is almost July. Where did June go? This summer can slow down right about now, please and thank you.

Anyway, it is time to start thinking about your Americana style for our country's birthday. There is still time to order some items online, but I also found some great options at your friendly neighborhood Target. I really love Ily Couture for holiday options. They always have fun options from major to minor holidays. If had a little more excess cash I would have purchased the USA sweatshirt from there. I love a sweatshirt, I have way too many pairs. I love the simplicity and athletic feature on the sleeves. Local favorite, Apricot Lane, has this fun stars chambray top. I love this because it works for the holiday but it isn't like you are slapping "AMERICA" right in the face it can transition to a casual day as well. From, Target I think my favorite is the American bomber jacket. Bomber jackets are still so fun but this just has the patriotic twist.

USA by mcainmoss featuring vintage tops

one / two / three
four / five / six / seven

What do you think? Which one is your favorite? Leave me a comment below I would love to hear from you!

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Also linking up with Jersey Girl Texan Heart and Shopping My Closet today!

fahsion

Monday Round Up: Baseball + Birthdays

Monday, June 26, 2017

Happy Monday! So I had a pretty busy weekend and we did lots o' stuff. Hope you all had a great weekend too. I also hope your weather was better than ours. It's the end of June the highest the temps got this weekend was 67. Um,..what? Mother nature needs to get a clue.

On Friday I was itching to do something. I just wanted to get out of the house and maybe go see some friends. We tried to locate a couple of people who were busy, then it just started getting late so we decided to rent a movie and stay in. That movie Get Out was finally at Redbox so we got it. I really liked it and I am not much of a horror movie fan. It is more like a thriller in the vein of Stepford Wives. Really good. I would highly recommend it.

On Saturday we decided to make a quick boat outing. We called up a friend and D and him attempted to fish. The weather was supposed to be a little chilly, but sunny. Nope. It felt like wherever we went on the lake was cloud cover. Super frustrating. My goal was to keep Reese warm. Eventually, it looked that rain was imminent so we tried to get off the lake but then suddenly like four people tried to get on. As soon as the boat got docked the rains came in. It started coming down so I sat in the car with Reese as the boys loaded up. Hoping the weather gets nicer soon.

That night we went to a St. Paul Saints game for my sister's birthday. They built a new stadium about three years ago and D and I had not been yet. This was the perfect excuse. As you can see, the skies opened up however it was pretty chilly. I put together a fun and casual look for the evening (see below). I legit don't know if they won, I mean this is not affiliated with MLB at all, however they do fun games in between innings and the announcers were hilarious. It is more like they provide commentary than announcing. They also have an app where you can order beer and food and then they bring it right to you. Genius!! Also out in left field there is a craft beer section with 30 different brews, mostly local. So cool! Loved it and had a great time.

Sunday was supposed to be a more productive day than it turned out to be. I got up later than I wanted because I was so tired. Little lady lets us sleep in later if we bring her in the bed after her morning feeding. The local theater The Guthrie is doing a production of Sunday In The Park With George and I felt like Reese and I were doing our own version.

I did a little work that morning. My sister in law stopped over for a bit and before I knew it the day was over. Not before D got the best picture of Miss Reese thought.

There you have it my weekend. Earlier in the week, I swung in at the Apricot Lane in St. Louis Park as that location was closing. The other locations are still open but this was closing down. I figured I would swing in and see what was left. It was pretty picked over but I did locate this top and one other thing I will post about later. I have wanted a knot front top for a while and I love this one. I bought it a little big for the length in the front. It is the perfect length for a high waist jean. I also love that it is longer in the back so you aren't pulling it down all the time. For the game, I wore my favorite high waisted jeans and these Lucky Brand boots that are super comfortable. I thought about flats but I can't wear high waisted jeans with flats, just feels unbalanced. It was a chilly night so I threw on this bomber jacket I got in a Stich Fix awhile back. I love this jacket and any opportunity to wear it I do it. It was the perfect thickness to stay warm with just enough interest to be fashion forward, even at a baseball game.

Jacket| Supply + Demand (similar / similar )

Shirt| Apricot Lane (similar / similar)

Jeans| Express

Shoes| Lucky Brand

Necklace| Stitch Fix (similar / similar)

What do you think? Leave me a comment below!

Also linking up with Bloved Boston to share about my weekend!

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box of style

Summer Box of Style + #H54F

Friday, June 23, 2017

Happy Friday er'body! I am so excited for this weekend. I had kind of a frustrating week for various reasons I won't bore you with. I am looking forward to a little baseball and maybe some more boating. Be sure to follow along on @mymonochromaticlife to stay up to date with me!

Since it was another kind of uninteresting week. I decided to share with you all my Summer Rachel Zoe Box of Style. I have done the Fall, Winter and Spring but never a Summer. Some of her boxes are awesome, some have been more beauty heavy or full of kind of strange things (e.g. cards..umm....ok) but this one was excellent. I am so excited!

1. HELENA QUINN KIMONO

This was probably the "hero" item although there were several high ticket items. Kimonos are making a comeback this season. They were big a couple of years ago, faded away but are back with vengeance. They seem to be more feminine and less boho and this one is so on point. I love that it is sheer and the florals are perfect for summer. I wore it out with my favorite Madewell shorts and black tank top. I went shopping on a hot day and a group of women said "you a fashionable mom!" I felt pretty good I won't lie. This is a great way to layer a look without baking in the summer heat.

Buy here $150 value

2. BEAUTY COUNTER SUNSCREEN

I won't lie, I have not tried this yet. It is small and compact so it fits perfectly in my purse. It is a stick-like deodorant so you don't have to worry about an aerosol or any hand prints because you didn't rub it in well. I also read on the website that it is kid friendly, however, I am not sure how small it is safe for. I am excited to just throw this in my purse to have for running around to keep my skin safe.

Buy here, $18 value

3.RAEN DURANTE SUNGLASSES

Wouldn' t be a Rachel Zoe box without some oversized sunglasses, right? These are pretty picture perfect. Typically I don't see a huge difference between expensive vs affordable sunglasses. These are definitely a higher quality. You can feel it in the weightyness (is that a word?) of them. This was the 'choice' item where I got to pick between black and tortoise. I opted for the latter. I don't know what it is about black rimmed ones, just not my thing. I am going between these and my Gap sunnies right now, just depends on the outfit du jour.

Buy here, $150 value

4. BEAUTY COUNTER CREAM BLUSH

I was unsure about this at first. I haven't tried a cream blush before and I was not sure I wanted to. I always worry they won't blend right and look all streaky. This dissuaded all my worries. I really loved this. It goes on pretty stark but blends easy. It also comes in a pretty tube, what can I say? I judge a book by it's cover ;) Definitely worth a try.

Buy here, $37 value

5. SOLE SOCIETY PANAMA HAT

I.love.hats. This is no different. What is especially fun about this are the little poms, which are very on trend right now. Super delicate and fun. I also love a panama hat. Just do, can't explain it. I think it just makes everything look effortless and chic. I can't help myself. This will join me at every outdoor outing this summer. And it's affordable. Can't beat that.

Buy here, $27 value

6. THE BRAVE COLLECTION COMPASS NECKLACE

A little bling never hurt anyone right? This is the second box in a row that is a "do good" item. This is made by fair trade artisans in Cambodia. 10% of the profits are donated to fight human trafficking. I love the delicate compass design and it is a short necklace so it is a perfect layering item. So a good looking item that also benefits a worthy cause? win-win

Buy here, $115 value

There you have it. I think this might be my favorite box to date. Definitely more fashion than beauty, which is what I want from Rachel Zoe. I like feeling that she personally styled me! What do you think? I would love to hear from you.

What to give it a try? Click here to sign up!

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Always, linking up with these lovelies!

H54F - A weekly link up, hosted by Cup of Tea, Bright on a Budget, Coffee with Caitlin & Della Devoted

Katie's Cup of Tea blog/ Meet @ the Barre / Oh Hey Friday / 5 on a Friday

athleisure

Mesh Leggings

Wednesday, June 21, 2017

Happy Wednesday ladies and gents!

Are they gents reading this? If so, let me know. I would love to know that.

Here is another edition of: Meg wears only comfy clothes!

Featured today are these mesh leggings from PinkBlush. One of my favorite maternity dresses was from this website but they also sell non-maternity items. Who knew? During the day I try to dress more professionally, especially since returning to work. To balance that out I am extra into leisure wear at home. I am always on the hunt for some new and fun ways to wear leggings. When I saw these ones with the fun mesh detail I knew they had to be mine. Just because I am dressing comfy doesn't mean I can't be fashionable too, right? These are incredibly comfortable and for a post-baby body helps hold everything in. The fabric is restricting enough to feel secure. I would easily wear these around on the weekends to run errands. I would pair it with a plain tee, hoodie and my favorite athleisure shoes. Super comfortable look and my go-to right now. These are 100% worth it!

Leggings| PinkBlush

Tee| Target

Sweatshirt| Target

Shoes| Calvin Klein

What do you think? Leave me a comment below I would love to hear from you!

Be sure to follow me on : Instagram | Facebook | Twitter

Also linking up with Jersey Girl Texan Heart and Shopping My Closet today!

fashion

Monday Round Up: Boating + Father's Days

Monday, June 19, 2017

Happy Monday party people! I had a really fantastic weekend and I hope you did too! I have a pretty busy week ahead of me and memories of this weekend will get me through!

It was a lot of Father's day celebrations and enjoying our latest purchase, so let's get started.

Friday was pretty uneventful. I worked and then spent the night in. D was desperately trying to get some outside work in so I was taking care of little miss. We ended up crashing early, cause ya know...parenting.

Saturday was busier. My dad wanted to celebrate Father's Day on Saturday, which was actually perfect. We decided to take him to the Twins baseball game. We bought cheap seats so we could walk around. Target field has a few bar locations and some other things to see. We thought if they star sucking we could walk around and enjoy ourselves. Well they did, ha. A couple of seasons ago they put in this bar, Barrio, which is a local bar/restaurant. We went and hung out there for a while and I got an overpriced margarita. We watched the game from a few different angles. Afterward, we went to this kooky dive bar he likes Lee's Liquor Lounge and had a beer before heading home.

That night we stayed in but decided that Sunday would be a good day to take the boat out. D got it prepped that morning so it was good to go.

Sunday D went up to his dad's for a bit to celebrate Father's Day. I stayed back to get some work accomplished so we could take the boat out. Oh yea, we bought a boat! It's old but it's a great compromise of what we both wanted. D can fish from it and I can sunbathe in it. We called up a few of our friends to join us. The weather at first seemed like it was going to be chilly and cloudy. It turned out to be sunny and about 70. Perfect night on the water.

Now, that I am a boat owner I have to dress accordingly right? ;) On Friday I picked up some new shorts. I decided jean shorts rarely look good on me but these cargo shorts fit great. They have a mid rise and have enough looseness to be flattering but not so loose that I look enormous. I bought two pairs because they had a $20 on shorts deal going on. Honestly, if you wait you can almost always get 40% off at Gap. I paired it with this old top from Banana Republic with some fun golden sheen. My body is finally back in a place that it looks nice as it is a bit clingy. Since we were just gonna cruise on the lake I added a little gold jewelry, my fav brown sandals and this hat I recently got from my Box of Style (more details on that to come). It was super comfortable and perfect on the water!