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Currently

Currently #41

Hi friends! Happy Last Day of May! This has been a packed month and I swear it flew by in the blink of an eye. I hope you had a fun and relaxing Memorial Day weekend and enjoyed the unofficial kickoff to summer.

A snapshot of our Memorial Day spread!

I had a busy weekend between celebrating the holiday, working and then celebrating my 25th birthday. It was packed full, but oh so fun!

 

Celebrating 25!
With my pup too!

Now, that I have got you all caught up on this weekend, as another month comes to a close, it’s time to recap this month with a new edition of Currently. Here’s what I’ve been reading, watching, and doing.

What I’ve Been Up To: May was a busy work month between traveling to Canada for a day trip to preview the Coronation of King Charles III, which you can read about here, Primary Night in Pennsylvania and kicking off summer events. 

Day trip to Niagara on the Lake!
Primary night in PA!

On weekends, I have been savoring the warm weather by spending as much time outside by taking walks or runs and making a point to get outdoors.

First sunset of summer!

From doing work outside to taking walks after work or on days off, I even have been making it a point to catch up with friends over the phone or in person over a walk. Spring and summer means eating meals outdoors, I always try my best to spend some time outside every day.

Enjoying a Saturday morning walk and coffee!

I also got to enjoy my first sunset and grilling of the season at the beach. It was a beautiful night to sit on the beach and grill! Looking forward to many more nights this like this through the summer.

First sunset and picnic on the beach

What I’m Wearing: On cooler days, I have been enjoying wearing cuffed jeans and graphic t-shirts and sneakers. I even have gotten to break out the shorts a few times this month too which is a huge win! I can’t wait for shorts season all the time come next month.

A weekend look, cuffed jeans for the win!

I also got a few new closet staples from J.Crew and Ann Taylor which I will be sharing soon. I have been looking for bright colors to wear in the warmer months. I got this bright, yellow dress from a friend from The Limited and it’s perfect for Spring and Summer. I love the color and the style, it would be great for a summer wedding, Sunday Church service or work.

Bright and cheery for spring!

Speaking of weddings, I went to a family wedding a few weeks back and wore this dress. Although, it’s navy blue, I dressed it up with gold accents.

A classic wedding look.

What I’m Reading: The end of April and start of May was a big reading month for me. Here are some of my favorites.

I read the sequel to “It Ends With Us” by Colleen Hoover. You do have to read It Ends With Us, before you read “It Starts With Us“, but I don’t think it’s necessary to read the sequel. It was definitely lighter than the first book and it was interesting to see how some of the relationships progressed and changed, but I don’t think you have to read the sequel.

I also made it my goal to read all of Taylor Jenkins Reid’s books. I read “After I Do”, “Forever Interrupted”, and “Maybe in Another Life”.

“After I Do” follows the story of a young couple who after being married for several years goes through a rough patch and agrees to take some time apart. The book follows what happens when they separate and if they decide if they are better together or apart.

 “Forever Interrupted” tells the story of a newlywed couple who are on Cloud 9 in marital bliss, until the husband is tragically killed just a week after they say, “I do”. The book goes back and forth between the grieving widow trying to move on and the start of the couple’s relationship. I really enjoyed the two perspectives it was told from and how the two storylines eventually get tied together.

The final Taylor Jenkins Reid book I read was “Maybe in Another Life”. This book follows the story of Hannah who moves back to California and when out with friends, she has to decide if she wants to go home with her ex-boyfriend or her best friend. The story goes back and forth between both decisions, if she plays it safe or makes a bold decision. I really enjoyed seeing both lives and perspectives.

The last book I read was “The Dinner List” by Rebecca Serle, it’s all about a woman who shows up to her birthday dinner with five people from her life. Through the course of the dinner, the purpose of each guest is revealed, and our heroine learns the importance of letting go, moving on, and growing from this special birthday dinner.

What I’m Watching: This past month, I wrapped up a lot of series. I finished The Mindy Project which was so good. I loved the casting, storylines and one-liners and truly didn’t want it to end, however, I was satisfied with the ending.

I also finished The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel, which I loved from the get-go. I thought this season did a great job at wrapping things up and giving glimpses into the future of what happens with fan-favorite characters. I am going to miss the cast, the comedy and of course, the clothes! This article gave a great recap!

If you watched the show, what did you think of the final season and ending?

I also talked about Jury Duty a few weeks ago. You can find it on Amazon Prime and it was the perfect show to watch for a comedy filled 30 minutes. I thought the show was well done with the creative story of a group of people sitting in on a court case that’s being filmed for a tv show. The catch is, they are all in on it except for one jurors. It was such a fun show to binge watch.

I also finished The Diplomat which stars Keri Russell on Netflix. It’s all about a woman who becomes the new Ambassador in the United States. It’s a mix of politics, drama, intrigue and some romance too! I give it 5 stars! I’m already looking forward to the new season.

What Inspires Me: Spring and summer mean all the salads! I have been on a kick of making chefs salads. They are so easy to assemble and great to use what you have in your fridge. I often throw in any leftover vegetables I have plus any cheese or sliced meats or even fruit. I love that you can use what you have and get a hearty meal out of it too.

Besides making chef salads, I have also enjoyed making flatbread pizzas this summer and trying different combinations.

Plus in honor of Cinco de Mayo, I made chicken tacos! Yum!

Lastly, I have been inspired by picnics. There’s nothing better than enjoying a picnic after a nice long walk. I enjoy a classic sandwich and chips and fruit for a picnic, but love to switch it up with grilling too.

Summer picnics are back!

What I Accomplished: I’ve been really enjoying time outside, time spent with family and starting summer traditions and fun! If this month is any indication at how summer will look, we are in for a good summer!

Summer appetizers are back!
Bring on the fresh salads.

Goals from Last Month: This past month has been busy as I celebrated my 25th birthday, I accomplished a lot of things on my summer bucket list and I made lots of memories through the spring and did some things for the first time too, like being to a new part of Canada.

Day trips to the zoo are back!
The best part of family weddings-cookies!
And some sweet gifts too!

Goals for this Month: My only goal for next month is to kick off summer and begin my summer bucket list! I am already working on it and can’t wait to share it with you next week!

Whew, that was a lot! May has packed full in the best way. I can’t wait to see what June has to offer! I can’t wait to welcome a new month and summer! See you back here in JUNE!

Categories
Fashion

Business Casual Summer Outfits

Hey guys! Happy Wednesday! I’m back with another fashion post for you. Last week, I shared some of my favorite summer dresses. As I was working on my list of summer outfits, I had a lot that weren’t dresses but still cute summer ensembles, hence the two-parter post!

This post will be more geared towards bottoms and blouses. These pieces can work for work, networking events, job interviews or a more polished summer look.

I’ll share the links with as many pieces I can find. Without further ado, here’s some of my favorite summer ensembles.

Pop of pink for spring

This first outfit is perfect for the early spring days. I got these soft pink pants from Gap a few years back. One of my favorite things abut them is the straight cut. It can be so challenging to find pants that are straight cut, not skinny and not a flair and these fit the build. I opted for a soft pink for a pop of color. 

I did a big shopping haul from Ann Taylor at the start of the summer and got a lot of things on sale. This white top was one of them. I love the accent with the sleeves. I think it really elevates this top and adds a bit of flair to the outfit. I also like the detailing with the piping down the front too.

I also wore a pair or soft pink mules for shoes. Sometimes, I wear heels with pants, but other times I prefer a flat or loafer. Even though I chose soft, solid neutrals for the outfit, I like the pop of design for the shoes.

Bright and bold in the middle of the summer

This next outfit features more pink! I got this soft pink short sleeve sweater from Ann Taylor.

I love the bright pink color. It can be paired with a pair of dress pants or a skirt. I really like it gives off some early fall vibes but still summer with the short sleeves.

These tan pants are a favorite staple in my closet. One of the things I learned from my mom is to invest in those staple articles of clothing. These could be things like nice dress pants (I have good quality pairs of pants in blue, black, and tan), a few blazers (I have a gray, black, and blue that are must-haves especially for business and work events) and some nice blouses. I have some crisp white blouses along with some fun colors too that are great to pair with different pants and blazers. I got these pants from Ann Taylor and I wear them in all the seasons, they work great in the winter with a blouse and blazer or summer with a bright colored blouse.

I wore a brown pair of mules with this outfit. Although, it’s a slightly different shade, they still work great together. I got these shoes from DSW, my favorite place for shoes!

This next outfit says hello summer. I was on the hunt for a pair of white dress pants for a long time and I finally found them this summer at none other than Ann Taylor. I took this picture during the golden hour, hence the sun setting glare.

I really love that these pants don’t feel too much like a summer pant that you would wear on the beach. They are made of a thicker material that can work in the summer months. My favorite part about these pants is that you can pair them with almost anything, any color, any pattern or any style. 

I opted to pair these white pants with a bright yellow top from yet again, Ann Taylor. I told you I took advantage of a lot of sales this year. I love the sleeves and the bright canary yellow. I plan to wear this top with black skirts, navy dress pants and black dress pants to change things up. You can even wear this top into the fall and in the spring. I really love the versatility that comes with this top.

I wore a white pair of heels with this outfit. I got these heels from DSW and I love the style and how comfortable they are. I was so pleased that I got them in black and navy too. 

Another outfit I put together with these same pants but a different top was this combo.

This outfit is a bit more casual with the pin stripe top, but still professional. I got this top from J.Crew and I love how crisp it looks with the white pants.

Once again, these pants are from Ann Taylor.and the shoes are from DSW. I love how the pants are tailored and cuffed. This is the perfect summer combo with the blue and white and great for an even by the water.

That’s just a quick roundup of some other alternative outfits you can wear to the office, to events or a business casual meeting.

What are you wearing and loving this summer? Let me know in the comments below! Happy Shopping!