Weekend Recap

What a great weekend! 

The weather was near perfect: Not sweltering or humid, but not too cool. 

I didn't have to close at work on Friday night, and only had to work Saturday morning.

On Saturday, my grandparents came into town, we went to Mass, and then had a super fun girls' Pinterest night.

Sunday morning brought breakfast on the terrace at the Country Club, my other set of grandparents coming into town, my sister's senior voice recital, and a delicious dinner on the patio with my grandparents and Aunt.

Perfect summer weekend.

Pinterest Night

Earlier this year, we started to put together girls' nights where all of us girls would get together at someone's house, eat dinner (everyone would bring a dish to pass), and watch a movie. Recently, I decided it would be super fun to all get together to do a "Pinterest craft" for our dorm rooms.

We got together on Saturday and tried out "Sharpie Mugs" that have been floating around Pinterest.

From my Instagram: All the completed mugs. They turned out great!

We had so much fun customizing our mugs and it was so easy to do! There was minimal smearing and smudging. All of us found our mugs for under $5, and I bought multi packs of Sharpies at Walmart for like $4.00. Such a fun project and not a lot of money required! That's what I'm talking about.

We spent the night talking about boys, college orientations, traveling, and dorm decorating. 

We also watched The Uninvited.

Hannah's Voice Recital

My sister Hannah has been taking voice lessons for five years now. She has an AMAZING voice and I am so proud of her. She has had leads in the school musical the past two years, and has had several solos at school choir concerts. Not only does she have a beautiful voice, but she is also an entertaining performer.

On Sunday, she had her senior voice recital. She and her voice teacher worked very hard to put together a program featuring thirteen songs, ranging for Taylor Swift to West Side Story. 

It was beautiful.

Our family, close family friends, and high school friends came to watch. What a great performance.

 Hannie singing during her recital

Natalie and I with my Grandma and Grandpa Russell before the recital

Hannie's adorable outfit: She got her dress at a little boutique in Charlottesville, VA.

Nine West pumps

Summer Sundays call for Pink, Green, and Lilly Pulitzer

J.Crew Popover (striped version here) 

Lilly Pulitzer Skort (old)

Lilly Pulitzer Clutch (my mom's) (old)

Jack Rogers Navajos

From my Instagram: I love the crocodile detail on the clutch!

Also Kate Spade bangle

Fossil Watch

Sisters!

How was your weekend? What adventures did you go on? What did you eat? What did you make? Let me know!

Stay Stylish. Stay Classy. Be Creative.

Emily

Graduation Dresses

May has officially begun, so naturally, graduation season is set to kick off! I personally only have two more weeks of high school, and then I graduate on May 19th. 

I found the dress I will be wearing to the actual ceremony and my graduation party months ago (I'm a major planner!) and I will reveal that dress in a later post. For now, I've compiled some of my favorite graduation-worthy dresses for those of you still on the hunt for that perfect dress.

Not graduating this year? No worries. Many of these dresses are perfect summer staples, and are ideal to wear to weddings, parties, and the like this summer.

#1. Colorblocked

Banana Republic / Mod Cloth

Stay right on trend in these bright two-tone dresses. The yellow reminds me of sweet summer sunshine, and would look absolutely darling with white wedges. The green and blue dress is a bit more trendy, and would be best polished off with a chunky statement necklace.

#2: Lace and Eyelet

Old Navy / Jessica Simpson

Delicate lace and eyelet look polished and feminine, especially when paired with the right jewelry. I love this eyelet dress from Old Navy. It comes in lots of punchy colors and the silhouette flatters a variety of body types. The tiers on this lace Jessica Simpson dress make a definite statement, but the shift style keeps things classic. 

#3: Patterned

Gap / Lilly Pulitzer

 

Looking for something a little more eye catching? A printed dress is the way to go! This geometric printed shift dress from Gap is bold in pink and navy. I think a pair of navy wedges would look stunning! What girl wouldn't want to don a Lilly Pulitzer dress at her graduation? This floral print is bright and sweet, and the lace detailing on the back is just too cute. White sandals required! Although a bit pricey, this Lilly dress will carry you through summers for years to come, and always remind you of your graduation day and new beginnings.

 

#4: Polka-Dots

J.Crew / Lauren Ralph Lauren

 

What could be more fun than polka-dots?! Some people believe that polka-dots are childish, but I disagree. Both of these dresses have flattering and sophisticated fits, and the muted colors of the prints keep things grown-up. With these dresses, I would avoid overdoing it on jewelry and let the polka-dots speak for themselves!

 

#5: Solid

Tahari / Merona

 

 

Sometimes simple is better! This coral dress by Tahari packs a lot of personality, with a tiny peplum and pleating. I love how it's styled with a little bow belt. This dress is just asking for gold jewelry and shoes! This dress by Merona comes in plenty of colors, and is perfect for cooler climates where you may not want to expose your shoulders. The cut-out detail is a cute touch, and the tie-belt will cinch in your waist.

 

 

#6: Striped

Loft / J.Crew Factory

 

You've made it this far and earned your stripes, why not show it! The cool color scheme of this dress from Loft is bright and fun. I absolutely adore the navy and white stripes on this drop waist dress from J.Crew Factory. Very nautical! I think it would look super cute with a red bubble necklace and espadrille wedges.

 

 

Other Considerations:

 

~ Strapless Dresses: Strapless dresses and I have just never gotten along. Maybe it's because I always have really terrible tan lines, or (more likely) it's because I constantly have to tug the dress up. Strapless dresses are definitely an option if you feel comfortable! Just make sure the fit is right and get alterations or garment tape if need be. Optional: strapless dresses almost always look great with a short strand of pearls!

 

~ Peplums/Full skirts: I love a good peplum as much as the next girl, but under a graduation gown things might get a bit poofy. To avoid unsightly lumps and bumps in your gown caused by excessive peplums and full skirts, stick to A-line, "Fit and Flare," and shift style dresses.

 

~Footwear: Different schools have different requirements. Some schools require heels, some require a certain color shoe (black, for example), and some don't list a preference. Keep this in mind when dress shopping. You don't want to have to worry about toting multiple pairs of shoes to the ceremony. (ie: one pair for pictures and one pair for the actual ceremony.) It's a big day, and the last thing you want to worry about is shoe issues.

 

~How Many Dresses do I Need?: Looking for an excuse to buy another dress because you have an awards ceremony, senior banquet, actual graduation ceremony, and friends' parties? Yeah, me too. Then I realized it would be kind of crazy for me to have three separate dresses, especially since I was splurging on my dress for the actual ceremony. I decided to wear the same dress to the ceremony and my party (because I am absolutely in love with it!), and switch up the jewelry and shoes for each event. I have an awards ceremony as well, and I am wearing a dress I already have. This is a personal choice, but if you can it's always nice to maximize the wear on nicer dresses that you'd only wear once or twice. Then you can splurge and not feel as bad! Switch up the shoes and accessories and you can achieve a different look!

 

I hope this post helped you get some ideas for graduation dresses. If you have any questions or are in need of more specific suggestions, leave a comment below or e-mail me at stylishclassycreative@gmail.com.

 

I can't wait to see your dress choices! Link up posts/pictures in the comments.

 

Cue the Pomp and Circumstance!

 

Stay Stylish, Stay Classy, Be Creative

 

Emily