style + beauty blog in the dc metro area
Happy 4th of July; I’ve been busy attempting an Americana icebox cake and hiding out from the rain {boo}, but am wrapping up the Americana style series today with this fun navy gingham dress.
Gingham Off The Shoulder Dress for 4th of July Click To Tweet{This post may contain affiliate and/or referral links. I may receive a small commission at no extra cost to you if you make a purchase through a link in this post. Thank you for your support of What Nicole Wore.}
Let’s be honest: every Monday during the summer is a day where I question why I haven’t yet won the lottery so that I can go on vacation for an entire season. With that in mind, it seemed like as good a time as any to revisit my trip last month to Marco Island, Florida!
We had such a yummy lunch at Snook Inn {and drinks too}. I ordered the Thai Shrimp tacos and a strawberry daiquiri {and a peach pina colada too, because YOLO.} I’m notoriously NOT a spicy food person, but the Thai peanut sauce was too tempting for me to turn down and I’m so glad I didn’t resist because the tacos were amazing. We all split an order of the conch fritters which I’d highly recommend.
One of my favorite things that we did on our trip was going out on an airboat ride; I really had no idea what to expect, but it was a great way to get out in the sun while still catching some breeze and cruising through the maze like swamp land.
Another thing that I loved? A manatee cruise! We headed to a small marina and met up with a captain that guaranteed we’d get to see some of the sea cows; we followed {from a safe distance} a mama and her baby. Pro tip: if you have polarized sunglasses, be sure to bring them so that you have better visibility through the water.
Our first meal when we got to Naples was at The Village Pub in Venetian Village. I was intrigued by the idea of chicken salad in a pineapple “boat,” but the real star of this salad was the peppery vinaigrette; it was so good over my leafy greens and mandarin oranges.
Hey girl hey! I’m rounding up a ton of my recent instagram posts today; don’t forget that if you ever want to shop them sooner, you can always register for LIKEtoKNOW.it and get shoppable links sent straight to your inbox! You can adjust the frequency of how often you receive emails too or just head to the direct, case sensitive links provided in each Instagram caption.
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Oh and did you catch my guest post over on Bright on a Budget yesterday? Giving you the lowdown on my Clare V inspired leopard clutch that’s only $40 {compared to $250!}
Cheers to the freakin’ weekend, y’all! I’m so excited for summer to finally be here and the change in season means a change in wardrobe. I find myself holding onto certain winter staples throughout the spring because Louisville never seems to make a decision on the weather until late in the game. Last month, I was still wearing vests and even my snow boots {#amazing}, but I’m ready to put them all away until fall and only hold onto my rain jacket from here on out.
Cami style tops aren’t usually my thing because strapless bras are usually the enemy in my mind, but this pin tucked, printed cami jumped out at me and it was perfect for vacation, especially after my sunburn when I didn’t want to have a ton of fabric rubbing against my burnt skin. This top comes in a couple different patterns and is on major sale this weekend, so definitely scoop it up while it’s still in stock in your size. The straps are adjustable and the material is lightweight which makes it perfect for summer.
So let’s talk Friday Favorites:
When it comes to accessories, I like to use color to contrast, so pairing my pink beaded statement necklace with the turquoise and white of this tank was a no brainer. Complementing the colors, I put on my tan leather strap watch that I’ve been wearing quite a bit lately + a couple go to’s: my gold spiked stretch bracelet, gold ring & tortoise sunglasses.
Wishing you a safe and fun Memorial Day weekend! See you on Monday 🙂
Memorial Day weekend is upon us and that means its time to unpack all your whites {if you’re someone that puts them away every Labor Day}, fire up the grill and bring out the swimsuits!
I snagged this suit about a month ago, the top is available in four different solid colors, two colorblock options and one fun print. I wanted to find a strappy top that wouldn’t make my chest completely disappear so this top was a good compromise for me, plus the price was great.
I really bought this bikini top for the front, but the strappy back is fun but also functional — something I always worry about with bikinis. When picking out bottoms, I tend to go for pieces that provide more coverage for the booty; I liked that with picking a solid top I was able to look through all the various bikini bottom options VS had and find one that I really liked and felt comfortable with. This bottom has strappy, braided sides, but is not the “cheeky” bottom that haunts my ‘why didn’t I go to the gym sooner’ nightmares.
I brought tons of towels to the beach with me and ended sticking with this tasseled beach towel almost the whole trip. I’m also a big fan of how long Vera Bradley’s beach towels are; I’m not sure if my mom just made me use my little kid towels for too long, but my late childhood pool memories always include my ankles and head not fitting on. This towel really can be spread out and would be perfect to throw over the seat on your boat or for having a picnic on.
I’ve talked up these tortoise frames a few times since I snagged them from DITTO, but I’m having the hardest time thinking about sending them back. They go with everything, are oversized without being too big and I love how they fit on my face. I’m not usually a designer sunglass person, because I have a track record that includes losing sunglasses in the bottom of my purse and crushing them when I forget that I left them sitting in the seat of my car, but my DITTO subscription has been a great way to try different shapes, colors and sizes without financially committing. So far the Karen Walker and Ray Ban shades I’ve tried have been my favorites.
Of course, with the ‘sun’s out, guns out’ mentality, I had to be sure to get sunscreen from my beach bag and wear my DIY beach hat for added sun protection. Summer’s my favorite season and I’m thrilled to be able to bring out all my pool floats again {saw the CUTEST pizza slice + ice cream cone at FiveBelow on Monday but resisted…for now.}
What are your Memorial Day weekend plans?
