Popping in for a very rare Sunday post, but I unfortunately did not get to share last week’s Derby Days post so I wanted to catch up today (:  I had the best time yesterday co-hosting a blogger style event at Macy’s and will definitely be sharing some more about it as well as photos soon!

I’ve had so much fun writing this Derby Days series; it’s actually something that’s been over a year in the making; when I first started my blog last March, I really wanted to do Derby related posts but wasn’t in the position to do it at the time.  This year, I started planning stuff out in February and it’s been awesome to see it all come together.  With less than two weeks until the big race, I just want to take a moment to say thank you x a million to all of my sponsors that have been apart of this series and my wonderful readers that have given such positive feedback.

I ordered this dress last year from SheIn and it was the very first item that I ordered from them.  The fit is perfect and I love the gorgeous and bold spring colors.  I wore this last year for Easter, but am always looking for new ways to work this dress into my closet rotation.  I’ve styled it before on the blog with a jean vest, but when I started planning out my Derby content, I knew that I wanted this dress to be apart of it.

My mom and I usually make hats when we go to Derby or Oaks and two years ago, I snagged this white hat from Dee’s, a local Louisville craft store.  Dee’s always has stunning hats + the option to have a hat made custom to go with your outfit, but as I’ve said before — it’s not uncommon for the hat to end up being more than your outfit.  Even the plain bases {like this white one} are a bit pricy {not compared to other hat stores in the area, just in general}; I want to say I paid a little more than $50 for this one and that’s on the less expensive side for Dee’s.  Still even with their prices, I really do love going to the store because all of their supplies and finished hats and fascinators are beautiful.

I really wanted to pull in the mint from my dress after I decided on wearing this hat with it, so I brought out my mint bauble necklace {still a personal favorite!} and my new mint sandals from Old Navy.  Side note on these sandals: they come in a ton of colors and keep going on sale.  I’m pretty sure I want to do some kind of DIY project on them, but haven’t gotten the time to yet.  Stay tuned.

I chose to keep accessories minimal and just wore my Fieldcrest watch instead of any bracelets.  I love the classic and neutral wood; it’s always a big conversation starter in crowds too. If you’re looking for something special for Mother’s Day, be sure to check out JORD’s site!  I love how these watches are such unique gifts.

My clutch is actually a crossbody bag that I take the strap off of when I want a clutch.  I bought this three years ago for Kentucky Oaks from Nordstrom Rack.  It has 8 card slots inside so that I can put my ID, cards and some cash in without losing room to a wallet and then is the right size for my phone, hair ties, keys and other essentials.  Bonus: the inside is a fun black and white striped fabric.  Churchill Downs did switch to a smaller purse requirement a few years ago for safety reasons so this one has been the perfect size + I love the crossbody option.

Have you caught the first two posts from the Derby Days Series? Check them out here: Pink for Oaks and Blue Cape Dress.