Kentucky Derby 2015 Style

Happy hump day lovelies! I’m counting down days until the weekend when all of my fun can start! In the mean time, let’s focus on something important that will be here before we know it: the Kentucky Derby. One of the oldest sporting events in America, this year horse lovers, millionaires, and preppy college students will flock to the racetrack on May 2nd!

In a previous post, I talked about my trip to the Derby in 2013. While it was memorable, I won’t be going back until I can get in an executive club suite to wait for the races to start. For those of you who are going this year, I suggest wearing this new Lilly Pulitzer shift that just came out! Bright, flamboyant colors are very appropriate for this day as ladies (and a few gents) go big or go home for the event. If there’s no rain in the forecast, try wearing espadrille wedges in a muted color like these Jack Rogers. Accessories wise, you can never go wrong with Kendra Scott! These earrings bring out the green in the dress beautifully.

Here’s the most important part of the outfit: the hat. Women wear some pretty incredible hats as part of the Kentucky Derby tradition. As someone who spent more time hanging out with other college-aged girls under the Vineyard Vines tent in the infield, I can tell you that this age group stuck to their monogrammed, wide-brimmed floppy hats. Older age groups wore more eccentric hats. The hat I featured is from The Palm Gifts.

Let me know if you plan on going to the Derby this year! I’d love to know what you’re wearing!

Girl’s Weekend in Annapolis

Happy Monday lovelies. I’ve been gone all weekend enjoying some girl time with my friends and making memories. We went up to Annapolis Saturday morning for the Army-Navy Lacrosse game. It was the perfect day for spending time outside in the sun. Weekends like this remind me of why it’s important for my mental health to go outside and be active. Winter is officially over and I’m bringing in the spring weather with some fun events!

Like I said, I went up to Annapolis for a lacrosse game with my friends Dawn and Kaisea. We got to the stadium and found a parking spot amongst the numerous tailgaters. After finding our seats we found ourselves sitting near midshipmen (and women), which was a good thing because we were cheering on our Navy boys. All of us girls were Navy brats at one point. After the game (Navy won 10-6), we went into downtown Annapolis to walk around and take pretty pictures. Unfortunately there were too many cars and not enough parking spaces. I drove around for an hour finding parking.

For dinner, we went with Dawn’s aunt and uncle to Japanese Hibachi. Is there anything better than watching a chef cook? It’s mesmerizing. Her uncle was generous enough to treat three broke college girls to dinner and then give us the details on where all the cool kids go to hangout on a Saturday night. He sent us to a place in Baltimore called Pazo. We got all dolled up and went to this posh place and sat at the bar where the girls ordered white wine and I got a latte; best latte I’ve ever had for the record. As we were sitting there, Dawn started chatting to an older man sitting next to her about the Baltimore Orioles win that night. Listening to their conversation I began to recognize his voice. I leaned over and said that his voice sounded familiar. As I said that it dawned on me, he, Gary Thorne, was the radio and television announcer for the Orioles. He smiled at me and said I nailed it. I laughed and told him that I had grown up listening to his voice on the radio to which he said, “God bless you child.” He was also kind enough to pay our tab before he left. I don’t think we had ever been so excited.

After our celebrity run in, the girls and I headed to the young adult hang out of Baltimore called Federal Hill. Essentially, it’s a college bar-crawl where the people watching is quite entertaining. We ended up going to an oyster bar turned dance floor to enjoy our evening. The people you meet in these places never cease to surprise me. My friends ran into a friend of theirs who had moved to Texas a few years back and was just in the city for the night. I ran into the entire Virginia Commonwealth University baseball team. The bouncers ran into a kid who just couldn’t quite figure out that you needed an ID to get in. They picked him up and tossed him out quite a few times.

We got back pretty late and went right to bed. Exhaustion is stilling running through my body. I figure I’m only young once though so I can handle this every once in a while. It was a fun weekend. Girl’s nights out are necessary. Tell me about your weekend in a comment below!

Blogger Challenge: Create a Look Around a Sporty Hat

Happy Wednesday y’all! Today, I’m doing something I absolutely hate– going to the dermatologist to have treatment done for my Hypohydrosis. For those of you who have never heard of this, it’s basically where your body produces too much perspiration under your arms. For me, it happens when I’m cold and my body is trying to warm me up, which makes no sense given that when you sweat your body is trying to cool you down. Anyway, the procedure goes like this: the doctor fills an applicator full with Botox and at the end of the applicator is a thin needle. The doctor then inserts the needle in about 30 different spots under each arm. Yes, this is painful and yes, Botox has been proven to work for conditions like this. I had it done back in March and it worked very well but over time the Botox wears off and you need another treatment. Wish me luck please!

In other more pleasant news, Fanatics.com and I teamed up to create a stylish, preppy look surrounding a hat that had a sports logo on it. Here’s my creation surrounding my love for the Baltimore Orioles. I chose this hat because it’s chilly outside and a hat with a pom pom on it just says “winter” to me. Pairing it with a few preppy essentials like a puffer vest and riding boots really makes the look sporty with a New England feel.

I’m a pure bred American and I love baseball so anything with a baseball sports logo on it makes me smile. My grandpa used to play on a farm team before he had to quit to take care of his family. That was back in the 1930s. You’ll never guess what the farm team eventually became: the Baltimore Orioles!

This hat is going in my winter wear collection. Fanatics.com has apparel for all MLB teams as well as other sports teams as well. My lovely hat and others can be found here.

Have a fabulous day!

Equestrian Memories and Style

Good morning loves! I hope this Saturday is warm and cozy for you. I’m drinking coffee with my pumpkin spice latte creamer in it along with a caramel biscotti. The little things like this make everyday special!

I was thinking about my childhood the other day and had a very distinct memory of my first time on a horse. I was about 10 and unfortunately got in the saddle using the wrong foot. I ended up backwards on the horse. It was at a carnival so everyone saw. I quickly dismounted the horse and decided to try again. I finally got it right. I’m sure even the horse thought I was a total idiot.

Now, the allure of the equestrian sports isn’t the bonding of a girl and her horse, it’s the style that gets me excited. Ralph Lauren turned average people into “horse people” overnight with his timeless pieces and elegant ensembles. I never thought riding pants or boots would become a classic and yet, they slowly are. Pair that with a button up oxford and blue blazer and you’ve got yourself a classic outfit. Add some Jackie O sunglasses, matching belt, watch, and gold monogram necklace and you’ll become a stereotypical WASP of the northeast.

Besides the labels and funny stereotypes that looks like these portray, I think it says something about what you value. To me, it says that I value elegance, American history, quality, and a lifestyle of sporting and socializing. If you’ve ever seen a Ralph Lauren commercial (you can watch them on YouTube), then you’ll know exactly what I mean. Truthfully, it’s beautiful.

To create a look like this doesn’t have to cost a fortune though. I looked all through Ebay and found blazers like the one pictured on sale for much cheaper than a brand new Ralph Lauren one. During a trip to a Ralph Lauren outlet store last spring, they had riding pants on clearance for under $40. This may sound like a lot but the pants are normally well over $100. Oxford shirts like the one pictured can be found anywhere at almost any price. The key to making them look good is professional tailoring. Taking in the shirt at the waist will make you appear smaller. Riding boots are also an easy find if you go to places like Marshall’s for their deals. You can get designer boots for half the price.

Finally, invest in a great belt that matches your Jackie O (or aviator) sunglasses. I chose tortoiseshell because the print is timeless and can be found in most stores at every budget. Check out Target for great deals on items like this. The monogram necklace is definitely a splurge item because it does have to be personalized in order to make the necklace worth it. Many online boutiques like Etsy will be able to find you something to suit your tastes.

Enjoy today and go pet some horses. Better yet, put together an outfit like the one above and send it to me. My email is in the contact tab at the top.

 

Playoff Attire

Playoffs by oceangirl15 featuring tory burch boots

In light of my team making it into the playoffs, I’m dedicating a post to it. I’m quite happy. It’s been awhile boys! When I was little, my parents would take me to baseball games and I’d be the kid decked out in orange and black jumping up and down trying to get on the mega tron. I was so cute! Now, I’d still be the girl doing that just with a lot more awkwardness. Less orange and black too. More J Crew and Tory Burch with a touch of my team colors.

Some people may hate me for saying this (especially my southern readers) but I really like baseball more than football. There’s so much more finesse in baseball compared to football. Plus, baseball is easier and more relaxing to watch. Its an American past time that I cherish and has been in my family for the last hundred years. Both sides of my family have had quite a few good players!

Tell me what team you’re pulling for in the playoffs!