// Navy + Chambray

I think this is my favorite outfit to wear as of recently. Something about the blue on blue, dots and stripes. To be fair, the cardigan came into play during a nice two-day reprieve of the heat, but I've been wearing this dress to death. I picked it up at JCPenney last weekend and seriously, that store blew my mind! I haven't shopped in a JCP in well over 10 years, though I do appreciate the Sephoras inside! I liked a dress on a recent JCP commercial so we decided to stop by while we had some time to kill last Saturday. Mike nearly never got me to leave! I probably pulled 20 dresses to take to the fitting room the first round, then we maybe stopped at another JCP on the way home haha! Every single dress was on sale and they had extra 20% coupons to add on top of everything. I was seriously in heaven! Mike even managed to find some incredibly flattering khaki shorts, too. We're planning on heading back to stock up on a few pair for him because they're the perfect length and price ($13!). This IZOD tote bag was also a major sale find - I snagged it at TJ Maxx a while back on clearance for only $15. I bought it because I knew it'd be the perfect vacation bag. It's a nice size and will come in handy for sunscreen, iPad, towels, etc. I love me a good sale find.

This weekend was a nice relaxing (albeit hot!) one. Saturday Toby and I spent the day over at my parents' house while Mike took care of some stuff out of town. We all loaded up in the evening and drove over to the Pink Cadillac drive-in to see The Croods and Iron Man 3. We popped popcorn and stocked up a cooler, then loaded up some camping + crescent chairs for comfort. The Croods was adorable and Iron Man 3 was fantastic. I was a bit distracted though, as shooting stars blew up the sky. We saw the most amazing one that looked exactly like a firework (but wasn't, obviously haha). Seeing the stars like that is one major perk of living out in the country. I don't miss that light pollution one bit! Toby knocked out in a blanket bundle as IM3 started and slept it out in the Jeep until I tucked him into bed. My stepdad saw a flyer saying that the drive in will potentially close down in August due to the cost of running it, so we're planning on seeing as many movies there as possible. I'll be so bummed when it goes - It's such a staple for growing up around here! I wish we could buy it and make it over. Wouldn't that be so fun?! Sunday was spent cleaning the house (finally!) and then lounging around over at my parents' again. Toby played in the sprinkler and then we grilled out for dinner. Being able to see our families so much is the icing on the cake for living down here. I really really thought we were going to hate it... but it turned out to be just what we needed!

After we got home last night we started pulling out some crafts to prototype and sketch. We're in crunch mode for Porter Flea which happens on May 31st + June 1st. We took on way fewer designers this go around because we phased everyone out, so we have some huge shoes to fill. We're trying to give our local customers something new and exciting, and I'm really stoked on unveiling a lot of our recent efforts. Part of me is also panicking because not only do we have to prepare for Porter Flea, but I also have to keep up with other work such as designs and sign orders. I'm not even sure why I opened up the sign shop on Etsy... I think I've sold all of 2 on there, but a few dozen via email. I've been having a lot of repeat customers lately who bought their first one for the holidays, and are now buying them for wedding season! (Seriously, they make the best wedding gifts!) I've been toying with ways to make them festival-market ready by using quotes and things like that, but I've almost run out of supplies so I can only hope to have them at Porter Flea. I guess that's a good problem to have! Are any of you local Nashvillians coming?! I'd love to see you! If we've never met, please drop by the booth and say hello!

Today it's supposed to hit at least 90* and the humidity is seriously deadly. I'm hoping I can get enough work done early on so we can sneak over to my parents' house for some pool action. Then it'll be back to the grind. The next two weeks will be pretty crazy, but shortly after Porter Flea we'll be able to pack up our swimsuits, hop in the RV and set sail for the beach! Ahh! Vacation cannot come soon enough!

Here's to hoping you have a super productive (and air conditioned!) Monday xo

JCPenney dress (similar)
Forever 21 cardigan
IZOD tote
MIA Jukebox wedges

// Nautilus

Ever since the sun started to come out in full force I've noticed that my hair is getting a lot lighter. Not that that's magic or anything, but it's making my nearly-black roots that much more noticeable. Every morning when I look in the mirror I have to ask myself "When is it going to just look way too lazy?" Prior to keeping my hair dyed bright, bright red (for 2.5 years), I hadn't dyed my hair in about 6 years, so it was 100% natural in color. I really like the whole "less upkeep" thing (red was exhausting honestly) but I'm not huge on the ombre trend... I just can't bring myself to dye over my roots/natural color. It's probably super silly to even worry that much about it, right? Even worse to dedicate a whole paragraph to it? 

This dress is a trusty ol' Nine West number. You know how much I love them! I picked it up at Marshall's a few weeks back because I loved the white eyelet detail at the top. Plus I love a good navy polka dot dress (I own too many!) It's always a good day to wear MIA Jukebox wedges, too. Mike snapped a little picture (above) of my new Lisa Leonard necklace that I totally adore. It's dainty and simple, but definitely means a lot. (You can get your last minute entries in to win an LL piece of your own HERE!) You can't really tell on my clutch but there's some suede detail on the front flap that totally reminds me of a watermelon. All of the red does my sunburn no favors but I'm happy to report that it's finally turning!

Sometimes I really appreciate this blog (I mean, I always appreciate it, but you know). I feel like it's helped me sort of "work through" a few issues over the years. For example: I'm no stranger to going without a cardigan in public, and I've even posted on LCH without one on many occasions. Even still, each and every time I decide to skip the sweater on the internet, I get nervous. It's a natural reaction to any sort of body hangup we have about ourselves, but I've found that by just putting it out there, it helps make me more likely to do it again in the future. My arms are far from my favorite feature and it's so great to see so much body positivity and confidence in the blog world. Now I'm just rambling, but I guess I just want to say thanks for help making LCH a place for personal growth. Hopefully you've found something over the years that has helped you along the way, too!

Now I'm going to go enjoy a little bit of sunshine before the storms roll in! We didn't even leave the house yesterday because it rained and rained and rained! 24 hours gave me total cabin fever! Happy Saturday! xo

Nine West dress via Marshall's

Hand-stamped necklace c/o Lisa Leonard (win your own here!)

MIA Jukebox wedges

// Mintsicle

First things first - check out that sunburn! It was not nearly as bad as it appears in the photos... or maybe it was and it just didn't feel like it. I tried taking advantage of the first "summery" day earlier this week by laying out on my parents' deck. I know it's super bad to roast yourself in the sun, but it was nice and relaxing for the hour that I had to myself. I didn't feel like I got any sun really, but the sunburn showed up later that night in all it's glory! Every one of my tattoos were slathered with SPF 50+, but I guess I got a lil' big for my britches by putting some tanning oil on the non-tattooed parts. Yow! Lesson learned. I think I prefer the sun-less rub-on kind of tan haha Moving on... (that photo below... yeah I don't know that. The pose is redonk.)

How amazing is this dress? Don't you love how I say that about every dress ever?! Well, this dress was a challenge. I first saw it at TJ Maxx a couple of months ago and immediately knew I had to have it. It was a Jessica Simpson dress and the only size they had was a 6. HA! Good luck KB. I took down all of the tag information and proceeded to call every single TJ Maxx in middle Tennessee on the hunt for it. I found it in a size 10 at one store, but I didn't like the length. A few weeks later I found it in a 14 at a store but it was too big. Lo and behold one fateful shopping day, I found it in a 12! Huzzah! I had seriously returned this very same dress at least 2 or 3 times on my weeks-long hunt, but I finally found it! I was *this* close to paying full retail price ($138! but it's currently 40% off!) at Nordstrom just to have it, but I saved a whopping $88 by snagging it for under $50! If you watch New Girl then you may recognize it as the same dress that Zooey Deschanel wore on the show recently. I've had it for a few weeks now and the newness still hasn't worn off. I love it so much. It's a nice, thick fabric with some crochet detailing. It won't whip around in the wind!

I paired it with my trusty ol' polka dot cardigan and my new favorite necklace (it's even prettier in person!) from The Northern Sea. Seriously, this necklace is on point. I feel like it's the perfect complement to the JS dress. Mike actually picked out the shoes for this outfit. I was leaning toward my MIA Jukebox wedges (as always!) but realized I had worn all 3 pairs I own just this week. A nice neutral platform for the win.

Wednesday we drove up to Nashville to have dinner with two of my favorite people (and best friends) in the world: Elle and Bryan. They're packing up and moving to North Carolina in just 8 days and my heart is breaking. I'm going to miss them so much! I grew up 3 doors down from Bryan and we lived together for a while when I was in college (you may remember that if you were a reader of LCH from the very beginning!). Elle has been one of my dearest friends since freshmen year at O'More... I don't know what I'll do with myself! They just happen to be moving to our very favorite place (Wilmington!) so we're definitely going to visit, but I wish there wasn't going to be 700 miles between us. // Thursday was more of a laid back day, though Toby had a speech appointment so we did quite a bit of driving. Then when we got home his little neighbor friend came over to play. I love living where we do because Toby has so many friends to share his days with. It's really fun to see him grow as a social little dude.

Today I'm really hoping to finish up the last of some lingering design work for the week, and then get started on moving in Honeybean inventory. We open our doors for the first time this year in just 2 weeks, but we feel so unprepared! There are so many products that need to be made, ordered and accounted for. This is the first weekend in a while that we don't have any definite plans. I'm hoping it'll include a lot of relaxation and maybe some pool action, but I'm getting antsy for camping in the RV already! Any of y'all planning anything exciting for the weekend?!

Jessica Simpson dress via TJ Maxx (currently on sale!)

Forever 21 cardigan

Mint bib necklace c/o The Northern Sea

Blowfish shoes

// Things I Love Thursday v.135

*Please forgive the wonky font size down in the Links! Blogger is so finnicky. 

*(Edited to add: Please note that there is a very powerful/heavy image in the middle of this TiLT post re: Bangladesh factory collapse. It's not the typical LCH TiLT post material, but I feel that it's a very powerful image and deserves to be shared. I decided against merely linking it in the post because (to me) it sends a very intense message. I failed to offer any warning when the post was first published, but understand the stance of my surprised readers. The image is graphic, though not gory.)

♥ these cats who think they're sushi! ♥

♥ these luminous creatures captured by underwater photographer joshua lambus ♥

♥ critter lollipops! ever had one?! ♥

♥ this "anxiety series" by lindsay joy is really interesting ♥

♥ the most haunting image from the Bangladesh factory collapse. so heartbreaking. ♥

♥ mmm! macarons! i still need to try my hand at these! ♥

♥ this love this dainty necklace (and the cheap price tag!) ♥

♥ this moth is so beautiful! ♥

♥ these things are great things! ♥

// I really love this post. It's so easy to judge people, parents especially, for every day things. I love that this mother + daughter can share these photos + memories for life.

“I firmly believe in small gestures: pay for their coffee, hold the door for strangers, over tip, smile or try to be kind even when you don’t feel like it, pay compliments, chase the kid’s runaway ball down the sidewalk and throw it back to him, try to be larger than you are— particularly when it’s difficult. People do notice, people appreciate. I appreciate it when it’s done to (for) me. Small gestures can be an effort, or actually go against our grain (“I’m not a big one for paying compliments…”), but the irony is that almost every time you make them, you feel better about yourself. For a moment life suddenly feels lighter, a bit more Gene Kelly dancing in the rain.” - Joshua Carroll

// This woman channelled the death of her mother into a memorial photo project that is absolutely breathtaking. All of the colors, textures, and thought put into the frames is unreal.

// Some of the things being said about Angelina Jolie in the news of her double mastectomy is absolutely disgusting. It blows my mind that people actually think this way.

// Am I allowed to want literally everything on Fab right now?! Because I do. Sometimes I just have to avoid it all together.

// This is definitely a new kind of inclusion in my TiLT posts, but what about a porn site that has a new kind of mission? One that is working to help offer an alternative (and real) approach to sex education? It exists! And it's the brain child of a woman! You go girl.

// 44 Reasons why you're Chandler Bing.... SO GOOD!

// SHUT UP. SHUT UP. SHUT UP! John Krasinski lipsynching to Katy Perry's "Teenage Dream" -- This is the best thing!

// As if you needed any more reason to pick up all of the amazeballs jewelry at The Northern Sea, they now offer 100% FREE shipping in the US of A! Can I offer you some suggestions? Anchor studs (they come in so many colors!) -- this midi ring -- this arrow bracelet

// "Thrift Store Gore" is a hilarious feature and this one did not disappoint! Oh my stars.

// Wishlist Wears: this dinosaur skeleton necklace is so so good! ♥ this gorgeous mint dress! ♥ green + lace chiffon dress ♥ this amazing artsy planet dress! ♥ this gorgeous mint necklace ♥ dainty wishbone necklace ♥ this floral high waisted bikini! ♥ and maybe this striped one, too! ♥ the "Edie" and "Silla" shoes are SO good! ♥ but the "Ida" and "Ione" are my all-time favorite ♥ 

// A really interesting breakdown about the now-viral article about wealthy families "renting" disabled tour guides in order to skip lines at Disney.

// What The Parenting Books Don't Tell You: Three Year Olds Are Jerks. (Spoiler alert: 4 year olds, too... sometimes haha But gosh they're precious.)

// This looks like a vintage market I'd like!

// I'd go crazy at a huge plant stand like this! I've been obsessed with our little garden lately.

What are you loving this week?

// PUBLIC Bikes Giveaway

PUBLIC is a San Francisco-based bicycle and gear company and if you use the internet at all (obviously!), you've heard of them. They design and sell urban bikes, along with accessories to make riding more enjoyable, practical, and chic. You can dress in casual or business attire, and wear pumps, tennis shoes, or flip flops - just about anything - while riding their bikes. They are kicking off the new 2013 summer season with fun colors + exciting, new models. The 7-speed Dutch style bikes are very affordable and stylish. The colors red + orange are eye-catching and bold. They are all fashion-forward bikes that combine old-school aesthetic charm with modern components. Reliable and utilitarian enough to be your everyday, rain or shine, commuter workhorse. Chic enough to turn heads on the street. 2 lucky winners will get $100 merchandise credit at PUBLIC! Check out how you can be one of the lucky two below.

Check out the current bikes HERE! 

Comment below with your favorite color and model.

A winner will be chosen at random next weekend and announced shortly thereafter! Be sure to leave a way for me to get in contact with you in case you're the lucky guy or gal.

♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ 

In celebration of launching their first city road bike, PUBLIC is also giving away 2 R16 city road bikes! It is very easy to enter. All you need to do is get your friends to enter the contest! Everyone who enters the contest will automatically join the PUBLIC email list. Deadline to enter is June 1, 2013! See this page for more details.