I Never Promised You a Begonia Garden

You know summer is in full-force in NYC when you see blooming begonias on Park Avenue.  I think we got about 6-10 days of actual spring this year.  I only know this because I associate spring with "tulip weather."  My dad was legendary in Fort Worth for planting beautiful tulips and I learned that it takes a very specific spring climate for them to thrive.  Park Avenue is known for its spring tulips, but this year, in what felt like under a week, sweltering temperatures took over and the famous florals began to wilt and die.  Within a day or two they were replaced by the Park Avenue signature flower: the resilient, heat-withstanding begonia.

To channel my inner begonia, I choose to dress with the sun.  There's no such thing as "too bright" on a sunny summer day. I tend to incorporate vibrant pieces year-round, but when June hits there's no holding back. I was amused, but not entirely surprised, to find that these neon yellow Valentino rockstud pumps not only complemented, but actually matched like 7 dresses in my closet. Who has 7 dresses with neon yellow in them? Me. I guess I like to stand out? 

One of the dresses is this floral, turquoise, Pucci-inspired muumuu/kaftan.  I bought it at Forever 21 for like $27 in 2012 when I was pregnant with my daughter and I'm telling you I've probably worn it 27 times which averages out to $1 per wear, making the Valentino shoe splurge completely justifiable, right!? 

I've previously excessorized the dress in a multitude of ways from giant white plastic earrings to contrasting hot pink clutch, but on this bright day I really wanted to play up the bright neon. This Erickson Beamon "I Never Promised You a Rose Garden" necklace is one of those purchases that seems impractical, but then actually ends up working with 90% of your wardrobe. With its central neon yellow rose and turquoise jeweled accents, I couldn't resist styling it into the look. If you're too timid to rock bright on bright on bright, you must at the very least invest in a vibrant, bold necklace. I promise you a [rose, begonia, and tulip] garden that it will bring style and joy to years of outfits.

Think like the begonia, and keep cool out there, y'all! 

Dress: Forever 21, Shoes: Valentino, Necklace: Erickson Beamon, Bag: Fendi

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Playing it Safe

Black Dress +  Bold Accessories = Chic Mama-to-Be 

This is the most brainless maternity equation.  It's so easy, it makes it hard to wear anything else. I featured this LBMD (little black maternity dress) in my Mother's Day post here and mentioned that I would be wearing it several more times during the duration of baby bump bliss.  Nothing feels or looks as good as basic black once you hit the last trimester.  The LBMD can take you to just about any event, day or night.  Best part?  By keeping the color palette solid and the silhouette simple, there's plenty of room for creative accessorizing.  

On this particular evening I was playing doctor's wife at the annual dinner for the NYU Department of Surgery, so anything too loud was out of the question.  The hubs immediately nixed my hot pink, crystal embellished ostrich feather clutch.  He always says he prefers me to look like a black Ferrari instead of a yellow Ferrari...subtle and sleek vs. over-the-top and aggressive.  Interesting analogy, huh?  I usually completely disregard it, but this being his night and all, I decided to try to comply.  I guess most surgeons don't really appreciate excessive accessorizing as much as I do.  Because it would be a crime to completely dim the sparkle, my version of "playing it safe" still obviously includes a statement necklace, a cocktail ring, fierce heels, and a pop of color.  

Dress: ASOS Maternity, Necklace: Erickson Beamon, Ring: Erickson Beamon (e-mail me to special order), Shoes: Schutz (available now at 655 Madison), Clutch: Lelya (similar)

American Girl in a Mexican Dress

Let's talk 4th of July essentials.  This year, in addition to sunshine and apple pie, my must-have for Independence Day is the Mexican dress.  Ironic, I suppose, but it makes total sense.  It's lightweight, easy to accessorize, and comes in a variety of festive colors.  Add a red lip, oversized sunnies, and a Panama hat and you'll be whistling G-d Bless America in no time.  The Mexican dress doubles as a fab swimsuit coverup for your poolside BBQ and can even be dressed up with a snakeskin stiletto and gold statement earring for an evening soiree with fireworks.  Can't make it to Mexico to score the perfect dress in time for the 4th? This particular dress is from ASOS, but I've found some fantastic and super inexpensive authentic, vintage ones at Etsy that have become my daily summer uniform. Check out some of my fave Mexican dress picks at the bottom of the post.  

Now about these amazing sunglasses--oversized is an absolute necessity for a glamorous summer day and I am still obsessing the cat-eye trend. One of the most fabulous women on earth, Alyce Jones, of Adair Eyewear (the BEST eyewear store on the planet) in Fort Worth, Texas, introduced me to this ultra-chic Australian brand, Valley Eyewear, and I am completely smitten.  These handcrafted sunglasses are probably the sexiest thing to come out of Australia since Miranda Kerr...next level. If you live in Fort Worth, stop by and meet fabulous Alyce and check them out! 

Dress: ASOS,  Hat: J.Crew, Sandals: Jeffrey Campbell, Ring: Erickson Beamon, Sunglasses: Valley Eyewear (via Adair Eyewear), Bag: ASOS, Bracelet: CC Skye

Some Fave Mexican Dresses

ASOS

Star Mela

Pia Pauro

Vintage via Etsy

Madewell

Vintage via Etsy

Tory Burch

Free People

Vintage via Etsy

BB Dakota

Zucca

Free People

Baby Bump Blues

Cobalt is having a major moment in summer fashion, from handbags to beaded tribal jewels.  Although I never usually shy away from bold color, in the last trimester of pregnancy I would typically stick to a basic black sheath for formal affairs, while tying in vibrant and/or sparkly accessories.  However, I saw this beautiful blue dress and I just couldn't resist trying it on.  Luckily, it happened to fit the bump nicely and the beaded embellishment at the top draws the eye up to keep the focus on the face rather than the preggo bod.  Of course we happen to have 4 weddings and a couple of additional fancy events that all fall in my 8th and 9th month of pregnancy (a fashion nightmare), so I was so relieved to find another fun cocktail dress to add into the mix.  I am down to one pair of stilettos that I can stand to keep on for more than 5 minutes at a time. Thank goodness they worked with this dress! No wedding look would be complete without some glitz, so I busted out the Edie Parker "Lizzy" clutch and jeweled up in Erickson Beamon baubles.  I just had to push the accessories boundaries and have a matchy-matchy moment with the cobalt rose ring.  This is a "blue period" that is ironically quite joyful.

Dress: Little Mistress Maternity, Clutch: Edie Parker (available at Bergdorf Goodman or Pink Label), Earrings, Necklace, and Ring: Erickson Beamon, Sandals: Giuseppe Zanotti (similar)

Pregnant in Paisley

I'm a sucker for a good pattern...and a paisley pattern? Even better!  Recently, I've been avoiding patterns when it comes to form-fitting clothing, because it can get pretty busy with the baby bump.  This particular dress is from ASOS maternity and the pattern is strategically placed in a way that is actually flattering with a pregnant bod.  Even though the paisley pattern is intense, the colors on the dress aren't particularly loud which leaves room for bold accessorizing.  I've worn this dress several times and each time I've had fun accessorizing it completely differently--from giant gold hoops to hot pink clutch! On this particular day I chose my season-essentail candy-colored cuff and my neon rockstud pumps because you can never go wrong with an unexpected splash of day-glo...at least not in my excessive world. 

Dress: ASOS Maternity, Cuff: Erickson Beamon, Shoe: Valentino, Sunglasses: Ray Ban, Bag: Chanel