Hello, Beautiful!

Let’s talk casual (and COMFY!) and affordable spring style, shall we?

Pollen over everything, AmIRight?! No, but really . . . you guys . . . there is pollen . . . all over . . . everything . . . SOS . . .

Spring weather has been in full swing lately here in the Queen City, and I don’t know about you, but that means my allergies have been in full swing, too. Pollen is covering everything with a dust-like lime green coating, so I’m going to need a whole lot more of the April showers we were blessed with last night. Until then, Mama goes nowhere without her Zyrtec and Vitamin E nose lotion. (Attractive, I know.)

With Spring weather comes all the fun spring activities (allergies or not), and I’m very much about keeping it comfy and casual for spring weekend outings. Whether you’re grilling out, catching a baseball game, strolling through the park, or living that lake life, it doesn’t hurt to feel comfy + cute while you’re at it. Keep on reading for my two favorite outfit ensembles lately . . . they just might get you so excited for Spring you wet your plants! (You. Are. Welcome!)

Ripped Jeans + Comfy Tees

I fully realize I’m not reinventing the wheel or anything when I tell you that there’s nothing cooler or more casual than throwing on some ripped jeans with a comfy tee. This kind of street style has been popular since the ’70’s and is just not going anywhere. Ripped jeans survived the hard rock and heavy metal era of the ’80’s, the grunge of the ’90’s, the ’90’s Revival that began in 2010, and are still heavily popular today. I think it’s safe to say that ripped jeans – and apparently the ’90’s – aren’t going anywhere. Better grab your Lisa Frank scissors and get to cuttin’.

If you’re not big on DIY distressing, invest in a nice pair of slightly distressed jeans from Express, J. Crew Mercantile, or Ann Taylor Loft (I’m just saying, there’s no reason to pay full price if you shop outlet stores or sales – just be sure you try it before you buy it!). This one piece of clothing will set you up with a fashion staple for life, something you can easily take from day to night while keeping the comfy.

I adore my ripped jeans from Express because they’ve got just enough stretch and fit just right after each wash. I caught ’em on sale one weekend while shopping with my then-fiance and our Best Man, John.

10/10 would highly recommend these babies:

Try them in white, which as on trend as it gets right now:

Pro Tip: Express is having a 40% off denim sale right now, so both of those jeans above are marked down to just $50 (& some are even below that)! GO!

Pick a casual tee to throw on top that fits your style, whether it’s your fav band’s tour shirt or a preppy v-neck. You can easily mimic Kourtney Kardashian’s effortless street style by taking a stroll through the Target men’s section, where you can find soft, cheap, and edgy screen-print tees.

Like to keep it simple & classic? Pop over to the women’s section and grab a super-soft v-neck tee in colors like olive, black, white, or black-and-white striped.

Serious closet staples that will go with shorts, skirts, cardigans, and just about anything else. All you need is your favorite statement necklace for a pop of color and boom, you’re ready to go and ya barely even tried.

Take another cue from the Kardashians (don’t hate the playa) and pair white on white to really make a clean and bright spring statement.

Pro Tip: Women’s v-neck, scoop, and flowy tees are all on sale right now . . . starting at just $6! RUN!

When you’re def not a model but you do enjoy the occasional Sonic Ocean Water with strawberries.

Buttercups under your chin is a springtime must.

Maxi Dresses

Will I ever get tired of Target’s spring maxi dresses? Or of anything Target-related? I hope my hubby reads this one because, as Simon Cowell says, “It’s a ‘NO’ from me.” (Sorry, Doll.)

Speaking of Hubby, I have a funny and potentially embarrassing story. We were in Target one weekend (okay, we go, like, every weekend, but that’s beside the point) looking for the perfect dress for me to wear to my best friend’s bridal shower. As a co-hostess, I wanted to make sure I looked the part, so Thomas started bringing me dresses he liked to the fitting room.

He noticed a few gorgeously bright maxi dresses hanging on the “needs to go back on the floor” rack right outside the fitting area and brought them to me because they reminded him of Lilly Pulitzer. I was instantly obsessed with the way they fit and the bright, colorful patterns really did make me feel like a nod to Lilly, so we decided to bring them home. Much to our surprise at the checkout, though . . . these dresses were only $15 each. And they were BOGO 50%, making our total for 4 dresses – from TARGET – around $42.

We didn’t question it because that had literally never happened to us in the history of Target. It’s a beautiful thing when not even Hubby can argue with the price tag, ya’ll.

A few days later I was in Tennessee shopping for some last-minute bridal shower necessities with my co-hostess Keeley in none other than . . . Target. It was the morning-of so we were already dressed for the shower, and when we started to walk past the kids’ section to the checkout area, Keeley stopped. “IS THAT YOUR DRESS?” she gasped, pointing to the children’s display . . .

And there they were: All four of my beautiful Lilly-esque, super-affordable gems of dresses by Cat & Jack, the Target kids’ line. The price, the size I had to go with (XL) . . . it all suddenly made sense. I had been wearing a freaking children’s dress and didn’t even know it. That is, until I was standing in the middle of the kids’ section wearing it.

With co-hostess Keeley and our bride-to-be, Randi-Carole! Such a fun day.

(This might be the point in my post where you begin to think, “Why on God’s green earth am I taking fashion advice from this fool?” and all I can say is that would be a valid thought.)

But ya know what? No regrets. I’d do it again in a heartbeat if I found a piece I instantly loved as much. Look, I’m about anything that looks amazing, makes me feel beautiful, and keeps my bank accounts (and my husband) happy. If digging through T.J. Maxx disaster-zone racks for hours looking for an actual Lilly dress that probably won’t happen to be in your size doesn’t bother you, I salute you. I’ll be in the Target children’s section. And the women’s section. And the men’s section.

I’ll just be in Target. (Where the women’s maxi dresses are also fuego, FYI.)