OY! KRISTEN

This post is sponsored by Pinkblush. All opinions are my own.

Details:

Pinkblush Blue Leaf Print Maxi Dress, Stella & Dot Cuff (sold out, similar here), Stella & Dot Covet Letter Necklace, K2 Women's Kinetic 80 Inline Skate

Summertime, Summertime!

So here's the deal. I loved rollerblading as a kid - I used to turn on the radio and blade in circles in my parents garage. Sometimes I threw in a wild figure 8. And those hours logged in the garage listening to the Backstreet Boys is how I learned to blade backwards and do spins and whatnot. Now that summer is in full effect over here, our little family has been spending a considerable amount of time outside in the evenings when the sun isn't quite so blazing hot (seriously Georgia give it a rest.) Everett is adamant that I teach him how to roller blade, but I think I will just let him focus on learning to ride a bike at this point ;) But there is something about rollerblading that is intrinsic to my childhood, and it connect me to my young self in a way that nothing else does. It's physical, it's hard, it's sweaty - it's fun! And that has been our summer so far - all of those things!

In continuation of the summer dress up series, I wanted to share this adorable Blue Leaf Print Maxi Dress from Pinkblush because it's truly such a good summer time option when the heat almost too much to bear. I discovered Pinkblush when I was pregnant because of all their maternity dresses, but I've continued loving their women's clothing since my body has changed so much over the years between being pregnant, postpartum, getting back to a somewhat "normal", and then doing the whole thing over again with baby #2. These clothes just seem to "get" the motherhood bod and the site's variety of prints and cuts helps me feel fresh without breaking the bank, which obviously - I love.

My favorite part about this dress is the cut out and the slit because - hello, air pockets! Plus, the slit really let me be free whilst blading to my heart's merriment. And you don't have to pair this dress with rollerblades - a regular pair of sandals will do just fine, you just might not win as many bonus points from your kids ;)

What dresses are helping you stay cool in this summer heat?

Screen Shot 2018-06-27 at 6.16.28 AM.png

Thank you to Pinkblush for sponsoring this post.

I love finding style inspiration online and through Pinterest and Instagram, but the thing is... a lot of what I see isn't actually feasible for my actual REAL life. Being a mom and living in the suburbs, I just don't have many reasons throughout the week to put on my slamming-est high heels and smokiest eyeliner. I love those things, but it's not really apart of my everyday life.

But I really do love fashion and as I'm getting older I'm learning to be more confident in the things I gravitate towards. I love pairing different colors and styles together, and I really love being able to chameleon every so often and incorporate pieces from all "genres". Although I will say it makes for a kind of funny wardrobe. Every time my extremely, insanely stylish sister comes to town, she's always like, "What do you actually wear?!" Because my closet is such an odd hodgepodge of artistic/boho items, a bunch of leggings and t-shirts and then a bunch of classic, ladylike things. Style is so interesting, I could talk about it all day.

But instead! I wanted to show you 3 ways I styled this blue scallop dress, courtesy of Pinkblush, in ways that are actually true to my life (and hopefully yours!) As much as I love putting on a good pair of sparkly heels and painting the town red (gosh I miss the New York days of my life), the truth is that most days I am in my purple Vans and doing #momlife and work-from-home life.

1. Pre-School Pickup

Blue Ruffled Sleeve Scalloped Blue Dress, Old School Lilac Vans, Mama & Little Teresa Silicone Necklace, Land's End Junior Original Backpack

^ Don't worry, I don't actually bust this move at pre-school pick-up. This one is just for you guys ;)

Pinkblush is mostly known for their maternity clothes (which is how I was introduced to them and their pieces make a pregnant gal feel GOOD) - but they actually have a ton of women's clothing for non-baby-growing seasons, as well. Things I love about this dress: the loose shift cut, the perfect spring color (!), and the super sweet bell sleeves. It's got a really great throwback Mary Tyler Moore vibe, especially styled below with a structured work tote - I love it! P.S. - Everett zooming by me in the pic above just makes me SO FREAKING HAPPY. That child loves to run.

2. Work Meetings

Blue Ruffled Sleeve Scalloped Blue Dress, blush flats (out of stock, similar here and here), Kate Spade Wright Place Tote, Stella & Dot Blair Choker

3. City Sightseeing

Blue Ruffled Sleeve Scalloped Blue Dress, Sebago Boots, Felt Hat (similar here), Leather Jacket (a gift from Stevie!), Madewell Knotshine Necklace, Michael Kors Leather Watch (many seasons old, similar here)

There you have it! Three ways I would actually put this dress into good use. Although I admit I would still love to slip on some glitter heels and give this baby a whirl somewhere downtown. But let's be honest, the only dancing I'll be doing in this dress is going to be with my 1-year old, because he tolerates my Disney vocal stylings and will actually twirl around the room with me without his hands over his ears.

Where is the most likely place you would wear this dress? I'd love to hear back from you in the comments section if you feel like posts like these are helpful! xx