Happy Halloween

Happy Halloween! What are your plans for tonight? In my neighborhood, children trick or treat on Halloween, no matter what day of the week it is, so I'm looking forward to seeing a couple hundred visitors tonight. Our first year in the neighborhood, I completely underestimated how much candy I needed and ran out after only an hour or so. For several years, I bought so much candy so far in advance that the temptation to sample the sweets won so off I went to buy more bags of treats.

Finally I found a solution. Stickers and temporary tattoos. I eliminated the temptation to eat anything before Halloween night.

The weekend brought unusually warm temperatures and I didn't need to wear a coat all weekend. Of course, on Saturday the weather triggered both heat and the air conditioning. Welcome to fall in Maryland. I just brought out a few finishing touches for the Halloween decor for the porch.

I'm loving the leopard print shift tee shirt dress for fall. It's so comfortable and fits true to size. Although it's technically a dress, I felt much more comfortable with a pair of leggings under it.

Dress  //  Leggings  //  Bag, Longchamp  //  Shoes

 

Between the girls' school, sports, volunteer, and work activities and my busy schedule, our calendar bursts with activity. Yesterday, I thought that Natalia and Alexia had to babysit at church. They both told me that they didn't have babysitting, but I insisted, so off we went to church. As it turns out, the girls were correct. We enjoyed two delightful hours in downtown Frederick, walking around and taking pictures. Here's one of my favorite pictures, captured with my phone!

 Enjoy Halloween!

Saved by the Bell (Sleeve)

Adorable bell sleeves add flair and style to a simple green and white striped long sleeve tee. The soft knit t-shirt fits true to size with a perfect sleeve length. You won't believe the amazing low price!

Striped bell sleeve shirt  //  jeans (perfect for my curvy figure)  //  shoes, old (similar)

No Bake Graham Cracker Cake

Who wants an easy, no bake recipe that delights taste buds? You're going to love this no bake graham cracker cake. For the past few years, the easy graham cracker cake always leads the list for any event where I need to bring a dessert to share.

It's so light and fresh that you will be tempted to eat the entire thing by yourself. Last night, I whipped up this cake for a tailgate party for tonight's homecoming game.

All you need are a few simple and inexpensive ingredients and only a little bit of time. This recipe should sit overnight in the fridge and is perfect to make ahead of a party.

Here's what you will need:
- 2 packs of Jello French Vanilla instant pudding
- 4 cups of milk
- 1 container of Cool Whip
- almost 2 boxes of Honey Maid graham crackers

Preparation:
1. Prepare the pudding with milk as directed on the box.
2. Add Cool Whip to the pudding and blend well.
3. Layer graham crackers in a 9 x 13 dish.
4. Top with about 1/4 of the pudding mixture.
5. Repeat the process, layering graham crackers and pudding mixture until you have used all of the ingredients.
6. Chill in the refrigerator overnight.

If you have a sweet tooth, top the cake with icing or fruit.

Enjoy!

Disney World Outfits

Mike and Sully Impressionist Tee  //  Just Keep Swimming Tee  //  Alice Tea Party Tee

The word fashion rarely appears in the same sentence as Disney World, but it is possible to be comfortable in the parks, no matter what the temperature, while looking fabulous. Not only did we brave the summer heat in Disney, we did it in style.

Even though I logged almost 20,000 steps every day in Orlando, my outfits lasted all day through the heat and humidity, although I can't say the same thing for my naturally curly hair. Here are a few of my favorite pictures from the summer Disney vacation, including lots of picks from Lilly Pulitzer. 

In December, I'm making a return trip to Disney World and plan to highlight some of my park picks for cooler temperatures. 

What do you like to wear to go to the Disney parks?

Tackle Breast Cancer Tee

Recently, students and teachers showed support for breast cancer awareness by wearing pink. With nearly 100% participation, I happily looked at a sea of pink all day. Despite the fact that my wardrobe bursts with pink, I wore an adorable, but simple t-shirt.

T-Shirt

Fall Boots $120 and Under

It's that time of year when you pull out your cozy sweaters and favorite fall boots. I never mind spending money on a good pair of boots because they are an investment. Dividing the wear count by the cost of the boots makes even the priciest pair seem like a bargain, especially if you purchased them on sale.

Some of the boots carefully tucked in my closet are years old, but look brand new. But I still search for new, unique styles to add to the collection.

Here are the boots that I'm loving for fall 2016. At $120 or less, these won't hurt your fall shopping budget too much.

Chloe Boot  //  Langston Suede  //  Bella Boot

Rich, classic suede is always in style and match everything.

Langston Boot, $120 (currently on sale!)

When summer style meets winter warmth, it's a perfect combination. I just received my Chloe boots and sized down one whole size for a perfect fit.

Chloe Boots, $118

Black and brown boots dominate my wardrobe, so why not make gray a new fall neutral. Red looks particularly pretty with gray and I love the unique heel on these boots.

Bella Boots, $65

Which boots top your fall wish list?

Gray + Ruffles + Bows

A few days ago, I posted a quick picture of this dress on Instagram and received quite a few messages to ask where I purchased it. At less than $10, the adorable and unique dress is quite a bargain. The detail of the ruffled sleeves and bow detail makes this a winner. Since it's a little bit short for school, I wore it as a tunic with a pair of leggings and sparkly flats. The weight of the fabric is fairly substantial, standing up to a busy day with wrinkling or stretching. Although the dress offers plenty of stretch, I did size up to a medium.

Dress //  Leggings  //  Shoes (old, Kate Spade "Sophia")

Enjoy your day!