2016 Dolcetto D'Alba Campot Castello Di Verduno

This week I tried a Dolcetto D'Alba that I picked up at my favorite local wine shop, Wine Authorities. I was really excited to try this wine because Dolcetto is my favorite grape varietal, but it's not super common. Wine Authorities generally has a couple different bottles of it, so when I'm really craving it I always go there to find it.

Dolcetto is an Italian grape that is most commonly found in the Piedmont region of Northwest Italy. The grape has made it's way to the U.S. and Australia, but the majority of Dolcetto wines still come from Italy. The Piedmont region is also known for Barbera and Nebbiolo. Nebbiolo and Barbera are more finicky grapes than Dolcetto, so they tend to be planted in the sunnier party of vineyards, whereas Dolcetto can grow almost anywhere. This is especially true for Dolcetto from the Alba appellation, like the one I tried. There are seven appellations of the Piedmont region where Dolcetto is grown, and most Dolcetto comes from the Alba, Dogliani, and Diano Alba. Dolcetto d'Alba has been the easiest of the three for me to find, but if I ever see one from the Dogliani appellation I would snatch it up immediately, because there the grape doesn't play third fiddle to Barbera and Nebbiolo, and instead gets planted in the sunnier party of the vineyard, which leads to a riper grape and a more flavorful and higher quality wine. Dolcetto is often perceived as being a good and reliable wine, but not a particularly interesting wine. In Italy it's often drunk as an everyday wine because it's very versatile, it pairs well with a lot of different types and styles of food, and it's easy to drink. Recently though, many winemakers in Piedmont have been experimenting and innovating with Dolcetto and have produced more complex versions of this wine. I personally think that Dolcetto is a very interesting wine, and I often describe it as similar to a Pinot Noir but with a little more complexity. That's not to say that Pinor Noir can't be complex or interesting, it's just that the Dolcettos that I have come across tend to draw me in more than the average Pinot Noir that I've tried.

Now, let's get to why I like this wine so much, what does it taste like? When I smelled my wine as I swirled it in my glass after pouring, I picked up on rich berry scents first; blackberry, raspberry, and dark cherry. I also picked up a hint of unexpected spiciness that counter-balanced the strong fruit scents. I also noticed the gorgeous color of the wine as I was swirling it. It's a true rich red, not purpley-red, but just red. You can see hints of the color in the pictures, on the left of the glass where the light reflects and along the top edge of where the wine is filled to. It's a really beautiful color. When I drank the wine I picked up the fruit forward nature of the berry flavors, along with flavors of fresh plum and fig. The back end of the taste was more surprising though, along with the spiciness I got a mild oak flavor, hints of vanilla, and a subtle tobacco flavor. These were notes that I didn't pick up when smelling the wine, and they added a deeper complexity to the wine. They brought a more bitter flavor to balance out the strong berry notes well, and the wine had a lovely lightly-tannic texture. Just enough tannins that it didn't feel like I was drinking juice instead of wine.

I paired this wine with a simple pasta dish with spinach, Italian sausage, butternut squash, and parmesan cheese. The wine and the food went wonderfully together. This wine would also go great with pesto gnocchi or a mushroom risotto. This wine definitely tastes like an Italian wine, so while it does pair well with almost any food, it really begs to be paired with pasta. I really enjoyed this wine and would definitely buy it again.

Stripes For Lunch

 Even though it's still February, spring has arrived in North Carolina, and I'm so excited to start wearing spring and summer dresses again. My friend Mckenzie and I decided to take advantage of the beautiful weather this weekend (high 70's with a light breeze, it was perfect) and we grabbed lunch at one of our favorite places in Durham that we haven't been to in awhile. The restaurant has pretty minimal indoor seating, but a huge outdoor patio with gorgeous vines and foliage along the brick walls. They have heating lamps in the colder months, but it's just not as enjoyable, so we haven't been since early fall.

I was thrilled that I didn't even need to wear a light jacket over my dress. This t-shirt dress is one of my favorite spring/summer dresses. I got it from Brooks Brothers two summers ago, and it's such an easy dress to wear. It's a thick, knit, stretchy jersey material that is incredible soft and comfortable, and very figure flattering. It's so easy to throw on, because it's literally like putting on a giant t-shirt. I also love the length of this dress. I do not have a flat booty at all, and I find that with dresses that are shorter than 35 inches I'm constantly pulling the hem down in the back and making sure that the dress is covering everything. This dress hits about 2 inches above my knees, so it's long enough that I feel fully covered, but short enough that it's still fun and flirty.

I'm also really into the coloring of this dress. White and blue are a classic color combination, but the peach stripes add an unexpected twist. The peach and red play really well off the different shades of blue, and the peach keeps the dress from looking too patriotic, so I can wear it on days other than Memorial Day and the Fourth of July. I've found a couple similar style striped dresses from this season and have linked them at the bottom of the page

I got my tortoise chain link necklace very recently, and realized that it would be perfect for this dress. A bedazzled statement necklace felt too busy with all the different colored stripes, but the tortoise was the perfect subtle and timeless compliment to the dress. I stumbled across this necklace by accident, and I think it's going to quickly become one of my favorites. Tortoise never goes out of style, and it pairs so well with navy and white tops, which pretty much account for half my wardrobe.

My sunglasses are prescription sunglasses. Since I wear glasses all the time, I unfortunately don't get the fun of having a half dozen pairs of cute sunglasses to mix and match with whatever vibe I'm going for that day. I just have the one pair of prescription sunglasses. My frames are from Sperry, and I picked them to be as versatile as possible. They're very neutral, basic sunglasses that go with almost any outfit I find myself wearing in the summer. 

Even though it was a very warm day, I still felt a little silly about wearing sandals in February. Even though March is only a few days away, I don't think I'll start wearing sandals until then. Something about February just sounds like it should still be winter, even if the weather doesn't match. I have the same feeling with shorts. I'm happy to wear a short dress without boots or tights now, but it still feels too early for shorts. Back to my sandal issue, I decided to pair this dress with a classic pair of penny loafers instead of sandals. The brown loafers played well off the tortoise necklace, and the two looks together made me feel very collegial, like I should be strolling around the Yale campus in the 80's. Penny loafers are such an easy shoe to wear, they are a timeless look and go well with almost anything. I wear them with jeans, dresses, and more formal pants all the time. A good pair of penny loafers can last you years and years.

I brought along my go-to Kate Spade hazel bag to lunch. This is my favorite day time bag. It's big enough to hold my wallet, keys, cellphone, small notepad, sunglasses, a few lipsticks, my kindle, and more. However, it's not too bulky of a bag, and the neutral color goes with everything. This specific bag is no longer in stock, but Kate Spade has other similarly sized bags in the same neutral color.

I hope everyone who is still getting winter snow sees the sunshine soon!


Dress: Brooks Brothers two summers ago, similar available now, similar from Vineyard Vines, similar from Talbots, similar from Tommy Bahama, similar from Tommy Hilfiger.

Shoes: Nordstrom.

Necklace: SLATE, similar available from J. Crew Factory and Tuckernuck.

Bag: Kate Spade from the summer, similar currently available here and here.

Sunglasses: Sperry from two summers ago, similar currently available here.

Watch: Michele Watches.

Weekly Window Shopping

Club Monaco Donisha Dress

Club Monaco can be really hit or miss for me. A lot of the clothes they have are too trendy for my taste, but they're high quality, so when something is a hit, it's a direct hit. This dress caught my eye because of the color (navy is my absolute favorite clothing color) and kept my attention with the details. The pinstripe adds a bit of a classic menswear vibe, the the shape of the dress and waist sash keep it feminine. This dress could be worn with a pair of pearl earrings and nude pumps to the office, or with sandals and a fun bag out to brunch with friends or on a date in the spring.

J. Crew Ryan Leather Penny Loafer 

I was sitting on my couch next to my friend, Mckenzie, scrolling through J. Crew's website when I saw these shoes and my immediate reaction was "oooh!" and Mckenzie pointed at the shoes at the same time and said "I like." The color of these penny loafers jumped out at me. It's the perfect shade of coral/pink for spring and summer. Penny loafers are such a timeless style, I own some in a few different colors, but I would love to add this shade of coral to my collection.

Lilly Pulitzer Evangelia Dress

I don't always love Lilly Pulitzer's prints, sometimes they're a bit too busy for my taste, but this print is simple enough that I really like it, it also doesn't hurt that it's navy! This would be a great dress to just throw on in the summer with a simple pair of flip flops and go, without having to think about matching any additional pieces or accessories. The fish pattern is so cute and summery, I would love to wear this to the beach or out to a casual dinner.

Brooks Brothers Red Fleece Water-Repellent Twill Cape Coat

I saw so many adorable capes this winter, especially plaid ones, and I absolutely love the look of them, but I wasn't expecting to see the style continue into spring. When I saw this cape in Brooks Brothers' new arrivals, I immediately wanted it. It's a gorgeous, rich navy shade that will go with almost anything (I wasn't kidding when I said that navy is my favorite color). This would make a stylish alternative to a light raincoat or trench coat on a rainy spring day.

Draper James Solid Scallop Tote

Draper James just sucks me in with their adorable scallop details on everything. This is the perfect spring tote bag to hold all your stuff. I want to take this bag shopping at a local farmers market and carry fresh flowers home in it. The simple, yet elegant, design will compliment any outfit, and I could see this quickly becoming a favorite bag.

2016 Matchlock Cabernet Sauvignon

This week I tried a Cabernet Sauvignon from Paso Robles, California. I got this wine from Winc, and it was the first Cabernet Sauvignon I've gotten from them in over two years. To be honest, Cabs are not my favorite. I'm from California, less than an hour away from Napa, and it pains me that I don't appreciate Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignons. California is so well knows for its big, bold, juicy Cabs, and they're known to be some of the best wines in the world (along with classic French wines). I generally prefer light to medium bodied reds, without too much oakiness and not too strong of tannins. Cabs tend to be strong on all the things that I prefer to be light or moderate in a red wine.

To be fair to Cabernet Sauvignons though, I haven't actually had one in about two years, when I was first getting into red wine. My tastes in red wine have matured over the past few years as I've tasted and sampled so many more wines and got a better understanding of my likes and dislikes when it comes to red wine. I've had a bit of a mental block with Cabs though, since I really didn't like the few that I tried those few years ago. I know that so many people love Cabs, that I don't want a glass of it to go to waste on someone who doesn't appreciate it. I also generally don't eat much of the kind of food that pairs well with Cabernet Sauvignon, I eat much more chicken and seafood than red meat, so I don't feel like I'm missing out on great pairing by not drinking it. But, this week, I decided to get over my mental block and try a Cab and see if my palate has changed enough that I like Cabernet Sauvignon now.

This Cabernet Sauvignon is not a Napa Valley Cab, but it is from California. It's from Paso Robles, which is a part of the Central Coast of California. Paso Robles has been home to winemaking since the late 1700's. The dry heat of the region is great for growing late-ripening grape varietals, such as Cabernet Sauvignon, and the dramatically cooler nights help maintain acidity levels in those grapes. This particular Cab is actually a blend of two Cabs from different sub-regions of Paso Robles. One is from the Highlands region and is more fruit-forward. The other is from the Willow Creek District, which has a cooler climate, and the Cabernet Sauvignon has stronger tannins and is more dense.

I was pleasantly surprised when I went to smell and taste this wine. With my first sniff, I got dark cherry and blackberry on the nose, with a licorice and pepper finish. The pepper kind of burned my nasal cavity a little bit, but not in an entirely unpleasant way. When I tasted the wine, I definitely got the fruit forward flavor from the Highlands region with the dark cherry and blackberry joined by raspberry and pomegranate. The pepper and licorice aftertaste was joined by a medium level of oakiness and a pleasant vanilla note that balanced out the pepper well. The wine had a moderate level of tannins, which I was pleased with, I don't like to feel like I can chew my wine, and overall it was complex and well-balanced. It was spicier and oakier than most red wines that I generally reach for, but I still really enjoyed it and now I'm willing to branch out and try more Cabernet Sauvignons. This would be a great starter Cab for someone who is just beginning to get into red wine and doesn't want to be overwhelmed by the boldness of a traditional Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon.

As I mentioned earlier, I don't eat red meat very often, and I did pair this Cab with beef, which is the most common food to pair a Cabernet Sauvignon with. Instead I paired it with an acorn squash stuffed with Italian chicken sausage, roasted apple, spinach, and caramelized onion. I think the squash and chicken sausage were hearty enough that they held their own agains the Cab. I was pleased with the pairing, and I could also see myself pairing this wine with a simple spaghetti in marinara sauce.

Game Night

This past weekend one of my friends hosted a game night at her and her boyfriend's place. This was a pretty casual night in at their place, so I went with an outfit that was comfortable and cute, but relatively simple since we were staying in. I wore a chambray shirt, comfortable and versatile black pants, black loafers with gold embroidered pineapples, and my wine and dine watch.

A little over a year ago I accidentally punctured a hole through the bottom hem of my chambray shirt with a particularly long and pointy nail. Ever since, I've been casually looking for a replacement chambray shirt. I haven't tried on or ordered every chambray shirt that I saw, but if I was already placing an online order and the store had a chambray shirt that looked well-fitted and structured, I would add it to my cart just to see. I probably tried or 3 or 4 chambray shirts before I happened upon this one from J. Crew Factory. It's comfortable and soft, without being thin, and it's fitted for a woman's shape so that the buttons over the bust don't awkwardly gape. Sometimes the quality from J. Crew Factory can be hit or miss, but this shirt feels like the same quality of a regular J. Crew retail shirt. I highly recommend this shirt if you're looking for a simple, basic chambray shirt.

I've featured these pants in previous posts, but in different colors. I love these pants so much that I have them in black, navy, and burgundy; and if J. Crew releases them in other colors in the future, I will definitely purchase those as well. They're a nicer pant than jeans, but they have a bit of stretch to the material so they're also more comfortable than jeans. The pockets are located more in the front of the thigh instead of on the side of the hips, so if you actually use them they don't make your hips look larger. The pockets are also big enough to hold most smartphones and they zip close, so I often actually use them, which is not something that I can say about most of my pants. I'm 5'4" and I got the pants in petite, so that they would be ankle pants, and I love the look of wearing them with ballet flats or loafers. These pants are so versatile, I wore them to the office for work over the summer, and they can easily be dressed down enough for casual wear.

Since my outfit was pretty simple and basic, I could have more fun with my shoes and watch. My shoes are on sale from Jack Rogers, and they're so much fun. Sometimes I forget that Jack Rogers sells shoes other than sandals, but they have a lot of really cute embroidered loafers. When I bought these I was deciding between them and a pair with embroidered artichokes. The pineapples won out because they're fun and sassy, but also somewhat elegant at the same time. These are very comfortable loafers that fit true to size. Sometimes I have an issue with my feet sweating in loafers, but that was not an issue at all with these.

My Kate Spade watch also had fun details. The strap of the watch is wine colored, it says "wine and dine" across the face of the watch, and there's a glass of red wine in place of the 8 o'clock marker. I wouldn't wear this watch to class or to work, but it is so much fun for the weekends and evening events. I always get compliments on this watch, and I love that it perfectly blends my love of Kate Spade with my passion for wine.

Shirt: J. Crew Factory.

Pants: J. Crew.

Watch: Kate Spade

Shoes: Jack Rogers.

Weekly Window Shopping

J. Crew Ruffle Neck Pullover Sweater

Most stores aren't releasing any new cold weather clothes or accessories, but J. Crew still has a few new sweaters. This sweater is pretty light, so it would be a great transitional piece for those in between winter and spring months that many of us are experiencing right now. The ruffle neck adds a pretty, feminine detail. This simple sweater would look great with statement earrings or a brightly colored bag.

Caslon Peplum Tee available at Nordstrom

This simple tee is a great spring and summer casual staple. It's easy to throw on with a pair of jeans or white pants when you're out running errands or grabbing a casual lunch with friends. It can also be dressed up with a statement necklace or a flashy jacket when going out at night. It's an affordable staple that can easily be added to any wardrobe.

Madewell Veranda Bell-Sleeve Shirt in Stripe

This cotton blouse is perfect for spring. The loose fit and bell-sleeves add a touch of whimsy to a style of blouse that's typically very structured. I would love to wear this top with white or salmon pants in the spring and summer.

Anthropologie Pilcro Lemon Grove High-Rise Cropped Bootcut Jeans

This lemon print has me dreaming of spring and summer. Anthropologie has a few items in this lemon print, but I love the jeans. They're whimsical and fun while still being structured and flattering. I also love that they're cropped! Cropped pants look great with sandals and ballet flats, and are perfect for the warmer months. I would love to pair this jeans with a simple, plain blue top, and shade of blue; navy, sky blue, and anything in between would work. Blue would play beautifully off the yellow of the lemons and let the pants be the star of the show.

Kate Spade Scallop Tweed Dress

I love the scallop details on this dress (in case you haven't noticed; scallops, bows, and pearls tend to be my favorite feminine details on clothes and accessories). This dress is so versatile. You could wear it to work, to an upscale brunch with your friends, or to meet your boyfriend's parents. It's also could be worn year round; in the warmer months with black flats or pumps and no jacket, and in the colder months with black tights, booties, and an elegant coat. This dress would make anyone look put together, and the tweed is such a classic fabric. 

Charles Baur Cremant d'Alsace Brut Rose

Happy Valentine's Day everyone! In honor of the holiday, I'm reviewing a sparkling rose that I picked up from my local wine shop, Wine Authorities. Sparkling rose can be pretty versatile, it can be romantic, it can be a fun wine to drink with gal pals; it can be enjoyed with your meal, in place of a pre-dinner cocktail, or with dessert. Rose has gotten very popular in the past few years, and rose drinkers have gotten some haters too. It's often called "basic" and there's a popular misconception that rose is very sweet and tastes more like a juice or a soda then a wine, but that's not the case. Many roses are actually very dry, the stereotypical sugary rose is White Zinfandel, which isn't actually a rose, it's a sweet white wine that's pink in color. Proper rose is made from red grapes that have had their skins removed early in the fermentation process, which creates the lighter color than a red wine.

This sparkling rose is a Cremant from the Alsace region of France. A Cremant is a sparkling wine made in the Champagne style, but the grapes aren't from the Champagne region of France. France is very strict about what its wines are called, and wines must meet certain standards to be labelled in various ways. A sparkling wine can only be called a Champagne if the grapes come from the Champagne region of France, and the wine is made in the strict Champagne style. Cremants are made in the same style, but come from different regions of France and Luxembourg. The result is wine that is just as elegant and sophisticated as Champagne, but at a much cheaper price point.

This wine was one of the more complex roses that I've had. When I smelled it I picked up light fruit scents; strawberry, raspberry, white cherry, and fresh fig, but I also picked up a bit of minerality on the back end of the scent. Once I started sipping the wine, I got that top note of light fruit again, but it was not a sweet rose, it was actually relatively dry. The fruit notes were quickly overtaken by the minerality, and a "biscuityness" that if often used to describe champagnes. To me, the "biscuit" flavors were similar to a plain Ritz cracker and unbuttered popcorn. I know those sounds like kind of strange flavors for a rose, but they add a complexity and elegance to the wine.

I drank this wine with strawberries and chocolate after dinner and it was delicious, but this is a very versatile wine. It would also go great before dinner with some Brie or goat cheese. I also think that it could hold it's own with a main meal, it would be delicious with lobster ravioli in a creamy tomato sauce. This sparkling rose was so delicious and sophisticated that I'm going to buy another bottle to share with my fiance when he visits this weekend.

Argyle in the Library

As a law student, I spend quite a bit of time in the library during the week. Whenever I have a break in classes I use that time to head to the library and get ahead on my reading for the rest of the week. I try to avoid the library on weekends though, you can feel the stress and tension in the air, so I prefer to study at home when I can.

This is an outfit that I will often wear to class during the week. It's comfortable and casual, but still put together. I got this cardigan at J. Crew a couple years ago. It's soft, it has held its shape, and the arms aren't too tight, which is a problem that I sometimes find with J. Crew cardigans. I don't have very much argyle in my closet, but I love this cardigan and it makes me want to get more argyle. I feel like argyle is plaid's quieter, more intellectual older sister. They're both very classic patterns, but argyle is often associated with professors and the Ivy League, whereas plaid is a much more widely worn pattern. It's much harder to find cute argyle sweaters or tops than it is to find plaid ones.

Whenever I wear this cardigan I pair it with a plain navy, white, or beige top underneath. The argyle pattern is busy enough wearing any sort of extra embellishment on the top underneath is unnecessary. The cardigan also has subtle sparkley thread throughout the beige/gold portion of the pattern, so I don't usually wear a necklace with it, because it doesn't need anymore bling. This top is a simple racerback tank that I got from Lilly Pulitzer last year. It's comfortable and is a great basic to mix and match with various jackets, sweaters, and accessories. If you can get past all the patterns and prints on the Lilly Pulitzer site, there are a lot of really great basic tanks and tops in various colors.

I typically like to push up the sleeves on this cardigan a little bit, it makes the cardigan look less formal, and it makes it easier to wear a watch or a bracelet, or both, with it. I wrote about my watch last week, it's a Michele watch that my fiance got me for Christmas, and the navy color goes with everything. It's my first really "grown-up" watch that isn't covered with sparkles or cutesy details (I'm looking at you Kate Spade watches). I still love more fun and whimsical watches, but I don't think they will be appropriate in the office once I start working full time in the fall. I also layered my watch with a gold pave link bracelet from J. Crew Factory. I wrote about this bracelet a few weeks ago, and it's such a great staple bracelet that can be worn layered with other bracelets of a watch, and can hold it's own if you wear it by itself.

The jeans I'm wearing are my go to Madewell Roadtripper jeans that I've written about before. They're just incredibly comfortable, and I like that they aren't a super dark wash so that I can wear navy tops with them and don't look too monochromatic. They're light enough denim that they're not too close to being navy. My riding boots are Tory Burch from last year's fall shoe line. Tory Burch released great, high quality riding boots every fall. You can still find a pair at a couple of department stores now, and they're on sale, but if you look in December or early January department stores will have a larger variety and size selection on sale. I can't recommend Tory Burch boots enough, so I would definitely keep any eye out next year if you can't find you size now.

A few details about my school accessories. My backpack is a North Face basic backpack. It's very durable and comfortable to wear. I used to carry around a big tote bag, but it was causing problems on the shoulder that I would carry it on, because all the weight was on one shoulder, so I switched to a backpack this year. My laptop case is from Amazon. I like that it's a more classic take on the marble trend. I think that marble home accessories are pretty, but they're a little too trendy for me, whereas the wooden look of my laptop case reminds me of a classic study, like Richard Gilmore's in Gilmore Girls. The stickers on the case are from KJP, a sticker is usually included with every order, and I think they're cuter than other brands' stickers. My planner is Kate Spade, I love their planners because they come with cute stickers and it's big enough that each day actually has enough space for me to write my schedule and my to do list.

Cardigan: J. Crew from two years ago, similar available from Talbots and Macy's.

Top: Lilly Pulitzer from last year, similar from this season available here and here.

Jeans: Madewell.

Boots: Tory Burch from last year, similar from this season available here.

Watch: Michele Watches.

Bracelet: J. Crew Factory.

Backpack: The North Face.

Laptop Cover: Amazon.

Laptop Stickers: KJP.

Water Bottle: S'well.

Planner: Kate Spade sold out, similar style available here.

Weekly Window Shopping

Draper James Scallop Trench Coat

Draper James released their spring line last week and it's incredible. Draper James first caught my eye because it's Reese Witherspoon's clothing company and she's one of my favorite actresses. After watching Legally Blonde for the first time I knew I wanted to be a lawyer. This trench caught my eye because of the darling scallop details. They really elevate the classic trench.

Brooks Brothers Red Fleece Bow-Neck Stretch Cotton Poplin Shirt

Brooks Brothers is my go to for classic button down shirts for work. They're high quality and they fit well. They don't do that awkward thing where the buttons around the bust tug and pull. I get really excited when Brooks Brothers adds feminine details to their classic button downs. The bow on the shirt really elevates it and I would wear this shirt more casually to meet friends or out on a date night as well as to the office.

Lilly Pulitzer Clare Sweater

Lilly Pulitzer also released their spring line last week, it's that time of the year when a new spring line is rolling in every other day. I'm a big fan of Lilly Pulitzer's solid pieces, some of the prints can get a little too crazy for my taste, but they have classic styles that look great in solid colors. This sweater immediately caught my eye. It's a great transition sweater for those weeks when it's freezing in the morning but in the 70's by the afternoon. I love the ruffled sleeve detail, and the sweater would look great with a statement necklace. I would love to pair this with white pants or subtley patterned shorts.

Lilly Pulitzer Florin Reversible Sleeveless V-Neck Tank

Another piece from Lilly Pulitzer that caught my eye. I could see myself just throwing this tank on in the spring and summer and not having to even think about it. It's reversible, so it's two tank tops in one, and I love that you can see the periwinkle poking out from under the sky blue, it adds a small dose of color blocking that really elevates the simple tank.

Tuckernuck Swingy Tie Front Dress by Amanda Uprichard

Last summer I was on the hunt for a simple, classic white sundress. I got extremely frustrated because nothing that I tried was what I was looking for. I must have tried on at least a dozen dresses and they were all too formal, too trendy, or too sheer. I had given up and I wasn't planning on trying to find one this spring or summer, but then I saw this gorgeous dress on Tuckernuck's website. I think this dress is the reason that I couldn't find a good white sundress last summer. I was meant to have this one. The tie front creates some flattering definition in the waist, and it's casual enough to throw it on with some flip flops while still being elegant. You can expect to see this dress in a Monday outfit post once the weather gets warmer, I can't not buy it.