Great Finds for Summertime Travel

When I was shopping for our summer trip to San Francisco, I wanted to find something pretty and feminine I could wear for our special lunch at the Palace Hotel. I knew my daughter would probably chose to wear something more casual like a nice shirt and jeans, so I chose a cute bell sleeve blouse instead of a dress so it would compliment what she was wearing. Today I’m going to share a few of my great finds for summertime.

Pink Bell Sleeve Top | Mother of Pearl Drop Earrings | Black Sandals | French Nails

Pink Bell Sleeve Blouse

This bell sleeve blouse will make a wonderful addition to your wardrobe and is nice for those days when it’s sunny out, but honestly, you could make this top work all year! This bell sleeve top is meant to be worn off the shoulder, but it looks fine even when it’s not pulled off the shoulder. The material is a nice loose chiffon and it has a lining in the front which I thought was a nice touch. The elastic is very comfortable and isn’t too tight or too lose. I love the polka dot detail and the ruffles on the sleeves. It was a perfect go-to top when I wanted to dress up on our trip to San Francisco…and bonus, it didn’t get wrinkled in my suitcase!

* I ordered it in “Bean red” which is actually more of a dusty rose color as seen in the images in this post. This blouse will also be a great shirt to transition into the cooler fall months.

Kendra Scott Mother of Pearl Drop Earrings

I love these Kendra Scott drop earrings. Mother of pearl is so timeless and really ads a bit of sophistication to your outfit. The color is nice and neutral, so you could wear them with just about anything.

 

Black  Sandals | Pink Bell Sleeve Top |  Straw Beach Bag

Black Ankle Strap Sandals

Admittedly I have way too many pairs of black shoes, but I love these black ankle strap sandals from Target because not only are they really cute, they are also comfortable. The low heal is just dressy enough to feel put together, without killing your feet. They look great with jeans or with shorts and skirts and when you’re packing for a trip, having a pair of shoes that is versatile means more room for clothes!

White Eyelet Top | White Spaghetti Strap Tank| Straw Beach Bag | Hair Scarf | Tassel Earrings

White Eyelet Top

The eyelet fashion trend is still going strong. There are some really adorable styles out there and I am really happy to see so many versions available this summer. I really wanted to order THIS adorable white eyelet top before our trip, but it wouldn’t have arrived before our trip, so I found the one pictured locally at Marshalls! Since I am short-waisted I typically don’t wear anything gathered at the waist because it doesn’t do my figure any favors. However, I think I might actually give THIS similarly styled top a shot because I think it will be absolutely perfect!

White Spagehetti Strap Tank

This white spaghetti strap tank top is a wardrobe staple. I really like this one to wear as a camisole underneath other shirts that may have some show-through like the eyelet top above. I also really like that it has a built in bra so I don’t have to hassle with a strapless bra.

White Tassel Earrings

Another trend I’ve been seeing for a while is the tassel trend. Tassels on shirts, tassels on blankets, on purses and of course tassels on jewelry. One of the more popular tassel earring designs are by Bauble Bar and just an FYI… Sugar Fix by Bauble Bar is now available at Target!! Sooooo what are you waiting for? There are a lot of really cute styles. I chose this white pair of tassel earrings to go with the eyelet shirt I picked up at Marshals.

 Straw Beach Bag

Nothing like a straw purse to remind you of summertime and trips to the beach. I used this casual handbag on our trip to San Francisco and it was the perfect size to stash my wallet, my plethora of lip gloss and the lens to my camera. I wanted to be able to lug around my long lens without my usual heavier gear bag and was happy to discover that it fit perfectly at the bottom of my purse!

• Day at the beach • Shopping • Alternate Camera bag

 Hair Scarves

The straw bag and bamboo purse are even cuter when you tie a hair ribbon to the outside. This is a trend that I’m seeing a lot of lately. I tried it out and loved it because sometimes when you’re out and about you just need to pull your hair up and it’s nice to have a pretty hair tie right at your fingertips when you need one.  Before purchasing this set, I searched around for some ties that didn’t scream “old lady scarves.” I liked this set because the patterns were feminine and had a variety of colors that would coordinate with outfits I already wear. The black and white striped hair tie is my absolute favorite and I also love the one with daisies! You can wear these with the tails down or tie a nice little bow.

Bamboo Purse | Off Shoulder Lace Top

Bamboo Purse

I don’t usually buy two summer purses, but this year I just had to have this bamboo purse. I absolutely love it and get lots of compliments whenever I use it…a surprising amount of compliments actually! There are many versions of this purse available, but I chose this one because it was made with nicer materials than similar purses I looked at. Instead of little plastic beads separating the bamboo slats, this company used wooden beads which I thought looked so much nicer. I was a little worried things would fall between the bamboo slats, but then I discovered the clutch I bought last year at Target fits perfectly inside! Problem solved!

Off Shoulder Lace Top

The terracotta off-the-shoulder top is from Rue 21 and it’s one of my favorites! It is really cute on, is very comfortable and most importantly, it doesn’t cling to my tummy area like some tops do. Because most of the clothes in this store are for teenage sized bodies, I sometimes buy a size up and this shirt is one of the styles that I did in fact size up. (I’m not an affiliate with Rue 21, I just like their clothes and wanted to point out a favorite.)

**Edited to add that I just saw this shirt on clearance for $5!! This color isn’t available, but they still have it in red, white and turquoise.**

Pink Tassel Earrings |French Nails

Pink Tassel Earrings

Here is another pair of tassel earrings I found. They are a completely different style and when I paired it with the Bell Sleeve Blouse I think they look great together! What do you think?

French Nails

Okay I feel a little weird about how obsessed I am with these after just trying them out last month. These French Nails are one of my favorite finds and here’s why:

I don’t enjoy the process of getting acrylic nails put on or maintained. These nails solve that problem for me. If you love the look of an acrylic French manicure, but you just don’t want to sit at the salon for hours, these are the nails for you. Maybe you want to look cute for an event or upcoming vacation, but don’t want the long term maintenance of acrylic nails. Perhaps you worry about the damage that acrylic nails can cause your real nails. If you just don’t have a lot of extra money to spend on yourself, but you really want to look cute, then these nails are perfect for you!!

I absolutely love these nails! I tried the medium length which is what I would normally get at a nail salon. Next time I will try the short length to see how long they last.

These nails took less than 10 minutes to apply. I even managed to apply them while we were driving in the car! They were very easy to apply with the glue that was included. There are several different nail bed sizes in the package, so they will work for almost any fingernail shape. Depending on your activity level they will last 5-10 days and then you’re done. They eventually just pop off. If you’d like to keep wearing them, just glue them back on. My fingernails were not damaged at all. The glue came off and there was nothing left sticking to my nail. Get the look with out the commitment!

These nails would be perfect for:

• Weddings • Prom • Vacation • Date Night • Graduation • Important Meetings or Presentations • Giving your significant other a good back scratch!  (This may or may not be based on actual experience! )

Beach Blanket

Mandala Beach Blanket

One of my all time favorite summertime finds is this round beach blanket. The Mandala pattern is so pretty and I just love the boho vibe. It’s so beachy and fun. This blanket is great to lay out on the sand near the water and is larger than a beach towel, so you can also use it as a picnic blanket. It actually makes the perfect picnic blanket and fits four adults without feeling crowded! This round beach blanket is made of cotton, so it’s thin enough to fold up compactly, while at the same time it’s the perfect thickness for laying out in the sun. You wouldn’t want to use it as a towel if you were wet, but just for laying out in the sun, this is a great choice.

 

So there you have it, my favorite finds. Do you enjoy packing for vacation? Do you look forward to it or dread it? Packing for a trip always gets me so excited, just thinking about all the new places we will see!

*I’m not a fashion blogger, but I love to find pretty vacation outfits and thought I would share some that others might enjoy as well! All of the items I’m sharing here are things I purchased myself. I have included product links under each photo to make them easier to track down. By using these links, I receive a small commission on your purchase. (however not every link is an affilate link.) There is no additional cost to you, but it’s an easy way to support my blog and my family. Thank you so much!