Down by the Boardwalk

Jack BB Dakota dress / ALDO sandals / LL Bean tote bag / Design Darling bracelet

Today I decided to center a look around a classic shirt dress. Vibrant colors are a great way to add life to your wardrobe, especially in the summer. If you're a little leery of making a statement with such attention-getting hues, try sticking to classic, clean shapes (a great decision anyways)  and it will be hard for you to go wrong. This dress is a great example. Sleeveless shirt dresses and button downs are great for when it's hot out, especially on days you know you'll be going outdoors. A preppy belt gives it shape - and how cute is this navy and white version? I also chose flat cognac sandals - great for running around in. This tortoiseshell bracelet is from the Design Darling boutique - and it really is darling. Recently I've realized how versatile tortoiseshell is - you can wear it with silvers, golds, blacks, browns, you name it. It's a great neutral. Finally, a classic boat tote is perfect for lugging around your essentials - sturdy, preppy, and monogrammable (did I just make up a word?).

Happy hump day!
XOXO,
Kate

“I will hasten and not delay to obey your commands.”- Psalm 119:60

Summer Breeze

Quiksilver dress

Elizabeth and James blazer
Ralph Lauren Collection sandals
3.1 Phillip Lim 31 hour bag
Lilly Pulitzer bangles

Hey guys! Today I'm back with a great look for almost any occasion over the summer. This light, airy dress is a perfect LWD (little white dress) that can be easily dressed up or down. I decided to pair it with a classic but on-trend mint green blazer, which adds the perfect amount of structure. To top it off I chose cognac sandals and a a beautiful minimalist Philip Lim bag. Can we just take a minute to enjoy how luxe, timeless, functional, and buttery-soft it is? Absolute perfection. Bright, cheery bangles bring in the rear and continue the sherbert color scheme.

Hope you guys have a great Memorial Day weekend!
XOXO,
Kate
  
"I will praise you forever, O God, for what you have done." - Psalm 52:9

Prancing About in Style

Paul Joe Sister top, $119
John Lewis Women vintage cardigan, £35
7 For All Mankind straight leg stretch jeans, £149
Marc by Marc Jacobs leather shoes, $200
Marc jacobs handbag, £430

A very smart look for spending time with friends and having a fabulous day out. Of course, the tie-neck makes a reappearance, this time adorning a simple black cardigan. Straight leg jeans are perfectly streamlined, and flats are just the right thing for wearing while running about town.

XOXO,
Kate

P.S. I'm a major fan of Tim Tebow, and I'm extremely excited about watching he and the rest of the Broncos "UNLEASH" tonight against the Patriots. Go Broncos!

An Equestrian and a Scholar - Cognac Boots, Three Ways (Part 3)

An Equestrian and a Scholar by prettykeenkate featuring a smythe blazer

Smythe blazer, $384
Nudie Jeans Co. skinny jeans, $199
TopShop leather boots, $280
Rebecca Minkoff leopard print clutch, $350
French Connection semi precious jewelry, $43

To close out my "Cognac Boots, Three Ways" series (you can find parts one and two here and here, respectively), I decided to showcase a very equestrian-inspired outfit. I really like how its simple elements come together to make one chic and stylish look that's both classic and youthful. I worked almost mono-chromatically and accessorized in an understated way (although the leopard-print clutch adds a nice dose of pizazz). This is definitely a look I would like to wear over and over again, and one that would appeal to proper ladies and tomboys alike, proving this: no matter what, simplicity is beautiful.

Have a lovely weekend!
XOXO,
Kate

P.S. I feel as if this look is very Duchess of Cambridge, no?

Cognac Clad Cutie - Cognac Boots, Three Ways (Part Two)

Cognac Clad Cutie by prettykeenkate featuring quilted handbags

Color block dress, $95
Corso Como sports shoes, $199
Lanvin quilted handbag, $1,199
White gold stud earrings, $1,200
Tory Burch chunky bangle, $195
American Apparel hair bow accessory, $14

In my second installment of "Cognac Boots, Three Ways," I'm featuring a precious outfit that's great for when you want or need to look a little more dressed up than usual. I really like the sophistication the simplicity of the dress gives this look. The draping is gorgeous, and the boots work with it perfectly - proof that riding boots can be dressed up or down in a snap! I accessorized with a coordinating Lanvin happy bag, gold charm bracelet (another very versatile piece), and diamond earrings. The bow is a really cute touch I think would look darling in many a whimsical girl's hair on a day out. How about you?

Happy Saturday!
XOXO,
Kate

P.S. Check out part one of this series here.
EDIT: Part three is now up, for those of you who would like to take a look. Thanks for stopping by!

Cozy Cognac - Cognac Boots, Three Ways (Part One)

Cozy Cognac by prettykeenkate featuring skinny jeans

Ralph Lauren Black Label cable knit sweater, $400
Abercrombie & Fitch skinny jeans, $78
Fendi boots, $1,100
Cashmere scarve, £395

If you're anything like me, you definitely take huge advantage of the fact that fall/winter is boot season. One of the most treasured boots out there is the riding boot. In order to showcase their versatility, over the next few weeks I'll feature three different outfits based around cognac riding boots. This first outfit is a comfy look perfect for when you want to look good without trying too hard. A yummy cable-knit sweater embellished with a printed scarf personifies cozy chic. Normally, I don't recommend wearing skinny jeans, but they're great for avoiding bulk when tucked into boots. I've yet to try stirrups like these (have any of you?), but I have a feeling they work pretty well too. Happy Sunday, and have a lovely week, darlings! 
XOXO, 
Kate 

To Autumn

To Autumn by prettykeenkate featuring a mini skirt

Marc by Marc Jacobs longsleeve shirt, $200
Boutique by Jaeger mini skirt, £60
Qupid leopard flat, $26
Mary Portas Radley cross body handbag, £159
Fallon white pearl necklace, $265 

A femininely prim (but still really fun!) look for fall. One of my favorite things about autumn is the beautiful changing of the leaves, which I think the tones in this outfit represent really well. In case you haven't noticed, leopard shoes have been huge these past few weeks/months, and the ones I feature here are a nice, inexpensive option. Since the outfit is so simple, I think they helped to add interest, along with the statement pearls. A nice, buttery leather bag in cognac is the perfect finishing touch. 

Below, the poem "To Autumn" by John Keats (this post's namesake). Enjoy! 

    

 To Autumn

SEASON of mists and mellow fruitfulness!
Close bosom-friend of the maturing sun;
Conspiring with him how to load and bless
With fruit the vines that round the thatch-eaves run;
To bend with apples the moss'd cottage-trees,
And fill all fruit with ripeness to the core;
To swell the gourd, and plump the hazel shells
With a sweet kernel; to set budding more,
And still more, later flowers for the bees,
Until they think warm days will never cease,
For Summer has o'er-brimm'd their clammy cells.
Who hath not seen thee oft amid thy store?
Sometimes whoever seeks abroad may find
Thee sitting careless on a granary floor,
Thy hair soft-lifted by the winnowing wind;
Or on a half-reap'd furrow sound asleep,
Drowsed with the fume of poppies, while thy hook
Spares the next swath and all its twinèd flowers;
And sometimes like a gleaner thou dost keep
Steady thy laden head across a brook;
Or by a cider-press, with patient look,
Thou watchest the last oozings hours by hours.
Where are the songs of Spring? Ay, where are they?
Think not of them, thou hast thy music too,—
While barrèd clouds bloom the soft-dying day,
And touch the stubble-plains with rosy hue;
Then in a wailful choir the small gnats mourn
Among the river sallows, borne aloft
Or sinking as the light wind lives or dies;
And full-grown lambs loud bleat from hilly bourn;
Hedge-crickets sing; and now with treble soft
The redbreast whistles from a garden-croft;
And gathering swallows twitter in the skies.

                                            

XOXO,
Kate

P.S. I got the text of the poem here.