Little White Dress

Isn't a nice white dress luxurious? In all its pure, beautiful glory, it's a sweet treat that looks good on everyone. It's the hue upon which all skin tones and hair colors seem to find their happy place.

I was getting ready for a friend's event the other night, and I didn't particularly want to wear a black dress. They have been touted as so simple and versatile, but wearing a lot of black can be kind of morbid, in my opinion. I want to be lively! Then I remembered the white dress I'd bought for my 10 year high school reunion!

Here are a few reasons I like white dresses:

1. It gives a soft look. Not soft like baby's sleepwear soft, but soft like I'm-Powerful-And-Don't-Have-to-Prove-It soft.

2. No matter what the style of white dress, even if it's a little funky and fun, it has a peaceful undercurrent. Stepping out of my apartment in something like that brings a peaceful energy into the atmosphere. I feel like a white dress clad peace-ninja.

3. They are easy and fun to accessorize. With what else can you wear a pair of floral or printed shoes? When your actual outfit is the neutral, your accessories can have some fun. It's like the singer letting the back up singers be the divas for the night!

So even though white is hard to keep clean, it's worth it. Black gets dirty as well, it just hides it better. At least white is honest :) Enjoy!

Cold Food, Warm Heart

If you are like me, you do not like to cook when it is hot. Even with the AC, our kitchen is on the side of the apartment that gets the most sun during the early evenings, so warm days make for Stacey Salad Evenings :)

In the last few weeks of summer, we can make the most of it. Here are a couple of cold dishes I enjoy on warm days:

1. Pepperoni Salad

Into a serving-sized bowl of lettuce, chop 1/2 a Haas avocado, 1/2 a plum tomato, and 3 large slices of uncured Pepperoni (Boar's Head sells a good one). Crumble some goat cheese on top, or if you prefer, some chopped squares of smoked Gouda. This salad is good without dressing, but if you like dressing, try this. Put about 2 tsps of olive oil into a measuring cup, and sprinkle some dried rosemary into it. Mix it with a spoon, and pour of over your salad. Serve the salad with a hearty wheat or rye roll. Mmm!

2. Mozzarella Sandwich

On wheat, oat or rye bread (grain whatever grain you fancy), spread some pesto onto each slice. Then slice some fresh mozzarella (Trader Joe's calls their mozzarella balls, "Chubs." It is worth buying merely so you can say you have a cheese chub. Hehe.). Place mozzarella slices onto bread, and slice some fresh tomato on top. Close your sandwich, and there you have it! Eat with some fruit and root veggie chips (Terra makes a yummy root chip blend). If it's a weekend and you have blender access, this meal would be delicious with a homemade smoothie (blend 1 cup of your favorite frozen fruit, 1/3 cup yogurt, 1 cup orange juice, and a banana to texturize).

3. Leftover Chicken Tacos

I have found that a well-marinated chicken makes for some pretty good cold-chicken. If you want to break the habit of only eating hot chicken, try to go cold turkey. :) Anyway. I like to take the chicken out and let it get to room temperature so it's not rigid. Then, put it in some wheat tortillas and accessorize with salsa, guacamole, black beans, shredded cheddar and sour cream! If you are a vegetarian, substitute a nice vegetable mix (or do rice and beans, or corn and black beans) for the chicken. Enjoy!

A Versatile One Liner

A simple piece doesn't have to be boring. A great, functional wardrobe is made up of simple pieces appropriated stylishly. Here, I use a simple blue modal tank top by Lily Inc. (available next Spring!) to make up some lightweight summer looks. The tank is simple enough to sleep in, but elegant enough for the office. And, it's as soft as a bunny :)

Casual

Sporty and casual can still mean cute and sophisticated! I've paired the tank with my favorite pair of jeans, some Sketchers, a casual belt, and a pretty scarf to keep my hair off my neck. This is great for running errands during muggy summer months. The accessories are still complimentary to the piece, but they're worn in a way that doesn't add extra layers. Note that the belt is lightweight and worn at the hip. I find that belts worn at the waist trap body heat and make for sweaty summer days.

Evening

A solid bright color is great with a subdued print, be it black and white or grey/tan/navy and white. For shoes, no need to match. Play with color and go with what you like! Here, I have paired this outfit with a dark orange pair of pumps, pulling the orange into the outfit through my orange and blue beaded necklace. Both are a nice way to dress up an otherwise plain tank, and the colorful tank is a nice way to dress up a summery evening outfit! This is a fun look for dinner with friends or an evening of enjoying your city!

Work

It's Take Your Tank Top to Work Day! Some people aren't comfy with wearing knit pieces to the office for their casual look, and understandably so. But consider this modal top, because it has a silkier luster than a typical cotton shirt. It's also easy to wash, so you don't have to sweat in your silk shirts if your commute to work is a hot one (e.g. taking public transit). You can also pair it with some pretty jewelry like the necklace I've used here. This will highlight the color and dress up the whole outfit.

I hope you enjoyed this! You can do so much with a simple piece, so try to re-imagine your wardrobe for extra mileage!

Photo credits in order of appearance:
1. Belt by Dustees, Scarf by Tie Rack, Shoes by Sketchers
2. Skirt by Express, Shoes by Naturalizer, Necklace by H & M.
3. Blazer by H & M, Pants by Express, Shoes by Bandolino, Necklace by J. Crew.