spring neutrals

 Nordstrom jacket (similar) | Marc by Marc Jacobs sunglasses | Nordstrom belt | Gap jeans | Michael Kors watch | J. Crew bracelet (similar) | Victoria's Secret nail polish in "String Bikini"

It's officially the first day of spring! While I wish it were warmer, it felt nice to wear a light jacket and not a coat or sweater. I kept the outfit pretty neutral, but with bubble gum pink nails and some heeled booties.

xo-ally

bring on spring

Outfit #1: J. Crew shirt | Tory Burch bag | Kate Spade bracelet | C. Wonder jeans | C. Wonder shoes

Outfit #2: Juicy Couture dress | Juicy Couture bag | C. Wonder sandals | Ray-Ban sunglasses | J. Crew pearl cluster bracelet | J. Crew gem bracelet

I am so ready for warmer weather. I would wear the above two outfits in a heartbeat if I could!

xo-ally

neon pink

H&M dress (similar) | Chanel sunglasses (similar) | Nordstrom cardigan | New Look shoes | Swank necklace | Swank bracelets | Kate Spade bag (similar)

It has been great to break out the brights lately, and I couldn't resist my neon high low dress! You may remember it from last summer when I wore a similar ensemble. This time I paired it with a cardigan (still a little chilly for May), new accessories, and flat espadrilles.

xo-ally

brights on brights on brights

Lilly Pulitzer skirt | Nordstrom tank (similar) | Nordstrom cardigan | Juicy Couture bag (similar) | Chanel sunglasses (similar) | Michael Kors watch | Nordstrom chevron bangle (similar) | Juicy Couture pink bracelet | New Look flat espadrilles (similar)

It's been a while since I've done a .gif outfit post! Hope you like the look today, I wore my Lilly Pulizer skirt (one of my favorite spring skirts) in the Wild Confetti print and hinted at the blue-green color in the skirt with my tank. It was windy and chilly so I had to throw on my cardigan, but that didn't stop me from keeping the outfit totally spring! I pulled out my white flat espadrilles for the first time this season and I'm so excited because they go with almost anything. Yay for spring clothes!

xo-ally

friday's fancies - april showers

This week's Friday's Fancies theme with long distance loving is April Showers. Here's a lovely spring outfit I made for when the weather is a little dreary! I'm loving the cutout sleeves on the top.

shirt, jeans, boots, bracelet, umbrella

And doesn't the adorable umbrella remind you of S and B's umbrellas from that Gossip Girl episode?? Fab.

xo-ally

sunny days in spokane

I just got back inside from a couple hours laying in the sun! A friend and I sat out on the grass by campus and enjoyed the beautiful weather. This is the time of year where everyone gets so excited because it's warm, and literally every spot with grass has people either relaxing, studying, or playing some kind of recreational sport on it. So fun!

Screenshot of the app on my phone - it changes the background to match the weather. It's refreshing seeing the blue sky/sun today, because it's usually dark and cloudy!

Tomorrow it's supposed to be 75, so I'm guessing it'll be a repeat of today :) and then it'll get cold again :( we'll enjoy it while it lasts!

xo-ally

blue ray-bans!

Wellllll, you can see my friend Lauren (friend and today's photographer) in the reflection, haha.

 Ray-Ban sunglasses | Free People dress (similar) | Martin + Osa cardigan (similar) | Report flats (similar) | Nordstrom bracelets (similar) | Entourage earrings

I am so loving my new blue mirrored aviators. I went to Nordstrom 4 times to look at them before actually making the purchase! They have already becoming a favorite in my accessory collection, even if they are a little crazy. I don't care, I love them anyway! It took my a while to admit that because they are a newer trend and a little "out there" ... also, my ex-boyfriend from high school used to wear mirrored aviators and I thought he looked like the biggest tool. Haha. So....

I'm also wearing the earrings from Leslie that came in my blog swap gift!! Love the subtle addition of orange next to the blue.

xo-ally

all things spring swap!

I received the most adorable package from Leslie when we were set up as partners for Lindsey's All Things Spring blog swap! Going to the mail room on campus on a rainy morning and finding this in my box brightened up my day! Here's the package:

I didn't photograph the inside of the package, but it the gifts were wrapped in the most adorable checkered tissue paper. Checkers are my favorite print!

I loved all the little gifts:

Leslie gave me a pair of earrings, colorful hair elastics (I've worn all the colors by now!), some thank you cards, sticky notes/note pad, lotion, nail polish and nail file set, pens, and a pink lip stain.

It was fun to "meet" Leslie through the blog swap - you should check out her blog and I see what gift I sent her :D

xo-ally

colorful skirt and chambray shirt

 Nordstrom sunglasses | Lilly Pulitzer skirt | American Eagle shirt (similar) | GUESS wedges (similar) | Michael Kors watch | Max & Chloe necklace

It has been sunny these past few days (so happy) so of course I had to break out the spring clothes! I have a feeling this might not last, so I've been making sure to lay out and get a little color before it starts raining again. I'm pretty sure I got a little sunburnt today :/ we'll see in the morning, haha. I chose to wear this colorful skirt with a chambray button-up and wedges. I love the hidden pockets in this skirt!

Hope you're having a wonderful day!

xo-ally

happy april

It's April?!! Already?! It was just March! It feels like it was literally just spring break. And it also feels like right when I got back from spring break, seeing if I could squeeze in another trip to Las Vegas over Easter weekend ;) but alas, it is the last day of Easter weekend, and I've stayed here...Haha.

What I love about April:

Spring! Spring! Spring!

Easter, or in this case (Since Easter was March 31), post-Easter candy sales - you know I'll be stocking up on Reese's Peanut Butter Eggs

Sandals, flip flops, and spring shoes. My pedicure will finally show :)

Longer days, later sunsets

Getting to wear spring clothes

Laying outside on the "warm" days (which is any day above 60 degrees in Spokane)

What do you love about April?

xo-ally

friday's fancies - pretty in pastels

This week's Friday's Fancies theme with long distance loving is pretty in pastels. This light yellow lace dress is classic and pretty, and goes well with stack of pastel bangles. The bright pink shoes add even more color!

dress, pink bracelet, mint bracelet, yellow bracelet, shoes

xo-ally

lilly dresses for easter

I'd love to wear a Lilly Pulitzer dress for Easter, if my bank account currently allowed - the new dresses are so adorable! Instead I'll probably wear this striped dress, this pink one, or this red one on Sunday. But here are some Lilly choices I'd consider:

Henley Dress

Payton Dress

Antonia Dress - this one is my FAVORITE and I loveeee the bow :)

Posey Dress

And some bracelets from Bauble Bar and t+j designs that would add a fabulous touch to the dresses:

Luxe Pink Pave Bracelet

Silver Arrow Cuff

Mint Candy Bangle

xo-ally

happy first day of SPRING!

Eeek! I've been waiting for this day for a long time. I LOVE SPRING! Almost as much as I love summer.

Now, if it would only feel like spring in Spokane...we've woken up to snow the past couple of days. :(

The snow melts throughout the morning....but still. Wearing shorts and sandals during spring break was amazing. I love love love spring/summer weather, and you can't beat being around everyone in happy moods when the sun is out.

My favorite day of the spring semester is the first really warm day. It will be sunny and around 70 degrees, which feels like a heatwave after a freezing, snowy winter. Everyone on campus spends maximum time outside; I even had a professor cancel class one year on the first warm day. There are so many outdoor recreational activities going on - capture the flag, frisbee, badminton, volleyball - anything we can do outside. One of the dorms in the middle of campus plays music. It is the best day of spring semester! Everyone is so happy. I can't wait for that day to happen!

And I cannot not mention spring fashion. Unlike a lot of other girls, I get much more excited for spring/summer fashion than fall/winter. I am so ready for sundresses, sandals, chino shorts, swimsuits, sunglasses, and incorporating all the fun trends (like neon!)

Yay for spring! Who's with me?!

xo-ally

color block and polka dots

You can color block it or polka dot it - either way, you're sure to make a statement with these button-up shirts, currently my favorite trend for the upcoming season.

From left, clockwise: b&w polka dots, peach color block, b&w piping, peach & pink piping, b&w polka dots with orange , yellow color block, mint and white polka dots

My favorite is the black and white polka dot button-up with the orange collar. Which is your favorite?

xo-ally

OH, and our #2 Zags just beat BYU. It was HUGE! It was close for a little, but our trusty bulldogs pulled it out. One more game against Portland on Saturday, and hopefully the road to #1 will be complete! :D

adorable pieces from modcloth

Currently loving each of these adorable pieces from Modcloth. I can't wait for spring!

[Click the images to link back to the site/product info]

xo-ally

guest blogger - aryn from giraffes + garlic + glamour!

Good morning! Or whatever time it is wherever you are. Actually, it's night time for me. I should be getting to bed...anyways, last week I guest posted on my friend Aryn's blog (you can read it here) and today she is so kind to post for me! Enjoy :)

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Greetings Sunny Sweetheart readers! I'm Aryn from Giraffes + Garlic + Glamour and I am so excited to guest blogging for Ally today. Ally and I are actually friends in real life and traveled to Italy together two summers ago, so putting together this guest post today for you all has been a real treat.

When I think of spring my first thought is floral print. But it seems that every passing spring brings brighter and bolder printed pieces of clothing. This season I already have a lot of favorite prints that aren't even florals. Ikat, polka dot, water color, animal prints - I love them all! Adding pieces with these unique prints is a quick way to make an outfit edgy or more feminine. Try mixing prints with pastels, neutrals and even leather.

Here are some of my favorite spring printed pieces. Enjoy!

1. Ace Delivery Blouse 

2. Kate Spade Bangles 

3. Equipment Cashmere Sweater 

4. Tory Burch Sea Horse Cosmetics Case

5. Ikat iPhone Case

6. Emi Jay Hair Ties

7. Opening Ceremony Loafers

Thank you so much Ally for having me today!

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Thank YOU, Aryn for posting! :D I love all of the pieces above, especially the printed bangles and the adorable sea horse cosmetics case.

xo-ally

PS - if any of you would like to guest post, send me an email at ally_sunnysweetheart@hotmail.com and we'll figure out the details! :)

spring shopping!

When I was perusing clothes online to use for Friday's Fancies last week, I was overwhelmed by all the amazing spring shopping options! I am beyond ready for warmer weather and the spring fashion that goes with it. Here are a few of my spring shopping picks:

red floral tory burch bag, milly blue and green dress, milly black bow dress, hunter rain boots, j. crew silk carnation top, j. crew butterfly shorts, red shorts, black ray-ban sunglasses, ray-ban aviators, purple watch, red striped tank, pink long-sleeved dress, striped tunic dress, printed lilly button-up, floral lilly jacket and shorts, green jack rogers sandals

My favorites are the blue and green Milly dress, the J. Crew butterfly shorts, and the red floral Tory Burch bag!

xo-ally

friday's fancies - lovely layers

This week's Friday's Fancies theme with long distance loving is Lovely Layers. While this look is a little out of place mid-February, the layers would definitely keep you warm! Bring on spring, please, and soon, preferably!

scarf, sweater, button-up, denim, flats, umbrella

xo-ally

friday's fancies - outfit crush

It is no secret that I absolutely love spring and summer fashion. I also love pretty much anything that Gossip Girl's Blair Waldorf has worn, especially her Hamptons outfits in Season 2. When I saw that this week's Friday's Fancies theme with long distance loving was Outfit Crush, I couldn't resist using Blair's summer style as inspiration! From Milly and Lilly P to Prada and Chanel, take a look at the mint and pink outfit I recreated plus some extra inspiration below.

Top outfit info: printed lilly wedges, kate spade pink handbag, mint dress, beach cruiser bike, gold necklace <this is the exact one! I've been looking for years! However it costs $1,500...

Other items: blue lilly pulitzer dress, prada sunglasses, milly pink rose skirt, milly green sheath dress, white, buckle belt, pucci straw tote, jewel headband, summer bangles

The snow outside already has me dreaming of warmer days, and this post definitely makes me want to leap ahead to spring break!

xo-ally

[photos from here, here, and here]

pastels vs. neon

Neon has been huge lately. Everywhere from simple items to dressier pieces to activewear has been hit by the neon trend.

This spring, pastels are making a comeback.

Pastels have never gone out of style, but the classic spring shades are beginning to outshine their loud-colored counterparts. I even saw a light pink car outside of Safeway! With Easter coming up this Sunday, I only thought it would be appropriate to showcase some fashionable items that are heading headfirst into pastels!

Colored Denim
Brighter vs. Lighter

Left, Right

Nail Polish
Neon sparkles vs. Light grass green

Left, Right

Shoes
Sunny bright vs. Poppy pale pink

Left, Right

xo