The 4th ---> 3 Ways!

If I had to describe my summer break so far, it would outfit-"lite." I've only been off of work for 12 days now, and I have spent almost half of those days in pajamas. And I ain't complaining'! Still, I wanted to at least give you all a little something to keep you occupied in between outfit posts. Since the 4th of July, Independence Day, one of my favorite holidays, is only a mere 7 days away, I thought I'd share a few outfits to take you wherever you may be next Wednesday... Whether you're celebrating at the beach, the BBQ, or the bars, here are a few looks for you!

My plans are still up in the air for next week... what will you all be doing to celebrate the good old US of A?!

An American Pastime

{Sweater: Urban Outfitters | Jeans: JustFab | Sandals: Old Navy}

Usually, when I head to an Angel baseball game, I wear some sort of team-related paraphernalia, whether it be a baseball cap, t-shirt, jersey, or my famed Angels dress. However, at Friday night's Angels vs. Dodgers (major LA event!) game (We won that one, thank you for very much...), I went with my new(ish) Budweiser Clydesdales sweater! I wanted to look "normal" for when we went out to one of our favorite Downtown Fullerton bars that night. Doesn't hurt that we love to hang out at the Budweiser Patio at the games! Since I work at a preschool, I tend not to want to advertise beer on my person, so I've had a hard time figuring out where to wear this bad boy! Despite running into a friend who asked me if I came from an ugly sweater party, I was pretty happy to finally get to wear it!

Sunday Song: Vampire Weekend

So, I really love Vampire Weekend. I only sort of loved them until I saw them at Coachella in 2010. Then I was hooked! I fought through food poisoning to be towards the front of the crowd for their performance, and it was worth it! Then, luckily, I saw them in a healthy state later that year, at the Hollywood Bowl in September 2010, and was blown away. Sometimes, I see bands I love in concert and they are either weird or antisocial or just, well, not as good, and it kind of ruins their music for me. This is NOT the case with Vampire Weekend! They are great performers and incredibly charming. [And I also have a crush on every member. Truth.] Most of their music is super upbeat and "dance-y," but this song is a little more low-key with a hint of sadness. Enjoy, and then check out some videos of their live performances on YouTube - you won't be sorry!

Summer Cutoffs!

{Blouse: Urban Outfitters | Cardigan: Old Navy | Cutoffs: Vintage Levis via Urban Renewal for Urban Outfitters | Huaraches: JustFab | Necklace: Vintage (Aunt's)}

Well, I've finally done it - I've officially acquired a pair of high-waisted cutoffs! I've been iffy on the trend for awhile, especially when I see girls picking them out of their perma-wedgies at theme parks and concerts... (Sorry for that visual, but moving on...) Anyway, after pinning a lot of looks featuring high-waisted cutoffs and discussing the ever-so-important logistics of picking up a pair with Hilary and Chelsea, I took the plunge and bought this great "pre-thrifted" (I just made that word up) pair from Urban Outfitters! I must say, they are far more comfortable than I'd ever expected, though I learned they work better standing up than sitting down. (Haha.) I had read reviews on these before I bought them, and many said they weren't high-rise enough, but these hit right about  at my waist thanks to my near-little-person-height. All in all, I'm pretty happy with this purchase, and I'm very excited to get a lot of use out of these bad boys all summer!

I decided to put together a few more looks for you all, with many different ways to style your same favorite pair of cutoffs for summer!

Where will your cutoffs take you this summer?!

"You cannot compete with girl power."

{Blouse: American Apparel | Blazer: Forever 21 | Leggings: Target | Wedges: Modcloth | Necklace: BaubleBar | Bracelet: derng | Watch: Nordstrom}

I wore this outfit Saturday night for another trip to my favorite piano bar, Sgt. Pepper's. This used to be one of my favorite shirts - it's oversized, sheer, plaid... the majority of blouses in my closet encompass at least one of these qualities! I threw on my favorite blazer, my favorite wedge booties, and was good to go for a night of sing-a-long fun! My favorite quote of the night, during a girls vs. boys dueling piano sesh dominated by "Girls Just Wanna Have Fun?" "You cannot compete with girl power." Oh, and yes, a male pianist did say this. Amen, brother. Amen!

Hey! Teachers! Leave those kids alone!

{Dress: Michael Stars via TJ Maxx | Jacket: J. Crew | Huaraches: JustFab | Necklace: Forever 21 | Watch: New Orleans | Bracelet: GOLDhearted via Stitchfix | Sunglasses: Juicy Couture}

Okay, okay. So I fibbed a bit when I said I was completely free for the summer. I had one last event to attend to - the Kindergarten pool party! Woooohoooo! (That woohoo was in the style of Vicki Gunvalson, FYI.) Really, though, it was definitely a fun time at a party thrown by the Kindergarten parents, with a margarita in hand, delicious BBQ burgers, and an afternoon full of dodging the 6-year-olds' impeccable aim with water guns! My denim jacket came off quickly, as it was about 80 degrees, and I slathered my shoulders in Water Babies SPF. All hail sunscreen!

Stampede

{Top: Urban Outfitters | Jeans: Old Navy | Shoes: Steve Madden | Watch: Nordstrom | Link bracelet: derng | Scissor bracelet: Bauble Bar}

They say the 293rd time's a charm. (That's the saying, right?) Either way, it felt like I tried on that many outfits before settling for this one. Do you ever have the feeling where even though you have more clothes than you know what to do with, you have "nothing to wear?" Well, that problem definitely reared its ugly head on Friday night! I decided to just go with this look because it was easy and comfy - hello super soft oversized tee - and then added the platforms to dress it up a touch. Then, Melissa and I were off to see Temper Trap at the Palladium, and the show was fantastic! My favorite song they performed was I Need Your Love, but I can't find a video of it, so I'll leave you all with their performance of Sweet Disposition. :)

Sunday Song - Father's Day Edition - The Drifters

Today's Sunday Song is in honor of Father's Day! This is one of my dad's favorite songs, and I think of him every time I listen to it. It's pretty much a perfect song and always makes me happy. My dad is the only person I know who loves/knows more about music more than I do - because I learned from the best! Happy Dad's Day!

Pomp & Circumstance

{Dress: Gift from Mom | Blazer: Alloy | Huaraches: JustFab | Belt: Urban Outfitters | Necklace: Bauble Bar | Watch: Nordstrom}

This is what I wore to our Pre-K/Kindergarten "Moving Up"/Graduation ceremony. Anything is work-appropriate when you add a blazer, right? I still adore this dress, and am glad I got a chance to wear it again! I loved seeing the kiddos sing some sweet songs (Normally, I'd watch 40 children singing Wonderful World and try not to cry, but their overwhelming cuteness combined with overwhelming tone-deafness brought nothing but smiles), take lots of pictures, and celebrate the end of another great year at the Early Childhood Center!

No Dark Sarcasm in the Classroom

{Shirt: Wildfox | Jeans: Forever 21 | Sandals: Rainbow | Watch: New Orleans boutique | Bracelet: GOLDhearted}

School's out for summer, baby! For the final day of the 2011-2012 preschool year, I decided to go tried & true with my favorite tee, comfiest Rainbow sandals, and stretchy jeggings. I'm a creature of comfort, let me tell you.

After our "graduation"/moving up ceremony, this will officially mark the beginning of my first summer off since I was 17... I don't have to work until the end of August! Whaaaat?! I don't even know what I'll do. Sleep in? Ride my bike? Lay by the pool? Go to a ton of baseball games? Get my tonsils out, fix my deviated septum, and take approximately 10 days to recover in July? The possibilities are endless... Oh yeah, baby. Oh. Yeah.

Ain't No Cure for the Summertime Blues...

{Top: Forever 21 | Jeans & Cardigan: Old Navy | Flats: Yosi Samra | Necklace: New Orleans | Watch: Nordstrom}

I've been feeling like I'm in a bit of a style rut lately. Let's call it the summertime wardrobe blues... Lately, it seems like I keep falling back on jeans, a striped top, a cardigan, and flats. Woh wohhhh. Boring! I haven't even ended up taking photos of these outfits because I think they feel so blah! I think part of the problem is that it gets to be around 80 degrees by noon, and layers just don't work for me when it's hot! I try to spice up my looks with jewelry, but sometimes even having a necklace on bugs me in the heat and I end up ripping it off! I only have ONE MORE WORK DAY UNTIL SUMMER BREAK, so maybe the end of the school year will bring with it a renewed zest for warm-weather fashion... How do you keep outfits interesting despite the heat?