Maxi Dress Obsession & Lilly Dress for Sale!

Maxi dresses & skirts...are you yay or nay?

Personally, I am a YAY. I will be completely honest - I never thought I would own one.

I thought I was too short and they would look strange on me. Then, one day at Old Navy, my friend convinced me to try one on and I fell in love! I have two now. They are so comfy and casual. I find myself wearing them to school, work, shopping, etc. I usually pair them with sandals & have a cropped cardigan or denim jacket if it gets chilly.

Here are some favorites from the one and only Pinterest:

absolutely love the pink

so flowy!

ikat anything - i love. plus the coral color is a favorite.

watercolor maxi - adorable for spring or summer

can't go wrong with classic black & white

i'm obsessed with my "jean jacket" as i still call it. Definitely will recreate this.

i love the halter top...has me dreaming of the beach!

black & pink, just like white & pink, is one of my favorite combos. love the sandals, too.

you can rock heels with them, too! the large envelope clutch is an adorable bonus with this outfit.

Seriously, if you haven't tried one on - do it! If you still don't like them, at least you can say you tried. They look 100x better once you put it on rather than hanging on a hanger in the store.

Any other maxi dress lovers out there? I really hope I'm not the only one...

Here is mine from Old Navy that I wore yesterday afternoon:

-sorry about the background mess...STILL unpacking-

Lastly, I'm selling this

Lola dress in Shorely Blue Silver Dollars

Size 6, $55 shipped
GREAT condition

{paypal only, please!}

I didn't wear this dress at all - it may even be NWOT.

I'm usually a 4 and this would probably fit me -- the straps do not come off but they are adjustable -- lined, has two pockets.

Email me if you're interested! If not, it might be headed to Ebay...

Today I'm headed to work for an early St. Patrick's Day with the kids since we have the full day (parent teacher conferences) at E2. I made rainbow jello...very excited to share a picture!

Happy Wednesday!

xoxo,

Spring Break Recap via Instagram!

Wow, changing time zones + daylight savings + an 8 am this morning makes for one very tired me.

However, I'm so excited to share with you about my spring break! I had such a wonderful time and wish it hadn't gone by so fast!

I want to thank Steph (The Sweet Life) and Jess (Just Rainbows and Butterflies) for their California advice before my trip! Y'all gave me some great ideas as far as where to go and what to do! I wish my trip had been longer so I could get in everything I wanted to do - and so we could have met up! I swear it flew by!

That's the first thing I learned: there is plenty to do in San Francisco!

If you ever make the trip, make sure you have several days to spend out there!

If you follow me on instagram some of these are repeats, but lots are new!

Leaving VA

Flying from Dallas to San Fran was gorgeous.

The first night we were there - awoken at 5:30 am by an earthquake! Seriously, that was not how I wanted to be welcomed to California. For Californians it was probably nothing but for this east coast girl it was scary!

First thing's first...baseball!

The weather on the first day was such a tease...the rest of the time I was BUNDLED up!

Me and my boy after the double header

Sea lions at Pier 39

Freakin' scary seagulls - and Alcatraz in the background.

This is from our boat tour of the bay.

Of course it was foggy! The Golden Gate Bridge was still beautiful!

We went underneath the bridge on the boat and then back to Pier 39.

Lunch at Hard Rock

Yummy drinks - we are on vacation, after all!

The Wharf was so fun to walk around!

YUM! Crab and corn bisque in a sourdough breadbowl...holy smokes.

Love this place & the sourdough animal loaves!

We visited here at least three times, once for sundaes!

Cable Car Ride

Got off at Lombard Street

Crossing the Golden Gate Bridge

Took an awesome walk through Muir Woods!

Standing in a tree, no biggie.

Stopped at Muir Beach Overlook - amazing!

First time at the Pacific

The west coast is just beautiful!

Steven had games all the way until Saturday but we flew back to Dulles on Thursday and headed to Norfolk on Friday.

I stopped at the Premium Outlets in Williamsburg and got a pair of norts for $5 (no joke) and some adorable chino crops at J. Crew in a periwinkle color. I can't wait to wear them :)

I searched for Ocean Palm to celebrate Lunch with Lilly!

They ran out of the free frog rings, but I did get lip gloss!

I bought an organizational bin to hold scarves, another market tote and the reusable sandwich/snack bag for the summer :)

We had dinner at one of our favorite restaurants - Dockside - for James' last hoorah before he left on Sunday. Drinks and laughs all around!

Our Nan (Dad's mom) came with us.

The ice cream cake we got at Harris Teeter & I somewhat struggled to write on...and yes, that is supposed to be a boat.

I don't think cake decorator is in my future.

I'll stick with cupcakes!

I was sad to come home, but thankfully this sweet face was waiting for us when we got back!

We've never left her for more than a weekend...it was weird!

I took a lot of pictures on my other camera but I feel like this is a sufficient sampling :)

Overall, it was a great trip but had a bittersweet ending. James (my brother) left on Sunday for a seven month deployment. He is aboard the U.S.S. Enterprise (CVN 65) and this is the ship's final deployment before it gets retired! So while it is a significant thing to be a part of, we are certainly going to miss him.

Please keep all of them in your prayers!

I hope everyone has a wonderful week!

xoxo,

A Very Marley Lilly Summer

I am BACK! I cannot thank my guest bloggers enough for stepping in and sharing some fun on my blog this week. I appreciate you all so much!

I'm going to wait until later to do a trip recap because there is just so much that happened and so many pictures to upload, look through, edit, etc. I think that will come on Sunday or Monday :)

In a nutshell I can say that my trip was amazing! Just went by way too fast!

 In the midst of gazing across the pacific ocean, one of the top things on my mind was how badly I wanted it to be summer time.

Laying on the beach, book in hand, having absolutely no care in the world.

Who's with me?

 

Thankfully, Marley Lilly has everything on my Summer 2012 Wishlist to make this daydream a reality come June.

Hats

Gotta keep your face protected in the sun!

The added monogram makes this classic baseball hat a very cute option for fun in the sun!

or

Derby Hat

I absolutely love this hat!

There are several colors to choose from AND it's only $29.99! Yes, you read that right :)

 

Croakies

Croakies are sort of like tote bags...I feel like I can't have enough of them!

I have ones in school colors, Vineyard Vines, Lilly, etc...I have yet to get a monogrammed pair so these are definitely on my list.

Marley Lilly monograms these adorable sunglasses accessories for an amazing price!

Bandeau Bathing Suit Top

STOP IT. Seriously, how adorable is this?

I remember seeing a top like this on Pinterest and fell in love.

Now to decide...pink, navy or black?

Insulated Cooler Bag

These bags come in a variety of patterns and, yes, are monogrammed on the opposite side!

My personal favorites are the sand dollar and the turtle!

This bag is not only great for keep things cool but I'm sure is easy to wipe clean after a day at the beach!

Can Koozies

Definitely a summer must-have no matter where you are.

These fall in the same category as the croakies - you can never have too many.

Did I miss your favorite ML accessory?

What's #1 on your wishlist??

Now all I need is an 80 degree day on the shore and a good book to read!

Make sure to visit Marley Lilly on Facebook and Twitter to stay up to date on everything happening!

Happy weekend to all :)

xoxo,

Guest Post: Jaclyn from A Day in the Life and Mind...

Hello, and Happy Friday!

I'm Jaclyn and can be found over at A Day in the Life and Mind...  A huge thank you to Sarah for allowing me to guest post for her while she is basking in the sun!  I just got back from a vacation as well and had a week of guests showing a peek inside their beach bag.  I figured this would be fitting for today as well.  So here goes... a trip inside my {ideal} beach bag:

1 - 2 - 3 - 4 - 5 - 6 - 7 - 8 - 9 - 10

Have you all heard of the Woozie?  Run, ladies... do not walk... to get this!!

Feel free to pop on over to my blog to say hi!

Have a wonderful weekend, and thanks again, Sarah!

Guest Post: Jess from Just Rainbows and Butterflies

Hello guys! I'm Jess over at Just Rainbows and Butterflies. I just moved to Northern California in August and since Sarah was heading to my neck of the woods, I thought it appropriate to write about my favorite places. 

1. Napa Valley

 My husband, Z and I went to Napa for our mini-honeymoon the weekend after we got married and this place couldn't be more romantic-the boutique bed and breakfasts, the numerous wineries, and the gourmet restaurants that litter the town make this the perfect weekend retreat for anyone. 

There are also bike tours and hot air balloon rides that will give you a different view of the beautiful rows of grapes that stretch across the valley. We weren't able to do a hot air balloon ride, but trust me, next time we will. 

And if you need a good winery recommendation, Z and I love Gabrielle Collection. It's a owned by an adorable couple that give you personalized attention throughout your tasting experience. I loved that we were able to ask the owners themselves about the wine, land, and  themselves. 

2. Alcatraz

In November, Z and I went to Alcatraz and did the tour. So. Worth. It. I'm not a tour person and was sorta skeptical when they handed me my headset at the entrance, but this was literally the best one I've been on. It was scary, informative, detailed and amazing. I felt like I was back in the 50s living the life of a prisoner and seeing all the escape attempts in my mind. It was incredible and if you do one thing in San Fran, do this. 

3. Carmel

We've been to Carmel twice now and plan on going back again soon. Z and I like doing the 17 mile drive which goes from Carmel to Pacific Grove. This drive will be one of the most scenic that you ever do with the waves crashing on the rocky shore and incredible golf courses that you've only seen on TV. Definitely a place to hit up if driving that way. 

4. Drive on 101

101 is the historic highway that runs from California to Washington. We've only driven on a stretch of it, but it was fun since I've seen it so many times growing up-like on the O.C... yes, I loved me some teen dramas growing up. 

5.  Bike Tour  over the Golden Gate Bridge

The Golden Gate Bridge is on the most iconic and historic tourist sites in San Francisco and in California in general. If you don't have time, just drive by it, but if you do have time, get on a bike and peddle across. There are several bike tours that go from San Fran to the small town of Sausalito where you can sit, relax and enjoy a glass of wine by the water before catching a ferry back.  Click here for a good bike tour if you are interested. 

These are only a few of my favorite things about Northern California-I probably have about 20 more things I can add to the list-so please let me know if you are planning a trip and I would be more than happy to help you out. 

Sarah, have a great trip and can't wait to hear about your adventure!