It's Here! It's Here! It's Here!

The last week of school with kids is finally here! And I could not be more....conflicted.
Don't get me wrong - I am definitely ready for a break. Summer vacation is calling my name and it sounds so sweet.
But there's a lot of changes coming up in the school year ahead and I'd be lying if I said I wasn't a little nervous about them.
This year has been one of the best so far and I'd be perfectly happy jumping right back into it come August....after a nice, relaxing summer break of course.

Nevertheless, summer is coming and for me that means no more alarm clocks, packed lunches, and stuffy dress codes.
I'll admit, having summers off gives me the tendency to become quite the bum.
I have no problem spending my days in a bathing suit and cover up or shorts and a t-shirt.
I occasionally also have no problem spending my days in my pjs but that's neither here nor there.

For me, summer has such a laid back feel.
And my clothing style tends to match that mood.
Getting "dressed up" is a big deal, and even then it's nothing extravagant.
Having a fresh tan means less make-up and windblown "beachy" hair means less blowdrying.

In the past, sun dresses have been my weakness.
But lately I have been swooning over cute shorts.
There are so many cute colors and patterns that I can still feel lazy laid-back while looking pretty darn cute. I consider that a win-win.

Meet a few of my fav styles.

{1.} Denim shorts are a staple, but I had a really hard time finding a pair I love. I recently found a pair very similar to these from Target and they're almost perfection. 

{2.} Chino shorts are another staple. (Who am I kidding...all these shorts are staples apparently.) JCrew has the best, in my opinion, but I'm loving these from Target a whole lot too. And my wallet definitely loves them. Plus there are sooooo many different colors! I'll take one of each please and thank you.

{3.} Then there's all the fun styles and patterns. 

{4.} I had to explain to someone what seersucker was the other day. Regardless, these seersucker shorts from Lily are to die for. And the scallop edges...be still my beating heart.

~

Now, it only seems right to not just tell you about my favorite summer fashions but to also tell you about my favorite summer spending habits. Robbie and I work really hard throughout the school year all year to pinch every penny we can. Being a teacher's rough, y'all. But during the summer when I have a few extra minutes to breathe think make a few extra doll-hairs, life tends to be a little easier. 

Something else that makes life a little easier. Gift cards. Robbie and I are both gift card hoarders. They are like gold at our house. (My birthday's in April, for future reference.) Something else we love at our house - online shopping. Which is why Raise is my new favorite obsession. It's a new marketplace where you can buy discounted gift cards to your favorite brands and sell your unused gift cards for cash. You know what that sounds like to me? Cha-ching - hello new clothes. And for me...hello new summer shorts in every color/pattern/print imaginable. Hell to the yes.

Happy shopping y'all.