Gingham and chambray

This combination had a down country feel but as it was for the weekend I soldiered on. I think the white structured bag kept the outfit from becoming too country-farm girl (or so I hoped!).

"Inside out"

Have you seen the movie? If not, hurry up and catch it! Although not as funny as other Pixar movies, this one is powerful and leaves a lasting impression.
At the first glance this outfit looks a bit uncoordinated but those little splashes of teal blue in the pants go amazingly well with the top!

...and hey, even if they didn't go together, the movie theater was too dark for anyone to notice!

The Summer List:

Here are my guidelines for the next two months:

-Keep moving and be more active. I usually use the heat as an excuse to become a lazy couch potato.
-Meditate twice a day.

-Learn a few technique for Japanese flower arrangement.

-Listen to music at least one hour per day. It is so uplifting and I tend to ignore it!

-Incorporate more veggie dishes in our  weekly meals.

-Sharpen my summer style. I finally got the hang of dressing for the heat of AZ after three summers but my outfits have become very simple. I think I lost the chicness in favor of practicality. I need to find my edge!

Well, these are the concrete plans. I would like to participate in a few cultural activities, go on a couple of trips and read some long book series. I can play those by ears and let the mood take me.

What are you planning this summer?

Light blue

The skies are blue, the water in pool, my mood and therefore my clothes. But there is also something very satisfying about going head to toe in powder blue.

Navy blocks

Color block dress and block heels sandals, so perfect for 111 degree temperature. Really this dress is just so cool and light.

Last time I wore it like this.

The grid dress

Despite all the controversy of the brand and the big volume of items designed for tweens, Abercrombie and Fitch does carry that occasional gem of a basic as the case was for my blush jeans and olive jogger pants.
And now I give you Exhibit C, this wonderful T-dress in a grid print. I grabbed it of the rack as soon as I saw it and was ecstatic to find the last one in my size. It's perfect enough to almost forgive them all of their  politically incorrect history.

Tropical blue

For the quickest run to the supermarket right before dinner. I might be a sloppy housekeeper but when it comes to eating I have the highest standard. I can't imagine having kabobs without fresh basil and flat bread. Also not having cheese for my breakfast omelette. There you have it, my top priorities!

Navy and peach

I like to think that this outfit was a nice balance of navy and blush. In reality, navy was dominant and so much more in evidence than blush. Nevertheless, it was good enough for a late night stroll in our downtown.

Circle skirt

I used to love these skirts in my teen years. That's why when I found this one in the softest chambray I couldn't resist. It goes with so many tops and the length ((one inch above the knee) is perfect for weekends.

What I liked this week:

...or recently as the case be!
-Woven T dresses: a great style for summer if it's made of cotton, rayon, or chambray. These are shapely and not sloppy like knit jersey T dresses. The easiest and coolest dress for these hot days.
-Gold flat sandals: I've been looking for the perfectly comfortable pair for a few summer now. could this be the year?
-Magnum ice cream bars: in mini size they are just the best thing to end the day. My favorite is the Double Caramel but all the flavors are divine!

Black and white

The heat is exhausting so much so that I want something simple and with minimum of planning. As always, black and white and major red lips. Easy peasy!

A top priority

This pair of wide leg pants is perfect for an evening of 105 degree temp. The problem however came from finding the right top. I tried my fail-safe whites but they weren't a good match. This burgundy works either because of the color or the peplum style and the length. I need to find a couple of more tops for these pants, they are made for this weather.

Denim maxi skirt

It's as easy as putting on jeans only so much cooler. When it's still 109 degree at night, believe me every little thing counts!

Maxi skirt

I try to avoid maxi skirts here in Phoenix but mosquitoes used my legs as free all-you-can-eat buffet when I was working in the yard and now I have to hide the hideous result.

 

You'll be seeing maxi skirts and dresses for the next few days!

Chambray tee dress

Cool and comfy and when mixed with white accessories it's all about summer. I can't stop wearing this dress.

On Sundays

All I want on this Sunday with 110 degree temp is,
A tall glass of delicious chill drink:

A bowl of my favorite ice cream:

and a long soak in the pool:

Minimal

Hot weather zaps my energy so much that even dressing is hard. That's why I often go for minimal outfits when it's over 105 degree. A pretty and breezy dress with open sandals is light and cool (yeah, I mean that literally!).

Finding pretty light-weight dresses for Arizona's summers have become a year around obsession of mine!

Red play

I usually spruce up a black and white color combo with a pop of red. This time around I decided to accessorize a red dress with black and white. The verdict is still out on the result!

All pink

It was inevitable. Impossible actually, owning a pink top and pink shorts and not pairing them together?! Although the whole evening I had this nagging suspicious that I look too juvenile.

Sage green

I'd never thought I'd like this olive/sage shade of green. Actually I'd never thought I start to like green. But hey, it's not that bad. Annnd if you go for the color in a print, like this cute mosaic print top, it's pretty sweet. I'm going to think of it as a neutral and mix it with wilder colors. We'll see!

Crop tops

I have developed a bit of weakness for printed crop tops. This little one has so many pretty colors in it that I had a hard time picking just one pair of pants to wear with it. Good thing I had these mauve/shell colored joggers with the perfect high waist to let the top shine at its best.

White flared jeans

Native Arizonans wear shorts and tees 99.99% of the time, rain or shine. Since I am still a wimpy SoCal expat, when the temperature drops 20 degrees due to an unexpected rain storm, I switch to full length jeans. But please give me some points for not wearing a trench coat or carrying an umbrella!

On Sundays

Let's go out and photograph some pretty flowers:

Or maybe find some amazing street art:

And watch the sunset over the close by mountain:

Pink and swingy

Opposite a lot of people, I like to wear my shorts and miniskirts at night. Blame the high UV index of Phoenix during the day for it! when the nights are above 95 degree, it doesn't make much of a difference, does it? Anyhow, a short swingy pair of pink floral shorts was just the ticket for a big dinner of my favorite sushi.

Block dress

This pretty dress from Madewell is as breezy and summery as it looks. It also includes some of my favorite features, all at once. Let's see: White color, check; navy color, check; made of cotton, check; shirtdress style, check; short sleeves, check.

The hem being a couple of inches above the knee, I went with flat sandals. It had a gamine low-key look that I adore. 

Simple and perfect dresses

This T-shirt chambray dress could be the most perfect dress ever. You can dress it up with pumps and a formal clutch. You can go business casual with block heels and a neutral bag and simple gold jewelry and also you can wear it casually with flat sandals or sneaker and a tote. AND it's cool and breezy for above 100 degree temp. I think I hit the jackpot when I found this dress.

The explorer

For a day trip, we went exploring a close by national forest with a hidden agenda: spending the day somewhere cooler. Good thing I was dressed for sun protection since we weren't such successful explorers.
On the other hand, these chambray pants passed their trial-by-fire with flying scores and kept me cool and happy all day long. So the day was not a total waste!

Common conundrum

Every summer, every where, it's the same problem. It's hot outside and freezing inside due to over air conditioning. My solution? Always having a little jacket or cardigan with me which also means carrying a bag big enough to house it!

Culottes

Here is one item I never thought I'd wear: culottes. Blame it on all the pictures from spring's fashion magazines but I braved the trend and bought one in a fluid soft fabric. Paired it with block heels and a cropped top to correct the proportions and this one started to look elegant.
OK, I say it: I liked it!