Tuesday, April 30, 2019

Draper James at Jamaica's Tryall Club

Draper James at Jamaica's Tryall Club




A few weeks ago, myself, three other influencers (Sarah, Krychele, and Steph), the Draper James team, hair and makeup artists, a photographer, a PR director, and a stylist landed in Sandy Bay, Jamaica to stay at The Tryall Club

This was, without a doubt, a pinch-me moment. That's saying something because in the 10-years I have been blogging, I have been lucky enough to land some pretty amazing opportunities. Draper James is one of my favorite brands (I'm also a huge Reese fan!!) and the brand truly aligns with my style and taste perfectly. 

So why were we all in Jamaica? We were there to shoot the May/June collections on the 2,200 acres of The Tryall Club

I was trying to fit everything into one post and it became far too long, so today I am sharing the pieces from the May collection and then later this week, I will share all of the details about the insanely gorgeous Tryall Club! 

The pieces from this collection are easy-breezy summer pieces that you can wear for a multitude of occasions. I love the Americana-vibes and lots of blue hues are right up my alley! In fact, you'll see that everything I wore from May's collection has a shade of blue in it. I loved it all! 

As I'm sharing these looks, I wanted to highlight that Draper James also collaborated with M.Gemi (which is a brand with gorgeous, high-quality shoes). Most of the shoes you see me wearing are part of that collection. These heeled sandals are a summer shoe staple and I could not get over how comfortable they are (such high quality, too)! You could wear them to dance the night away and still be in total comfort!

It's honestly amazing what it takes to produce and execute a photo shoot. It requires a lot of planning and coordination, a lot of hard work on-site, all while you are trying to work with whatever weather you are given (hence why you rarely see my hair down in any of these photos- the humidity!!!!). 

I've been fortunate to be on set for a few photoshoots and it never ceases to amaze me all of the talent and teamwork that it takes! Luckily, the team of women was a truly amazing one. We all got along so well and everyone was so hard working.

Draper James May New Arrivals

Krychele looking gorgeous in this dress!

Love this simple and classic chambray dress which you can dress up or down. It's really lightweight so it's perfect for hot summer days. I think it would also be cute to style it with a belt around the waist! 


This dress reminded me of a dress I had from Gap Kids when I was little! It's floral printed and made of thicker denim fabric. It's one of those casual dresses that you can just toss on and go. Also great for travel because it doesn't wrinkle! 

Steph looking beautiful in this dress

This top is so sweet and the embroidery and eyelet at the sleeves really add some nice detail. Besides white jeans, this would look great worn casually with denim shorts! You can't really tell in these photos, but the blue fabric is actually super thin stripes! 

All photos shot by Maggie Armstrong, styled by Colson Horton, hair by Dana Boyer,  makeup by Caitlin Wooters, Draper Team (Lydia and Emma), Hawkins PR (Emily Shearburn). The best team of women!

Monday, April 29, 2019

Amazon Purchases


I typically try to restrain my Amazon purchases. One-click shopping is so easy and convenient but it's also soooo dangerous! 

However, in the past month, with the move, I've been ordering from Amazon almost daily. Today I'll share with you all what I have purchased lately. This list isn't really thrilling or anything like that, but it definitely has some really useful products!

I get a lot of questions about what I order from Amazon- if you are ever curious, I'm going to be updating this Amazon page somewhat frequently so you can see some of my ongoing favorites!

Some of the products to note:

Candle Tin Trio// I buy these for gifts! At only $5/candle, this is a great little gift when paired with a cute box of matches or a bottle of wine for a hostess gift!

Lazy Susan// This is what we are storing our Nespresso pods in. It helps to separate them and makes it so easy to see them in the cabinet above the machine!

Charcoal Fridge Freshener// This lasts up to 6 months and is supposed to absorb odors better than baking soda!

Big Power Bites// Henry absolutely loves these Merrick treats. I didn't realize they came in 'big' bites. they're more substantial than the small-sized training treats that he is used to so he especially loves when he gets a 'big bite'! 

USB Outlet// This is a dual-USB outlet charger... basically the 'block' that you use for charging your iPhone but it's plain white and much sleeker. It is especially great if you have to see the outlet. For example, I'm using it on my kitchen counter and it really blends into the outlet. It's also great if you have furniture up against an outlet because the charger forces the cord to go flat!

Wall Mirror// I bought two of these for our master bathroom and I have to say- they are really nice for the price. I was honestly buying them as a place holder until I could find something I liked better/nicer and I was so pleasantly surprised! 

Saturday, April 27, 2019

Saturday Shopping


Hope you are all having a great weekend so far! My fiancé and I are in Ohio wine country! Did you know that was a thing?! I didn't until I was introduced to it so I'm excited to check it out! We will be here just for 24 hours but hope to go to several dinners and have a delicious dinner. I love exploring the state where my fiancé was born and raised!

In some great sale news, Talbots is currently having their Friends and Family sale through Monday! You take 30% off everything with code FRIENDS30. 

They just released some new spring arrivals and they are SO cute. Now is a great time to snag something for your mom for Mother's Day (Sunday, May 12th). My mom especially loves their perfect shorts- she finds the fit to be spot on, high quality, and lots of colors to choose from! My personal favorite (my mom has them, too) is their denim jeggings. They are the best white jeans I have ever found (my post about them, here).  

Friday, April 26, 2019

Derby Dresses




what to wear to the kentucky derby

lagos jewelry and mint julep

kentucky derby hats

How to dress for a Kentucky Derby party

How to dress for a Kentucky Derby party
All jewelry on loan from Lagos

I shot these for an Instagram collaboration with Lagos jewelry and I think they're just too fun to not share here on Summer Wind! Lagos launched a Derby collection and it is gorgeous- although, I expected nothing less from this iconic jewelry brand! 

I love the Kentucky Derby and hope to someday be able to attend! We have so much fun at Keeneland each year- the races are so fun to watch and the people watching might even be better! 

Each year, my aunt and uncle host a derby party at their house! It also falls on my cousin's birthday (who also does photography for Summer Wind and shot these photos!). He is turning 21 this year and we are SO excited. When I got engaged in December, we celebrated afterward with friends at a bar in downtown Pittsburgh and we were so bummed that my cousin couldn't celebrate with us because he was 5 months short of being 21! 

So, this year we are celebrating the derby AND a 21st birthday. So fun! 

I have amassed quite the hat and fascinator collection from years of Keeneland races- they sell the most beautiful hats inside the races and I can never resist snagging one. However, I wanted to share this hat with you all that I found on Etsy! They have SO many beautiful hats that would be perfect for any type of Derby event! 

Besides Etsy, you can also find a ton of great fascinators on Amazon and most of them are very inexpensive! In true Amazon fashion, they offer so many different styles and colors. I have this navy fascinator and it was only $14!

If you are hosting a Derby party and are searching for mint julep cups, you can find so many options on Amazon. I got my mint julep cup from The Greenbrier over 10 years ago and love it! When not using it for mint juleps, I love using this style of a cup as a vase.

We have a little over a week until Derby day so I pulled some dresses I love that will be able to arrive in time if you are still looking for the perfect dress! I absolutely love this classic sheath dress- I picture it with an oversized black hat and a red lip!

Thursday, April 25, 2019

Lately

This week has absolutely flown by! My to-do list is never-ending and because of that, I am just going and going and going at all hours!  

The movers came on Monday and moved everything out of my apartment. So now we have furniture, which is very exciting. It's starting to feel much more like a home now! I still need a good bit of furniture but the process has been lots of fun! 

The photo above is my nightstand- I'm actually looking for something that looks similar for the other side. I got this 3 years ago from an antique shop and I absolutely love it but it is so hard to find this classic style of furniture anywhere! I've been resorting to antique shops but haven't found anything yet! 

This weekend, my fiancé and I are headed on a 24-hour road trip which should be fun! Other than that, I fully plan on continuing to work through my to-do list. I'll rest eventually, ha! 

Wearing: Did you all have a nice Easter? My parents host Easter each year and this year was no different. We went to their house for a delicious dinner with family and friends. I wore this pretty little navy tweed shift dress and brought along this adorable bow tote bag

Eating: Oh my goodness, you must buy this vegetable stir fry mix at Trader Joe's! We made it this week and it is SO good. It took about 4 minutes to make in the skillet and then we added baked salmon. So easy, so good, and decently healthy!! 
Drinking: We went to Totopo this weekend and it is one of my favorite Mexican spots in Pittsburgh. Their food is so good as are their margaritas. I love the jalapeno marg (seen above) and highly recommend it! 

Reading: Loved reading this quick article about colors not to paint your house (inside and out!).

Sale-ing: Tory Burch is having a great sale and two of my favorites are included in the sale! These gorgeous embellished bow pumps and this scalloped silk blouse (which I have and absolutely love!). Now, if only they would put the lettuce ware on sale! 

Watching:
 Right now I am watching the new seasons of Summer House and RHONY, but other than that I am in a show rut! I am, however, so excited for so many amazing upcoming series later this year: Handmaid's Tale, Stranger Things, Big Little Lies, and more! Are you watching anything that you would recommend? 

Listening: Who else is SO excited for Taylor Swift's new album out TOMORROW! I am so excited. 

Wanting: This sleeveless gingham top is SO gorgeous. Wow. 

Pittsburgh-ing: My fiancé and I saw this Instagram from Smallman Galley for their short rib grilled cheese and we are specifically going there tonight for it. It looks SO good. 

Traveling: This weekend my fiancé and I are headed on a little road trip for one night to Geneva, OH. It's about 2ish hours away from Pittsburgh and I'm excited to explore the area. We are staying in a cottage on a Vineyard and will be visiting some other Vineyards in the area. Love being able to explore the state where my fiancé is from!

Quoting: 'When thinking about life, remember this: no amount of guilt can change the past, no amount of anxiety can change the future.' // See more of my favorites, here. 

Wednesday, April 24, 2019

Wedding Wednesday: Veil


Today's Wedding Wednesday is a fun one! I have officially found my dress!!! That is all I am going to share until after the wedding. But I am in love with it and cannot wait to wear it. I can't believe I have to wait 8 months to try it on again! 

Since I have found my dress, I'm now on the hunt for a veil. Did you wear a veil for your wedding? If so, where did you find it? I am 100% into veils. When I first tried on wedding dresses, I really felt like a 'bride' once a veil was placed on my head. 

I figure you are only a bride once, so why not. On top of that, my dress goes very well with a veil as does the gorgeous church and our venue. And finally, Annie Banks Mackenzie (in Father of the Bride) and Kate Middleton wore veils, so that's all the convincing I need. 

I fully plan on doing a cathedral length veil. I definitely want that 'drama' because the church has a long aisle and our venue has a lot of drama to it, too, so that type of veil will fit right in! 

I'm also very into a blusher (that's the veil that covers your face as you walk down the aisle). I don't see too many brides do this anymore but I LOVE this. It's so traditional and old-school. You can lift the blusher at two points- either the FOB lifts the veil before the bride goes up to the altar with her groom or, the bride wears the blusher until the groom kisses the bride at the end. I'm going to have my dad lift my blusher... I think it would be an annoyance to have the veil over my face for the entirety of the ceremony, ha! 

I haven't quite decided how long I plan on wearing my veil. I think that will be a game-time decision. I will wear it at least for the entire ceremony and some photos... I'm thinking maybe I'll keep it on for cocktails, but I have a feeling I'll be over it by then!

Monday, April 22, 2019

Everything I Wore In Jamaica


Two weeks ago, I visited the Tryall Club in Sandy Bay, Jamaica (just outside of Montego Bay). I was there with 3 other influencers, the Draper James team, hair and makeup artists, and photographer and art director. We were shooting looks for May/June Draper James and it was SO much fun! 

I'll be doing a full trip recap and share some of the beautiful DJ looks, but in the meantime, I wanted to share some of the pieces that I wore during the trip. While we were shooting the Draper James pieces, they were all samples so we weren't wearing them during the trip except for shooting. I can't wait to get my hands on some of the pieces so soon!!
This is one of my favorites for travel because it doesn't wrinkle and is so comfortable. It's also great after a day out in the sun and is so easy to just throw on after a quick shower. That is exactly what I did... I was tired and didn't feel like getting too dressed up (was up at 3:45am that morning for my flight) so I threw this on and still felt cute! 


Earrings // Sweater (similar)
These sandals are a new favorite because they are under $60 but look almost identical to the YSL flat Tribute sandals. They come in several colors and are comfortable. I've talked a lot about these shorts- they also come in several colors but I just love the blue shade!  

Shoes (now available online!!)
By now you have seen this outfit but I wanted to include it because it was my favorite from the trip! This dress is just so easy and light and airy. Perfect for the hot summer months ahead. 

You can't see too much of this suit but it is one of my favorites. It's so well made and very comfortable. I personally prefer a strapless suit when taking it easy/lounging because it avoids tan lines! This suit comes in a bunch of different colors and even prints!


I've had this swimsuit coverup for a few seasons now and I love it. It is perfect sheer and great for tossing over your suit!

I love love love this dress. It has a tie around the waist to give you some shape and you can actually tie it a few different ways to change the silhouette of the dress a bit! It's perfectly fun and flirty but is also something you could dress up and wear to a more casual wedding! I also got it in this print because I love it so much!
Are you guys sick of hearing me talk about how much I love my Lake Pajamas? They are truly the most comfortable thing I have ever put on my body. The fabric is thick and soft- very high quality but I NEVER overheat in them while sleeping. They are pricey, but I promise you really won't be disappointed. I'm slowly collecting pairs because they are the only pajamas I want to wear. 

Saturday, April 20, 2019

Saturday Shopping


What is everyone up to this weekend? I only have my apartment for a few more days and my fiancé only has his house for a few more days so we are in the last home stretch of moving! Movers officially come on Monday and by then, I should be almost fully DONE!

I've had a few things delivered and I cannot wait to get things hung on the wall so it starts to feel like a home!

Tomorrow is Easter and we typically go to church and then my parents always host Easter and my extended family comes! It's lots of fun and lots of good food.

I've found a ton of good things this week- all over the place, but worth the browse!!















Friday, April 19, 2019

Easter Wishlist

Shop the Collage:

With Easter this Sunday, I thought it would be fun to share what I would want in my Easter basket if the Easter bunny was feeling very generous, ha! My parents actually gave me a basket up until about 26... I miss the baskets but I'm making one for Henry so that's still fun!

One of the products that I wanted to highlight is this peachy-pink concealer. When I was in Jamaica for the Draper James shoot, we had a makeup artist and she recommended using a peachy-hued concealer. I don't usually have dark circles, but within the past month with so much going on, my circles have been DARK! She said that the peachy pink color will help to neutralize the blue/purple tones in under eye circles and then you can add your own concealer over top. She did it on me and it totally erased any trace of dark circles.

I haven't ordered this product yet, but it's the next thing I'll be buying!

Thursday, April 18, 2019

Lately


Shoes (now available online!!)

Oh my goodness, what a whirlwind of an April so far. This entire month has sped by and I have been the busiest I have ever been. Hence why I missed a post this week, which, in the 10 years of Summer Wind is a big rarity. That is when you know things are REALLY crazy.

Today I am spending all day working from the new house because I have some furniture being delivered and Comcast will come to set up cable/wifi and I'm so excited! We were planning on spending our first night at the new house on Friday but I just could not take my bare, sad-looking apartment any longer, so we had our first night last night. I actually felt like I was staying at a hotel because my bed was SO comfortable, ha!! The first night made it all feel so real and I'm just so excited for all that is to come!

I will finally have all of my furniture delivered on Monday. Crazy. It's been so weird to watch my apartment become bare and the new house starting to look so homey. Now, I cannot wait to close the door to my apartment and not have to deal with it any longer, ha!

I had my inaugural Costco trip this week and I'm obsessed. They have so much good stuff and the fact that I actually have a place to store more than a few rolls of toilet paper is such a luxury to me. It's the little things, right?

Wearing: You saw the second photo already this week but I wanted to share a second photo of how you can wear this white dress in two very similar ways, but one is for cooler spring weather and the other is for summer weather! The dress is not see through so I do not wear a slip underneath and it runs true to size. I could not recommend it more!

Eating: This recipe for french onion chicken meatballs sounds phenomenal! I'm a huge fan of French onion soup so this is right up my alley. 

Reading: Have you seen this coffee and cream chart? It's too funny! I'm definitely an f-6... what are you? 

Sale-ing: Ralph Lauren is having a 30% off sale, use code FAMILY. Love these jeans, this color blocked puffer,  I have this incredible cashmere cable cardigan. Also, my favorite cable cashmere sweaters are included in the sale. It's a rarity that they go on sale! My other tip is that if you wear a size small in women's clothing, usually a size Large or XL in boys will work so you can snag this cashmere cable sweater for a lot less! 

Watching:
 The Big Little Lies season 2 trailer is out now. I cannot wait!

Loving: I just got this gorgeous blue and white maxi dress in the mail and I am so in love. I cannot wait to wear it!

Wanting: Does anyone have this iPhone case? I think I want to get it for my iPhone XS Max! On a completely unrelated note, I love love love hot dogs. I don't eat them that often because they are bad for you, however, these sauces are making me very excited for grilling hot dogs this summer... I'm just excited to have a grill, ha! Trader Joe's uncured organic grass-fed beef hot dogs are my absolute favorite- they are so flavorful. 

Pittsburgh-ing: Did you see the dates for the Arts fest have been announced? So excited- one of my favorite things about summer in Pittsburgh! 

Traveling: I mentioned this in Monday's post but we have a quick weekend getaway to Ohio wine country planned which will be fun and then we booked a Nantucket trip in June for my fiancé's 30th birthday! 

Quoting: 'Our greatest glory is not in never falling, but in rising every time we fall.' - Confucius // See more of my favorites, here. 

Wednesday, April 17, 2019

Wedding Wednesday: White Dresses for Showers and Rehearsals





Today's post is a highly requested one! I know many of you are also brides-to-be and are looking for special white dresses to wear for all things wedding! 

I have always been a fan of white dresses and especially in the summer months. Luckily, right now you can find a lot of white dresses. I think if you are getting married later this year or early 2020, now is a good time to start looking because right now through about September are when white dresses are available in abundance!


Today I wanted to share some of my favorites! I'm including a lot of different brands as well as price points! 
 

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