freedom, prints and a little cray {w2w}

This is probably as close as we will get to a 4th of July outfit.  Not because I don't love the holiday, I really do, but because of my previously mentioned anxiousness about laying clothes down as claim to a holiday.  I really can never look at them the same again.



That being said, I have this gorgeous red striped skirt I bought over a year ago and I couldn't let the Sunday before the Fourth of July pass without wearing it.

Plus wearing a BLACK shirt instead of blue, I thought, would squeak me safely past any American Flag comments. I was wrong.  But if there is one thing I don't mind it's outfit attention {enter print on print}, compliments and of course paying homage to the flag I hold dearly.  So win-win.

Can we also talk about how awkward it is to stand in front of a camera hoping and praying for a good shot of your outfit  while feeling completely awkward.  Some day we will move the photo shoot out of the back yard.

Your husband says, "Sweetheart, just look at me and smile" - but it's truly not that easy.  Smiles turn out to be completely ridiculous and looking in the distance makes me feel like my mind should be full of thoughts.

And then I think I'll be funny and pull one of those "I'm surprising you and you should think I am really cute" faces, but they don't work on anyone except my dog.  He get's surprised and I win him over every time.

Some day I will learn to do this right.  Until then, feel free to laugh at my craziness.  I do.

Should we talk for a second about print on print?  Are you scared of it?  Don't be.  Here is my rule of thumb, choose one print to act as print and the other to act as a neutral.  Don't pair to large prints together and don't pair two small prints together, let them compliment one another.   Here, I am using the black and the neutral grounding piece and the stripe as the louder one.   I am not an expert, really you just have to do it and figure out what works.  The worst thing that can possibly happen is you won't wear that outfit again.  The best thing will happen is once you learn to wear prints together your outfit options will increase one hundred fold!

{Shirt: DownEast Outfitters - Skirt: Corilynn - Shoes: Payless-

Watch: Juicy Couture - Bracelets: F21 - Ring: Ashley's b-day present}

Have a happy safe and lovely 4th of July.  Thank you to those wonderful men and women who have and are serving our country for our freedom.  We thank God for your selfless acts.  But I am not saying goodbye until then, come back tomorrow.  Tomorrow is a BIG DAY.  BIG.