Summer Ready

It’s been a very rainy spring in Denver—after an unusually cloudy winter—so I couldn’t be happier that the weather is finally beginning to turn. It feels like summer! Windows down, warm nights, sandal season… I’ve been working outside on my apartment’s deck in the evenings and it just can’t be beat. I’m hoping to lounge by the pool and maybe play some tennis or golf over the long weekend!

I was recently sent another pair of UIN shoes (remember these sneakers and the London-themed slip-ons?) and I absolutely love the blue and yellow abstract design of this pair. Like my other UIN footwear, these canvas sneakers are incredibly comfortable and would make such a good vacation shoe. They were the inspiration behind this whole outfit!

I’ve had this blue collared shirt since 2014—I know this because I bought it before starting high school, which required collared shirts as part of the dress code. Somehow, in all those years, I’ve never featured it on the blog! Part of the reason is because I never wear the shirt—I think it’s cute but always struggle with how to style it. Wearing it with blue jeans seems weird because the navy and cobalt somehow clash in my mind. White jeans would be cute, but then what else? That would be a very plain outfit…

The colors in these shoes inspired me to reach for the blue collared shirt and see what I could come up with. I’ve been seeing a lot of loosely-fitted, gauzy button-downs on other bloggers lately and thought my shirt had a similar vibe! I decided to layer it over a white crop top from American Eagle for an effortless, summer outfit. I think the blue shirt pairs better with denim shorts compared to full-length jeans since there isn’t nearly as much fabric… although I did try on a lighter wash pair of shorts just to see—the dark wash clashed less in my mind than a medium wash.

I also threw on this Panama hat, another piece I’ve had for ages. I used to wear it all the time in the summer but haven’t styled it in years… I need to start breaking it out again in the coming months! It’s so cute and really practical for outdoor activities. I imagine wearing this outfit to a baseball game, a picnic, a Saturday market… any fun summer event! The collared shirt is very lightweight and cool but still provides extra coverage from the sun, which I always need on my shoulders.

For as long as winter lasted, I still feel surprised that summer is already basically here—what happened to spring? How is it almost June?! It feels like just yesterday that I was in Puerto Rico (and I still haven’t finished sharing my PR content—I’m the worst blogger).

It feels strange for this to be the first summer where I’m not finishing up the school year. I keep forgetting that summer vacation is even a thing until my coworkers mention their kids’ last day of class. I’m so used to the start of the summer season being marked by stress, final projects, and then that incredibly cathartic feeling of submitting your last exam. Honestly, I don’t really miss school, but I have found myself missing that end-of-year excitement lately (and of course, wishing I had a summer break).

Do you have any fun summer plans? I booked plane tickets last night to spend a weekend camping with my brother and sister-in-law later in the season. Otherwise, I don’t have a ton of plans outside of a few festivals here and there and maybe some last-minute weekend trips. I would love to visit my parents in Boise at some point (and bring my boyfriend to visit!) but don’t have anything on the books yet.

 
Does the weather already feel like summer where you live? Have you broken out the dresses, shorts, and sandals? It’s been so fun rediscovering old pieces in my closet the last couple of weeks!

As always, thanks for stopping by the blog today, and have a great rest of your Thursday.

Miles of smiles,
Grace

Blue Collared Shirt: JCPenney, $20 ($3.33 per wear) | White Crop Top: American Eagle, $8 ($1.33 per wear), last worn here | Denim Shorts: Target, $18 ($0.86 per wear), last worn here | Shoes: UIN Footwear, gifted by brand, buy HERE (use code “grace5” for $5 off any pair or “grace10” for $10 off $120 or more) | Panama Hat: Nordstrom Rack, $21 ($1.50 per wear), last worn here | Sunglasses: Sungait, gifted by brand, last worn here | Purse: Shop LC, gifted by brand, last worn here, buy HERE