It feels a little bit like fate that this Real Outfit Roundup fell on the last day of the month, and what a month it has been! Between volunteering at Alexis's school for multiple events, Spring Break, searching for a new cover photographer, and a tougher-than-normal month for the magazine, I'm not too sad to see March end, even if just to hopefully have a less busy April.

Where I live, Spring is the busiest time of the year. The weather is just right, if only for a few weeks before summer starts throwing out the triple digits and if you're not counting the pollen. I like to call this time of year 'festival season' because there is always some event or another to keep you busy, and this outfit roundup reflects that.

Spring in the South is more warm weather than cold, but March typically throws us a few curve balls, so you'll see a couple of spring-appropriate sweaters in this post. Of course, I probably won't get to wear them again until fall/winter, but for parts of the country that experience a true Spring, you'll definitely want to add these to your carts.

Okay, let's get to it.

In hindsight, this was a really poor outfit choice for the activities of this day. I volunteered to help out with a color run at Alexis's school. If you're not familiar, that's where runners have colored powder thrown at them while they're running. So, it was definitely outside...in what is essentially a field. My 'job' was to help the 'throwers' with their powder. I really should have worn shorts/jeans and a t-shirt and most definitely not heeled sandals.

That said, I absolutely adore this dress. I first shared it with you last fall with ankle boots, but I think it works year-round. I'm wearing this in a medium, and think the small would be too tight across my shoulders. My sandals are old, but I found a similar pair that I'll link to.

Every year, our local botanical gardens has an Easter exhibit where people decorate these giant egg cutouts with truly wonderful artwork. We've been going since they first started having it, and it's probably my favorite Easter tradition that we have. This is what I wore to walk through the outdoor exhibit. It was warm, as you can tell.

This is one of my favorite skirts (I talked all about it in this post last week), and I love it paired with this Elvis t-shirt, which sadly is no longer available. If I had to go back and do this again, I would probably wear my black Converse, but I really wanted to wear these new slides to get a good feel for them. I did a more in-depth review of them earlier this week. You can check that out here.

This was the second day of Spring Break. Looking at my calendar, the only thing I see outside of work stuff is that I took Alexis to her art camp. I feel like I must have done more than that, though, to have put this much effort into my outfit, but I really can't remember.

If you haven't noticed by now, throwing a denim vest over a dress is my favorite thing to do in the summer, and I really like this blue-on-blue here. I decided to keep my shoes neutral with these taupe wedge sandals. My dress is from last year and my vest is several years old, but I'll link to similar products. You can read more about my sandals here.

This is not an outfit I shared, but I apparently wanted to snap a picture to document it. This was another Spring Break day, and it rained pretty much all day. I threw this on because it was comfortable, and then once we were out of the house that afternoon realized I didn't particularly like the pairing. Oh well, can't win 'em all, I suppose.

All I truly remember about this day is how cold it was, and how much my hair didn't cooperate with me, LOL. But I was happy to get to give this sweater a spin. I was worried when I ordered it that I had waited too late in the season, but Mother Nature was looking out for me.

So, the sweater. It's a henley style with a button neck and balloon-ish sleeves. They're not oversized and are cuffed. This sweater was a little bit shorter-waisted, I think, even for me. I was able to front-tuck it but it would have worked just as easily out. This is a size small.

My jeans aren't available anymore, which is sad because they're really good.

This was last Friday. Looking at my planner, I didn't have anything scheduled during the day, but that evening we went to a local children's theater production of Dear Edwina Jr. It was a lot of fun, and I knew I wanted to be dressed casually but still feel pretty. It was also still a little cool, so I wanted sleeves.

I've showed this maxi dress a couple of times on the blog already, but I've focused mostly on the brown tones in the pattern. This time I wanted to focus on the blue, mostly because my new flats were a perfect match. Then I remembered this grandpa-style blue sweater and decided it made a nice bookend. I added the neutral belt to give my waist a more defined silhouette under the cardigan.

I realize you can't see my entire outfit here, but I wanted to share my short-sleeved sweater with you. It's so perfect for Spring it almost hurts. Plus, I wanted to share my mom's super cute blouse!

This was last weekend. We went to a live ultrasound for my brother and sister-in-law then ended up at an ice cream parlor. We also explored the downtown shops, spending a really good chunk of time in an antique store. My sweater was perfect for the slightly cool day. You can't see here, but I started the day with a light bomber jacket. I'm also wearing jeans and sneakers.

This was a nice mother-daughter day and the perfect end to Spring Break. We started the day with breakfast at Panera, then took a Target trip, went to the grocery store, and made a yummy Easter treat.

This outfit is easily one of my favorites from the week. This skirt, stubborn stretchy waistband notwithstanding, is one of my favorites. It's so feminine and fun. I paired it with this eyelet top and my taupe wedge sandals for an outfit that feels effortlessly springtime.

I picked up this entire outfit from Target on Sunday, and naturally I had to wear it on Monday. I love this skirt so dang much. As soon as I saw it on the rack, I had to have it. Alexis actually helped me pick out the t-shirt to match (although I have others already at home that will pair nicely as well). And these shoes, I've been waiting to find a pair in my size since last year (you can read all about that here).

This outfit looked much better in person than it photographed for some reason. It could have something to do with the fact that it was later in the day than I usually take outside pictures and the fact that I did a good bit of sitting so everything is a little bit rumpled looking.

Anyway, I was really excited to find a casual way to style this skirt. You may remember me styling it kind of dressy back around Christmas, and since then I haven't been able to get past that particular outfit. Something about that red, man. Then I got the idea to pull out the more subtle color from the skirt, and this outfit was born. Literally the only thing new here is the shirt, but I'll do my best to find similar items to link.

This was yesterday. The first day since I got these shorts that it was warm enough all day to wear them. These aren't a style I'm usually drawn to, but I saw them on a blogger I follow and decided to give them a shot. Man, they're so comfortable. Since I knew I'd be at my desk pretty much all day yesterday, I didn't put a lot of effort into my outfit. I did end up running in the grocery store, but that's about it.

I'll be the first to admit that I am not a fan of Peeps. Or marshmallows in general, really. I do like homemade rice krispy treats, s'mores, and an almost-burnt roasted marshmallow. But Peeps? I might actually hate them.

Then, I cam across a video on Facebook for how to use Peeps to make rice krispy treats, and it looked like something Alexis would like. So we decided to try it...except we couldn't find Rice Krispies anywhere. I guess there's a shortage in my area? I'm not sure, but we'd already bought way too many packs of Peeps for one house so we improvised, and I think these turned out better than regular rice krispy treats.

Here's what you'll need:

This is seriously the easiest recipe ever. Here's what you do.

1. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.

2. Spray your baking dish liberally with non-stick spray. I always use Pam. Then layer your Peeps across the bottom of the pan.

It's finally Spring! The pecan trees have finally signaled the end of our winter weather, the pollen is free falling, and I've put all my boots away for the next several months.

Last month, I talked about Spring trends in general and which ones I'm most excited about for this year. In that post, I shared all of the tops and dresses I've bought to freshen up my Spring wardrobe. Today, I'd like to focus on my first love - shoes.

According to pretty much everyone, these are the top shoe trends for this Spring.

Now that we've briefly discussed what you'll be seeing on the streets, let's talk about the styles I'll actually be wearing this Spring.

I've always loved the idea of a sleek white tennis shoe, but just couldn't get past the fact that I knew I wouldn't be able to keep them clean, like, ever.

Then I saw this pair included in one of those Spring product roundup posts. The thing about these sneakers is that they're not cloth. Instead, they're faux leather, which makes my worries about them not staying clean not quite so big. Unless I do something just terrible, I should be able to simply wipe them off.

I really love how you can pair a clean white sneaker with pretty much anything, from dresses and skirts to your favorite jeans. I really like them with white jeans and a statement top (first picture). They're casual enough that I don't feel like I'm trying too hard, but the leather and bright white definitely give them a step up.

I'm wearing size 7 and say they fit true to size (TTS).

I've only gotten to wear these gorgeous platform heels once so far this season, but I love them oh so much. They give me a That 70s Show vibe, and I'm really excited to create even more looks with them.

The heel on these is about 3.5 inches but it doesn't feel that way. That's the great thing about platforms, especially in heels. I wore these for a full day of meetings and magazine drop-offs, so lots of walking and standing. They're incredibly comfortable. They also come in tan and white. I'm wearing size 7.

These taupe wedge sandals were recommended by someone I follow on Like to Know It. The color is a really good neutral, so they'll go with pretty much any color outfit I wear.

These wedges are pretty low, and the platform at the front makes them super comfortable. They don't have as steep of an arch due to the lower heel height, which makes them easy to walk in and wear pretty much all day long.

So far, I've only worn these wedges with a dress and skirt, but I feel like I'll get a lot of good wear out of them with shorts, as well. To me, these are a good middle-of-the-road shoe, not really fancy but just enough extra to not be too casual either.

The one thing I feel like I need to point out, because I didn't know until they came in and it definitely would have impacted my buying decision, is that the ankle strap is velcro. If I had known that, I probably would have skipped out on these. I'm not sure how long the velcro is going to hold up, especially with heavy wear, but these weren't expensive so maybe it'll balance out? I'm wearing size 7.

When I first bought my clear strap wedges, I doubted I would get much wear out of them. They just didn't feel like my style, but then I actually got them and realized how easy they are to style with literally any dress in my closet, and I was sold.

Unlike other clear shoe styles, these wedges feel more understated and like they won't be as quick to go out of style. I think it's the woven wedge base. What I really love about them, though, is the fact that they don't take away from whatever outfit I've chosen to pair them with while still giving me the height boost I'm looking for.

My exact wedges are no longer available, but ShoeDazzle did bring back an almost identical version for this year, which is what I'm linking to. I wear size 7 and find their shoes to be true to size, unless it's boots in which then I have to do a wide calf.

I'm counting these as the same thing because they're essentially the same shoe, just different heights, and therefore will be pretty interchangeable.

Let's start with the slides. I came across these in my local Walmart in the lavender color, which are gorgeous by the way, and tried them on to see if the straps would work for me (other pairs I've tried on have been really hit or miss). Ultimately, I decided I wouldn't get very much use out of the lavender and wanted the more neutral pair.

These have a slightly padded footbed and the braided straps have a little bit of give. Sadly, these are only available in this bone color and the lavender now, and only in limited sizes for both. I'm wearing size 7.

Happy Monday, friends! It has been a really good weekend, but I have to confess that I am not excited about today. It's the last day of putting the April magazine together, and I'm not where I thought I would be for this particular month, nor do I have any other ideas for how to fill the gap. I just keep reminding myself that just because life is slowly returning to normal doesn't mean all of the businesses I rely on to keep me in business aren't still struggling. It's a process, and I definitely need the reminder that a setback is not a failure.

As for the rest of this week, it's looking pretty standard. The only extras added in are a hair appointment on Friday for me and Alexis's birthday party this weekend. She's having a gnome art party (yes, it's a thing LOL) and so far we've got six children who will definitely be there (counting Alexis) with one very strong maybe.

This past weekend, as I mentioned, was such a good one to end Spring Break. On Friday night we saw our local youth theater group's production of Dear Edwina Jr. My parents came over to go with us, and it was so much fun. It was Alexis's second time seeing a play (the first was a school field trip), and I'm excited to be able to start including her in one of my favorite activities.

Then on Saturday, we went to a live HD ultrasound for my brother and sister-in-law. It was a really cool experience, and then we all went to eat lunch together and spent a few hours exploring the downtown area of the town we were in, including a pit stop at a local ice cream/candy shop.

Sunday, Alexis and I had a mother-daughter day. We started with breakfast at Panera, then did some shopping at Target. After that, we ran to the grocery store where we picked up some ingredients for a fun little Easter treat. We were going to make rice krispie treats using peeps instead of marshmallows, but everywhere here is out of Rice Krispy cereal. So we got Cap'n Crunch's Oops All Berries instead, and I think they turned out even better.

All in all, we had a good Spring Break, even though I worked the entirety of it. Alexis participated in an art camp each afternoon, so you know she had a blast. Her artistic talent seriously blows me away. Check out these canvases she painted!

I think that gets you caught up on all the important things that have been happening in my world. This week we're going back to your regularly-scheduled programming plus the final stages of planning a 7th birthday party.

Have a wonderful week!

Are you the type of person who finds a piece of clothing you love and then keeps buying it in all the colors? I am! And this skirt from Amazon is absolutely worthy of all of our love.

You've seen a version of this skirt in so many Real Outfit Roundups you could be tempted into thinking you're seeing double...or in this case, quintuple? You see, I love this skirt so much, I own it in five colors/prints.

So why, exactly do I love it so much? Let me count the ways.

1. It's the perfect length. It hits above my knees but isn't short enough to be considered a mini.

2. It's tiered, which helps to hide any unflattering bumps and bulges you might have.

3. The waist is elastic.

4. The material is lightweight but not see through.

5. It comes in a ton of colors and patterns.

6. You can dress it up or down, although I tend to wear it mostly casual.

7. It's easy to layer for cooler days.

And the list could go on and on! Now let's take a quick look at how I've styled them.

We're going to start with the version of this skirt I bought first - the A-rust Red Daisy.

There are subtle hints of blue, green, yellow, and even pink in the pattern. My favorite way to wear it is with a graphic t-shirt, but as you can see it's easy to dress up a little with a not-basic button-front camisole and adding a sweater and tall boots makes it winter appropriate.

Now let's move on to the one that is probably my favorite - green flower. This one is by far the brightest, making it the most fun to style. I love pairing other bright colors with it, especially yellow.

I haven't gotten as much wear out of this one, yet, but it's still fairly new. It's a great base, though, so I have no doubt you'll be seeing more of it throughout the summer.

Some sizing notes for you. I am 5'2" and weigh between 145-150 lbs. I'm wearing size medium in each of the skirts I've shown today. While they do have an elastic waist, the rest of the material is not stretchy at all and the part around your hips is a little more fitted, so definitely take that into account, especially if you are between sizes.

So, have I convinced you to jump on this skirt's band wagon yet? I'll confess, I've got another one (or two) currently sitting in my Amazon cart waiting for me to click buy. That's how obsessed I am with this skirt!

Maxi dresses are the perfect Spring transition dress, but they can be tricky. In this post, I'm going to share some tips for how to find the perfect maxi dress for your body type and some ideas for how to wear them as we start moving into warmer weather.

I love a good maxi dress. They make me feel feminine and flirty and usually don't take much effort to turn into an outfit that feels purposeful and complete. Plus, most of them are good to wear as is on their own. But not every maxi dress works for every body.

Here are a few things to consider about your body type:

Color and print will also affect the way a maxi dress looks on your body type. Here are some suggestions for picking the right color and fabric:

Now let's talk about length. Maxi dresses come in a range of lengths, from foot skimming to floor skimming, and it can be difficult to find one that doesn't trip you up...especially if you're petite. The general rule of thumb I follow is that my maxi dresses need to at least be ankle length and no longer than touching the top of my toes (although I do have a few that fall an inch or two above my ankles - too long to be a midi length but not quite maxi length).

Keep in mind that all of these are guidelines, not rules. And when it comes to fashion, pretty much anything goes. Bottom line: If you like something, wear it. But, if you do need some more advice, this article was surprisingly helpful for me.

Now for the fun part of this post - outfit ideas! I rounded up daily outfit pics from the last couple of years to show you ways that I regularly wear my maxi dresses. There are 27 in all, so plenty of inspiration for you to make the most out of your maxi dress collection this Spring.

Before we dive in, I will let you know that these dresses range in size from a small to a large, depending on when I purchased them, and many of them are old enough to not be available anymore. If you've got questions about any of them, you can leave a comment below or email me, and I'll do my best to help!

Sizing info: I'm 5'2" and weigh between 145-150 lbs. I typically wear size small or 6 in clothing and size 7 in shoes.

Each of these four dresses can stand on their own. In addition to their pretty prints, defined waists, and tiered skirts, they each also have feminine details up top from flutter sleeves to a sweet little tie detail and puffed sleeves. So I kept everything else about these outfits simple by choosing shoes that wouldn't take away from the dresses themselves.
These two dresses are quite literally two of my favorite purchases ever. They have a vintage vibe and I always feel so pretty when I wear them. The buttons on the front are functional and they have a clever little gap prevention system on the top half that I wish all button-up dresses/tops had.

These last two are to show you that, like a denim jacket, a denim vest also works with pretty much every style of maxi dress. Just think of it like a jean jacket, just minus the sleeves!