Legally Charming Style

Happy Tuesday!

Welcome back!

So Saturday morning my friend Kara and I decided we were going to sleep as late as we wanted and then head out to the beach to see our patch of the coast during daylight. We were really fortunate-it was supposed to be cloudy all day, but we got this gloriously bright sunshine instead. It was also supposed to only get up into the high 40's. But nevertheless, I was determined that I was going to spend time in the sand and I was going to dress as summery as humanly possible, because that's what you do at the beach, damn it.

So instead of wearing pants like sane Kara, I decided that I was going to wear my favorite chambray dress out onto the beach. With sandals. Yes, I'm crazy. But with a denim jacket over top of my chambray dress and this adorable polka dot scarf, I felt a little less insane.

It ended up being perfect. The dress allowed me to wade out farther towards the ocean without fear of getting splashed, the jacket kept me just warm enough, and the scarf added the just-right pop of color. I was even able to leave my sandals behind when we took a long walk along the shore. It probably would have even been the perfect suit cover-up later in the spring had it been anywhere near warm enough to go swimming.

I had so much fun and felt so relaxed for the first time in AGES. I laughed more than I had in weeks, and the sun on my face felt incredible. Looking at this gray day in Baltimore makes me miss it even more! I just get so wistful for my vacation looking back at these photos...I already wish I was back on the beach, basking in the sun and walking through the huge sand dunes! I even miss getting slightly violated by ocean waves splashing up my skirt. (Feel free to judge that.)

I got half-drenched by the ocean, so I ended up having to change for our afternoon activities. Stay tuned to see what I wore...

Have a great weekend! 

xoxo

Carisa

Hello hello!

....these are the days of our lives.

Sorry, couldn't resist.

Welcome back to fashion posts at Legally Charming Style! I know I have been very absent these last few weeks. Hopefully things will die down a little now that I'm out of weekly court dates and most of the heavy lifting for the semester has passed (hard to believe, but true). Truth be told, I miss fashion blogging a lot because it acts as my relief from all the busy stress--but I was too busy to even get it done! Talk about a conundrum.

So lately the weather here in Baltimore has been pretending like it wants to be spring, then changing its mind. It's kind of fickle like that. (Like me when I am deciding between two pairs of shoes I really want and I can't afford both.) This makes getting dressed difficult, particularly when all I want to do is wear florals and dresses all day without tights or a heavy jacket.

This outfit is my great compromise. I've got on florals, but they're demure ones that are a little icy in tone. I'm not wearing a heavy coat, but I do have my blazer. I succumbed to boots, but my jeans are rolled up and my ankles are showing. I'm doing (almost) all the things I want to without sacrifice, and it also happened to be the perfect outfit on a cloudy casual Friday.

So glad to see y'all back-now I'm headed out on vacation tomorrow, so I think it's time for me to go to bed!

xoxo

Carisa

Happy St. Patrick's Day, and welcome back to the blog!

Lord, school has taken over my life. I've barely had a minute to breathe, much less to photograph my outfits. But I'm trying to get back to a place where it's just a habit, so I'm looking to have a fashion post to you by Thursday.

Today, however, in the spirit of spring, I thought I'd share with you the pieces I'm currently coveting for spring (even if I can't afford to buy anything right now)! I always like to keep in mind my audience, and so everything featured today will be under $100, with most under $50--quite a deal, no matter the budget! These are all things I'll be looking to purchase when I get a higher paying job/a second job to cover my expenses, but for now I'm putting them on your radar to check out!

1. Floral heels

Don't ask me why I want them so much, I just do. I think floral heels are a fun way to kick your wardrobe up a notch-particularly if you're like me and don't wear a whole lot of color. They just scream spring and make me want to buy a hundred pairs to pair with boring suits and jeans alike.

I'm LOVING this strappy pair for $29:
 

Link to shop: Qupid Floral Heels

And these darling chunky heeled ones from ModCloth for $45:



Link to shop: Strut a Delight Heel

And these sweet pumps (a little over $50 but still SO PRETTY):



Link to shop: Steve Madden floral pumps

2. A trench coat

We all know why this hits the list. It's a classic, and it's the perfect transition coat to get you through the rainy spring before summer hits full force. It's tough to find an inexpensive trench that looks like quality, but I've found a few options here...

This hooded twist-on-a-classic trench for under $70:

 

Link to shop: Jessica Simpson silver trench

This comes-in-six-colors slice of perfection:



Link to shop: New York & Company trench

This on-point classic for just under $100:

 

Link to shop: Calvin Klein trench

3. White tennies

Whether you're a Converse or Keds kind of girl, a white tennis shoe just screams fresh and clean. I'm dying a little for a pair.

These Keds classics (or their Target dupes for under $15):



Link to shop: Keds leather sneakers OR  Target sneakers

Converse lace-ups (or THEIR Target dupes for under $17)



Link to shop: Converse low-tops OR Target dupes

4. A small purse with shoulder strap

Admittedly, I own a lot of purses I don't use. But most of them could probably hold a newborn baby inside, and that really isn't what you want when headed to the farmer's market or out on vacation.

This tiny pop of color (also comes in plum and coral):

 

Link to shop: Land's EndLandmark Mini-Fontana Lady Bag (recently reduced!)

This covetable mini-bucket bag:

 

Link to shop: Ann Taylor Mini Bucket Bag

And, of course, pretty much any option from Target.


Hope you enjoyed the tour of my dream pics for the season--fashion posts are back on Thursday!

Happy hump day!