{GIVEAWAY} Weekend Rituals with Forever21
For a few years, the concept of "weekends" kind of eluded me. Just because the calendar said it was a Saturday or Sunday didn't mean that the working week came to an end, but recently I've made more of a concerted effort to actually observe a day (and sometimes even a day and a half, or two days!) of real, real rest. Like any normally functioning adult, life can get painfully busy for me - but it turns out I'm actually a lot more productive Monday through Friday when I work relaxation and breaks into my schedule. Little things like taking Frankie to the dog park for an extended period of time, shopping at the local Farmer's Market, picking up my weekly batch of flowers, and getting together with friends for long dinners are my favorite ways to revel in the weekend.
One of the best parts of having a dog is having a little furry friend wake you up early in the morning and kick-start your day with a dose of affection, followed by a swift reminder to step outside and breathe some fresh air. Every weekend, we head to the dog run at McCarren Park where my neighbors get a kick out of seeing an especially sprightly pug; seriously, you've never seen a pug train for a marathon quite like Frankie does. I love these easy-breezy floral shorts for our early morning jaunts. They're great for the newly warmed-up weather and absurdly comfortable - especially for a non-shorts wearer like myself.
Wearing, below: Favorite Woven Tee c/o Forever21, Cozy Longline Cardigan c/o Forever21, Ditsy Floral Shorts c/o Forever21, Loeffler Randall Jules Wedges, Tote c/o Forever21, Double-Faced Watch c/o Forever21
Another weekend must-do is picking up a batch of fresh blooms to fill my home with for the week. I never really understood my need and obsession with fresh flowers until I started learning about astrology, and how my sign, Taurus, often displays a visceral need to fill a home environment with elements of nature - especially flowers. Anyways, it brings me a lot of joy to pick out a few different varieties of fresh and local flowers to arrange throughout my home. This season has seen a rotation of ranunculus, anemones, hyacinths, and tulips. I tend to prefer being a little dressed up regardless of what I'm doing, so this feels like a perfect outfit for running errands around my neighborhood - especially considering the fact that I always run into someone, no matter what I'm doing. For a big city, New York can feel like a really small town, sometimes - c'est la vie, indeed!
Wearing, below: C'est la Vie Sweater c/o Forever21, Leather Look Skater Skirt c/o Forever21 , Tote from Forever21, Karen Walker Sunglasses, Baublebar Necklace, Double-Faced Watch c/o Forever21, Faux Leather Booties c/o Forever21
Of course, no weekend would be complete without a night out with friends (or a date night with Ali, when our calendars are blissfully in sync... countdown to summer). While my days as a nightlife maven are basically over (circa 2005-2008, RIP Misshapes), I love going out for a nice dinner with friends and enjoying a couple cocktails. This blush pink dress has become a recent favorite because it's so easy-breezy, and is appropriate from work (with a jacket or cardigan), to the weekend, and the feminine lace touches and flowy detailing make it especially "me." I also couldn't believe how comfortable the heels (also from Forever21) are - especially at the price point.
Wearing, below: Romantic Lace-Trimmed Dress c/o Forever21, Signature Envelope Satchel from Forever21, Quilted Leather Sleeved Jacket from Forever21, Karen Walker Sunglasses, Almond-toe Faux Leather Pump c/o Forever21
GIVEAWAY
To enter the giveaway use the form below to tweet about the contest, using #F21xME, and commenting below with your favorite pieces from Forever21's spring collection. Want help picking out favorites? Check mine out here. You can get a bonus entries by liking mine and Forever21's Facebook pages, too - just make sure to do it all through the form below!
a Rafflecopter giveaway
This post was sponsored by Forever21. $200 Giveaway is also being furnished by Forever21. Contest will end on 5/8/14 and winner will be contacted directly.
All opinions expressed are my own.
Photos by Rachel Scroggins