Pink and Orange - This Summer's Ultimate Color Combination

Hey there princess!

Spring is in full swing, and I am loving seeing all of the new items hit the fashion scene. One trend that I have been so happy to see is the return of the pink/orange color combo. 

I remember when I first went to a 6 week camp in Pennsylvania away from my home here in Texas when I was about 15 I decorated my whole dorm room in pink and orange and it was a huge source of joy! When I went off to college in 2008, I once again decked my dorm room out in pink and orange and loved hanging out in all of my colorful fabulousness. 

Below are some of the fun things that I have spotted online in this fun and bright combination. Please enjoy and share where you are finding great summer finds in the comment section! The brighter the better!

 

Lilly Pulitzer Sleeveless Floral Shift from Belk $198.00

Gianni Bini x Venita Aspen Amena Sandals $118 

Trina Turk Coco Sleveless Dress $248

Brandon Maxwell dress from Neiman Marcus $6,995

Malibu Mindset Midi Dress $108

J. McLaughlin Dorte Dress in Parisian Pergola $228

J. Crew Button-up Beach Shirt $110

Brandon Maxwell Ombre Dress from Neiman Marcus $2,295

52seven Women's Elbow Sleeve Shirtdress from Belk $94

Maggy London Donna Morgan Constance Dress $98

Gianni Bini x Venita Aspen Aria Crepe Dress $209

Dhaka Print Metallic Trim Dress from Tuckernut $430

Rickie Freeman for Teri Jon Pleated Shirtdress from Neiman Marcus $610

Jeffrey Campbell Sandals from Anthropologie $130 

Ronny Kobo Sabra Sleveless Dress from Neiman Marcus $498

Ginchy Gal of the Week: Lilly Pulitzer

 Hey there princess!

Lilly Pulitzer (November 10, 1931- April 7, 2013) was an American fashionista, socialite, and entrepreneur. 

In 1950, she eloped with her husband Herbert (Peter) Pulitzer Jr., who was the grandson of Joseph Pulitzer who the Pulitzer Prize is named after. Together they moved to Palm Beach, Florida to live in the lap of luxury among their numerous orange groves. Now, a lesser woman would have been content there but Lilly needed a little more excitement in her life.  So, she decided to open up her own little juice stand to quench the thirst of her neighboring millionaires on hot summer days.

While juicing her oranges, Lilly noticed that the citrus was staining her clothing so she did what any woman would do - she asked her dressmaker to make her a set of ensembles in bold and colorful prints that the juice stains could blend into seamlessly. As it turned out - her customers liked her clothes better than the juice and in 1959 Lilly became president of her own company, Lilly Pulitzer, Inc. 

 

A preppy icon was born! Through her connections and fabulous style, Lilly Pulitzer clothing was a staple of '60s style. Her clothing was worn by Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis (below) and her daughter Caroline Kennedy, not to mention members of the Rockefeller, Whitney, and Vanderbilt families. There's certainly something to be said for having friends in high places!

Today, Lilly Pulitzer is as popular of a brand as ever. The company's signature bold prints and patterns are iconic in the fashion industry and girls around the country can identify another Lilly lover on sight. Her clothing is mentioned in the ever-fabulous Preppy Handbook, and generations of women have been able to express their love of color and Palm Beach style through their clothing. 

I will always remember my first experience with Lilly Pulitzer. My mom always let us pick out a new outfit for Easter Sunday, and the year I turned 14 I chose a pink Lilly top with a pair of brightly patterned capris. I wore them to death and loved every minute of it! When I went through sorority rush at Baylor, my mom bough me a pair of green Lilly ballet flats that I swore were magical. I took my engagement pictures in Lilly and got my marriage certificate in Lilly and had a Lilly bridal shower and wore Lilly on my honeymoon. You could say I am a fan!

Be more like Lilly:

Don't be afraid to use your connections

Be bold

Don't shy away from color

Embrace your entrepreneurial spirit

Think of creative solutions to messy problems

A Palm Beach Bridal Shower

Hey there princess!

About a year ago, my younger sister, Coco (who was my Maid of Honor) and my mother threw me a 1960's Palm Beach themed bridal shower at my family's home in Houston, Texas. It was honestly one of the best times ever, and such a beautiful party. 

I painted a centerpiece for the party based on my engagement photos (featuring my favorite Lilly Pulitzer maxi skirt), and bought a fun frame for it at Hobby Lobby. 

My mom found these adorable invitations on Etsy and they are my absolute favorite. To me, invitations are super important to any party because they set the tone for the event. Guest know from the invitation what they should expect in terms of the level of formality, and who is hosting the event, and it is also a great keepsake from the party! I love holding on to invitations from past-parties that I loved attending!

Regarding decor, my hosts fancied-up my family's dining table with a Lilly table runner from Etsy (can you tell we are all huge Etsy addicts??). One of my favorite touches was using the depression glass that Coco and I have collected since we were young to serve the sandwiches and food. We both have the cameo ballerina dishes, mine in yellow and hers in green.

Look at how beautiful that table is (and in the background you can see me sneaking a bite)! We had tiers of sandwiches from Chicken Salad Chick and tons of snacks, beautiful flowers, and an unbelievable macaroon tower. 

I mean look at how stunning it is! I could die! This tower came from a shop in Houston called Sweet, located in City Centre and the flavors Shailee chose were lavender, rose, and lemon (they were all divine). I felt just like Marie Antoinette!

One of my bridesmaids also put together some amazing charcuterie boards, and my mother and sister put together plates of Lilly shift cookies, candied pecans, and tons of bundtinis from Nothing Bundt Cake. 

Just for fun, Coco and I made some white chocolate-covered popcorn and then absolutely drenched it in pink sprinkles. It tasted pretty good, but mostly it was just super festive! 

I am so thankful to my sweet friends and family for making my bridal shower such a special day. I know that I am going to remember this party for a long time! 

If you want to see more of my little parties and celebrations, please follow along at @heythrprincess on Instagram!

I would love to hear about the special parties in your life - whether it's a bridal shower like mine, a birthday party, or just a party for the sake of a party. How are you celebrating?

Sparkle on!

A Summer Birthday Party

Hey there princess!

Over the weekend, we were able to get together as a family to celebrate my mom's birthday. The afternoon was very festive, and incredibly fun! 

To get the party rolling, we all put on our swimming suits and jumped in my parents' pool. Their yard has an abundance of shade, which was perfect on this hot summer day. My sister put together this perfect fruit tray for while we were having fun, and my mom put on fun music (click here for her amazing bluetooth, waterproof speaker). It was the perfect picture of summertime relaxation. The tray pictured below is so cute (linked here) and has amazing pop-ins that you can change with the season (fish pop in here). Flamingo toothpicks can be found here, and you can click here for the green leaf ones!

Many years ago, my mom found these amazing metal flamingos on Ebay and they have been a constant companion to our home ever since (click here for a really close copy). They were such a fun touch to add to the kitchen decor! All of the fun pops of pink were perfect for my mom, who loves all things Palm Beach and Lilly Pulitzer.

As a fun little side snack, my sister decorated these fun ice cream sandwiches with multicolored flamingo sprinkles. If that isn't sweet enough, she also dipped Rice Krispy sandwiches in the same sprinkles. The older I get the harder I come down off of that sugar high, but I just couldn't help myself! I mean, my mom only has one birthday a year and it should be celebrated to its fullest.

I mean just look at how cute those little flamingo and pineapple sprinkles are! You can't really tell in this picture, but we are using another pop-out tray for the Rice Krispy treats (click here to see in all its glory). This was topped off with a little anchor pop-in which was super cute (click here for anchor)!

Like every party at our house, there was also a beautiful bouquet of flowers! I love these pink roses with baby's breath. They are perfect and girly and oh so happy!

Party food doesn't always have to be fancy, the most important thing is that it is fun and enjoyable for all of the guests present. For us - pizza is a crowd pleaser 100% of the time! We are lucky enough to have a Mellow Mushroom within a close driving distance to my parents' house. Any pizza is good, but Mellow Mushroom is great!

Before we knew it, it was time to open presents and blow out candles. This pink sprinkle cake is super cute, and if you can believe it - came from Walmart! It tasted amazing, and was tie dye on the inside! It was the perfect end to the perfect party. 

I am so thankful to have gotten to spend this weekend with my family celebrating a special milestone with my mom. Throwing parties isn't just about an excuse to be fancy and eat copious amounts of desert. For me, every party is an opportunity to make life-long memories with family and close friends.

What kinds of memories are you making during this time of social distancing? What are the most important elements in planning a party for you? I love sweet treats and fun themes!

Sparkle on!

Pucker Up!

Hey there princess!

Today's post is dedicated to pieces inspired by the work of one of my favorite pop artists, Tom Wesselmann. His piece, "Mouth 7" which is currently hanging in the Museum of Modern Art in New York, embodies all that is fabulous. Take a hint from 70's style and live life with your pout out!

Mouth 7, Tom Wesselmann

Kiss Kiss Studs, Jules Smith

Lip Tease Teacup, Reiko Kaneko

Somerset Dress, Lilly Pulitzer

Kisses Cards, Carrot and Stick Press