summer – Page 3 – Mackenzie Billington

White Midi Skirt

July 30, 2015 by Mackenzie

midi skirt (not available anymore • similar & similar) // chambray shirt // sandals // earrings

Never did I ever think I would wear a midi skirt, let alone fall in love with one. A few months ago I was shopping for skirts online and stumbled across this one on forever21. I hesitated for a second or two before putting in my cart because I wasn’t sure if I would end up actually wearing it. It was such a good impulse buy and has easily become one of my summer staples. This is a little bit of a ‘tbt’ post because I wore this outfit back when my mom was visiting me in London. I paired this white midi skirt with my favorite chambray button down for a night out in the city to see Mama Mia, one of my favorite musicals. I really, really enjoyed all of the lively songs and costumes.

Sadly this exact skirt is not available anymore online, but it might still be in stores because I purchased it about two months ago. Below I posted some different ways that I plan on styling my white midi skirt over the next few weeks.

Thank you so much for checking out my blog! Hope you all are having a fabulous week!

Scents of Summer

July 29, 2015 by Mackenzie

1 / 2 / 3 / 4 / 5

I get asked so frequently about my favorite perfumes and body sprays, so I decided to a make a little list of my favorite ones for the season. In the daytime, I love a tropical body spray. They aren’t as heavy as perfume, but still add a nice fragrance. Bath & Body works makes my all-time favorite body sprays. They have such a huge variety of scents, but their ‘Hawaii’ line that came out a few months ago is amazing. It’s embarrassing, but I have actually been through three full bottles of the Oahu body spray. No joke. What I love most about the Oahu body spray is that it has coconut notes, but isn’t overwhelming at all. It smells like vacation in a bottle. I also love the Maui fragrance from the line as well! With notes of mango and hibiscus, I instantly feel like I am back in Maui! For nights out and special occasions, I love Giorgio Armani Acqua di Gioia and Dolce & Gabbana Light Blue. Both smell very fresh and beachy, and I love them for summer time! My last favorite scent for summer is Sun by Lush. It doesn’t have the best staying power, I am going to be honest, but I absolutely love the fragrance. It has strong citrus undertones and smells just like oranges. I always throw it in my purse or backpack because it is a solid perfume and is awesome for ‘on-the-go’ use. It’s the perfect mid day pick me up. I love all of the Lush solid perfumes, but this is my favorite for summer!

Let me know your favorite scents for summer! Hope you are having an awesome Wednesday!

Easy & Breezy

July 15, 2015 by Mackenzie

Dress Red Dress Boutique • Necklace Kendra Scott • Sandals Jack Rogers

Looking for that easy, breezy, perfect summer dress? Well Red dress boutique has it- in several colors and patterns. I of course had to purchase it in both blue and red (though I really wish I owned it in every single color). This casual dress will definitely be the perfect game day piece when college starts again in the fall. I love it with sandals in the summer, but I can totally picture it with cowboy boots and a denim jacket for chilly games! It’s also very comfortable, versatile, and flattering. The ‘Color My Soul Dress‘ is definitely one of my favorite sundresses for summer, and I would highly, highly recommend it!

P.S. I actually made it onto the Red Dress Boutique site earlier this week (bottom row, far left), and I almost had a heart attack! I was so excited they posted my picture on their site!

Favorite Summer Purchases

July 12, 2015 by Mackenzie

At the beginning of this summer, I did some serious closet cleaning. I went through everything in my closet that didn’t fit anymore or I hadn’t worn in the past two to three years. It felt good to finally de-clutter my life and get organized. After selling some of my old Lilly Pulitzer pieces that didn’t fit anymore, I had money to do a little shopping and purchase pieces that fit, and that I could get great use out of. This season I’ve been all about off-the-shoulder dresses and tops, pom-poms, bold colors, tassels, cut outs, crop tops, versatile, pieces, and heels/wedges! London has some great shopping, and I absolutely love living in the city. If any of y’all have any London shopping recommendations- let me know. So far I’ve been loving Topshop, Zara, and Mango!

Thank you so much for checking out my blog. I hope you all had a great weekend!

Topshop Sandals

July 10, 2015 by Mackenzie

I am obsessed with Topshop. It’s true. There are so many Topshop stores here in London, and they are just too hard to resist going into. I decided I wanted to get two new pairs of sandals for the summer, and after trying on probably ten different pairs, I narrowed it down to these two. I chose these brown ‘gladiator-esque’ sandals because I love that they are like a casual version of a heel. I also love the metallic part on them. They are also super, super comfortable! As for these white ones, I founds them on sale at Topshop, and I just couldn’t say no. I love the white and neon combination, and how easily they can be dressed up or dressed down. The lime green probably wasn’t the most versatile color selection, but they surprisingly match the majority of my wardrobe! I am definitely going to head back to Topshop soon because I really want some of their fun wedges, platforms, and heels. Topshop shoes are seriously the bomb.

I couldn’t find the jeweled ones online anymore, but here are similar options:

Here are some of my Topshop favorites:

I hope you all are having a fabulous weekend! I am finally starting to feel better, so thank you again for y’all’s kind and encouraging messages and comments!

Pink & Green Dream

July 8, 2015 by Mackenzie

Dress • Sandals • Earrings • Clutch (not available- similar) • Book

Whenever I am stuck on what to wear, I always reach for this easy dress. I have already worn it 4-5 now, and I just purchased it last month. I love it because it is not only super comfortable, but it is very versatile. Before heading to Africa, I stopped by Anthropologie with my sister to shop. I had no intentions of actually purchasing anything, I just went with her to browse. Allie tried on this striped green dress, and I fell in love. I am sure she was less than pleased that I ended up purchasing it too, but I just couldn’t help it! When we were checking out, the employee working at the cash register told us that our ‘new favorite dress’ was actually a tunic! She said that her favorite way to style it was to pair it with jeans or shorts and tie it at the waist. I definitely plan on wearing it as a shirt by knotting it at the waist and pairing it with a white skirt. However, I absolutely love it as a dress though! It comes in so many fun patterns- and it runs petite. This dress/shirt/versatile piece was definitely more of a splurge for me, but I would totally repurchase it another pattern in the near future. I find myself constantly wearing it this season.

I decided to pair this dress with my favorite pink tassel earrings (that are now back in stock here!!), neutral sandals, and a hot pink clutch. I purchased this clutch in three colors several years ago at Jcrew. It is such a fantastic clutch that easily works for both day and night!

P.S. These photos were taken back in TX before heading off abroad. I took several pictures back home before heading here that I forgot to post! I will be catching up on posting those photos over the next few weeks! Also, I have been loving this fabulous London tour book from Anthropologie. It has so many fun places and sites recommended by locals! I would definitely recommend picking it up if you are heading to London this summer.

Thank you so much for checking out my blog!

Fourth of July

July 4, 2015 by Mackenzie

Dress • Sandals • Earrings

Happy 4th of July, friends! This dress has actually been my favorite piece for summer. Off shoulder tops and dresses have definitely been my ‘go-to’ this season. I paired this patriotic dress with some white stone earrings and white sandals for a day spent exploring the city. However, it would look awesome with wedges and a clutch for night!

These photos were taken at Neal’s Yard in London. My friend recommended that I check out this colorful cluster of buildings and shops. This little spot was difficult to find at first, but well worth the trip. I loved the bright walls and all of the fun restaurants. My mom and I had a fabulous time visiting this unique part of town. I am having such an incredibly time in London so far, and I’m almost positive that I’m not ever going to leave. Tomorrow I move into my dorm, and it will be nice to not live out of a suitcase anymore. I couldn’t be having a better time in this perfect city! Words can’t describe how much I love it here.

I hope you all are having a fabulous 4th of July and enjoying the holiday!

Going off the Grid

June 18, 2015 by Mackenzie

Hello friends! Today is the day! I am leaving this morning to fly to Tanzania with my family! We will spend the next two weeks traveling all around the country on a safari. My mom and I are going to also spend a few days at an elephant park while my dad and sister climb Mt. Kilimanjaro. I decided to wear my elephant dress this week out of excitement for my safari getaway! I picked up this dress a few weeks ago from ShopRiffRaff, but sadly it is not available anymore. I linked some similar animal-themed dresses below!

So I will be ‘off the grid’ for the next two weeks, but I will have internet/service again when I move to London for the rest of summer during the month of July! I will be back really soon!! Thank you so much for y’all’s constant love & support!

Have a wild & awesome week! BRB!

Little White Dress

June 17, 2015 by Mackenzie

Dress • Necklace • Sandals

Everybody loves a little black dress. But for summer, the little white dress is a must-have. I find myself wearing them constantly during the summer time because they are incredibly versatile and look great with a tan. Out of all of the white dresses I own, this one is definitely my favorite. I love the lace detailing and the open back. I also own it in black as well! I love to pair “the little white dress” with turquoise and gold jewelry. It’s definitely my favorite color combination for the season.

Sadly, the weather in Texas has been rainy again. We had a nice week or so of sunshine, but lately it’s been back to tropical storms. I spent the day in Dallas and had a great time visiting the Dallas Museum of Art and eating Sprinkles cupcakes! Between packing for 8+ weeks abroad, having friends in town, and accidentally having my hair dyed gray- it’s been a chaotic week! I couldn’t be more excited to head to Africa tomorrow for a perfect safari getaway.

Hope you all are having a great week!

A Comparison of Two Wedges

June 10, 2015 by Mackenzie

The wedges

When you’re 5’0 tall, wedges become something of an essential in your closet. I have been obsessed with wedges for as long as I can remember. They give you height, make your legs look longer, and are much more comfortable than stilettos. I got these fabulous Tory Burch wedges for my birthday back in April. My mom and sister also picked up a pair as well, and we have all been loving them. Not only are they very comfortable, but they are incredibly versatile However, they aren’t the most affordable pair of wedges out there. I love them for nice events and church, but it’s great to have a cheaper pair of wedges for travel, game days, and nights out with friends. I also get asked frequently on tumblr for a cheaper alternative to my TB Wedges, and I found these cute ones online. I decided to purchase them for myself because they were only $31!

The review

So now let’s get down to the comparison of these two wedges. The Tory Burch wedges are almost ten times the price, but the quality of them is truly top of the line. The dupes are definitely much lower quality, but I still really like them. They are also a little less comfortable than their expensive counterpart, but aren’t bad at all. One difference I noticed from trying them on is that the dupes are much taller. The dupes are almost an entire inch taller than the Tory Burch ones, which you can definitely tell when you walk in them! The two wedges are also made of different materials- the Tory Burch wedges are cork, and the dupes are a more plastic-wood material. The brand for these dupes is called ‘Soda’. I have purchased other shoes from ‘Soda’ before and have been incredibly satisfied with all of them. Yes, they aren’t the best quality, but they are still super cute, and the awesome price is definitely hard to beat! Would I recommend these Tory Burch look-a-like wedges? Definitely! They have a very similar look, and I really enjoy both of them. I can’t wait to pack these dupes in my travel bag for London! They will be perfect for nights out, and I won’t have to worry about scuffing them up or ruining them. These affordable wedges are pretty awesome, and I would highly recommend them if you are looking for a cheaper alternative to the Tory Burch Daisy Wedges!

Hope y’all are having a great Wednesday!