Hi guys!  I just wanted to take a second to let you LunaVida readers know that I will be on vacation for the next two weeks, so I won't be posting at all (AKA we will be much too busy for me to blog at all... plus it would be a travesty to be on my computer when I'm on the vacation of a lifetime!).  We are headed to Venice in the morning, followed by Florence, Rome, Santorini, Mykonos, and finally Athens!  Check back to LunaVida in mid-September when we return to see all of our vacation photos.  Also be sure to follow along as we are over in Europe via Instagram (@alliegee319)!

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Nautical or Nice: Striped T-Shirt + Cuffed Denim + Sandals

Hello! In just over a week Matt and I will be on our way over to Europe for our vacation! It's time I start packing, but I don't know where to begin... I always pack way too much, and the fact that we are traveling so far, I know that trend will most likely continue. Any helpful tips? We are spending time in Venice, Florence, Rome, Mykonos, Santorini, and Athens. What should I bring with me (other than my passport and a few adult diapers, because I may just pee my pants from excitement)?

Blue & white striped t-shirt (also seen here & here): Gap

-Similar styles: Old Navy $7 (on sale from $12.50), Forever 21 $8.80 or Gap $16.99 (on sale from $26.95)

Cuffed denim shorts (also seen here): JCPenney

-Similar styles: Forever 21 $7.80, Forever 21 $15.80 or JCPenney $29

Beige flat sandals: Old Navy $9.97 (on sale from $22.94) 

Oversized straw floppy sun hat: JCPenney $16

Gold geometric necklace (also seen here, here & here): c/o StyleLately

White laser cut vegan leather handbag (also seen here & here): DSW

Where did you vacation to this summer? Did you go to Europe by any chance? If so, please let me know what I should bring. Prettyyyy please? I'm lost!

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Summer Scene: Milkmaid Braids & a Maxi Dress

Hey there, hi there!  Matt & I were talking about the term "dog days of summer" today.  Does anyone know where it came from?  Wherever its origin though, it was the only string of words that could appropriately describe today.  PHEW.  It was SO hot here in Phoenix.  And so very sunny.  Like, so sunny that it felt like the sun was just 10 feet away from my delicate epidermis.  What better way to deal with such extreme desert heat rather than a whole day spent in the pool though?  Therefore, we put on our bathing suits (and sunscreen) and just straight lounged in the water until we turned into one giant prune.
Now that is how the dog days of summer are meant to be spent.  (Oh, and if you're not in the pool, they're meant to be spent wearing a breezy maxi dress & milkmaid braids combo.  It's the rule.)

White, black & blue printed strapless maxi dress: Old Navy

-Similar styles:  Forever 21 $13.80, Forever 21 $19.80 or Old Navy $29.94 (on sale from $36.94)

Beige flat sandals (also seen here, here & here): Old Navy

-Similar styles: Amazon $9.99, DSW $19.94 (on sale from $65) or Target $19.99

White laser cut vegan leather handbag (also seen here): DSW

Are you near any body of water?  Has your skin all but fallen off from staying in that particular body of water for hours on end, in order to avoid the summer heat?

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Lastly, I'll share this gem of a photo, courtesy of my lovely sister's photographic direction [I just love her.  She's prettyyy funny]:

A Whole Lotta Aloha: Graphic Tank + Cutoff Shorts + Espadrille Flats

Hi there, guys! We had a HUGE storm here in Phoenix last night -- like a storm crazier than anything I ever saw living in Florida for over six years. We got stuck at work late due to roads being closed (boo), but it reminded me how much I love a good rain storm. There's nothin' else like 'em... It makes me remember summers in Ohio when I'd sit on our front porch swing at the house I grew up in and watch the summer storms roll in with my dog, Maxx. Le sigh. Good times, my friends. Good times, indeed.

White "Aloha" tank top: Old Navy $15.97 (I got it on sale for $6 in the store!)

-Similar styles: Target $8.48, Old Navy $10 (on sale from $14.94), American Eagle $11.99 (on sale from $15.95) or Tilly's $16.99

Gap cutoff denim shorts (also seen here, here & here): DIY'ed

-Similar styles: Forever 21 $12 (on sale from $17.80), Tilly's $12.59 (on sale from $22.99) or Old Navy $15 (on sale from $24.94)

Red & white striped flat espadrilles (also seen here): Target $8.48 (on sale from $16.99)

Black & white Aztec print handbag (also seen here): H&M

Gold aviator sunglasses (also seen here): Charming Charlie $9

Bracelets: Urban Outfitters & c/o HBunnie Creations (also seen here)

Do any of you live in the desert, too? If so, don't ya just miss the rain? I really, truly do... and sometimes it makes me long for a different climate. Then I remember what 7 months of winter (don't lie - it truly is that long of a hellish season... I did it for 18 years, and it really is that long in the Midwest!) feels like, and I quickly thank my lucky stars once again ;)

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Lace Up: Shift Dress + Heels

Hello there!  How's life goin'?  I'm currently house/dog-sitting for a friend [Hi, Trenna!  You better be reading this!].  Her pups are cutesy-wootsy-tootsey.  Matt even brought our Kingsley over tonight for a play date.  King just adores their big poochie, Chase.  Watching them play is just too much adorable for me to handle.  Le sigh.  Dogs' cuteness levels just make one's heart flutter, right?  (Seriously.  If you are currently living life without a pet, it's time to adopt one -- with a strong emphasis on adopt.  They're the absolute best, my dudes.)

White & black lace shift dress (also seen here): Kohl's

-Similar styles: Forever 21 $22.80, Forever 21 $24.80, Target $24.99, Target $27.99 or LuLu*s $40

Madden Girl nude ankle strap heels (also seen here): Shoe Carnival $25

-Similar styles: Amazon $14.99 (on sale from $69.99) or Forever 21 $27.80

Thin kelly green belt (also seen here): Kohl's

Oversized tortoise shell sunglasses (also seen here, here & here): Old Navy

Mint green & aqua statement necklace (also seen here & here): Mimi Boutique

Wooden clutch (also seen here): c/o Uncommon Goods

Various gold bracelets: Vintage, H&M and c/o Blue Sunflowers

Can you believe the summer is already winding down?  It is shocking how fast this whole year has gone.  It's totally true what they say: time really does fly the older you get.

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