Designer Skyline // What I Wore

{photos courtesy of Laura and Hannah}

I had so many photos from the Blog Days of Summer picnic, that I decided to split them up into two posts, and this is my proper "outfit post" post. *wink*

I've always been really interesting in traveling, and I was so, so excited to see Ohio and Pennsylvania for the first time, but the best part by far was getting to hang out with so many lovely gals! Laura and I ended up (by a really amazing set of parallel circumstances) sharing a hotel room - despite the fact that we'd only talked once or twice before this trip. In all honesty, I was more than a little nervous that we wouldn't end up getting along and it would be really awkward, but when it came down to it, it was really more like preschool- instant BFFs! Seriously, within the first two hours of meeting Laura, Hannah and I were crashing in my hotel room venting about crappy former-love interests. (What did you expect from three teenagers/20-somethings??) And I was so, so sad to say goodbye to her. For reals, you guys, if you've never checked out her blog do it now because she is such a doll. ♥

I don't really have all that many photos of the dinner after the picnic or the brunch on Sunday (I looked like such a mess on Sunday due to a wardrobe emergency and not having a blow dryer in my hotel room. Grrr!) but I'm probably going to do one more Pittsburgh with some random posts of Pittsburgh in general. Just as soon as I finish editing those pics... Ugh! Let's do that next week, kay? Kay.

♥ ♥ ♥       

dress: ModCloth

belt: Pitaya

necklace: vintage

Steve Madden wedges: Forest Bootery

watch: Francesca's Collections

bracelet: vintage

sunglasses: Betsy Johnson via Little Black Bag

Blog Days of Summer Picnic

{photo credits to me, Katherine and Hannah, Sarah and Laura}

Phew! I've been slowly, but steadily going through all my photos from last weekend, and goodness, there are a lot! These are all the non-outfit photos from the Blog Days of Summer picnic last Saturday. It was held at Grand View Park in Pittsburgh, which is ridiculously hard to find using Apple Mapas, as Laura and I found out the hard way. Boo! Construction is what started it - we couldn't turn left where we needed to, and Siri could no for the life of us figure out how to route us around it. Add in a few extra long turns, and we ended up being lost for nearly two hours! Yeah, it was pretty much hell.

I (mistakenly) thought that since I've been frequently driving in Chicago for the past year and half, that I was prepared to drive in any city, but Pittsburgh proved me wrong. Let's get one thing clear: I live in the prairie state. The prairie state. And while my aunt and uncle's ranch in Missouri has made me accustomed to driving on hills out in the back woods, driving on San Fransisco-like hills in the city was a totally new experience for me! And then with the whole Siri thing, the whole "driving in Pittsburgh" part of the trip was just miserable! Laura and I didn't get anywhere on time except brunch on Sunday. Way to go, us! *sarcasm*

Later this week I'll share some proper outfit photos from the picnic, including one of my favorite ModCloth dresses. Eep!

Hope all of y'alls week is starting out well, and good luck to all who start school today! I'm really excited for life to get back to normal. :)

(P.S. Thank you all for the kind and encouraging words about my re-brand! All the lovely comments/Instagram comments have seriously made my week. ♥)

Change

Before I get more into posting about this weekend I wanted to take a minute to stop and talk about this blog and what it is in my life.

I started Beautifully Pure when I was sixteen years old. I was still in school with no drivers license, and few friends. I was lonely and needed a creative outlet, and loved blogging before, so why not start a new one? I chose the name somewhat hastily - it fit what I wanted my style to be, and sounded very Christian.

Since then I have got my drivers license, graduated high school, started working full time, and made numerous new friends. This blog just doesn't fit me and my life anymore.

I'm not the same shy, mousey girl I was three (or even one!) year ago. I've learned that being a "good" Christian girl doesn't mean I have to let myself get walked on. I've learned how to stand up for myself, and done incredible things, to boot! I still can't believe I drove nine hours by myself to meet a bunch of online friends in strange city!

So, to keep this blog in line with my life, and so I can continue to share my life honestly, Beautifully Pure is undergoing a re-branding. The new name is "The Wildwood Flower." I'm in the process of switching the domain over (don't worry! Beautifully Pure will auto-redirect, so no need to update your book marks!), and I have a few tweeks to make to the new layout yet, but this is tenitively how things will be looking around her from now on!

Thank you so much to everyone who's followed me these past almost three years, and I hope you'll stick around for this new chapter in this lil' ol' blogs life. *kisses*

This Weekend in Instagram Photos

 {from left to right: me in Ohio // outside Lauren's favorite coffee house in Mansfield // me and Lauren // after I checked into my hotel room // the Pittsburgh skyline // Sara, me and Katherine // me and Laura // me and Hannah // me and Sara at brunch}

This weekend I was in Pittsburgh for the Blog Days of Summer get together. It was so much fun! I got to meet so many lovely gals and see Pennsylvania and Pittsburgh for the first time! The only part I didn't like so much was driving in Pittsburgh. It's crazy!! But more on that later. *winks*

Umbrella Beach // What I Wore

The summer hasn't been too great here, lately, so unfortunately I've hardly gotten down to the beach, but a couple Sundays ago my friend Natalie from work and I decided to head down to the beach together. It was a perfect time to do it, too, because I'd just got a new bathing suit from ModCloth! I've wanted an Esther Williams bathing suit for years, and after three years of promising to buy me a new swim suit, they finally got me one!

This bathing suit is super cute, and flattering and comfy and I had so much fun at the beach with Natalie - even if she did try to drown me. *winks*

How have you all been spending your summer?

♥ ♥ ♥       

shirt: J Crew

shorts: Maurice's

bathing suit: ModCloth 

scarf: DIY

sandals: Plato's Closet

sunglasses: Betsy Johnson via LBB

Cocaine Blues // What I Wore

Hello, all! Goodness! It feels like forever and a day since I've posted! I can't believe how crazy work has been lately, not to mention I've been in a bit of a lull lately - this is the first time I've felt really happy wearing a dress in I can't remember how long!

Speaking of this dress, I'm so glad Emily talked me into buying it! It's so pretty and I love the cut-outs in the side! For $14 it was a total steal! I'm so excited to take it to Pittsburgh next week for the Blog Days of Summer!! (Heck! I'm just plain excited to take a trip without any parents!) It'll be so much fun to meet Sarah, Katherine, Hannah, Lauren, and all the other gals!

In other news, I have some big changes for this blog upcoming in the next few weeks that I'm really excited about, so keep your eyes out for that!

♥ ♥ ♥       

dress: Francesca's Collections

belt: Talbots

bandeau: Coobie Bra via Forest Bootery

shoes: FitFlops

necklace: vintage