Brew at the Zoo with Ally and Sparky

Last Saturday my dear, sweet Sparky was in town and we (along with Al and Tracey and some other friends) went to the Brew at the Zoo. It's a fundraiser for the Louisville Zoo and a win-win for me :) Zoos make me kinda sad, but the ample supply of beer and food got me over that very quickly.

It was going to be a hot one (95 degrees) and the event is outside, so lots of cotton, sunscreen, and prior planning was required.

I think we looked ready for a long, hot day!

This is the third year Tracey and I've been to this (or is it the fourth??) so we know how critical it is to either get a table under the tent (shade) or grab a table next to trees (shade). Either way, shade is key. I don't slather on spf 70 for nothing! Not about to sit in the sun and get burnt.






Dress: Target

Belt: Target

Shoes: Target (see a pattern?)

Hat: street vendor at Kentucky Derby Festival

Bag: Lands' End Weatherfield Plaid Tote (mine's pink/brown, but it's a discontinued color now)









The shoes were a very last minute purchase at Target earlier in the day. I needed some brown flats and these were not only super comfortable but they were under $10. However, they're not the cutest things in the world and I pretty much have a love-hate relationship with them. I love how great they feel and I hate how I wear them with anything other than jeans. Oy!

All good Kentucky girls (should) love a hat. I think they're fashionable and VERY functional. Nothing keeps the sun off your pretty face and shoulders better than a big hat. It helps your friends find you in a crowd too! I have this in black also (I wore the black one to The Oaks). Tracey has it in pink and brown (I think, right?). All I know is that between the two of us, we have four of them - and different colors too. Think we planned that? :)

When we saw these hats at the vendor, Tracey dragged me over b/c she said she'd seen the exact same hat online for $80+. The guy was selling his for $35 but we got him down to $30 since we bought in bulk :) Here's a link to a site selling the exact same hat for a little more. It's the raffia Madagascar hat.

And now, the part you've all been waiting for...our first guest post!!!

Here's Sparky!!!!!!!!!!

Ally took me to Target to get a non-black and non-menswear outfit for brew and the zoo and we found the whole outfit from the waist up. The halter top and sweater were claimed from the clearance rack at $13 each. I already owned the skirt, which is Eddie Bauer, obtained from a store closing last winter for a cool $15 (originally $50, I believe). The sandals are Haviannas and when I got them at Urban Outfitters, it was part of a buy 1 get 1 50% off and I picked up another pair in gold. I can't remember how much they were total, but one pair was 50% off so I'll call that cute on the cheap-er. Accessories were obtained from Target too - hat for $12 and bag for about $20. I see myself getting great mileage out of both pieces. Sunglasses were another already owned item, but they're from Target too, which means I scored them for less than $15.




Note the detail on the sweater and halter - it's very Daisy-Mae meets ladies who lunch, you think?











I love this pretty, summery outfit on Sparky. I'm sure the folks in Target thought I was nuts yelling "You're too pretty for that!!" every time Sparky held up a black, gray, or mens shirt above the racks for approval. :) But it's true - she's too pretty NOT to wear color, right?

Thanks to Sparky for contributing to the blog!