FFF: Friday Fave Five

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This the first time in a lonnnnnng time I've done a link up! It sounded fun to bring back the FFF, so here are my Friday Fave Fives for this week.

::ONE:: Braids by drybar

drybar opened in Fort Worth a few weeks ago. It's super close to TCU, and right across the street from University Park Village, the best shopping center in town. (Think Kendra Scott, Anthropologie, Apple Store. You know--THAT kind of shopping.) Last week, they stopped by Pure Barre to do braids to help celebrate PB's 3rd birthday in Cowtown. (More of my PB obsession here, here, and here.) I found out that you can stop in for a braid at drybar for only $10, or add one to your blowout service. They do little girls' braids for even cheaper, I think. Since I cannot braid little girl hair for the life of me, this is an excellent development.

My drybar braid. I loved it and wore it for 2 days.
I was not driving when I snapped this pic, Mom.
::TWO:: drybar Detox Dry Shampoo

I should be embarrassed by how many days this has allowed me to go without washing my hair. Spreading the drybar love during the braid bar, they left a sample at Pure Barre for post-workout hair. This might be the best dry shampoo I've tried. Found here.

::THREE:: Old Navy Swing Dresses

If you see me this summer, I'll probably be wearing this dress somewhere. In multiple colors, but in particular navy and white is on sale now. Inexpensive and breezy. Found here.

::FOUR:: MPix economy photo books

Back in the dinosaur ages, we would print out a whole roll of film and have all those pictures to flip through. After our trip to Disney, I wanted easy access to all our pictures, but obviously I'm not going to frame all of them. I looked through multiple photo book vendors and thought MPix software was the easiest to work with and least system intensive (think amount of time it takes your webpages to load). I also wanted plain pages with no clipart or journaling, so this fit the bill. Our Disney book turned out great, and now I'm trying to decide if I want to make books of our last several years of pics.

I chose the charcoal art cloth cover--a nice darker gray that won't show dirt from the little hands that love reliving our trip. I sprung for the gold imprint on the front bottom corner. Found here.

::FIVE:: Fightin' Texas Aggie Baseball

If you need me, I'll be watching the NCAA baseball tournament this weekend.

Here's your @ncaacws College Station Regional field #12thMan

A photo posted by Aggie Athletics (@12thman) on May 30, 2016 at 8:04pm PDT

Five on Friday - Nordstrom Anniversary Sale

Unless you've been hiding under a rock, you know that currently Nordstrom is hosting their annual, very awesome sale. I'm back today with an anniversary sale-inspired Five on Friday!

Here are my top 5 basic picks. When I say basic, I mean quality go-to pieces that everyone can use/wear/love.

ONE: Michael Kors Chain Link Bracelet. I love the chain link detail. I do not need another watch, but maybe you do? If so, this one is a great price! And did you know that Michael Kors timepieces are actually made by Fossil? Very good quality, repair, and warranty.


TWO: The Kate Spade Hancock Park - Stacy wallet. I have another metallic wallet by Kate Spade that has lasted beautifully for several years. This one has a bow, and I love that. It's marked down almost $45 from the regular price. Bargain!


THREE: Vince Camuto Mikey Crossbody. This is a good, low-key crossbody--perfect for traveling. And the suede and pebbled leather mixed? Winner. There aren't any reviews on the site, but based on some other VC items I own (shoes) I imagine it's well made. I'd remove the hang tag, but that's just me.


FOUR: Caslon Knit Tunic. This is such a great, easy throw on and go tunic, which would have been equally perfect in my prior life at the office, as well as now playing trucks with my little guy. Good price point and comes in fun stripes that wouldn't look like "whoa! stripes across the rear" if you know what I'm saying. I would probably pair it with grey leggings and a long gold necklace.



FIVE: And last but certainly not least, New Balance 990s for little boys are on sale for $29.90-$39.90, depending on the size. These are never on sale, so this is a great deal! They even have wide sizes online. I've already placed the order for our next size up.



{all images from Nordstrom}

What to Wear Where: Pregnant Traveller

I have spent my fair share of time in airplanes and moreso, in airports, over the last decade, so I really liked this week's challenge. One of the best pieces of advice for air travel is to keep it simple.

Usually TSA makes me take off my scarf, jacket, and shoes at the checkpoint. In an effort to not feel like I'm undressing in public, I go ahead and store those first two items in my tote ahead of time. Ballet flats make for easy last minute shucking.

My faithful travelling companion will always be one of those "everything's $10" faux pashminas that are found in airports everywhere. It's large enough to double as both an accessory, as well as a blanket or pillow, which is great since most airlines have gotten rid of those items onboard.

I can't get enough of leggings this fall, though I've never really cared much for them before. I found this tunic at Old Navy over the weekend and loved how comfy it looked. I think it would equally perfect in a cabin at cruising altitude and a cabin in the woods. Really, this outfit is like travel-appropriate pajamas. That's a win.

Happy Jetsetting!

What to Wear Where: Fall Fun

My fall fashion is having a bit of a mustard moment, seeing as I've already bought one sweater in that colorway and have my eye on at least one scarf. This week's challenge was putting together an outfit that I would wear to take Jack to the local pumpkin patch!

{I will not discuss here how I thought pumpkin patches were dumb until I had a child. I cannot wait to take him this year, as I know he will love it.}

I mentioned last time I linked up that I try to keep from purchasing maternity wear, but for something like a basic chambray shirt, I have to bend a bit. I get so much wear out of my regular one that I know this will be a solidly spent $18 at Old Navy. I'm not a big fan of the drawstring front, but with a little string tucking and a belt, I won't even know it's there.

In Texas where it will be hot until January, short sleeves are perfect for someone who continues to experience her own personal summer thanks to the little person growing with me. And, let's face it, chasing a toddler doesn't exactly lend itself to casual strolling.

What to Wear When is a Tuesday link up sponsored by Melissa at I Pick Pretty and Amy at Forever 29 Blog. Check out their blogs for more fall fashion inspiration.

What to Wear Where: Transition to Fall

Today I'm linking up with Melissa at I Pick Pretty and Amy at Forever 29 to post about fall transition wear. They have this great series that I've had great intentions to join, however laziness and otherwise life in general has been holding me back.

If there is a phrase that better described my wardrobe right now than "in transition," I can't think of it. I'm 16 weeks pregnant, and my normal clothes are already uncomfortable, so I've "graduated" on to more forgiving items. I prefer to invest in pieces wearable post-baby over making a limited time investment in maternity clothes. The key to this of course, is elastic, which fortunately many women's clothing makers include in even their skinny dresses.

I love this dress because the waist is elastic, although it's not obvious by looking at it. I bought a size to accommodate my current top half and will simply have it taken in after my shape changes post-pregnancy. And of course, a sweater is a must since my office is usually cold. This one adds some great fall color and will also go well with a long tank and my maternity skinnies. Now there's an oxymoron for sure.

As the weather cools off (perhaps by January, here in the good 'ol Lone Star State) I will add boots to it over my current flat choice. I'll probably trade off between my more traditional riding boots and my harness boots, but I like the bit of roughness these add to the "sweet."

And of course, I can't get enough of my Kendra Scott turquoise Danielles. They make the cut pretty much any season!

Kendra Scott Giveaway! My 500th Post.

Today I am celebrating 500 posts on this little blog! I thought what would be more fun than giving away something from one of my favorite jewelry designers, Kendra Scott?

Kendra is a fellow Texas gal, from right down the road a few miles from me in Austin. She has stores in Austin, Beverly Hills, and my daily stomping ground, Dallas! A few weeks ago I popped in for a sidewalk sale and found these gorgeous earrings. I bought two pairs for my gift closet, but by the time I got home, I had talked myself into keeping one and giving these away on the blog. Aww, poor gift closet.

For scale.
If you've ever been in her store, you know it's like a ladies' candy land. I think I have a pair of Kendra Scott earrings for every color scheme in my closet, simply because I can't walk out of her store without something. And no lie, at Christmastime, I ordered a necklace for a family member, then ended up ordering a second one for myself. It was turquoise, and it goes with everything!

To enter the giveaway:

• For one entry, leave a comment with your e-mail address to say hello! (Hello to you!)
• For a second entry, follow Being Mrs. Gentry on Google Friend Connect (the follow button is on the right side,) then leave a second comment saying you did.

I will select one winner on Monday, March 26 using the random number generator. Yay!

If you're the winner, I will send you these beautiful earrings, and I dare say they will go with nearly every outfit in your closet.

(Kendra Scott is in no way affiliated with this giveaway. I purchased these on my own as a gift to one lucky reader!)

Spring/Summer Staple: The Maxi Skirt

Well, it's sunny and nearly 80 degrees in Texas today. Not at all shocking, but it has me in the mood to shop, shop, shop.

{Now that I think about it, rain, cold, sleet, and 100+ degree weather affects me the same way, but we don't need to discuss that today.}

Last year during this time, I was 3 weeks post-partum and the last thing I wanted to do was buy clothes. New yoga pants worked just fine, thank you very much. But this year, oh it is a different story indeed. It has been two years since I last wore my spring clothes, and of course, I don't like any of them.

*cue husband groans*

I have maxi skirts on the brain. Let us not discuss that I am 5'2" and probably look incredibly short and dumpy in them. They are comfortable and at least one step up from yoga pants, yes?

The powerhouse maxi skirt in my wardrobe is one that I bought back while I still didn't fit into it, that beautiful pink, Anthropologie Lengthening Rays skirt as seen on the gorgeous Erika Powell from Urban Grace Interiors. Believe it or not, I bought it about a week before she posted that--the last one, on sale, in a size too small. Her pic inspired me to fit into it and quickly. It's the happiest shade of pink, and I ♥ it. And of course, it's made for a Kendra Scott turquoise necklace. And also, it now fits.

So this year, I'm determined to find a comfy maxi skirt. I think it will transition well from my casual dress office during the day to pushing tiny trucks and tractors with the wee little man in the evenings. Below are a few I'm considering, with a dress thrown in for good measure. I have stripes on the brain. It goes without saying that any one I pick will have to be shortened if I have any intention of wearing flats.

Do you have any spring essentials on your list?