Gingham Dress + Tassel Hoop Earrings & Spotlight on Dave Jennings Photography!

You guys.  I have to tell you about my coworker in the English department at Wego who also happens to be an incredible photographer (and my pal!). Dave took my pics yesterday in dt (mom, that means down town lol) Naperville, and I am soooooo excited to share these shots with you!

^^the man, the myth, the photog legend! Dave Jennings

When I got hired to teach in the English department at Wego in April of 2016 (I got the call coincidentally on the day Finn was born! One the best days of my life!), I was soooooo pumped to tell everyone I encountered (like, literally, even randos who would come into the boutique I worked at over the summer) that I would be working at West Chicago HS in the fall. I couldn't stop spreading my happy news. Every time I'd tell someone my joyful news, and he/she had any connection to Wego, the first words out of his/her mouth were, "Does Mr. Jennings still teach there?!?!?! He was my favorite teacher! He was so cool!"

I had shadowed in the English department one day in May of 2016, and I was able to meet a lot of amazing teachers, but I wasn't *entirely* sure if this LEGEND Mr. Jennings was the tall one I met with the cool plaid shirt (with pearlized buttons I might add) and large beard in the corner room on the 3rd floor. But, I soon found out he was! And he was going to be a colleague/friend of mine!  Dave is the voice of Wego, as he heads up all our pep assemblies. Honestly, I laugh aloud at everything he says when he's on the mic. I seriously poke everyone around me and am like, "omg he is so funny! Did you catch that "Black and Yellow" reference? What a hoot!"  I might be a pep assembly #fangirl.

At any rate, Dave is a boss with the camera, and he makes everyone look great. Hit him up for any of your photography needs. Follow him on insta, too, @MrDaj78. OH! Andddd he created our school's Lip Dub this year and the original Lip Dub from 2012. They. Are. SO. Awesome. Cash me at about 8:15 in this year's, holding a Of Mice and Men poster. LOL. Side note: Dave orchestrated our entire school of approximately 2,100 kids and full staff to partake in this. Incredible!

Now for the photos! All the colorful shots were taken against the outside walls of the Dupage Children's Museum. Dave's brilliant idea!

Dress-- on sale.  Fits TTS, and I am in a small. 

Shoes-- the comfiest heels ever:

For the sandals, I typically wear a 7.5 in most shoes, but these I wear an 8! Don't panic if you get the leather ones, and they are a little snug-- they totally stretch out with your first wear. SO. COMFY!!! I teach in them all day with no pain. 

Bag. 

Similar clutches: 

OMG, I want this one! On sale, too! 

These Loft tassel hoop earrings were online exclusives, and they just sold out! :( These actually look identical and are $12! 

But, fear not, fellow fashionistas! #alliteration

Here are a bunch of replacement options-- mine were only $17, FYI. I am obsessed with fancy earrings, but I like a deal. 

^^So, this is when Mike showed up to the shoot! He actually works right down the street from where we were shooting, so he came by to hang with us for a little bit :):) #hearteyesemoji

I was cracking up the whole time! Dave does SUCH a fabulous job of catching you in really good moments! He keeps you laughing, and he has tons of ideas for shots. You guys, you need him to photograph you. Haha! #hirehim  I linked his Facebook page for your photography needs!

My fave pic! Dave rocks! 

Lip color:

I know I never shut up about this Stila Amalfi lip color, but seriously, it's amazing. I had two shoots yesterday, one with Dave in the afternoon, and then one with the fabulous Andrea in the evening, and it. did. not. move. in all those hours! It's the ideal wedding lip color, too (also, there are a ton of color ops if this is not your style) because you can smooch your groom in all the pics without it going anywhere! I ordered mine from Sephora online, but it is all over-- Nordies, etc. This is much to my mom's chagrin, as she sells Arbonne, but I have to say this is the best lip color out there. #sorrymom #everythingelseiuseisarbonne #ipromise

Sparkly sunnies: 

These shoe pics are soooo funny to take. Imagine this: I am on the ground on the side of the children's museum (on a towel-- I'm no savage!), leaning back trying to engage my core (#purebarre), in front of some rogue door that could open at any minute, with Dave crouched down trying to get it, and Mike just giggles McGee in the background. What a hoot! But hey, it was worth it!! These shoes are sooo super comfy & extremely versatile.  Think: pair with skinny jeans come fall. 

At the end of our shoot, we went to the crazy new Starbucks in dt Naperville (at Jefferson and Main St.). OMG, you guys! It was out of this world! So, it's called a "Starbucks Reserve", and it's all about the amazing nitro-brew stuff. The inside is gorgeous; it's this 360 bar with seats all over. It really looks like a restaurant more than a coffee shop.  You can get growlers of cold brew, and there are a ton of chemistry-looking devices to make *extra* drinks. I, of course, went with my Grande vanilla sweet cream cold brew because it's my favorite, but you could definitely do one of the fancier options. 

Dave got these pics from outside the window as I sat at the counter inside.  My fave part of the Starbucks trip was me telling a kind man next to me at the counter that the photographer outside was for me, and not to worry-- he wouldn't be in any pics. The guy, totally seriously, turns to me and goes, "his loss." LOL

^Dave's idea to go to Starbs because my dress matches the straw! Creative guy. 

More gingham dresses:

I blame my sister for getting me addicted to this vanilla/sweet cream/cold brew (I never know the proper order lol). But they are out of this world! And so refreshing!

What's your favorite Starbucks drink? Let me know in the comments!
Thanks for reading, and check out Dave on social media! :)
xxoo
Mary