Yesterday I featured a sweet little bathing suit that I had my eye on for our little girl...today it's a roomy canvas tote with a square bottom to hold all of our essentials for the beach and pool.

This large canvas tote from J. McLaughlin is sturdy, attractive, and is big enough to fit all your towels and beach accessories.  Another plus is that you can personalize it with your zip code or anything you like to make it more "you."

But $100 for a beach bag is a little steep for me...then I saw this similar version in the Ballard Designs catalog!  This bag has the same look and utility for just half the price!

I think I would get it monogrammed with something simple like our little girl's initials, or maybe something like SUN or SURF for fun!

And while we are on the subject of summer essentials...check out these sunglasses that I just saw at Banana Repubic!  Is it just me or are they almost identical to the Tom Ford version that retails for close to $400?!

I just can't seem to get enough of fun accessories for summer!

Now that the pool is open and the warm weather is here I cannot wait to take our little girl swimming.  And of course she has got to have a fabulous bathing suit for her first summer hitting the beach and pool.  The Lilly Pulitzer Ruth Bathing Suit for infants has been on my wish list for awhile, but at $54 it seems a little steep for a suit that she will only wear one summer!

Isn't it sweet though...

So I did some searching online and found this same bathing suit on sale for $38 at of all places - Garnet Hill!  I guess they aren't just for sheets and towels any more!

And if your baby could fit in 3-6 or 6-12 month you could scoop up this adorable version of the same bathing suit for over 50% off!

This lightweight slub henley from Michael Stars would make a great top for summer...except for the price tag that is close to $100!

Earlier in the week I featured two looks for summer, and my weekend look included this slub henley tank top from Banana Republic that is only $29.50, and this weekend everything at BR online is an additional 30% off with the code BREXCUSE making it just $21.50!

I may just have to pick one up today!

Why is it that the shortest weeks somehow always seem the longest?  Even with Monday off this week it felt like the weekend was just never going to get here!

Do you plan on starting the weekend off with a cocktail?  I'm more of a beer and wine girl myself, but I took a sip of a Manhattan a few weeks ago for the first time and I was surprised by how much I liked it!

It also could not be simpler to make...all you need is whiskey, sweet vermouth, ice, cherries, and a cocktail shaker and you are all set to start shaking.   You can experiment with the type of whiskey you use, but Ina Garten suggests using Bourbon which sounds good to me!

And if your bar at home is bare and you are need of the proper accessories to make this tasty cocktail, I suggest picking up the Core Martini Set from CB2.  For $24.95 you get two martini glasses, a cocktail shaker, and a jigger.  At less than $25 this would be a great hostess gift, and you don't have to feel bad about picking one up for yourself too!

Do you have any special cocktails planned for the weekend? 

Every year I find that some how my beloved t-shirts that I adored so much the year before always seem to lose their shape the following year...don't you agree?!  So come springtime I'm always on the hunt for a lightweight cotton T that can be my go to basic top to pair with jeans and shorts over the summer. 

Well a few weeks ago I picked up this comfy cotton t-shirt from the Gap in grey and I'm in love!

This t-shirt runs a little large so I would go with your normal size or size down.  I dry everything completely now that I'm doing laundry for three and a little time in the dryer made my regular size the perfect fit.

I like this T so much because it is has a slight scoop neck and the arms are in between the length of a tank top and a regular tee.  I think that this cut of neckline and sleeve is very flattering and less constraining than your average short sleeve T, but it also provides a little bit of coverage too.

This t-shirt retails for $19.95 which is not bad, but you know the Gap always has some kind of promotion going these days so I'm sure you can scoop it up for a little less!  I have to go back to buy it in white - I know I will wear that all summer long!

And in the meantime of course I had to get the nautical coral stripe version when I saw it...you know I love a good striped tee!

Do you have a favorite new t-shirt for summer?

Sorry to be gone for so long!  I hope you all had a great long weekend. 

Whenever the warm weather hits I cannot wait to break out my favorite bright accessories, white jeans, and summer dresses.

Here are two looks - work and weekend - to get you ready for the summer weather!

Almost every item featured here is $70 or less except for the white denim from J.Crew.  I think a good pair of white jeans is definitely worth splurging on, and I love my J.Crew white denim!

Here is my summer look for work...

Did you pick up any great deals for your summer wardrobe this weekend?

I just saw these starfish earrings at J.Crew for $48...aren't they pretty and so perfect for summer?

They reminded me of a similar pair that I bought at the J.Crew Factory Store last summer...

Well I did some investigating and it looks like this similar style of starfish earrings is still available at the J.Crew Factory website for just $28!

Can you tell the difference??

Happy long weekend everyone!

Before I had a baby I never would have thought that I would be shopping at Target past 10pm on  a Thursday night!  Oh how times have changed...

Well tonight while I was making a late Target run for paper towels, milk, and cereal there were a few "extras" that caught my eye.  If you have any last minute items you need for the long weekend, I say go no further than Target.  I was amazed at all the adorable beachy items they have in stock right now.

And if you want to keep up with all the other things at the top of my wish list, please check me out on Pinterest and follow me!  I may be new to pinning but I'm having so much fun with it, and I plan on doing a lot more pinning in the near future.

Here are a few items that are perfect for the long weekend that caught my eye tonight at Target...

Of course I would get rid of that strap and carry this adorable gold and straw bag as a clutch.  I have a straw envelope clutch from the straw market in the Bahamas and it is one of my favorite bags for summer.

I hope you all have a wonderful long weekend! 

A few weeks ago I did a post on floor seating and featured floor poufs from the Etsy shop Anitascasa.

When writing this post I had to show restraint selecting items from Anita's shop to feature because I loved EVERY single thing I saw in her shop!

So when embarking on the process of accessorizing our living room sofa with pillows, I knew that I wanted to pick up something from Anita's lovely online store on Etsy. 

Anita is a former fashion engineer who lives in South Florida with her family and currently works in interior design.  Her shop on Etsy features a wide variety of pillows and flour poufs in bright colors and sunny, happy fabrics.

We have a blue, red, and white color scheme that has developed in our new living room, so I knew that I wanted pillows in this color palette.  When I saw this pretty red and blue ikat pair I knew I had found a winner!

And here is how they look on our sofa...I still want to add some smaller pillows to balance out the look, but I love the color and texture this bold pair of pillows brings to the room.  And they match our new set of lamps perfectly!

And the best news is that Anita has generously offered all Living Luxe for Less readers 15% off their purchase if you would like to splurge on a pair of her lovely pillows.

All you need to do is message Anita before your purchase and she will adjust the price of your order.  Thank you Anita!

Here are just a few of my other favorite designs from Anita's shop...

20 X 20 Suzani Accent Pillow in Red $44

I hope you find a perfect pair of pillows too!

This weekend I made my first trip to the Short Hills Mall - I must officially be a Jersey girl now right?! 

The Short Hills Mall is no joke - Van Cleef Arpels, Hermes, Neiman Marcus, Tory Burch - this mall is home to just about every designer brand that I love!

But even though I took a short detour to drool over some beautiful baubles and enamel bangles, the reason for my trip was to buy a new pair of summer sandals.

This LUXE pair from Tory Burch immediately caught my eye, but at $195 it's price point is a little steep for sandals...

Then I saw this embellished black pair of sandals for LESS from Banana Republic that is just $69...

And this pair from Sam Edelman for $65...

Do you think either of these styles are comparable to the Tory pair, and is $65-$69 for a pair of simple summer sandals LUXE OR LESS in your opinion?