Cute Outfits: Beach Weekend

This weekend we are headed out to a beach house that we rented with a group of our friends. For us, this weekend is the official kick-off to summer (I know I said that last weekend, but I ended up doing a long, involved construction project in my apartment last weekend and didn't even get a tan, so this is now the official First Weekend of Summer. Oh, and forget you, Gregorian Calendar, I am not waiting until June 21). Growing up in Southern California, I take my beach gear seriously, and when I travel out to the beach from the City, I like to wear an outfit that will take me from riding the train to building sandcastles to eating lunch in a sidewalk cafe with ease and grace (in other words, no Señor Frogs tank tops, thank you very much). Surprising cheap (and surprisingly chic) linen pants, my favorite pink pedicure shade, an extra-wide headband to prevent those unpleasant scalp-burns, and a playful striped bag to keep everything in...here are some of my favorite beachy finds.

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1. Enamel Caning-patterned stud earrings, $45, from Kate Spade; 2. & 3. Floral Patterned Bikini Top and Bottom, $12.50 each, from Old Navy; 4. Crushable (and crush-worthy) straw hat, $170, by Eric Javits from Nordstrom; 5. Loose-weave navy sweater, $88, from Boden USA; 6. Tinted Aviator Sunglasses (I have them, I love them), $179, by Ray-Ban from the Sunglass Hut; 7. Wide-legged blue linen pants, $44 from Delia's; 8. Striped cotton tank, $24, from Boden USA; 9. Green plaid headband, $25, from CK Bradley; 10. Essie toe-nail polish in "Need a Vacation" (my sentiments exactly) $10, from essie; 11. Sophisticated white sandals, $40, by Mia, from Piper Lime; 12. Striped beach tote (adorable!), $128, from Lilly Pulitzer; 13. A mini iPod speaker allows you to share your tunes with the gang, $10, from Amazon.com; 14. Have Scrabble, Will Travel, $18, from Amazon.com