Go-To Dress

Urban Outfitters tends to remind me of how old I am, but that doesn't mean there aren't some gems to be found there! This Willow Frock Midi Dress is amazing in both style and print. The style is a typical "nightgown" dress with a smocked top and flowy bodice. There are some cute buttons on the neckline, pockets, and a big ruffle on the bottom. The print is colorful flowers and animals (including peacocks), some of which have embroidery detail. I love dresses...... I have a lot of them and I buy a lot of them....... I live in them in the Summer....... and every season there tends to be one that I wear more than others. I can tell this one is going to be it for 2021.

 

LOVE

 When I saw these pants, it was LOVE at first sight! I've always been a fan of wide leg bold printed pants, but this print....... this print is so cool! Very Pucci inspired, artsy, 60's, mod, vacation in the Greek Isles, all the things! With any new item I get, I look at all the ways I can wear it with what I already have. I have tanks/tees in white, seafoam, and even the small amounts of peach in this pattern....... necklaces in the same colors........ denim jackets for layering, which also leads to knowing I can wear a chambray shirt too. But for today, I chose navy for my tee, white sandals, and an amber necklace my hubby brought home from a trip to Poland for me. (Speaking of my hubby, today we celebrate 19 years of marriage!) I like to take photos in different places to add interest to my feed, while always making sure the outfit can be seen well. It was a lucky coincidence when I remembered this mural from a few years ago that couldn't have been a better match! LOVE when that happens!

Maeve Sunshine Wide-Leg Pants - Anthropologie

Double Strap Sandals - Loft

 

Rainbow Tiered

 I've had a hard time resisting all of the gorgeous rainbow and/or gradient and/or ombre pieces the last few years. How can you not be happy wearing this! This easy pull on skirt is from another brand - Geisha Designs - that is known for unique pieces. Pretty much any skirt I have from them is a "statement" skirt, which means I keep it pretty simple on top. I was glad I had this lighter blue shell to continue the shaded pattern. I really liked the added element of designs/print, rather than just have each tier a different color. I can't remember the last time I had white sandals/shoes, and felt I needed that additional neutral this year.

Rainbow Tiered Maxi Skirt - Anthropologie

Double Strap Sandals - Loft

New Kimono

Kimono..... Duster..... whatever you want to call it. I was drawn to this print from the Loft because it is almost batik like. It comes in other pieces (dress, top, shorts, skirt) if wearing a robe like item in public is not your thing. Easy to pair with existing items - pants and top here, but also over a dress, swimsuit, sleepwear, etc....

 

Made For Each Other

Eva Franco is one of my favorite designers, and I own many of her skirts. Of course I fell in love with this colorful city print and knew I'd be able to style it with a multitude of tops (and my typical denim jacket for chilly days). But this morning I luckily glanced over at this crochet cardigan from years ago and realized these two pieces were made for each other! Nothing is more exciting to my fashion loving heart when that happens. Out of all my colored tanks/tees, I picked navy for this first go around. One thing that I am always feeling bad about is my often lack of jewelry, since that's the last step of getting dressed so easy to skip if you are in a hurry. I love jewelry - and have a lot of it - but this morning I was rushed as I was dropping my kids off to school rather than them taking the bus. My 1st grader had a very important diorama to bring in that would have been difficult to carry on the bus. But in the future, this skirt is calling for a colorful statement necklace or even some bracelets!

Eva Franco Villa Tiered Maxi Skirt - Anthropologie

Moth Crochet Cardigan - Anthropologie (old)

Sonoma Sleeveless Shell & Belt - Kohl's

Sunglasses - Target

XOXO Sandals

 

Cropped Crochet

I have loved collecting granny square pieces since falling in love with the pattern several years ago. All of my sweaters have a black background and/or are primary colors, so when I saw this white/pastel one at Anthropologie I had to have it. I am excited that the cropped style will look great over dresses, but today I wore it with a simple jeans and tee outfit. This tee has a peplum back which adds a fun detail, and I also pulled out the tote bag that was a fun Meijer find a few years ago that is almost a perfect match! One thing I will say when I wear these crochet pieces is that besides getting compliments on them (I got 3 today) I also get asked if I made it. Unfortunately, I have to tell them this is one skill I have not picked up.

 

May Flowers

Styling up my patchwork flower pants already with my usual solid tank/tee and denim jacket. This denim jacket has a surprise floral painting on the back though that goes so well with the pants! I got it at none other than TJ Maxx for $29.99 in 2017.

 

April Reads

 A few days late, but my April reading included several "fun" reads, a few memoirs I could not put down, and one book I did not finish.

Shoulder Season, by: Christina Clancy

I was so excited to get this advance reader copy from St. Martins Press - this books comes out on July 6th. I loved the other book I've read by this author, partly because she includes locations from the state I grew up in. I really wanted to read this book because it is situated in Lake Geneva, WI and revolves around the Playboy Club that was there. Set in the early 80's, the main character Sherri loses her parents within years of each other. Feeling lost, she unexpectedly finds a feeling of belonging when she becomes a "bunny". Mesmerized by the fast paced lifestyle of sex, drugs, and popularity she soon finds herself in love. But tragedy strikes and it will haunt her for the rest of her life. I really enjoyed this and found the details of the club fascinating - the rules in place that you wouldn't expect...... the fact that it was a family friendly place. Interesting!

 

Cheat Day, by: Liv Stratman

Thank you to Scribner for this advance copy - this book comes out on May 25th. Kit and David have been married for 12 years and live in Brooklyn. David has a successful career, but Kit feels stuck managing her sister's bakery. She is always trying the next best fad diet, and David goes along with the crazy eating habits to support her. Feeling stuck, a new carpenter hired to renovate part of the bakery peaks Kit's interest. They fall into a passionate affair as her marriage hits rock bottom. Her sister eventually uncovers her secret, and Kit is relieved to have a confidant and debates on telling David. In the end, they both decide to work on their marriage (she does not tell him - at least not now). This ending was interesting because the couple was happy again, but their view of marriage changed in the sense that they knew it might not be forever and that they had to work at it and both want to be in it. The title of this book played on both the infidelity as well as diet culture. I liked this because it was different, honest and real.

 

Been There, Married That, by: Gigi Levangie

 I received this copy from St. Martins Press, but didn't read it until now. This book follows the divorce of writer Agnes whose famous director husband wants a divorce. I'm not sure why I finished this book, as it was so seeped in Hollywood lingo and oddness that I could not relate. I guess I was interested to find out what happened to the somewhat normal main character as she navigated her way through this toxic society. It confirmed for me even more why I dislike Hollywood and the fantasy lives they live.

High Achiever, by: Tiffany Jenkins

My friend gave me this book and I was anxious to read it. Being a fan of her videos on Juggling the Jenkins, this is a wonderful story of overcoming addiction. Tiffany was living a "double life" as she dated a cop but was deep into opioids and dangerous drug deals. Eventually charged with 20 felonies, she spent 120 days in jail and then went into rehab. Now, married with kids and a successful social media platform, she is absolutely hilarious (mostly because everything she puts out there is so completely relatable about motherhood and womanhood). I love reading success stories like this and can't even begin to imagine going through something like this. I believe she is writing another book which I would certainly read!

Love Warrior, by: Glennon Doyle

My friend gave me this book also, and after reading the life changing "Untamed" last year I knew I'd enjoy more from Glennon. This book was written before "Untamed", and since I already knew what happened with her relationships there I hoped I would still get something out of this. I sure did!!! Here Glennon details more of her childhood, eating disorder and other addictions. How she met her husband and how they got married because she was pregnant. How, after 2 more kids, she found out he was unfaithful. At that point, she poured all of her energy into working on herself knowing that it was something she needed to do. She got out of her comfort zone and tried things as simple as a breathing class and watching sunsets, to the heavier things like therapy. Her husband worked on himself too and they both decided after some time to stay married at this point. There is so much more depth here that I connected with that you would have to read the book to understand. Like "Untamed", this is one you underline and keep to refer back to! There are a lot of people these days putting out "self help" books, you just need to find one that you connect with and pick and choose the parts that you need.

 

Valentine, by: Elizabeth Wetmore

I picked up this copy from my local used book store. I had high hopes for this book, but I stopped reading in about three fourths of the way through. I guess I kept hoping it would get better. The setting is the oil boom in Texas in the 70's. A 14 year old girl is found assaulted and barely alive. As I awaited reading about the trail, I was introduced to character after character that did not interest me. I'm not sure how they all fit together at the end, but too many unnecessary details that took away from the important theme. Disappointing.