Purple Dayz

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Who doesn’t want an easy summer? The deeper into summer it gets, the less I want to wear. Nothing says, “easy,” like a maxi skirt. More comfortable than jeans. More covering than shorts.

The best part about a maxi is definitely the breeze around your legs.

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I purchased this maxi skirt for a great sale price on Free People (they have a new version here) last year. I have worn it but have never gotten around to blogging about it.

Purple is my least favorite color, but I love the volume of this skirt. And it has grown on me.

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I did not want to be bogged down with too many accessories so I simply paired it with my Anthropologie Necklace from earlier this year.

The sandals were a killer deal that I scored in December. The were originally around $130 and I paid $23. I usually wait for a sale on most of my clothing and accessories. In fact, this whole outfit head to toe was obtained for $128.

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I plan on wearing this skirt a lot this summer. A good rule of thumb is to buy your summer clothes in the fall and your winter clothes in the spring. You will get the best deals that way.

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Do you wear maxis or shorts in the summer? Are you with me on wearing less accessories in the heat?

These photos were edited using the App Afterlife’s Equinox Filter.

A Decent Proposal

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When I purchased the Free People White Romance Maxi Dress (sold out, very similar here) at the beginning of 2013, I knew I wanted to wear it on my trip to Seattle with my husband that same year. We went and saw Teatro Zinzanni in a 1920s circus tent and it was just perfect for the occasion.

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But after being chased down the street by two very intoxicated young men asking me to marry them after the performance was over (my husband was on the other side of the street trying to hail a cab), I had not worn it again. I did not need any more random proposals. I guess this dress conjures up an image of a bride to some people.

It is long. It is flowy. Intricately embroidered. And white.

So, I don’t know why that could be.

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The other day, I had a brave moment and decided to wear the dress again.

Out of the house.

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We went out to lunch and then stopped at the rose garden. It was a lovely, beautiful day.

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I did not get one proposal. Looks, yes. Many, many curious looks. But not one proposal. I am assuming they either thought I had all ready received one based on the dress.

Or they would have proposed I attend a different sort of place where everyone wears white. And the rooms are lovely.

And padded.

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If you look at this picture closely, you can see that I did not attract a proposal, but I did attract some sort of mysterious presence.

Because that sentence does not just confirm what I had said earlier.

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I will take a ball of light over young intoxicated men any day.

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What do you think it was? My guess is a traveling gnome. Would you wear a long white dress on any day besides your wedding day?

* I shared this on The Pleated Poppy!

Anthropologie Early Summer Reviews

I was at an Anthropologie a few days ago, waiting to meet my father at a nearby restaurant so we could eat lunch and I could pick up my kids after their camping adventure with him. I was not planning on doing reviews. But so many great pieces beckoned to me and so I decided to share them with you.

I did not buy anything, because I had splurged on this dress and this vest during the tag sale. But I added many items to my wishlist. I was surprised, because nothing popped out at me online, but I loved them in person.

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First, I wore my Modcloth dress from a winter sale, that day. It is long sold out (similar dress here), but Modcloth always has fit and flare dresses that are great year round. And this dress has been on my wishlist forever, but always sells out in my size before I can buy it. The necklace is Simply Livly’s Turquoise Necklace. And the shoes are Anthropologie’s Almanac Sandals, now on sale.

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I love. Love. Love. Love the Dolan Horizon Lines Maxi Skirt. It is $88. It is elongating. It is not too clingy. I am definitely picking this up soon. I am wearing a medium and apparently I am not wearing it right. I guess the waistband is supposed to fold over on itself, but I prefer it this way. It is big at the waist, but I think a small would be too clingy around my thighs and hips. The colors are muted and remind me of watercolors.

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And the Gabo Eyelet Tee is so good. So, so, so good. Well, except for the price. I am going to try to hold out on sale for this one. It is artsy and just unique and different (which is kind of what I am exclusively looking for lately). My husband says in no way should I ever wear these two together. And I know they clash, but I like it. What do you think? I do see what he is talking about, so you won’t hurt my feelings either way. I am wearing a medium here and that is what I would buy. It has big holes with no lining so it will definitely need a camisole underneath it to wear out into public. To wear for pictures on the public internet? Meh. That’s up to you.

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If I did sleeveless, I would be all over the Tulipan Tank Dress. It is comfortable. It is flattering. I love the two different colors on the dress. It comes in four different color combinations. It does run big. I am in a small in this dress, so I worry the more petite girls might be sized out of this. I have this in my wishlist, because I would definitely buy this for a sale price. It has a weird criss-cross back and my bra straps did show, so that is something to consider, because I hate wearing special bras.

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I adore everything about the Embroidered Cutwork Dress. I love that it comes in black and white. I have so many white dresses, but I have wishlisted this dress in both colors. This dress is a tricky one in terms of sizing. I am wearing a small in the picture above.

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And a medium in this picture. I am unsure which size to get. I am leaning towards small. I will be patient with this one and wait until sale. It is a basic piece and I like how it can be dressed up or down. I also like the length of the dress as it is not too short.

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I wish you could have seen me in the dressing room trying to put on this shirt. What? Jenni, that is not a shirt. That is a romper. Um, yes, I eventually did figure that out, but it took me an embarrassing amount of time to put this on. First, because the leg holes confounded me for a shirt opening and second, once I realized it was a romper and not a shirt, I had to decide if I was actually going to try it on.

And I did.

For you.

I am wearing a medium.

I am just not a romper girl. I jiggle too much to be a romper girl. I think this will be amazing on so many girls. I have a friend in particular who would rock this romper. Kerri, I’m talking to you. But it is just not for me.

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I would be pulling it down all day. And it would eventually look like this. I think we can all agree that would be a bad call.

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I was intrigued by the pattern of this skirt, on the hanger. It is called Apolline Maxi Skirt. I do not think this is a maxi skirt. More like a midi. I did not find this flattering on me. I am wearing a medium. It is a flimsy material and I think the price tag is high for it. It does receive good reviews online. It is just not for me.

The shirt in the picture is great. It is the Lace Lined Tee. I am wearing a medium. It has great details and I have wishlisted it.

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I also tried on the Carte Neoprene Skirt with the top above. It was on my store’s last chance rack and happened to be my size 6. I think I would size up to an 8 in this. It was a little tight. It is also, short, short, short. No surprise, my husband loved this skirt. I loved the map design on it. It was different and cool. The material is really odd on this. It is thick and slippery. I think this one is a pass for me, because of the length. This would be great on the younger set.

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I tried on the Mira Shirtdress. I think the pattern is pretty and the colors are great. I am not a shirtdress girl. I would say this runs true to size. I am wearing a size six here. If you are a shirtdress girl, then I think this one is cute.

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I have been waiting for the River Fade Dress (previously called Bavay Dress) to hit sale for months and months. Now they have renamed it and put it back in the new arrival section, so it looks like I will have to wait even longer.

The dress did not disappoint in person. I love that smooth easy feel that chambray can take on. The dress is very flattering. I am wearing a medium above.

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And the small here. There really was not much of a difference between the two sizes. I think I would order a small if it ever goes on sale. I love everything about this dress, although my husband said it reminded him of a kangaroo.

Great. Just call me Kanga.

Have you tried on anything you love lately? Did you buy anything during the tag sale? Isn’t it hard to wait for sale?

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On Top Of The World

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We just got back from Maui, late Thursday night. I will be doing a little trip report next week (I still have yet to write it. I have to get my kids ready to leave today. They are embarking upon a week long camping trip with their grandparents. I am hoping this alone time will allow my brain the capability to fill pages with stories and get me caught up on comments and reading my favorite blogs!). I managed to do some outfit photos while I was there.

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My favorite thing to do on vacation is to just drive and see where the day takes us. This usually does not disappoint. We found ourselves in the vicinity of Maui’s Haleakala Crater and so we decided to make the drive up the mountain. Usually people make the trek up for sunrise or sunset, but we are not planners. I think both events would be worth it. Although, I cannot imagine making the drive in the dark, especially with the bicyclists on those tight turns.

This picture above was taken on the drive up. It starts off gorgeous and green and then turns red and barren as you drive higher up the volcanic rock.

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We got to the top and it was gorgeous. Truly breathtaking. You can see above the clouds. It feels wonderful and oddly like being a part of “The Never Ending Story.”

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Yes, I wore this dress to the top of a volcano where everyone else was dressed in hiking gear.

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And it was kind of awesome! Well, maybe I did regret not bringing a sweater. It was cold! But spontaneity sometimes calls for a little discomfort.

The dress was a clearance buy from Free People that I featured here a few months ago. It is sold out now, but they have a slightly similar one here that I very much want. And underneath it, I am wearing my favorite slip in the world. It is the Free People Trapeze Slip. It looks like they currently have a similar color to my seafoam colored slip. I wear mine at least once a week. While I was in Maui, I saw three different women wearing this slip (all three women had on different colors and all three women were at three different places) as a swimsuit cover-up.

The necklace is Simply Livly’s Turquoise Necklace.

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It was so high. It might have been the highest I have ever been except for traveling in an airplane.

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One of the most amazing sights is peering down into the crater. It feels so untouched and I told my husband that I could still believe there might be dinosaurs amongst us peering down into that valley. This was my husband’s favorite part of the trip. He could have stayed here all day.

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And honestly, I could have, too.

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It was peaceful and not as cold as it was at the very top of the mountain.

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I did a little twirl and I think it looks like I was flying.

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Speaking of flying, we spotted a ton of owls on Maui. For some reason it is not something that I had pictured when I thought of the island. This little guy was the third one I spotted on the drive back down the crater.

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Have you been to the top of a volcano? Was it windy and cold? Did you bring a gnome friend?