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?

Degnome Dress

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I loved this denim dress when I saw it on H & M a few months ago. The best part about it was definitely the price. It was $39.95 but I think I paid $24 for it after a coupon. It is sadly now sold out online (I found this one that is similar, but I have never purchased from that store before). It is a blank slate. I could not wait to dress it up. I have a chambray maxi dress but it is strapless so it limits how and when I can wear it.

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This dress is short, so it limits how and when I can wear it. That seems to be a theme around here when it comes to chambray.

The sandals are Gentle Soul’s Tall Gladiator Sandals. I purchased mine through Anthropologie, but Piperlime has them on sale.

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The scenery was gorgeous. So peaceful. I felt lucky to capture it.

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It was a beautiful and windy day.

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Lots of fun jewelry! The large jersey necklace is Simply Livly’s Turquoise Necklace and the others are layering necklaces from Anthropologie last year. The bracelets are from H&M and the larger one is Free People’s Hammered Multi Cuff.

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Do you have a lot of chambray pieces? Do you still like denim and chambray? I thought I would be over the trend by now but it is still going strong!

P.S. I will not be posting on Thursday. Sorry. I had a post ready but we could not get the photos transferred here in Maui. Thankfully we will be home Thursday night, so I will be able to post on Friday. : )

* I shared this on The Pleated Poppy!

Bermeja Tunic Dress

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You would think a girl whose favorite novel being entitled, “Name of the Wind”, would be more interested in names than I am. Blame it on having the most popular name of my generation. A common name. And you will start to see the reasoning behind my conditioning. A name might be what is given to you, but the words you have earned by which your name is described to others, are your own.

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Lately, I have become more intrigued by the names of things. I think it also has to do with naming blog title posts each and every day. Do I give the post a funny name? A punny name? One that makes me smile? Or do I stick to what the search engines want and keep it boring and simple? I try to do both.

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This dress has the name Bermeja Tunic Dress. I decided to look the word “Bermeja” up. Imagine my surprise in discovering that the name of this dress is controversial. Historical. Quite interesting.

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Bermeja is a tiny island in the Gulf of Mexico. Or was a tiny island in the Gulf of Mexico. Or might or might not have been a tiny island in the Gulf of Mexico. Nobody knows. Because either it disappeared or it simply never existed.

There are many theories about the island. I found my information on Lonely Planet. You can click there if you wish to learn more.

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The reason this is even more interesting to me is because on the day these pictures were taken, I wore my Holy Holey Girdle. Yes, you read that right. I will have to do a post on it sometime.

Well, this dress ended up being shorter than expected and we ended up having to edit Holy Holey Girdle out of two pictures. This led me to feel many mixed emotions. I have never edited a picture before by erasing a flaw in it. I want to be true to myself. But I also don’t want Holy Holey Girdle to get all of the attention.

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It is kind of addicting. This fixing of one’s flaws. I am not going to say this will be the last time I do that. In fact, I will say, that will definitely not be the last time I do that. But in an effort to be real, I will share an unedited picture on tomorrow’s Keepin’ It Real” post, complete with a glimpse of Holy Holey Girdle.

‘Cause if it is about names. The truth in names. Then I want my name to be a real island. Of truth. Even if the truth can get ugly. At least it won’t sink with the weight of lies.

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Paired with the dress, are my new Tarara Gladiator Sandals from Anthropologie (they are almost all sold out, but other stores have them. Bloomingdale’s has them here). Tarara is a small town in Cuba. In New Zealand, Tarara means fast talker (source: Wikipedia).

These sandal boots were made for talkin’…

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Had you ever heard of Bermeja before? What are your thoughts on names?

*The bracelets and necklaces are a mish mash of older pieces (similar bracelet here) and Forever 21’s Globetrotter Beaded Cuffs. The turquoise necklace is from Simply Livly on Etsy and the other necklaces are old layering necklaces from Anthropologie (similar here).

* I shared this on The Pleated Poppy!

A Dress And A Cookie

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After doing my Anthropologie reviews, I could not get the Caravane Tunic Dress out of my mind. It was all ready half off. It fit all of my sale criteria. It seemed like a no-brainer. Yes, I see the irony there. And so I bought it. I am so glad I did. I adore it. Adore it. Adore… It. I can wear it in the summer with easy flat sandals. In these pictures, I am wearing the Almanac Sandals. In the wintertime, I will pair it with leggings and boots.

The blue is so bright and cheerful in person. Truly lovely.

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In my trying out new photo ideas. Trying not to be boring. I decided to pretend to eat a cookie.

Why?

Who knows? I am trying to be more creative. This is definitely going to involve some fails.

Many fails.

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And who the heck can pretend to eat a cookie?

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Not me.

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The dress has gorgeous black and gold buttons on it. The embroidered necklace with my husband and my initials was a Christmas present from my husband in 2012. It can be found here.

* Disclaimer: A cookie was definitely hurt in the making of this post. Brutally. I am not sad to state it did not survive. Its brothers and sisters shared the same fate. Blame it on creativity. This is posted in accordance to the PETC regulations and guidelines.

Though shall not eat thy prop.

P.S. I shared this on The Pleated Poppy!