Summer LBDs: Dress #3

And here is the dress I wore for the wedding itself (rehearsal here). I found it at Target, on the sale rack, just a week before we left for the wedding. I’d felt blue all day, and wandered into Target, as one often does when one is sad. Or happy. Or hungry. Or bored. Or just wants to go shopping. I’d decided some retail therapy would cheer me up, and even after finding these black wedges in my size, I still needed another filler-upper, so I checked out the clearance racks. And found this dress. In my size. On sale (I think it was under $12?). So, that helped. As did the peanut butter M&M’s that also found their way into my  basket…

This dress has a bit of a scuba/sports-inspired feel. The fabric is light and ALMOST of a sports/technical quality (but not quite!), and the piping on the front really adds interesting detail, as well as outlines the shape of the dress, while mimicking the seams on a wetsuit…

Having been to Missouri before, I was expecting TONS of HEAT and HUMIDITY and BUGS, but luckily, all three of those unpleasant elements were not very present! Sure, it was warm, but not unbearable – we spent most of the reception outside, instead of inside in the air-conditioning. It WAS humid, but not as oppressive as I’d experienced before (I’m a humidity wimp after living in Colorado)…and the bugs seemed to be staying away! At least from me, which never happens (I got eaten alive last week in Florida…)!

And of course, the wedding was lovely and beautiful and it was good to see family and friends we hadn’t seen in ages, as well as make some new friends that mentioned they’d love to come out and visit us in Colorado...!

dress: Target

wedges: Target

Summer LBDs: Dress #2

This floral LBD from Aéropostale made an appearance at a rehearsal dinner for D’s cousin’s wedding in Missouri - we took a few days off and made the drive.

The rehearsal at the church was quick, and then we headed to the party at the groom’s parents’ house. The dinner was a fish fry, but the fare was not just limited to fish – there was chicken, shrimp, green beans, asparagus, not to mention countless casseroles and side dishes. I also had my first fried Oreo. And by first, I mean I had several. Divine. Really. #getyouone #rightmeow

I ended up getting pretty cold as the evening wore on, even when a HUGE Great Dane sweetie named Magness decided to sit on my lap and keep me warm (probably my favorite part of the evening - not kidding), so I grabbed my father-in-law’s drywall sweatshirt and wore it over my dress. Unfortunately I don’t have a picture of that to share, but just know that I looked pretty great with my cute floral dress sticking out the bottom of a big black sweatshirt covered with paint and drywall mud :)

dress: Aéropostale

shoes: Target

Summer LBDs: Dress #1

I realized recently that I'd worn 4 black dresses, almost right in a row. For different occasions, of course (work, a rehearsal dinner, and a wedding), but different little black dresses, all right in a row, all in the span of a few days. So, I decided to post them all here, right in a row, and give you some ideas for different ways to wear LBDs in the summer.

You've heard that LBDs are versatile - and they are. But the truth is, you can never have enough. The day I came home with this dress, I came home with 2 other black dresses. All different. This one obviously is more of a looser fitting shift with a ruffle, the other is a cross between a shift dress and a t-shirt dress, and the other is this black maxi you've seen several times already. So, of course I needed them all. And I've worn them each several times already. So, when your shopping partner asks if you "REALLY NEED" all the black dresses, your response should always be "Of course I do!" ;)

dress: Old Navy

necklace: WalMart

shoes: Target

Mr. Picks Mondays: Chambray Away

The chambray shirtdress makes another appearance. This was the day after we drove* back from a wedding in Missouri (most of the day was spent crossing Kansas - I cheered when my beautiful mountains came into view), so a one-stop-shop to get dressed was pretty great.

Dress and bright shoes – done.

Count it.

And I just got back from another trip yesterday, so a short post it is (I spent the 4th in Florida with my family and good friends - got the sunburn to prove it).

dress: Kohl’s

sandals: Target

*btw, I finished 3 books on the way to and from the wedding – thank you, Dramamine II!

Proportionally Speaking...

This dress makes me think of Neapolitan ice cream.

Or sorbet.

Or sherbet.

Something sweet and cold.

I really like wearing this dress (and all the other ones currently residing in my closet) in the summer - they're really the only way to stay somewhat cool. I dread having to wear pants (and close-toed shoes! the horror!) to work when I have to.

Switching gears, maybe it's just these pictures, but the top of this dress seems to be just a wee bit big on me. I'm experiencing a weird fit with some most of my clothes lately. I've been training for my half marathon and trying to eat really good schtuff and I think it shows, but some of my pants will be SO snug in my legs, then gaping in my hips and rear (and a good 4 inches too long, but that's neither here nor there)! Or, sometimes, the opposite. Or my shirts will be snug in my arms and over my hips, but HUGE from my shoulders down to my ribs. Maybe I've just got weird short-girl proportions that look better in dresses and sandals?

I'm gonna go with that.

Guess I need to move somewhere where I can wear dresses and sandals all year long...

dress: Kohl's

sandals: WalMart

Flapper Girl

I wore this on a really great hair day. I washed my hair, blow dried it, and poof! All the blonde hairs on my head fell into place. This doesn't happen all too often...hardly ever, really...

So, I took this good hair day, combined it with a good outfit day, and took myself to get a beer after work with the Mr. and a few friends. Then headed home to love on the pups and watch the handsome one roll around in the grass.

Oh, and here's another lace/crochet skirt. It almost looks like a flapper's dress up close (almost), which is quite fitting ately - I've been listening to Flapper Girl by The Lumineers on repeat. 

Nice to listen to, ain't it? ;)

shirt: Old Navy

skirt: Nordstrom

sandals: WalMart

necklace: Target

Mr. Picks Mondays - Maxi Dress (on a short girl)

Here’s that black maxi dress again – are you sick of seeing it yet? I’m not - I really like wearing it. And I plan to wear it.

All.

Summer.

Long.

It’s a wee bit long on my 5’4” self, however. The straps are a bit long on my shoulders (common for me), so it makes deciding on a bra a bit more tricky. Not impossible -  just requires a bit more forethought.

I went with a larger size when I purchased this maxi dress – the smaller size fit perfectly in the 

Old Navy dressing room, but I was concerned that:

1) The dress would shrink when I washed it, and I didn’t want to be wearing the maxi dress equivalent of high-waters. However, the opposite has happened – I think the skirt of the dress gets longer every time I wear it…

and

2) The larger size allows me to eat a few more donuts (and burritos. and ice cream. and guacamole. and peanut butter. and popcorn. and wine. and New Belgium Snapshots.) than a dress that fits and drapes just so.

maxi dress: Old Navy

striped cardigan: rue21

sandals: Shoe Carnival