This month’s Ageless Style Link Up theme is “Summer Love” chosen by Daenel. She always picks the best themes and “Summer Love” is not exception…
THE STORY
…Being a child of the late 70’s/80’s, the first thing that popped into my mind was “Summer Lovin” from the movie Grease. I had a total crush on John Travolta (remember Vinnie Barbarino…ya, that’s what I’m talkin’ about) and I thought Olivia Newton John was an absolute goddess, which btw she was in Xanadu, but that’s a movie for another day. The song is now the current brainworm residing in my head & it’s been playing on repeat…lol.
Anyhow, I thought the theme was the perfect excuse to share with you some of my favorite things about summer…
So, in no particular order, my summer loves:
- Morning coffee in my backyard…pretty much every single day. If it’s raining, I sit on the patio. There’s something about the breeze, the trees, the flowers, the sunshine and the birdsong that just makes coffee taste that much better. It’s also the perfect way to start my day with some “me time”.
- Extra chill time with my daughter. We go for morning or evening walks, float in the pool, go shopping (this year that’s pretty much an online activity), stay outside until late at night talking about nothing, do impromptu photo shoots…you get the idea. We love hanging out together and summer is the perfect time to do it.
- Flowers. All flowers, it doesn’t matter the type, size, shape, color, fragrance/no fragrance…I simply love flowers.
- The slower pace…okay, this year the pace has been slower since March, but ya’ll know what I mean. I love getting up whenever I want, sitting in my yard for as long as I want in the morning, having no set schedule to be anywhere at any particular time. Definitely one of the biggest perks of being a teacher.
- Reading. Yes, I read all year ’round. It’s an addiction, I simply can’t help myself, nor do I want to. However in the summer, I have far fewer commitments preventing me from reading whenever the hell I want. I have several different cute little seating areas in my yard & in the summer you’ll typically find me in one of them with my Kindle or an actual book sprawled out and fully immersed in the words.
- Walks in the woods. Nothing beats exploring quiet shady paths that lead to secret and mysterious places. Each time is a new adventure & you never know what you might see. I love nature & animals so walking in the woods in the summer is like a less people-y trip to the zoo for me.
- Sitting on my patio during thunderstorms. I love the sounds of rain & thunderstorms. My patio is enclosed on three sides so it’s the perfect place to watch nature in all of her feisty glory while staying safe and dry.
Seriously, I could go on forever, but I don’t want to bore you to death so I’ll stop here. Looking over my list, I think there’s a big takeaway here for everyone…
“Summer is the perfect time to make time for yourself…”
The things on my list are all things that I love, that I enjoy, that make me feel happy and at peace. There is not a single thing wrong with allowing yourself some me time. You are important, your happiness is important, your peace of mind is important. If you’re not showing up for yourself, how can you expect to show up for the world? And summer provides the perfect opportunity for you to not only show up for yourself, but to really slow down and enjoy the things that matter most to you.
Tell me, what are the things that you love most about summer?
THE OUTFIT
When the temperature starts to climb one of the easiest pieces to wear is a sundress. A sundress is light, airy, comfortable and requires very little preparation~just throw it on and go.
It’s probably pretty apparent what caught my eye with this particular dress…the color…and in person? O.M.G…it is even brighter and more vivid than the pictures show. Also, the pics on the Target website do not do it justice. This red sundress is not what you want to wear if you are looking to blend in, but who wants to do that? Part of owning your badass is being fully present in the world and few things say, “Honey, I’m herrreee!” than a bright red/coral maxi sundress.
There’s no better time to experiment with bright colors then summer so I say go for it! The dress fits true to size as I’m wearing my typical dress size which is medium. It is actually a midi dress, but it makes the perfect maxi on us elfin-sized girls. The neckline is definitely very open so I used a strip of Hollywood Secrets two-sided tape to close it up a bit, but you could also throw in a stitch or two or a small snap if that’s your thing. I always keep the tape on hand and use it often. It’s perfect for holding gaping buttons & too low necklines closed on blouses and tops.
To dress it up a bit I added the belt and my low block heel leopard sandals. It’s super easy to dress up as you can see, but it’s really a perfect casual summer dress, bonus points because it has pockets! Full disclosure…I as a rule do not do belts in the summer. It is simply too damn hot and they make me uncomfortable so other than for these pictures I was belt-less. Honestly this dress really has enough drama on it’s own and doesn’t need require any extras. Same goes for the shoes. I was actually wearing my ever-present Birks, but switched them out for the leopard pair for the pictures.
If staying low key is more your thing, my daughter’s black sundress is equally as cute & comfortable. It’s also from Target & fits true to size as well. Like mine, it’s a casual dress that’s really simple to dress up. Just add a pair of red heels, a swipe of red lipstick & you’re ready to go…even if it is only to the woods where it’s easy to maintain social distance…
THE TIP
When you are looking for a slightly dressier sandal, one of the easiest styles to wear is a block heel sandal (that actually goes for pumps too). A block heel gives you the added stability and comfort that a stiletto just doesn’t, while still giving you the lift of a heel. Comfort bonus points if there is a slight platform in the front to level things out a bit.
THE LINK UPS
Check out the weekly link ups I participate in for even more fashion and style ideas… BE SURE TO SCROLL DOWN AND LINK UP WITH MYSELF AND MY LOVELY CO-HOSTS FOR THIS MONTHS AGELESS STYLE LINK UP!!
Red Dress: Target; Black Dress: Target; Leopard Sandals: Similar; Red Sandals: Similar
Amy ~ Amy’s Creative Pursuits Blog, Facebook, Instagram, Google+, Pinterest
Bettye ~ Fashion Schlub Blog, Facebook, Instagram, YouTube
Daenel ~ Living outside the stacks Blog, Instagram, Pinterest, Twitter
Debbie ~ Fashion Fairy Dust Bloglovin, Blog, Instagram, Pinterest, Facebook, Twitter
Jennie ~ A Pocketful of Polka Dots Blog, Instagram, Facebook, Pinterest, Twitter, Bloglovin
Jodie ~ Jodie’s Touch of Style Blog, Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, Bloglovin, Twitter
Julia ~ When the Girls Rule Blog, Facebook, Pinterest, Instagram
Kellyann ~ This Blonde’s Shopping Bag Blog, Instagram, Bloglovin, Twitter
Shelly ~ The Queen in Between Blog, Instagram, Bloglovin, Pinterest, Facebook
Shugunna ~ Nzuri N* Simplicity Blog, Pinterest, Instagram
