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It’s a Cardi Party

I couldn’t bring myself to mispell party in the title, but I’ll do it in the post once. Ain’t no pardy like a Nordy cardi pardy. Admittedly, that’s a stretch even for me. There might be a lot of parties like cardi parties, and if so that’s a party we want to be at. Being that we started the blog towards the end of last winter, we didn’t really share any cardigans with you last year.

If you know us, you know we’re all about cardigans especially the ultra cozy variety. Wisconsin life keeps us seeking any way we can to stay warm. But when this cardigan popped up in the Nordstrom Anniversary sale in August, we just weren’t interested. Despite everyone talking about the “oversized” fit, we assumed that meant sizing up for it to equate to actual oversized on us!

On top of that, we hold out for some actual cold weather to pull out our sweaters! We know we’ll be reaching for them for the next sixish months, so don’t talk to me about buying sweaters in August! So while we admired the chunky knit on every blogger and their mother, we would not be partaking.

Fast forward to months later, and we’re firmly entrenched in cold weather. Although to be fair, we haven’t seen much snow, and for that we’re thankful! Caitlin spotted this sweater marked down for winter sale and snatched up the pretty pink color, that you might remember from this post here.

Same old story, once I saw Caitlin in this cardigan I was in love. Many people worry about buying sweaters that might overheat them. I do NOT have that problem. My hands are perpetual icicles all winter long (my husband can attest to that). Plus I was super impressed with the sleeve length on her.

All of a sudden, they dropped/restocked with all of these amazing colors. I was smitten with the mustard yellow, because I don’t have any other sweaters that color. So in keeping with mindful shopping, I thought about the different ways I would wear it and if it would fit with other items in my closet. With all that said and done, I snatched it up.

Of course, Caitlin was in these discussions with me! Once she was in the middle of advising me and confirming what color I should get, she decided she had to have another color as well. She ended up with this gorgeous forest/emerald green. Our mom actually took these pictures of us and ended up deciding to order a navy colored cardi for herself! The influencing goes on and on.

All tongue in cheek of course, we don’t take ourselves too seriously around here. The hope is to make y’all laugh a little at our antics. We took these pictures down in Lake Geneva, and we were staying at the Grand Geneva. Because we had other things going on, we didn’t end up taking pictures until closer to midday, and we struggled to find the proper lighting. We’re always learning and growing!

As for the rest of the outfits, this has got to be my new favorite pair of jeans. Ever since Caitlin picked up a pair of button front jeans, I’ve been patiently waiting for the perfect pair to snatch up! This pair from Gap is ridiculously comfortable. They actually remind me of my other favorite pair from Madewell, that I wore here. They are both lighter wash too, but the button detail is perfect.

The turtleneck is also from Gap, and is the best layering option I have for winter. I don’t know why they didn’t bring back their heat tech clothing this year, but I’m hoping they will for next winter. It’s a tall and the sleeves and body are amazingly long. I get a ton of use out of them, as I have it in black as well. My booties are from Nordstrom Rack, although I couldn’t find the exact link, they are up to size 13. If you haven’t checked out the Rack online, you are missing out!

Caitlin grabbed one of her favorite Gap basics as well; one of their plain tall crew necks, the jeans that I mentioned above also with the button detail and her favorite Loafers. And if you ask her, no outfit is complete without a good pair of sunnies!

Hope y’all had a great week, we’ll be returning from vacation tomorrow!

Outfit Details

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One(sto) of a Kind Brunch

As we’re lying on the beach wrapping up our vacation, it’s easy to picture Wisconsin winter fondly, mainly because I’m not experiencing it currently. Don’t get me wrong, I know I complain a lot about the cold! Wisconsinites and midwesterners in particular, are a special hearty group of people. You notice it especially when you come down to the Caribbean for vacation. They are always the people you notice right away, because they’re the friendliest.

No matter what resort you end up at, it feels like you’ll always meet at least one other Wisconsinite. It’s probably because we all need to escape the cold once a winter! We can always count on meeting some Canadians too, I think I have a collection of Facebook friends I’ve met every time I travel. It’s fun to connect with other people while far away from home. You find small things to bond over and it makes the resort feel more familiar.

When we’re back at home, we’ve had many similar experiences with the warm hearted people of Wisconsin. People say nice things about southern hospitality, but Wisconsin is no slouch! You walk into a bar/public place, and you can find your new best friend for the afternoon. Caitlin and I experienced some wonderful hospitality at Onesto when we met our friend Katherine for some appetizers/happy hour. Sidebar, but Katherine is the founder of Lake Effect! We featured some of her designs last here! The bartender, Michael, was an absolute MASTER at hospitality.

We had an amazing experience and left a glowing review, and we were invited back to try their new brunch! With the rustic wood decor, and the cream city brick, this restaurant has perfect decor. We are always down to try a new place for brunch, and so we tied it in with our staycation at Brewhouse Inn & Suites. We wrote a post about our experience here. Y’all this was unlike any brunch I’ve had before!

We looked online at their menu and our eyes were immediately drawn to the lavender blue drink. It’s made with Blueberry lavender shrub, seltzer, homemade limoncello, and peach brizard. It sounded incredible, and it lived up to it and more! It’s always fun to stick with mimosas or even bloody mary’s, but I think we found a new favorite brunch drink.

As we scanned the menu for the food offerings, we spotted a chocolate croissant. There was no way we were going to pass that up, so we called it an appetizer and ordered two for the table! Hearing how they’re made in house by turning 500 times was fascinating, and I think it made it taste even better.

For the main event, we all ended up trying completely new to us dishes. Mine was a Wild Mushroom Ragu, and it was wonderful. It was so unlike anything I’ve ordered for brunch, but it was perfect for the chilly day spent walking the Third Ward. Caitlin tried Carbonara (it’s worth noting their pasta is all homemade as well) with poached eggs, and Sarah had the Seared Polenta.

Dressing for brunch was super easy for me. I knew I wanted to be warm, comfortable, and have a cohesive layered look. I threw on this sweater from H&M that isn’t tall, but is under $20 and the sleeves are a perfect length. Both Caitlin and our mom last wore it here! You know if one of us has it, the other two are far behind!

There’s no sign of me lately without this teddy coat from Long Tall Sally. It has been my favorite coat, hands down. A lot of times when you buy a trendier coat, you run the risk of being cold while wearing it. Definitely not the case with this lovely coat. Plus having this tan colored coat inspired me to grab this scarf from Asos. It is out of stock now, but I loved the bright pink pop to tie it together. You can see some other ones we are still lusting after that are in stock below.

You’re going to be seeing a lot of these button front skinny jeans from Gap. I do have to say, they give my Madewell pair a run for their money. Y’all know Madewell isn’t the cheapest place to shop, so when Gap showed up with this pair for a fraction of the price, I was INTERESTED. They have the front flap technology to help suck you in more, while still being super comfortable. They are true to size, if you’re between sizes like me, you could size down if you prefer them tighter.

Lastly, I grabbed for my favorite loafers. These are old from Franco Sarto, which you can find stocked in a variety of places, and the brand is great for covering up to size 13! Y’all know we have to stick together on where to find good shoes. Also if Caitlin’s brunch outfit looks familiar you can see her outfit details here!

Hope y’all have a great weekend, we’ll be finishing up our vacation and heading home tomorrow.

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Green With Envy

The title of this post might strike a nerve with Jenilee. However, it’s just another reality we both have to swallow sometimes. Which is that you can’t always own everything. Sometimes you just have to be happy enough that someone who you can share a wardrobe with, owns it for you to borrow.

Not only is this coming from a budget standpoint where we both make it a priority to live well within our means; but also comes from a place of living more simply, shopping intentionally, and making smart purchases. I know we have kind of been harping on this a lot lately. It helps hold us accountable and can hopefully also help you not get sucked into the consumerism of today’s society.

Let me also be the first one to tell you that we are not perfect at following our own wisdom. Just yesterday I was browsing the ASOS sale and somehow had a shopping blackout and Jenilee and I had both purchased a handful of sale dresses for Cancun. Did I need 5 new dresses? No. But were they all a phenomenal price? Definitely. By the time you read this hopefully I will have decided not to keep some of them. Instead I can choose older items that I already own to pack. That darn consumer lifestyle and always wanting to look good, different, and on trend in social media can bite us just as hard, as I am sure it bites some of you sometimes.

I also have to continue on this tangent for just a moment more. So obviously Jenilee and I love to shop. Some might even say (I say) we live for it. Fashion is what we are passionate about and those closest to us have kind of gathered that. So while we were both already down our ASOS hole (hah) our brother texted us about needing help to find some swimsuits.

Say no more fam. It took me seconds, and I mean seconds(!) to light up my shopping basket and our group text. To which Jenilee also responded within minutes saying love them all, and boom, ordered. This is such a common occurrence for us lately with our brother, mom, friends, each other, etc. With all of that being said, if you are ever looking for something in particular drop us a line and we would be happy to put our speed shopping to work for you too!

Okay, back to the reason I started this post-this beautiful green skirt. I got this emerald beauty from my parents for Christmas and I could not have been more pleased. I may have picked it out but it was still just as exciting to receive it. Our parents have always been so incredibly fair with opportunities, gifts, trips, etc. that that is the reason I got this skirt. Jenilee didn’t know she was receiving this amazing duffel (that will last her a lifetime!) so my mom said she needed something else to get me!

We both loved it from the moment they dropped it. However we had other priorities that took precedence. As much as our style can differ at times, we tend to usually be on the same page. Sometimes I think Jenilee is just a few chapters ahead with trends and boldness. Cue her hopefully loving this book pun. In reality, I can’t tell you how many times she got on board with trends before I could accept them (I’m looking at you bodysuits.)

I have worn this skirt so many ways already, and find myself wishing it was more acceptable to wear the same green skirt to work weekly. Unfortunately for myself I don’t like to re-wear outfits to work within the same month. So I see this moving to Jenilee’s house for a few weeks, hopefully in exchange for something else! There is nothing like shopping your mom/sister’s closet. It’s free, immediate gratification and helps me feel like my wardrobe is triple the size.

The look you are seeing here is probably my favorite thus far. This is an old cami from Nordstrom, but you can see a nearly identical one below. You have seen this leather jacket make appearances here and here. And of course I am still rocking my Long Tall Sally booties, and a fun necklace I got a few years ago for Jenilee’s Bachelorette party.

So my question for you, after talking so much about sharing our wardrobes is – Do posts where we each put our flare on a specific piece interest you? AKA would you like seeing this skirt (or other pieces) shown on Jenilee also, but styled differently?

And just for some giggles-when the skirt comes off….

Outfit Details

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Tallidarity

Another week, another new tall brand! I don’t know about y’all but it brings a lot of joy to go beyond showing mainline finds that work for our long limbs, and receiving pieces that FIT. We are so excited to discover these new-to-us tall retailers. We know that we are currently in the best time yet to be able to find tall clothing. It makes us feel so truly grateful that our fellow tall sisters are taking initiative and starting their own businesses to fill the gaps. We all know that the gaps are definitely still there!

Enter Tallidarity, which is founded by Elisha Wintch. It began with a need for a dress for her sister’s wedding. We all know how hard finding the perfect dress can be. What is the dress code, where is it, what time of year? All of these factors play into our choices. Plus we have to think of our budget. Depending where you’re looking, the price can get out of hand pretty easily. Additionally, will you be willing to re-wear the dress? If so, maybe you’ll spend a little bit more. But you get the picture. Never is dress shopping as simple as it should be!

Then add on our extra inches, as women of height. You just brought in a new host of things to worry about. Will the dress be long enough? Will you be able to move your wider shoulders with ease? Almost worse than a too short dress, is a dress with ill-fitting proportions. Does the waist hit in the correct spot, do the darts line up with your bust, or worst of all for me, do the hips line up with where your actual hips sit? Otherwise you end up with gaps in odd spaces and it being too tight in others. You might not even be buying your size because you size up to make it work.

Overall, it’s unacceptable. None of us tall women should have to put up with feeling like our bodies are wrong, because we don’t fit into the standardized size. The bottom line is, there is no such thing. We’re all unique and wonderfully made, just the way God intended. Our clothing should celebrate our different shapes, by fitting us well.

Tallidarity is here to help us all feel GOOD, and we are feeling it already! When Elisha offered to send us a dress to try, we were excited to see how it would fit. I received it first, and being that I’m the outlier of us two at 6’4, I felt I was the tougher test to pass. I put it on and couldn’t believe how comfortable it was at first impression. Scuba material is so amazing. It shapes to your body beautifully, while maintaining a flattering drape.

Beyond initial feeling, the dress itself reads classy. The neckline is high enough to avoid concern of oversharing, especially if you prefer more modest cuts. Plus, the sleeves are long enough to cover the upper part of the arm. I know a lot of women prefer to cover that area. It hit me right at the knee, and for Caitlin it is more of a traditional midi dress length. It is a completely thoughtful design.

This dress is going to get a lot of wear between the two of us. I have already worn it several times to work, because it is perfect for modest business settings as well. I can’t believe I’ve gone this long without mentioning that it has pockets! What women isn’t excited at the prospect of putting on a cute dress and finding out it has pockets.

We can’t wait to see what designs Elisha comes up with next, and we’ll be patiently following along to find out! If you haven’t heard of Tallidarity before, go check them out at www.tallidarity.com or @tallidarity on Instagram!

Are you interested in this thread of small tall companies we have been sharing? If you missed Rhonda Lynette check here, and we will have another similar post coming soon also!

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“Spot” Me in a Tall Skirt

It’s Friday, and that means we made it through another full week of work! I think that calls for a margarita in celebration. Caitlin and I will toast to everyone, as we’re hitting up our favorite local taco spot. It’s funny timing of us deciding to go there, as we’ll be heading to Mexico tomorrow!

Our family is heading down there for a week of relaxation and plenty of sunshine. We can’t even wait! There will be a ton of reading going on, y’all already know. We’ve been chatting about what books everyone is bringing, so we can trade as we finish them! I know some people are all about Kindles, but lately I’ve been avoiding mine in favor of physical books. Our brother was just giving me crap about packing six books, but the heart wants what it wants!

Caitlin found these waterproof balls that you can play catch with in the ocean, and she just picked up this flag print one to bring. They bounce across the water, which makes it more fun and unexpected! We also always try to bring a frisbee, as another option when you don’t want to lay around and sunbathe. The smartest thing we got for Christmas was Caitlin giving everyone these. They make sure your towel doesn’t blow away, which is genius!

We asked y’all last week where you shop for hats since tall sometimes equates to a larger sized head. We ended up trying this hat from Nordstrom, and spoiler alert – we love it! I also grabbed this one from Glamorous via Asos and while it’s smaller than the Nordstrom option, it still fits and the price was great as well! We can’t wait to show you the hats, stay tuned on how well they held up during vacation.

Onto the good stuff, this skirt! I hope you liked my play on words in the title. All the animal print is “in” right now, but in my heart it is always in! As Caitlin always says about certain items, when you know, you just know. This skirt is completely me. I have an affinity for silky skirts. When you add in a perfect, timeless leopard print, I couldn’t have designed it better myself!

Plus, we’ve talked about this before, but there’s always a ton more options for Asos mainline. So when I found this AND it was the tall range, I had a moment of completeness. Hah, I’m done with my dramatic story now, but this was definitely a purchase you make and will never regret. I did order it in a size 12, which I normally do with skirts that don’t have any stretch to them. I’m probably right in between 10/12 right now. It was loose around the waist but unsure about fitting a 10, without ordering it to try on.  

As for the turtleneck, that is also an older Asos tall find. It’s actually a bodysuit, and it helps maintain the sleek tucked in look. I will note, that the cut of the bodysuit is pretty high on the hip. The fit of the skirt is a bit loose around my waist, so I carefully navigated to avoid showing some extra skin! I know some women like to pull off the ill advised letting your hips peek between the bodysuit and pants/skirt – but it’s never going to be a trend I embrace. However, Caitlin has the newer version of this that you can see below.

Lastly, I paired with my go-to boots of the season. I snagged these from Nordstrom, and haven’t looked back since. They were last worn here, here and here, for other ways to style them. I love the versatility of them, to wear both to work and going out. They are totally worth the money and have held up really nicely. Plus they come up to size 13, which we all know can be difficult to find.

I was browsing Nordstrom Rack this week, and I was bonding with another lady in the larger shoe size section. The win of the week is when I picked up the cutest kitten heeled booties and turned them over, to find that they were $10!! I handed them to her and she slipped them right on and it was meant to be. No better feeling than helping another tall woman find the perfect fit and price!

Tell us below, when was the last time you found a killer deal that fit you perfectly?

Outfit Details

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