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Fresh Blooms

Well, all of you might be sick of these vacation posts by now… but honestly we need these. We are both reliving our Cancun vacation to help us through the constant stream of snowstorms and frigid temps. You might be sick of our weekly weather reports by now. It’s tough not to comment on it, when you’re yearning for Spring.

Anywho, if you read any of our other vacation posts yet, you could probably guess that this dress came along with the massive sale haul we each got before we left. I instantly fell in love with the delicate, feminine, floral print of this dress. I also just loved how they had it styled on the model with a thicker cardigan. That makes it so much more versatile for us in Wisconsin.

I had borrowed a dress in this style from my mom last summer. She snagged it at Nordstrom Rack and I loved it! This is the first one I now own in this style, and I do have to say – they aren’t the best choice if you are a little bustier. It can cause a little gaping on the upper buttons which personally drives me insane. You might want to size up if that applies to you.

I was also pretty bummed that I only wore this the one night in Mexico and one of the straps snapped when I laid down on our hotel bed. Luckily I am semi-handy with a sewing machine so it’s not a huge deal for me to patch it up. Nonetheless, it’s always disappointing when the quality isn’t there (which luckily hasn’t happened too often with ASOS items).

I snagged these shoes when Jenilee, our mom and I were in Chicago for her birthday surprise at Nordstrom Rack (our go-to). They couldn’t have matched any better, always a happy coincidence. I am not always a super matchy person, but I love when something just subtly matches perfectly; especially shoes!

Side Bar: Jenilee has almost fully convinced me that I need these fun floral heels in my life. I have the nude version and they are the perfect fit for me, as well as the perfect height. I have a wedding to attend in May and I might be trying to base my dress choice off of if I can tie these in. Whether you are looking for a basic heel or a fun color like she likes for me; these are a great price point and they have two day shipping!

Good news! If you are getting sick of these vacation outfit posts, we are nearing the end. Although I am not sick of them, I am SO excited for all of our upcoming content. As Jenilee and I  rounded out our first year in the blog world, I think we both felt a little blah at the end of the year. However, as we passed the New Year, we have had some amazing traction. We have been enjoying creating content, spending time together, taking our time and reaching out to new brands.

Obviously we have kept companies like ASOS, Gap, Express and a few others on our heavy rotation. Beyond the obvious options, we have both decided that it is important to try what else is out there. We want to give you honest reviews and help you find more variety. I hope you are as excited as I am, because the next few weeks are going to be FUN. All of the companies we are choosing to feature are because we genuinely back them. Whether its based on their mission, fit, price point or something else. We will never, ever, ever post products we do not believe in, don’t stand up to our quality requirements or that we just simply don’t like.

Another thing we are hoping to share more of in the weeks to come are try ons. Woof. Even saying that one makes my stomach flip. I am not a camera ready person and hate the thought of having to freestyle speak. It is just not appealing to me. But that is the one thing people are constantly asking for more of; so we are going to work on it. Obviously this post took a weird turn at the end because we went from a floral dress into my excitement for our blog. Point being, that me saying all of this out loud, will also help hold me accountable. So be on the lookout for some fun new companies, more videos of us (eeeek), and a whole lot of fun!

Check out the details on my look below as well as some of my other favorite dresses in this style. Bonus for you is that most of them are on sale right now!

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Express-ing Myself with Swimsuits

Today is not the Monday-est Monday to ever Monday, mainly because we don’t have to work today. Thank you to all of our Presidents for that perk! We hoped to take advantage and get our hair done today, as we like to schedule our appointments together. Unfortunately we waited a little too long to schedule. It’s probably for the best, because this winter is really taking  a toll on drying my scalp out. So maybe by the time we go in, it will be much improved!

Plus we just got hit with another heavy blast of snow. I’m so grateful to be tucked in at home, instead of trekking it into work. If any of y’all are on the roads today, stay safe! We ended up venturing out for some sushi last night, and the roads were so bad. The sushi was all worth it though, especially all you can eat for $25. Any of my sushi lovers out there, know that is unbeatable!

The upside to this snow, is taking advantage of the winter weather activities. Caitlin was able to get up north and do some snowmobiling with our parents. The trails have been much improved over the last couple of years! In fact, the men in our family are all headed back up next weekend to do a snowmobiling weekend. Caitlin and I are hanging out and working on blog projects.

Is there anything you’re looking for more on from us, as we continue to plot and plan for the future? We have several new to the blog retailers we’ll be sharing in the near future, because we feel you on not being sure about trying new brands, so we’re doing it for you!

We asked and y’all answered in regards to swimsuits on Instagram! Ever since Victoria’s Secret took away their swimwear, we’ve been stumbling around trying to fill the void. Asos has filled in the gap here and there for us, because they have EVERYTHING. Another go-to for me a bit more than Caitlin, has been Express. Peep Caitlin’s last swimsuit from Asos here, if you missed it on Friday.

Obviously we can’t really roll with the one pieces at Express, but we’re still holding out hope they will come to their senses and actually cover us tall women, since they’re supposedly size inclusive. Nothing is worse than seeing in big bold font, “WE’RE SIZE INCLUSIVE,” and tall women are still excluded.

But, they do have short sleeve blouses that have good length in the body. Let’s just catch up with the long sleeves and jackets and we’ll be super thrilled over here. Plus; as I said above,  I can roll with their swimsuits. You last saw me in my version of khaki green swimwear last summer, in this post. That is also still available in many colors on their site.

I think the quality is there, and the price can’t be beat. There is usually some sort of coupon code or sale happening. Y’all should NOT be spending full price on a swimsuit at Express. $30 for me is right on the money, especially when we like a heavy rotation of different options for the summer. My Ray Bans were an easy match with this swimsuit, because they’re bright blue, they’re lightweight and sporty for running around on the beach!

We’ll leave you with this gem, because this is an indication of how windy it was on the beach. It had us laughing so hard, and we just rolled with it! Hope your week is off to a solid start, go slay the day!

Swimsuit Details

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New Neutrals

As you scroll past the highlight picture and see something olive combined with the title of this post, I am sure you are already thinking blah, blah, blah, here we go with the olive green again. But seriously, I can’t help how passionate I am about this color. I think it is 100% safe to say that this color is now absolutely considered a neutral. That’s right. Olive is sitting pretty with black, white, cream, gray, and as you know, we are here for it.

I definitely have a bias, and I think we all know that. I think it is the most flattering color on anyone. It could be because I think it looks killer with denim, as well as cream, or even black without being too flashy. I can’t exactly pinpoint when my love affair with this color began, but it definitely got out of hand very quickly. This isn’t stated lightly. I think I am slowly transitioning everything in my life to this color. My winter jacket was the first update,  followed by my phone case, nail polish, so many shirts, and even work pants.

So it was inevitable that I ended up with an olive green swimsuit, right? I definitely ordered this one half expecting it not to work out. They had the regular suit listed, but also listed a bustier option available that sold out pretty quickly. Jenilee warned that it may be a bit too flashy, but I had to try it and it was shockingly perfect. I LOVE that there is no clasp so when you are laying on a lawn chair you don’t feel the tie or clasp digging in. I have also noticed that I am slowly converting to only swimsuit tops that aren’t halter. If you are a little bit bustier you may feel my pain, literally. I have been in pain after wearing a halter suit all day.

The other win with this suit is that the bottom is a perfect rise. I can’t handle the low rise, hip hugger, cheeky trend so anything that has full coverage is okay by me. We all love to play beach games and be active, so a comfortable suit that stays put is a must. I don’t typically plan out “swimsuit” outfits but I love the color of this denim, olive, and the straw hat together. I think if I had to create a palette to stick to forever, this just may be it. These shorts are from Gap last year, but I will link some comparable options this year!

If you want to read about why we were both loving this hat, you can read about it in this post and this post. All the people with big noggins rejoice!  You have also seen these sunnies pop up a few times already and they will keep on keepin’ on as we roll into Spring (if we’re lucky), and Summer. They are the New Wayfarer and I love the fit! You have also seen this necklace featured many times including in our Midwest Gift Guide here. The company is a Chicago local, Vo Yourself and I love the horn trend. Unfortunately I think my skin might be starting to react to this one but it’s too cute!

Before Jenilee and I started packing for this trip, I got a sudden urge to buy a new beach bag because mine isn’t cute enough. As I was thinking of the aesthetic of our Instagram pictures I knew that my dirty, dingy thirty-one bag wouldn’t be super appealing. However, I just couldn’t get past how much I love the utility bag. I can put all of my sunscreen, lip balm, sunglasses, etc around the outside for easy access and organization is unbeatable. With that being said-at some point I will likely try to upgrade to a cleaner bag.

My question for you is: Where do you buy cute, reasonable, organizer friendly beach bags? Or did I already figure it out and I should just stick to my guns?


Enjoy the reality of most of our pictures with this one

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Valentine’s Day Round Two

Another one! Said in my best DJ Khalid voice… but yes, we are bring you another Valentine’s Day look. Let’s call this one the official tall looks. Mainly because most of the pieces are actually “talls.” Whereas the last round of looks were mainly just tall friendly mainline finds. Check out the last post here, if you missed it!

Valentines Day will be here within the week. I know everyone is counting down the days like we are. Ok, I’ll stop with the snark for now. Lets just call Valentine’s Day what it is. It’s an excuse to dress up really cute, and maybe a bit more dressy than we all do typically. We look for these excuses high and low! I’m forever bemoaning the fact that my life isn’t more glamorous. But I’m speaking it into existence now!

With that being said, y’all know I’m all about some red. People have complimented me on it enough that I feel confident in reaching for it regularly. Especially as a lip color. Nothing will brighten up your look easier than a perfect toned red. If you aren’t sure, go play around at the beauty counters and test them out! Just this last weekend I stopped into Riley Rose for the first time and did a little too well finding some new lip shades. Thankfully they were only $4!

What better time of the year to brighten up your wardrobe with some red than Valentine’s Day? I grabbed this John Zack tall jumpsuit via Asos and was super glad I did. I don’t know about y’all, but when a new retailer gets added to Asos Tall line options, I’m always a little hesitant to believe that they truly get what being tall means. I’ve been burned before, and I’m looking at you Missguided “Tall.” So I felt like I was taking a shot in the dark on this jumpsuit, and thankfully I was rewarded!

Remember me saying in the last Valentine’s Day post that Caitlin found her sandals for a steal at Nordstrom Rack? Well Chicago Rack’s always have the hook up, because I found these gorgeous black strappy sandals at the same time. I have a variation of this pair in nude, and when I saw black, I didn’t hesitate. When you find well-fitting sandal heels for cheap, you just have to grab them! Especially for wedding season, these will take me far!

Y’all might think there isn’t a limit on how many skirts we can own, but in fact there is one. We both really liked this red midi skirt, but held back on purchasing because we’ve prioritized other colors and fits. But that all changed when Caitlin found this River Island (via Asos) lip print cami. We realize that the colors couldn’t possibly match better, and she snapped up both. Talk about a ridiculously cute Valentine’s Day look. It’s whimsical, it’s a little sassy, it’s practically perfect in every way (thanks Mary Poppins).

When we try to explain to y’all that we really do wear our clothes repeatedly, you might not fully understand or believe us. It’s always easier to illustrate the point! That’s what you’ll see over and over with this pair of heels from Amazon! We just talked about them last week, but they’re an amazing find and very reasonable. Caitlin has continued to wear them in so many different contexts. That’s what we love to find in our items.

Tell us below, which Valentines Day look is more your vibe? Today’s post or the last post, or maybe neither if you’re staying in and cozy!

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Valentine’s Day

Ahh Valentines Day. A day of love. A day some of us love to hate. I guess where we stand on it, is mainly indifference. Neither of us appreciate a day where you’re told to share your love, and you’re bad if you don’t make some grand gesture. Call me delusional, I’d prefer it to be a bit more organic in occurrence. Plus buying some $6 card is not my idea of romance.

The funniest story I have about Valentine’s Day was two years ago, when Tim bought me a little succulent plant. As far as he knew, he thought he was buying me a live plant (which is definitely my love language).  I watered that thing for the longest time, until I thought I had discovered it was fake. I stopped watering it for a very, very long time and nothing happened. It must have been months before the little leaves started turning brown on the tips! It’s still trying to make a full recovery currently. Trial and error over here!

While we may not value all the consumerism that accompanies the “romantic” gestures of Valentines Day, we definitely still appreciate the outfits that invariably pop up around this time of the year. We don’t need any coaxing to wear some fun themed outfits. Especially when they involve red and pink.

We had a chance to do a themed mini shoot with a local Milwaukee Photographer Colleen Kubiak for Valentines Day, and we were all in! She takes some incredible pictures. We met her and experienced it firsthand with a DryBar collaboration we were lucky enough to be a part of a couple of weeks ago. We showed up and found the cutest little set up, all Valentines Day inspired.

Being a little nervous to work with someone new was an inevitability; but Colleen made us feel so at ease! We had some laughs and got some great shots of our Valentines’ inspired looks. This was the first look, which was definitely more of a girls night out inspiration.

Caitlin snagged this neon pleated midi skirt from Asos mainline range. Like we’ve said before, they have SO many more good skirt options. Don’t limit yourself to the tall section on their site, especially for the pleated selection. You may notice a bigger difference in the cut of the pencil skirt options, but all that you have to worry about for pleats is if the waist fits you!

She paired it with the CUTEST Valentines t-shirt, which is also from Asos but their tall range. It’s an awesome option because it’s low-key Valentines Day. It can be worn all year because it’s also subtle. Plus tall range graphic t-shirts? We are always on the hunt for good ones! She’s been getting great use out of these black heels she found on major sale at Nordstrom Rack. If you aren’t a girly girl or someone who is wild about pink we think this graphic Tee would be perfect with some jeans and a leather jacket for a dark Valentines outfit!

My look was a no brainer, as I had my eye on this midi skirt, also from Asos mainline range for awhile. I was drawn to the hot pink color and the subtle snakeskin print sheen. It’s not necessarily a work skirt, so less versatility than I prefer. However; sometimes you have to go with the statement piece for a fun night out. This was an easy option too because mini skirts have been letting us down lately. Plus, with Wisconsin winters being cold, it’s not conducive to running around chilled the whole night.

To make it casual and a little edgy, I paired it with a v neck t-shirt I snagged years ago from Nordstrom Rack. I topped it off with my favorite faux leather jacket from Asos tall range. That keeps me plenty warm in the winter! For the booties, I threw on my Circus by Sam Edelman ankle boots. They are an easy grab because they pair with practically everything.

Tell us below, what are your Valentines Day plans? Staying in, going out? Girls night, romantic dinner with your significant other, or just another day?

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