,

The Lake: A Sensory Experience

It gets increasingly difficult to visit the lake for a two day weekend. I find myself imagining quitting my job and living up north until the weather turns cool. There is something so healing about being on or near the water. When things aren’t going right in your life, return to the lake for it’s healing properties. Every trip up there, I savor the individual senses. I breathe deeply, the pristine unpolluted air. I smell the unique lake air on a bright sunny day, or when the rain is coming. What can be better than smelling your dinner cooking on the grill after a day of running around and swimming in the lake? As well as basking in the scents of campfire as you wind down for the night, sharing your thoughts of the day.

Before we arrive at our place, our first glimpse of the lake is caught around a small curve and crossing over a dam bridge. Around sunset time is ideal. The waters will have calmed and the surface will be like glass. The sun will be lowering itself to the trees for a glorious display of colors. Each sunset is worth drinking in, and that’s just a quick glimpse from a car window. If we’re already settled in at the house, you will find us loaded on the Pontoon, puttering around the lake to maximize our sunset experience. Even the view from our western-facing porch is ideal. The sky turns pink and orangish tinted as we watch it drop behind the aptly-named Sunset Bay. 

The sounds of the lake are my sounds of serenity. Noise pollution doesn’t seem real until you remove yourself and experience the lack. The only noises competing are sounds of a summer thunderstorm, and more regularly the various insects and birds, and the beautiful tinklings of windchimes. If you’re close to the shoreline, perhaps the gentle sound of the small waves lapping the shore.

One of my favorite things at the lake is riding the pontoon out to the middle and joyously leaping into the water. First is the weightlessness of your temporary flight. Then feeling of the water enveloping your body,  and lastly the coolness giving you goosebumps. Diving down over and over again brings me back to that childlike giddiness. Once I’m tired of swimming, throwing myself onto a tube or the lily pad, is the next best option. Being rocked gently in the water, while simultaneously being warmed by the sun and cooled by the water is a luxurious feeling.

Lastly, the tastes of the lake are endless. Our family has brought about many wonderful traditions that I now associate with our time up north. For instance, we used to be able to pick out a super sugary cereal for our weekly vacations there. Mine would typically default to Cocoa Rice Krispies, but I’ve been known to dabble in Oreo-O’s and Rice Krispy cereal as well. As an adult now, I think more about drink choice as we’re cruising the lake. There is nothing more refreshing than a Vodka Tonic with lime. Every time I have one back at home, it brings me happy memories and gorgeous nights on the lake. 

I hope the picture I’ve painted helps illustrate why we’re drawn to lake life. There are so many redeeming things about our time spent there and we’re so grateful to have been raised with the important tradition of time well spent there. Lake Effect Co is a company founded on these same principles of understanding that life without lakes is no life at all. Don’t forget that we still have a discount code for 15% off using code THEREALTALL15  if you want to take advantage and snag any of their amazing new drops! We have been wearing our Chase More Sunsets tank tops and crop sweatshirts on repeat up north, as well as all of our other goodies.

/0 Comments/by
,

Wrapped in Summer Vibes

We’re definitely feeling the effects of Summer being in full swing. This weekend we drove back up north, in order to celebrate our Grandma’s 90th(!) birthday. It was truly a special weekend, and our family is collectively grateful that we’ve been blessed with her presence for 90 years.

We called her Granny Goat because everyone gets nicknames in our family. That led to some really fun and cute decorations. There was a goat on the cake, and our Mom sewed her an adorable goat print dress. She loves some polka, so they brought in a little polka band and by the end of the night, we serenaded her with a personalized version of the song, “Who the Hell is Alice.” Our family closed down the bar with some well-chosen songs, all in all, a great ending to a perfect day/night.

That makes us a bit groggy come this morning.  We could probably use an extra few hours of sleep. Instead, we’re gearing right back up for another busy week with one of our favorite things of Summer coming up this weekend. We do a river floating trip every year, and the weather is looking ideal. The heat wave has arrived and there is no better contrast, than the hot sun and the cool waters of the river! Do you have any fun summer traditions? We picked “America” theme some years back. This year we talked about changing it to Christmas in July, and apparently, people are all in on America because we got some push back. Easy enough for us, as we embrace any excuse to wear our patriotic gear.

With all of our activities happening, we’re just looking to streamline our wardrobes. Personally, I believe if you have the right pieces in your closet, it should make getting dressed in the morning a piece of cake. It has been funny timing because we’re getting hit with a heat wave, and all of the Fall clothing is being released. We just spent some time shopping at the Nordstrom Anniversary Sale, and we will be sure to let you know how much of the items end up working for us tall women! For now, you can head to our Like To Know profile and see what we snagged.

As we look forward to Fall fashion drops, we’re trying to stay cool. Picking the right fabrics to wear is key to being comfortable. Take this wrap dress. It is super lightweight but it doesn’t sacrifice any structure. This is one of the items we were gifted by Asos from our London trip. It is so classy and flattering on Caitlin. The fabric folds in an ideal way to keep you looking ready for work or an event. It is a wrap dress; however, you won’t have to worry about any mishaps with it flying open because it is doubly secure with a button and a tie.

Caitlin mentioned that she probably wouldn’t have purchased this online without seeing it in the showroom. Typically their mini dresses haven’t been long enough for either of us. Once she tried it on we both knew it needed to come home with her (but it still definitely wouldn’t fit me). One of her favorite features is the asymmetrical cut on the bottom which makes it more comfortable. The dress has a very light waffling too it which adds a fun texture. The sleeve and shoulder length are both generous. All in all, this dress can be worn casually or dressed up. It is going to see a lot of action in the future. 

So tell us below, have you had any luck with their mini dresses? Also, tell us about your fun Summer traditions or how you’re spending the second half of your Summer!

Outfit Details

/0 Comments/by
,

White: A Scary Outfit Choice

Truer words haven’t been spoken about choosing to wear white and consume food at the same time. The good news is, no food was in the vicinity of me and this outfit! A police station/fire department was, however; and they were more than a little curious about what we were doing with our camera and poses. We hope we put on a good show for them. Look how far we’ve come! We used to hide out and pretend we weren’t taking pictures and now we wave to people or say hi if they’re close enough. The times, they are a-changin. 

We’re barely making it through this week. We have a lake hangover because our extended weekend wasn’t nearly enough time to be up there. The weather couldn’t have been any better, so the days were spent floating in the lake. Our family invested in a lilypad this year, and we laid on it in the middle of the lake all day long! When night rolled around, you could find us playing our favorite yard games (like this game) and wearing our favorite party shirts. They have been a major theme in our nighttime wardrobes up north. 

The other theme fittingly is America everything. If it doesn’t look like America barfed the flag all over you, you’re doing it wrong. Plus if you want both a party shirt and ‘Merica pride, we found this option or this option for you. What more could you possibly want, am I right?! Plus they’re both under $20, so you can’t go wrong. I bought our entire family this brand for Christmas one year and they work really nicely for length, plus they usually have a coupon to apply for more than one shirt or dollar total. Ok, the irony is not lost on me that I’m talking about tons of color when I’m clearly lacking any color in today’s outfit.

I was inspired to do a breezy summer look in all white, by this white halter neck sweater I was gifted from Asos. There is a timeless effortless feel to summer knits done right. The halter neck added in, and somehow you’re looking chic in a “sweater.” That’s my kind of outfit. Plus the knit is super breathable, so no overheating. I did end up wearing this in a size 8, but I think it’s up to fit preference on how tight or loose you’d like it to be. This is a great look for Summer night out. You can wear jeans/pants without feeling out of season, plus when the temperature drops you won’t be shivering.

I’ve realized with a lot of crop tops being in, that most of my high waist pants aren’t actually that high waisted. Another failing of places making “talls” but not accounting for our longer butts and waists when identifying denim as high waisted. Luckily I had this pair of white distressed denim from Old Navy a couple of years ago. I wore them last year several times, here and here specifically. I think Old Navy has definitely improved their white denim, and that’s why I reach for these repeatedly. A lot of women aggressively avoid white for fear of staining them easily. I’m just living life on the edge every time I wear them. Luckily Old Navy has stay white technology to avoid stains, so it gives me a lot more confidence to rock them (while still being VERY careful around food).

Basically, we shouldn’t have to give up wearing all white after or before being a bride. Of course, except at someone else’s wedding. That’s a big no-no! So we want to know: do you feel like you can wear white? Do you avoid it because you’re afraid of spills, or it being unflattering? Sound off in the comments below.

Outfit Details

/0 Comments/by
,

Giltee MKE

Let me spare you the long version here. At this point I think you all know some of our favorite posts involve introducing you to Milwaukee based businesses that we love. We have recently put our thumb on what our true niche is. Obviously, our blog is based around tall fashion, support, and anything else tall related but an easy second is all things Milwaukee. We love this city and we love the small businesses it has birthed. We hope this has become clear by this point and that you enjoy learning about our small-Waukee as well.

This brings me to introduce you to Giltee MKE. This company is owned by Adam and Lisa Gilson and has always been a family project for them. Literally, a project – Adam started teaching himself to screen print in the basement of their home which quickly grew to something larger. The perfectionist in each of them came out and led to obsessing over the details including only printing on high-quality apparel. 

Like any great product, people will always start to notice. Especially as they see you casually modeling and marketing it by way of your body. So sort of by mistake they started selling to family, friends, co-workers and so on, which is how they are now reaching you by way of us.

Not only do they only use premium apparel, they take pride in only making unique designs. The products use symbols and artwork to represent each and every one of you (us) and our roots. We appreciate this more than you know. There are so many companies out there who take others designs and rip off their hard work just to turn a profit. We take comfort in knowing that all of the small businesses we choose to share are authentic. Honestly, are any of you surprised we were drawn to this company based on all of the above? We didn’t think so. Everything they stand for is right up our alley and we couldn’t be more proud and excited to be sharing it with you today. 

Let’s cruise through the details first, shall we? You can purchase their goods on their website here, at local shops and retailers that are listed here, and at other pop-ups which you can follow through their Instagram here. A huge perk for you right now is that they have free shipping ALL SUMMER!! That is incredible! This isn’t information from them, but from our knowledge companies usually take a loss by offering free shipping rather than discounted goods so this is so generous of Giltee. 

The products you see each of us in here are INCREDIBLE. We can 100% confirm that these textiles are of the highest quality. This Wisconsin Native sweatshirt is the softest most comfortable hoodie and we cannot explain how thankful we are for the generous fit. Often times you find women’s hoodies that are too short, tight, or just teeny tiny but not this one. It is a true to size item that will flatter any size, shape, or form. This design also comes in a T-shirt and tank top form in a number of beautiful colors and combos.

The “Have a Happy Milwaukee, WI” Tee is another item where you aren’t going to have to worry about sizing snafus if you aren’t a small to average size woman. It runs true to size even for us tall gals and per the norm, the quality is top notch. This shirt is also extremely soft and it isn’t see through at all.

We have been having a blast wearing any Giltee gear out and about in the Milwaukee area. Every single time we have seen someone else in their garb too. I was at my local grocery store last week and saw someone in the Women’s Aurora Hooded Pullover! You know I had to comment on it. I love it when opportunities like this are handed to me. It is just one of the many things that make our big city feel small. The people here are friendly, supportive of small businesses and love to display their hometown pride. This will always help us bond even more. 

We hope you loved learning about this company as much as we loved sharing it with you. Can’t wait to see more and more of you in Giltee apparel! With that, I wish you a Happy Monday! I hope you are all surviving the sadness of a holiday weekend hangover.

Check out their store for more amazing options!

https://giltee.com/

/0 Comments/by
, ,

Cathedral Square Market is my Rain-boo

Happy fifth of July, which can basically still be considered a holiday this year, considering it falls on a Friday and barely anyone is working. If you do have to work, sorry! We feel your pain and have been there for many years in the past. Luckily this year, our family has congregated up north at the Lake, where we belong. We’re just grateful to live in a free country. To be able to celebrate that right, with our family and friends is special and we don’t take it for granted!

So while we’re out on the sparkling blue water, holding cold drinks and listening to some perfectly chosen summer jams; we’re going to throw it back on the blog to our visit to the Cathedral Square Market. If you missed that post, check it out here. We gave you the full rundown on all the amazing small businesses we encountered and showed you Caitlin’s adorable tall sundress. Rest assured, we will be going back. We didn’t get a chance to participate in the free yoga class because we were a bit overdressed. Next time, we’ll head back, in appropriate clothing and prioritize getting a good sweat on. 

Honestly though, how could I have possibly passed up the opportunity to wear this gorgeous rainbow dress? This was another grab from Long Tall Sally, duh! The kaleidoscope of colors, topped with a shimmery hue obviously had to be mine. Like we mentioned with the last couple of Long Tall Sally dresses, the midi length is our go-to of summer… and life.  Plus it’s made for tall women, so it’s not like buying a midi dress from a mainline store and calling it midi but it truly is a knee length dress. 

I’m considering wearing this to our Grandma’s 90th birthday party next week. She is a color-loving lady, but her absolute favorite is a vibrant yellow. That’s the beauty of this dress and most dresses I keep in my closet; they’re versatile. The word versatile doesn’t mean you can’t choose color either. I find myself hesitant to grab louder colors, wondering if I’ll be able to wear them in enough to merit the cost. The bottom line is, if you love something enough you’ll figure out a million different times and ways to wear it! You’ll be finding yourself making excuses, like “Oh, but I didn’t see them yesterday.” Girl, we get it and we are with you! Caitlin recently did this by wearing her striped culottes to our Skiin event and then promptly wearing them again the next day. The funny part is she saw a friend from the night before at Ulta, oops! She was on team re-wear too, thankfully.

This dress is ideal to wear around. It’s made of a clingy material but doesn’t point to any particular areas that I would find distressing. Plus, it comes with a belt. If it didn’t, I definitely would have to scrounge one up. I still might remove the matching belt and find something else to remix it with. Just another way you can make your dresses go further in your closet. Plus, I can see myself wearing a jean jacket or leather jacket, or even a duster! 

For this Summer day, I went with some simple sandals. These are also from Long Tall Sally. I’ve worn them around all Spring and Summer and show no signs of slowing. The suede fabric is deliciously comfortable. Plus the small heel gives me enough of a lift without compromising my comfort whatsoever. I finished it with my straw bag that was perfectly sized to corral all of my market goodies. I will note, the straw of the bag did not mix well with the dress. Caitlin noticed it started to rub the dress in one spot. So just beware of that with any straw bags you’re carrying this summer! She has had the same issue with her Rattan circle bag so it must be common-proceed with caution on this trend!

Although we didn’t want to bore you with reiterating our love for East Towns Cathedral Square Market before we head back again we are excited that after this weekend Up North we will be able to give you a full report on Nourish Natural Products Bug Spray! And if you’re lucky enough to make it this Saturday, have a popsicle or two for us!

We’ll just leave you with that and let you get back to enjoying the holiday weekend! Hoping your cookouts, fireworks, water activities, binge-watching, or whatever you’re up to makes for a rejuvenating enjoyable time!

/0 Comments/by