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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?

Outfit Details

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One Size Fits all Gift Guide

We wanted to put together some gift guides to help y’all with the people on your list who maybe aren’t into clothing *GASP* and more so like “one size fits all gifts”. We first made these guides and not surprisingly got a little bit out of hand. The gift guides inspired us to add a few widgets to accompany some of them, because clothes! It only made sense to include our favorite travel gear for your jet setting friends, etc. 

Also, don’t forget that (if you celebrate) St. Nicks is next week already! We included some excellent stocking stuffer ideas if you’re blanking out on ideas for those as well. 

For the Men

  1. Away Luggage
  2. Cologne
  3. Bose Headphones
  4. Bose Soundlink
  5. Record Player
  6. Aviators
  7. Apple Watch
  8. Yeti Cup

For the Traveler

Athleisure is a total game changer for traveling, and now men can look a little more put together while traveling, without sacrificing their comfort. Our tall men love them some Lululemon ABC pants, and can wear them in so many scenarios comfortably! Also, our brother loves these three packs from Asos, and wears them regularly.

The Gym Buff

We grew up in a family that values hitting the gym regularly, starting with our Dad. This is for the men who love to lift, love to play basketball, or anything a gym love needs. This includes finding those pesky sweatpants to throw on over your shorts in the winter!

On-The-Go Ladies

  1. Letter Board
  2. Airpods
  3. Apple Watch
  4. Yeti Mug
  5. Erika Ray-Bans
  6. Naked Cherry Palette
  7. Madewell Tote
  8. Away Luggage

Jetsetter looks

We basically have our traveling uniform down at this point. The inspiration behind this one is coming from cold weather, headed to somewhere tropical. Layers are key, so you don’t have to waste precious time changing in the airport bathroom once you arrive! Soft items you can wrap up in and sleep or just be cozy, are what we’re all about. Our Mom got a cashmere wrap, and loves it for traveling, and we’re always going to grab our Lululemon leggings for comfort and style.

Workout Gear

We may not have gotten around to inundating you with Gym things… yet. But rest assured, we are regular gym goers. We know what we like, and we know what works for us tall women. Old Navy is tried and true, and totally reasonable. We’ve talked about Lululemon for tall women before here, and they are worth the investment.

To Stuff the Stockings

  1. Womens Mittens
  2. Candles
  3. Mens Gloves
  4. Mens Scarf
  5. Womens Wool Socks
  6. Men’s Wool Socks
  7. Lipstick Kits
  8. Garment Weight
  9. Pom Hat
  10. Cozy Blanket
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Yurtin’ In the Smokies

Since the day our blog came to fruition we knew that we wanted to obviously base the blog primarily on tall fashion finds but we also wanted to work in some other parts of our lives that we value so highly. So that brings me here, to our first travel post! Jenilee and I both love traveling and exploring this beautiful planet we live on, and try to see as many places as our budgets and time off allow.

I am all for road trip comfort-especially when it is an 11 hour drive so I grabbed my favorite Gap Joggers and was ready to roll!

So let’s dive in! This past weekend my mom, best friend/roommate/our wonderful blog photographer, and her mom and loaded up a truck and hit the road from Milwaukee to Gatlinburg, Tennessee. The laughs started immediately as we all tried to cram everything we needed into every single nook and cranny in the car. We took on 6 hours the first night in order to crash in Louisville for a short time before finishing off the last 4 in the morning.

We arrived in the Smoky Mountains around lunch time and checked in at Imagination Mountain and unloaded our car and got settled in our Yurt. That’s right, our yurt. For those that are unfamiliar a yurt is a circular tent made of collapsible framework. Ours has two sets of bunk beds, a mini fridge, heat/air(thank goodness), and a small table. However, the best part was what was outside of our Yurt. Less than ten steps from the base of our steps was a little babbling creek, a fire pit and picnic table. We all loved hearing the sound of the creek as we slept and enjoyed our fires each night.

Once we were semi settled we loaded up and took off to get a short hike in before it got too dark out. We took off on our first drive up the mountain and began Grotto Falls. We were drawn to this hike because there is a waterfall you can walk behind and it was a shorter one to begin with. This hike was very moderate for the four of us and we easily made our way to the top and enjoyed the small waterfall and then headed back down to enjoy a bonfire.

We planned this trip with the goal to be as relaxing and work free as possible which for us means no cooking and no dishes. So we each prepared foil packs for the fire and just had to toss them on each night and then throw away the foil when we were done.  The first night of sleep was rough for us, Sarah and I prefer the air to be on while our moms would prefer it to be warmer. Unfortunately the air doesn’t reach the top bunks easily but freezes those on the bottom. So if you ever consider a trip like this-plan accordingly.

Day two was a rough start for us. We all slept quite terrible and that’s all there is to it. Therefore, we were slow to get going and everything just felt a little pushed back. We did a hike called Chimney Tops this day, which was very laboring on all of us. There are so many steps we weren’t anticipating and we all had a hard time catching our breath and I personally felt very out of shape. We choose this hike because of the wonderful views; however, due to the awful fires a few years back a large portion of the trail is still shut down to keep hikers safe. The view was still spectacular and well worth the climb but it makes me so sad knowing how much damage was done from the fires. It was also extremely disheartening how many water bottles, wrappers and other garbage was left behind. Anywho, I won’t make you all listen to me and my soapbox. We all felt our legs shaking on the way down and decided the base of the trail sitting on some rocks at the base of a waterfall would be the perfect spot for lunch. It was simply incredible sitting there listening to the water rush by and relaxing after a taxing hike.  

We wanted to do two smaller hikes this day but due to our late start (and some unexpected rain) this wasn’t in the cards for us. Instead we headed towards Gatlinburg and stopped into Sugarland Distillery and bellied up to the bar for a moonshine tasting. The minute we stepped up to the bar I committed to trying all 13-yes 13 flavors of the moonshine even though they didn’t all sound appealing to me. Most of the flavors were great but the real entertainment was the bartender. I can’t even describe the hilarity that came from his mouth. After tasting so many flavors we were all ready to buy a jar or two to take home to share with friends and family. After this we headed back for a different foil pack, fire, and a semi early bedtime since we were all feeling the lack of sleep from the night before.

The four of us were ready to take on day three bright and early. We got up, packed up our bags and headed to Ramsey Cascades for our longest hike. We started out and all of us quickly decided this was already our favorite hike. I cannot even put into words the beauty of this terrain or the incredible waterfall that was waiting for us at the top. This hike was close to 8 miles round trip but was much easier than the previous day. After we all picked up our jaws from the floor at the sight of the waterfall we unpacked our lunches on a huge rock and enjoyed another lunch with falls. It was so rewarding making it to the top and enjoying some rest before trekking down.

Unfortunately more unexpected rain was upon us but we set up our fire and got dinner cooking anyways. We got to enjoy the fire and dinner before a downpour quickly approached. All of us booked it inside and even though we were sad we knew it was for the best since we needed to get packed up and head out early. And early came quick. Our alarm went off at 6:15 and we all hopped up and tried to cram everything back in for our 11 hour journey home.

You’ve heard us mention this chair before-but I wanted to show you how amazing it is for a taller frame (See her toe reaching to touch?). The back is so incredible high and supportive for my tall frame, the base where you sit doesn’t sag at all and it is so comfortable! They sell them in XL and regular!

If you like spending time outdoors/hiking/camping I cannot recommend this type of trip enough. I personally had never heard of a yurt before but once my mom mentioned it and I searched it online I was sold. I feel so lucky that I was able to go on this trip with my mom and both of our close friends. We shared so many laughs, memories and wonderful experiences in the mountains that none of us will forget.

I just wanted to throw out some products that I personally cannot camp without! This hammock, these lanterns, this headlamp, my camp chair shown above, this speaker , this portable charging stick, this water bladder for hikes, this backpack, these cups are perfect for coffee and cocktails, and my cooler!

Below you will see some of my very favorite hiking (and every day) gear. These are things I always grab for when I am going to athleisure, camping, hiking or even to a chilly movie theatre. One thing I want to note is when I ordered this backpack I originally a mens assuming that the fit would be better on my long torso and I was wrong. The women’s large was perfect and it was the perfect hiking pack-kudos to Patagonia for making it TTS!

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Fall Guide – Trends 2018

We’ve got you all primed and thinking about fall jackets per our last post. If you haven’t had a chance, go look through it and see if you agree with our jacket run down! Onto some of the 2018 fall trends, just in time for Fashion Week! We would love to attend in the future, but for now we’ll just point out things we’ve been loving from afar.

First up is all things animal print! It’s going first because we completely adore this “trend.” It’s easy to love because it’s not really a trend that goes out of style. However, because it’s in right now means that there are tons of options we can find and make work. We actually made two different widgets to separate the shoe and clothing options.

Speaking of shoes, we are all about some booties for fall/winter. Here in Wisconsin we have to cover our feet and the best way to do it stylishly, is with your boot/booties collection. We love booties with our skinny jeans and straight jeans, plus we love that kitten heels are in right now or the block heel. The snow is no joke to walk in, so your heel can’t be too pitiful for you to brave the elements. Plus, let’s be honest for a second. Lower heels are basically synonymous with comfort, which reigns as king around here.

For all of us out here who love cozy, welcome to sweater season. One can never have too many sweaters. I always look at my stash and feel bad for a moment about how many I own, but then I remember I wear them basically six months out of the year and then I feel thankful instead.

Another trend you’ve probably been noticing at a lot of retailers is that the 80’s are back! I can get behind some of the quirky pieces but best not to fill your wardrobe with the stuff. Along with that is neon clothing. It can be fun to add something but unless you already loved all things neon, don’t go nuts!

With fall ushering in the holiday season quickly, also brings holiday parties and events. Sparkles are in, so you’ll easily be able to grab a fun top or dress to shimmy around parties in.

Another fun comeback are scarves. Not the typical wear of the infinity scarf, but more headwear and scarf printed dresses. Considering I used to be all about headbands and hair accessories, I can get behind this trend one hundred percent. Just have to find a print that I like, and can fit my big head!

We wanted to include a non-trend as well, but a necessity for tall women and that would be long sleeved tops and ones that we’ve found success with repeatedly. Not a flashy item to buy, but one that will be an unsung hero in your closet

The trends this year are all so different, it seems like there is something for everyone! Tell us below, are you interested in any of these trends or are you taking a pass on this fall’s fashion options?

Also since we gave you these options for shopping, just a heads up that there are several sales happening right now, should you choose to make a purchase! Jcrew currently has 40% full priced styles. Gap also has 40% off with Code FALL. Old Navy adds 25% off your order with no code needed. Missguided has 40% off new styles  with code NEWFORYOU and Boohoo is doing 50% off everything with no code needed as well! Topshop has free express shipping on orders over $50. And of course, Asos has a spend more save more event, per the code below! Let us know if you took advantage of any of these sales!

Spend and Save! Get $50 OFF $200 $70 OFF $250 $100 OFF $350. Use Promo Codes SEPT50 SEPT70 SEPT100. Valid 9/10-9/15 2am GMT.

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Tall Fall Jacket Guide

No more pretending like Fall is not upon us anymore. Once Labor Day passes we join the rest of the people pushing fall and just embrace it! I think it was sometime this last week, when we were doing some Labor Day sales shopping, when we both realized that we were only looking for cooler weather finds. We knew it would happen eventually, and I think all the rain we’ve experienced this weekend really makes it feel like the weather change is imminent.

With that in mind, we wanted to make a guide for the best purchases to have in your closet this fall and maybe any fall. Some of these pieces we already have in some variation and have gotten a lot of mileage out of already. To illustrate that, we threw in some random old pictures of us wearing said jackets, as we didn’t have time to take some new ones yet. But fear not, we’ll be posting some updated looks soon! We tried to keep a mixture of low and high price points to ensure people would have plenty of options.

Let’s start with the obvious, being light layers. Once the temperatures start cooling off, especially in the evenings – it’s always a great idea to keep a light jacket on hand. We have a couple of our wardrobe stalwarts that remain in rotation year after year.

The jean jacket, in its many variations will never go out of style. I like to rotate between a good classic fit one and my husbands old jean jacket that I can wear for the updated oversized look. Caitlin has the classic, a slightly oversized lighter wash, and then another favorite is the sweatshirt sleeve mixed material.

The army/utilitarian jacket is another piece that comes back year after year. It is offered in so many different variations and colors that probably anyone could find one that they’d wear. We both have options from Old Navy that we really like, in our favorite olive green. It’s basically a millennial neutral, so layered over whatever you already have in closet! If olive isn’t your color that typically also offer it is khaki and navy as well. We also finally both found army jackets at a thrift store when we were visiting NYC, and that has been an awesome addition to our closets as well.

The bomber jacket is everywhere still and doesn’t show any signs of disappearing, which is perfect for us! We both have a black jacket, I have two green bombers and Caitlin has a gorgeous burgundy bomber. They are so cute and comfortable, especially for our unfussy lives.

One of our true gratifying experiences, is always finding a new leather or faux leather jacket with the perfect length in body AND sleeves. My husband bought me a real leather jacket that I will have forever, because it’s completely timeless. From there I found a great faux moto leather jacket that has a bigger collar and I feel like my closet is complete. Caitlin got her first tall leather jacket from Topshop, she also got one from Asos with a bigger collar and she just received this new real leather jacket from Asos and is so pumped to style it repeatedly this fall/winter season.

Another unexpected jacket that Caitlin found while she wasn’t looking is a faux suede jacket in khaki from Nordstrom Rack last season. She tried it on after feeling how buttery soft it was and when the sleeves were plenty long we both knew it was coming home with her. Suede can be a great alternative if leather isn’t necessarily your style.

Another option I’m reluctant to include but I know a lot of women wear often, are blazers. I’ve historically struggled to find well fitting blazers and/or some that are actually comfortable. Not sure if the comfort search is a lost cause (maybe someone should tell me to suck it up). But at least this year the oversized blazer look is in and for us tall women, we finally have our work cut out for us. One that was a huge success is a leather blazer I bought Caitlin for her 22nd Birthday that she still wears frequently We have several tall options or we can borrow from the boys, better than more women!

An option we include as an honorary jacket, would be the chambray. It has been a hero in our closets as an easy layer although not considered a jacket per say. It’s another piece that is basically a neutral and has been able to tie in with whatever we need it to, which makes it perfect for trips as well. 

We were going to do a complete fall guide in one post, but after starting in on it, it makes more sense to break it down a little bit or it will get super long and tedious. These are all jackets we’ve collected/accumulated over the years and you will definitely see posts on in the short future. Let us know what you think of our jacket list, and if we’re missing any must haves!

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