,

2019 Intentionality

Hey you. Yea you, reading this! You made it through the first week of the New Year. Congratulations, you’re kind of a big deal. Isn’t the first week of the year always like no man’s land? I can’t tell you how many times I heard “I don’t even know what day of the week it is,” repeated. Maybe you had a long week, worn down by all the people hyped up on their resolutions while you felt sluggish at best. Or perhaps you were one of the ones riding that tidal wave of good energy and a fresh start into the new year. Regardless, it’s a new week and another chance to carry on with your fresh start. If you avoid resolutions like the plague, I say all good by me!

Caitlin and I have been discussing intentions recently. Being an intentional person specifically. A lot of times we let our lives be dictated by our routines. If we’d stop and evaluate for a second if something is actually serving us in a positive way, we might find some surprising answers. We’re constantly bombarded with noise. Whether it be our own doing, or just living our lives it’s pretty hard to avoid aside from staying in your house with the TV off! Heck, even at the gym avoiding a TV is pretty much impossible if you’re doing any cardio machine. I know people rely on TV to distract them into staying on the machine. Lets be honest, you can’t really tell the 50 other people around you to turn the channel!

For me, I’ve limited tv/Netflix/Hulu etc, and I haven’t really looked back. Another thing I could improve on though, would be the mindless shopping website browsing, and Instagram/Facebook browsing. I’m sure if you have an Iphone, you’ve heard of their screen time settings. Despite running this blog/Instagram page, I still make sure I have my settings on to limit how much time I can spend scrolling. Hah, speaking of, I just came back from some mindless scrolling and organizing my virtual shopping carts. Definitely low on the priority list. But obviously a work in progress on intentionality for me as well.

That carries over into marriage as well. It’s easy to get caught up in your everyday mundane schedule. Too quickly we forget to take time to be intentional about our marriages. It can also be applicable to any relationship or friendship etc. With our lives being more pseudo connected than ever, are you actually connecting with the people you love/like/cherish? When you set aside time to get together with people, are you doing more than taking up physical space in their vicinity?

Just some food for thought on my mind recently. It’s fitting because I wore this outfit on my anniversary date night out with my husband. I had this top in my saved items for a long long time before I saw it go on sale. Tall blouses are always at the top of my list. Many stores that carry “tall blouses” are still not long enough in the body/sleeve or broad enough in the shoulder. Plus we have to contend with the already limited offerings because they provide a fraction of the mainline items.

I can’t jump on every beautiful blouse, especially staying on budget. Thankfully Asos had their Black Friday sale and I was able to snag it at a reduced cost. I was crestfallen to receive a completely different blouse in its place. I recovered quickly and hopped online to try and order it again. This time I had better luck.

As you can see, it fits pretty well. I would appreciate the sleeves being slightly longer, but I liked everything else about it enough to hold onto it. This is the perfect dressy blouse that I’ll be able to wear in a professional setting. Clearly based on this outfit, I’ll also be able to wear it to a social gathering. Plus, black is always an easy thing to grab and mix and match! Unfortunately it’s now sold out on the site, but I linked a few similar blouses from Asos.

One of my new favorite pair of jeans is this dark wash denim from Express. They are high waisted which is always my preference, and they look completely sleek for a night out. It doesn’t hurt that they are super comfortable either. If you’re in between sizes I’d say size down. I’m usually between a 10 and 12, I got these in a 10 and they have still loosened up.

Lastly, these booties have been such a great purchase for me this winter. They are so sleek and streamlined. I love that they have the studs for a little extra visual interest at the sole. I also love that they are reasonably comfortable to walk in, for having a three inch heel. Ladies they come up to size 13, which is what I wear!

Last thought I’ll share is an interaction we had while taking these pictures. A lady passed by us, took one look at us and asked if we are sisters. You know we obviously get asked often. She then proceeded to tell us, “you belong on a basketball court,” as she’s continuing to walk away. I just smiled and said I did play. As I turned around to Caitlin; I said, “I belong right here where I’m standing.” Intentionality is highly applicable in how we treat others as well. Although I could have resorted to snarkiness, instead I smiled and shared a laugh with my sister.

So hopefully y’all got a little bit of food for thought on intentionality. Are there any specific words or goals you’re reaching towards this new year?

Outfit Details

/0 Comments/by
, ,

When You Know, You Know

For those who have been with us for a while you have probably gathered that at this point when I know I want something, I know. You can probably quote me on this blog saying “I saw this and knew it was coming home with me” too many times for my own good. It’s a blessing and a curse if you ask me.

On one hand it causes me to impulse buy. Yes, I usually love my impulse purchases and feel confident in them. However, I could still be a tad more mindful at times. And on the other hand it has helped talk me out of a few items. The items where I am thinking “I like that” but “I would have purchased it already if I knew I needed it.”

In a very long winded manner, that was me telling you that when I saw this jacket I knew. It was pretty much everything I didn’t know I needed and more. After Jenilee and I both got this Teddy Jacket from Long Tall Sally (which is also just under $150 now!), my love for the teddy trend grew. See how we styled it here, here, and here. This was a fun twist on it for me. And I love that it is completely different than our other one. I ordered up one from my true size for a more generous fit and I am glad I did. My normal size would have definitely fit me but I like that it’s just bigger and cozy!

The coat itself is extremely soft and much warmer than I expected. I wore it as my actual jacket with a white short sleeve underneath it walking around Milwaukee in January and I wasn’t cold once. However, for as warm as it is, it is still very lightweight. The pockets are in an interesting spot on the front but I still found myself using them frequently throughout the day. The one thing to note is if like you me you wear white underneath, it may shed a bit the first few times you wear it!

And in true The Real Tall budget friendly/ remixing fashion you have pretty much seen everything else I am wearing before. In fact, you have seen an almost identical outfit in this post here. Jeans, a white tee, and a black coat of sorts might just be one of my favorite go to grabs. It’s classic, comfortable, and I just feel like it suits me. The difference here is that I threw on my killer Karl Lagerfeld booties to be a little bit more trendy for a day downtown. The rest of the outfit are all from one of our favs, Gap!

I have to drop a real moment here – sometimes these jeans just do weird things to my legs. Are they a little too small? Not the right fit? Am I too curvy for this style? I don’t know. But either way they sometimes pool weird and fold on one of my thighs and I HATE IT. Jenilee knows this from a past posts/shoots/me whining.

So as I am taking pictures asking “how does this look” she told me, “well it’s good except your leg is doing that weird thing there.” So I proceeded to laugh about it, cover it with my hand and my purse. UGH! Why are we so hard on ourselves? I see it, hear it, and well aware when I am doing it, but you just have to laugh sometimes and wonder why you are hard enough on yourself that it has made other people around you adapt to telling you when something “doesn’t look right.” (Peep me laughing as I use my purse as a shield!)

On a not tall fashion related note, I just need to express my love for some recent makeup purchases. We are all about the Naked Palettes. Our brother bought Jenilee the original one many years ago and since then we have acquired the Naked, Naked 2, Naked 3, Naked Heat, Naked Smoky and Naked Cherry. Okay, I probably could have just said we have acquired all of them, hah!

But the most recent of them is the Cherry and we are smitten. I love the shades of pinks and think it completes most of my looks. Especially since I love wearing a pink lip! One other product I am new to but am sold on now, is the Urban Decay All Nighter. WOW! I feel like I have been sleeping on this one. It is incredible, my makeup stays all day, all night, and sometimes when I am lazy until the next morning.

We are in no way close to wanting to be or trying to be beauty bloggers. I figure if we love something enough to want to share it, then so may you! Also Jenilee complimented my makeup this day and it made my day. So it inspired me to share it even more!

Do you all like the idea of this? Or should we stick to what we know? And to bring it all to an close, don’t forget to compliment someone today. It could do more good than you know!

When people walk by and stare….

/0 Comments/by
,

We’ve Arrived

2019 is here y’all, who else is raring to go! We had a great rejuvenating day off to kick start the new year, and now the week is already half over. That’s the way we like to start out, with a short work week! We set out our intentions for the coming year, and revisited how 2018 went if you want to check it out here.

Most people like to enter the new year with a fresh outlook. We just have to say, it is SUPER hard to enter the gym at the beginning of the year. We’re regular gym goers, so it’s painful when it’s at twice the normal capacity. Lots of people are new, who maybe don’t know gym etiquette as well. We’re completely supportive of people trying to reach new goals, but please be aware that you’re sharing a public space with others! Just a pet peeve of ours, don’t hog equipment and put your stuff back when you’re done. It ends up being not so common courtesy.

Conversely, if someone is new at the gym and looks confused; instead of brushing them off – offer to help them out. Sometimes they’re embarrassed to be there and uncomfortable. I don’t want to ever be the cause for solidifying someone’s feelings of not belonging. I think especially as tall women, we’re more self-aware than some, and we know the feeling of not fitting in. We’ve taken it upon ourselves to not make anyone else feel the way we have before.

Ok, enough of gym talk for now. We’re so excited to introduce a brand new brand by our friend Melissa Smith called Arrive Market. Y’all we feel so blessed to have been connected to Melissa through instagram. She is a kind, genuine soul and it shines through her page. When she announced that she was launching her own business, it was music to our ears. She is one stylish lady! Suffice to say, we couldn’t wait to see the offerings.

We haven’t even mentioned the best part yet. This is a company that is founded on the right principles. What does that even mean, you’re probably wondering. They are connected with artisans from third world countries, which provides them a dignified job opportunity! Some of the other items are part of their give back program, which donates 10% of the sale to the charity of the week. Talk about feel good shopping, right?!

The next thing on your mind is probably, but are they for tall women? At 6’1, Melissa IS a tall woman! So while they’re not labelled exclusively for tall women, they are completely cognizant of our #tallgirlstruggles and are totally here for us with some great options.

Melissa was kind enough to send us these gorgeous cardigans to test out. We were SO thrilled when Caitlin put hers on first and the sleeves were a beautiful length. Then when I put mine on, it was love, as I realized it worked on my longer arms as well! They also hit at a great length, and are super versatile. Unfortunately they’re sold out as of checking the site this morning, but we linked a couple of other items in the last paragraph.

When I was considering what outfit I wanted to style my cardi with, I could think of no better idea than to channel my inner Mel! I grabbed a striped turtleneck and a beaded necklace, and then I finished it off with my leopard loafers for some fun print mixing. I added in my Madewell jeans, which we know Melissa is a huge fan of as well! Mission accomplished, and I even had a little extra pep in my step from feeling so comfortable AND cute! Check out our instagram stories for me channeling Melissa further.

Caitlin wanted to play off the neutral vibes of her taupe colored version, and she grabbed another necklace of hers that reminds us a lot of Arrive Market’s gorgeous jewelry options. She layered a white long sleeve underneath to really make the necklace pop, her new favorite Madewell jeans, and some older Franco Sarto booties that we usually find at Nordstrom Rack.

If you haven’t heard of Arrive Market yet, now is your time to go check out their fun options! We’ve been eyeing up this gorgeous top with the beautiful button back detail, and all their fabulous jewelry to add to our collection. Don’t sleep on this high quality stuff, they’ve already got lots of items that have sold out! The best part? Melissa gave us a coupon code to share with y’all for 20% off! Use code THEREALTALL to try it out!

https://www.arrivemarket.co/collections/clothing

/0 Comments/by
,

One Mod Midi Dress

Isn’t this week supposed to go super fast because we got a day off (or some of us got two days off)? It’s not happening that way for me! I worked on Christmas Eve until two and then we headed to my in-laws for a night full of different Christmas festivities. After spending the night with Tim’s family, we headed back to spend Christmas day with my family.

We ate a ton, as we’ve come to expect of the holidays. Everyone did a little bit of puzzling, a pinch of napping, and some watching of inappropriate pseudo holiday movies. We’re looking at you Peppermint. Although Jennifer Garner did have some on point one-liners! Caitlin and our Dad checked out a new way of cooking the turkey, called Spatchcock. It turned out really nicely, and Tim made some delicious mac and cheese to accompany it.

We won’t bore you with our gifts, but a definite highlight for me was receiving this gorgeous black Patagonia duffel bag. I’ve been using my college basketball duffel, which served me well for many years. It’s been on its last legs, with several rips after stuffing it too full one too many times. Caitlin has had a Patagonia for a year or two now and has loved it! After my mom and dad got one as well, it became inevitable that I needed one as well!

Caitlin’s favorite gift is a gorgeous green pleated midi skirt. It’s been the year of green gifts for her because she also received a ribbed green dress that will be a super versatile player in her closet. Watch this space for those pieces to show up!

We gifted our Mom a new pair of Ugg boots, because hers have been worn out. She is so excited to have new pair! Caitlin also made sure to get her this protectant spray as well to keep them in new condition, especially with our harsher winters. Did y’all know that you can check out of Zappos via Amazon now? How seamless is that?! We were so excited not to have to make an additional login for another site. Also, both me and my mom wear size 13 and we can fit into the size 12 Uggs if anyone was curious about sizing.

As we get older and traditions keep shifting to keep up with new family members, I find myself more grateful to soak in what time I can with family. To truly be present with people, especially with the people you can be wholly yourself. Tim’s grandpa Doc shared his thoughts with us right before we left. He said how nice it was that everyone could share gifts with each other, but the best gift that was exchanged tonight was love. I couldn’t agree more! It is a gift we can choose to give each other or not, so easily. My prayer for you is that this Christmas you were able to get past some of the more trivial things and really focus on loving your family.

As for this dress, y’all know the goal is to be super selective about mainline finds. When we’re browsing Asos we get super frustrated about seeing dresses and pieces that we think are ALMOST perfect. Except they’ll add in some random detail that just ruins it for us. It’s usually some sort of slit or cutout, that makes it unwearable in our everyday lives.

I found this gem and realized that it was normal by Asos standards. Although it was in the mainline range, I still had to check it out! Someone on Instagram pointed out we both found 70’s inspired dresses recently, see Caitlin’s here. I couldn’t agree more, and I love it. Anything with a belt just dresses it up a little bit more.

You know we love us some army/khaki green. It’s definitely a neutral in our closets. The plan is to layer this dress as well for a different look. I paired it with some leopard loafers that are an easy chic addition to any outfit. The tights are now a constant companion for warmth in this Wisconsin winter. Y’all already know I’m rocking this teddy coat WHENEVER I get the opportunity. Oh and, no big deal but it’s on sale right now for you to snatch up at a low cost!

We hope y’all had great Christmas celebrations! We’d love to hear about your traditions old and new below!

Outfit Details

/0 Comments/by
,

An Atypical Sweater Dress

Eek, Christmas is almost here! I am still not quite ready for it, but have been living my best life in preparation and enjoyment of this season. Caitlin, Sarah (Caitlin’s roommate and BFF), Tim and I got to see a sneak peek of Mary Poppins Returns on Monday night. Y’all, it was so good! Emily Blunt is totally convincing as Mary Poppins. It captures the essence of the original without stepping on any toes of those die hard fans.

With that and having the day off yesterday, this week is really flying by. I got to spend the day making cookies and homemade Bailey’s with my mom. We also wrapped a few gifts and did some errands for a well rounded day. It will definitely help to enjoy Christmas festivities this weekend and not have a bunch of last minute things to tie up.

We are so excited for this weekend, because we’re visiting the Luxe Domes in downtown Milwaukee. It’s an rooftop “bubble” you reserve, and they serve you hot drinks and appetizers. We’re going with our parents and my in laws, and we’ve only heard positives about other’s experience! We’ll be doing a post on it, so watch this space for more.

It’s crazy how good the deals have been leading up to Christmas, all the retailers try to lure in the last minute shoppers. Once Christmas is past, we’ll be in full on preparation for our family vacation down to Mexico. So it feels funny, but we’ve already been browsing for swimming suits and taking advantage of the low prices! It also helps us practice mindful eating through the holidays.

Christmas and all the other holidays around this time of year bring out a lot of intense emotions in people. Reflections about the end of the year and where you’re at in life abound. Add in more family time and close quarters and it can make for some potentially bad situations. Be kind to your family and friends during this time of year.

The quote that always comes to mind is, “be kind, everyone is fighting a battle you know nothing about.” This is especially true for everyone’s family, as we’re all typically living autonomous lives for most of the year. When Christmas rolls around and we’re in the same house for a long weekend, it’s easy to make assumptions or default react based on your familial past. Instead we could all stand to spend more time trying to understand one another. It could help avoid those tense moments of thinking your own family member is out to get you.

That’s enough of my feelings, but just had to share what was on my heart. Caitlin stopped into H&M last week on her way to a movie, just to peruse. It’s always nice to see stuff in person, and feel the fabric (especially for those of us that skim over the composition online). She was looking for a dress for an event but ended up finding this yummy dress instead.

It was definitely a scenario where I suddenly received three consecutive texts with a dressing room pic. Please help, urgently! This dress doesn’t need any help, aside from getting through the checkout and coming home to live with Caitlin!

With a lot of sweater dresses, they are cut to be more of a bodycon style. Like the sweater dress from Long Tall Sally I wore here. Obviously there isn’t anything wrong with those sweater dresses. But when you’re living in Wisconsin in the winter, and your workplace is an icebox, you’re in need of something more like this silhouette.

It’s totally classy, and roomy without looking like a tent. It has a mock neck, which is mainly the highest neck Caitlin likes to endure. The sleeves are also a perfect length for her at 5’11, and she has pretty long arms. She paired it with her new favorite booties from Long Tall Sally. She last wore them here.

We hope y’all have a completely wonderful Christmas weekend. We won’t be posting Monday or Tuesday, as most of you will probably be home and busy with family, as will we!

Merry Christmas to all of our readers, we appreciate you following along with our musings.

As usual, that beautiful Real Reel.

Outfit Details

/0 Comments/by