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Is it Even Fall without Plaid?

Plaid is ubiquitous when it comes to Fall. It is one of the few prints that can look high-brow or completely casual. We love it’s versatility for that reason and can be found in a wide range of stylings, especially with the temperature drop. Speaking of, our weather has been indecisive on when Fall will officially begin, and I for one am holding on desperately to our Indian Summer.

We both had fun weekends, I gorged myself on all the amazing food Milwaukee has to offer at the Food and Wine Experience. Caitlin’s weekend wasn’t too far off, as there is always good food and nice drinks at parties as well! It seems like people are ramping up their social gatherings before it gets super cold and we all go into hibernation!

A combination of getting a quality product for a great price, are these amazing purses we recently found in a startup company called Mei Li. It is so incredible to receive a high quality product that is such a timeless beauty. Even more impressive, is it being completely up to date with storage compartments and exactly what we need to get through our days. It’s the thoughtful details of the handbags that are really appreciated; like the removable straps to convert from a shoulder bag to a handbag, or the little metal feet to protect the bottom of the bag from the mess we encounter day to day. Caitlin was extremely fond of the water bottle compartment on the inside as she always has a water bottle on hand. Neither of us have ever seen that feature before!

We can’t say enough nice things about these bags, and now is an incredible time to invest in one for yourself, because they are starting an Indiegogo campaign that you can learn more about here. They are planning to get their Audrey mini handbag in production. The Audrey is incredible because it is like having 6 purse options in one, including a backpack or even wearing it around your waist for a hands free option! Talk about a purse that is endlessly versatile and thoughtful. If you support the campaign, you can purchase one of their bags at a discounted cost. We need to see more quality startup companies giving us wonderful product options and we totally believe in Mei Li.

So far, having our Mei Li bags, we’ve been completely impressed with the quality. It’s also a super sleek looking bag and makes us feel endlessly polished. This brings me back to plaid and fall dressing. I’m making my bag go the distance, and it works really well with all of my corporate job outfits, including this one.

I got this blouse from Asos’ tall line last year, because I’m a complete sucker for lace AND victorian style tops. Find me one with long enough sleeves and a reasonable price and I’ll love you forever. It may be more difficult to tell from this picture but the colors in this plaid midi skirt, also from Asos make it easy to mix and match for more outfit variety.

I’m also obsessed with these slingbacks my Mom found me from Nordstrom Rack. They are super chic yet comfortable. I have narrow feet, and sometimes I feel like my feet slip out of shoes, but these hold my feet comfortable but firmly. They might not be comfortable for women with wider feet, depends on your fit preference.

Tell us below, when is the last time you invested in a handbag – if ever? I’ll admit that my first handbag was won off a radio station contest and is a beautiful burgundy Rebecca Minkoff! Caitlin totally has done a better job prioritizing purses than I have!  We hope your week is off to a great start.

Jenilee’s Outfit Details

Skirt is exact, blouses are similar options. Shoes are no longer available online but check your local Nordstrom Rack – they are Abound Portia Slingback Flats

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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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We’re Warming Up To Fall

Happy Tuesday! We hope you all had a wonderful holiday weekend. We are slowly but surely accepting that fall is coming in hot. But we are SO excited to be doing our very first blog giveaway today with some of our favorite fellow tall ladies. In honor of it being an Asos Giftcard we wanted to spread some fall style inspiration to all in case you need help spending some of your money (Or hopefully ours!)

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Labor Day Roundup

As we head into the Labor Day weekend both Jenilee and I have mixed feelings as this holiday usually signifies the ending of summer which is always bittersweet for us because of that but also the sales excite us!

We would like to touch briefly on the real reason Labor Day began which is because workers felt they were working too many hours and days at work. Sometimes we feel like we can relate to this with having multiple jobs on top of wanting to make this blog the best quality we can for all of you. So keeping the meaning of the holiday in mind we hope you all have the pleasure of being off or work this coming Monday and can enjoy time doing something you love with the people who are important to you. Stay safe! 

Anyways the real reason I am here is to help make shopping these incredible Labor Day sales easy! We compiled some product scrolls below for you of only items that we have purchased and love. That’s it. If we can’t recommend something to y’all with confidence we aren’t going to do it. 

If you want to see any of these items on real people (us) just scroll back in our posts and please, please, please comment below, email us, or DM us on instagram if you have questions on if you think something will fit you right or want to know more about the product. 

Now let’s get to the fun stuff below!

ASOS- 20% Off New Season

Gap Companies-Up to 40% off (Code YES) with additional 10% Off (Code MORE)

Express-40% Off

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Swimsuits for (T)all

Dang was it hard to return from vacation and back to real life. I think we’re both still in denial about it to be honest. Every time we go on vacation, a little delusional part of our brain screams “I’m never going back to work,” rather maniacally. Truth be told, it probably makes it easier to fully embrace and enjoy the whole vacation instead of thinking about work and wondering how far behind you’ll be and how much you’ll have to rush and catch up on!

It’s so worth the time away. Unbeknownst to us, some of our generation has a problem with unplugging from work and actually taking time off. This is hard for me to fathom, as someone who definitely uses EVERY LAST DROP of vacation time. You’re earning that vacation, use it up! Do it for your health, you might not even realize you’ve been wound up and stressed out. Even if it means you do a staycation and explore your hometown or take time to get some stuff done you’ve been putting off doing, it will be well worth it!

We got to spend some quality time with our family and our Grandma up north, which becomes more and more special as she nears her 90th birthday in less than a year. We also celebrated our Mom’s birthday and she really liked her gifts! Caitlin got her these socks, for when they visit the Smoky Mountains and do some hiking next month. She also finally gave her this romper that we’ve been hinting about forever! And she also grabbed this cozy beauty from the N sale, which isn’t a tall but still has long enough sleeves. I got her this pair of tall black skinnys that she’s been eyeing, and Tim gave her this perfect colored shaker bottle. She requested this perfect makeup bag for travel and once I ordered it, I immediately wanted one for myself!

I know we’ve talked a lot about swimsuits we’ve ordered in the past, and despite starting our Instagram page with a series of one piece suits, I don’t think either of us figured we’d be posting swimsuit pictures on the blog. Our friend Sophia, who has great vision as a photographer had a location in mind and we figured, what the heck – let’s see this out and we can always trash them.

I just finished this book (which I totally recommend), which tons of women have been recommending lately and it talks extensively about feelings of worthiness. I felt compelled to address it; considering we’re stepping out on a limb here. We both work out extensively and value our workouts, especially for mental well-being. There is no replacement for me at least over breaking a sweat. I just don’t feel like myself without it.

We also love to eat, and we do a lot of that as well. Our bodies aren’t perfect, but they’re ours and we’re embracing them, as an ongoing process. It’s easier to pick them apart than to choose love and be proud of what they have gotten us through. We want to be real with you all on here, and help you love your bodies, especially as tall women and having the tendency to feel different, without adding swimwear to the conversation. It’s a tricky conversation for many as it is, but the tide seems to be turning to a positive place and tall women should be part of it!  So enough of my rambling – if anyone has made it this far!

Caitlin has on a black tall one piece from ASOS, that you’ve seen before on Instagram (if you feel like scrolling all the way back to the beginning). We bought a two-pack which has white and black. They actually fit both of us well for length, except I would warn anyone that they might want to sew cups in the white suit unless they’re comfortable with people seeing a little nip.

I’ve got on one of my favorite bikinis from Express. It’s a good option for smaller busted women. Lately I’ve been all aboard the bra strap bikini train. It’s perfect for tan line purposes and much more comfortable than the halter tops. Ever since Victoria’s Secret forsook us all, Caitlin and I have been on the hunt for a go-to spot for swimwear. So far Express and ASOS have taken the lead pretty easily. They’ve both been true to size for us.

The only thing worth noting for tall women on bikini bottoms is the long butt that people don’t typically address. As our proportions lengthen that includes the butt, and if you ever have had issues with your butt crack making an appearance or you typically like a fuller coverage suit, you could benefit from sizing up, as a lot of Express’ bikinis are low rise. We did try this pair of high rise, but we weren’t comfortable with that amount of cheekiness.

Last note is the jean jacket. It is a tall size from Gap. You won’t regret purchasing a classic jean jacket, especially one with the correct sleeve length. I’ve got a light wash and a dark wash one and they are easy to layer over anything!

Tell us below, what’s your relationship with swimsuits?

Let us not forget the ASOS sale going on now! Don’t forget our tips from this post before you make a purchase!

Spend and Save! Get $50 off $200, $70 off $250, $100 off $350. Use Promo Codes TURNUP50 TURNUP70 TURNUP100. Valid 8/10-8/14 2am GMT.

Our Favorite Swimsuits

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