Fashion Friday - Watermelon Red

Friday was a fun day as I had a Watermelon Social at a facility that I work with and so I pulled out all the red I could find to match my theme (and make any watermelon splatters less visible!)  The great thing about this outfit is nothing I am wearing is new!  I have had the top, shoes and accessories for several seasons but I think I have worn the top only 1 time the shoes only 1 time. I love the shoes but never seem to have anything to wear them with so Watermelon Social Friday they were called up for duty!  The Necklace I am wearing my sweet daughter,Piper Ellice, gave me many years ago and it has special significance in the number of stones.  The gorgeous ring I am sporting I found at an estate sale about 3 years ago and it was a steal! Of course, my bracelet stack is, of course, on duty too! 

Being dressed in so much red brought lots of  compliments all day on Friday and I think I might have to incorporate more of it into my wardrobe!  Hope y'all are having a great weekend!!!! 

The Guests on South Battery (Book 5 from the Tradd Street Series) by Karen White - My Thoughst

I told you I have been reading again and completely understanding why I used to love it so very much.  It is the BEST escape from the world.  I can't watch a movie or television show and get the same escape.  Give me a good book and some time and I am truly in heaven.

This past week I dove back into the Tradd Street Series with the only book in the series I hadn't read.  Several years ago, when I was part of a book club, we read through this series up to the point there were no more books to read. So, imagine my excitement when I saw there was an addition to the series.

First, I should say I really like Karen White, as a writer, but I have liked some of the Tradd Series books more than others.  I liked ALL of them because they are set in the one city I have never lived in but have a great homesickness for....Charleston, South Carolina.  Normally I also don't read much that involves ghosts and spirits but these books have been an exception because I really like the history that is usually sprinkled in to spice the story lines up.  The Guest on South of Battery did not disappoint and actually finally, after four other books, began to warm my heart to the protagonist, Melanie Trenholm.

Though, Melanie is the main character of the series she was pretty much my least liked character and her peripheral characters, often in the form of ghosts or spirits who had lost their way, endeared the series to me. With this book Melanie was finally developed a with a bit more dimension and I think maybe I misjudged her.  IF you love the Low Country, beautiful, historic homes and, of course, Charleston and a ghost story or two...this just might be the series for you!

Weekend Wear and a little Wild Life Rangling!

Since DS2 was out of town, I decided I would head out after work on Friday to spend the weekend with my beautiful daughter and son-in-love.  I did snap a few picture of my weekend wear when we headed out for dinner on Saturday:

Of course, no pictures are complete without my gorgeous daughter!  We had a great, albeit quick, weekend together but I got to see all the redecorating that is going on at their house (it is going to look gorgeous to so keep an eye on her blog for the finished product as she has GREAT taste and a real talent for decorating!)

But, as usual, when she and I are together things can tend to, how should I say....go off course....

After dinner, we decided ice cream was probably a necessity so we popped over to the local Dairy Queen and low and behold what did we find lurking under a car but a teeny, tiny, very young kitten.  So, yes...that is us on the ground at 10:00 pm trying to rangle a feral kitty. He was really cute, and although neither of us really want a cat, we didn't want to let the little baby stay crying under this car.  Ultimately, after who knows how long, we did manage to get him away from the car but were unsuccessful in catching him.  I hope he finds his way back to where his Mommy is because he looked so skinny and young I can't imagine he was ready to be on his own. :-(

Fashion Friday - Frugalista Style!

I almost didn't get to  make a Fashion Friday as these photos were taken quickly, in the early morning, as I was rushing to get my DS2 to the airport before my work days started.  You may ask why I call this "Frugalista Style," it is because this is one of the fun outfits I have been wearing and it is almost exclusively a Cato Fashions find!  I love the pretty floral, flowy, top with extra cute details on the sleeves along with the stack of bracelets that include a coordinating tassel for this year's nod to the tassel trend.  The necklace that you can't really see is a another cute Cato find along with the hoop earrings that are all in rose gold. The pants are some that I love because they are "extra" with the detail at the hem and a tiny bit of bling which, as you know if you have been reading long, I just love.  Of course, I can't forget about the shoes because "it is all about the shoes..."  I was lucky enough to find the perfect blush pink pumps with the Marc Fisher Tuscany Pump!  They have come in so handy this season as that color seems to everywhere!

The only caveat I have about Cato Fashions is that they don't carry a lot of smaller sizes in my local stores.  The pants are actually a size too big but since the top is so flowy it isn't apparent.  I wish I could find more things in my size in store, rather than having to order to get the smaller sizes.

Fashion Friday!

Oh. My. Word. This week was unexpectedly crazy  and hopefully this weekend I can get around to blogging about all the excitement that is happening in my house. But, another Friday has rolled around and I didn't want to loose my streak (this making it an actual streak...2 is a streak, right?) of Fashion Friday blog posts!  So here is what got me through today:

We have had summer turned up high this week, complete with high temps and humidity, so today I grabbed a cute little Crown & Ivy sundress from Belk to make sure I didn't melt and paired it with my beloved neutral pumps and super deal Cato handbag (see last week's post for details.) Of course, no summer day is complete without some big, blingie sunglasses and anyone who knows me, knows I like my sunglasses to be a little bit "extra," unfortunately I do not remember where these came from.  For accessories, I did simple silver & crystal hoop earrings and my signature stack of bracelets.  You may question why I say my "signature" stack of bracelets but I have been wearing a stack of bracelets for more decades than I am willing to share....cloisonne bangles ring a bell with anyone?  Trust me when I say....I was the queen of the cloisonne bangle back in the day!.  

Happy Friday and I hope you dressed cute!

Fashion Friday

Oh,  FLASHBACK.... this post is like back in the day when I used to have the time, energy and interest in participating in OOTD (Outfit of the Day for those of you less informed social media types!)  I am doing my first - in a long time - Fashion Friday post! Since today was kind of a yucky day to work, as yesterday was a holiday and it felt like most of the world was still on holiday today, I needed a little extra giddy in my get up and go so I pulled out my current favorite dress.  Actually, most Fridays I think I need to pop it up a bit as the week has generally worn long and casual Friday doesn't do much for my hustle!

Right now I am loving this Ruffled Neck Juliette Swing Dress by Mudpie (it also comes in white and Navy but I just had to have this bright coral.)  It has a fun, full (i.e. non clingy) swing for these very hot South Carolina days along with the cutest big bow at the back of the neck that you, obviously can't see in these photos!  Being the less than tall girl that I am, I always try to add heels and nude ones really do elongate the leg and these Jessica Simpson Praylee Pumps have become the summer go to shoes...actually, I do nude heels year round and consider them a wardrobe staple. I also gave a nod to Sheila Fajl with my bangle and hoops. It took me a while to decide that I liked the brushed gold but now I am all in and love it!  To finish it off I am carrying a really cute, but but super, inexpensive handbag I found at Cato -  I just love a deal!  So here's to wrapping up the first week in July with a pop of color and a swing in my step!

The Butterfly's Daughter by Mary Alice Monroe - My Thoughts

There was a time when I regularly did (and got paid) to do book reviews, but then a season arrived where I kind of stopped reading.  Yep, literally quit reading - at least for pleasure.  I think being back in school didn't help that as I spent a lot of time reading for school and not entertainment.  Last weekend, though, I picked up a book I had for along while but not read.  The Butterfly's Daughter by Mary Alice Monroe just happened to be laying on my desk and calling my name.  Well, I now remember why I used to read so much...it is the best escape.  I will not forget that anytime soon. So here is my first (free) offering on a book....

I have always like Mary Alice Monroe and this book had enough information interwoven into the story about Monarch Butterflies that I now have a new interest in butterflies, much like I gained an interest in bee keeping after reading  Sue Monk Kidd's The Secret Life of Bees!  Weird?  Probably, but hey I love odd facts especially if you can weave some mystery and good story telling around them. 

Although The Butterfly's Daughter does weave lovely stories about butterflies in this story, it doesn't come close to the emotional pull of many of Monroe's other works .  The main character, Luz, just isn't developed enough to get invested in fully nor are any of the other characters, except possibly one who actually dies early on in the story.  It was an enjoyable read, because I like reading, but over all it wasn't Mary Alice Monroe's best offering by far.  Honestly, each turn in the book just left me hanging.  It was as if I needed more of the multiple story lines before the author was off dragging the shallow main character into another. In the end....I was just left feeling like I was read a book that wasn't finished. It was disappointing,  as I kept feeling like at any moment I was going to find the page that wouldn't let me put the book down, but it never came.  That being said, I know I will continue to follow Monroe as an author and look forward to reading another of her books where her characters have more depth and puts her talent as a writer more fully on display.