Life's a Beach

In a few days I will FINALLY have my toes in the sand- the moment I've been waiting for all summer. I technically bought this top to be used as a swimsuit cover-up at the beach, that's how Forever 21 categorized it even, but I've worn it several times as a cardigan of sorts. It's easily my favorite piece in my wardrobe right now because it can so easily be dressed up or down depending on where I'm going.

The bad news is... I know some of you might really love this kimono top, but it's no longer available at Forever 21. There are some different patterns, but this one has disappeared. Don't be mad at me, PLEASE! I strongly recommend you picking up this piece if you like the available pattern! It's under $16, and I am wearing it two or three times a week. On this particular afternoon, we headed over to a friend's house for dinner. I paired my trusty Old Navy cut-offs with some wedge sandals (which are now over 3 years old and probably nearing retirement) to dress it up a little bit. The fabric is super light and gauzy, and anytime I wear it out, I get lots of compliments.

Kimono Top- Forever 21+ (Current Style Available)
TankTop- Target (similar here)
Denim Cut-offs- Old Navy (Buy Here)
Shoes- Kohl's (similar here)

Like I said, this particular style is sold out as of right now, but I've included below a few of my favorites in similar colors. I will be packing tomorrow, so no post, but I hope you all have a great weekend! I will check in from the beach on Instagram, but we purposely chose a condo with no wi-fi to disconnect and unplug. Sean's addiction to the iPad is going to be most affected, and he's already grumbling about me wasting a week of his summer vacation on the "boring beach!" Wish me luck!

Dresses with Built in A/C- Why Didn't I Think of That?

I really intended to blog more this summer. Really. But I've discovered that most days I don't even get out of my pajamas, much less put on a bra and real clothes. Then you have the heat and humidity to contend with. And the sun! I see lots of women making fun of bloggers for looking down at their feet in photos, but what you quickly realize is that if you try to look at a camera in the blazing sun, all of your photos end up squinty and goofy (see below for an example). So me staring pensively at my feet is what you get this time!

Dress: Forever 21+ (Buy Here)
Sandals- Kohl's (Old, Similar Here)
Purse- Old Navy (Colors Available Here)

Nearly two weeks ago, Curtis and I decided to go see a matinee showing of Jersey Boys. Early afternoon movies are the only ones I can handle any more---- teenagers acting like fools in public just makes me ragey, I guess because I'm closer to 80 years old than 16 anymore!!)  That being said, I'm fairly certain no teenagers would have been at any showing of Jersey Boys. But in order to get photos of my great new dress, I guess I had to go to a daytime movie. It was just meant to be! This was also the last time in two weeks I have had on make-up or been in high heels. I had nearly forgotten how to walk in any thing other than flip-flops! I know, first world teacher problems, right?

Like I mentioned in my last post, Forever 21 is one of my go-tos for cheap summertime pieces. This dress is a little too revealing for the classroom, but perfect for a sweet movie date. I loved the little cut-out in the back. It was like built in A/C for my back fat, and who couldn't use that in the summer!?

Below are some of my favorite "A/C" dresses from Forever 21. They all have cute prints and edgy cut-outs in the back. Even better Forever 21 is currently having a big 30% off sale, so what are you waiting for?

Brands I Buy: Forever 21+

Lulu grabbed up my favorite sunglasses the other day and chewed on them. It was only a few seconds, but she wore those suckers out. Luckily, it was a pair of cheapos from Forever 21, so I wasn't totally devastated. In fact it was a good excuse to do a little shopping! (Sidenote: Does anyone ever need a good excuse to go shopping?!)

I don't shop very often at Forever 21, mostly because the clothes there are clearly marketed for a younger crowd and are often too casual for the workplace. However, over the years I have gotten a few casual summer pieces from their plus-size line, including this great maxi dress, this fun tank top, this floral dress, and this lemon-print tank. Forever 21 is a great way for me to add a couple of casual pieces to my summer wardrobe without spending a lot of money on something that may not be acceptable for work wear.

This time around I grabbed up another pair of sunglasses along with this sweet dress with a peek-a-boo back cut-out (but still plenty of coverage for a real bra!). I also got this super cute Forget-Me-Not swimsuit and a cover-up (which apparently is no longer available, so I'm not even going to show you how frigginn' cute it is), as well as another elephant-print tank.  We are headed to the beach next month, and I know all these pieces will definitely get packed up.

Remember, if you click on or scroll over the pictures below you can get price and buying info! So tell me, do you ever shop at Forever 21 or do you avoid it?