• fall,  fashion,  summer

    How to Make a Fancy Dress more Casual

    I shared this dress earlier this month for my birthday post. When I bought it I thought of it only as a special occasion dress but then I started to think about as any of my other dress. Is it dressy and colorful? Yes it is, but that does not mean it can only be worn for that occasion. Wearing this dress from I’ll Have What She is Wearing to church and the botanical gardens shows you that a dress can really be for any occasion. Here are the steps I took to tone it down and make your fancy dress more casual: Making My Dress Casual with Sneakers Adding…

  • outdoors,  travel

    Atlanta Botanical Gardens: My Walking Tour

    I really enjoyed taking pictures on our last visit to the Atlanta Botanical gardens so today I am sharing some of our favorites from our own little walking tour. We have visited enough times that we do not feel the need to visit each nook and knowing we have a membership allows us to not feel any rush while we are there. Architecture This large building houses the rainforest sections, the desert section as well as the orchid house. There are also a couple more areas in here including an educational wing. It is nice to have an area that is protected against the elements if it is hot or…

  • budget,  fall,  fashion,  Ways to wear

    What Shoes to Wear with a Denim Dress

    About a month ago, Jodie (JtouchofStyle) and I entered a giveaway hosted by Kancan USA and we both won an item of our choice! We decided to choose the same item so we could both style it on our blogs! At Jodie’s suggestions we chose the Virginia Button Down denim dress. I didn’t own one and love the idea of wearing it as a dress and as a duster/layer since the buttons are functional. There are many ways to style this type of dress but today I am focusing on what of shoes to wear with your denim dress! I kept my accessories the same to keep the focus on…

  • budget,  fashion,  summer

    Back to School Style with the Ageless Style Link Up

    What is back to school style? I guess with the end of summer approaching and the temperatures not as hot, I start reaching for the same items as other summers past! Today’s back to school outfit starts with 2 pieces I wore last year in the back to school ageless style post here! These wide leg jeans from Loft are fun as they allow air flow and create a different silhouette. The large tote, I enjoy using this time of the year as children start sports and I can carry a water bottle, a book and a notebook in addition to what I would usually have in my purse. I…

  • outdoors,  travel

    Atlanta Botanical Gardens: Orchid House

    This past Sunday, my family and I visited the Atlanta Botanical Gardens. I took so many pictures I decided to dedicate several blog posts to our visits. Today, I am focusing on the orchid house since they were one of my favorites and many were in bloom. I shared another visit earlier this year when the origami exhibit was about to start. Here is that post of you want to admire the large and small beautiful sculptures, another post explores some of my favorite spots while this post focuses on some of the plants. The different seasons display different flowers and beauty as well as exhibits so I did purchase a…

  • fashion,  summer

    Happy 47th Birthday to Me: A Carribean Dream

    This summer, my mother in law gifted me some money to spend on myself. I decided to shop a small business and spent some time browing I’ll have what she’s Wearing’s website. This dress just spoke to me as I was planning my anniversary trip (coming up in 2 weeks!) and I thought it would be pretty to wear in Costa Rica. I took these pictures about a month ago and decided to save them for this post therefore the longer hair. The dress can be worn on the shoulders, off the shoulders and on one shoulder, and the matching belt can be worn or you could wrap it around…

  • budget,  fall,  fashion

    Thrifted Floral Kimono: Completer Piece for Fall

    In the summer, I typically do not wear a third piece to complete my outfit as the heat and humidity make it uncomfortable. I will seldom wear a scarf or a kimono even if I am wearing a tank underneath. So while I actually did wear this outfit on an overcast day near the end of August as an exception I will definitely be wearing different versions of it throughout the fall. Fall is a time for me to wear a tee and a scarf on warmer days and add a light layer on cooler ones. You can recreate this outfit with your own tops and kimonos and leggings of…

  • outdoors

    Butterflies and Flowers

    One of my goals this years has been to delight in the little things and to find contentment in moments in my day. One of the ways to do that has been to sit outside with my coffee in the morning and to plant some zinnias and sunflowers near the house and the patio. These have brought the butterflies even if a little later in the season than usual. Last week,  I took a few moments to take some snapshots. When I plant something, it has to be resilient and need little care. Zinnias are easy to plant, come up fairly quickly and come in a variety of colors. My…

  • budget,  fall,  fashion,  Sunday Showcase

    Transitioning Shorts for Fall with the Sunday Showcase

    One of my favorite and one of the easiest way to transition an outfit for fall is to add a denim jacket. I love my denim jackets and I have several washes and colors. I alternate between them depending on my mood and the day. You will see how they and different pairs of shoes change up one dress later one this month. For today, though, I am sharing a summer outfit and how I made it more fall appropriate. This is an outfit I wore at the beginning of August after I found the shorts on the clearance rack at TJMaxx. I love the length and the price ($10)…

  • budget,  fashion

    Shoes: My Essential Pairs to take me through the Seasons

    I was thinking about shoes the other day as I was reaching for one of my favorites to wear and wondered which 10 I would keep if they were the only pairs I could keep. It really was not difficult for me to choose those pairs which led me to realize that there were probably at least 10 pairs I could part with without regrets. I did count my pairs of shoes after this exercise and was surprised to see that I had 47 pairs of shoes. Some I do not wear very often even in season such as my Sorel snow boots or some of my heeled sandals. Some…