Tropic Like it’s Hot: Still on That Staycation

Dress: Necessary Objects, Macy's

Shoes: London Rag, Kohl's

Bag: Kelly & Katie, DSW

Dress: Lily Rose, Kohl's; Top: Madden Girl, Kohl's

Getaway Glam Necklace

Bag: So, Kohl's

Skirt (a dress!): Zulily

Bag: Current Mood, Dolls Kill

Eye of the tiger lilies.

Top: Juicy Couture, Kohl's

Shoes: Bucco, Kohl's

It's finally officially summer!  And I, of course, am here for it.  Full disclosure, I wore these fits when it was still spring (because things at the Trove always run behind schedule).  But I have lots more fruits and florals in store.  So join me for another season of color and chaos.   

Like all the seasons that came before it.             

Cheese, Please: You’ve Got to Have Courage

After months of self-imposed anticipation, I finally sunk my teeth into Rachel Ekstrom Courage’s  Murder by Cheesecake.  And it was delicious.  Because this is no ordinary cozy mystery, but a stranger-than-fan-fictionesque romp staring none other than The Golden Girls!

Dorothy, Rose, Blanche, and Sophia are throwing a last-minute wedding for Rose’s cousin when Dorothy’s date turns up dead in a fridge full of cheesecake.  (And yes, the Girls still serve the dairy delight; no cheesecake goes to waste on their watch.)  When Dorothy becomes the prime suspect, they juggle sussing out the killer with orchestrating St. Olaf wedding traditions.  Wackiness ensues.

What strikes me the most is the characters.  Courage masters each Miami maven’s voice, from brand of witty one-liner to sartorial preference to colorful backstory.  It’s as if the sitcom has shot off into a quirky, crime-solving dimension without missing a Miami Vice beat.  Which is not only a joy, but a relief.  Because whenever someone takes on a pop culture classic, there’s always this waiting-for-the-other-shoe-to-drop feeling of they'd better get it right.  But Ekstrom shows that she knows her Girls, honoring their memory in just the genre where their heart and humor always belonged.  

And that, dear friends, calls for more cheesecake.

Red, Yellow, and Blue: These Fits are for You

Top and skirt: LC Lauren Conrad

Shoes: Penny Loves Kenny, DSW

Bag: LC Lauren Conrad, Kohl’s 

Necklaces and bangles: PlastiqueHommage 

Striped bangle: Amrita Singh, Zulily

Top: Candie’s, Kohl’s; Skirt: Rewind, Kohl’s 

Deep Blue Twee Necklace

Top: Elizabeth and James, Kohl’s; Skirt: LC Lauren Conrad, Kohl’s 

Bag: Kate Spade New York for Target

Sparkly Sailboat Necklace

Bow: A New Day, Target

Skirt: LC Lauren Conrad, Kohl’s 

Boats, boats, boats.

Sunglasses: A New Day, Target; Clip: Piper K, Marshall’s

Big Minnie and Little Minnie.

Cardigan: LOFT

Bag: Marshalls

Nautical nonsense.

I love primary colors.  Sometimes I reach for them without even thinking, the fiery reds, cheerful yellows, and serene blues bewitching me with their bold balance. That, or I have McDonald’s and blue Icees on the brain.  Either way, I unearthed some of my nautical necklaces to accent these crayon box classics. Because summer is about old traditions and new adventures.

And enjoying DayGlo beverages.

Soulmate Fate: Should I Stay or Should I Grow?

It's been a while since I blogged about a book or did a book post on Insta.  Which is funny, because the Insta book was by Josie Silver too.  But the heart wants what the heart wants, and apparently mine wanted love, loss, and a tear in the space-time continuum.  Enter The Two Lives of Lydia Bird.  Twenty-eight-year-old Lydia's fiancé dies in a car accident on her birthday.  She escapes the pain by sleeping, dreaming about -- and quite possibly living -- their life as it might have been.  But dividing her time and heart is a lot, raising more questions than it answers.

I love a love story, and The Two Lives of Lydia Bird is a good one.  But ultimately, it's not about whom we're meant to be with, but whom we're meant to be.  And I love that kind of story most of all.

Kitschy 'til the Cows Come Home: Neon Trees and Jujubes

Top: Madden Girl, Kohl's; Skirt: Wild Fable, Target; Boots: Betsey Johnson, Zulily

Sunset Ranch Necklace

Bag: Zulily

Clips: Marshalls

Hand cream: Cath Kidston, Kohl's

Top: ModCloth; Skirt: Trixxi, Kohl's; Bag: Dolls Kill; Shoes: Madden Girl, Amazon

Glamazon of the Galaxy Necklace

Lipstick schtick.

Purple clip: Lisa Frank, Kitsch

Yellow: Always appealing.

 Skirt: So, Kohl's

Clips: Every '80s baby's Kitsch wish come true.

Bag: Amazon

Top: Care Bears, Dolls Kill

Just kidding.  There are no jujubes.  Just two candy-bright fits that I wore to work and one I wore in my yard.  Partly because I can't drive in those boots and partly because even I have my limits.  Still, my coastal-cowgirl-going-to-a-rave look holds a special place in my heart.  Maybe one day I'll get to wear it for real.

Stagecoach, here I come.

Blooper Scooper: Mother's Day Hits and Kisses

Dress: LC Lauren Conrad; Kohl's; Bow barrette: Wild Fable, Target 

Cake Talk Necklace

Shoes: Madden Girl, Macy's

Proud graduate of Mom's school of I hope it's enough.

Sunglasses: Wild Fable, Target

ShopRite: Baking so moms don't have to.

Bag: Madden Girl, Kohl's

Just two rebels wearing white shoes before Memorial Day.

This was my second year hosting Mother's Day.  And by hosting, I mean serving store-bought dessert after my dad takes us out for dinner.  Still, I managed to drop my niece's ice cream on her dress and my nephew's on the table.  What can I say?  Coordination isn't my strong suit.  Anyway, I loved hearing Charlotte's shrieks as she ran around with her cousins while I caught up with my mom and sister.  And when it was over and it was just cake crumbs and crumbled tissue, I realized what I had to reach midlife to learn: messy is happy.

So, to all who celebrate, I hope that you had a great Mother's Day, one so full of laughter and heart that you had to break out the Dust Buster.

Although not literally.  Because cleaning on Mother's Day is sacrilege.  

And no one has Dust Busters anymore.