Turning Over a New Leaf: Upward and Autumn

Top: Simply Vera, Kohl's 

Emboldened Arches Necklace

Skirt: LC Lauren Conrad, Kohl's

Bow: Wild Fable, Target; Sunglasses: So, Kohl's

Bag: Mellow World, Kohl's

Shoes: Chase & Chloe, Zulily

Bag: LC Lauren Conrad, Kohl's

Top: Nine West, Kohl's

Skirt: Wild Fable, Target

Skirt: Rewind, Kohl's

Cozy Colors Necklace

Bow: Wild Fable, Target; Sunglasses: Relic, Kohl's

Sweater: ModCloth

Bag: Apt. 9, Kohl's

So, this was the first week of fall.  And a funny thing happened.  Instead of saying, it's still hot, I'll keep wearing fruits and flowers until the first frost, I reached for plaids and corduroy.  The resulting fits were even brighter than some of my summer ensembles, making me wonder, wait, do I like fall?  

I was as gobsmacked as you are.  

It just goes to show that you can always grow.  Even if it means finally admitting that you loved something all along. 

So Long, Summer: Sunset Season

Well, it's happening.  We're in the last hours of summer.  For me, the most bittersweet way to say goodbye is with Elin Hilderbrand's final Nantucket novel, the aptly entitled Swan Song.

Nantucket police chief Ed Kapenash is finally retiring.  Featured in many a Hilderbrand tale, Ed has served as the moral compass of the island for decades.  Still, he can't sail off into the sunset until he solves one last case.  And it centers around glamorous newcomers Bull and Leslee Richardson.  Nantucket doesn't know what to think when the unknown couple buys a mansion on doomed property.  Spectacularly wealthy and gregarious, the Richardsons quickly become the It Couple, throwing one Bacchanalian bash after another.  Still, there's something not-quite-right about them, something their live-in personal concierge, Coco, knows all too well.

Dazzling and seductive, haunting and poignant, Swan Song is Hilderbrand at her best.  She delivers a riveting plot, poetic descriptions, and characters that we care about despite their many transgressions.  But most of all, she reminds us that we're on a journey.  

And that sometimes the sweetest season of life is the one that comes at the end.

Mad for Max: Kitsch at Capacity

Skirt: Wild Fable, Target; Shoes: Jessica Simpson Collection, DSW

Pink Petals Necklace

Bag: ModCloth; Sunglasses: Wild Fable, Target

Bow: Art Class, Target

Armed with charm(s).  

Dress: LC Lauren Conrad, Kohl's

Crafty Confection Necklace

Bag: LC Lauren Conrad, Kohl's

Cherry clip: Wild Fable, Target; Sunglasses: Kohl's

Nature's emeralds. 

Shoes: LC Lauren Conrad, Kohl's

Dress: LC Lauren Conrad, Kohl's

Bag: Betsey Johnson

Puff Piece Necklace

Yellow necklace: So, Kohl's; Belt: Belt is Cool, Amazon

Bunched up buttercup.

Shoes: Sugar, Kohl's

Sunglasses: Amazon; My Little Pony clips: Dolls Kill

When it comes to super-sized style, maxi dresses and excessive accessories make for a kitsch-tastic combo.  I'm talking about maximalism, the aesthetic that flouts the old-school edict of taking one thing off before leaving the house and instead adding five more.  I remember being excited when I found out that it was a thing.  Deep down, I'd always known it was okay to look like a try-hard Christmas tree.  So, it's with unabashed enthusiasm that I share these fits.  Stacking the flair is not only fun but functional because I like to have things to look at throughout the day.  It's why the idea of a uniform -- by which I mean anything from a school-issued skirt and blouse to a pants suit -- sends me into, to quote Anne of Green Gables, "the depths of despair."

That said, Anne, with her love of whimsy and pretty things, would've been a maximalist of the first order.

A Tropical Theme Beats a Topical Cream

Top: Nine West, Kohl's; Skirt: Dollhouse, Macy's

Emotion Commotion Necklace

Bag: Xhilaration, Target

Pitcher: Celebrate, Kohl's

Flower clips: Capelli, ULTA; Sunglasses: Mudd, Kohl's

Farm stand feels. 

Tray: Macy's Backstage

Top: Nine West, Kohl's; Skirt: LC Lauren Conrad, Kohl's

Necklace: Betsey Johnson, Amazon; Big bracelet: Amrita Singh, Zulily

Shoes: Jessica Simpson Collection, DSW

Bag: Francesca's

Dress: Nine West, Kohl's; Top: Madden Girl, Kohl's

Shoes: Unisa, DSW

Bag: Amazon

Unless, of course, you need a topical cream, in which case you should definitely use it.  Preferably while wearing a Hawaiian shirt to lend levity to the proceedings. 

Clearly, the pineapple gelati I had earlier has gone to my head.  

And on that awkward note, aloha.

Gilded Cage Rage: Tide Crimes and Misdemeanors

Don't trust men.  At least not rich men who claim to want to take care of you.  Which may be a bold way to begin a post, but it's one of the most powerful messages of Mary Kay Andrews's The High Tide Club.

The year was 1941, the place a remote island in Georgia, and four friends were forever changed because of the man one of them promised to marry.  Now it's present day, and only two are alive, one of whom is Josephine Warrick, a wealthy doyenne looking to right her wrongs before she dies.  Enter Brooke Trappnell, a down-on-her-luck lawyer and single mom.  Her first assignment?  Track down the families of Josephine's friends, the quartet known as the High Tide Club.  So named for their penchant for full moon skinny-dipping, they shared sisterhood and secrets until one fateful night.  Although reluctant to take the case, Brooke is in no position to turn down a payday.  And once she starts digging, she can't stop until she solves what turns out to be a life-changing mystery.

Drawing parallels between past and present, Andrews spins an all-consuming saga that makes you feel like you're right there in the Georgia wilderness.  Like the forest itself, it's lush with twists and turns, none of which I ever saw coming, adding depth to an already-compelling story.

Hypnotic and haunting, The High Tide Club is more than just a beach book.  It's a testament to strength and courage that'll stay with me long after the last summer moon.

Very Cherry: (Still) Celebrating Fruit Salad

Dress: LC Lauren Conrad, Kohl's

Bag: Betsey Johnson, Amazon

Red top: Marshalls; Yellow top: SHEIN

Bag: Betsey Johnson, Amazon

Shoes: Impo, DSW; Socks: Zulily

Bag Charm: lhbdesignsbylaura

Skirt: POPSUGAR, Kohl's

Shoes: LC Lauren Conrad, Kohl's

Bow: Wild Fable, Target

Bag: N by Nina, Kohl's

Chelsea Cherry Necklace

Dress: Lily Rose, Kohl's

Shoes: LC Lauren Conrad, Kohl's

Bag: LC Lauren Conrad, Kohl's

Fun fashion's always in season, and fruit always brings the fun.  Why else would cartoon characters slip on banana peels, Gallagher smash watermelons, and Carmen Miranda balance fruit on her head?  (Also, for a more current, not to mention momlife reference, Cocomelon.)  So, despite the onslaught of pumpkin propaganda (I love pumpkins, but all in due time!), it's still about produce here at the Trove.   

At least until I'm pelted with acorns.