Grounded, Not Tied Down

These people keep me grounded (my brother Sam, cousins Katie and Kim, and my Uncle Clark)

Hello Readers,

Tonight's post features something very dear to me.  More precious than riches or fame.  What could this be?  A hard to find dress to Anthropologie?  No!  A dream job? Nope!

That thing of which I speak is. . . FAMILY!  Over the past two weeks, I've been away from my family in St. Louis (last week) and Chicago (this week)- and in my time of absence from them I've become even more aware of their value in my life.  My mom's listening ear, my dad's advice, my brothers' antics, my grandparents' stories, the support of my aunts and uncles, and the friendship of my cousins. Warm memories, shared experiences, celebrations (accompanied with Aunt Shelly cake on my mom's side!)

The love and support of my family is what gives me confidence and keeps me going during times of joy, times of trial, and everytime in between.  They keep me grounded!

This week (it's only Tuesday- woah!), I was looking through photos of recent family events, and I thought that I could share it with you all (especially my family- SHOUT OUT!).

Photos from my cousin Bill's graduation party:

Bill is a graduate and a champ (I think he did well in this round of the tossing game)

My dad (the taller one) and my Uncle CJ

Photos from a graduation/Sunday evening gathering at my grandparents' house:

Surveying the damage to the RC truck

Swing Swing!

Dan the baseball man!

A blossoming photographer in the family! :)

Uncle John

Happy Graduation Kim!

Also, I've had my eye on the Maeve Tied Down dress from Anthropologie for quite a while, but gave up on my search after my store in St. Louis ran out and the dress became no longer available online.  Then the big sale of the year began at Anthro, and I thought I would never see the dress again- but the week that the store offered and additional 25% off, I found a dress at the store and bought it for almost 50% off the original price! I wore it to two parties in one weekend.  That is how much I love it- but, of course, not as much as I love my family!

A rural forest? Almost. . . 

Shaking hands with the trees?

There we go!

Stay Cool and Stay Stylish!

Greetings Readers!

Oh my- it's almost August, can you believe it? July flew by so quickly that so much of it seems like a blur. An event that I DO remember quite well took place on July 10th- my friend Erin's wedding! This day was wonderful for so many reasons- a beautiful ceremony between two wonderful people, a re-gathering of high school friends, dancing (and being asked to dance), and wedding cake. Also, having a ladybug land on my arm- which is apparently good luck!

Another thing that I remember about this occasion was the outfit I wore (of course!). Here's a bit of info. on this ensemble:

-CZ post earrings: Target

-Jeweled-bib necklace: American Eagle Outfitters (currently on clearance)

-Watercolor-silk dress: Donna Morgan (available at Nordstrom)

-Antique bracelet: ebay.com

I am in love with this dress! I wore it to a wedding in March and paired it with a cardigan, a ribbon (around my waist) and teal tights (pictured below, with my friend Sarah, who was also at the wedding). Before the summer ends, I must find another occasion that calls for this dress- any suggestions?

Until next time readers- stay cool and stay stylish!