It’s been a full summer thus far. I haven’t really had much time to post. So hi! New dresses. New haircut. New kitten.

Lots of dresses! I went on an unexpected summer dress shopping spree of sorts. I made no conscious decision for dresses. They just found me. I would suddenly say “Oooo…. I have to try this!” And then it came home with me.

Please give me your honest feedback!

First two are from Walmart’s Sofia Vergera line. This line is TERRIFIC! It’s all polyester. But the cuts so far have been unbelievably good for my body lines. It makes the clothes feel much more expensive than they are—quite the bonus when the price point is so affordable.

1-2. Sofia Vergaras Tropical ruffle dress. So flirty and sexy. Most large prints make me feel like I’m a retirement home grandma. (I’m not trying to be derogatory, I just feel very frumpy in large prints.) This one somehow feels good. The color is delicious! A vibrant blood orange with plummy chocolate and dashes of warm pink. The top can be off-shoulder or on-shoulder depending on my mood. It has pockets! Squeeee!!! The material is a fab medium-weight seersucker type weave. It’s surprisingly cool and breathable even for polyester.

3-4. Sofia Vergaras black satin halter neck. Not a true halter neck, as this has a full back. I actually find halter necks where the entire bodice is hanging from a thread around my neck to be uncomfortable. But this looks halter neck with more back coverage while keeping my neck comfortable. This does feel rather hot due to it being satin, but I sacrifice for a good dress. And hello! It has pockets too! This dress feels 1940s/50s Old Hollywood does resort wear. I will wear a cardigan over it in church for modesty’s sake. But otherwise, easy, breezy.

5-6. Cotton and Rye. 100% cotton. Sooo light and breezy! The long front slit and lightweight cotton fabric make it so cool to wear. The bodice is a bit big technically but I like the overall ease at the waist and hips. I don’t feel the bodice is visually baggy or huge looking. I love the print and color! The puff sleeves are a tad uncomfortable. The elastic is tighter. However, the elastic is actually sewn into the fabric hem vs free casing where I can just yank it out. Removing the elastic would be a lot of work for a beginner sewist like me. So it will have to wait for a tailor or improved sewing skills to tackle it. What I love is I can easily transition this dress into autumn/winter with tights, boots, and a good cardigan or jacket. Though, the puff sleeves do cause bulges under thin and snug sweaters. Might have to wear something with more sleeve ease…

7-8, 13. Old Navy, Waist Defined Midi Dress. Also cooling cotton. Love the sleeves, plunging V-neck, and smocked waist. I need to find a camisole or the right kind of bra to wear under it, as I love the plunging neckline but am not certain how to support or tame it. The skirt feels a bit too wide for me? I might have it taken in. This also has pockets! Gosh, I love dresses and skirts with pockets. Really unusual warm rose color. But it’s terrific with my dark autumn fans. The color is called “mauve rose” and I worried it would be a summer or soft autumn maybe. Instead, it’s almost like the rosy insides of a fresh fig.

9. New haircut. I ditched the inverted bob and went jaw-length with soft layers. I also had her add side-swoop bangs. This is as short as I dare go. (Any shorter and I tend to look quite masculine.) And I had my hair freshly colored. We returned my hair to a shade closer to my natural color, ditching the old highlights.

10-12. My new kitten, Henry. <3 Our beloved Meeker passed away June 17th. He was 16-years-old, so not unexpected but a loss nonetheless. He had such a special personality. Everyone was his friend. Even the cat even cat haters adored. We still have our elderly Siamese Otis with us and had agreed a new kitten might be too much for him. My husband still found himself looking at kittens for sale. And then we saw Henry and we had to get him. He’s a Scottish Straight, which is a Scottish Fold without the folded ears. He is still in the kitten stage so it will be interesting to see his adult personality develop. He loves sleeping on my head at night. I mean literally sleeps on my pillow, curled around the top of my head. I have no idea why lol! It’s sweet though.

Hugs and summer drinks to you all! xo