Comfortable Summer Dresses for the Middle-Aged Mom

 

There's something about summer that makes me want to wear more dresses.  This year I'm all about comfort and ease, yet I still want fashionable and feminine, and I love fabrics that flow.  If you're a busy mom looking for a summer wardrobe that requires little fuss, but still provides style that flatters, take a look at what I found for very affordable prices.

 

Starting off with this long pullover dress that Hubby got me for my birthday this year, this dress is made by Chaps and was purchased at the Bonton, but I've seen it at Kohl's as well.  This is easy to wash, pulls over my head, and is incredibly comfortable. 

 

I wore it on my birthday to pick up children from school and run errands, and I wore it on a shopping excursion with our teen daughter to celebrate her 15th birthday a week later.  I love her t-shirt dress too, found at Target.

 

This bright pink Rose & Olive dress just made me think of spring/summer when I saw it at TJ Maxx.  It also just pulls over my head and drapes my body without clinging.  And no dry cleaning or ironing necessary.  That's a must in my house.

 

It's the dress I wore to church on Easter Sunday, but I'm sure I'll pull it out often.  Can you tell this was the first time we used the self-timer on my new camera? 

 

A friend of mine introduced me to an Internet boutique called Ali & Edi which is where I got this paisley tunic dress.  Their dresses are American made, of high quality, and are stylish yet easy to maintain.  Right now they're having a clearance sale with amazing prices, so go check them out.

 

I loved this dress so much that I wore it for our daughter's First Holy Communion, and two weeks later I wore it again for Mother's Day.  The carnation I'm holding was a gift our sweet ten year-old son bought for me on the way out of Mass from the local Boy Scout troop.   

 

I was looking for a casual sundress, and I found this navy blue Croft & Barrow knee-length dress at Kohl's.  It's light-weight, machine washable, and loose without looking frumpy.

 

I wore it to my younger sons' end-of-the-year pool party on a 93 degree afternoon this week.  I won't say it kept me cool, but aside from being in a swimsuit myself, it was probably the coolest thing I had to wear in public.  And hey, how farmy of a pic is this with our greenhouse and wheelbarrow in the background?  Keeping it real here at the Preppy Mountain Farmhouse.

 

I tried on eight dresses at Macy's this week, and I loved this one best of all.  This is so different from anything I have hanging in my pine wardrobe, but it just screamed "Summer" at me.  The colors remind me of popsicles, jello, and Skittles.  It's by Calvin Klein and was greatly reduced the day I bought it.  Gosh, I look annoyed with the child taking my picture.  I was really just squinting, but this confirms that I could have never hacked it as a model.

 

This dress is loose, airy, and light.  I haven't had a chance to wear it yet, but I think it could work for a number of outings depending on how it was accessorized.  The light lining underneath keeps it from being see-through and from clinging. 

 

This final dress is one I'll wear on the cooler summer days we sometimes get here in the northeastern U.S. and probably into the fall.  It's Dana Buchanan, and it's similar to another light pull-over dress I wear frequently.  Comfy, easy to wash, and no ironing necessary.  My kind of dress.

 

I found this at Kohl's on sale, and it was super cheap.  It's been too hot here this week to wear it yet, but I'm sure it will get plenty of use.  It's the only item in my wardrobe with cutout sleeves like this.  I'm venturing out of my comfort zone a little in my middle age. 

Each of these dresses was purchased for less than $100.  Most were under $50.  Style, comfort, and easy care for a middle-aged figure at affordable prices.  

And that concludes my annual summer fashion show from the boondocks in the Alleghenies.  I hope you all are enjoying your early summer as much as I am.

Dress Up Day

 

Most of my Wednesday was spent doing something I rarely do: trying on dresses in store after store.  There's an upcoming event in our future, and it gave me, my grandson, and his mama an excuse to play dress-up for the day, and it was more fun than I had imagined it would be.  Typically, shopping is not really my thing---unless it's for books.  But this day was different.

 

We tried on gowns.  And I got tips on how to take selfies in front of 3-way mirrors, which was a new skill learned that I will likely never use again.

 

I was afraid this one made me look too grandmotherly.

 

I mean, I love being a grandma...as long as I don't look like one.  This little guy was so patient as we tried on clothes.  In between trips to the dressing rooms, I stole smiles and coos as much as possible.

 

And his mama looked like this in one of the gowns.  Wow.  I know.  When we parted in the afternoon, she still hadn't made up her mind, but this red number was my personal favorite.

 

I also tried on some shorter dresses.  This one ended up coming home with me, but I decided it wasn't formal enough, so I'll save it for something else.

  

I think I decided that I like this one the best, but I'm still not positive.  The tags are still on it if I change my mind.

 

My children think the sleeves make me look like Batman, but they were one of the selling points for me because of their uniqueness.

After six stores and a surprise visit to see Hubby at work, we finally sat down for some lunch at a favorite Mexican restaurant so the baby could get changed and fed too.  Then we hit Macy's (where I found the above dress) before I had to pick up kiddos from school.  I'm eager to see which gown my shopping partner picked.  

And I'm really thinking of returning tomorrow and buying the long purple gown too---even if it does make me look like a grandmother.  The sales were great today, and I'd love to have options in my wardrobe as we head into the holidays.

I hope your Hump Day was an enjoyable one too!

Finding Preppy Fall Fashion in Rural America

 

  This post is for those of you who don't live near any major metropolitan areas, and your shopping choices are severely limited, especially if you love classic preppy clothes.  This means no Vineyard Vines, Lilly Pulitzer, Kate Spade, or Tory Burch unless you shop on the Internet.  I don't know about you, but sometimes I need to browse the stores, try on a stack of clothes, and walk out with something today---not wait for UPS to deliver it next week.  So here are a few of the outfits I've been able to find recently.  Most of them were purchased locally, but there are a few items I did rely on the catalog/Internet to purchase.  These are all from major retailers that are located all over the country.  I figure if I could create a preppy wardrobe out here in the very rural Allegheny Mountains, you can do it anywhere.

In the photo above: Black & white paisley dress and shrug (Perceptions), black leather flats (Liz Claiborne) both from JC Penney.  The purse was made by an artisan in Aiken, SC many years ago, so that was not purchased locally.  I actually bought this dress and shoes 3 years ago, and it is the oldest outfit I'm wearing in this post, but I included it because it's one of the most comfortable dresses I own, and I love paisley.  I often wear it in the summer without the shrug since it's sleeveless and light weight, but it continues to work for early fall as well.  And it never needs ironed, which is a definite plus.  

 

I just found this shirt and skirt last week, and the entire outfit was on sale and only totaled $30!   Striped boatneck shirt (Tommy Hilfiger) & blue skirt (Lauren/Ralph Lauren) from Macy's.  The leather basketweave loafers (West 31st) are from the Bonton and are nearly a decade old.  I'm always looking for shirts this time of year that aren't too heavy, but that aren't summery either.  This one is perfect with 3/4 length sleeves, and it's not too thick or thin.  I think I'll also pair it with jeans or chinos.

 

I found this Argyle sweater (Croft & Barrow) on clearance this past spring at Kohl's.  It buttons up the front so I can wear it as a cardigan over a t-shirt, turtleneck, or collared blouse too.  The tan skirt (Merona) is from Target, but I purchased that about 11 years ago after our sixth child was born when I couldn't fit back into any of my old clothes.  And I never ever returned to a size 4 again.  The black & white striped ballet flats (Mossimo) were bought at Target over a year ago.

 

By the way, most of my children were enlisted to be my photographers yesterday whether they wanted to or not.  The only one who was excited about doing so was our seven year-old daughter who happily snapped away while I tried to give her instructions.  She must have taken 15 shots of me in this outfit. 

 

You can't really see the stripes in this blouse, but it's a beautiful pink & white cotton pinstriped shirt (Lauren/Ralph Lauren) found at Macy's last week.  There were many colors to choose from, but this was my favorite.  The navy blue chinos (L.L. Bean) are one of those items I had to mail-order, but I bought the white reversible leather belt from Kohl's, and the paisley canvas sneakers (Mossimo) were purchased at Target in the spring.  I know they're not really fall-like, but I like them so much that I'll probably continue wearing them throughout this month.  Oh, and that's me trying to keep the gnats out of my eyes and mouth.  Yesterday had to be the buggiest day all summer---which didn't make it any easier to persuade my boys to come outside and take pictures.

 

Aside from swatting bugs, we also had goat kids escaping their pasture and coming up to our photo shoot.

 

This is what they were doing under the clothesline while we were taking pictures of preppy clothes.

 

This is the last of my outfits today because it was the last of the photographing.  My ten year old son took two pictures while the gnats swirled around his head, and he said he was done.  I was tired of dealing with them too, and it was incredibly warm and muggy, and I was perspiring in my fall clothes.  This was the best shot of the two, and not very flattering of me, but it shows the outfit: White t-shirt (Land's End), oatmeal cardigan I purchased in early summer (Gap), blue jeans (St. John's Bay) bought at JC Penney a year ago, same leather reversible belt (Kohl's), dark brown leather heeled loafers from Bon Ton a year or so ago, and a gold cross necklace that belonged to my grandmother (all my pearls need restrung.)  I have discovered that cardigans are the best wardrobe item for those of us with an expanding midriff.  They camouflage that middle-aged spread quite nicely.

These clothes work for most of my days: volunteering, substitute teaching, chauffeuring children, shopping and running errands, attending meetings, and doing things around the house.  Macy's, BonTon, Kohl's, Target, and the Gap supplied most of the items, and I supplemented with L.L. Bean and Land's End.  It takes some real looking through the stores to find classic American clothing that looks good on a middle-aged mom who tries to be frugal, but it can be done...even in the middle of nowhere.

More Affordable Summer Outfits For the Middle-Aged Mom

 

Along with celebrating my forty-something birthday this week, I did a little bit of clothes shopping for myself and also received some wonderful outfits as gifts.  Everything in this post is inexpensive, practical but still interesting, and most of it can be found at Kohl's.  Other than working on the color and cropping a bit from these photos, there was no touching up.  So these are of the real, slightly heavier than last summer, middle-aged me.  I try to keep it real on this blog. 

Hubby surprised me with the sundress above on my birthday.  It's been a long time since he bought me clothing that can be worn out in public.  He did an excellent job, I think.  This dress is Chaps and is found at Kohl's.  I love the light, flowing fabric and the way it feels on me.  I haven't had a long sundress in ages, but  I'll be wearing this a lot.  It will be perfect for an upcoming grandmother/mother/daughter banquet and a future baby shower.  On my feet are the same thong sandals worn last year from Land's End.

 

I found this plaid skort at Kohl's yesterday and paired it with an old white sleeveless blouse purchased at Target after our 6th child was born and I could no longer wear any of my size 4 clothing.  The white canvas sneakers are a couple of years old too, and I have no idea where I bought them.  The white reversible belt was also purchased at Kohl's, and the turquoise watch is Gossip brand and is one of those cute watches that you can switch the colors of the bands.  This just feels perfect for backyard barbecues and picnics.

 

This nautical jersey knit dress is also Chaps and from Kohl's.  I like it because it's a bit thicker than a lot of the t-shirt or polo dresses in the stores today, and it's also not too clingy.  The horizontal stripes do make me look a little wider than I'd prefer to be, but that's a good motivator to keep me running.  There's just a hint of red at the button line, so I switched the watchband to a red leather one.  The white sandals are the same ones as last year and are from JC Penney.  Great for shopping, casual dinners, and carting kids to summer activities.

 

Now that I'm attempting to train for a 5K next spring, I was in dire need of some running clothes.  My husband found some great stuff at Kohl's.  Along with some sports bras (which you will NOT see me in), he also found these Fila running capris that have this nifty pocket in the side for my cellphone.  That comes in handy since I use it to track my time, check my heart rate, and have it on hand if I should ever come up against a bear in the woods and need some saving (yes, this has happened before.)  I raided my kids' drawers for the running pullover in the photo so you wouldn't see the sports bra.  And the Nike sneakers were found for a steal at Macy's last week.  No need to explain where I'll be wearing these, and I try to never run errands in my spandex or yoga pants.

So this concludes my new summer finds that didn't break my budget and that aren't too young and hip or too grandmotherly either.  The weather was not cooperating during this mini photo shoot.  It poured down rain and blew all over the porch, and it was only about 55 degrees.  I coerced my teenagers to take the photos, and years from now I'm sure I'll hear about how much they hated being my personal fashion photographer.  But I just can't get the selfie thing down, and this is one of the advantages of having a large family.

What do you know?  The sun is peeking out, and it's time to pick up my younger ones from their very last day of school for the summer.  Woohoo!

We Welcome Spring With Paisley Prints, Corned Beef, and Easter Prep

Like most of you, we are happy to be celebrating the beginning of spring.  With the mild winter we had here in the Northeast, spring is here weeks before it arrived last year.  Although our daffodils aren't blooming quite yet, our forsythia is covered with blossoms, and the ground is greener than I can ever remember in March.  We are usually tromping through snow or mud at this time.  With all of the Christmas and winter decor put away for another year, I've been looking for some new spring items to brighten up our old farmhouse and myself.

There are buds beginning to appear on the trees, and just look at this green grass already.  It's so nice to peer out the windows and see a color other than brown or white.

I found this silky, textured, paisley top at Kohl's and couldn't resist purchasing it.  The 3/4 length sleeves are perfect for this time of year when it's still only in the forties in the morning, but the temps climb to the upper sixties by the afternoon.  I love the way this shirt feels and hangs on my body.  It doesn't cling to my middle aged midriff, but it doesn't pouf out to make me look twenty pounds heavier either.

I returned to Kohl's last weekend looking for more of those paisley tops, but I couldn't find any left in my size.  My husband spotted this short-sleeved black and white one on the clearance rack that is also Croft & Barrow.  It's not in spring colors, but at $2.80 how could I not buy it?

Along with some spring shirts for me, I've also been looking for a new kitchen tablecloth for these months leading up to summer.  Because there are so many of us, we have a nine foot table, and it is challenging to find tablecloths this long in our town.  I discovered that Home Goods had quite a selection, and I fell in love with this blue and green paisley cotton tablecloth.  Better yet, it was even on sale.  How many days do you think it will take for one of my children to spill something all over it?  I'm hoping we can make it through Easter dinner.

Not only did I find the paisley tablecloth, but I also came across these green paisley paper napkins in a clearance bin at Party City.  I thought they'd be great for St. Patrick's Day.

My youngest also talked me into buying fresh flowers at the supermarket since we had company last weekend.  I'm waiting for our daffodils to bloom.

Speaking of St. Patrick's Day, I made corned beef brisket for the first time ever.  I found a simple recipe on Pinterest where you just placed the brisket in the crockpot with some vegetables, beef broth, water, peppercorns and thyme.  It cooked all day and was so tender.  Some of my kiddos weren't fond of it, but others really liked it.

Since some of my children weren't crazy about the corned beef, we actually had leftovers, which means making my favorite sandwich ever: Reubens.  I made Reubens for lunch and dinner on Saturday, for dinner again on Sunday, and for my lunch one more time yesterday.  The last little bit went to our beagle last evening.  For those of you unfamiliar with Reubens, they're super easy to make and delicious.  

Reubens

Spread Thousand Island salad dressing on 2 slices of rye bread.  Place sliced corned beef, Swiss cheese, and sauerkraut in the middle.  Toast like you're making grilled cheese sandwiches.

Aside from buying paisley prints and eating corned beef, we've also been getting ready for Easter.  Our older daughter has been sick with the flu, so our first grader was eager and willing to arrange our Easter decorations throughout the house.  I looked on Pinterest for some new ideas, and when I saw this one, I knew it was simple enough for me to try.  Easter grass, malted eggs, and a chocolate bunny placed in a Mason jar.  So simple.  But does anyone else think this chocolate rabbit looks a little deranged?  My kids think it's a bit creepy.

The St. Patrick's Day sign was wiped away, and I drew a new design on the chalkboard for the front porch.  I'll refrain from sharing any other Easter foods or decorations until Easter Sunday has actually arrived.

From our mountain farm to yours, I'm wishing you all a Happy Spring, and may the remainder of your Holy Week be blessed.