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This knit dress has been bumping around in my closet for the last two years. It was a lucky thrift store find, a Jones New York dress that was brand spanking new with the tags still attached when I found it at the local thrift store in my Wisconsin hometown. I have been meaning to do a post about this dress since I got it, but the circumstances in which I came to find it kind of led me to put it off in favor of more important matters, and over time I just kind of forgot to do the post - until now. Before this dress came to live with me, I had been away on an overnight work training here in Scotland. I had taken the train 90 miles to Glasgow when I got the call to fly home to the US for a family emergency. All I had with me was a change of underwear, a spare t-shirt and bare minimum toiletries all stuffed into a tote bag.  Thankfully, I also had my passport. That was a lucky strike, I usually don't carry it with me when I travel within the UK, it just happened to still be in the bag from my last trip. Once I arrived in the US and things settled down a but, I realized I was in need of a dress. It was summer when all this played-out, so it was fairly easy hit up the thrift stores for casual sundresses, shorts, and t shirts to get me through while I was there, but I figured I'd take a shot at finding a more conservative occasion dress there as well. This is what I found. I am still amazed at how well this thing fits - it's body conscious without being tight. It has a subtle empire waist, so it is incredibly comfortable, and it works for most seasons. I also love that it references a Missoni knit (if you've been following the blog you'll already know that I have a soft spot for all things Missoni). Even the colors are perfect, this dress will continue to match my ever evolving hair color as it gets exponentially more silver every year. It's definitely a keeper. This post has been shared with Not Dead Yet Style's Visible Monday

This is one of my favorite dresses that I own. It's kind of ironic really, because despite all of its perfect, drapey, turquoisey, tropical flamingo realness, I really am not much of a fan of maxi dresses. I just generally have a problem with longer skirts; I find them difficult, often dowdy, hardly ever long enough, and a real pain when you have to take a big step, break into a run, walk through the rain, or basically just, well, live. But every once in a while you meet a dress that proves you wrong. This was one of those. I had really no intention of shopping the day I found this dress. I found it at Tommy Bahama last December when I was on one of my Florida jaunts and had just had lunch with a friend. We were sort of trolling the shops, not really with any particular aim, but I saw this dress and the pattern just spoke to me ("of course it did" you're saying... it's bright, loud, botanical...all the elements are there). This dress was one of those moments where you walk out of the dressing room and people you've never met say "Oooo. you need that." And I do need it. I really do. Oh, and it has pockets. Pockets you guys!

I recently realized that to try and do individual posts for all of the acid flamingo realness in my Florida closet, I would need to quit my job and relocate here full-time. While that is indeed the eventual plan, both Himself and I are still a year or few away from that realty, so I have decided to do a few "groupings".  Today's realness - my gallery of loud, questionable shorts. I call these shorts "questionable" in a very tongue-in-cheek way. To many people, the bright, kitchy prints scare them off, highlighting the insecurities we all have about our butts and thighs and whatever whatever blah blah blah...but here's the thing. When it's really hot out there (and it is getting there pretty darn quickly down here right now), there is no desire or need for a layered look, or any other means of fuss. The less the better, really. And while I love the ease of a sundress, sometimes you really just need something you can wear in and out of a boat, the store, do the yardwork, and not have to change a million times. For me, this occasion (and every occasion really) calls for a pair of crazy, colorful, printed shorts. They're easy, hide stains, and have a sense of humour about themselves that makes you happy when you put them on. A pair of crazy printed shorts thumbs it's nose at your stupid insecurities, and makes you realize that if they're not afraid to let their freak flags fly once in a while, then you shouldn't be either. All of the shorts pictured here are from Lilly Pulitzer (at this point you are not surprised by this); many I obtained secondhand, so there is a smattering of some vintage and more modern prints. And, I'm embarrassed to add, this is not the entirety of my collection. I keep and wear shorts until the arse is literally worn out of them, so there are also several pairs back at home, waiting in the wings for that one day a year in Scotland that the coach might pick them off the bench and put them in the game. Eventually, they too will relocate here to Florida, just one great big crazy-patterned questionable shorts retirement community, where they will all run free together until the end of days. I included a few of my go-to summertime companion pieces that I wear with these colorful concoctions just about every time, so sunglasses at the ready - enjoy! All shorts by Lilly Pulitzer / thrifted handbag / Wal Mart sandals

Well hello there readership! While sadly I can no longer claim that I am still within gazing distance of a palm tree (that photo is from my last day in Florida), we have been having a remarkable spell of weather here in Scotland, and I have been very busy trying to lap-up every last moment of sun and warmth while it's here. You just never know. This time of year, when you have a protracted spell of beautiful weather, that might very well be your whole allotment of summer, you just never know. That said, there's no time like the present to have a brief discussion about what on Earth to do with one's skin during the warmer summer months. This is something I grapple with every year. In fact, it's probably safe to say that I never stop grappling with it, and it isn't just limited to summer. Basically, I loathe wearing foundation. I need something  to even-out my skin tone a bit and provide a little SPF, but for several years now, I have not been able to bring myself to like what I see in the mirror when I'm wearing foundation. Long story short, I have essentially given up, electing instead to try to create a halfway-decent facial canvas by focusing on skincare and a few well-appointed illuminating products. Full disclosure: I was encouraged by a friend to make this post into a video, but as much as I loved the idea, I didn't have the time to figure out lighting and backdrops that would enable you to see these products in action. As it is, there is still no better way to try something than just to try it, so with no further ado, here are my current products in my rotation that are a part of my everyday routine. They've made my life easier - I like them a lot, and I think that you might too. Biossance + Squalane Antioxidant Cleansing Oil It was actually on this last trip to Florida that my friend who was visiting convinced me to try a cleansing oil. Both of us are from the Sea Breeze Generation - in our formative teenaged years oil was treated as something that should be removed from the body with the same enthusiasm as a demonic attachment. While those days are long behind us, there is still that little part of me that is always a bit shy of putting something oil-based on my face. Even when I need to, and I have definitely reached that time in my life when there is no question that I need to. I chose this one because it gets the highest rating from the Environmental Working Group's cosmetic safety database.  I try to use the database whenever I can (note: they don't always have everything you might use in the database). In the world of cosmetic safety, it is still very much the wild west, and there are a lot of products out there that have all sorts of strange things in them, and labelling requirements are different from country to country, and are at best, inconsistent. But I digress. Squalane is a pretty cool thing; it's a lab-engineered compound that is bio-identical to the squalane that your body makes naturally to moisturize itself (allegedly this compound was once only available commercially from sharks, yikes!) I also purchased a moisturizer from them, and it's great! Both the facial wash oil and the moisturizer keep my skin soft and supple without irritation, funky perfumes or overreaching claims of turning you into a Goddess - it just works. Farsali Rose Gold Elixir & Ulta 24k Beauty Oil I couldn't find either of these products in the EWG database, but my desire to try these products overwhelmed my sense of self-preservation (doesn't it always), and I went for not one but two different gold-infused oils to try. Granted, I did not need two of what is essentially exactly the same product, but I was feeling a bit experimental. Basically both of these products are moisturizing facial oil blends with little bits of 24k gold flake floating around in it. When you spread it on your skin, on your lips, drop it into your foundation (well, not me), or just put it wherever, it imparts a lovely glow to the skin. What's the difference? To be honest, not much. The Farsali product is a lighter-weight oil to feel; it spreads easily, has a lovely light scent, and soaks in in about 5 minutes. The Ulta oil is a thicker oil, has a lavender essential oil scent (which I love), and despite its heavier feel, soaks in much more quickly. Oh, and at $20 it is also less than half the price of the Farsali. I plan on using both of them, so I didn't mind buying two of the same product. I would however, probably save some cash and just go right for the Ulta version, but the Farsali version is lovely too. Boots No. 7 City Light Tinted Moisturizer & Laura Mercier Illuminating Tinted Moisturizer Both of these products are really lovely. The Boots City Light I actually purchased for the first time in a fit of fed-up impulsive "I quit foundation forever" exasperation. The very first time I tried it I was hooked. It comes in three shades (light, medium, and medium-dark), is moisturizing yet soaks in quickly and leaves a nice satin finish to the skin, and with just a hint of evened-out color. I use Medium in winter when I'm pale and Medium Dark in the summer. It's always a bit of a celebratory moment when I get to graduate from Medium to Medium Dark. I'm onto the medium-dark right now - because I know you were curious. The Laura Mercier Illuminating tinted moisturizer is one that I have tried in the past and liked very much, but decided it was too shiny for me. I revisited it recently because I realized that time has moved-on, and I am not very deeply ensconced in the "illluminating" period of my cosmetic lifespan - the perfect time to give this one another go. It did not disappoint. It's quite a bit pricier than the Boots version - $45 as opposed to $14, but it really is a lovely product. In fact, I was debating whether or not I was going to spend the money while I was at a Sephora in Tampa, having just been in there and smeared it all over my face. I decided to go walk around a bit to think it over, and went into Gap to buy some bras. At the checkout, the lady told me, unprompted, that my skin looked amazing. Sold. I practically ran back to Sephora to get the stuff. NYX Bright Idea Illuminating Stick in Chardonnay Shimmer Another impulse buy that I ended up loving and keeping for the forever pile. Actually, when you go on an impulse makeup search and destroy mission, this is actually probably a sign that you are looking for something to meet a need that is currently unmet in your current regimen. This stick was a purchase meant to replace the little tubes of highlighter, and eyeshadows and whatnot  - to replace all of that with just one product. It worked, and to this day, it is literally the only "eyeshadow" I even use. It's incredibly user-friendly and goes on in a pinch. A swipe on the browbones, the cheekbones, the chin...done. Don't bother me with things I have to "dust" or "dapple" or anything like that. I've got this big crayon for my face and it's all I need. This comes in a variety of colors too for those who might want to play with color. Revlon Youth FX Fill & Blur Concealer I'm on my second tube of this concealer, which I have found is the perfect under-eye concealer for me.  Granted, it's very lightweight, so if you've got serious bags, you may find that this doesn't have enough coverage, but I absolutely love it. The applicator makes it easy to apply with a few swipes and I use my fingers to blend. I don't know about you, but I'm not a fan of eye makeup that I have to keep dipping my finger into. I use the Medium color, which has just a hint of peachy tone to it which is perfect for covering-up the blue in under-eye circles. There is just a hint of highlight in this as well, sometimes I might use it at the corners of my nose or on the "marionette lines" at the corners of my mouth just for a bit of lift - it's so lightweight it just sort of blends right in. If I have any blemishes that need concealment, I keep a heavier-duty concealer (I think I use L'Oreal True Match in beige) that perfectly matches my skin tone on hand for those. Thankfully, old age seems to be going easier on my in that department. For now. Boots No. 7 Pop & Glow Blush Stick Even when I've been outside a lot and don't really need color on my face, I like to add just a hint of rosiness to my rather yellow-olivey complexion. This cream blush stick from No. 7 is perfect, and just like with the NYX highlighter stick, the same ease of use rules apply. Easy to travel with, easy to apply - you don't need a lot of tools. You don't need any tools, actually.