To the Max

Hi, friends. Here I am in a maxi skirt, sharing my thoughts with ya on all the things I define as "to the max". Or, in other words, "let's take this (insert noun here) to another LEVELLLL!"

One of those things is maxi skirts, which I tend to wear often in the fall — or in the early summer, when it's still a little on the cool side. (Full disclosure: I took these photos a while ago, which is my hair is a different color than it is now, if you notice things like that.)

I found these shoes at the beginning of the summer and have worn them nearly every single day. They're SO comfy, and they're on super sale now, so I'm considering buying another pair to hoard for next year. That's normal, right?

OK, as promised, here's a list of things I'm defining as "to the max". It's up to you to determine whether or not they're over the top. 😂

- any Google search of the Madonna Inn. I've been to this hotel in California, and it's a sight.
- since I'm admittedly interested in food, my old roomie from Wisconsin has told me stories about how the bloody mary's in her home state come topped with all the food. Here's the one that Huffington Post has determined to be the most extra.
- These shoes from the fall 2017 runway.

Hope you all have a happy Wednesday and enjoy it to the max!

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The Sweetest Bridal Shower of All Time

Of course, I'm biased, because it was my bridal shower... But my bridesmaids and dear friends Kalee, Merry and Beth threw me the sweetest shower just a couple weeks ago. I'm getting teary thinking about it! I feel so blessed to have all these lovely ladies in my life, and I'm so grateful for the opportunity to walk alongside and learn from so many women.

As evidence of that, the very next day, I had another shower with my close family friends — people who were initially my parents' friends, who became my friends, too, because becoming an adult is cool like that.

Anyway, I could blab for days, but I wouldn't blab very eloquently, and these photos from Beth Solano are more fun to look at:

The. Sweetest.

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Mint and Citrus Sun Tea

Welp, friends. Labor Day is coming up, which means everybody who loves fall will be crushing my spirits on the daily, with reminders of #PSL, pumpkins, Christmas and this meme. Hobby Lobby has already gone and done it by stocking Thanksgiving supplies. What nerve!

Anyway, you already know I love summer. But did you know I love making sun tea in the summer???? Maybe you did. Maybe that's obvious. Maybe it takes one look at me to say, "hey, that looks like a lady who loves making sun tea in the summer." I wear my heart (food) on my sleeve.

Ok, ok. Here's the recipe and such. I highly recommend you make sun tea before the sun begins to set too early — it's the easiest, and it makes you feel like a champ when you have a whole pitcher of tea to drink!

Ingredients:
- 2 family sized tea bags (or one per quart of water). If you're using regular, smaller tea bags, the general rule of thumb is about 8 bags per gallon of water.
- Water
- 1 lemon, sliced
- 3 sprigs mint

So then you slice up that lemon and add mint, tea bags and water to your pitcher. That's it! Go put the pitcher outside in direct sunlight (preferably in a pretty garden), and leave it for about 3 hours. You could go to a hair appointment and come back in that time if you wanted, or you can supervise your tea. It probably won't move, but it might.

....And, voila! It's tea!

Enjoy for 5-7 days, if it lasts that long! The lemon and mint add the best flavor to this tea, so you may not even need a sweetener. If you do, I recommend just a dash of honey. Hope you enjoy the tail end of summer! xo

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