Last Call 'Til Fall? Do Me a Favor and Spare Me the Labor

Dress: Lily Rose; Skirt and bag: LC Lauren Conrad, Kohl's

Primarily Prismatic Necklace

Hair clips and sunglasses: Wild Fable, Target

Top: LC Lauren Conrad, Kohl's; Skirt: Candie's, Kohl's

Bag: SHEIN; Sunglasses: Wild Fable, Target

Top: Molly Bracken, Modcloth; Skirt: Dollhouse, Macy's

Flip flops: Katy Perry Collection, Nordstrom Rack; Necklace: I'm Your Present, Etsy; Bag: LC Lauren Conrad, Kohl's

That's right.  I said what I said.  But you should know me well enough by now to get that it's the unofficial end of summer I'm spurning and not the celebration of America's workforce.  Labor Day is the New Year's Eve of summer.  A little over-hyped and a lot melancholy, it marks a seasonal transition no one wants to make.  And that's why, in my own quirky way, I make the most of it with fashion photography.

These fits are from the long weekend, which included my parents' BBQ, a trip to the bank, and hanging around the house.  Which is not at all like "sitting around the house" from Better Than Ezra's "Good," and not just because that song references the Fourth of July instead of Labor Day, but because with  Charlotte, there's not much sitting.

That said, this last pic was, appropriately, taken today on the actual holiday.  After a day out, it was time to stay in, and I spent most of it, not in this nautical-slash-ice-cream-themed getup, but in my nightgown.

It's what the laborers would've wanted.

Pinwheel Reel: My Oh My, it's the Fourth of July

Sunglasses: Wild Fable, Target

Shoes: Mix No. 6, DSW; Headband: Celebrate, Kohl's; Bag: LC Lauren Conrad, Kohl's; Light blue bangle: Burlington Coat Factory; Royal blue bangle: So, Kohl's; Red bangle: B Fabulous 

Americana Rama Necklace

Dress: Lily Rose, Kohl's

Pinwheel: Hobby Lobby

Bag: Betsey Johnson, Modcloth

Patriotic Parrot Necklace

Striped top: Self Esteem, Macy's; Polka dot skirt: So, Kohl's

Scrunchies: Celebrate, Kohl's

Shorts: Merona, Target

Flip flops: Katy Perry Collection, Nordstrom Rack

Bag: INC, Macy's

Sparkly Sailboat Necklace

Top: Molly Bracken, Modcloth

Heart ring: Delia's; Headband: Lady Arya, Zulily; Bangles: B Fabulous; Bow bangle: Holiday Lane, Macy's; Red ring: Miami accessories cart; Multi ring: Wet Seal

Shoes: Impo, DSW; Ring: Making Waves, Ocean City; Yellow bangles: B Fabulous; Multi bangle: ?; Striped bangle: ZAD, Zulily 

Dress: So, Kohl's

Sunset Sail Barrette Brooch

Bag: Royal Monk, Modcloth

Funky Flag Necklace

Maybe I should've called this post Boat Brigade, given all the nautical paraphernalia.  Sailboats, anchors, marina flags -- even a parrot.  But it didn't have the same ring as Pinwheel Reel, nor its symbolism about keeping things spinning.

Because it was a whirlwind of a Fourth of July weekend, which means two outings instead of zero.  As you know, Saturday was my parents' BBQ, and today the husband and I went to Rita's.  I kept the Swedish fish theme going by getting that flavor gelati.  Sometime in between I remembered to eat the blueberries from the farm stand (I had to sneak in some antioxidants) -- and photograph our fortuitously red, white, and blue kitchen mat.  All of the flowers are at my parents'.  They're both gifted gardeners, unlike yours truly.    

The husband, Chippo champ. 

Life is just a bowl of berries.

Hi, Mom!

One fish, two fish, red fish, blue fish.

Flags of our flowers.

Blah backdrop?  Paint it mellow yellow!

Here comes happy!

I can't believe that another Fourth has come and gone, and that this marks the third one since the beginning of the pandemic.  But I'm still here and so are you.  And I think that that, along with America's birthday, is something worth celebrating.