Summer is fading, but it’s not over yet. Which means it’s time to do (and wear) all the things! I cannot believe I haven’t worn this dress all season even though it’s one of my favs. I also cannot believe I haven’t enjoyed ‘Cocktails at The View‘ at Burritt Museum until now.
First, the dress. I purchased it at least 3 years ago in Chicago at the Salvation Army. Looks newer, right? Probably because palm prints are still everywhere. Here’s a little secret – you don’t have to purchase new ish every season to look stylish. Most ‘new’ trends aren’t new at all – they are existing trends that just happen to be popular i.e., a prominent celebrity decided to wear it.
Palm prints have been around as long as people have lived at the beach. That said, I’m not hating on palms – it’s my favorite thing about this dress! Another secret, or tip rather, if you don’t have the motivation to style an outfit, just throw on a dress in a great print, and you’re pretty much done. This beauty was made by The Webster for Target. The Webster is a luxury multi-brand boutique with its flagship location in the heart of Miami Beach. I highly recommend clicking this link if you like to look at stylish things. A warning, the prices are not for the faint of heart.
Luckily, for the budget-conscience shoppers like yours truly, affordable versions popped up at Target. This was the very FIRST collection debuted as part of The Shops at Target, a partnership with specialty stores to co-create affordable, limited-edition collections. It hit stores back in May of 2012. I don’t know what I was doing, but I assure you I wasn’t waiting in line for a dress at Target. I’m about as adverse to waiting in line for the newest thing as I am to retail prices.
Dresses in this mini collection were about $40, but trust me, it feels much more expensive. It’s very luxurious – like I walked right out of a resort collection. Good things come to those who wait, and this dress showed up in the second hand world where I happily scooped it up for $12.
While the print is everything, equally important is the lining. It’s not that cheap lining that only goes half way down that is a) glaringly obvious to the naked eye, and b) clings to the top layer of the dress. Both are major pet peeves of mine, and a dead give away for cheap clothing. No, it’s the perfect lining – full length and keeps my sexy full-booty panties hidden while flowing effortlessly as I move. As if I could love this maxi dress anymore, I can still wear it with my 20 week baby bump! 
Ok enough about this dress, and more about what I’m doing in this dress. Every Wednesday from May to October at Burritt Museum you can enjoy cocktails, gourmet snacks, and live music all while looking at one of the best views in Huntsville. These are some of my favorite things, so it should be a no brainer that I attend this. However, I have 2 tiny humans at home, and midweek events can be hard to swing.
If you can dream it, you can do it. I managed to plan this midweek mini date and to my surprise it ended up being easier (and cheaper) than a proper weekend date. I simply asked my nanny to stick around 2 extra hours while we snuck away. I would typically feel terrible booking a sitter for a measly 2 hours, but problem solved as she’s already here. When Matt arrived home from work, I threw on this dress, hopped in the car, and we headed up the mountain.
The mid-week break to reconnect and relax was exactly what we needed. The best part? We were home by 7:30 in time to tuck in our oldest, and I could turn into a pumpkin around 8 like I tend to do. We enjoyed it so much we adjusted our nanny’s hours so that we could get away for a mini date every week. We may not be up on the mountain every time, but we’ll be somewhere cool, eating something yummy, and I’ll be wearing something thrifted. 
I always encourage you to hunt for your own second hand versions. If that’s not your style, check out some of the look-a-likes I found for you below.
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