butterfly kimono, floral slip dress, summer print mixing, straw hat, Shelbee on the Edge

My Birthday Butterfly Kimono & #SpreadTheKindness Link Up #282

July 5, 2022 / 54 Comments
butterfly kimono, floral slip dress, summer print mixing, straw hat, Shelbee on the Edge
butterfly kimono, floral slip dress, summer print mixing, straw hat, Shelbee on the Edge
butterfly kimono, floral slip dress, summer print mixing, straw hat, Shelbee on the Edge
butterfly kimono, floral slip dress, summer print mixing, straw hat, Shelbee on the Edge
butterfly kimono, floral slip dress, summer print mixing, straw hat, Shelbee on the Edge
butterfly kimono, floral slip dress, summer print mixing, straw hat, Shelbee on the Edge
butterfly kimono, floral slip dress, summer print mixing, straw hat, Shelbee on the Edge
butterfly kimono, floral slip dress, summer print mixing, straw hat, Shelbee on the Edge
butterfly kimono, floral slip dress, summer print mixing, straw hat, Shelbee on the Edge
butterfly kimono, floral slip dress, summer print mixing, straw hat, Shelbee on the Edge
butterfly kimono, floral slip dress, summer print mixing, straw hat, Shelbee on the Edge
butterfly kimono, floral slip dress, summer print mixing, straw hat, Shelbee on the Edge

My mother-in-law sent me this beautiful buttery yellow butterfly and floral print kimono for my birthday this year and I have been dying to share it with you all. I took these photos way back around the time of my birthday at the end of May but I haven’t had the opportunity to post them yet with all of our summer activities and my regularly scheduled style challenges.

Speaking of my regular style challenges, are you familiar with all of them? They generally account for 12 posts per month which doesn’t leave me much space and time for sharing randomness these days. Anyone is welcome to play along with any of these style challenges as well. They are definitely a fun way to think more creatively about your wardrobe.

Here is a short list of all of them in case you are interested in joining any of them.

  • Songful Style: On the last Monday of every month, 5 bloggers choose a song for inspiration and you let it move you to creative styling.
  • Style Imitating Art: Every two weeks, 3 bloggers choose a work of art to inspire your style.
  • Stylish Monday: On the second Monday of every month, 15 bloggers style outfits based on a chosen theme.
  • The Good Buy/Good-Bye Book: On the 15th of each month, Nancy and I invite you to share your good and bad buys based on a chosen theme.
  • The Magnificent 8: On the last Wednesday of every third month (January, April, July, and October), 8 bloggers ranging in age from 20s to 80s share our ageless style based on a chosen theme.
  • The Thrifty Six: On the third Monday of every month, 6 bloggers share our thrifted outfits based on a chosen theme.
  • Your Own Twist: On the third Thursday of every month, Monica and I share our own twist on a chosen style theme.

If you are in need of some sartorial inspiration, won’t you take some time to check them out and maybe even challenge yourself to try a few. It never hurts to step outside of your comfort zone every once in a while!

butterfly kimono, floral slip dress, summer print mixing, straw hat, Shelbee on the Edge
butterfly kimono, floral slip dress, summer print mixing, straw hat, Shelbee on the Edge
butterfly kimono, floral slip dress, summer print mixing, straw hat, Shelbee on the Edge
butterfly kimono, floral slip dress, summer print mixing, straw hat, Shelbee on the Edge
butterfly kimono, floral slip dress, summer print mixing, straw hat, Shelbee on the Edge
butterfly kimono, floral slip dress, summer print mixing, straw hat, Shelbee on the Edge
butterfly kimono, floral slip dress, summer print mixing, straw hat, Shelbee on the Edge
butterfly kimono, floral slip dress, summer print mixing, straw hat, Shelbee on the Edge
butterfly kimono, floral slip dress, summer print mixing, straw hat, Shelbee on the Edge
butterfly kimono, floral slip dress, summer print mixing, straw hat, Shelbee on the Edge
butterfly kimono, floral slip dress, summer print mixing, straw hat, Shelbee on the Edge
butterfly kimono, floral slip dress, summer print mixing, straw hat, Shelbee on the Edge
butterfly kimono, floral slip dress, summer print mixing, straw hat, Shelbee on the Edge
butterfly kimono, floral slip dress, summer print mixing, straw hat, Shelbee on the Edge
butterfly kimono, floral slip dress, summer print mixing, straw hat, Shelbee on the Edge
butterfly kimono, floral slip dress, summer print mixing, straw hat, Shelbee on the Edge

Now let’s talk about stepping outside of your style comfort zone. As beautiful as the buttery yellow color of my new butterfly kimono is, almost any shade of yellow, particularly a very pale pastel yellow, is completely outside of my comfort zone. Never in a million years would I have entertained this kimono if I spotted it in a store. I may silently recognize that the color is very pretty and the print equally lovely but I would immediately dismiss it as a color that I cannot and should not wear. I would dismiss it so quickly that I wouldn’t even attempt to try it on.

But when it showed up in the mail as a birthday gift from my mother-in-law, dismissing it based on color discrimination was no longer an option. I had to at least try it on.

One thing I have learned though fashion blogging is that there are lots of tricks that one can rely on in order to wear colors that may not be so flattering. If you love a certain color that doesn’t necessarily work with your skin tone, you can incorporate it into your wardrobe in pieces that you don’t wear very near your face. But a kimono will naturally be worn very near my face, so I needed a different trick. To create a more flattering color palette for myself, I layered the kimono over a darker color that does flatter my skin tone and then I created a ton of visual interest with the print mixing between the two pieces. And suddenly, light buttery pastel yellow works on me!

I added a straw hat for sun protection which came in handy because Jeff and I enjoyed a delicious al fresco lunch after we finished taking these photos. I accessorized with braided sandals, a heart necklace by Michal Golan, a pair of thrifted earrings, and my green Teddy Blake Vanessa Palmelatto bag which is proving to be quite versatile with my summer wardrobe.

Isn’t it the prettiest little summer outfit?!

butterfly kimono, floral slip dress, summer print mixing, straw hat, Shelbee on the Edge
butterfly kimono, floral slip dress, summer print mixing, straw hat, Shelbee on the Edge
butterfly kimono, floral slip dress, summer print mixing, straw hat, Shelbee on the Edge
butterfly kimono, floral slip dress, summer print mixing, straw hat, Shelbee on the Edge
butterfly kimono, floral slip dress, summer print mixing, straw hat, Shelbee on the Edge
butterfly kimono, floral slip dress, summer print mixing, straw hat, Shelbee on the Edge
butterfly kimono, floral slip dress, summer print mixing, straw hat, Shelbee on the Edge
butterfly kimono, floral slip dress, summer print mixing, straw hat, Shelbee on the Edge
butterfly kimono, floral slip dress, summer print mixing, straw hat, Shelbee on the Edge
butterfly kimono, floral slip dress, summer print mixing, straw hat, Shelbee on the Edge
butterfly kimono, floral slip dress, summer print mixing, straw hat, Shelbee on the Edge

Thanks so much to my wonderful mother-in-law for always giving me the best gifts! I don’t think she has ever failed to give me a gift that I didn’t absolutely love! And you know, butterflies are kind of our thing so this new kimono has a very special place in my wardrobe now.

Do you have any special wardrobe items that you cherish for sentimental reasons? How about special jewelry with a story? That is the theme for this month’s Good Buy/Good-Bye Book if you want to share something!

Featured Favorites
Reader Favorite (Most Clicked): Joanne of Slices of Life
Slices of Life
What’s Up Wednesday in June; 2022
Fashion Favorite: Moumous of La Moumous
La Moumous
UPCYCLING IDEAS FOR CLOTHES YOU’RE ABOUT TO TOSS
Other Favorite: Carol of The Scribbling Boomer
The Scribbling Boomer
What Does it Mean to Age Gracefully? + Link-Up

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Click here to enter

Keeping it on the edge,

Shelbee

Joining these Fabulous Link Parties.

Outfit Details: Kimono-Birthday gift from my mother-in-law / Dress-Old Navy / Sandals-Charlotte Russe / Bag-c/o Teddy Blake / Necklace-Michal Golan / Earrings-Thrifted / Hat-Old

I am a midlife woman, wife, and stay-at-home mother of 2 boys and 2 cats. I have a passion for helping other women feel fabulous in the midst of this crazy, beautiful life.

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