Sun Shades and Kimonos Complete My Summer & Link Up On the Edge #99

June 22, 2018 / 60 Comments

If you don’t know by now, then you haven’t been paying attention…I am completely obsessed with kimonos. I have dozens hanging in my closet because I just can’t seem to get enough. Yes, that is a problem. Yes, that is too many. Yes, that can be perceived as greed or waste or hoarding. And yes, I own up to my obsession. But the fact remains that kimonos are just my thing. My signature piece perhaps. My favorite summer outfit formula is denim shorts, a tee shirt, and a kimono with some fabulous shoes.  Sometimes with some not so fabulous shoes.  And sometimes with no shoes at all.  It is easy to throw together, comfortable, and still looks dramatically stylish especially when the wind catches the kimono just right. Plus kimonos are totally practical for keeping you warm in a cool summer breeze and keeping you cool and protected from the harmful ultraviolet rays of the blazing summer sun.

And now, since the weather has finally turned warmer, I have been enjoying endless hours sitting on my front porch in my double Adirondack chair with a drink in hand and my computer on my lap working tirelessly and peacefully in the fresh open air. But as much as my kimonos provide a great deal of sun protection for my shoulders, they do not keep the sun out of my eyes as it blazes through the sides of my front porch in blinding penetration. So to complement my kimono collection, I just added some beautiful sun shades to my front porch.

Here is my porch before my sun shades…

And yes, my Christmas lights are still hanging. I think I need to start plugging them in when the sun goes down.

The way the sun passes over my house through the course of the day, it blasts me in the face from the right side while I sip my morning coffee. Then it blasts me in the face from the left side as I sip my evening cocktail. But these sun shades have solved that problem quickly and easily and have exponentially increased my front porch sitting enjoyment. I seriously could not be happier about my decision to add sun shades to my front porch.

My wonderful husband completing the installation.

*This is a sponsored post. As always, all thoughts and opinions are entirely my own.

*Keystone Fabrics Outdoor Roller Sun Shades c/o Wikibuy.

My goofy kid enjoying the newly discovered shade.

This summer, you can be sure to find me passing many hours either sitting on my shaded front porch or in my sunny back yard, working on my laptop, sipping a drink, and of course, wearing a kimono.

*Kimono: Torrid Floral Medallion Chiffon Hi-Lo Kimono. Similar here.

*Sandals: Payless (from last year). Similar here and here.

How do you plan on spending your summer? If you need some ideas, check out my recent article 4 Ways to Deal with the Unstructured Days of Summer at Resilientista.

And now your favorite posts from last week.

Nancy of Nancy’s Fashion Style shared her post, Vintage Dress & Pink Shoes. After getting over her thrift shopping fears, Nancy has nailed this look in her pretty feminine way!

Nancy of Nancy’s Fashion Style

Nailil of Thirty Minus One shared the cutest little black dress styled two ways in her post, Trendy Thursday Link Up + Two Looks & One Black Dress. Be sure to check out both styles on her post and check out all the other posts in her link party!

Nailil of Thirty Minus One


Keeping it on the edge,

Shelbee

Linking up with these Fabulous Link Ups.

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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60 Comments

  • Kellyann Rohr

    June 22, 2018 at 11:24 am Reply

    I share your obsession with kimonos Shelbee! I am so drawn to them!
    I love your front porch. I have always wanted a house with a front porch but so far that hasn’t been the case! I tell my sons when they put me in a nursing home someday it better have a front porch, lol! Adding the shades is a great idea so you can really enjoy the gorgeous outside space!
    xo,
    Kellyann

    • shelbeeontheedge@gmail.com

      June 22, 2018 at 1:06 pm Reply

      Kellyann, thanks so much! We did not have a front porch at our old house. It had a beautiful back deck but the abundant yellow jacket nests and lack of shade completely ruined it and made it useless. So I am definitely loving and appreciating my front porch space! And I am always on the look out for new cute kimonos! Have a great weekend, my friend, and don’t head off to a nursing home any time soon!

      xoxo
      Shelbee

  • Nancy Baten

    June 22, 2018 at 12:26 pm Reply

    You’re kid has the same smile as you!
    I love that porch, we don’t have porches like that in the Netherlands, I love them! Now I feel bad that I didn’t choose kimonos as our theme, because you have so many beautiful ones!

    It always makes me so happy to be featured! It’s that weird to say? Well, but it does! Thank you😘😘😘😘

    • shelbeeontheedge@gmail.com

      June 22, 2018 at 1:03 pm Reply

      Aw, Nancy, thanks so much! He has the same goofy sense of humor as me, too! Let’s do kimonos for August! And it is not weird to get all happy about a feature! It always makes my day when I am featured on someone else’s blog, too! Have a great weekend, my friend.

      xoxo
      Shelbee

  • Jodie

    June 22, 2018 at 1:30 pm Reply

    Nancy, my step mom has a sun shade almost like this!! It’s so helpful to make the porch time more comfortable!!
    And I love that you still have your lights up—-my hubby would say that it’s always Christmas in his heart!!
    XOXO
    Jodie
    http://www.jtouchofstyle.com

  • Jennie

    June 22, 2018 at 3:04 pm Reply

    I love kimonos and how they just instantly transform your basics. Yours is so pretty with its lovely colors and pattern! Love it with your shorts and pigtails. Your hair has really grown, girl! I am sure you will enjoy the shades on your porch. Wikibuy is awesome! Have a wonderful weekend!

    • shelbeeontheedge@gmail.com

      June 22, 2018 at 3:11 pm Reply

      Jennie, thanks so much! Man, it has been a process this growing out of my hair! I suffered through all the awkward stages for sure over the past 3 years! And now I want all the kimonos and pigtail styles I can find! I had never heard of Wikibuy until they reached out to me to collaborate. It is a very cool website. Have a fabulous weekend, my friend!

      xoxo
      Shelbee

  • jacqui berry

    June 22, 2018 at 5:02 pm Reply

    Love the whole look Shelbee, and how cute are the shades (and your boys too) Thanks for sharing, have a super weekend – enjoy your cocktail. xx Jacqui Mummabstylish

  • Maureen

    June 22, 2018 at 6:38 pm Reply

    I have seen so many pretty kimonos as of late and I too am obsessing! I love the print on this one you are wearing and I like how you styled it. It’s very easy, simple and still very pretty and chic! Those sun shades are amazing! We don’t have a front porch but I can see how it comes in handy. Sun rays these days are fierce and anything to get out from the sun or get some shade is a must! Kudos to your hubby! Happy weekend Shelbee and I hope your day is going well so far!

    Maureen | http://www.littlemisscasual.com

    • shelbeeontheedge@gmail.com

      June 22, 2018 at 7:01 pm Reply

      Maureen, thanks so much! I have a wish list post of 50 Swoon-Worthy Kimonos ready for tomorrow. So stay tuned…maybe there is one there for you! And yes, staying out of the direct sun is a must for my pale complexion. Have a wonderful weekend, my friend.

      xoxo
      Shelbee

  • Marilee Gramith

    June 23, 2018 at 3:21 am Reply

    Kimonos are such a colorful, breezy, feminine way to add a bit of sun protection and jazz up denim cutoffs , jeans or ankle pants. In February I purchased 3 kimonos from various Amazon affiliate sites. I’m in love with the variety of gorgeous prints !!

  • Susan

    June 23, 2018 at 12:27 pm Reply

    Hiya Shelbee! Not that I need to look at any new kimonos, since I already have over a dozen bookmarked in various sites, but what a great post! I also love the denim shorts and kimono look, and wear it often. My friend says it’s a throwback to my misspent hippie youth, which I take as a compliment. I only have eight kimonos, six of them floral, one pink lace and one black lace (which I bought because you inspired me). I have found that my kimono addiction inspired me to step out of my color comfort zone, and brighten it up for summer. The first kimono I bought has orange and neon pink flowers. I wear it with denim shorts and a neon pink tank, and I feel cute every time I wear it, even though orange is not a normal clothing color for me. My coup de grace was to score the Outlander kimono from Torrid, for under $30. I’ve never seen the show Outlander, but my favorite color combo is blue (preferably cobalt) and yellow, and this kimono did it. Not only that, but the Outlander kimono has regular 3/4 length sleeves, and is a tad heavier weight, thus making it perfection for fall and winter. Lord, how I do run on! Somebody stop me.

    Now, about those sun shades. Love them! Total perfection! Love the neutral color too, since one doesn’t want to sport too bright of a color on one’s front porch for fear of blinding the neighbors, or oneself. I have a front and a back porch with the same problem as you (too much sun), but since both porches are unroofed, had to resort to improvisation. I put up two nice wooden poles, hung some planters off them, and then stretched material that matches my awnings between the poles. Not only does it block the sun, it also blocks the neighbors, so they can’t stare at me while I sip coffee on the back porch in my nightgown. And looks damn cute, if I do say so myself!

    Keep up the blogging, Shelbee. Love your posts!

    • shelbeeontheedge@gmail.com

      June 23, 2018 at 3:05 pm Reply

      Susan, I love that you “run on” and share so many fabulous things with me! I purchased a bright coral and turquoise kimono from Torrid last year which is totally outside of my color comfort zone. But it really is bright and cheery and makes me smile every time I wear it. I am so honored that you were inspired by little ole me to purchase the black lace kimono. I think I have 3 (maybe 4) different black lacy ones in different lengths and they are my favorites of all my kimonos. Today, I am wearing a burgundy and blue velvet burnout kimono (it is a bit on the cooler side today) with denim shorts and burgundy booties. I just always feel so sassy and boho in this combo!

      As for your back porch shady set up…it sounds so perfectly lovely! I wish I were so creative to accomplish such amazing outdoor settings to enjoy! I sit on my front porch with my coffee in my bathrobe quite often. Sorry, neighbors! But I am completely covered and decent so I don’t care.

      Keep sharing all these wonderful tidbits of yourself with me, my friend! I love it!

      xoxo
      Shelbee

  • Susan

    June 23, 2018 at 3:27 pm Reply

    Let me make sure I am not being misleading, Shelbee. I am only creative in that I have a good eye. Wielding any sort of tool is not something I can accomplish, at least not without grievous bodily injury to myself and passers by. However, I am fortunate that I know lots of retirees who will help me accomplish my vision if I drive them around on various errands. I had to invite half a dozen seniors over for a cookout, seat them in the sun, and complain vociferously, while charring meat. How lovely for me that my tools and supplies were laying about at that moment! As they said, “Oh that wouldn’t be hard!” It was completed in a minute, God Bless Them. There you have the extent of my creativity 😀

  • Mireille

    June 23, 2018 at 8:45 pm Reply

    I love that look! I need to find a kimono I like. I got one last year, a shorter one but it did not make the cut to this year’s wardrobe! And those sun shades are really cool!

  • Maggie

    June 24, 2018 at 12:44 am Reply

    I’ve never been a kimono wearer, but always love you in them! We have an open back deck that has a patch of shade in the morning. I love sitting out there with a pot of tea and a book and keep backing my chair up against the house as the shade patch shrinks. I’ve been known to just stand up against the house reading to get as much deck time as I can until the sun takes over!

    • shelbeeontheedge@gmail.com

      June 24, 2018 at 10:53 am Reply

      Thanks so much, Maggie! I am actually a little shocked that you are not a kimono wearer because I could totally picture you in cute little capri pants with a tee shirt and a short kimono…sitting in your shade spot reading with a pot of tea! Have you ever tried any on? The image of you backing up against your house to enjoy the last few minutes of shade is so funny! Thank you for sharing that and making me smile this morning!

      xoxo
      Shelbee

    • shelbeeontheedge@gmail.com

      July 1, 2018 at 10:20 am Reply

      Jess, thanks so much! Sitting outside is so great to keep the creative flow moving along! And you do have an amazing collection of gorgeous moto jackets! I think I added 4 new moto jackets to my wardrobe this past year. And I might love them almost as much as kimonos….just almost. Have a fabulous weekend, my friend!

      xoxo
      Shelbee

  • Emma Peach

    July 2, 2018 at 3:56 pm Reply

    You have such a fantastic kimono collection! I bet the sun shades have made a world of difference. We have a back room with roof windows and it got so hot in Summer, so we got blinds for them which makes it much more bearable and stops the sun bleaching the furniture. Thanks for linking up!

    Emma xxx
    http://www.style-splash.com

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