Stripe Shirt Dress, Life Update + WW Link Up

*This post contains sponsored content and affiliate links.  All thoughts and opinions are my own.  Thank you for supporting the brands that I love here on Threads for Thomas.

Happy Friday, again!  Sorry that I have been MIA from the blog this past week, but I have a couple of reasons for my absence.  The first being that I was on vacation!  We enjoyed a little family time in Cape Cod, and couldn't have asked for more beautiful weather.  Because we are usually at the lake, it was the twins first time at the ocean (and on a big beach) and they LOVED it.  I think I turned them into beach bums, because now every morning they tell me that they want to go back to the beach!  We stayed in Orleans, MA, where my parents rent a beach house every year.  We spent the mornings exploring, the afternoons at the beach, and the evenings grilling or eating way too many french fries and lobster rolls (well, except for me, I'm not a huge lobster fan).  It was the perfect trip for enjoying the last of summer by soaking up some sun and unplugging.  However, I made sure to snap some photos of this shirt dress because I wanted to share it with you.  It was perfect for our Cape trip, as it easily took me from the beach to dinner.

I added this stripe shirt dress to my wardrobe right before our trip, and it couldn't have come at a better time.  Not only do I love the casual, yet preppy feel, but this dress is light weight, making it a perfect beach cover up.  I threw it on over my bathing suit during the day, then for dinner I added some gold jewelry and sandals to dress it up.

As for fit, this dress runs on the small side.  I am wearing a size medium (I'm 5'7" and wear a D bra for reference).  Although the shoulders and length of the dress were perfect, the bust was a tad too small, causing the top button to pull.  Since I wore it over my bathing suit, I was able to keep the top button undone, however, I can easily add a fitted tank or bandeau underneath to prevent the pulling.

How to style it for the fall

Since this dress is new to my wardrobe, I do plan on wearing it into the fall.  I think it would look great with a pair of boots (either booties or over-the-knee would work), and layered under a cardigan or leather jacket for extra warmth.

Someone didn't want to take a nap, and insisted on taking photos with me (although I couldn't get him to look at the camera)!

The second reason that I have been absent from the blog is because I've been reevaluating what I want for Threads for Thomas.  If I am being completely honest, I have gotten tied up in sharing all of the must-have trends, that I have lost my sense of personal style, and what works for my everyday life.  Don't get me wrong, everything that I share here on Threads for Thomas (sponsored or not) are items that I have personally picked out and stand behind.  However, I have way too many items hanging in my closet that I have only worn once, because they don't fit into my 'stay at home mom of two toddlers' lifestyle.  

I believe in investing in quality pieces that are going to last you seasons to come, then finding a few trendy, less expensive items for each season.  Although I do show this on the blog, I feel most things that I have been sharing lately are all trendy, and I now have 20 bell sleeve tops that are just sitting in my closet collecting dust.  I love them, but I really don't need more than two.

Along with getting back to my true sense of style, I want to share more of my everyday life on the blog.  I have recently gotten into skincare (which I should have started years ago), and want to let you know about all of my awesome finds.  In addition to beauty, did you know that working out and clean eating are a huge factor in my life?  Let me know if you would be interested in reading about my workout routine, or want me to share any recipes.  And finally, the biggest factor in my life are my kids.  I never talk about them, or about being a mom here on the blog, but it is such a huge part of my life, that I want to start sharing about it and motherhood experiences.

So thank you for baring with me while I take this to reevaluate.  It means the world to me that you take time out of your busy day to visit my little space on the Internet.  Whether you're visiting for the first time, or are a loyal reader, I just want to thank you for all of your support, and I can't wait to share all the exciting things to come!

Dress: c/o Zaful| Hat: T.J. Maxx (similar here)| Sandals: Sam Edelman| Sunnies: BP. (similar here)| Earrings: Nickel & Suede| Bracelet: Kendra Scott| Necklaces: Sarah Chloe| Lipcolor: LipSense in Fire N' Ice

Linking up with these blogs here

The feature blogger is Meagan of Meagan's Moda.  I'm obsessed with this double denim look, and her maternity style.  Make sure to stop by Meagan's blog and say hello!

An InLinkz Link-up