I decided to stop along the way at Buccaneer’s Walk, a little shopping village on the ByPass in Kitty Hawk (next to Capt’n Franks). My friend Kendra has just opened a shop devoted to women’s active wear – Kena Activewear (see it here online).

Kendra’s motto is summed up by her Simply Satisfied Guarantee: We are delighted and inspired by the products we sell and the companies that make them. We want you to love them too. So, if for any reason you are not satisfied with what you get from us. Simply send it back within 6 months for a full refund or exchange. That Simple!

great selection

Marsha the Mannequin with her Sherpani Baja tote in Dazzling Blue, Gym Girl Ultra Skirt and TASC Scoop neck long-sleeved top.

 

Living on the Outer Banks, a well fitting bathing suit is as necessary to me as a good pair of running shoes. My favorite two piece is faded and stretched out and sadly it’s time to retire it. According to the smart women at Birds of a Pleather:

Throw it away once it starts to: sag, lose elasticity, become sheer in spots, decompose or remind you of Saved by the Bell. This seems self-evident, but I can tell you from avid beach people watching that it is not.

Thank goodness swim suit designers have gotten savvy and are now offering the two-piece suits separately, tops sized to bra and cup sizes, with your choice of bottoms with full coverage to itty-bitty thongs.

Let’s be realistic, you can’t buy a swim suit online  (unless you’re a super thin super model). Fortunately, the Outer Banks has a great selection of shops devoted to all things BEACH.

I visited  Cathy Wood’s store, Shore-fit Sunwear, at Milepost 4 on the Bypass in Kitty Hawk recently for her annual Customer Appreciation Day sale. She also has an excellent website, click here.

She has a great selection of suits for all types of shapes and sizes, including maternity suits, and pretty sundresses and cover-ups.

Shore-Fit Sunwear, Kitty Hawk

I purchased these separates and am happy that I’ll be able to mix and match them with solid black top and bottoms I already own.

I found this pretty dress at Anthropologie.  I love the color and batik/tribal print.

I’m not crazy about the necklace, I think I would add this cuff, my vintage Polo jean jacket and a neutral sandal. Thanks for the inspiration Whitley!

Leather & brass cuff from Net-A-Porter.com

We were up everyday at about 5 a.m and went to bed shortly after the monkeys calmed down at dusk. There are howler monkeys that hang out in the trees around the complex.  They have a scary sounding bark, straight out of Jurassic Park.

When we left and got back to the airport in Managua, I was on the lookout for some shoes that I discovered on another favorite fashion blog at www.lucylaucht.com.

Found them at one of the vendors at the entrance and only 15 U.S. dollars! I should have bought several pair!

woven leather & fabric

It’s Spring Break here on the Outer Banks. Despite a return to chilly weather and northeast winds, there are a lot of visitors here – mostly home owners getting their houses ready for rental season, but quite a few tourists too. This brings a much needed shot to our local economy, and preps us for summer, our busiest time of year .

Here’s  an outfit I want to create using these pants I bought recently at Ann Taylor Loft with other items I’m currently lusting after.

$59.50

Juicy Couture bangle at piperlime.com

I waited too long on this one – it’s out of stock (rats):

Endless.com

I want to pile on the color  with a hot pink shirt:

$198.00 luxe silk blouse by J. Crew

I’d pull it all together with a scarf :

Wild Horse at Anthropologie.com

And neutral bag & sandals:

Burberry Prorsum at Net-a-Porter.com

LoefflerRandall.com

Curious about these clip-on bow ties, I Googled them and found 2,331 items at Etsy.com – some old, others new or handmade. I like the old vintage patterns the best.  Find this one for $10 here.

fabulous vintage silk

Anyway, one of them jumped out at me today as I pulled on a cardigan that I bought a couple of years ago from Talbot’s. The buttons were plasticrap and worthless, so I started playing around with the bow tie to keep the sweater secure.  I like to mix up patterns and textures.

holding top 2 buttons together

Clipped at the waist

Cute, am I right?

Classy by Tommy Ton at Style.com

And this:

Chanel Inspired by Tommy Ton at Style.com

Or perhaps:

By Tommy Ton at Style.com

I found this one at Net-A-Porter.com:

T by Alexander Wang $200

I like this one even though the color is completely washed out:

by AG Adriano Goldschmied $128 at Piperlime.com

The color is right, price is great, not sure about those pleats:

Marc Jacobs at theoutnet.com $70.00

Unlike Buster who enjoys wallowing in a self-made hole, I am struggling with the hole I’ve dug myself into with this blog devoted to style and fashion on the Outer Banks. I’ve yet to find my voice.

Working by myself in a marina, I’m surrounded by boats and beautiful water views, but few people this time of year. Any sense of style here is guided by practicality such as deck shoes and khakis.

Additionally, I’m on a tight budget, so with the exception of an occasional lunch or dinner out with the Hubs, there aren’t any shopping trips, pedicures or gallery openings in my future.  But, on second thought, that’s not what life on the Outer Banks is all about. I am thankful for the beautiful sunrises over the Atlantic, enjoying plentiful fresh seafood, and my small town life on a barrier island. I’m especially thankful for the Hubs (Happy Anniversary!), my family, friends, my coaches, kickboxing classes and bootcamp.

So, I guess for now, most of my fashion inspiration comes from the Internet. I will always give credit to the sources of my photos however possible and thanks to all who have come before me. I read your blogs, comment when I can and sincerely thank you for your creative effort and talent!

I found this lovely combination of florals and stripes and perfecting the art of the partial tuck at Sketch 42: “Not exactly a leopard and a floral, but fun none the less… Blazer: Zara, Jeans: Rag And Bone, Sweater: Similar. Belt: Similar, Boots.” (Click here.)

I find inspiration daily from a few of my favorite blogs:

• Cheetah is the New Black
• Dooce
• Hip Hip Gin Gin
• Life in a Venti Cup
• Sea of Shoes
• The Queen City Style
• The Sartorialist

Just as soon as I can figure out how to add these to my Blog Roll, they’ll have a permanent position here.

Jeans are always iffy when shopping in person, even more so online. I have sent back more jeans than I have a right to. However, with the exception of length, these jeans are perfect. Made by Fade to Blue, the original price was $118.00; my price $36.75. These are boot-cut jeans, which will look lovely with my new boots.

Fade to Blue Brand Jeans

Speaking of boots… I love love love these all leather ankle boots. Made by Joe’s Jeans, the color is Bone and will go with just about everything. Originally $295.00, they were reduced to $215.00; and thanks to Presidents George and Abe, I got an additional 50% off.  My size 8 fit perfectly, and will feel even better when broken in. These boots are very wearable with a 2 inch stacked heel.

Love my vintage Asian rug too

The denim shirt was made for a 6 foot zero-sized super model, so it’s going back, because I like to be able to breathe in my clothes.

You might think these are art… but they’re also meant to be worn. That’s right, and they are available at Solestruck for $999.95.

People seem to enjoy it, and we get as many wisecracks as we get LIKES. Comments, aside, it seems to have gone international, with Beverly’s friend, Laura, from Italy, (who does not speak English) sharing these pink confections:

Beverly’s birthday was yesterday, I splurged and sent her this pair of shoes. (Thanks to themanrepeller.com where I found these furr balls, rear mudflap optional).

Also available in black

I’ll leave you with Sex and the City Urban Shoe Myth clip.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KXSlUAS2MNw

For the love of beautiful shoes everywhere, I wish you a happy Shoesday!