I have visited beaches all over the world in my travels, but Seaside, Florida definitely ranks as one my favorites. For my day in the sun I chose this fabulous hi-lo maxi Spense dress from Steinmart. I recently purchased it on sale at a local store, but they sell several similar styles on their Steinmart website.

Seaside is the beach of my childhood, although the area has changed considerably from its years of Grayton State Park and a few beach cabins. This picturesque vacation community, as well as the surrounding Sandestin area, offers all the best ingredients for the perfect summer vacation.

SEASIDE®, built on 80 acres on Florida’s Gulf Coast, is located on South Walton County’s Hwy. 30-A, between Panama City Beach and Destin. Acclaimed world-wide as one of the iconic examples of New Urbanism, SEASIDE® offers a thriving town center with shopping and dining, all within walkable distance to homes, cottages and offices. Consisting of more than 300 homes, many of them vacation rentals, the community offers more than 12 restaurants and eateries, and 41 shops and galleries.

Source: About Seaside

It is nestled on the coast of gorgeous sugar beaches, but the magic only starts there. The distinctive architecture features fresh Florida colors with a vintage twist.

Some of you may also recognize Seaside as the filming location for the 1998 movie, “The Truman Show,” starring Jim Carey. Walking into the Modica Market is like taking a step back in time, but in a very chic way!

Several artists and artisans also call Seaside home. You can browse from shop to shop to enjoy their one-of-a-kind creations.

This spot is especially sentimental for me because I was engaged here 26 years ago. I actually found the spot. It’s a pizza joint now, but then it was a charming French restaurant. Seaside was in its fledgling stages then, with only a small seaside pergola that housed a few shops and a restaurant. My, how it has changed!

I hope you enjoyed this stroll through one of my favorite places. Make sure to check out the Seaside website for further details.

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The post Seaside, Florida In A Fabulous Hi-Lo Maxi Dress appeared first on Shellie Bowdoin | The FABulous Journey.

Denim is a go-to trend for 2015. I know, some of you are thinking, “I’ve been wearing denim all my life!” Yes, we all know that blue jeans never go out of style, but the all-over denim look has rolled around again. I can remember back to the mid-90’s when I owned at least 5 jumper dresses. In fact, come to think of it, I had just had my first child and that’s pretty much all I wore!

Now, fast forward twenty years and it has made its way into my over 40 wardrobe yet again. The denim dress has come back in fabulous fashion! But this time it’s in the form of the denim shirt dress, which is easy to incorporate into your everyday style.

Here are a couple of style tips for making the shirt dress work for you. There is a flattering way to wear the denim shirt dress in 2015.

1. Avoid the self-belt or draw string belt. Instead, pair your shirt dress with a leather statement belt. The belt helps to define your waist and adds polish to the outfit.
2. Pair your denim shirt dress with neutrals or metallic accessories. These accessories balance out the casual look of the denim.
3. Choose styles in a darker shade of denim. Avoid acid wash because it can easily go retro. Also avoid ombre styles because the lighter areas give the illusion of width.

I purchased this dress at a Dillard’s outlet last year. I got it for a great price, but it was a little too short. So, I bought a coordinating fabric and had a strip sewn around the bottom. Keep this trick in mind if you have a dress or skirt that’s just a tad on the short side!

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This week I am linking up with these fashionably, fabulous linkups!

Monday: Shoe and Tell, Bless Your Heart, Visible Monday, Tuesday: Turning Heads Tuesday Wednesday: Wednesday Pants Thursday: Throwback Thursday Friday: Fun Fashion Friday

The post A Flattering Way To Wear The Denim Shirt Dress For 2015 appeared first on Shellie Bowdoin | The FABulous Journey.

Everyone loves a good weight transformation story. But sometimes, you have to focus on your before before you can transform your after.

My Before

Six months ago I embarked on a journey that would alter my life forever. It was November and I was still feeling the sting of saying goodbye to my first child who left home for college. I was consumed with the void he left in my heart and our home. I was just not satisfied. Something had to change. One look at this picture to the left told me I could start with my weight, which has been an on-and-off struggle for my whole adult life.

This time I took a completely different approach.  I decided to record my thoughts along the way through journaling. I wrote about my frustrations and small victories. I noted when I felt the hungriest and I paid special attention to the foods that were the most difficult to resist.  Most importantly, I recorded my self-talk; the internal dialogue that bounced around in my head when I was faced with temptation.

Why Do I Write About Weight?

The Transition

After two months on my weight journey I realized that I had something to share with others. A light had finally switched on in my head and I wanted to tell others about it. So, I decided to blog. Wow, was that a kick in the pants! For those of you who write blogs, you know that starting out takes a lot more than a username and password!

Why Did I Include The Shoes?…Look at them! They’re too cute to be left out!

With a lot of grit, determination and google searches I was finally off and running. About the time I hit a comfortable stride with my Weight Journey blog. I began sensing a desire to talk about more than weight. That is how this blog was born.

Transform Your After

What started out as a sad, overweight mama set me on the path of new possibilities, friends and adventures in blogging. It’s hard to believe that I knew nothing about blogging 4 months ago.

But, my after is not really about weight loss or blogs. It’s about transformation and embracing new seasons. When I started out, I only saw my dissatisfaction and my desire for a change. That dissatisfaction was my catalyst! I needed it to shake me up and give me the “want to” to do something different.

your tomorrow is fashioned by today’s choices.
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What about you? Is there something you would like to see change in your life? We can’t predict what tomorrow holds, but I can promise you your tomorrow is fashioned by today’s choices.

We weren’t made to stay the same forever. We were made to live, learn and grow! You can focus your before and transform your after. Find something you’re passionate about and challenge yourself to learn something new. Determine what needs to change in your life and make a plan to change it. The transformation may not happen overnight, but then you do get what you pay for.

Who you are today is not what you were yesterday or who you’ll be tomorrow.No one will ever be more concerned about your after than you are.

Who you are today is not what you were yesterday or who you’ll be tomorrow.
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I’m linking up with these FABulous Fashion Sites This Week!

Monday: Shoe and Tell, Bless Your Heart Tuesday: Turning Heads Tuesday  Wednesday: Wednesday Pants Thursday: Throwback Thursday Friday: Fun Fashion Friday

The post Focus Your Before And Transform Your After appeared first on Shellie Bowdoin | The FABulous Journey.

Typically, I enjoy wearing basic pieces for my day-to-day wardrobe. Nothing gets more basic than a chambray denim shirt, white camisole and khaki pencil skirt for your everyday style. These pieces are really versatile, so they can be mixed and matched with anything.

For this outfit, I am showing three flattering ways to wear a denim shirt. Each way lends the outfit a little different feel.

First, I wore the shirt with the traditional tucked-in style. Tucking in helps to draw attention to your waist or a nicely colored belt. It also gives off a more polished look.

Next, I tried knotting the shirt at the waist. This is a great way to wear a shirt that is a little too big and shapeless if left to hang straight. Keep in mind that this style will draw attention to your mid-section.

Finally, I rocked this shirt-as-a-jacket look. This style is a good choice if you want to minimize your rear view. Although, keep in mind that this style works best with a shirt that is already fitted. Otherwise, an over shirt will just add bulk to your frame.

Denim is a Spring trend that everyone can wear. Remember, refined style and fabulous fashion has no particular formula. Just experiment until you find the combination that works best for you and your body shape!

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The post Three Flattering Ways To Wear A Denim Shirt appeared first on Shellie Bowdoin | The FABulous Journey.

The best things about Spring are the vivid colors. Luscious green grass and colorful flowers are a much-anticipated treat after the bleakness of winter.

But, we don’t have to relegate the colors of Spring just to the outdoors. Spring is the perfect opportunity to incorporate some of nature’s vivid, cheery colors into our wardrobe for some fabulous fashion . It’s time for a little Spring Fashion Fun!

For me, polka dots always evoke the feeling of Spring. This skirt really captures the mood of the season. I actually had this midi-length circle skirt made after being inspired by a number of photos on social media. This is a great over 40 fashion look!

I paired the skirt with several of my other favorite Spring colors: fuschia, sunny yellow and green. Let me take a minute to mention the idea of matching. I know it can be tempting to want to match everything in your outfit; however, it’s ok to mix things up sometimes. With this outfit I used several different colors, but they all matched each other in terms of intensity, so the outfit works well.

Try stepping out of your box by avoiding the temptation to be matchy-matchy!

If you are not ready to step out this far with your color combinations, why don’t you start with some colorful shoes. Shoes are an easy way to add a contrasting color to an outfit. Colorful shoes really add extra pizzazz to an otherwise matched look.

This outfit made me feel like a girly-girl for the day!

I am linking this post up with two other great websites for women over 40!

Fashion Should Be Fun Link-Up and Throwback Thursday Link-Up at Happiness At Mid-Life

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