the chambray way

I am in love with this chambray shirtdress. I picked it up at TJMaxx this weekend (while the boys were off drinking beers at breweries) and kind of want to wear it every day. If a day passes sans posting, it's probably because I don't want to bore you with its inevitable, identical encore performances.

Funny story: I thought I had set up tripod-shop in a rather secluded and inconspicuous spot this morning, but... not so much. As I was tromping around in front of the camera, a large woman with a mullet and a cigarette in hand let out an exuberantly incredulous, "what are you doing?" that startled me half to death. I attempted to explain to her that I was taking photos for my blog, which she surprisingly accepted as a legitmate response) before she interjected that she didn't mean to be judgmental (actually she said "nosy-mental" or some combination of words--I got the gist...), but "why (was I taking photographs) right next to a sewage treatment facility?"

... good question. I actually didn't know what the heck that industrial-looking building was... I just liked the line of trees shading it from view. Alas. Awkward encounters abound.

(chambray shirtdress: TJMaxx; shoes/socks: Kohl's; belt: Old Navy)

Last night we (me, K, K's bro) drove down to Bristol to check out the Bobcat Cafe (a local brewpub). Actually, not terribly local--it was a pretty long drive--but Bristol is a quaint little town and the cafe itself was cozy and classic, like a tavern. I was pretty disappointed that the food left a lot to be desired for the price. It wasn't bad, but it wasn't worth what they charged for it (maybe I'm just spoiled by all of the really fantastic locavore restaurants I've frequented of late), and all of the beers on tap were, at first sip, described as "interesting" and accompanied by a confused look. I got the flatbread special (basically a small pizza topped with beans, peppers, pumpkin seeds and cheese) and the boys both had mediocre beef burgers at twelve bucks a pop. I ordered a "Strawberries and Cream" beer, expecting it to be as delicious as the award-winning framboise brew at the Vermont Pub and Brewery, but it tasted more like Bud Light (fruity flavor noticeably absent).

Still, it was a pretty cool place, and if I had wanted to spend seventeen dollars on the porcini mushroom/polenta dish I probably would have been more satisfied (but instead I spent ~$17 on a sweet chambray shirtdress and went cheap on the eats... I think I chose wisely).