Camo Utility Vest & Lace Up Sandals: Storyteller

If you’re a regular reader then you already know that I’m not a fan of taking my outfit shots in public…

THE STORY

…I prefer my yard, but to mix things up I’ve been taking them at the park near where I work every once in a while. There is a quiet little area with a duck pond, benches and plenty of trees to throw some shade. Typically there isn’t anyone around so it works; although if you recall, not to long ago I ran into my boss as he was passing through on his way to lunch. Ya, that wasn’t weird.

When I arrived on Monday to take my photos, there was an elderly man taking a leisurely stroll around the pond drinking his cup of coffee. I wasted as much time as I could, but I was short on time so finally I bit the bullet as he appeared to be headed back to his car. He spotted me as I was setting up my tripod and stopped and watched. Of course, I’m thinking, “Oh crap.” But at that point there was no turning back without looking like a weirdo. You know what happened next…he comes over for a chat. After explaining what I was doing, he tells me that he used to be a photographer by profession and wants to show me some shots of sunsets he had recently taken. Off he goes to get his camera from his car. The shots were indeed quite stunning and as is often the case with older folks he proceeds to start telling me stories. Since time was short, I started taking my photos while he talked. I’ve had people mention that I rarely smile in my blog photos. It’s not because I necessarily prefer my resting bitch face, it’s just that when I fake smile for pictures it looks, well, fake. The shot above, while for some reason is slightly out of focus, is a real genuine smile during our conversation. He told me the most beautiful albeit sad story that I wanted to share with you.

His wife had apparently passed away a year ago in March. He told me that for years their favorite place to spend time together was sitting on one of the benches by the duck pond because it is so peaceful and beautiful there. As her days were coming to an end, they discussed where they wanted to be laid to rest. She didn’t want to be in a cemetary because it just didn’t seem right to her. He said that he suggested that he sprinkle her ashes near the duck pond because that was where they had so many memories together. At first she thought he was crazy, but finally saw the beauty of the idea. After she passed, he and their children did just that. So now, every day, he comes to the pond and spends some quiet time with her and his memories and when he passes his children are going to lay him to rest there with his wife. Isn’t that a truly beautiful story? And I would have never known how significant my quiet little spot in the park was had I not had the privilege of running into this gentleman and taking a few minutes to talk with him.

THE OUTFIT

My daughter and I stopped by JCPenney last weekend to grab a few camis for her. She is the one who actually spotted this camo utility vest. Good eye baby girl, good eye…mama has trained you well. Anyway, what’s not to love? It’s a utility vest and it’s camo. That’s a win/win in my book. This time I styled it with jeans and a not so basic white tee shirt. Not so basic because did you notice the super cute strap detail on the neckline? It will work equally as well with dress or tunic underneath as evidenced by my green utility vest. While not technically lace-ups, these peep toe sandals do tie around the ankle, so I consider them to be lace ups. The taupe color works with just about everything and they’ve been getting quite a bit of play recently.

THE TIP

There is not a thing wrong with a basic white tee and jeans outfit. It’s an easy go-to for just about everyone. But if you want to give it a little more wow simply add a vest, blazer, or cardigan. A super blingy necklace will do the trick as well or maybe a pair of dressy heels.

THE LINK UPS

Check out the weekly link ups I participate in for even more fashion and style ideas…

Vest: JCPenney; Tee shirt: Aeropostale (No longer available); Jeans: GAP (Similar); Sandals: Qupid