Archive for month: September, 2020
We’re going to go ahead and assume that you’re still not back to normal life, same as us. COVID can go ahead and finish off 2020 right now because we’re over it. The only upside to being stuck at home is basically wanting to buy and wear the comfiest coziest pieces. That means tall joggers galore! We’re hitting sweatpant season hard with our Real Tall Finds Friday tall jogger picks. We’re eying a few in particular and basically just need a sale to pull the trigger. Happy shopping!
You might have noticed a common theme while scrolling our Instagram page recently, which is the stunning backdrop they all share. We are excited to share the best hotel in Lake Geneva, Maxwell Mansion. Honestly we cannot recommend it enough. Lake Geneva, while south of Milwaukee is considered “up north” for Illinois vacationers. Home to some seriously extravagant mansions, it has both small town charm, while being chic enough for those whose version of roughing it involves eating at a four star restaurant.
Located a few short blocks off of the lakefront, lies the best place to stay in Lake Geneva: Maxwell Mansion. Maxwell Mansion manages to fit into the surroundings perfectly, while remaining an idyllic getaway spot. 2020 has been a year of stress, change, and cancellations. Getting away to Maxwell for the night with another girlfriend was just what we all needed to recharge our batteries.
As you pull into their driveway, you may notice the beautifully restored white brick mansion with black wrought iron details including their lush garden you can wander through and find a semi private bench to relax on. Provided on your confirmation email is a phone number you can text with your arrival time. Touches like these already make our visit feel elevated.
General Grant Suite
Once inside, it’s as if you’ve stepped back to a bygone era; 1856 to be exact. The astounding details everywhere you turn will keep you wandering the grounds your stay. While built in 1855 it wasn’t until 2012 that this incredible property became the hotel grounds you see today. We were lucky enough to stay in the General US Grant Suite which is aptly named as the General himself made a visit when it was a private residence.
The Grant Suite is magnificent, with 20 foot ceilings and a fireplace as well as a soaking tub. Especially perfect for taller people (just saying) as there can be no possible feelings of cramped accommodations. Plus, how many other places could you stay that General Grant has also slept? We curled up on the sofa and armchairs to relax. Our only regret was that it was far too warm to envision the fireplace being used.
The Stables and Carriage House
When Maxwell Mansion was turned into the hotel you see today, not only did they painstakingly update the house, they also added two additional buildings to the rear of the mansion called the Stables and the Carriage House respectively. Caitlin’s room was in the Stables. We were utterly charmed by the entrance to the room actually boasting a stable door. If you’re concerned that means less luxury, you’d be far from the mark. As you enter, you feel the rustic chic vibes of the spacious room.
The rooms in the Stable and Carriage houses have either a steam shower or a jacuzzi tub. You are in for the ultimate relaxing experience. Caitlin’s room even had a little window you could slide the door to peek into the shower from the room. We had to test out the steam shower and found it very easy to use and effective.
Exploring Maxwell Grounds
Aside from the superbly well thought out rooms Maxwell has thought of the complete guest experience to keep you enjoying the grounds. A lot of hotels you show up knowing that you will just rest your head there at the end of the night. No need to even go elsewhere when you visit Maxwell if you so choose! They provide many delivery options for meals at the moment, if the thought of dining out is unappealing. All Summer long you can use beautiful pool to relax in a cabana or take refreshing dip.
As the sun sets, you can easily grab a drink at the Apothecary bar and carry it outside to their many cozy seating areas. Another option would be to gather around one of their fire pit areas. They have the set up for either croquet or bocce ball for your amusement. Maxwell also provided a bags set which we had to take advantage of! If you want to curl up in your room, they have plush bathrobes and free Hulu accounts for you to catch your favorite shows!
If you’re in the mood for live music, on select nights they bring musicians in to their Speakeasy located in the basement. Make sure you follow them on Facebook or Instagram to find out the password for entry that evening.
Maxwell Mansion is so much more than your average hotel. They have personalized the guest experience for your ultimate enjoyment. Whether you’re having a girls getaway or a romantic trip, you will leave rejuvenated and completely satisfied. They are taking all precautions necessary for your safety with COVID, so rest assured your trip will be safe. If you haven’t visited Lake Geneva yet it is only 45 minutes from the Milwaukee area and not much further from Chicago. Now is the perfect time to get away as the leaves change. If you’re visiting, stay at the best hotel in Lake Geneva, Maxwell Mansion! Click here to book your room.
We’re to that point in the year where everyone starts forcing Fall on us, including the Wisconsin weather we’ve been forced to endure this last week. Luckily since *IT IS* still Summer, the temps are coming back around to the 70’s for Caitlin and I as one last hurrah. We do love Fall but at the appropriate time. A lot of people who love to embrace all things Fall don’t experience all four seasons. Not true for everyone, but a common theme for our friends out of state! So anyway, we’re pumped to introduce you to a hopefully not new to you designer: TJL Collection!
We only say that because we’ve been sharing some of her first designs on our Instagram stories. To say that it was love at first design is not an over-exaggeration. I first caught wind of TJL Collection while attending the first Tall Society Town Hall during the Q and A portion and had to check them out as soon as she launched.
Founded by Tiffany Lewis, she began sewing all of her own designs and launched this Summer 2020. Dang has TJL Collections started off strong. All of her pants have a 39-inch inseam, which as you can tell by this incredible leopard print pair, have since been hemmed up! What an ideal problem to have; I think we can all agree. You can’t add inches, but you can remove as needed.
I wore them with a 3.5 inch heels from our favorite high-quality shoe company Coix Shoes and they still puddled on the floor! When I first received them in the mail and put them on, I was dumbstruck. Not only did they fit fantastically well but they had extra length. Tiffany is truly designing for tall women. It helps that she is vertically blessed herself. I love that most tall companies are born out of personal frustrations. It always seems to make the company that much better when you yourself are personally vested in the products.
Currently, Tiffany is living in Hawaii but will shortly be making the move to Dallas, TX. When I first ordered I wondered if the shipping would take extra time but I received my package really efficiently despite all the craziness of this year. Another thing to add about TJL Collection is their rewards program. Every dollar you spend is earning you points that can later turn into rewards dollars off your future purchases. I swear she’s thought of everything.
That’s all before even mentioning the rest of her collections. She’s already dropped several and they are going from strength to strength. Unafraid to choose bold punchy colors, her collections are full of vibrant suits and jumpsuits. A stand out for me had to be the color block top and pant set. A little bit 80’s but very current! Her latest drop included three different patterned long sleeve maxi dresses. Next on my list is definitely a jumpsuit, it’s just a question of which one!
Don’t sleep on the drops either, because I’ve seen several items on my list sell out in my size. Speaking of, I ordered a size Large in the pants and found that they fit very nicely with a little extra space at the waist. Normally when I buy pants I have to struggle through the waist butt hip ratio and which I need to fit the best. Hips/butt always wins out being the widest point, and the waist inevitably suffers. Not the case at all with TJL Collection, so another reason to shop there!
If you sign up for their email list you can get a coupon for your first order, so sign up now because as soon as you check out the site you’ll realize you need to order ASAP as I did! The last thing to mention is Tiffany has already extended her sizing to 1X and is closely listening to customer feedback as she moves forward.
Check out her website TJL Collection here and let us know if you order anything in the comments below!
While daydreaming as a tall woman, a reoccurring scenario plays in my mind. It is one that I come across the dress of my dreams *in my size* for whatever event I have upcoming. What a wonderful thought, right? So often while dress shopping Caitlin and I have tortured ourselves by scrolling mainline options, only to walk away disgruntled after finding something we like and knowing better than to think it would fit our frames. Cue EShakti messaging us and asking if we’d like to try one of their custom ordered dresses. FIRM YES.
We’ve long admired EShakti and the way their company works. You have a couple of options. You can just put your height in and pick whatever size you know you are for option number one. Option two is what I obviously had to try out, which is where you take a ton of body measurements and then have them make the dress to your exact specifications. Sounds like a dream come true, doesn’t it?
Even while purchasing actual tall dresses, both Caitlin and I have struggled. If you have two different sizes on your upper and lower body, there isn’t much that can be done without employing a tailor. We are very used to buying a “size up” which is basically our lower half size and then having some key alterations to take it in up top. Or maybe you’ve always bought a certain style of dress, like A-line for instance. You know it only has to fit your upper body, so you can size down and still have it skim over your hips.
But enough struggling with that! Eshakti to the rescue, making sure that every inch of your dress is cut to your specifications. I did try to do my measurements myself. I would advise strongly against it. I ended up having my husband spot check and I was off by a good inch or two in most areas. It’s just not easy when you have to bend over to reach your legs or twist. Have a friend help you and it will also go much quicker! Plus you only have to measure once and they will have the measurements saved for quick access in the future. Also no need to pad your measurements. At first, I was worried, thinking I should go looser than it said to ensure the dress would fit well. No need, EShakti tells you exactly how to measure and how to pull the tape.
The other key piece of advice to share is to have an idea of what type of dress you’re looking for before browsing the website. They have it all. Do you need a ballgown? They have it. Do you need a casual denim dress? No problem. If you’ve always yearned for the perfect sheath dress for work, also available! You can spend hours browsing their website, very easily.
I almost forgot to mention another ridiculously amazing perk. If you’re looking at one of their dresses and you’re thinking, “I actually want sleeveless, or maybe I want a lower cut neckline,” GUESS WHAT?! You can change the dress to suit your needs! So unreal, right? Caitlin and I have had so many chats about how this dress would be perfect if you just brought the neckline up or did it midi length.
If you haven’t heard of EShakti before today, your mind is probably as blown as ours. It seems too good to be true, doesn’t it? Well good news, my dress is proof of their greatness. I have recently been longing for a slip dress. I’ve struggled to find one but knew as soon as I saw this print, this is what I had been searching for! There wasn’t a ton that even needed to be changed about this dress, so I just entered my measurements and pressed order. I will have the perfect cocktail dress that I can wear into fall layered with a turtleneck or a leather jacket!
The last part about EShakti that we can feel confident sharing with our tall sisters, is their size range. We often get asked about the Plus Tall sized options. They have a great inclusive range to cover everyone. Plus the price point for a custom dress isn’t really any different than shopping at a fast-fashion store. So all of that makes EShakti super exciting to share with you!
Let us know in the comments if you’ve tried EShakti before, and how your experience was!