A Summer Sleeveless Sundress in Leelanau

August 25, 2018

My new favorite sleeveless sundress is perfect for a summer weekend getaway up north, and is officially the comfiest dress in my closet these days!

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Last weekend my husband and I packed our two girls into the car and headed on the best kind of road trip – the up north kind! We travelled to Leelanau Peninsula, which is a small land mass on the northwest side of the Lower Peninsula that protrudes north into Lake Michigan. My husband’s family has had a lake house up here for many years now, and it’s the epitome of relaxation. Nothing beats waking up in the morning to the sound of waves on the shore, or early morning walks with the dogs in the sand dunes.

Related: A Memorial Day Weekend Outfit

The concept of “up north” is kind of funny when you step back and think about it. It’s like this Midwestern, sub-culture of America in which you can say “up north” to anyone and they know precisely what you mean. I had a friend in college who was from New Jersey, and it was the first time I can remember having to explain to someone what “up north” meant after I mentioned the phrase to him in passing.

“What’d you do this weekend?”

“I was up north with my family.”

“Up north?”

“Oh, uh…”

I don’t even remember what words I used to describe this foreign concept to him, but I do remember we eventually reached common ground when he mentioned the New Jersey saying “going to the shore.” Ahhh there it is.

So it must be that this phrase lives in slightly different variants all over the world. I thought about it when we were cruising around the Mediterranean last fall and stopped in what quickly became one of my favorite places: Cinque Terre. I wonder if people who live in the countryside here say ‘I’m going to the coast this weekend’ like we say ‘going up north’.

Really when it comes down to it, “up north”, “the shore” – it all means the same thing. A place to escape and relax and unwind, a place to reconnect with loved ones and sip cocktails on the beach with the sand between our toes. A place to share old stories that have been told a hundred times while we roast marshmallows for s’mores over an open fire.

Today I’m sharing one of my favorite new dresses, and I can’t even believe the steal of a deal I got with this dress! These photos were taken in the sand dunes by my husband’s family cottage, and the whole time I felt like I was just willing the summer to continue. You can feel it in the air that the season is just about ready to turn, and while I always get excited for fall to arrive, I still can’t help but miss those summer days!