{ Natalie Martin dress (also available in blue and black) // No. 6 sandals // Sondra Roberts clutch }

Tony and I were in Santa Barbara for a wedding this weekend and I brought this silk wrap dress along for the post-wedding brunch. We were taking embarrassing blogger photos by the beach when I heard a voice shout, “HEELS IN THE HILLS!” I turned around, thrilled to meet my adoring public, and spotted Lillian Grant, the prettiest girl from my high school in northern California. (Lillian. Even her name is perfect.) She was in Santa Barbara for a different wedding with her fancy European boyfriend who lightly kissed me on BOTH cheeks like a true European! Guys. Lillian isn’t just “high school pretty,” she’s model gorgeous. Literally. I’m pretty sure she’s an actual model. I mean, see for yourself. As I breathlessly filled Tony in later, she lives in Italy and could probably be an Instagram celebrity or lifestyle blogger that people actually follow because they just want to be her, but she’s too cool. She’s an artist. A cool artist. Have I made it clear how cool she is? I wanted to be her 15 years ago, and I still want to be her now. (Alas, I wasn’t her, I was the girl who spray tanned only her legs and once waxed the skin off her face when attempting an eyebrow wax.)

Anyway, long story short, I practically crapped myself that she remembered me and reads my blog. So now it’s not just my mom and her book club and a few of you nice strangers who sometimes comment reading, it’s also Lillian Grant. HI LILLIAN. And she complimented me on this dress, and she would know because she’s a model (I think) and is doing all sorts of cool art with Italian textiles. So this post is dedicated to Lillian, and this gorg dress that I got at my favorite boutique in all the land, Sunroom in Austin.

{ the photographer }