Chloe loved adventures.

 She was excited about the walk to the Washington Street Mall.  The gardens she would pass were always so inspirational, and the ladies of the households might be working in them. She was always in the mood to learn something new about flower gardens.

 This morning she decided to stop at the gardens of the Emlen Physick Estate. The ladies are growing a herb garden beside the tea room at the Carriage House and their rosemary plant is something to behold. Rosemary was one plant that never seemed to prosper for Chloe and she was determined to figure out what she was doing wrong. The day began to warm up quickly, encouraging the lilies to open spilling their exotic fragrance as Chloe walked by. How fortunate to be spending this fine day walking in Cape May she thought to herself, always taking the time- to stop and "smell the roses".

The dress would wait. She had called Jenny at Pearls. The dress she was thinking about had been set aside for her. It was made from Silk Satin, in the most beautiful shade of Peridot that she had seen this season. The dress had an old Hollywood feel to it - a style favored by Starlets of the fifties and sixties.  The halter design and the flowing knee length skirt felt right for Cape May Stages' fund raiser " Starry, Starry Night” at Congress Hall. The New York Broadway theme invoked glamour. Chloe loved events that required dressing up. It's all about the fun of being a girl.   

  As she walked passed the Southern Mansion, a group of ladies were gathered around a" bride to be".  The balloons revealed that a bridal shower was about to take place. Romance was in the air. Chloe blew the bride-to-be a kiss for good weather on her wedding day. The Mall was now in sight and the dress soon would be hers. 

 She was hoping that Jenny would have the perfect necklace and earrings to compliment the dress. Shoes... Must have the right shoes and handbag.  Chloe picked up the pace. She had much to accomplish before meeting her friend Bill for a late lunch. The noon chimes were ringing as she entered the Washington Street Mall, the cafe tables were already filled with the lunch crowd and the mall had the feeling that summer was officially starting. She round the corner to Lyle lane and headed to Pearls.

 The Peridot dress was waiting for her and it fit like a dream!! Jenny and Donna had set aside a necklace and earrings in Peridot glass beads that looked perfect with it. Chloe spotted gold slides that were embellished with colored pearls one of the tones being a soft green that picked up on the pale green of the dress. A soft gold tone in the handbag and Chloe felt complete.

 Chloe tried to stay within her budget when shopping for clothes, the budget offered her the discipline she needed.  And at this moment- she needed it the most! She had come face to face with an adorable dotted dress. She stepped back and thought where she might wear that dress and lo and behold -it came to her!!   She had a summer afternoon garden wedding to attend!  The light rayon crepe fabric and the playful dots of rose, cream and amethyst finished with a ruffled hem would be perfect.

 She spotted a creamy beaded slide with a low thick heel that would be great for an outdoor wedding. She vowed never to wear a high narrow heel again to an outdoor wedding!  As luck would have it, Donna pulled a necklace from the case with amethyst beads and matching earrings. The outfit was nearly complete but it called for a very modern handbag to balance the retro romance.  Chloe saw it!! A fabulous pink rose leather bag with curved strap - a modern sixties look that could work with a suit as well as a dress.

 She decided to purchase both outfits and all the accessories. This had been a very productive day for keeping her wardrobe in shape and being ready for the next social event. She thanked the ladies for all their help.

 Now, she was looking forward to lunch with Bill. All that shopping had given her an appetite. But where? Maybe the marina... she would let Bill make the decision. She was done deciding for the day!

Where was Chloe last week? Click here to find out.