Outfit Collection: Lilacs

    I recently posted about the importance of flowers in my late grandmother's life.  She had such an amazing variety of flowers, but perhaps my favorite of all were the lilac bushes.  The scent of lilacs reminds me of so many sweet childhood springs and summers and of my own early years as a mother when I was raising my children in my grandmother's old house.  The people who occupied the home after us did not take care of those beautiful flowers and now they have nearly died out. 

    However, seven years ago, when we moved out to our current home, my mom dug up a shoot from my grandmother's lilacs and gave it to me to plant.  I did, uncertain at times if it were going to survive out here.  This year, for the first time, my lilacs have bloomed!  To be fair, my grandmother always said that it takes seven years for lilacs to bloom, but I just wasn't sure they were going to make it.  I guess that means they're decided to stick around after all.  

    To celebrate this occasion, I thought it would be fun to revisit my Lilac posts along with a few pics of this years blooms!

Someone To Tend the Light

*Post and photos will have nothing to do with each other today.  

    Graduation day is almost here and it will be time for the last little bird to leave the nest.  Looking back, I feel almost dizzy seeing how quickly the years have passed.  The days were long, but the years were short as the saying goes, and it's when the days are so long that it becomes easy to take it all for granted.  Standing on the other side now I regret all the time I spent, "just getting through it," and have become more grateful than ever for the times when I forced myself to slow down and savor the moments.  

    We all take things for granted.  We forget to be grateful for even the smallest of gestures until... one day they're gone.  As a teenager, it never once occurred to me to thank my parents for the little things they did, things as simple as leaving the light on for me when they went to bed while I was still out with friends.  It never occurred to me that they didn't have to do that, that something so small took time and effort that they didn't have to take.  Something so small meant that they cared.  It never occurred to me until I was living on my own.  I remember well that chilly feeling of coming home late night after night to a dark empty house.  It's a light.  One single light, one single flip of one single switch, and yet when it was gone, it suddenly meant more than I could ever express.

    In the evenings now, I get ready for bed in a too quiet house.  A house that used to be filled with the sounds of bathtime splashing, and noisy happy singing, with the clunking of toys being tossed into cubbies, with blankets being ruffled, and stories being read.  Now I wash off my makeup and brush my teeth in the still darkness.  My children are grown; they have their own lives and soon they'll have their own homes.  They don't realize yet how much care I take, before I pull back my blanket and crawl exhausted into bed, to make sure to cross those creaky floors, and flip that single switch, and leave the light on.  They don't know it just now, but it means that they are loved.

Outfit Info:  Teuta Matoshi Dress

Life with Flowers

    The daffodils are blooming in the woods.  Daffodils are quite dear to me; they remind me of so many sweet childhood moments: of Easter eggs hunts, a pretty new dress each year and a floral hat, of the first bouquet of flowers which my grandmother always brought to me, and of the very special spring two decades ago when I looked out my car window at all the rows of blooming daffodils, while I was on my way to the hospital to become a mother myself.  But, beyond the special memories, I admire the simple daffodil because they're also so hardy that they push their way through all the dead leaves, and weather the spring frosts just to be the first golden tokens of springtime.  They're determined to bloom where ever they are planted.  It's a life lesson for us all.

    Flowers are a frivolous thing to some and a necessity to others.  Growing up, my dear sweet little grandmother surrounded herself and her home with flowers.  She planted them in every possible sunny spot or had them potted and sitting in every sunny window.  My dad recently complained how hard it was for him to mow around all her flower beds and how he tried to convince her that it was stupid and pointless to have so many flowers to take care of, "they were nothing but a nuissance," he remarked.  I love my father very much, but I'm afraid he missed the point entirely.  

    My grandmother's life was so very sad, I can't imagine her life without flowers; I can't imagine her without flowers.  How much more bleak and lonely her life would have been without her flowers to care for and bring beauty into her world in return.  I can't image how bland, how dreary her home would have been without all her flowers, and how very mundane her days would have rolled past without her flowers to care for, without the anticipation that there was one place in her life where she knew her hardwork would pay off.  

    And as I get older and my life changes, I find that I am in a season now, where I can't imagine my life without flowers.  We don't always get the lives we want, there's no guarantee we'll even get the lives we work for or deserve.  The best we can do is make the most of what we're given.  If life gives you a barren land, plant some seeds and care for them until they grow; make the desert bloom.  If life gives you a cage, make it so gilded and comfortable that you forget about the bars and all the wild birds look on in envy.  An empty life can be filled with meaningful work, even if it's only meaningful to you, and joy and contentment will inevitably blossom from it.

 Outfit Info:  Elena Dress in Pink Toile from Worth Collective, shoes from VIVAIA, necklace is handmade by me.

When Will You Be Worthy?

A friend recently commented that she would like to wear dresses, like I do, but she just couldn't bring herself to spend any money on anything nice until she "lost this weight."  So, instead, and only if she absolutely has to, she buys cheap clothes that fit very poorly and then hates her body even worse.  She feels frustrated and hopeless, and less motivated than ever to reach her goals.  I wish this were an isolated incident, but I've heard this same scenario so many times, and it breaks my heart, mostly because I've been there and I remember how awful it feels.  My simple question to myself when I walked in those shoes and now to this dear lady and every single other woman like her is:  When will you be worthy?  

It seems like so many people are waiting until they think they look perfect before they will dress themselves in a way that says they value their body and their own self.   As though being stylish is only for people in a certain size range.  I understand that in the past, there weren't a lot of size options, but now there are.  The fashion gates are truly open now for those willing to walk through them, the trouble is, you have to think highly enough of yourself (in the very best sense of that word) to be able to do that.  

Perfection is an unachieveable goal.  Even with all the filler and plastic surgery out there, no one is perfect.  Rather than waiting for that magical "one day" when everything is perfect, I would encourage you to do something that feels very counterintuitive to someone with low self esteem:  Value yourself first and peace will follow.  There's something to be said for being realistic, in looking in the mirror and saying, "I'm not perfect, but I have value.  I. Am.  Worthy.  Right now, right here.  In this body, in this moment, in this life."   In other words Dress the body you have right now, and dress it well.  Dress for the life you want.  Dress the way you've always wanted to.  It's not just spending money; it's investing in yourself.  And you're worth it.  You are worthy; so, act like it by dressing like it.

Outfit Info:  The Rosebud Dress from JessaKae, Shoes from VIVAIA

All the Little Things of Spring

Since I've already given you the run-down of what to expect from Worth Collective, I'll devote this post to talking about all the things I'm excited about this spring.  It doesn't seem like that long ago that I was doing my fall bulb planting of daffodils, hyacinth, and allum.  This is my second autumn to plant these flowers; the first year was a trial run to see if they would even grow here, and since it was successful, I plan to make it an annual thing.  

The flu has passed through our home and it was rough.  Seems like we always get sick in that home stretch right before spring.  We're still coughing a bit, but otherwise we're getting through it as we always do.  There's really nothing like a little time sick in bed to make me appreciate my good health and the good weather.

I've cleared out the garden and flower beds for the new growth and got my peas and turnips planted too.  I've also spent a couple of very exhausting Saturdays raking up all the fall leaves and strategically burning them in areas that need the stubborn and resilient undergrowth to be tamed.  I'm desperately trying to make this little hilltop home a verdant paradise, but oy, is it hard work.

I have been planning a little springtime tea party for a few family members and thanks to all those snow days, my house is decluttered.  So, I have spent the last few windy days doing a little decorating indoors.  I am so pleased with how things have turned out, I'm even more excited to have company.

Our baby chicks are thriving and soon we'll be building a new chicken house with an improved ranging area.  This one will be mobile so that my girls always get fresh scratching ground.  And it's nearly time to move all the indoor plants out to the greenhouse or onto the front porch so that they too can enjoy fresh air and a little more sunshine.

Spring is here and this year I have so many projects cooking, I cannot wait to get started.

Outfit Info:  The Catherine Dress in Cream Blue Floral from Worth Collective, Shoes from VIVAIA, Necklace is handmade by me

Worth Collective Dress Review

As part of my Low-Buy year, I am trying to shy away from shopping so much in general, but I have kept some room in my budget for the occasional purchase.  After hearing the buzz in one of my FB groups about Worth Collective, I decided to head over and see what they had to offer.  I found two pretty little dresses that I wanted to try and then found a 20% off promo code to sweeten the deal.  So, let's dive in to a few key features about Worth Collective.

1. Shipping.  My order shipped the following day and arrived within the week.  Already we were off to a good start.  Also, orders over $175 ship for free.  Pretty much buy two dresses and you'll get free shipping.  My order was minimally packed, so if you hate all the plastic bags and wrapping, you should know they put both dresses into a single bag.

2.  Sizing.  As far as size inclusivity goes, I tend to save that term for shops that offer XXS ~ 6X.  While Worth Collective offers XS to 3X on many styles, there are also plenty that only have Small through XL, so I can't exactly say they're size inclusive but I do appreciate that they're trying.  Believe it or not, many shops out there don't offer anything outside of Small ~ XL.  You won't really see them featured here on the blog, because they never carry my size.  Having said that, I ordered XS in both dresses and they actually fit extremely well, so I'm happy.

3.  Purpose Inclusivity.  This brand does something I really love, and that is that they recognize that you may want a beautiful dress for all the various roles you may play in your life.  From a woman of any age who loves to wear a pretty dress, to pregnancy/bump friendly styles, to the need for clothes that accomodate the way your body continues to change during nursing, motherhood, and beyond these dresses seem to be versatile in their design to allow for a changing body.  One way this is accomplished is through the liberal use of elastic throughout.  I cover this topic more in the video below.

4.  Quality.  So far, I have washed, ironed, and worn these dresses and they've held up beautifully.  The prints are lovely and the fabric on the Mary Elizabeth in particular is very nice.  I love that they have so many 100% cotton dresses (which are also 100% cotton lining!).  Synthetics are dead.  They're hot, itchy, and uncomfortable.  Natural fibers are where it's at.

5.  Price.  On my first order, I found a 20% off promo code through sites like Retail Me Not, and then as a thank you, I was emailed another promo code after my first order.  I'm not affiliated with this brand, so this is something that is potentially open to all, and definitely is what helped me make the decision to-buy or not-to-buy each time.  Dresses here range from $78 ~ $198, with most dresses falling at about $150 or less.  It does seem a little high to me, but with free shipping and a promo code, it feels about right.  I chose the Mary Elizabeth because it reminded me so much of the Selkie Day dress but at 1/2 the price and it has pockets!

In summary, I'm very, very happy with this shop.  Are there some things that could be improved?  Yes, but just a tiny bit.  Over all, I think they're doing a great job and I'm happy with the whole experience.  In fact, I decided to use my thank you promo code to get a couple more dresses, one of which you've seen in my Dark Cottage Core post, the other you'll see in my upcoming posts.  My video review is posted below.

Outfit Info:  Mary Elizabeth Midi Dress in Blue from Worth Collective, shoes are old from Charlotte Russe.

Happy Pi Day!

As we celebrate this March 14th, also known as π, 3.14, or Pi day, I happen to have a little story for Pi day which involves my pie dresses.  I say pie dresses because I am in fact the proud owner of three of these dresses.  So, here's how it all went down.  Back in the 20-teens, 2014 was the year I believe, ModCloth released a dress called My Kind of Pie.  The fabric was originally made by Robert Kaufman under the name Confections Cotton Fabric and came in three background colors: Pink, Yellow, and ModCloth's blue.  

The dress was released by ModCloth's brand, Bea & Dot, and also by a brand frequently carried by ModCloth called Fervour.  My Kind of Pie was a huge success, featured constantly in the customer gallery and worn by bloggers everywhere from Kate Gabrielle to The Soubrette Brunette.  I don't remember what I spent my dress budget on that month instead of this dress, but I do remember it was a seriously close call.   So, I let this dress get away, but I always had a little crush on it.  

At some point, maybe when Susan sold the company to Walmart or maybe before, I don't really recall when and I never really knew why, ModCloth re-released a series of their best selling dresses this time under their own ModCloth brand label, Bea & Dot having disappeared.  At first, I thought fortune had smiled and I would have a second chance at this sweet dress, but there was a stone in this cherry.

According to reviewers at the time, the quality of this second string was somewhat second rate.  Colors weren't as bright, fabric wasn't as soft, and they just generally weren't as good as the originals yet cost the same.  I've actually seen this happen a number of times where people hold up a re-release to an original and the quality is visibly different.  In a side by side comparison, those reviews were correct.  (I don't really want to post the pics here though, because if you didn't know, you wouldn't know and I don't want to ruin it for someone else.)  I know it must be difficult to make something exactly the same as it was when there are years between the first and second, but I have to wonder if retailers know they can cut corners the second time around by decreasing quality to increase profit margins.  It's just a theory.

Since I didn't have the money to spend on a dress that wasn't quite like the original, I decided to pass on the second string.  But, you know me and my inability to forget a dress I once loved.   For some reason, it suddenly struck my fancy all these years later to see if I could find this dress and finally make it mine.  I think the reason obesession struck was because Betsey Johnson had just released a Cherry Pie Crossbody Bag that I was gaga for and I thought, Wow, I love this, but what would I wear with it?  And then I remembered the My Kind of Pie dress.

The original Bea & Dot is hard to find and still costs about $100 on resale sites even though by now all these originals have some wear and tear to them and the Fervour version is exactly the same.  Undeterred, I kept searching.  Finally, I found an original for well under $100 and bought it.  After a week, however the dress hadn't shipped and the seller hadn't responded to my messages, so I decided I would cancel the order and try another. 

I found a second dress but the seller never responded as to whether it was the original or re-release version and then the dress sold, making it all moot.  So, I found a third in my price range and approximate size, but it was the re-release.  Oh, well, I thought, if I never see the original, will I ever really know the difference?  So, I purchased it from a different re-sale site.  The payment wouldn't go through, so after messaging the seller, the seller and I agreed to just cancel the order.  The search was on again and I managed to locate and purchase a fourth dress, also re-release and this time the sale went through without a hitch.  I thought, Finally!  I'm going to get this dress!  And then things went awry.

The first seller messaged me at the last minute (before the order auto-canceled) and said they shipped the dress without initially adding tracking info. but it was on the way.  The seller added the tracking info, and the order couldn't be canceled.  Then the third seller messaged me and said she had figured out the issue with the payment processor and had also shipped the dress (even though we agreed to cancel), so it too was in the mail.  I now had not one, not two, but three pie dresses all on the way.  Oh my, oh my, oh so much pie.   I think this was right about the time I began to realize that I had a significant problem with my shopping.

Now you, like the alternate-universe-pastry-chef-version-of-Sir-Mixalot, may be wondering, Whatcha gonna do with all that pie?  I wish I had an answer for you, but the best I can think to do right now is just set two aside and wear the other non-stop, every week, until it becomes my signature piece and neither I nor anyone else can remember a time in my life when I wore anything else and at my funeral the picture will be of me in this dress (or one of them) and the eulogy will mention how I was probably born in this dress and definitely breathed my last in it as well.  For today, though, I'll just wear the original to celebrate Pi day and be grateful that this dress is at very long last mine indeed.

Outfit Info:  My Kind of Pie dress, Betsey Johnson Pie Bag, Honiara Vintage Shoes.