Rustic Elegance

I know I've said it many times before but ModCloth started it all.  They were the place to get the most wonderful and unique vintage style clothes.  And then they changed.  Founder Susan Gregg Koger, A.K.A "Mod Susan," sold out to Walmart and ModCloth's soul was dead.  Walmart later sold MC after it had been gutted and strung up, and whomever is in charge now seems to be trying to make a comeback, but I've never been as crazy in love since the Susan-days.  For that reason, it's been years since I've bought anything from ModCloth directly and only purchase vintage MC second hand.  Until now.

An ad came across my instagram feed during Christmastime with an adorable cotton sweater, and it was so pretty and unique I decided to visit the site for a closer look.  While I was browsing I saw this vintage style button-down Rustic Elegance dress as well.  This dress retails for $109, but since I had a very nice holiday discount, I decided to purchase both sweater and dress.  

In the beginning, most ModCloth dresses cost $80-$100, standard.  That is a steep price now, but it was even more so in 2012.  And yet, we were all crazy for them because the dresses were generally worth it.  I decided way back then, as someone who had Zero dresses and nothing at all nice to wear, to work it into my budget to buy one per month for a year until I had a nice wardrobe built up.  At that time, ModCloth also sent a 20% promo code with every purchase, so I felt like I was getting a real bargain.   Each month was agonizing as I had to decided which to buy and which to let go perhaps forever as they tended to sell out quickly. 

Orignal ModCloth dresses (and those from the brands they carried like Retrolicious, Fervour, and Dear Creatures) were well made, unique clothes that were usually made by smaller brands in the US and UK, from natural fibers, in flattering styles and before the age of size inclusivity, were already offering a broader range of sizes than most.  They were worth every penny.  My most recent order?  Shipped from China, took three weeks to arrive, and this dress feels like very thin polyester flannel (even though it says it's 100% cotton).  It wrinkles easily and doesn't iron easily or well.  This, my friends, is not a $100 dress, it's $50 at best.  The sweater on the other hand is quite nice and probably worth its hefty price tag.  This dress certainly has its perks but I'm glad I got it on sale.  Under this current management, MC has made great strides but it's not back to its former glory.  Time will tell, I suppose.

Outfit Info:  Rustic Elegance Casual Dress in Sailor Sea Plaid from ModCloth, Bag from Ecosusi, Cardigan from YeMak

Color Corrections

Remember that snow I mentioned in my last post?  Well, that was just the beginning.  But, I won't bore you with a lot of snow talk today; let's talk new hair color instead. 
Two and a half years ago, I stopped heat styling my hair to attempt to correct some of the serious damage that had been done.  Not seeing the dramatic results I had hoped for, I also stopped coloring my hair 18 months ago. I am not the most patient person, and this was truly a test, but I was determined to have healthier hair, so I gritted my teeth and put up with the process.  After a year and a half, my hair was softer but no less frizzy and much, much grayer than I realized.  I'm not opposed to gray hair, especially when it turns a witchy silvery white.  I'm also not opposed to aging naturally, in spite of the fact that it doesn't seem like there are any shining examples of it to follow.  It seems like everyone I know is either getting over loaded with fillers, botox, and God knows what else, or else has completely given up on their appearance altogether by buzzing their hair off and climbing into a track suit to wither and die; there's no middle ground!

My gray hair wasn't really pretty.  At all.  I kept hoping and waiting but when it was all grown in, I had to admit it made me look rather pale, and in my opinion, it made me look much older than I am ready to look.  So, after much debate, I enlisted the help of my new hair stylist, who is very talented indeed, and didn't charge me an arm and a leg to color my hair.  She assured me that what she was using would be far less harsh on my hair than box dye, and in order to give us the maximum time between visits (for the sake of my scalp health), I opted to keep my white streak in the front as it would be impossible to go eight weeks without some serious roots showing.  My stylist also has been working with me on reshaping my bangs.  They've gotten way too thick over the years and it was time for a change.

I immediately loved the cut!  I loved the color too, however, the first night after getting the color, I lay awake for hours, wondering if I had made a mistake and would have to start over on the painstakingly slow regrowth process.  The next morning, I did my makeup and put on something I loved but was starting to feel "too old" to wear everytime I saw my very gray-haired self in it.  This time, it felt right, because this bit of color, to me feels like the perfect middle ground.  No injections and no intentions of getting any, but also not giving up.  I'm not trying to look 25, just a more polished version of my actual age, which is 43 in case you're wondering, and I am very pleased with the results.

Photo bombed by the ninja cat!

Outfit Info:  Foxglove dress in Ornament print from Selkie, Kate Spade Strawberry Earrings and Necklace

First Snow Day of 2025

The first snow fell overnight and we can now officially say that winter is here.  It's January after all, but without snow the cold just feels like a dreary annoyance instead of a winter wonderland.  I thought of dashing out to take some outfit photos in the snow, but below freezing temps are not my favorite setting for spending 30 minutes trying to position the camera correctly and then run back and forth in front of it trying to beat the timer, hoping to get one good shot of 20.  No, as you can see from my photos, I opted for warmth today and did not venture out for more than taking care of farm chores.  Unfortunately, since it is a weekday and the holidays are over, my family could not join me.  Not wanting to waste this opportunity, I decided to go ahead and have myself a cozy little snow day now.  

I began with a little exercise to get the circulation going, followed by coffee and prayer time.  After trudging out in the crunchy snow to get breakfast served to all the animals, I made a big country breakfast for one.  You may think it's sad that my family didn't get any of this traditional meal, but Mr. Bleu comes from a part of the country with no appreciation for biscuits and gravy and my children have sadly inherited this trait.  As a result I rarely make this meal and only for myself if I do, so they weren't really missing out.  Then I dressed in my Collectif Space Pinup dress (<--which you can see by clicking that link) and a red sweater for the day.  I wear red almost daily from December through February.  Next I spent some time listening to music while tidying up my bedroom and bathroom.  There is something so relaxing about just quietly making the bed and drawing the curtains, preparing this comfortable room for the day.   Already this day was shaping up to be quite lovely.

Mr. Bleu messaged to say that the roads were fine, only powdery, not slick and while I was glad that his commute was uneventful, I didn't feel encouraged to venture out.  The rest of the morning passed with tending the fire, straightening up the living room, doing the dishes, and occasionally petting the cat who was absolutely in heaven napping by the fire.  The afternoon brought reading time, and spearmint tea with Russian tea cakes, followed by a little ballet session and then some embroidery.  All of my kitchen towels are in need of replacing, so I decided to turn it into a project by embroidering a new set with the days of the week on them.

I put some chicken and vegetables in the crockpot so there would be a nice hot dinner waiting when my family came home and then took a nap.  If winter isn't the perfect time for afternoon naps, I don't know when is.  When my family did return in the evening, I was waiting for them with a warm house, a warm meal, and a few warm hugs.  Though I would have preferred to have us all together for the day, it's better not to wait for the ideal conditions and just to make the most of each oppotrunity as it comes along.  And so I did indeed have a cosy little snowday all on my own.

Other Things

January 1st is typically the time when people attempt to change.  January 10th a.k.a. "Quitter's Day" is the point at which most people give up on all their New Year's Resolutions.  And so it goes with most attempts to change all throughout the year.  The fact is that most attempts end in failure, and I've been a casualty of that statistic many times in my life.  However, I've long said that one of the major keys to success is: Just keep showing up.  So, I am.  And reading Atomic Habits is part of that.  

I spent a couple of months reading Atomic Habits by James Clear and really trying to digest each chapter before moving on.  During this process I had two revelations that I wanted to share.  First of all, in my attempt to stop my shopping habit, I have tried to replace it with new hobbies.  Clear mentions in the book that this can be tricky because it takes time and effort to learn a new hobby or skill to the point where you enjoy the activity.  In the beginning, it's a struggle and the payoff, in the form of accomplishment and good feelings, just isn't there yet.  Because of that learning curve, and the frustration that it brings, it's easy to give up and go right back to your old habits.  So, when choosing a new hobby to try to replace my shopping as something enjoyable to help me relax, rather than trying something new, I decided to go back to something old that I used to really love and am already somewhat skilled at.  

The second revelation was that I used to have lots of interests and hobbies.  Now I pretty much only shop and pretty much only for clothes.  What happened?  When did this interest become my sole obsession?

I love clothes.  And I realized that I always will.  So, rather than trying to stop shopping, I just need moderation, I need balance again.  I need to go back to having lots of interests, hobbies, and pursuits instead of just one sole obsession.

To that end, I started thinking back to my life "before" and the things I both enjoyed and was already somewhat good at to incorporate with things I want to learn and become good at eventually.  I landed on fitness and Felt.  Strange combo?  Yes, I know, but I have to start somewhere.

You see, I would love to take out all my stress and care by cooking a wonderful meal or creating a marvelous painting.  While I am pretty good at cooking, I find it to be a grind.  And as far as painting goes, I'm just awful at it and it's frustrating.  So, while I don't have to stop working at these things, they just can't be my go-to as a form of stress release or a new good habit.  

Working out has always made me feel better and sleep better and there are some forms of it, like ballet, that I actually enjoy.  By Felt, I am talking about a hobby I picked up in Japan called Felt Sweets and I did a post about it in the beginning days of my blog which you can see here.  As much as I loved it (by the way, not one single person participated in the blog giveaway, so I stopped posting about it) it's a hobby that fell by the wayside once we were back in the states and supplies were a little harder to comeby.

Since these two things check all (for felt sweets) or most (for fitness) of the necessary boxes, I am choosing to try to focus more on them and less on shopping.  In addition, I'm looking at and thinking about other things that I like(d) to do that I can add to the mix for a less obsessed and more well rounded life.

Quitter's day is just a few days away and if, like me, you don't want to become a casualty of this day, I encourage you to find ways to keep showing up, keep trying, and to stick with things and not let go until you get results.

Outfit Info:  Anthropologie Larksong Corduroy Dress-thrifted, Green Turtle Neck-Thrifted, Qupid Shoes are old from ModCloth

New Year's Progress

I've definitely had my years where I  felt like I'd given enough, tried enough, been through enough, and didn't need to take on any New Year's resolutions, so I don't judge when someone tells me they're opting-out of this tradition.  But, I also have some years in which I'm excited to feel like I'm starting fresh and wanting to make some changes.  This year I'm feeling the New Year's spirit but rather than making new declarations of change, I want to continue the progress on the resolutions I made last year.  Specifically, I want to spend less money, get back to a regular fitness regimen, doing more cooking instead of having everyone fend for themselves, and keep working on making quiet time/ family time my top priorities.  I wasn't perfect at any of it last year, and I don't expect to ever be perfect at any of them or anything else for that matter, but I am making progress and I really want to keep it up in this bright new year.  If I do have a "new" resolutions, it is to return to my old favorite hobbies.  All the things that have fallen by the wayside that I used to love so much, I'm ready to bring them back.  

Whatever your resolutions are, or even if you choose to make none at all, I wish you the very best this year has to offer.  Happy New Year! 

 Outfit Info:  Dress by Unique Vintage

All About Pam

If you've never seen the old MTV Cribs episode where they tour Pamela Anderson's home, I'll link it here so you can see what my dream house looks like.  It is stunning!  It's full of all my design favorites including: floral chandeliers, pink depression glass, clapboard walls, and wicker furniture.  I love it all and I'm working on building my dream home just now, which includes many of those same elements.  I'd love to do a tour one day when it's finished, but for the moment, I thought I'd share this Pam Anderson inspired Selkie dress, aptly titled, The Pammy.  The print is devine and really does seem to be inspired by her 90s home.  I've had my eye on it since its release and promised myself that if it were part of the Black Friday sale I would go for it.  I intend to do far less buying in this new year, but I have no regrets about getting this piece while I could.  The icing on this cake was that I got to stack a promo code on top of the sale, so it was even better.

 Outfit Info:  The Pammy Garden Party Dress