A Fairytale Dream

If Cinderella were to have had a Strawberry Witch for a fairy-godmother, I think she would have gone to the ball and met her prince in this dress for sure.  Do you know what a strawberry witch is?  I'd never heard of one until I started researching this dress.  Suddenly every fashionista out there was suggesting that if you bought the black variation of this dress you could dress up as a strawberry witch for Halloween.  Whuuuuh??  

Well, everyone was saying it, so maybe I'm the only one who's never heard of a strawberry witch, but it seems like a whimsically bizarre concept to me.  I suppose if you bought the black knock-off dress that would be acceptable, but not in a real Matoshi, no that would never do.  

I know I have lots of favorite dresses, but I absolutely feel like a princess in this dress, a strawberry princess--if such a thing existed.  There are evidently strawberry witches, why can't there be strawberry princesses? 

Normally when I take photos of my outfits, I find local places that are open to the public or else available for a little snap and dash style photography, but this is such a special dress I decided it deserved a little more attention and a site that was a little more grand than anything a snap and dash session could provide.

I decided that it was worth the effort to do some research, ask tons of annoying questions over the course of a week or so and then drive a long, long, way and to rent this little spot.  I was nervous because if the lighting was poor or the grounds were all brown and dead for winter I was out a chunk of change and a whole afternoon.

Most thankfully the lighting was just beautiful as the sun dipped behind the trees and the grounds were still fairly green and are always well kept.  I've been to many lovely places around the world with old ruins of castles and cathedrals, but this part of the world lacks those things.  So called ruins are usually in the neighborhood of the past hundred years or so and are often buried under much modern junk.  It was such a treat to find this little spot carved out of the wilderness and meticulously maintained.  

After taking photos we spent a half hour or so chatting with the grounds keeper.  He was a very interesting and knowledgeable man and we enjoyed the conversation.  It's harder to get to know people these days with the fear of covid looming.  I'm afraid we as a species are losing more than just the desire to change out of our pajamas from all this time spent in isolation and behind masks.

We enjoyed ourselves so much.  Not only were the grounds were so beautiful and the groundskeeper was so friendly and accommodating that I think we'll venture back here in the springtime for more photos.  Plus, I really loved the fact that it was totally private because we had reserved this time.

I'm glad to know there are places like this in the world and people who care enough to preserve them, and not just because this gorgeous dress deserves to be photographed in a setting so lovely...although it does and even months later I am just as smitten with this dress as I was the first time I saw it and I love photographing it.

A follow up conversation with my daughters about whether or not they would want their own strawberry dresses, revealed that although they love the dress, they don't think they'd like to own one of their own just yet.  So, my hopes for a strawberry family photo are on hold for the moment but I haven't lost hope.

If they never come around, that's ok, but I do intend to come back here as a family since it's been ages since we had any family photos taken.  And, yes, I intend to take those photos in my strawberry dress with my children in equally stunning dresses of their choosing, so long as the colors coordinate.  I do a lot for them, they can do this for me.  And all the moms out there read that and went, "mmhmm."

A place like this is too special not to share it with the people I care about and it's too lovely not to use in more photos.  So, I will be back to this magical little corner of the world that makes me feel like I'm part of a fairytale and the strawberry dress will be with me when I do.

Shopping Info:  Strawberry Midi Dress from Lirikamatoshi.com, Red Bow Heels from Amazon.com