A Formal Education

My oldest daughter graduated this year as did a number of brilliant young people in my family, so of course, I have had a number of opportunities to don something elegant for a special occasion and ChicWish has been my go-to for tasteful and timeless dresses this season.

This satin teal dress is something a little different that the styles I usually wear, but I love everything about it.  The skirt is not exactly a pencil skirt, so there's some breathing room and no puckering when I walk, Hallelujah!

The top has a unique design in this beautiful asymmetrical neckline that just cascades down and around like a waterfall.  The fabric is a rich teal color and feels just as soft and smooth as butter.  It is heavenly to wear.

I believe in dressing up for special occasions.  It's important to honor the moment, the season, the person by presenting our best efforts to say, we're here for this and it matters, you matter. 

For my daughter's graduation, we dressed up and took her to her favorite sushi restaurant, just a quiet family dinner as she requested.  For my nephew it was a more raucous extended family event filled with reminiscing and well wishing and I loved them both equally because both events fully suited the honoree. 

After so many years in school, graduation is a milestone, an end to one era and a beginning to another.   It should be given all the pomp and circumstance that so many years of hard work and effort deserve.  So, dress up, stand out, make these moments special and wear something special so you don't only feel the moment, you look it too.

Shopping Info: ASYMMETRIC RUCHED NECKLINE SLEEVELESS DRESS IN TEAL-$46.90 from chicwish

Ivy City Co, I Adore You

I've just tried Ivy City Co.  Actually, I tried one dress back in March, but is one really enough to get a feel for a brand?  I think not.  So, I have recently added two more ICC dresses to my closet and I can tell you this: I am instantly a loyal fan.  Affordably priced, excellent quality, and sizes galore!

Since ICC was having a birthday sale, I managed to snag two dresses from my wishlist for 25% off and this Adore You dress was one I knew I had to have.  It's so lovely and so pink and so girly, how could I not get this one?!

Because I waited for the sale, I did miss out on getting my exact size and had to go one up.  I wasn't really sure which size would be right for me, but I can tell you now, three dresses later, that ICC dresses do in fact fit true to size and I am ever so thankful that they go from XXS to 5X so that everyone can find their dream dress in their size.

For the past year I have been pretty focused on one single brand, but I think it's time to move on, for a number of reasons which I won't go into in this post.  I think Ivy City Co just may be a new obsession for me.  They certainly have everything I am looking for.

I'll just let the photos do the talking for the rest of this post, but if you're interested in trying Ivy City Co. Use my link to save $10 off your first purchase.

Shopping Info:  Adore You Dress in Pink Hearts-$138  Use my code to save 10% off your purchase

Old Styles New Possibilities

Recently I did a post about a thrifted find and it within a week it received close to 1,000 views.  And  I  Have  No  Idea  Why.  It's a lovely dress, but it came out nearly a decade ago, so why does anyone but me still care?  It may forever remain a mystery, but since I'm pondering how things gain popularity, I thought I'd repost images from one of my most popular posts of all time, Flor-all You Know.

I saw this dress on ThredUp, if memory serves, and thought it looked pretty, so I ordered it.  I put it together with some tights and a sweater and snapped a few pics in this hopelessly austere room, and then spent hours painstakingly photoshopping a background into these meager three photos.  In the early days of my blog, because it took so long to put in these backgrounds, I rarely posted more than three photos at a time.   I also only had one hour a day when there was enough light in the room to take photos and I always had to face toward my right because that's where the only light source was.  A rocky beginning, I know, but it was fun and I needed the creative outlet during such a stressful time.

So, I did this post like so many others that I have done, but unlike the others, it took off and to date has received nearly 7,500 views, and again I have no idea why this outfit sparked so much interest.  Whatever the reason, it was a pretty dress, and still is, as I still have it in my wardrobe.  I don't often go back and repost old photos, but maybe I should.  I usually just take the same dress and style it a new way, but maybe the reason this most recent post was so popular is because people are searching for that throwback style.  I have no idea what drives people on the internet, and after eight and half years, I probably never will.  That's why I still just do this for my own enjoyment.

Shop the Look:

Dress is from the Contemporary line by Forever21

Rosebud Oxfords by Not Rated

Root of the Flatter Tights from ModCloth

Purse by Nila Anthony 

Wisteria Lane

As much as I had hoped to photograph this lovely Wisteria Skirt from my collaboration with ChicWish set against some actual wisteria, the wild wisteria didn't bloom this year.  I'm afraid Nature doesn't bother herself much with my plans.

Undeterred, there are still plenty of beautiful spots to choose from right not, so I found this quiet little path through the woods instead.

With so many shades of purple in this skirt, I foresee many outfit possibilities, but I started today with this vintage lavender blouse and grape crop cardi from YeMak.

Midi Skirts are still and always will be a marvel and a must-have in your wardrobe.  Falling just a few inches below the knee they are the perfect length for all occasions from office wear to a special event.  And they fit at the narrowest part of your waist and flare out creating the perfect silhouette.

It's been a while since I've done a printed midi, but my love for them has never diminished and with this collaboration I think it's only grown.  I truly hope this is the beginning of a beautiful friendship with ChicWish because I have loved everything I've got from them over the years and truly recommend them for tasteful timeless clothes.

Shopping Info: ENCHANT ME WISTERIA FLARE MIDI SKIRT-$39.90 from Chicwish, Purple Crop Cardigan-$30 from YEmak

Watercolor Violets

I certainly have had my moments in 2023 of thinking this was it for the blog.  Not because I don't love it, just because I don't have time.  I have been so busy this year that most of the time I feel just a little dizzy.

So, I have those thoughts where I feel like something has to give and since it can't be my jobs, education or family, the blog seems like the only option.  But, then a dream collaboration comes along and I just can't give it up.

I've been wanting to work with ChicWish for ages so there was no way I could pass up this opportunity and to be honest, being out here taking photos on a lovely afternoon, really just helps me to remember that I'm doing just fine wearing all these hats and juggling all these things.

This Violet Watercolor Maxi Dress has been on my wishlist for ages and I love it so much.  This fabric is ethereal and just perfect for twirling on a beautiful day like this.

With so many colors, I am already planning a dozen outfits or so, I only hope there's enough summer for me to wear them all.

I've been a loyal customer of ChicWish for years now, so I won't go on and on about how great they are.  Instead, I'll just let this dress do all the talking for me:

Shopping Info: FLORAL WATERCOLOR MAXI SLIP DRESS IN VIOLET-$49.90 from Chicwish, Flats from VIVAIA

The Monet Faux Pas

I made a mistake.  A pretty big one too.  When the Monet/Giverny collection released from Selkie, some of the dresses, in particular the Day Dresses only had one product photo.  I noticed that the colors were different for the same print on different dresses, so I based my selections on which dresses had the best colors.  This is where I made my mistake, although I don't really blame myself for it.

When the Monet collection released several fans noted that some of the dresses only had one product photo and zero model photos, so it was really difficult to tell what the dress would actually look like.  Personally, I made my buying decisions based on the colors in the photos available since they seemed to vary so much within each print and that's why I nearly missed out on this Bridge Day Dress beauty.

The variation in colors between the same print in different styles was drastic.  Some prints looked rich and bold others looked pale and faded.  On the one hand, it pushed me to try new styles that I wouldn't have considered otherwise in an attempt to get the best print.  On the other hand, if I'd known what the prints really looked like, I wouldn't have had to do that and I'm not really sure it was for the best.

Truly what I feel is that for any dress over $50, there should be plenty of photos from all angles.  And anything over $100 should include a model shot or two as well.  Ideally of both the plus size and straight size versions of the dress.  So, definitely for a dress such as this at the $250 mark, phoning it in on the photos is a total faux pas.  

The singular product photo of this dress does it absolutely no justice and I would never have known that had I not seen a post by a fellow Selk in the group chat who did a side-by-side comparison to demonstrate how the colors truly look.  Way more vibrant, way more gorgeous than the store photo and that was just with a shot taken with her phone.

Sigh.  These constant issues are wearing on me.  They're slowly eroding my love for the brand.  Maybe that's not a bad thing given that some relationships are unhealthy and need to change, but it's never easy when you care.

Lately I've been distancing myself from Selkie, the brand and their highly predatory and addictive marketing tactics, to focus on exploring new brands and searching for past favorites from brands like Emily & Fin, Myrtlewood, and Fervour, which is something I love.

Looking for brands via thrifting is a much more agreeable indulgence than the adrenaline fueled buying frenzy that occurs at a Selkie drop.  Thrifting is there whenever I'm ready and usually with sellers who are willing to make a deal that works for both of us as opposed to me breaking the bank on prices that keep going up while quality remains the same.  I'm not trying to criticize, just compare.

The bottom line is that I love this dress and I'm glad I bought it, and even more glad that it was still available a week or two later when I finally realized how much different and better it looked than the shop photo.

I guess I should just continue to look on the bright side of things and be thankful that I found a dress I love and Shop Pay made it possible to buy it after my budget got spent on other things with prints I thought were better.

Shopping Info: The Bridge Day Dress-$249.00 from Selkiecollection.com