Hot Air Ballooning with Dolly & Dotty

Pastels in Springtime?  Why yes, please.  Whimsical hot air balloon print instead of florals?  Don't mind if I do!  Dolly & Dotty is rapidly becoming my favorite shop for these novelty prints and vintage styles.

I've been rather pampered by brands like Dolly & Dotty because everytime I go into a shop now and see nothing but aisles and aisles of florals and geometrics, I get so bored.  Don't get me wrong, I love florals and geometrics, but it is nice to have other options.

When it comes to clothing or anything else that's important, life is just to short for boring or run-of-the-mill. I think we all need a little bit of whimsy and novelty in our wardrobes and everywhere else in between.  I guess that's just what makes brands like this so special; they offer things that aren't run-of-the-mill.

I loved this Hot Air Balloon print the minute I saw it in the Darlene dress and what's even better is that it also comes in the Amanda style (another favorite) and a matching tote bag as well.  Is this company awesome or what?!

Fortunately, did already the perfect little flats, which have gotten lots of wear this spring, and have a little novelty bag that matched this dress to a T.  I always love it when I can use the things I have loved and collected for years to create new looks.

This is most definitely a brand that I hope to be partners with for a very long time as I adore everything they make!  If you haven't tried Dolly & Dotty yet, you simply must!  Just click the link below and let the vintage love affair begin!

Outfit Info:  Darlene Hot Air Balloon Swing Dress-£50 from Dolly & Dotty,  Wonder Molly Balloon Bag is old, flats are old from SheIn

Apple Pie of My Eye

Alright, perhaps a bit of a reach on the title there, but I have been baking lots of pies lately and so this Palma Dress in Apple Pie Print from Dolly & Dotty seemed like the perfect dress for today as I will most assuredly be baking a pie.  I find that it is easier to bake a pie in advance and then reheat throughout the busy week or very busy weekend.

In my opinion there are two kinds of dessert lovers: Cake People and Pie People.  It's all a matter of taste, of course, and no such thing as a right answer, but this girl loves pie.  Personally, I've always said that if I'm going to indulge in dessert, it better be worth it and by worth it, I mean rich and decadent.  And cake is just a bunch of fluff.

Pie on the other hand is buttery, flakey, gooey, salty, sweet; it's the whole package and a top pick when I do have dessert.  But, truth be told, I haven't been making sweet pies of late, rather I have been experiementing with savory pies and Oh Boy, I may be in trouble!  

Lately, I have been playing with an old Martha Stewart recipe for Cheese & Potato "pie," I use quotations there because the recipe calls for a puff pastry to envelope the filling and so it's more like a hot pocket than an actual pie.  Well, I decided to change that.  I've had this recipe in my arsenal since 2005 or so, I have made it numerous times, and it only keeps getting better.

I'll link the recipe at the bottom so you can experience this culinary delight for yourself, but basically I use an old fashioned pie crust recipe with butter, not lard and then to the filling instead of just Gruyere and leeks, I use Gruyere, green onions, potatoes, and sauteed mushrooms.  I serve it with roasted chicken and roasted asparagus spears and my, my, it is certainly a treat coming home in the evening from a hard day when there is a dinner like that waiting for me. (Even though I had to make it myself and then reheat it when I got home :D )

Thanks to this Palma Pie dress, I am feeling rather inspired to whip up an apple pie to go along with my now perfect cheese & potato pie recipe.  You can never have too much of a good thing, not when it comes to pie and certainly not when it comes to Dolly & Dotty dresses.

Outfit Info:  Palma Sleeved Tea Dress in Muted Orange Apple Pie Print-£40 

from Dolly & Dotty, Shoes by Honiara Vintage/Charlie Stone, Bag is old

Martha Stewart Alsatian Potato Pie Recipe

Retro Cherries with Dolly & Dotty

Oh my, oh my, this cherry dress from Dolly & Dotty is just what the springtime ordered!  With a fitted waist, flowy skirt and flutter sleeves, not to mention this darling cherry print, this Donna dress truly is the perfect little gem for all the things and places we've been going this season.

Yes, indeed, every single year I look forward to the warmer weather so I can just spend my free moments lounging outside and soaking it all in, and every single year I forget that warmer days mean a full docket of things to attend like plays, weddings, graduations, baby showers and all the like.

A dress like this has been really perfect for everything and believe me when I say, that we have been doing all the things.  And, frankly I am more than happy to go and celebrate momentous occasions with family and friends, these are the things that make life so enjoyable after all, but I do miss all the downtime we get in the colder seasons.  Would it be totally terrible if I admitted that I have finally found something to love about winter?

This is my first time trying the Donna Style from Dolly & Dotty, but I can tell you it is  probably my favorite style so far.  I know lots of women struggle with comfortable sleeves and this dress has not only comfort but a flattering style.  It also has a fitted waist with ruching for tummy camouflaging and a perfect-for-twirling-full skirt that creates a most flattering silhouette.

This is what I would call an "easy dress," because it just slips on and looks amazing with so little effort on my part.  And when you have every weekend and most week nights fully booked for a weeks on end, it's necessary to have pieces like this that you can grab and go while still looking your best.

Outfit Info:  Donna Retro Cherry Crossover Bust Dress-£45 from Dolly & Dotty, bag and Qupid Heels are old, 

The Art of Leisure

Leisure is the ultimate thing we're all pursuing, yet how many of us actually enjoy our leisure time when it arrives?  We all tell ourselves that if we can just make it through this busy or stressful time, then things will slow down and we can enjoy a rest.  But, usually the next stressful or busy thing presents itself before we're even done with the previous and so life becomes this seamless ebb and flow of busy nothings and stressful somethings.

Stress and busyness often come to us in the form of things we volunteer for rather than are obligated to do, and they become so much a part of our routine that if/when we finally do have absolutely nothing demanding our time, we tend to be so unaccustomed that we restlessly seek out more drama to fill our lives, even going so far as to create it when it can't easily and organically be discovered.

There most certainly is an Art to Leisure.  It takes practice and persistence to find, then cultivate, then enjoy rest and peace.  To be honest, I have struggled myself with just relaxing since I've left my employment two months ago.  I have never in my life had so little demanding my immediate attention.  For years I have theorized that those who are always running from this activity to the next are really running from the thoughts, feelings, and memories that confront us in the quiet moments.  It's easier to hide from negative thoughts when we're constantly on the go.  Sooner or later, though, they always find us.

Even though I have tried to live a life of complete honesty with myself, not masking but dealing with difficult thoughts and experiences when they come, so that my quiet moments can be pleasant rather than haunted, even I have had a difficult transition to these long quiet days with just myself and my thoughts.  To be honest, I had some very dark hours in the beginning, but it's been six weeks now and I have had to remind myself that it took an adjustment time to get used to being so busy and it will take time to adjust to this.  Ultimately, I just know and feel it all the way to my bones that I needed to rest, I needed to pursue this time of rest.  I have spent so much time giving everything I've got to my work that I felt like I had literally nothing left to give to anyone, not even myself.

Giving myself that time of transition, instead of getting frustrated and rushing to fill up my days again, has meant having to deal with somethings I didn't really want to, but in the end, I am once again finding peace and quiet and rest in the quiet.  I am enjoying my leisure instead of always running.  And that has made all the difference in my life in this season.

Outfit Info:  R. Vivimos Dress from ThredUp, 

shoes from Shein, Book from Rifle Paper Co.

Leandra ❤️'s Joanie

Warmer weather is finally here and my thrifted Joanie Dresses have been getting lots of wear.  I am so glad I finally added a couple of pieces of this brand to my collection.  I won't say any more in today's post, I'll just let the photos do all the talking.

 

Blue Violets

This outfit post is long overdue.  I got this Blue Vine Day Dress last year as a birthday gift.  I immediately altered the sleeves and then, as it was at the end of summer, put it away until warmer days returned.  I don't really hold much to the old fashion rule of "never wear white after Labor Day or Brown after Memorial Day," but I do find that I don't really want to wear white in the autumn or winter.

White is a spring and summer color, so light and fresh.  It seems out of place in autumn's rich hues and overwhelming, even gloomy against all the snow and bare branches of winter.  On the other hand, when all the woods are decked in green and white with violets scattered over the forest floor, it seems only right that I follow suit.

I haven't had much time for making violet jam this year, maybe next year if all goes well, because I did love the taste and color of this springtime delicacy.  I spent a few weeks scouring our woods last year and transplanted a number of wild violets to encircle the perimeter of my herb garden so that I'll have some close by should the urge to make jam strike.

All my relocated plants are thriving this year, so perhaps I should keep it up and simply have a yard full of violets since they seem to do so well and not much else does.  Life really is all about learning to work with what you have and gardening is no exception.

I'm already sad to think that in a few short weeks all the violets will be gone for another year, but I suppose the brevity is what adds to the enjoyment and the beauty of this season after all.

Outfit Info:  Blue Vine Day Dress from Selkie, Teal bow flats from Shein, 

Cameo Necklace is vintage by Avon.

One Morning in Spring

One of my most favorite things to do in the spring is to go outside on a mild morning and just sit and listen.  The nature is so alive and so very suddely opposite of the way it's been for all the months of winter sleep.  I like to sit and just soak it all in.

This morning (not the morning I took these photos, btw) I woke up before dawn, had a quick workout and cool down, and then made my coffee and took it outside on the deck to watch the sunrise.  The mist on the mountains and the sunlight coming throught the clouds were exactly the kind of peaceful beauty I have been craving.

All too soon each day the world fills up with the ugly noise of neighbors mowing (constantly mowing) and ATVs, motorcycles, cars, and ridiculously loud conversations had by slimy neighbors on their cell phones, playing their awful music, and noise, noise, noise.  There are far better things to hear in this world on a spring morning, than the sounds of so many people oblivious to the whole wide world outside themselves. 

Not a moment or two, but a whole hour I was able to listen to the birds and the wind and watch the bluejays build their nest.  I watched the sun kiss the mountaintop good morning on its way into the clouds before I heard the first rumblings of the people waking up.  I wish there could be more moments like this, but I will surely take what I can get.

Outfit Info:  Chateau Paper Day dress from Selkie