Shy Butterfly

I don't know why I feel the need to write something/anything to go along with each post.  Chalk it up to the nature of an introvert; we're shy but we still want to be seen and heard in our own way.  And somehow, having a blog accomplishes that while maintaining some sense of privacy.  Is that odd to say that something on the internet is private?  The vast majority of people who "know" me don't know I have a blog and of those who do, I never give out the address or the name.  Some people find it, if they really want to, and that's Ok.  It's public but somehow private as well.  This blog has been active for almost 12 years and yet it's still a very small place.  I like it that way.  

Outfit Info:  Anthropologie Strapless Butterfly dress is thrifted, YeMak cardigan, B.A.I.T. heels

Same Stuff, Different Outfit

Starting my year with a No Buy (I promise I'm going to stop talking about it soon, but not in this post) had a lot of positive outcomes.  For one thing, it took a lot of the guess work out of what i was going to wear.  As in previous years, I did a seasonal capsule wardrobe and just rotated through it for three months.  Of that capsule, I had about 6 work dresses/outfits that I wore on a bi-weekly rotation, and it saved me time in the morning by not having to figure out what to wear.

Another thing it did was really forced me to shop my closet a lot and I found that I really enjoyed it.  At this point in the game, I really don't need to buy anything other than replacing my shoes each year as they wear out.  Anytime I want to experiment or mix things up all I really just need to dig through my storage bins to find the things I want to make an outfit work.

For my No Buy challenge, I decided that all the targeted ads I was seeing were part of the problem.  I knew I had to strictly limit my social media time in order to avoid the temptation from all the shopping ads.  It worked like a charm...in a way.  I decided to draw, cover lampshades, and be creative instead of shopping.  However, the depression and anxiety that accompanied being denied the dopamine hits I get from shopping and scrolling social media were tough to take.  I had to feel all my feelings, deal with all the situations without my retail therapy or doom scrolling to decompress.  Include in that mix the stress of the holidays, two medical emergencies and a family trip and I really struggled to cope without a crutch for a while.  But, I made it.  And now I know I can.  And that was probably the greatest success to come from this experiment

Getting back on social media, I realized, I really can't have it in my life.  Literally nearly every post in my feed and every email in my inbox, is an ad for something wanting to take my money.  No thank you, I don't want to go back to the desensitization and the mindless buying.  Plus, I don't want to go back to losing hours of my life each day and $$$ from my bank account to the scroll effect.  

Now, this is the part where I must reiterate that I will always love fashion and will likely continue to set aside money for buying clothes, as my break from my No Buy has proven, but I am continuing to be more selective and mindful about what I bring into my life.  To that end, today's outfit is entirely "old" thrift finds of last year and all the way back to things I purchased more than a decade ago.

Normally the blog is the testing ground, where I put outfits together and if I like how they look in photos, then wear them out in the world.  However, since I haven't been doing outfit photos over the winter months, I saw this original fashion photo of this skirt, decided to put my own version together and have been wearing it to work before featuring it here.  I really love this outfit and I'm glad it looks as good in the photos as it looked in my head.

Outfit Info: j.crew top, maybe skirt, remake cardi, seeing flats

Maximum Audacity

Clothes aren't just clothes for me; they're self expression, creativity, composition, self esteem, and so much more.  If you like your clothes on the basic side, that's fine by me, although I would wonder why you're at this blog if you don't like bold prints and colors.  I will concede that there is a time and place for more subdued styles, beyond just funerals and courtroom trials, but I don't think you necessarily have to compromise.  You can play it safe while still standing out from the crowd.  So, when I see something that is understated but also very audacious, I get drawn into its gravity.  I've admired this Eva Franco dress for years.  The color palette is simple: gray, white, and hints of orange.  The print is unusual: houses.  And the cut is extremely flattering.  It's all in the details that make this a bold, standout piece. 

Outfit Info: Eva Franco Budapest House Print Dress is thrifted, Calvin Klein heels were gifted 

Stormy Seasons

****My Easter Sunday was...not the ideal spring day of fun that I had hoped.  I don't often wax religious on the blog, so if it offends you, consider this your notice to scroll past the text and just enjoy the outfit photos or skip this post entirely.****  

Today is one of those posts where the outfit and the text and the theme don't really line up.  I suppose if I were really reaching I could do an April Showers Bring May Flowers sort of thing, but I don't really want to reach, so we'll just stick with the idea that they don't match up.

A family member came to us in crisis mode.  Rent is due, taxes are due, her car broke down on the way to our house and had to be towed to the junk yard, and to top it all off, her cat is at death's door.  There is an old poem by Longfellow that goes, "Into each life some rain must fall, some days must be dark and dreary."  It's a statement with which we could all agree, and I would pair it with when it rains it pours, but this sweet girl was getting hit with a typhoon and according her, it wasn't just a one off; her life was in full on typhoon season.  

We all go through storms.  And sometimes the storms are so awful and so long that when they do finally end, we're never really confident that they're over, always looking over our shoulders in every happy moment to see if there are clouds gathering again.  And the fact is, there probably are clouds gathering again.  Difficult seasons in life are a guarantee and try as we might, we're rarely prepared for them, but the worst thing we can do is to let the happy moments be polluted by worry over the next difficulty.  Enjoy the quiet, the peace, the good, and face the next storm when it comes.

As for my family member, well, God gave us family and community so we never have to face our troubles alone.  So, in addition to words of encouragement, hugs, and dinner, we gave her as much financial help as was possible.  She didn't come to us looking for money, she just came to enjoy Easter dinner.  And I don't mention the help to brag, I say it because I truly believe that prayers are a wonderful thing, but sometimes people need actual help not just good thoughts and well wishes.  And the least Christian thing I could do is to tell someone I love that I hope and pray all their troubles go away while I am sitting on at least a little bit of the means to be their answer to prayer and make some of those troubles go away.  It won't fix all her problems and it won't fix them forever, and I may not always be able to help, but this time I could, so I did.  If nothing else, now she knows that when (not if) she sees the next round of storms gathering, someone will be there to face them with her and when (not if) they finally pass, her family will be there to celebrate with her too.

Outfit Info:  Connie in Parisian Patio Print from Retrospec'd, Purple Heels from BAIT footwear, YeMak cardigan

 

Color is Key

It's officially springtime and I was thankful to see that most of the bulbs I planted last autumn survived the winter and all the hungry critters.  I had a couple of very determined armadillos dig up most of my flower bulbs in the yard last year and was worried they would find this stash out here in the woods, but life found a way.  In fact my yard was looking quite lovely until a surprise freeze hit. 

I don't like to pick flowers, preferring to let them live as long as possible outdoors, but since the nasty weather would surely have done them in, I decided to gather them all up to brighten our indoors for a while.

I am breaking out the spring colors, the brighter the better.  This outfit is a thrifted find from early December 2025.  I've been looking at this Eva Franco dress for years now and finally saw one cheap enough that I decided to get it.  While it would be just as nice to pair this dress with some neutrals, I already had shoes and a cardi that perfectly matched the bold hues in the print and it's time for colors!  I'm trying to have a better attitude about the winter, but I also don't mind saying that I am so happy to see flowers blooming and hear the birds chirping again, and the world being painted in color once more.

 

Outfit Info: Eva Franco Key Dress is thrifted from ThredUp.  Use my link to sign up and save $20 off your first order, shoes from Amazon, cardi from YeMak

Easter Traditions

As a child I loved Easter more than Christmas.  The traditions were similar in many ways.  They both meant new life, a new color, gifts and treats, and of course, a new dress.  But Easter also brought sunshine and warmer days and it was also the only time of year I could wear a hat and carry a basket as my accessory without getting rueful stares.  How could I not love it more?  I'm in it for the 'fits not the gifts.  In keeping with the spirit of Easter traditions, I've got my bunny dress and my basket purse.  I'm ready for the egg hunts and gooey marshmallow based treats.  Bring on the pastels and florals, the hats and baskets.  Let's celebrate! 

 

Outfit Info: Instant Energy Faux Wrap dress in Strawberry Meadow from ModCloth