60s Glam

I love 1960s style and all things "mod" that that era produced, which is why Dear Creatures was such a great loss to the fashion world.  Dear Creatures was a 60s revival brand that very sadly went out of business in 2016.  I've been thrifting my favorite Dear Creatures pieces since that time and finally landed this lovely unicorn.  To be honest, I paid way too much for it, but I knew that was probably the only way I'd ever own it.  The last time I saw this dress listed for a reasonable price it sold within minutes.  So, I bit the bullet and paid a king's ransom for this dress.  I do love it though.  I wish all fashion design could be this good.

Outfit Info:  Dear Creatures Cecile Dress is thrifted

 

Eye of Newt & Tooth of Hound

I didn't start out this collaboration intending to have a theme for the week, but here we are and I am seeing the pattern.  All of my Dolly & Dotty dresses from this collaboration are things I chose because they are perfect for summer and the seasons ahead.  Maximum wearability is what I am all about.  

Houndstooth is an all-year-round kind of print, but this black and white dress in particular makes me think of fall and winter.  For autumn, I'll wear orange and rust colors with it, and for winter I'll switch to reds and greens.  It's the perfect base!

Maybe I'm jumping the gun a little, but it's the last day of August and that means that Autumn and Halloween are on the horizon.  And, while I do have a few holiday specific pieces, what I really love to do is bring out all my fall colors in September and wear them all season long.  And, that includes things that don't just fall into the orange/red/yellow palette, such as this Lily Houndstooth print dress from Dolly & Dotty.

You may not be in a fall frame of mind just yet, (I always look forward to the autum colors, but personally, I won't mind if the summer weather lingers for a few more weeks) which is why pieces like this are so great, they make that seasonal transition right along with you, whenever you're ready.  

I added a black petticoat underneath for a little more fullness to the skirt, but again, with this color palette, you could add any petticoat to match your 'fit and have it coordinate beautifully.  You really can't go wrong anytime of year with a Dolly & Dotty Dress.

Outfit Info:  Lily Houndstooth Sleeved Full Circle Dress in Black/White-£50 

from Dolly & Dotty

Feelin' Groovy

 Today's post brings with it a groovy new collaboration (please excuse my 60s vernacular, but the situation calls for it.)

When I saw this print, I knew how I would want to style it and I can now say that finally my summer of love dreams of this dress are coming together thanks to these slouchy white boots from my new collaboration with Sungtin and you can save an extra 20% off these lovelies with my code 20LQ8L2E. 

The thing I love most about collaborations is how they get me out of my style ruts.  When a company comes to me with a suggestion for something new to try, my creativity gets flowing and I try things I wouldn't normally think to put together.

These knee high boots fit true to size, are made of soft faux leather and are lined with manmade plush.  Sungtin's boots  draw in lots of super hero cosplayers, but I think they're also pretty perfect for my princessy dresses.

I spent some time playing around with different styles with these boots and the next things I'll try are definitely a mini pencil skirt and a sweater dress.

I've had so much fun trying new styles to go with my new slouchy boots from Sungtin.  I hope this is the first of many great collaborations with them.

Shopping Info:  Sungtin Women's Faux Leather Knee High Flat Slouch Boots-$45.99, Save an extra 20% with code 20LQ8L2E

Citrus Princess Dress-$22

Seven Strong

Time passes; people change.  I've just realized that I missed an important anniversary here on the blog which is of course, the blog's anniversary.  I've had this blog for seven full years and am starting eight.  It's kind of a big deal for me personally because I typically never hold any hobby longer than five.  And I've noticed that most of the people I began blogging with (not really with them but they were there and I was there) have fallen away to things like raising families or pursuing avenues of expression.

While I've definitely felt a shift in my focus and my style over the years, it's nice to have this body or work to look back on.  It's not perfect, as the tightly clenched reader who recently felt the need to comment on a single grammar error in a post from five years ago brought to light, but then no one and no blog is.  And, after nearly 2,000 posts (that breaks down to 285 posts per year) I don't really expect perfection and I don't sweat the small mistakes.

This blog started out as just a way for a shy, lonely, and rather creatively bored young woman to reach out to the world, have some fun, and challenge herself in the process, but it turned into something so much more.  This blog was a lifeboat when I was drowning.  I won't say it saved me, but it gave me something to hang onto and isn't that something we're all searching for?

I've changed my mode of communication just a bit as I finally expanded to Youtube last year, but I doubt I'll ever fully move there.  I like writing.  In fact, I prefer it.  And, I know I've complained a lot lately about getting up in the cold pre-dawn to take photos, but the truth is that I'm so pleased, so proud of these pics and these words that I wouldn't change a thing.

Thanks for being here, dear reader, whether it's been for seven years or seven minutes.  I'm glad you're here and I hope I'll be here for years more to come.

Cherish the Calm

The new year has dawned and I still have a little bit of hope that things will straighten up and turn out alright, the greater part of me feels like the world is in a tailspin and there's no pulling up.  That's for the world at large.  Personally I'm trying very hard to have order in my life, to make things better however I can.

After the calm comes the storm.  I suppose that's the reverse of how that old saying goes but for me it's not a matter of weathering the storms but expecting them.  It's that sense of unease when things are too quiet.  (This dress by the way, was one of my freebies from J.ING.  I'm so disappointed that they ended the $100 prize for submitting reviews!)

Anytime I get a nice little break from work or life in general it is immediately followed by a tempestuous season of high activity the likes of which a few days preemptive rest have barely readied me for. 

That's why I take my peace and quiet so seriously.  I know they won't last and if I don't make the most of them, I won't make it through the next storm with my health and sanity intact.

Right now I am in the middle of one of my busiest, and most physically demanding weeks of the year, so I am thankful for every morning I slept in, every healthy meal I took time to prepare, every quiet moment spent in reflection, staring out a window lost in thought.  I'll just have to hope that it's enough to get me through this crazy week so I can rest again and prepare for the next one on the way.

Shopping Info:  Melissa Black Bow Tie Dress-$69.99 from J.ING