The Real Reason for the Season

Well, ok, the pumpkins may be a little seasonal but the dress is spot on for the yuletide.  The bow and the full skirt are darling and the fit is its own gift.

I find that every year I get so caught up in doing the required things that it's easy to get overwhelmed and view the holidays more as a series of obligations rather than a season of wonder.

As soon as I start grumbling, I know it's time to take a minute, step away from the obligations and breathe.  

I don't want to resent the holiday busyness of the people who volunteer me for one more gathering, one more gift exchange, one more school fund raiser.  These things are important and I want to do it all with a smile, but it doesn't always come easily.

It helps me to take a few moments alone and remember the things I loved about this time of year as a child.  Maybe I'll read all the Christmas cards we've collected over the years.  Maybe I'll clear a path and lay under the Tree and look at all the lights the way I've done every year for the past 37 or so that I can remember. And of course, I'll read the story of the birth of Jesus and the simple shepherds who came to worship him under the stars.

This is a beautiful season and a wonderful time of year.  While it's easy to overwhelmed by all there is to do, there's so much more to be thankful for that it's worth all the effort to make this season as merry and as bright as possible.  

Wendy in Neverland

Growing up I think I probably saw every single cinematic version of Peter Pan ever made.  From the animated version to Sandy Duncan, and from Robin Williams to the most recent one where someone made the bizarre choice to white wash and then paint splatter the tribal people, but I've never read the book.

I wasn't much of a reader as a child, but as an adult and certainly as a parent I do far more reading for myself and to my children.  And this story, a child who doesn't want to grow up and do stuffy grown-up things, but just wants to be a kid having adventures forever, has always been one that is near and dear to my heart.

With my brother and with cousins, I'm sure we spent many weekends and a Christmas break or two imagining ourselves in Peter's story.  In all that time of playing Neverland, I can't remember ever wanting to be Wendy.  I preferred to be Tiger Lily or one of the Lost Boys, or maybe even Tinkerbell.  

And dear Wendy was such a calm to the wild storm, a wet blanket to the wild fire, that I preferred to leave her out altogether.  She just wasn't the kind of girl to whom I could relate.  No ill will to Wendy, I see her value now.  After all storms and wildfires wreak tremendous havoc.

Wendy then is a yin to the yang, and balance to all things, etc.  That's something I see expressed in this Wendy in Neverland dress from Tatyana.  I love the map print, with the wild adventures all neatly composed on a rather lady-like dress with, of course, a Peter Pan collar.

I think there's a little bit of the Peter Pan spirit in all of us, and if we're wise, we'll temper it with a little bit of Wendy too.

Shopping Info:  Wendy Fit & Flare in Neverland Print from Tatyana.com

Black Friday at Tatyana

 Tatyana's Black Friday sale is amazing.  Get 50% off with code GET50

Bettie Page Posh

I can't think of a single other post where I have placed so much emphasis on the back of a dress, but check out the rear view of this Bettie Page leopard print dress. It's lovely from the front, but those folds at the back in contrasting red are what make this dress a jaw dropper.

Bettie Page is one of those brands that have adored from afar for ages, but since they don't sell directly through their website, you have to rely on other distributors to carry their styles. I've seen BP dresses at just a few shops on the internet, but that's about it. I can't even find them in the retro boutiques I get to visit about once a year.  So, I've mostly had to rely on resale sites when I want to browse this brand. 

Since I've never worn a Bettie Page dress before and since this is a wiggle dress, I wasn't sure if I needed XS or Small. In the end, there were two dresses, one in each size, and I just flipped a coin. It landed on small, which is one size up from my usual, but the fit is perfect. I suppose I could have gone for XS, but I really hate it when my wiggle dresses pucker down the front from stretch.

Well, that's it. One dress was all it took, because I am officially hooked on this brand. I've really been trying to branch out on my brands over the last few years. This blog began as basically ModCloth exclusive, and I still love me some MC, but over time I've found so many great shops and designers, that I wanted to include as many of them as possible in my style to show you how many great options are out there for any size, age, and shape. 

When it comes to fashion, I think if you find your brand, then you find your brand, but there's no harm in playing the field a little from time to time. You're not going to hurt their feelings. It's not good to get too comfortable with one brand, either. I'd give yourself a decade with one place—maximum!—before you branch out a little. For me, I've needed to change things up as I've changed about every 5 to ten years. 

Different job, different roles in life, different age, different weight. There aren't too many shops out there that change with me .Either they change or I change but it's never happened in a harmonious synchronization. Either I'm getting older or their style is getting younger and way tighter too! Or I'm growing a little more whimsical and they've opted for safe basic polyester florals—Snooze fest! Don't be afraid to make a statement. Be bold now and then, you only get this one life after all.

Whatever adjectives you use to describe Bettie Page, boring, basic, and safe won't be among them. I haven't seen a single style from this brand that didn't make my heart skip a beat. So, at this point you may be wondering where you can find your own Bettie Page gem.  You have a few options, but just a few. If you happen to see a store out there that carries this brand that I haven't listed, please comment below. 

TatyanaBoutique, Unique Vintage, Top Vintage, and of course, if you can't find your dream dress there, you can always try my favorite resale site Poshmark and Ebay and ThredUp. I do recommend trying the boutiques first. Sometimes they'll have a style on sale for less than you can find it listed on resale and you're getting a new dress instead of something already worn for the same price. 

I can tell you at this very moment that this particular dress is available in several sizes and as a wiggle or full skirt dress on Posh. I'm going to post a few of the listing below with sizes so you can have a look.  If you don't see your size/style available right now, don't fret, your dress is bound to turn up.  Just keep checking back. 

Shopping Info:  Leopard print wiggle dress by Tatyana