Vintage Summer Morning with Dolly & Dotty

Collaboration time!  I've been enjoying such a nice reprieve from out usual full schedule and getting lots of things caught up around the house and farm, but I will always make time for a collaboration like this.  If there is one thing worth getting up early on a summer Sunday morning, it's the thought of modeling a gorgeous dress like this Tess Lace Sleeved Dress in Peacock Blue from Dolly & Dotty.  I love the fabric of this dress, it is cotton and perfect for these warmer days, plus it has this gorgeous eyelet at the sleeves, bodice top, and sweeping round the hemline too.  What a perfectly gorgeous dress!  And since I'm all dolled up we top off the morning's photo session by heading over to my favorite bakery for breakfast, enjoyed alfresco for people-watching.  It really was a perfect day in the perfect dress.

Outfit Info:  Tess Lace Sleeved Dress in Peacock Blue -£45 from Dolly & Dotty

Eyelet Endeavors

Dresses like this are so all around perfect for everything.  I wish my wardrobe were filled with pieces like this.  As the home renovation continues, our weekends are hopelessly filled from the moment we wake up until we fall into bed exhausted each night.

Because we've been so busy, I haven't been able to do any shopping, which is fine, or any photos which is also fine because it's been miserably hot outside.  I also haven't been able to do any outfit planning which isn't just something I do for my blog, it's a key part of my prep for the beginning of each week so that I am not wasting precious time each morning deciding what to wear instead of packing my lunch and feeding the animals.

Busy times are bound to happen which is why it's so nice to have pieces like this that always look well no matter where I'm going or what time of year it is.  While I've been remodeling the house, I have also done a serious wardrobe cleanout, which I'll talk more about in an upcoming post, but dresses like this are here to stay.

Shopping Info: FLORAL JACQUARD EMBROIDERED EYELET MIDI DRESS-$72.90 FROM CHICWISH, BABY BLUE CARDIGAN FROM YEMAK, BLUE FLATS FROM VIVAIA 

Be Bold

In case you haven't noticed, style trends tend to follow the colors of nature.  Autumn brings us rich oranges, yellows, browns and reds to match the leaves.  In winter, we wear warm basics with a few pops of color thrown in the mix to put a little pep in our moods much like a cardinal set against the snow is always cheery.  In spring it's all pastels as color returns to the world and flowers bloom.  And summer is nothing if not a time when we don our boldest and brightest colors.

So many women are apprehensive about trying colors.  Either because they've heard a certain color won't look well on them, or because they just don't know what colors will look nice with their complexion, hair, and personal taste, and they're worried they'll stand out in a bad way, so they just don't try anything at all.  If you can relate, it's time to shake it off and shake things up with a little color in your wardrobe.

Black is a timeless classic, there is no denying that.  But, black should never be the only thing you wear "just to be safe."  Having a personal style means taking some risks to find out what you love.  Personally I have been on both sides of this fence and I can tell you from my own experience, it's way more fun to experiment and wear colors and summer is the perfect time to do it because there is so much color in the world right now, you'll fit right in.

Take this gorgeous Exotic Garden Dress from ChicWish as a prime example.  Not only does it have this eye-catching eyelet cutwork embroidery pattern, but with the fitted button-down bodice, full skirt with scalloped edges and the feminine puffed sleeves, this dress would look heavenly on any body in any color.  It creates an extremely flattering silhouette.

However, when you take that solid design and add a bright color palette, you have a knock-out dress.  Hot pink, duty blue, coral orange, wow! Does this dress have some seriously bold colors and I love how they all look together.
 

If you're new at colors, don't be afraid to start with a statement dress like this and then pair it with more neutral accessories.  In this outfit, I went with a straw bag--neutral--but it also has a kitty face to make it whimsical.  And I added gray wedges, but they have mirror accents down the front for a little sparkle, so nothing about this outfit is boring or dull.  Each piece is bringing something to the overall look.

ChicWish has so many dress pieces like this and I love them for their ultra feminine, timeless styles and their stunning colors.  These dresses were made for summer.  Join me right back here as my collaboration with ChicWish continues with more summer faves you're going to love.

Shopping Info:  EXOTIC GARDEN CUTWORK EMBROIDERY MIDI DRESS-$79.90 FROM CHICWISH, ENDLESS HOLIDAY ANKLE STRAP ESPADRILLE WEDGE SANDALS-$59 FROM NEWBELLA 

A Christmas Song

The Christmas Song

Chestnuts roasting on an open fire

Jack Frost nipping at your nose

Yuletide carols being sung by a choir

And folks dressed up like eskimos

Everybody knows a turkey and some

mistletoe

Help to make the season bright

Tiny tots with their eyes all aglow

Will find it hard to sleep tonight

They know that Santa's on his way
He's loaded lots of toys and goodies on his sleigh
And every mother's child is gonna spy
To see if reindeer really know how to fly

And so I'm offering this simple phrase
To kids from one to ninety-two
Although it's been said many times,
many ways
Merry Christmas to you

They know that Santa's on his way
He's loaded lots of toys and goodies on his sleigh
And every mother's child is gonna spy
To see if reindeer really know how to fly

And so I'm offering this simple phrase
To kids from one to ninety-two
Although it's been said many times,
many ways

Merry Christmas to you
Merry Christmas to you

Shopping:  Dress from The Other Sparrows, Eyelet top from SheIn 

Goodbye to Summer's Fare

One last aimless wandering through the thistle down meadow.  One last chance to wear my white eyelet dresses before autumn.  Then it all gets put away for the year. 

Absence makes the heart grow fonder?  Indeed, it can.  There are certain foods I only prepare and enjoy once or twice a year, certain things I only wear in certain seasons, and to paraphrase a poem by Christina Rossetti, I love them all the more for the fact that they are frugal fare and would find them tedious if I had them in excess. 

In Shakespeare's As You Like It Rosalind once asked, "Can one desire too much of a good thing?"  Yes, dear Rosalind, it is best to enjoy things in moderation and in each season.  That is why I savor the summer, the fruits of the fall, and sometimes I put away my favorite things so that I appreciate them all the more instead of taking them for granted.  But absence can do so much more than that.

Absence brings us clarity.  The mad blur comes into focus, reminds us of how much we enjoy a thing or give us the space we need to realize maybe we don't love it so much.  Bad relationships, bad habits/addictions, a horrible fitting dress or a tack print, it works for most anything.  Sometimes we need that time away to realize just how bad it is or how we've changed and outgrown a thing.

It's alright to change, to outgrow something.  And it is just as well to loyally love something forever.  But it is best to take the time to truly know your heart on the matter.

So, today I'll say goodbye to summer and all my airy cotton dresses for half a year or so.  I'll fold them neatly and pack them away, while bringing out my wools and velvets again.  Then I'll welcome them back when the sunshine and the flowers return, appreciating their beauty all the more.

Shopping Info: Dress and Flower Crown from: SHEIN