A Fall Break

"If you want to see how much power something has over you, try fasting from it."  @the_fit_farmacy

I've been on a journey to find balance in the things I enjoy in life because unfortunately, balance isn't in my nature.  I'm an all or nothing kind of personality and sometimes that kind of commitment has proven invaluable.  But more often than not, it's more beneficial to find balance and moderation in all things.  The best way for me to tell if I'm over-doing it on something is to try giving it up for a while.  For example, last week I ran out of coffee.  Now, I only drink decaf, so I'm not hooked on the caffeine, but I soon found out, that that morning cup of joe with cinnamon and oat milk is part of a relaxing ritual that starts my day off right.  Without it, I was antsy and downright grumpy for the first few days.  Until then, I felt like my coffee time was take it or leave it.  The coffee arrived after one week without and I decided to keep my break going.  

At first I couldn't go a single day without shopping.  Then it was a single week.  Now, I have been able to go several weeks at a time without shopping or buying and I regularly limit my shopping time to only in the evening and only certain days of the week.  I was really feeling like I needed a reset, so I decided  to take some time away from shopping.  I've been wearing my fall capsule wardrobe and seriously loving this system.  So, I decided to keep that going too.  I am currently working on a 6 week shopping fast, and to be perfectly candid, it hasn't been a cake walk and I have slipped up twice.  I'm trying to create new habits and this pathway in my brain is so well worn, it's been tough to create a new one.  While I could focus on those few failings, I'd rather celebrate the fact that I'm doing so much better this time around than I have before.  The key to most success in this life is to just keep showing up.

I'm not opposed to shopping; I'm not even opposed to a little shopping therapy from time to time.  I just want all things to be in their proper balanced place and I think I'm getting closer than I ever have been before.

 

Outfit Info:  Emily and Fin Leaves Dress is old/thrifted.  YeMak cardigan in Honey, Fenella Shoes from Lucca Vudor   Get 15% off with code GESAJZJWKE

Holiday Gold with Ivy City Co.

There really is something to having seasonal items in your wardrobe.  I look forward to wearing certain periodic favorites each year as a part of the traditions of the holiday or highlights of the season and so it is with this gold Coco dress from Ivy City Co.  

Granted this dress is still new, only purchased in March, but since Gold is such a tricky color to wear year round, I've been waiting to wear this dress with almost as much anticipation as I have for all the other December delights.

Since I've had eight or so months to think about how I will style this dress, (I took these photos in March) I don't mind telling you that I have decided to wear my hot pink Mak waffle cardigan with it instead of the more traditional red or green.  I will try to take some photos, but if I fail to post them in time, use your imagination or procure this dress and style it your way.

Outfit Info:  Coco Gold Dress-$138 from Ivy City Co.  Use my link to save $10 off your purchase.  City Classified Heels

Glorious Sparkles Forever

I have a lot of clothes; please try to contain your shock and surprise.  I have a large amount of clothes even after I spent a year or two meticulously going through everything and getting rid of things I didn't love.  But because they have all been so carefully curated that I have trouble parting with anything because basically everything is my favorite.

With very few exceptions, I don't regret giving anything away, but I did nearly part with this beautiful skirt.  I am so glad I had second thoughts because I've gotten so much joy and wear out of this skirt, I'm glad I rethought my decision and kept it.  I've had this skirt since the height of the Printed Midi phase about seven years ago and I've made so many different outfits from it, I can't believe I ever nearly let it go.

 

Great pieces of clothing make us feel amazing no matter what age of size we are, bring us joy for many years, and have loads of possibilities for ways we can wear them.  Since the spring season is finally here and this is the time when people traditionally clean out their homes and their closet, I want to encourage you to go through you wardrobe and carefully consider each piece.  If you don't love them, let them go.  If you're on the fence at all, it's ok to take some time to think it over.  And when you have nothing but items you love in your closet, spend some time falling in love with them all over again as you create new ways to wear them. 

Ivy City Co. Gold

Who says Christmas is the only holiday season where gold is an appropriate choice.  Maybe it's the whole pot-of-gold-at-the-end-of-the-rainbow-thing, but something about March always makes me want to break out the metallics.  Yes, ok, this Coco dress in gold was part of their Christmas Holiday collection, but I just can't wait for a whole other year before I wear this beauty, so I'm wearing it in March and so far it's been no questions and all compliments.  Because I've loved this dress so much, I've decided to order a few more and do a YouTube unboxing, so be on the look out for that in the coming months.

Ivy City Co.  is a brand I've been eyeing for months, and this little beauty gave me the excuse to try them.  Founded in 2015 by two best friends and then revamped in 2018 when another member joined the team.  A dress company that is run by women who love dresses and understand how to make women's bodies look amazing in so many styles sounds like the perfect fit for me.

You would expect this dress to be quite stiff and scratchy, and while it is a little stiff being made of metallic fabric, it's actually quite soft and comfortable.  The length is perfect, although it's an empire, puff dress style, it has just enough of a waist to give it shape, and the sleeves are set in far enough to cover your bra straps.  Now, these ladies know how to perfectly combine practical with princess to make the very best kind of dress. Kudos, ladies, you just earned yourself a loyal customer.

Shopping Info:  Coco dress in Gold-$138 from IvyCityco.com  Use my link to save 10% off your purchase.

Jolly Holly Holiday

The holidays are here again and I am excited to have all my fall things packed away and all my lovely winter clothes brought out again.  Red is my favorite color for these cold months, it warms my heart just to see it, and of course I have all my warm MAK sweaters to style in new ways this year.

I put this little holly jolly outfit together to kick off the holiday season and I love it so well, I'm planning on wearing it to all my get togethers this month.  I've been pairing crop tops and midis for years now, (check out my very first post about it from 2015 and a follow up in 2016 to see how far we've come in this style over the years) in fact it's the only way I wear my crops.  

MAK is rolling out a new style of pullover, this cute little crop with long sleeves.  I knew the second I saw it that this top was made to be part of a holiday outfit, and since I'd just rolled out my winter wardrobe, I knew exactly which midi to wear with it.  Silver and gold are all well and good, but this year, it's ivory and gold with a little red in the mix that's really speaking to me.

I am obsessed with these fishnet tights from WeLoveColors.  They are the perfect accent for so many outfits year round because there is enough coverage to keep my legs warm but I can still breathe should the day turn warmer.  And with so many color options I can get a pair that goes with literally everything I own!  Since trying them last year, I've made it a goal to own one in every color.   

They bring so much panache to every outfit I've worn them with but especially with this Christmas outfit.  It would have been a little bland without them.  As far as red goes, it has to be the warmest hue this time of year, not burgundy, not pink, no, it has to be this Scarlet Red to really make the outfit pop. 

To all this, I added a little handmade felt holly brooch that I put together in about 15 minutes and plan to wear all season long.  Is it subtle?  No.  Is it perfect?  Maybe.  Do I love it?  Yeeeess!!  The holidays are here and I'm ready to spread some cheer, give some gifts, and once again gather with those I love to share in the magic of the season.

Shopping Info:  Crop Pullover from MAK, Fishnet Tights in Scarlet-$16 from WeLoveColors

Corset Story

While browsing in my favorite local vintage shop, I've often wondered why ladies of by gone eras donned dresses made with such heavy fabrics.  After shopping a recent sale from Unique Vintage, I purchased a metallic wiggle dress that is made for that bombshell hourglass figure that I do not possess.  Determined to create the shape I needed to make this dress look as it should, I purchased a vamp corset.  After a few alterations to the corset, I finally got my answer about those vintage fabrics.

Although the Vamp certainly creates some extreme curves that make my shape unrecognizable when I look in the mirror, it also comes with some rather noticeable lines and annoying protrusion particularly in the front lower half.  Unfortunately due to the thin fabric on the dress there's no way to hide it, even with some thick, high-waist shaping shorts which I am wearing in these photos.

For this particular outfit, I went full vintage and donned a corset, bullet bra, etc.  Turns out, those thick fabrics helped to hide all those lines created by garters, girdles, and corsets.  Undergarments were rather meticulous, consisting of lots of layers and interlocking parts.  It all adds up to be quite bulky, so thicker fabrics were necessary to smooth out those lines.

While I really adore the overall effect that these vintage undergarments create, I can certainly see why they gave way to lighter and more comfortable fare.  After all, the heyday of corsets was also when women began wearing dungarees to be more comfortable in their everyday lives and save the restrictive sundries for special occasions.

It is possible that some of this protrusion has come from the fact that I had to tailor the corset to my measurements to correct the gap at the back-top and at the hips, but I think this problem would have existed even if the corset had been a perfect fit due to how thin this fabric is.   

While I know that certain influencers like Rachel Jensen have videos of themselves wearing their corsets with no shame, I haven't quite come around to the idea of accepting the lines.  I'd rather keep everything smooth and concealed if at all possible.

Lines aside, this dress was a steal at the clearance price of roughly $32, so no regrets there.  I'll surely keep working with it until I figure out something I'm comfortable with, because I am determined to wear this dress out to date night and an exhibit at a local museum that I'm interested to see.

Shopping Info:  Unique Vintage Black & Metallic Houndstooth Jaqueline Pencil Dress-$32

Another Winter

I'm not ready for the winter yet, not at all, but here it is in spite of me.  As much as I dislike the cold, I do love waking up to the frost covered lanes and a field full of snow at least once or twice a year, so I guess the cold is just part for the course. 

I try to focus on the few good things to help me cope with this season.  I think back to the years I spent living on a tiny island in the Pacific Northwest, just a few miles shy of the Canadian border.  I referred to it as the land of perpetual winter and it rather soured my taste for winter altogether, but it heightened my appreciation for any location that boasts four distinct seasons.

After a few years without anything but winter, I've had all the cold gloomy days I can endure for a lifetime.  And yet, the cold gloomy days come anyway. So, I find some solace where I am able.  Funny, but it really is the little things that make life enjoyable.

For me one of the little things is each year around April I pack away all my winter things.  Then in October, just like an early Christmas, I get to open them up and find new pairings with old favorites.

So while you have no doubt seen this skirt, top, and these heels before, you've never seen this outfit and of course, the tights are new from WeLoveColors.  I love the way their tights bring new life to my outfits while doing a magnificent job of keeping away the cold, because while I may not be ready for another winter, it is definitely here. 

Shopping Info:  Heels and Skirt are old from ModCloth, Top is old from Forever 21, Microfiber Nylon/Lycra Tights - Style# 1053 in Toffee-$15 from WeLoveColors.com

A Thousand New Year Rhymes

The Year by Ella Wheeler Wilcox

What can be said in New Year rhymes,

That’s not been said a thousand times?

The new years come, the old years go,
We know we dream, we dream we know.

We rise up laughing with the light,
We lie down weeping with the night.

We hug the world until it stings,

We curse it then and sigh for wings.

We live, we love, we woo, we wed,

We wreathe our brides, we sheet our dead.

We laugh, we weep, we hope, we fear,

And that’s the burden of the year.

Shopping Info: Glory of Love Maxi Dress from ChicWish, Qupid Heels are old from ModCloth