Pass the Palava, Please

Everything is bland; have you noticed? Architecture, automobiles, and fashion, even the brands that claim to be couture/high-end are often poorly made and of the cheapest materials,  everything expensive and yet somehow so cheap, basic, boring. So, when I meet a brand that really does seem to care and it shows in the quality of their work, I'm absolutely on board to support them.  That's Palava, 100%.  

This Green Peas dress was my Mother's Day gift this year and I loved it so much, I decided to buy a few more things over the next few months.  Eeesh, I love it all.  So well made and so lovely, I can't get enough.  I've worn this Peas dress nearly every week to work since May, because it's just so darling.  These pieces are made to last and mine have held up beautifully to all the wear, but I can't help but be excited to see what new prints come out in the Fall/Winter collection.

Outfit Info:  Louise- Green Peas Dress from Palava, VIVAIA Flats, YeMak Sweater

Autumn Hues of GownTown Glam

Autumn is on the way and I'm ringing in the fall with a little GownTown glamour in this lovely collared dress with bow detail at the back.  I love this shade of muted mustard, it's just perfect for autumn.

Outfit Info:  GownTown 1950s Vintage Bow Dress, Heels from B.A.I.T.

Summer Reading: The King In Yellow

If you enjoy a good summer read then prepare yourself for something delicious: The King in Yellow. This lost treasure was written in 1895 by Robert W. Chambers and has all the eloquence of the Victorian era in this macabre work of proto-science fiction better known as cosmic horror.  And, if you're worried that summer is nearly over, worry no more, for this is a collection of short stories woven together by a common element.  

 

I knew nothing about The King in Yellow, but it was recommended by my stylist at my last color appointment, and since I was in need of a read and enjoyed the prospect of combing a book club style conversation with my next root touch up, I found it for free at The Gutenberg Project, and discovered that my lunch break was just enough time to read one story per day.

  I finished it in about a week, loved it, and knew I had to share.  In honor of this book, I  thought it only right that today's outfit combine a little soft summer gingham with the color yellow.

Outfit Info: Unique Vintage Yellow Gingham Dress Thrifted

 

Wisdom From My Fairy Gothmother

I had to go bra shopping the other day. It's probably been 5 years or more since I've tried on bras in a store, and oh boy, was it an unpleasant experience. Don't get me wrong, the staff at Victoria's Secret were incredibly nice and very helpful; it was what I saw in the mirror that really bothered me. 

I can't remember how old I was the first time I heard it, probably 40-ish, but it resonated. "You still look good...for a woman your age. Dot. Dot. Dot. For A Woman Your Age. Every word after the ellipses smashing not only the half hearted compliment, but my fragile esteem with it.  Those words rang in my ears.  Standing in that dressing room, staring at reality.  A Woman My Age.  Looking at myself, I was suddenly reeling with disappointment and sadness. I almost walked out empty handed and emotionally distraught because what I saw in the mirror was... a woman my age.  Deep breath.

Wait, was this reality?  Or were insecurities affecting my perception?  I needed balance.

First of all the lighting was terrible, I looked much better in the natural lighting at my home instead of the overhead fluorescents at VS.  But secondly, my body is older. It just is. 

I regained composure by reminding myself that even when I was "young"-- in my teens, twenties, thirties-- I had insecurities about my body.  Looking back it seems crazy, but it felt real at the time.  And in 10 years, 20 years, I'll look back and think this is silly too and wish I could have this current body back because it's pretty darn healthy and serving me well. 

 If I may quote The GothMother, I don't want to be in a lifelong hostage situation with my own reflection in the mirror.

One of my old favorite indie bands, Tahiti 80, said in a song, "You'll never be younger than today." Enjoy the moment; enjoy the season, and remember that confidence has nothing to do with age or appearance or other people's thoughtless comments and everything to do with peace and acceptance and all the grace and wisdom earned by A Woman My Age.

Outfit info:  Eva Franco dress is thrifted, shoes are from B.A.I.T., cardi is from YeMak, necklace is vintage,  and yes, the bra is from Victoria's Secret.

Ocher & Sepia

Outfit posts are back!  I know it's only been a couple of weeks since I've done an outfit post, but it's actually been two and a half months since I went to take outfit photos.  I just really, really hate the cold, and I have been on a No Buy, which included very limited social media from the end of December '25 to the beginning of February '26.  

As you can see from the ochre and sepia hues of the background, Spring has not yet sprung.  I planted daffodils, tulips, and hyacinths in the autumn, and they are just poking their heads through the soil, but it's not quite time for all the rest of nature to show their Spring colors yet.  I figure if nature is holding on to her autumn palette for a while, I can too.  The old rule was to change over from brown accessories to white at Memorial Day and back again at Labor day, and while I don't exactly stick to those rules religiously, I can admit they exist for a reason in this part of the country.  It doesn't exactly look like the time for pastels and floral prints out here, so for today's post, I thought I'd share a thrifted find from 2025 that has become one of my favorite casual/office looks.

Outfit Info:  Bag is Ecosusi, Shoes are B.A.I.T., Maeve Bird Dress is Thrifted Anthropologie, Sweater is YeMak