Witchy Wear

Two years in a row now I have not been able to think of a new Halloween costume.  When that happens, it's nice to have a back-up outfit that will work for parties or work events.  I'm so glad that collaboration came along just in time!  I love this little black cape dress from Milreason because it works for cocktail parties, special events, and it can easily double as a last minute Halloween costume by just adding the hat.  Throw in a black cat cross-body bag and a wand and I'm ready to go out on All Hallow's Eve, and I can keep it ready for wear all the rest of the year too.

Outfit Info:  Black Cape Dress from Milreason-$38.99

Jane Eyre Rose Bloom

 There's something beautiful about people who have tasted bitterness but are still determined to savor the sweetness life has to offer. You can feel it in their presence. They have a sense of calm warmth, and they refuse to let life take that from them. I love these kinds of people - people who have stayed gentle in a world that tried to harden them. They've known darkness but still offer their light to others. Their kindness is real and genuine, never a tactic or a strategy.— Case Kenny

This Jane Eyre Rose Bloom dress was released a couple of years ago and at the time I didn't have the funds for it, choosing instead to spend my dress allowance on The Unicorn Defends prints.  I never stopped loving it though, it always spoke to my soul of an autumn hearth and long winter evenings, warmth against the cold.  It seems perfect for the changing of the season, yes, it is finally starting to look and feel like fall outside.  

I don't know who Case Kenny is and I don't even remember where I read this quote, but I loved it so much that I immediately copied and pasted it into a post for later use and today it seems perfect.   It is not only a wonderful summary of hard life lessons we all have to learn and choices we have to make in the aftermath, but it also seems a fitting reference to one of my favorite fictional heroines, for whom this beautiful gown is also named, Ms. Jane Eyre.  

I was never a princess-type.  I noticed very early on that Barbies and princesses in stories were always blonde and rosy cheeked, in other words nothing like me.  So, it was always a comfort to read stories that led me to meet people like me, people like Jane.  I loved her immediately and devoured the book and one iteration of the movie which I probably watched at least a dozen times during those difficult teen years. *side note: my favorite film adaptation stars the brilliant Charlotte Gainsbourg and William Hurt.  Definitely worth watching if you haven't the time to read the book.

As an adult, I relate to Jane on a deeper level.  There is something strangely freeing about losing everything, about your life (*spoiler alert*) figuratively or literally burning down around you because of some mad person or just the mad old world and then facing the decision to either lay down in the ashes or rise up from them.  The worst has happened; now it's time to decide how to live the rest of your life.  Jane could easily have been fearful, bitter, consumed by revenge, and she would have had every right to be so, but she wasn't.  When confronted with those who caused ruination in her life, she chose to forgive freely.   That may be the bravest and most heroic thing she did.

The greatest lesson we can glean from Jane and Kenny's quote is just this:  we cannot choose what life will throw at us; we can only chose how we will respond.  We can lash out with anger and cruelty, allow bitterness to poison us, or to forgive, go on loving, laugh, laugh, laugh as much as possible at the cruel mad world; we can live a good life inspite of the hardships we face.  I truly believe that.

Outfit Info:  Jane Eyre Rose Bloom Gown from Selkie is old, from the 2022 Autumn release, so it was thrifted.  Jewelry is old as well, purchased from a tiny little Kmart on a whim when I had a rare evening to myself in 2011.

Whispering Forest Gown

Mr. Bleu and I are celebrating our 20th wedding anniversary this year and he very sweetly suggested that we have a ceremony to renew our vows.  At first I was so touched and thrilled by the idea that I started planning.  The more I thought about it, the less excited I became.  The first go round was extremely stressful and expensive that I really didn't think I wanted to go through it all again.  However, 20 years of marriage is a thing worth celebrating and it needed to be done right, so in lieu of a ceremony, we went to the chapel that I always wished we had used for our wedding (but we didn't have the  money), bought a new dress and a new suit, and booked an hour with a talented photographer just to capture our moment in a less stressful and more private way.  It was truly wonderful and so much fun.  I couldn't find anyone to do my makeup, but I did get my hair styled and it was a beautiful mild evening. I originally thought I would wear a dress I already owned, but nothing felt quite right for what I wanted.  Fortunately, Teuta Matoshi has never let me down and I found the perfect gown for the occasion.  For a full dress review, click on my YouTube video below.

 Outfit Info:  Whispering Forest Dress from Teuta Matoshi

A Fall Tea Dress

I wasn't planning on doing a sewing project right now, but I have been accumulating so much beautiful fabric for the past year that I thought I would use a day or two from my vacation to start using it.  I began with a fall apron and it inspired me to keep going and finish this Tea Box print dress.  I have loved tea boxes and biscuit tins for most of my life and spent some happy childhood years helping my mom build her collection which now hangs all over her kitchen wall.  I even collected a few for myself along the way and was delighted to see a few of them turn up on this print.  Even though the theme isn't necessarily fall, the colors certainly feel autumnal and fit perfectly with the landscape.

Outfit Info:  Fabric from Hancock's-Paducah. YeMak Cardigan.  Sewing Pattern is Butterick Retro B5748. Bettie Page shoes.  Viviene of Holloway Petticoat.

Stepping Away

It's that time of year when I start packing my bags for our annual get-away.  Yes, each year we take a few days for some alone-time, but also some much needed rest and relaxation and believe me when I say I take it very seriously.  Although it may sound very dull for those who use their vacation time on adventuring, I prefer to spend these days sleeping up to 13 hours in a stretch, taking long walks in quaint neighborhoods to admire old houses, sharing quiet meals, having a day at the spa (including sauna, hot tub, and massage), and just generally making life slow down for a while.  I look forward to this trip every year, and as I write this post I've got one foot out the door.

Outfit Info:  Lily Houndstooth Dress from Dolly & Dotty, Shoes are old, Petticoat is by Leg Avenue

Collectif Returns?

The Collectif fan groups are abuzz with the word that Collectif's new owners will be re-vamping and re-opening the brand in the coming weeks.  There will be changes and many of them sound positive such as expanding their size range.  I know there is reason to doubt, but I really hope this gets the brand back on track and better than ever.  In celebration of this event, I thought I'd don one of my very last Collectif purchases.  I've always loved the Dolores style and who can resist Atomic Space Cats?  These are the things that drew me to the brand initially and I hope, hope, hope they come back better than ever.

All of a Kind of Autumn

There are some lessons we just never learn and the fact that Fall arrives whenever she pleases is a lesson I am finally starting to grasp.  I'm forever trying to hurry autumn along here on the blog. I want beautiful colors and crisp mornings, but this year I am content for summer to hang around a little longer.

This year we're working on a little construction project and the last thing we need is to be dealing with the cold weather and the endless rainy days.  So, if fall can just stay put for a few more weeks, I'm more than happy to set up some pumpkins and use my Lightroom skills to turn the greens way down in order to create an autumn look while still keeping summer close.

Naturally Midnight made herself at home in the background.  She's very photogenic and she knows it.  Truly I think when she saw my black cat bag perched on the table she felt a little competitive, and hopped up there to push this usurper aside and show her how it's done.

Today's outfit is a thrifted Unique Vintage dress.  My style is rather colorful, and I love that, but there are so many things in my wardrobe that just don't seem appropriate for my current job, so I am always on the look out for more subtle prints and styles that still feel like me, but are also right for the office and this dress fit the bill perfectly.  And I think I'll leave it at that for today's post.