Just You, Me, and the Sea

from left to right and top to bottom: Seagull photo, naturalist poster, lobster print, lobster shack, beach combing photo 

The school days schedule is in full swing now.  Every morning my mental alarm goes off way before I'm ready and I have to leave my warm bed for another day of chauffeuring my children to and from school and activities and working the 8 to 5 in between.  Those lovely summer days at the beach seem ages ago now.  In fact looking at these photos, I can hardly believe it was only a couple of months ago that I was here soaking up the sunshine and the sea air.

Clothing is a memory spark for me.  There are many things I don't keep readily accessible in my memory, but when I see a certain dress or top or scarf, there's a flood of where I was when I bought it and all the places to which I wore it and what happened how it felt etc.  In some ways, my clothes are just like photo albums because they can contain so many memorable moments that I wouldn't save otherwise.

I suppose that's why I'm a bit of a clothes horse.  All the emotions linked to my clothes make it hard to part with anything.  If I have something for which I feel nothing at all, it probably means I never got around to wearing it and so it's time to let it go.  And I learned a long time ago that if something bad happens (like the time my  then boyfriend yelled at me when I was wearing a beautiful new red top), I usually get rid of that piece of clothing so I don't have to relive the bad memories each time I see it.  Makes sense, right?

Life is far to short to keep mementos of hurts and wrongs we've suffered whether it's a piece of clothing or just a bitterness in our hearts.  There's no sense waiting for a beach vacation or a holiday to create good moments.  Each day should be filled with as much joy and laughter as we can possibly fit into it.  And there's no point in holding onto anything that does not bring us joy or serve a good purpose  because my sink full of dirty dishes doesn't bring me joy, but I can't exactly get rid of them.  

What I can do is learn to see the positive (ie those dishes belong to the people that I love and I am glad that they are here and well fed) or to learn to let things go and cast them into the sea of forgetfulness.  Or the give away bag.  or the trash bin as the case may be.  Whatever it is--memories, ugly words, disappointments--I have to get them away from me so that I can live life to its fullest and stand here on this lovely morning or any other and just be.  I encourage you to do the same.  

I've always loved that phrase "the sea of forgetfulness" for its beautiful poetry.  As I stand on the shores of this great ocean, I imagine it being a place where hurts are lost, simply forgotten, and how large it is with plenty of room to encompass it all and then some.  It all starts with forgiveness, even just closing your eyes, remembering what happened and then whispering "I forgive."  When you open your eyes you're no longer carrying that weight.  It's just you.  Just me.  And the sea.

Outfit Info:  Lobster Dress from Ebay.com 

Park Place

Park Place.  It's a name that sounds posh for many of us, but do we really know why?  If you've never been to the east coast to see the real Park Place in Atlantic City, then your only experience with it may be from the Monopoly board game.  Park Place is that sweet spot with the second highest value and is therefore highly sought after.  I remember hours spent playing that silly game as a child and of course we all maneuvered to own Park Place.  Interestingly enough, although we spent hours playing, I've never once played the game all the way to the end.  The most fun of all was the shopping (am I right?) and winning the non-game sanctioned free parking cash pot.

I've since outgrown my board game days, and my own children were never very interested in board games, but there's another posh Park Place I've been hunting for and it's this gorgeous vintage style dress by Alicia Estrada's brand Stop Staring!

While many of the Stop Staring dresses I've tried tend to run quite small so that they're form fitting, this one has some breathing room in the bodice.  I typically wear a size 0 in most clothing, but for SS I size up to 4 or 6 and still manage to make those wiggle dresses earn their names.

This one piece dress has some great polka dot details, faux pockets and a bow accent on the bodice and the skirt is sold black but has some stretch, so it's a comfortable fit, and the peplum on the bodice does a nice job of providing tummy camouflage. 

I may never visit the actual Park Place and it's possible I'll never compete for the little blue rectangle with its label in Monopoly again, but it's an absolute certainty that Alicia Estrada knows how to make a stunning dress and this will not be my last Stop Staring purchase.

Shopping info:  Park Place Dress by StopStaring.com, Gloves from: SHEIN

Shopping List: Hearts and Found

Bonnie Dress in Solid Jade Green

Trudie Dress White "Freshly Squeezed" Lemon Print

Loretta Dress White "Si Senorita"

Madeline Dress in Solid White

Jayne Dress Red 1/2 inch Checkered Gingham

Autumn in the Apple Orchard

This morning started earlier than usual for me.  I couldn't sleep, but only because I had this energy that made me want to get up and be out in the world instead of lying in bed.  So, I decided to take a stroll through the orchard and do a little apple picking this morning.

I've been looking forward to apple picking for quite some time and actually bought this red gingham dress from ChicWish specifically with my time at the orchard in mind and I'm glad I did.  

I like to be comfortable when I am here, but no matter where I am, I like to be fashionable too and this dress does both.  

I think I may have to do this every week while the apples last.  The trees are so full of ripe, juicy apples, that the branches are weighed down to the ground and the ground is covered in windfall apples.  

I always leave some for the birds and the deer and the raccoons, but I don't like for things to go to waste so the windfalls will become applesauce while the crunchy apples from the tree will be sliced up for lunches and after-school snacks or put into tarts and pies.  With the abundance there will also be plenty of apples to dry.  

My daughters and I love to snack on dried apple slices all through the winter...not that they ever make it through the whole winter, but we snack on them daily with home roasted and salted pecans.

Every now and then I get a little adventurous and try to re-hydrate them into an apple sauce, but I don't quite have a knack for that.  

Shopping Info:  Aulic Chic Gingham Midi Dress in Red from ChicWish, COZY UP OPEN-FRONT CABLE KNIT CARDIGAN from Blooming Jelly, Chase and Chloe Heels

The Sweetest Dream

It's funny how some dreams never leave us, never change.  Sometimes I think we are all just the same little children we once were.

We all change some, that's a part of life, but if you know someone for a very long time, and if you truly know yourself, you may see that the ways in which you still love what you've always loved.  

Think of the little boy who loved to play football now has season tickets for every game, and the girl who was always bringing home another lost animal now runs her own farm.  The kid who built the best forts has a construction company, and the little girl who was always playing dress up now makes her own clothes and runs a fashion blog.  

Sweetest Dream Gradient Tiered Mesh Skirt from ChicWish

That's me, of course, that last one there, and sometimes I find a certain dress of skirt that absolutely fulfills all my girlish dreams.  

A cascade of pink ombre and layers of frills all topped with lace and a couple of bows.  What more could a girly girl ask for?  Pearls of course.

 Shopping Info:  Sweetest Dream Gradient Tiered Mesh Skirt from ChicWish

All That Glimmers

Today was photo day!  Which normally gives me a reason to get up early, put on as much glam as I can possibly muster and drive to some sleepy location for some pics in the morning sunlight, but today I just wasn't feeling it.  I got up and looked out the window at the b&b where we were staying, which was....unique and...well, let's leave it at unique.  The sky was overcast and the town was just beginning to stir.

Even thought I glanced at the weather before heading out, 30% chance of rain turned out to be more than enough and I once again found myself running for cover under the awnings of the shop fronts.  It soon let up to only a few gentle drops, so I decided to leave the protection of the awnings and step out into the street for some photos.  

Even though I didn't really want to get up and glam up for pics today, I'm so glad I did, because look at this lovely city-scape behind me.  Snugly settled into the mountainside, this cute touristy town looks like it came straight out of a painting.  The lights, the banners, the trees, it's all so picture perfect.

Often when I travel, I take along a few special pieces in case a photo op presents itself and I'm glad I brought along a stunning Stop Staring! dress for this trip. Looking back on these pics makes it all worth the early morning and getting a little wet in the storm.

You may remember these gold heels and necklace from another post in this little town, and in fact I didn't bring them along for this dress, but as it turned out, they just looked so right with it that I had to pair them.  Gold shoes just take the look up a notch in a way that other colors don't.

And don't forget that a little jewelry, even something as simple as a bracelet, adds so much presence and class to even the simplest outfit, so always aim for at least one piece of jewelry (no, engagement and wedding rings don't count, but they also don't hurt.)

Shopping Info:Celebrity Fitted Dress from StopStaring.com, Glamorous Heels from ThredUp, Jewelry from Catherine's