Dresslily Vintage Houndstooth

I've totally given up on trying to beat the summer frizz and instead have decided to embrace the vintage up-dos and some light cotton vintages style dresses like this Houndstooth Lapel Mock Button Rolled Sleeve Dress from Dresslily

Ok, ok, it isn't exactly a summer dress, but it is 97% cotton, fairly lightweight and the style is heavenly.  When Dresslily contacted me about doing a little collaboration and I spotted this hounds tooth print and contrast cuffs, collar and buttons, this dress was calling my name!

Dresslily has affordable clothing of all kinds including swimwear and right now Dresslily has the lowest prices of the year, but it gets even better, because my readers save an extra 22% off with code: DLBF20 .  If that isn't the best reason to treat yourself, I don't know what is.  

I added a belt and petticoat for that extra bit of vintage style, but you could easily leave them out and just have a fabulous dress with a vintage feel.

Ready to try something new?  Checkout everything Dresslily has to offer!

Shopping Info:  Houndstooth Lapel Mock Button Rolled Sleeve Dress-$29.99 from Dresslily  Save 22% off your purchase with code DLBF20

Summer & Sunshine with Dresslily

I never leave home without a sweater of some kind.  That's just a year-round fact.  Even if it's hot outside, chances are I will be going inside and it will be nearly arctic.  So, I like to be prepared.  

Dresslily has the lowest prices of the year and when they asked me if I would like to collaborate with them, I immediately thought of a cardigan.  I know swimwear is what most people are thinking about in July, but right about now I'm in need of nice cozy wrap.

I chose this Cable Knit Buckle Asymmetrical Cardigan in a rich canary yellow just to bring a little more sunshine to my summer and to brighten up my winter when those chilly days arrive.  The best part of all of this is that you can save an extra 22% off your purchase at Dresslily with code DLBF20

Whatever you're looking for this summer, stop by Dresslily and checkout their selection of swimwear or cardigans or my personal favorite, Dresses!  and save even more with my promo code.

Shopping Info:  Cable Knit Buckle Asymmetrical Cardgian from Dresslily  Use code DLBF20 to save 22% off your purchase, Illuminated Dress from Samantha Pleet, Texago Flats from Charlie Stone.

Keep Calm & Blog On

One of my favorite internet people, Bernie Dexter, is going through a rough time.  It's refreshing that she's so honest and it makes me love her all the more and want to support her as she tries to get back on track. She's had personal problems and professional problems hit all at once and in many ways, both personally and professionally she finds herself having to start over.  She's handling it with grace, of course, but as someone who's been there, I feel for her.

What she's going through is having to start from scratch in a system swollen with the masses of people she now has to compete with and loaded with algorithms (part of the robot uprising, no doubt!)  designed to target and promote people who are much probably younger, maybe hotter, definitely grosser (let's be honest about that last one, some of the most popular people on the internet are so disgusting I can't even watch them) and she finds herself totally at the mercy of this rigged system.

To paraphrase Bernie: When I started out, it was all so easy.  You just took photos of yourself wearing cute outfits and people took notice.  It's not that easy anymore.  Truer words were never spoken.  Bernie has managed to build a name for herself, a brand.  I got in on the game much later and just wanted to have a little fun, but even I've noticed the way things have changed.  It's all so competitive now.

That's why, for my own peace of mind and general sanity, I made a firm commitment to myself and my family that this would only ever be a hobby.  It's just too maddening to try to play this popularity game especially now that it's not just with people but with computer programs and vast tech companies.  No thank you.  I'd rather not have an aneurism or a heart attack because I'm under so much stress.  And I just don't have the energy or the interest in playing a game where the rules keep changing and the winners are rigged.

Bernie isn't just a tough lady, she's a smart lady and I know she'll come out of all this just fine.  She's switching platforms and generally doing things to control what she can and make her life better.  That's all any of us can do really.  But when I read about struggles like this, it feels even more like I made the right decision for myself to step back and say, (maybe over and over) this is just for fun.  I've got enough troubles without adding fighting with robots to try to be Miss Popularity to the list.

So, all the best to Bernie, Gal, I know you're going to make it!  And to everyone else, just starting out:  do this because you love it and do it just for you.  If it becomes a career, that's awesome but probably temporary.  Keep that in mind and when it stops being fun, let go and move on.  Believe me when I say, it's not worth sacrificing your peace and happiness--nothing is.

Gowntown Love

A little summer love with this heart print fit and flare lovely.  It's new from Gowntown Vintage and I wish I'd had this dress for Valentine's Day, but at least I've got it in the bank for next year. And you can use the code loveleandra to save 20% off this dress.

How's your summer going so far?  I don't know if it's just wishful thinking, but it seems like the second Independence Day is over, American people start saying summer is over.  Yeah, not to me.  

Maybe it's just a throwback to my childhood and how much I hated school and looked forward to summer, but I make my summers last as long as possible, even now.  Where I live the sweltering heat is bound to last for at least ten more weeks, and the kids don't start school for ages, so I'm not letting go of the sunshine and the wild freedom until then.

Yes, I'm a summer person; I love the heat, the pool, the ice cream, the long walks, the berry picking, the gardening, and the cookouts that all happen this time of year.  I'm not crazy about the mosquitos, but I'll take them over snowflakes any day, any time.

If I were making a list of all my favorite things, and really I guess that's what I'm doing by having a blog, I would summer right below pretty dresses on the happiness scale.  I mean, just look at this dress and tell me it doesn't make you smile.  Plus it has pockets!   Now, I don't have to carry a bag around with me.  My hands are free for holding slushies and sundaes and various sundry summer treasures.

No matter what you've got going on this summer, and even if it's not your favorite season, I hope it's been great.  And, if it hasn't been spectacular so far, there's still plenty of time to change it.

Shopping Info:  use code loveleandra to save 20% off this Heart Print Fit and Flare dress by Gowntown Vintage-$32.99

An American Castle

I struggled with this post.  I've stared at these photos for months now and no words ever come to mind.  Nothing I can say seems to do justice to the loveliness of this setting and this dress, so how about I just talk about the people behind the magic here.

This little chapel is the closest I will come to taking photos in front of a castle.  The design is unlike any other place within a thousand miles of me, I'm certain.  How can I not wear a crown and feel like a queen in this place?  

Like most of the places I've been taking majestic photos lately, this is a venue that is rented for events and photo sessions.  Sounds simple enough, doesn't it.  But there's so much more to this place.

The area that you see here is a small part of the grounds and every stone was laid by one pair of hands.  Yes, you read that correctly, a single solitary person built everything you see here.  The construction took several decades and was truly a labor of love.  

Although the original proprietor has passed, his family now cares for the property.  When I heard the story behind this I was struck by the fact that they have kept the property going as he would have wished.  So few people today honor the work and the wishes of their parents that way.  What lovely, thoughtful people.

On this particular evening, this fainting couch had been left from a previous session and so they allowed me to use it free of charge and even allowed me to stay late, taking photos as long as I liked in the setting sun.  No rush?  Again, how often does that happen?  Not often, not to me anyway.  It was such a relief to have that pressure gone and to just be able to relax and take our time with this session.

I know this all probably sounds like a lot of small things, but there are so few people in the world willing to offer even small gestures of grace and kindness that to find so much of it one place, and such a beautiful place at that, is a gift.

I wish there were more people in the world willing to craft a small wonder with such care and precision as the man who made this chapel.  I wish there were more families who picked up the torch and carried on with a dream as this one has. 

And I wish, above all, that there were more such acts of simple grace and kindness as these people have shown to me. 

This place is beautiful not just for its outward appearance, but for the love and care shown by the people who own it.  That is the heart of its charm. 

A beautiful dress, a beautiful crown, a beautiful moment in a beautiful place with the loveliest people I could ever ask to work with.

I think that's what I'll remember when I look back on these photos and I'll always be a little gladder for having met them.

I will surely come back here again in the autumn and perhaps again in the spring and for many more seasons to come.

Shopping Info: Timeless Scarlet Dress from Teutamatoshi.com  Save $50 off your purchase with this link.

Why Princesscore?

I know, spending loads of money on stunningly gorgeous and totally impractical gowns seems silly to some people and utterly insane to others.  But, most women get the appeal of a beautiful dress and some are all-in for princesscore.  So, what's the appeal?

While I don't really like to attach any one label to myself, I do totally understand the attraction to princesscore.  For most of us there are a maximum of two or three times in our lives when we get our fairytale moment where we wear a gorgeous gown, get our hair and makeup done to perfection and spend a few hours feeling like a princess.  A Prom or two, maybe a quinceanera, perhaps a wedding day or two, and that's about it.  But with princess core, it doesn't have to be the end of the fairytale.  Princess core lets the magic last, but there's more to it than that.  

I adored playing make-believe and dress-up when I was little and so it would be an easy link to say that I never really outgrew it.  Maybe that's true in some sense, but I don't think any woman outgrows her love of beautiful dresses, she only resigns herself to not having an occasion to wear them.  For me and for many others, it's combining the love of beautiful dresses with a love of creating beautiful photographs.   It's more than just dress-up; it's an artistic endeavor. 

Some people do this just for fun, but personally, as far as just wearing princess gowns is concerned I wouldn't do it just because....well, I would, but not nearly as often.  I hated Halloween as a child and even as an adult it took many years of having a family that loved making and wearing costumes before I would willingly don a costume and appear in public--the appearing in public part being the thing I disliked, not the dressing up.  What I love now is the combination of unique dresses and photography and this is the only way that I get to flex my creative muscles with my two favorite things all at once.

I love imagining a world for each dress, waiting for the perfect morning in the perfect season, setting up a few props and then capturing a moment that sparks the imagination to fill in the details of the story behind the photo.

Is it silly?  Maybe, but no more silly than sitting on your couch with a group of friends dressed up in sports jerseys that have never seen any play and screaming at a television set for hours, right?  We enjoy what we enjoy.  It all seems silly to someone on the outside, but if you're on the inside, you totally get it and you are so glad to have others who share with you and inspire you.

If you've never tried a princess dress and photo session, there's no better time than now, when there are so many others out there to support you.  Indulge in that dreamy dress you've been admiring and style a mini photo shoot.  You can wait for a birthday or other special occasion, or better yet, don't wait just celebrate being you and have fun!

Shopping Info:  This dress is from Aliepxress, the original version  Mint Hearty Gown is from TeutaMatoshi.com