Things to come

scarf: vintage | cardigan: Forever 21 | top: Target | skirt: Francesca's Collections | boots: ModCloth

It's a funny thing: when we had that freak heat wave back in March, I enjoyed the awesome weather, but was a little bit sad because I love dressing for cooler temperatures. But now that it's April, and nowhere near the balmy 85 degrees we enjoyed a month ago, I'm itching for summer. I suppose it's a case of always wanting what you can't have. Sort of like girls with straight hair wanting curly hair, and vice versa. (Me? I just wish my hair would pick one, instead of remaining perpetually in-between...)

As a general rule, I haven't gotten that excited about warm weather outfits in the past. I think that's partly because I love texture and layering so much, and partly because it was during autumn one year that I first started dressing in vintage-inspired styles. Essentially, I completely overhauled the way I dressed, and I think that shift may have set my inner style dial to "perpetual autumn."

But this year, I'd like that to change. Yes, autumn is my favorite season, but I'd like to branch out and start having fun with spring and summer outfits.

I just realized that I've already worn every single piece in this outfit in previous posts. It certainly wasn't intentional, but it serves as a good reminder when I'm feeling bored with my clothes: there's almost always some new way you can wear something! 

The difference between a good wardrobe and a bad wardrobe has nothing to do with price tags or labels or number of items. It's all about creativity - remixing, you might say.

This is actually the outfit that goes with the next Dressipes post, but I thought these photos were good enough that they deserved a bit of their own spotlight. So what is the next Dressipe?

The most perfect homemade pizza ever! I absolutely can't wait to share the recipe with you all - it's one of my favorites. Can you see the resemblance between the outfit and the finished pizza?

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No shrinking violet

outfit details: see previous post

Here are some more photos from the same day as the previous post...because what else are you supposed to do when a magnificent little field of violets blooms overnight in your very own backyard, if not take photos?

This beautiful field is no more, sadly; my dad mowed over them and before I realized it, they were gone. But I am glad I have these to remember them by. I love how the flowers are echoed in the dress pattern (not planned, believe it or not!)

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Bright and vivid

dress: Forever 21 | cardigan: Goodwill | tights: GAP | shoes: Ruche

Do you ever find that one trip to the thrift store can revitalize your whole wardrobe? I had that experience when I bought this cardigan on a whim during a random trip to Goodwill. I had been feeling rather blah about my closet, but this was just the shot of color I needed. Suddenly now I'm wearing this cardigan with everything. I feel like it makes this dress look completely different...normally I think it's rather breezy and slightly sailor-esque, but there's something about it with this cardigan that makes me think of school uniforms. I have no real basis for that, but I think it's a good thing!

Like I mentioned in my last post, my church's Easter (Pascha) festivities are this week, so it's been crazy busy around here! Lots of services, and since I direct the choir, lots and lots of singing...but it's one of my favorite weeks of the year. Tomorrow, we'll be cooking up a storm and hopefully making delicate little wax designs on eggs and dying them bright red...and napping in preparation for the huge late-night party and feast! Such a joyous time of year...

With all the festivities, I'm afraid I've been neglecting this poor blog a bit...but after this week, I have tons of stuff to post. Chris and I actually did two photoshoots with this outfit; I was initially going to put them both in one post, but I thought it better to split them up because they look so different. So stay tuned for that! Also coming up is a Dressipe post with one of my favorite recipes. Of. All. Time. I seriously can't wait to post it...

...and now all this talk of food and feasting has made me hungry! I know Easter has passed for most of you, but I'm curious: do you have any Easter traditions that you look forward to every year? Or did you do something new this year?

(p.s. - the name of this post is also the name of a great album by Kathryn Calder, which you should listen to immediately!)

photos by Chris

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The eternal question

dress: Charlotte Russe | cardigan: Target | shoes: ModCloth

I got a wonderful surprise when going through these photos. Some of you may be familiar with the artist Charles Dana Gibson - the man for whom the "Gibson girl" of the late 19th and early 20th century was so named. Well, he's one of my favorite artists - his ink drawings are just beautiful, and though their fashions would be incredibly impractical today, it's hard not to want to be a Gibson girl when looking at them...

Anyway, one of his more famous works is called "The Eternal Question," modeled by Gibson-era beauty icon Evelyn Nesbit. In the drawing, her hair is in the shape of a question mark, with a little curl at the end forming the dot:

And if you look at that first picture I posted, down to the little curl at the end, my hair is in pretty much the same shape! A perfect question mark. It was completely unintentional, but I love that I was able to subconsciously find a way to channel my love for Gibson girls into my everyday style, without looking like I'm in costume.

Sometimes I wonder how famous artists of the past would render modern women. In the past, most fashion was all long skirts and flowing materials, and that was reflected in the styles of art...how would those styles lend themselves to a structured A-line minidress? It would be an interesting project, if some artist out there would be ambitious enough to tackle it!

 

Full disclosure: I don't need glasses. But sometimes I really want them. I am one of the few people in my family who doesn't need glasses, actually - my dad has been wearing glasses since he was 18 months old (yes, months), but I inherited my mom's 20/20 vision. I've always thought it would be kind of fun to buy a pair, but I always felt weird about it - like I would be lying somehow. But then Chris pointed out to me that people don't always wear belts because they need to - sometimes, you just like the way something looks! 

So I latched onto that little bit of justification and we snagged these glasses from Joelle at the Vintage Soiree. They're clear glass and just wonderful. I think they're really fun to wear, but I think maybe they look better on Chris than they do on me...

My church is actually on a bit of a different calendar, so I'll be celebrating Easter next weekend. But to those of you celebrating Easter tomorrow - I hope you have a wonderful holiday, filled with good food and lots of love!

photos by Chris

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La vie en rose

 dress: Charlotte Russe | shoes: Forever 21 | belt & hat: vintage

Since I was so desperate to have this dress, I was able to convince my sister to give it to me as an early birthday gift last year. The little rosy pattern was unlike anything I'd ever owned before, and it was the perfect mix of comfortable and dressy. I have to say, it hasn't become the hardy favorite I had expected; the material tears and frays far too easily, and I am not exaggerating when I say that this dress is actually held together with superglue in more than one location.

But you know what? I almost love the dress more for that. It's fragile and temperamental and falling apart, but it's got real character. I think it'll be hanging in my closet for a long time to come.

It's far too chilly for this outfit right now (Michigan can't quite make up her mind about the temperature) but it's nice to reminisce about the unseasonably warm weather we had. I actually hadn't planned to take photos on this day, but Chris talked me into it. I really should listen to him more often, because these are some of my favorite photos we've ever done. The lighting was dreamy and the line of trees looks...almost elegant, I think. 

It's funny how you see a place so many times that you don't even really see it anymore...this park is less than a minute walk from my front door, and I think I've completely taken it for granted.

And so, in a series of surprise endings: this dress is falling apart (but lovely for it), I wasn't in the mood to take photos (but they turned out perfectly), and I've decided that this hat, which I thought almost silly at first, is far too wonderful to sell. Oh, life...

Is there an item in your closet that's falling apart, that you keep restoring back to life?

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