There is no season I welcome more than Spring. I love the scent of azaleas and honeysuckle that hits me when I step out of the house. I am here for the sunshine that starts to peek through and hang around until early evening. But, most of all (and I know my fellow educators can relate), I’m pretty sure I wait for Spring with baited breath for the simple fact that I can see the light at the end of a very long semester…
I somehow always seem to forget the special madness that comes from the Spring Semester. Along with the normal string of meetings and lectures and trying every so often to get myself to the lab bench, Spring is also punctuated with new faculty interviews, massive grant deadlines, and students needing to write up and defend their theses with alarming speed. And with that, every second of every day starts to become accounted for (and if I’m being honest, pretty much every weekend). So when I feel those first rays of sunshine, it’s a reminder that a future time is nearly here that doesn’t involve running, serving, answering, guiding, submitting, or helping….
Trust me, about a week from now, I have a VERY big nap planned….
While I am generally a gal who wears colors year round, Spring also feels as though she gives her permission for us to burst forth in an explosion of pinks and yellows and greens. And that includes our underskirts – Probably the single biggest question I get asked most often is what crinolines I use get my skirts so full. I definitely treat my crinolines as another accessory and have been slowly building up my collection over the years.
As someone who’s been around the crinoline block more than a few times, one of my daily go to’s is my Melonie from Malco Modes. It’s made of two layers and five tiers of tulle, with nylon at the waist to prevent itchiness and an organza ribbon trim at the bottom that’s still cute when it peaks out beneath a skirt. Plus, at 29” length, I find it’s perfect for my tea length dresses without peeking out too much or being too short and creating that dreaded break in the fabric (my vintage gals will know what I mean). But my biggest secret? Layer a few of those bad boys up and get your full skirt of dreams!
Something about the sunshine is so revitalizing – the minute the rays hit my SPF-90-drenched shoulders, the stress and anxiety seems to lesson and it literally illuminates the way through the darkness. This has been a pretty rough semester and (if I’m honest), I haven’t been all that kind to myself. Even though work-related tasks seem so critical in the moment, particularly when they involve something for a student, my time, my mental health, and the things that bring me joy should never unilaterally take a backseat. This is definitely something to work on over the coming years, given I hope to have a long career ahead of me and don’t want to be burnt out before I’m even halfway through.
So, with a flick of a skirt and a swish of a crinoline, I go marching into one of my final battles of the semester. Yesterday I gave my final exam, and now I’ve disappeared into a cloud of grading, only to emerge (we hope) unscathed by the time grades are due on Monday. And then, with final grades in and the madness behind me, you’d better believe I will be treating myself to that nap I keep promising myself.
Sweet dreams winter, hello spring…
xoxo
Outfit Details:
Dress: Handmade by Mister Lucero
Necklace: Swarovski (similar)
Meloni Petticoat in raspberry: c/o Malco Modes
Handbag: Mary Frances
Shoes: Betsey Johnson (similar here & here)
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Any items marked with a “c/o” (courtesy of) a retailer mean I was provided with an item for free in exchange for a review and/or feature on my blog. I always provide my honest opinion of any item I’m reviewing, regardless of whether it was sent to me as a courtesy item or if I purchased it myself. In addition, this post may contain affiliate links. This means that if you click and/or make a purchase through certain links or ads on this site, I may make a commission from that click and/or purchase at no cost to you, which helps with the day-to-day running costs of my blog.