When I was a kid, we weren’t allowed to eat “sugar cereals” outside of a special treat. And in our house, a sugar cereal meant anything where sugar was the first or second ingredient on the nutrition panel. I remember scouring box after box in the breakfast aisle, crossing my fingers. But, alas, none of the ones you want as a kid – from the cartoon bunny to the adorable bumble bee – would make the cut. So, Cheerios and Rice Checks were plentiful in my house, but many a chocolatey count or crunchy captain were relegated to staying in the cereal aisle.
You’d think I’d grow up and rebel against my upbringing by binging on sweets at every opportunity. But, to this day my go to cereal in the morning lists sugar well past the 2nd ingredient. But, I do have a few that are a bit of a guilty pleasure. And one of them is Lucky Charms. Now, I get that there’s very little in the way of actual nutrition hiding in that box. I get that dehydrated marshmallows and sugar-coated grains does not for a balanced meal make. But, there’s just something about those miniature colorful shapes – the horseshoes and rainbows and pots of gold – that starts my day off believing in the luck of the Irish….
Speaking of luck – I’ve been stumbling around trying to find my footing in this new town. As I’m sure has happened to all of us, the minute you find yourself out of your element (be it by moving to a new town, starting a new job, or just trying something new for the first time), you usually start to gravitate towards places where you feel comfortable. Naturally, I very quickly learned where all of the best vintage stores in town were and flocked to them like a magpie in a sequins factory.
This green beauty from When Decades Collide was an instant favorite, but was a bit short waisted on my Amazonian self and had been sitting in my sewing pile for ages because, well, life. So, on a visit to one of my new local haunts, Second Skin Vintage, she passed on the card of a local seamstress, Rachel, who specializes in tailoring vintage (and also runs an Etsy shop for vintage baby clothes!). Needless to say, we met, she nipped and tucked and stitched a few of my just-can’t-seem-to-find-the-time-to-get-to pieces. And after about 5 minutes of conversation, I knew she was one of life’s special people.
As I’ve often lamented, it’s really difficult to make friends as an adult. Oftentimes, moving to a new town as a grown up doesn’t always offer up easy opportunities to meet new people. And through no fault of their own, most people have their own clique. Their own niche. Most aren’t crazy fools who have moved across oceans every 4 years and are constantly faced with being the new gal in town. So, I was really excited when I hit it off with Rachel. So much so that I mustered up the “Why Does Making Friends Feel So Much Like Dating” courage, and asked her for drinks.
Lucky for me, she saw me as a potential friend as well and not a crazy stalker. Even luckier, after meeting for drinks where we talked nonstop, she invited me over for dinner one night to meet a crew of some of the most amazing women ever. I am of the mind that good people attract good people, and I felt honored to be surrounded by so much goodness. Women who could easily be tucked safely in their group, but who welcomed me with open arms (and some seriously good tacos).
I think a lot of women can get very competitive with one another. We don’t compliment each other as much as we should. We don’t necessarily want to share our friends or threaten the security we feel (even if its subconscious). But, every now and then, you meet a wonderful person, who unabashedly invites you to meet still more wonderful people. And just like that, you feel like you belong.
Who knows…perhaps this dress is my lucky charm…
xoxo
Outfit Details:
Dress: When Decades Collide (similar modern or vintage here, here & here)
Necklace: Gift (similar)
Belt: ASOS (similar)
Handbag: Gift (similar here & here)
Shoes: Iron Fist
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