Picnic weather is rapidly going the way of the dinosaurs over here in Perth. We are all slowly adding layers and shedding our summer sundresses. Like any true dress-loving gal, I fight against the cold weather as long as possible, wearing my dresses with teeth chattering and head held high. Truthfully, my winter wardrobe tends to be my summer wardrobe with tights and cardigans and the occasional swing coat, but for some reason, despite my love of cosy layers, with every transition into the next season I still resist the change.
So, I stuck my head in the wintery sand today and brought out one of my all time favorite picnic dresses. I think my favorite part of the dress is that at first glance you see red gingham, then your eyes adjust and you see “polka dots”, only to find those polka dots are actually ants running to and fro all over the dress. Now, I’d shriek the house down if they were real ants scurrying around on my person, but I’m more than okay with a cohesive Hymenoptera army woven into my picnic-inspired look. Besides, is it really a picnic without ants?
I‘m completely smitten with this s’mores necklace. Do you know what doesn’t exist in Australia? S’mores. It’s a criminal offense that they are unaware of this cultural phenomenon, embraced by summer campers and backyard fire pit-makers the world over. Luckily, I have a few other ex-pats in my midst to reminisce about the joy of s’mores with and lament the lack of the critical ingredient – graham crackers – in this place we call home. And I have this amazing necklace to remind me of their gooey, chocolatey graham-cracker goodness when I’m feeling particularly lonely. One of my absolute favorite tricks is (was. sob!) to put a layer of peanut butter on each graham cracker. Food-gasm. (yet another thing Australians need to get on board with – the fine art of peanut-butter-goes-with-everything. Crazies! If I started a midnight s’mores truck, I swear I could be a millionaire).
Instead of picnicking or roasting marshmallows over an open flame, however, I’m headed off to the lab today. I have big plans to get a few papers off my desk by the end of this month – grand plans, I assure you, but at least I charge into each month guns blazing, goals afresh, at the crossroads between ambition and that’s-just-plain-crazy.
Similarly, I may talk the talk when it comes to my dresses, but undoubtedly my cozy cardigan will creep it’s way on about midway through the day and the tights I have stashed in my bag will find their way onto my legs. I’m sure my feeble wardrobe rebellion will fade as the month wears on and I’ll have many more wintery looks on the way (I am actually excited to get back to playing with layers and I’m a sucker for novelty print tights. I’m nothing if not a study in contrasts).
But for today at least, I’ll enjoy bringing a bit of sunshine into the lab. Happy Wednesday!
xoxo
Outfit Details:
Dress: Modcloth (similar here or here or vintage here, here, & here)
Smore’s Necklace: Inedible Jewelry
White Belt: Betsey Johnson (similar here & here)
Handbag: Tuesday Rose Vintage (similar here, here & here)
Shoes: Miss L Fire via Modcloth (similar here, here & here)
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