It’s amazing how a global pandemic can really simplify life down to its essentials. One of the things Mr. Dressed and I have been taking a lot of joy in lately is a daily walk around the neighborhood. It gets us out of the house, gets us the Vitamin D our bodies are craving, and reminds us that the world is still ticking along, even though it feels some days as though it’s stopped.
Back in a time long long ago, in a world far far away where we could go outside and stand next to people, I remember dashing through the supermarket one afternoon. I think I was grabbing a few things on my way back to the lab, without thinking too much about who was around me other than beelining for the essentials and getting back to work.
This past weekend, Mr. Dressedapp and I celebrated Valentine’s Day. While this holiday usually involves us getting dressed to the nines and hitting the town, we obviously had to modify our tradition and had a chill night in with fondue and champagne (no one here is complaining!). In other news related to Woman Plans, Universe Laughs, I had also hoped to unveil my latest Valentine’s Day themed circle skirt this week in honor of the Big Event…but we’ve been rained out for weeks which doesn’t show signs of stopping.
Every year, I put together a holiday wishlist to help my family navigate the treacherous waters that is Christmas shopping. I like to put a range of items on there, based on things that have caught my eye over the last few weeks. Inevitably, there is an item or two that I try to sprinkle a little extra fairy dust upon, perhaps to telepathically communicate just how enamored I am with it. Enter this most perfect blouse designed by Alex Vinash.
Remember back in college when you would hear a band come on the radio, and in true wannabe-hipster fashion you would toss your hair and say haughtily, “Yeah…I was totally into them before they ever became mainstream…” Like there was some sort of badge of honor in appreciating a band before social proof? Well, I swear you guys…I totally started this skirt before The Queens Gambit was ever a thing!
One of my most vivid childhood memories is of autumn. My grandmother had this massive maple tree in her backyard and every fall we would bundle into the car to her house to help her rake the leaves. I remember there were so many that I could stand almost knee deep in what had fallen to the ground. We would spend the afternoon raking them into even greater piles, jumping into the crisp signs of autumn with abandon. I remember moving them one pile at a time over the fence into the wooded area behind her yard.
There is no time that you miss the city quite like during a global pandemic. It started small: a twinge, a mild craving for the bright lights. It grew to invading my thoughts, with taxi cabs and bustling streets dancing before my eyes. And, much like when you tell yourself not to think of pink elephants, suddenly Pepto-Bismol tinted pachyderms are the only things stampeding through your brain: I need me some bright lights, big city!
You know how sometimes there’s a certain phrase or tv show or new app that you’ve never heard of before, and then all of the sudden 5 people tell you about it in one day? Well, I had been navigating my life and circle-skirt-making-mania very pleasantly, until one day I heard about the Cricut. Suddenly, without warning, came the deluge of readers and followers asking me if I had one and the hours upon hours of hand cutting I would save. And with a few simple clicks, I fell down the rabbit hole…
I can get so committed to my love of appliqué circle skirts, that sometimes I forget how much fun it can be to make a beautiful dress. It always a good idea to flex your creative muscles now and then and step outside of that trusty circle skirt comfort zone. And given how dark and grey the world has seemed lately, it should be no surprise that I turned to the sunniest yellow floral border print I could find….
More often than not these days, I’m taking a bit of a hybrid approach to my dressing (and no, I’m not just talking about pairing a cute top that can be seen in my Zoom meetings with some snazzy pajama bottoms). We’re at that magical time of year when Mother Nature is refusing to commit to one temperature, criss-crossing between rain and drizzle and dazzling sun. Truth be told, this is my favorite time of year, because all of my velvet and felt Juli Lynne Charlot circle skirts can come out to play.