Personally, I’ve never identified as a trend-setter or a trend-follower. I sort of always have done my own thing (which, unless you’ve only happened upon me, you know to be a serious bent toward 1950’s Dior New Look, with a twist of sky high heels and a heap of glitter). This has afforded me the luxury of being somewhat impassive when it comes to the new “It Girl” accessory or must have handbag.
I’ve never had much of a green thumb. Without ever meaning to, I am an enemy to all plant life, a horticultural assassin. Your ferns and rosebushes aren’t safe around me. I even killed a cactus in my pitiful gardening history (a feat I’m told you actually have to work at). And while basil plants wilt and grass shrivels in my presence, a flourishing wardrobe: Now, that I can cultivate…
I have a dark secret to share with you, which is likely to be a very unpopular opinion, particularly in the vintage community. Trust me when I say this confession has raised many an eyebrow and the gasp is often heard around the world. There are memes about my truth. It’s resulted in a bar brawl here and there and I’ve lost friends over it. You may decide to stop reading my blog altogether once you hear my terrible secret. Brace yourself people….
Truth be told, I hate the rain. Now, don’t get me wrong – I know we need it. Without rain, life as we know it would pretty much not exist. But, I still can’t help but sigh when I wake up and see grey and gloom outside my window. Rain is not a friend to a suede shoe or an appliqué prone to color bleed. So, in the middle of a two week bought of nothing but grey skies and soggy sidewalks, I decided to turn the weather into inspiration.
Things don’t always work out according to our plans. And now in my 30-somethingth year, I’m learning to be okay with that (for a Type A person who likes control and order, this is a tough one for me). As you’ve guessed by now, I’m a bit of a planner. I love lists and spreadsheets and checking things off with gusto. Sometimes I write things down I’ve already done just so I can check them off. And of course, I always plan my outfits for my events (even moreso since I started the blog) down to the last rhinestone encrusted…
When I was in high school, my prom was a bit of a non-event. I had actually asked a guy friend from another school to go with me, who backed out at the last minute (quite literally – he backed out the night I was waiting for him to turn up). I still went with a group of friends, and in what felt like both abject humiliation and youthful defiance, brought a blow up parrot as my “date.” Yes, you read that right. Prom photos and all! Although I remember having a good time, there is a part of me…
I know that Valentine’s Day gets a bit of a bad rep. There are a lot of people who wish they could jump from Feb 13th to Feb 15th, pretending the day never existed. Assaulted by photos of happy couples, pink and red glitter hearts everywhere, gooey saccharine poetry. I can definitely understand how that can get wearing. But after the events of this past week, I have to say I feel like we all could use an extra bit of love.
There is no other time of year imbued with more magic than Christmas. It feels like the minute December 1st hits, everywhere starts to take on a bit of extra sparkle (and a bit of extra frenetic energy that only the stress of Christmas shopping can bring). By some miracle, I managed to finish my Christmas shopping last week and all things that needed to be shipped are safely in their intended destinations. Which gives me just enough time to sip cocoa and soak up a bit of Christmas magic.
As a gal who loves her 1950’s silhouette, the search for the perfect petticoat is real and all encompassing. Awhile back, I reviewed some of my favorite tried-and-true petticoats to help my fellow vintage-loving ladies navigate the waters. But, I was still finding myself endlessly searching for the Petticoat of Dreams that could be both soft and full, affordable but high quality. Was this simply a pipe dream, never to come to fruition??
More often than not, we don’t really have a choice about a certain set of circumstances. We’re usually thrown into a situation without warning – everything from a waitress bringing us the wrong order to payroll screwing up our paycheck. And though we don’t get to choose our frustrating moments, we do get to choose how we respond to them. I’m completely smitten with this dress – but oh how we had a few ups and downs before we were finally able to see eye to eye. Grab a glass of wine and settle in for the story of My Journey…