At the start of summer, when months of warm nights and the freedom that comes from a lack of teaching stretch before you, you can’t imagine that autumn will soon be upon you. One day languishes into another – and you find yourself leaving work early, kicking off your shoes for a walk on the beach before dinner. Ice cold glasses of wine are pressed into your hand and things get put off until tomorrow.
Have you ever noticed that, for a lot of people, ‘dressing up’ is synonymous with laundry day? As in, there’s nothing else to wear except for the beautiful dresses that languish in the back of my closet, because everything else is in the wash? The other day I was racing to and fro (as I do) and a woman stopped me on my way from Point A to Point B. She complimented my floral dress and laughingly inquired whether it was laundry day. I winked back, “Nope, just Tuesday!”
I have been lucky to work with some pretty amazing small businesses in my time at the helm of this blog. True artists and entrepreneurs who are trying to release good into the world through what they create and how they make women feel. And the best kinds of collaborations (in my mind) come about where I get to work with an artist and know instantly that they simply ‘get’ me, with no explanation needed.
Although I am an equal opportunity 1950’s huntress, there are a few things in particular that make me weak in the knees. Uber full skirts. Border prints. Appliqué. But, I cannot deny that vintage trompe l’oeil (or prints that deceive the eye) steal my heart every time. 2D prints designed to look like ribbons or ruffles and bows – I will literally start salivating. I knew I loved this style of artistry before I even knew it had a name. I have been lucky enough to slowly add trompe l’oeil prints to my collection over the years (case in point…
If you haven’t already guessed it, I have pretty strong feelings about my personal style. I know what I like and what I don’t like, and generally go with what makes me happy. I actually prefer to shop alone – spending as long or as little time in a shop as I like, never looking for an outside opinion on whether or not something suits me. It took awhile for me to get comfortable in my shopping skin. So, you can imagine my feelings when it comes to someone else shopping for me…
In many ways, I feel that vintage carries with it stories of the past. A bit of the woman who wore her before me. Like a friend who has known you your entire life, there are secrets in every swath of fabric, every stitch of leather. And as I reach for a particular piece on a particular day, I feel as though I’m reaching for that woman. Taking her hand and letting her know that I remember her. That I carry her in my daily life and have become part of the story.
I’ve always been a bit of a bookworm. Ever since I was a kid, I couldn’t get enough books to read and would devour them in a few hours. It was something to help me keep up with my ever-buzzing mind or my place to escape to when the bullying got to be too tough. There were pages full of adventure. A world beyond my own. When I got older and would travel, my backpack would be laden with at least 5+ books by the time I got home, as I’d need to scoop up a new one in every…
I was feeling pretty bolstered by my last sewing project and almost immediately jumped to the next. Given I have about 50 things in my head at any one time I want to create, plus an overflowing tailoring pile, the time I have never quite meets the time I need for sewing. However, after kicking the Imposter Syndrome squarely in the eye with my Garden of Eden dress, I didn’t stop to doubt myself and simply plunged on ahead.
In truth, I’ve always been the kind of person who likes the hustle and bustle. Although I relish my alone time, I have to admit I love the buzz of a busy restaurant or walking around a city thriving with energy. And I’m so much more productive when I have 12 things to do – when there’s just one task on my To Do list, there’s too much room for procrastination.
Sometimes I can get lost thinking about all of the million random occurrences that need to happen to lead up to some big event (or even the small everyday ones). In retrospect, a path always seems to straightforward. A decision so simple to go from from A to B to C. But looking from the opposite direction, there are a million twists and turns that ultimately lead to that endpoint. And sometimes these can be positive – looking at the pivotal move that brought you towards the career you have now. The love of your life. Or the perfect piece…