Isn’t it funny the way nursery rhymes stick in your head? I mean, I know they’re designed that way…and never mind the fact that when you’re a kid, your synapses are strengthening rapid fire, so we remember all kinds of crazy things with alarming specificity from our childhood. But, it is still kind of remarkable to me that I remember every word from the Farmer in the Dell, even though upon further reflection, I realize it doesn’t make a whole lot of sense.
I was scrolling eBay one afternoon, and spotted one of the most interesting circle skirts I had ever seen. It’s hand painted with a farm scene, branded with Fairfield Farm and a rather unappetizing-sounding Greasy Corner (which is an actual town in Arkansas). I did some digging, and couldn’t find anything on the label (Liza Jane Edwards) or the farm (although apparently there was a Liza Jane Edwards who was one of Stevie Nicks backups singers. Now how cool would that be??).
I can only imagine it was a commissioned piece by someone with a particular connection to her family farm, or else it was made to commemorate an event of some sort. All I know is, every time I walk into my wardrobe and see this cutie winking at me from the corner, the Farmer in the Dell starts to chime from a place in the back of my childhood….
If you didn’t grow up with this nursery rhyme, let me enlighten you. It’s basically a game kids play in a circle, where one starts as the farmer, who acquires a wife by tapping on someone’s head, who gets a child, who picks a dog, and so on (insert obvious problematic themes here…). But, as kids, it’s all kinds of twirling and merriment, with each new tapped head resulting in the tap-ee joining the group in the middle of the circle, until one kid is left sitting (sigh. the cheese stands alone). Now, for those of us who were always picked last at dodgeball, this might be a very triggering game (to all of my fellow “cheeses” out there – you do you babe).
I have a LOT of questions about this nursery rhyme. First and foremost: what is a Dell? Surely not the Desktop computer that I bashed out my PhD on. Thanks to Google I’ve learned that a dell is a small wooded valley. Apparently, depending on country, the farmer hangs in a variety of places and is not confined to his dell – he is sometimes in a den or gamboling about in a field. Other variations include the dog getting a bone at the end where the last line is “we all pat the bone” (ummm…yeah. I’m not going to go there).
This is a pretty memorable month in the Dressed household, because it’s both my birthday and my blog’s birthday! (7 years – can you believe it??). Even though my birthday comes with some mixed feelings (in 2020 – my birthday dinner was the last night out before the world changed), I always love my birthday. It sometimes feels like, with that subtle calendar shift, I feel myself moving towards Spring. Towards something new. Towards a fresh start if I need it.
As I get older and schedules get busier, I can’t help but appreciate a yearly reminder to celebrate myself. To twirl in the cringe-worthy moments of my teens, adventures in my 20’s, and wisdom gained in the many years since. To look back on how I got to this very moment and do my best to appreciate all of the missteps and blunders (and yes, even poor fashion choices. Ohhhh the 80’s were not kind). Maybe in that sense, we should wear birthdays like a badge of honor. Run towards them, arms outstretched. Embrace every wrinkle and year and sag of gravity, as the well earned celebrations they are. Who’s with me?!?!
Ah well. The cheese stands alone.
xoxo
Outfit Details:
Top: Unique Vintage (similar)
Skirt: eBay (similar modern and vintage here, here & here)
Belt: Alannah Hill (similar)
Handbag: gift, Bettina Darling (similar here)
Shoes: Seychelles (similar here & here)
Lip Color: Ruby Woo
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Any items marked with a “c/o” (courtesy of) a retailer mean I was provided with an item for free in exchange for a review and/or feature on my blog. I always provide my honest opinion of any item I’m reviewing, regardless of whether it was sent to me as a courtesy item or if I purchased it myself. In addition, this post may contain affiliate links. This means that if you click and/or make a purchase through certain links or ads on this site, I may make a commission from that click and/or purchase at no cost to you, which helps with the day-to-day running costs of my blog.