October 7, 2014 by gn0mel0ver

Flit And Flare

I bought this dress so long ago I cannot even recall its name. I have searched for it and I believe it was called Floral Fit And Flare from Free People. It is now sold out, but I actually think this dress they are selling now is so much prettier.

Am I the only one who cannot get enough of white or creamy lace? You would think that I am secretly wishing for a white wedding.

Maybe with this little guy. The moon necklace can be found on Etsy here. The pink necklace was an older Anthropologie find.

A similar sweet ~~groom~~ gnome can be found at this shop on Etsy.

My husband loves this dress. He likes any fit and flare dress and any pencil skirt. I like big flowy pieces, but I can appreciate his tastes, too.

Hey! Maybe we should get married?

Let’s not worry about weddings. Let’s talk about footwear instead. Those awesome boots were a late season sale find from Anthropologie last year. I think these boots are very similar in looks.

Anyway a future wedding is out.

No renewal of the vows for me.

No ceremony.

Nada.

Why?

I once went to a psychic who told me I would marry the same man three times.

Sounds lovely right?

Well, she also told me my expiration date. Which I am hoping is wrong. So I figure if I don’t remarry the same man, I can ignore the other part of the prediction, too.

I recognize how crazy that sounds.

But, um, did you happen to notice I am a grown woman flitting through the “forrest” holding a felt gnome? It’s a miracle that I got married even one time.

Do you own a lot of fit and flare dresses? I think they are the best fit for all body types. Do you love white dresses? If you are married, what did you do with your wedding dress? Mine is hanging up in my closet. I used to take it out once a year and flit around the house in it.

But that scared the gnome.

And we can’t be having that.

September 17, 2014 by gn0mel0ver

Bohemian Polka Dots

I never thought I could incorporate polka dots into a bohemian look. Polka dots are fun. They are unstructured. But for some reason, I always think “preppy” not “hippie” when I see them.

I underestimated Free People.

When I saw this maxi skirt hanging out on the Free People rack at Nordstrom Rack, I loved it, but I thought it had been put in the wrong place. I checked the tag, and low and behold, it was my beloved Free People.

Of course, being at the rack meant a significant discount. I believe it was originally $128 and I paid $50. The skirt is sold out, but I have seen it on eBay.

Once again, I ended up on an ant hill. You guys. I am beginning to think this is not a coincidence.

I do not have ants in my pants. Or skirt as it were, in this picture. I simply wanted to see the skirt blow in the breeze. There is absolutely nothing I like better than a maxi skirt. And a maxi skirt with polka dots? Forget about it. I paired it with a simple white tee from Forever 21.

I thought if I added some color and fun to the skirt, I could make it more “me.” So, let’s talk accessories: The belt was one of my favorite purchases in January of 2013. It is an Obi belt from Free People (similar here and here). The necklace was a neat gift from Free People for participating in Free People Me (similar here). And the shoes are Anthropologie’s Atlas Sandals.

It is also not an accident that the shirt is being worn backwards. The seam is supposed to be worn down the back.

But someone decided to eat chocolate in bed before this photo shoot.

Don’t worry. Nothing will happen. It is just a bite… Whoops!

So, I flipped it around and put my hair down. Tricky. This did not help with the ants, by the way.

Do you love polka dots like me? Would you rather wear a maxi or a short skirt? Or a maxi and jeans? Have you ever gotten chocolate on a white shirt? Please tell me it comes out.

*These photos were edited using the Whim filter on the app afterlite. I love the pinky hue.

September 15, 2014 by gn0mel0ver

Bert & Ernie

For whatever reason, last year my children stumbled upon Bert & Ernie’s “The Ernie & Bert Book” in a pile of old children’s books from my own childhood. I had no recollection of the book. Minutes after discovering the book, they both came running into my room holding the book and squealing with laughter.

“You’ve got to read this book, Mom,” my oldest proclaimed.

“Um, not so much,” was my response because having all ready proven that I am such a fantastic mother that at the age of thirteen and ten my children had just discovered Bert and Ernie…And a pile of children’s books they should both have read many years before, I was content continuing with my parenting ideal: avoidance.

“No, really! I promise it’s funny.” They both had excitement bursting through their skin. I was surprised they did not explode into a Sesame Street Muppet pile of fur.

I contemplated the mess that would make.

I examined the book. It was very thin, but what if that was an illusion? I weighed the time it would take for me to read it versus the time it would take to argue about reading it.

I opened the book.

It started off innocently enough.

Bert and Ernie, being the loving roommates that they were, were in a bit of a pickle. You see, Ernie had lost Bert’s cowboy hat. And in a series of unfortunate events, Bert worries through questions that pop up with each crazy item Ernie produces to him.

It is like that book, “If You Give A Mouse A Cookie.”

Except with two roommates and a cowboy hat.

It starts with this line: “Ernie, why should I put a pot on my head?”

My husband has asked me that exact same line before. Just go with it Bert. It will all work out for you.

Ernie then proceeds to lead Bert through their house and they both examine the ridiculous ways Ernie has fabricated objects into doing tasks they were not produced to do. The tension is building.

It builds up to the best line I have ever read in a book:

“Now what am I going to wear when I play cowboy?”

Oh, how many times have I asked myself that very same question, Bert.

Giddyup!

July 21, 2014 by gn0mel0ver

Late Summer Love Dress

I know it is not really “late summer” yet. I would say we are smack dab in the middle of summer as far as time plotting goes. However, Late Summer Love is the name of this dress and since I spent ~~hours~~ minutes staring at these outfit pictures trying to come up with a title and nothing came to me. Well, we went with the name of the dress. And when I say “we”, I mean “I”. Just like when I say “late summer” I mean “middle summer”. Unless I actually mean late summer but at that point I would probably call it early fall.

We are a walking contradiction.

For instance, sometimes I will have to layer something underneath a short dress or I feel naked. Other times, I will leave the house in a dress my husband mistook for a shirt.

I do not know why some pieces of clothing garner different rules than others. It is a conundrum.

This is off topic (if we were ever really on one), but my son calls this pose my chicken pose. That makes me laugh. Or rather squawk.

We took these pictures the other day at my daddy’s apiary. In the second picture above this one, you can see some old hives. I grew up wandering these paths.

I love this picture. It is probably my favorite outfit picture my husband has ever taken. I am not sure why. But it is such a candid shot, because I did not know my husband had started shooting. I like that I am fixing my gnome. It reminds me of being a little girl on that very road.

Although my mother never would have let me wear a dress that short.

My husband agrees with her.

I will pair this dress with leggings, tights and maybe even jeans in the wintertime.

Back to my son’s earlier observation: What would happen if I made it to the other side of this road?

Whatever the answer, I hope I could get there without flashing anybody.

I love the lilac tones in this dress mixed with the yellow. I purchased this dress with my birthday discount and a gift card while it is on sale.

And although it is short, it has really cool sleeves.

That is important.

‘Cause when you’re marching to your own beat, it’s nice to be able to do it with a little flare, regardless of the name of the season or the stance of your pose.

Do you have odd rules about clothes? Do you ever contradict yourself?

I do not know why I do. Squawk!

Gnome Lover

Stumbling through life while still having fun

and

Flit And Flare

Bohemian Polka Dots

Bert & Ernie

Late Summer Love Dress