Folk Tale

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This Free People black dress that I purchased last summer continues to be one of my favorite pieces in my closet. I previously wore it with sandals, but I wanted to try belting it with tights and boots for this season. The dress I am wearing is sold out, but I adore the look of this dress in white. It has a similar easy vibe.

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I love the longer back. I sometimes hate the new high-low trend, but it works with my lifestyle.

My lifestyle being that of a klutz. I am always dropping things and having to bend over and get them.

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Case in point, the other day I was wearing my denim shirt “dress.” Thankfully with tights. I was in the grocery store. I had gone inside for two things and as I was walking to the register, I somehow managed to pick up ten items. I had them precariously balanced in my arms.

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I probably would have made it to the register without a mishap, had I not at that moment noticed my children’s kindergarten teacher with her husband in another aisle.

We locked eyes and as I went to wave, I proceeded to drop all of my items on the floor. Three times! Over and over, I bent over and picked up cans and packages of cheese and chips.

It was mortifying.

I am sure the people behind me probably thought it was even more so.

I really could have used a high-low dress that day. Who am I kidding? I could use a high-low dress everyday.

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Let’s move along from my mortification. I purchased this vintage folk belt from Modcloth last year (previously worn here). I love it so much. I keep it on my dresser instead of with my other belts because I am scared of it breaking.

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I took these pictures on my dad’s property. I think I only explored this road once as a child. I was not very adventurous. Besides, the possibility of rattlesnakes curbed my desire to walk around.

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Did you explore your neighborhood growing up? Or were you exploring worlds in books like I was? And when am I going to learn that I always need a grocery cart, even when I am “just running in”?

From India To Me

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I love to shop Etsy for one of a kind pieces. I especially love embroidered pieces. But I am not picky. I’ll know it when I see it.

And I saw it.

But it was sold out, so I contacted Lisa from Madame Hall on Etsy to see if she would be making any more of the dresses I had seen on her site in a size medium. She did not have any but she sent me a few pictures of this dress laying flat.

And, of course, I loved it.

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I bought it (with the help of a gift card from the sweetest lady ever. Thank you B!) and anxiously awaited its arrival.

It came in the coolest package about two weeks later. She sewed the package up with my address on the cloth. Inside of the initial package, the dress was wrapped in another gorgeous embroidered simple cloth bag. And she even sent me a beautiful embroidered scarf as a gift. Truly exceptional service. I would not hesitate to order from her again and to recommend her shop to others.

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I was not planning on pairing it with brown boots. In fact, I was going to wear it with my black fringed booties. But the snow would have ruined those. I did need to quickly grab a slip for underneath this because of the length. It is almost more of a tunic than a dress but because it is made from wool, I would only wear this with tights and leggings in the wintertime any way.

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The bright cheerful colors just make me so happy.

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I feel like this dress was meant to be mine. Or I was meant for it. It only needed to find me half way across the world. From India to me.

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Do you buy clothing items from Etsy? Do you ever feel a personal connection to an item of clothing? Does it speak to you?

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Mine does.

I’m not gonna tell you what it says.

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All right.

Just this once. I’ll spill the beans. Or beads as it were…

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With a shimmer. A glimmer. A whisper, it breathes, “OHHHHHH YEAAAAAAHHHHHH.”

Or maybe that’s just me.

Lady In Red… Embroidery

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I have mentioned before that maroon is not my favorite color. Well, I am not a huge fan of red either. I don’t not like it. I just don’t like it very well either. I think it is a very hard color to wear. I have a pair of red boots and it absolutely terrifies me to wear them. Red is very attention grabbing.

I don’t really like attention.

“I know.

The irony.

Or idiocy does not escape me,” says the public blogger.

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When someone is paying attention to me, it makes it very difficult to eavesdrop on them.

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It also makes it difficult to finish the interesting conversation one was having with oneself. Just when you are about to learn where the bodies are buried, the stranger’s eyes will meet your own and you will have to stop the secret whispering.

Please tell me I’m not alone.

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I had forgotten all about this dress until I was lamenting to my husband as I was getting ready for our date, “I have nothing to wear.”

I was only half joking.

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Everything I pulled out of the closet just seemed wrong.

I find it harder to dress for a date with my husband than anything else.

He is not fond of my loose-fitting frocks. Or my hippie skirts. I wanted him to think I looked pretty while still staying true to myself.

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I found this dress (old and sold out, similar dress here) tucked in the back of the closet wedged somewhere between my Kantha dresses, gnome costumes and my dignity. I had wondered where that went. I hastily threw it on with my fringe booties and big rose earrings.

When I came out of the closet, my husband commented, “I like that dress.” And both me and myself were pleased.

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We ended up going to a restaurant that we always do. It was lovely, although not as lovely as usual. The food was not on par with our past experiences. It is an outdoor restaurant.

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It was cold. I ended up keeping My Vegan Leather Jacket on all night (previously worn here and here).

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I wore the dress to the post office later in the week and I had two people stop me to tell me that they just loved the red embroidery.

Now I will never know where those bodies are buried.

Don’t look too closely at those mounds behind me.

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Do you have a fear of wearing red? Do you talk to yourself in public? Do you always go to the same place on a date? If the meal was not up to par would you say something? I will admit that I said nothing. It would have made my face red even thinking of doing so. And one spot of red was enough for one night.

P.S. I shared this on The Pleated Poppy and Reasons To Dress.

Maroon Foggy Fire In The Snow

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I took five outfit photos the day it snowed at my house this year. It had not snowed in years and it was too good of a photo opportunity to pass up.

Eck, I am such a blogger.

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This outfit ended up being my favorite.

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This is surprising to me for several reasons.

Mostly because I hate. Yes, hate. The color maroon.

I don’t know where this hatred came from. But it is there and alive and well. And I just learned that marsala is the 2015 color of the year! Which is pretty much a fanciful way of saying “maroon.”

Oi.

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Maybe the fashion gurus are on to something. Perhaps it is the name. When I purchased this Free People Embroidered Fable Dress two years ago, this color was called Mulberry. I like that name. Let’s think of some more.

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Foggy Fire.

Lusting From Afar Red.

Sunset Sangria.

Yes, I like all of those.

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I get more offers to buy this dress than any other item in my closet. The color is discontinued, but honestly, I love the grey color they have in it right now, too. The sweater is an old Anthropologie item I purchased from a sweet reader last winter. They had a a similar sweater this year that is now on sale. I loved that one when I reviewed it and would have picked it up if I did not all ready own and love mine.

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What is your least favorite color to wear? Mine actually isn’t maroon. It is brown. I guess I like cheery colors. But now that I can rename the offenders, I am liking their sultry offerings. Perhaps 2015 is the year I change my ways.

Or perhaps not.

It’s too maroon to tell.