Vintage Green Love

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I have been holding out on you.

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That sounds worse than it is. You see, I just assume that after I write a story, you have read it and will know what I mean even before I have published it here. But there are so many stories I need to publish and maybe then I will be understood… Or not.

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Same with my closet. I think that you must know what lurks in the depths of it. But how could you? When I, myself, often overlook things.

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Like this dress.

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I bought it at the beginning of the year. Felt bad about buying it. Stashed it in My Closet of Guilt and never wore it.

As one does.

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But I came upon it last week and fell in love.

It is a vintage dress purchased from Etsy. I love shopping for vintage clothes on Etsy. There are a plethora of beautiful pieces. With so many different sellers, the prices vary, so it is a good idea to look around. I cannot believe the prices some sellers ask for both low and high. Check the seller’s feedback for reviews. Check their social media and Etsy home page to see if they are running any coupon codes. My dress was $64 and I thought this was fair.

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It is the very best color. An odd shade of green that takes on different hues depending upon how the light hits it.

It has the most amazing embroidery of deep blues and bright pinks tickled through with tiny mirrors. Yes, tickled.

The bracelet is from World Market a few months ago (similar here). Have you been to World Market lately? They are killing it in the jewelry department.

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I took these pictures at my dad’s house. I liked how the Juniper Tree matched my dress. My husband, the photographer, did not like the matching. He wished for more contrast.

I feel the same way about the model’s thighs.

You work with what you have.

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The only thing I can remember about Juniper Trees growing up is that coyote feces is full of Juniper berries. And so I avoided any and all Juniper Trees as a child, positive that there were coyotes lurking beneath each and every one.

Speaking of coyotes, I am no longer afraid. Our cluster of homes sit upon the edge of our town. This means frequent coyote spottings as we venture out. Two days ago, it was pouring rain in California. My husband saw a soaking wet, miserable looking, coyote dart into the bushes in front of his car.

It was all that he spoke of that day. He said it was the saddest sight. The coyote looked thin and bewildered by its wet surroundings.

There are not very many Juniper Trees here.

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Did you grow up around wild things? Do you own a vintage dress? Do you store it and not wear it or wear it all of the time? Do you know odd facts about animal feces? Or is that just me?

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

Satpura Sweater Coat

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The one item that I had been most looking forward to wearing once California finally received some cool weather was my Anthroplogie Satpura Sweater Coat from last winter (this is sold out and I could not find a similar enough coat to link to, but I have seen it on eBay. I previously wore it here).

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I am generally not a fan of bejeweled items. In fact, this is probably the only item in my entire closet with sparkles. I like things more simple. Bling is not my thing.

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But for this coat, I will make an exception. The pattern is just too pretty to resist. My gnome thinks so, too.

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Once again I purchased an item without having a clue about what the word describing the item meant. Do you know what Satpura is? It turns out it is a hill range in India. It is actually gorgeous. The images I googled of the area are very pretty.

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I tried to save a bee I found on the ground, but he was not savable. It broke my heart a bit. I hate seeing a hurt or perished bee.

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Underneath the coat, I paired my Anthropologie Top that I got on a popback for $8 over the summer. I wear this top all of the time. It is a great layering piece as you will see in an upcoming outfit post.

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My least favorite colors are burgundy and purple. And yet, I do not mind them here.

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I do, however, feel a little bit like a walking condiment clash.

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Mustard, ketchup and grape jelly. What kind of nightmare meal would that create?

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In the picture above, I just noticed some young boys exploring a nearby gutter with mining flashlights on their heads. It made me both worried and wistful.

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Thank goodness for this little guy. He assured me everything would be all right.

And I surprisingly believed him.

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Once the cool weather hit where you are, what was the first item you grabbed from your closet? What is your favorite winter outfit? Are you loving the ability to layer? This is my favorite time of year.

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

Ikat In The Best Of Times

After my husband took pictures of this outfit, he dropped me off at a local Mexican restaurant where I was meeting some girlfriends for Booze Book Club.

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I got there a bit early and so I decided to sit in the bar, by myself, and have a drink.

I told the waiter I was waiting for some girls for book club. He looked at me with obvious surprise. “What club?” He asked astonished.

Book Club.” Emphasis on the “k.”

“Ohhhhhhh. I thought you said something else.” I giggled, because I thought I knew what he had thought I had said. That would probably make for a more interesting club, but alas, Book Club it is.

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I think deep down I am a loner, because some of my favorite moments are spent in solitude.

I loved sitting there gulping daintily-sipping enjoying my margarita while I watched the people coming and going around me.

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The book choice last month was “You Before Me,” by Jojo Moyes. I was very hesitant to read it that month because I had read reviews stating it was gloomy and I did not want the book to send me into a spiral of sadness.

But my friend read it first and assured me that whilst it was a very sad book, it was not overly depressing.

I read it and found this to be true.

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What I am saying is: the book is good.

Having a margarita by yourself is better.

Having a margarita with friends is the best.

I know because I chose to have a margarita by myself and one with the girls. And four margaritas on a table are better than one.

That’s just basic math that they don’t teach in school.

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Did you sense me stalling here?

Avoiding the issue at hand?

I think it is obvious by now that I have been trying to distract you with books and margaritas to keep your eyes averted from my imperfections.

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Aw, well, just have a margarita and we will all feel better.

It is nice to see my favorite winter staple making an appearance again. Last year I purchased the Ruffled Sweater Vest from Anthropologie in two colors and I wear them all of the time. They have a new version this year with a cool ombre effect. The Anthropologie Ikat top was a popback that I got for 80% off (sorry, sold out). I love it and it is one of my absolute best deals. The Paige Cords were a find at Nordstrom Rack last year (and now I desperately want to find them if they ever go on sale in forest green). The thighs were happily earned from pints of Baskin Robbins Ice Cream.

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Do you ever go places by yourself? One of my very favorite things to do is go to the movies alone.

One bucket of popcorn + one girl = Happiness.

I really think I missed my calling as a math teacher hermit.

Fish Tartan

I try to not have two posts about clothes going up back to back, but I have been so ill for the last week, I have this one all ready to go. I apologize if you do not like outfit posts. Also, I may or may not post this weekend depending upon my medication kicking in or not. I do have other outfit posts ready to go, but I feel bad putting too many of those up in a row. I’ll just have to wait and see. Now on to the clothes…

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My husband took one look at my outfit. His forehead furrowed. His mouth set.

Finally after five minutes of inner contemplation, he turned to me and bravely said, “I don’t get it.”

“What don’t you get?”

“Your top and bottom half our country but the dress has nothing to do with that.”

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I just laughed.

Because I knew he would not be the only one who saw this outfit that way.

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I have really wanted to explore more with plaid this season. Wear it differently. Unexpectedly.

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And it does not get more unexpected than a dress filled with giant fish.

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The Anthropologie Indigo Shoal Dress was one of my absolute favorite buys a few years ago. It is actually my daughter’s favorite item in my closet. I dread the day she can fit into it, because I do not know that I will see it again.

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Nobody does flannel like Johnny Was (very similar flannel here). I love that they add embroidered details to their pieces (similar non-flannel shirt on sale here). Johnny Was sizing runs large. I get this question a lot, so I figured I would place it here. This is a small. I typically always wear a size small in this brand. I found my top at Nordstrom Rack either last year or the year before. Besides Johnny Was’s sale section on their site, and eBay, I think this is the best place to find the brand at a discount. I have said it before, but I adore that Johnny Was carries standard and plus sizes. Bravo to them! Last year they had an awesome Black Friday Sale that I hope they repeat this year.

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Do you ever pair two things together that nobody else around you understands? Are you wearing a lot of flannel this season? What about fish? Fish and flannel. Hmmmm. Maybe I’m on to somethin’… Or maybe it’s just the prescription drugs.

Please do not forget to enter My Anthropologie Necklace Giveaway. It ends soon!