The Perfect Dress

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You know I do not say that lightly. But this is it. The perfect dress. For me, anyway. It was another item I waited for a fantastic sale price on. I bought it in the spring. It nips in at the waist and then flows out into an old-fashioned dream. It is the palest of pinks which makes it more interesting than another white dress. I even purchased one for my daughter, because she loved it so much.

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I knew I wanted to take pictures of this Free People Heart Dress (sold out, but similar dress in pink here) in front of an old building. I had the perfect spot in our town. It was an old building with a giant head of an 1800s woman in a flowered hat. Well, we went there the other day and guess what? The new owners painted over it! What a travesty!

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When I was at my dad’s house, I knew I wanted to take the opportunity to style this dress in front of Rusty’s house.

Who is Rusty? You ask.

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That is a long and short story.

Let’s go with the short version.

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When my mom and dad moved into our home, they rented the property from her family. They later purchased it. Rusty kind of came with the deal.

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Rusty was not related to the family. He squatted in a ramshackle old house next door to our own that was also on the property. In fact, this house is pictured in the B-movie, “Skeeters.” But that is a story for another day.

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Rusty was a hobo.

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For real. Although, I realize that is not a politically correct term. It is what I knew him as and I will not change it. It is meant with no offense, because Rusty rode on railroad cars and was a transient, which is how that term came about. He was the real deal and I loved him. He came and went as he pleased. The house is still full of the remains of his travels.

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One day I will share with you my memories of Rusty. He died when I was almost four. But I still have fond flashes of moments with him in my mind. I called him, “Uncle Rusty.” And he was a harmless sweet man who happened to bunk on our property. I had an interesting but wonderful childhood.

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I think Uncle Rusty would have liked this dress. Although, it wouldn’t have been practical.

I could never catch a train in this.

Maybe it isn’t so perfect after all.

Nah. That’s silly. I’ll just take a bus.

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Did you have any interesting characters in your childhood? What is your perfect dress?

Flit And Flare

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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.

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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.

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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?

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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.

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Anyway a future wedding is out.

No renewal of the vows for me.

No ceremony.

Nada.

Why?

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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.

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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.

Bohemian Girl Means Business

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Sometimes there comes along an occasion that calls for something other than princess dresses and flowy caftans.

Sometimes.

Rarely.

Not often.

But it happens.

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This particular occasion was my son’s Back To School Night at his school.

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I did not want to be remembered as Bohemian Chick by his teachers. I wanted something more firm. Pulled together. Polished.

I have a silly demeanor. A child-like voice. It is easy to be dismissed with those two descriptive traits. Throw in a flowy garment and the unarguably potent power of threes will make any future interaction with school officials one-sided. In regards to people who have influence with my children, I like to make a good first impression since I am dealing with the aforementioned attributes.

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This did not, however, mean my hair had to be tame, as well.

One of us was going to have a little fun.

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And that is a-okay with me.

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My husband would love it if I dressed in button down tops and pencil skirts every day. It is what I wore when I first met him. So, he has good memories of me dressing like this during the beginning of our relationship.

The top was a popback from Anthropologie called the Chambray Lace Buttondown (similar here). The skirt is a few years old. It was also from Anthropologie. It was called The Flounced Hem Skirt. The shoes were from my Modcloth Stylish Surprise package in the spring.

I used to love dressing up every day.

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But that was for work.

And that wardrobe is no longer a part of my everyday life.

I can now have a little more play in my everyday.

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Speaking of play. How neat is this scrabble ring from UPcycled Works on Etsy? I purchased it at the Del Mar Fair at her booth there. I have a “Q” as well. “Q” is my favorite letter to draw in Scrabble. The “C” is for my husband.

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Do you enjoy dressing in multiple styles? Do you do it often? I have to admit it was fun to wear something like this for one night. It brought back many memories. Good ones. And good memories are always… Good.

*I had really wanted to get pictures in before we left for the event. However, the time of day was not the best for pictures. Sorry for the hazy quality. It is as if the sky had some wine, too.

It’s A Golden Age, Eyelet Believe

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I purchased my Free People Golden Age Top last summer (previous post here) and I wear it all of the time.

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It can be layered with almost anything.

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I do not wear jeans a lot, but I had a chiropractic appointment that day and could not wear a dress.

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Because of its open back, I decided to try the Golden Age Top with the Free People I Got My Eyelet You Top I scored recently at Nordstrom Rack. It paired perfectly together. I also wore my Free People eyelet bra so it would be cohesive.

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The Eyelet Top has the faintest line of pink around the hems (it makes my heart surge with its sweetness), so I knew I wanted to wear pink and gold jewelry.

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It might be the prettiest top I have ever seen and I cannot wait to pair it with a denim jacket in the wintertime. It is perfect with the Golden Age Top, though, because it has the most adorable tied back and that top really allows it to be seen. I think it would also look fantastic layered with this this sleeveless open back top.

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A lady complimented me on my top that day and I had to tell her it was actually two different tops paired together.

Then I got embarrassed, because she probably did not care.

I tend to give too much information.

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Speaking of information, I took both tops in a size medium.

Are you obsessed with lace and eyelet? Do you pair them together?

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I cannot get enough of this pairing. Eyelet just want to spin!

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And doesn’t that sound golden?

P.S. Sweet Heather from the blog, The Peacock Fairy is having a lovely Blog Giveaway and a moving sale in her Etsy store. Please don’t forget to check it out! : )

P.S. * I shared this on The Pleated Poppy!

*this post was edited using the App Afterlife’s Bloom Filter at 57%.