Oh Christmas Tree

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Picking out our Christmas tree was a bit of a scavenger hunt this year. We went to our tried and true place. The one we have been going to for the last ten years. And they did not have a single Noble Fir. They said they had been selling out of them by 4:00 each day. Well, with my husband’s work schedule, kids’ schooling and life, 4:00 was out of our reach for the week.

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We decided to search for a Christmas tree elsewhere.

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I am a true have-to-have-a-real-tree girl. I just am. I like the picking out of the tree each year. I like the smell. I like the tradition. I just like it.

We drove to a place that used to sell Christmas trees the year before, but they were not selling trees this year.

I remembered seeing a Christmas tree lot on the other side of town earlier in the week. We drove there and it was amazing. They were hoarding all of the Noble Firs!

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The tree we picked out for our main tree (we also get a smaller one, because I am a greedy tree decorator) ended up being about nine feet tall, but was marked 7-8 and the guy gave it to us for that price. It was a steal! And since my husband refuses to look at any tree taller than eight feet, my stealthy sneaky big-tree-heart exploded with joy.

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It almost made me as happy as this dress. I purchased Free People’s Bombora Dress during Free People’s annual 25% off sale. It showed sold out, but in my cart it went to backorder. I honestly did not think it would ship, so I never mentioned it. I thought it was a fluke. I was very surprised to see it show up at my door three weeks later.

It was a happy surprise.

It reminded me of my favorite Christmas movie, “White Christmas.” When I was a little girl my mother would tell me that when it was time for my prom she would make me a prom dress exactly like the ending Christmas dresses in that movie. By the time I finally went to my prom, I no longer wanted a fur-lined red velvet number for an event in May. Instead I opted for a custom designed (by myself) little number modeled after Marissa Tomei’s dress in the movie, “Only You.” In my head it was perfection. In real life, the seamstress did not understand what I was going for and I ended up going to prom in a periwinkle dress with triangle cutouts. Oh. It was bad. So very, very bad. As reality versus dreams usually are.

If only they had had this dress back then. Then both my mother and myself could have been happy.

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It only took twenty years for that scavenger hunt to come to a conclusion. What look from a movie do you love? Do you love the hunt for an item? If you have a Christmas tree, do you go real or fake? Theme or sentimental? Our big tree is sentimental. Our little tree is a gnome forrest theme… Of course.

*Also, I am sorry I have been behind on emails, comments and blogs. I plan on catching up this weekend. : )

An Ombre Autumn Outfit

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In my mind, when I purchased this Luna Luz dress in the summer at a local boutique, the outfit pictures I would take in this dress would be in an orange and yellow autumn tree setting.

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However, I forgot one important fact.

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I live in California.

And these trees?

Well, these trees only know one color.

And it ain’t yellow, orange or red.

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Oh, well.

I guess this just means that the dress does not have any color competition.

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I purchased this dress ((I cannot find my exact dress for sale online, but there is a white Luna Luz dress for sale here. I have seen my dress for sale on eBay previously but I did not see any listed when I wrote this) when I went back-to-school clothes shopping with my children. My daughter spotted the dress in the window with the giant sale sign and urged me to try it on.

“MOM! That dress is perfect for you!”

I know. She is such an enabler!

It’s actually not her fault.

I chanted those words throughout my pregnancy and through her first year of life.

Her first word was, “Muspeftyou.”

My husband just thought she really loved the cat. We’ve worked on her pronunciation since then.

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I lie.

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Besides her first word was, “nobye,” and you better believe it.

I think I know who is responsible for that one.

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Are the leaves changing where you are? Do you own any ombre pieces? Do you actually remember your child’s first word? I forgot to write anything down, so frazzled and depressed was I. But we’re just gonna go with, “Da Da.”

I want you to know that I firmly believe that this has absolutely everything nothing to do with the second phrase that I continuously murmured throughout her childhood, “Did ya see that dress?”

Everything. Nothin’.

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

these photos were edited using VSCOcam C1 on level 3.

The First Kiss Of Autumn

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One’s first kiss is usually not special. At least mine wasn’t. I was seventeen.

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First kisses can go either way.

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I was not going to go on another date with my husband after our first date (I was twenty one and it is a long story for another day), but he asked if he could kiss me when he dropped me off back home. I did not have the heart to say no. He kissed me. And I happily never went on another date with another person.

He knew how to seal the deal.

As he tells it, he knew that if he kissed me I would go on another date with him. And he was right.

We were married four months later.

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Free People’s First Kiss Dress is definitely on the positive end of the first kiss spectrum. It is one of my favorite dresses. I purchased it last year (previous post here).

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It now comes in more colors but I continue to love the black and white.

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I paired the dress with Anthropologie’s Vegan Leather Bomber Jacket (previously styled here).

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If I were ever to make out with an inanimate object, this jacket would be it. Wait. That might be too much information. Can we forget I said that? Kiss that thought good bye.

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It is absolutely perfection. Lightweight. Slimming. It looks great more fitted like I purchased it (size medium) and looser the way my daughter wears mine.

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Are any of your fall items kissable? I love so many of my cozy items.

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Which other items do I love? I will have to leave that a mystery for now.

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I don’t always kiss and tell.

Ruffle Me This

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I was aching to wear Free People’s Mia Ruffle Dress (sold out, but this one is similar) on a date night. And the other night I finally did.

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We are creatures of habit. We went to the same restaurant as our last date night.

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This is because the restaurant we had decided to go to in town did not start their live music until 9:00 at night.

How young do they think we are?

That is past my bed time.

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This restaurant we ended up going to closed at 8:00. We are early birds. And not zombies, even though this picture would make you believe otherwise.

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And the musician here was great. He played until 8:10. I just realized that he probably went to go play at the other restaurant after he was done with this engagement.

You might think that that is stretching it.

Why would I assume he was playing at the other restaurant? There are a ton of talented performers in our town.

Well, because he mentioned he plays there right before he left.

I am quick.

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It was not a great date night.

It was fine.

But not great.

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It happens. Both of us were not really into it that night. He had burned his arm pretty badly right before we left on the date and would not let on that he was in pain and I was in the middle of my September funk. It was a rare quiet meal.

We are going on a huge date this weekend and I am hoping we have a great time. I bought some sexy pink shoes that I plan on wearing with the dress from this post. But I need to practice walking in the shoes in the house. If I can’t do that, they have to go back.

In the meantime, I will be wearing all of the ruffles I can muster. I am so looking forward to the dinner this weekend. And spending time with my husband.

Have you gone on a date night recently? Do you wear your most impractical shoes? I will hopefully show my shoes on Instagram soon (if I keep them). I just hope I can walk in them. This time, there will be no ruffles to cushion my fall.

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