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?

Restyling The Bermeja Tunic Dress For The Fall

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This post really could have been called, “creating an outfit with items in your house.” I wanted to show two easy ways I have found to wear the Bermeja Tunic Dress in a different season (other post with this dress can be found here).

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If you do not own this dress, no worries, this look can be created with any ol’ white dress (similar dress here). And if you do not have a white dress, get one. That is an order. Well, unless you are a nun. Then you are all ready in an order. And you should probably skip the white dress. Black looks good on you. Love your habit.

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I wanted to show a day and night transitional look with this dress. Only, unlike other blogs that show the daytime look first (for some such odd reason being that day comes before night. But does it really?). I like to be contrary. I am doing it opposite.

Such as the opposite colors of the styling of this dress.

Nuns, I’m on to something here, I can just feel it. Don’t ya think?

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For my evening look, I pulled my hair up into a fun pony tail. Slipped on some huge turquoise chandelier earrings (old from World Market) and added a black ribbon around my waist.

I am not sure where the ribbon came from.

I was looking for my black belt.

I could not find it.

I found this ribbon stashed in my underwear drawer.

The end.

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Except this leads to many questions.

Nuns, you might want to look away now.

Such as, why was a ribbon in my underwear drawer?

Where did it come from?

Was it part of a box of chocolate?

What? You don’t hide chocolate in your underwear drawers?

Next, you will tell me you don’t keep salami in your boots. And I know that to be a lie. How could you lie in front of these nuns?

And the most important question, who ate my darn chocolate?

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I paired both looks with black tights and high heeled booties.

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For my daytime look, I simply pulled my ponytail out and undid the bow.

‘Cause I am truly a styling genius lazy heathen.

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Underneath the dress dwells my slip from Free People. I kind of hate the slip the Bermeja Tunic Dress originally came with. It was way too short to actually cover parts best left unseen with any practicality. I could not find a different white slip, so this uneven ragged edge little number got some use.

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If you are an even-hemmed kind of gal (or fella), then this look must be driving you crazy.

But I am not, nor have I ever been an exact measurement sort of gal.

Not level headed.

Nor even tempered.

I will have nun of that.

My point being, you can wear any slip underneath this dress and it will be fine.

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Speaking of grabbing things from around the house.

Yes, we were speaking of such things.

Keep up. These voices in my head don’t just speak to themselves.

I loved the chandelier earrings that I wore with this dress and I really, really wanted a turquoise beaded bracelet to pair with them. But I do not own a turquoise beaded bracelet. However, I do own a vintage turquoise beaded sweater clip (I will have a post coming up soon about sweater clips. They are awesome). I just clasped it together at the ends around my wrist and it created a bracelet.

Nuns, take note. I made a bracelet in less than one second with my own hands.

It is a miracle.

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Not as miraculous as this scenery. If we were not completely trespassing, I would have stayed longer. But isn’t it beautiful? Truly worth some jail time.

Besides, I just confessed.

To a nun.

I’m all good now.

I’m a pretty calm rebel.

Probably because nobody cared.

The owners saw us and just waved. ‘Cause they must have known about my miraculous bracelet. Those types of achievements get around.

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Not that I am bragging. Wouldn’t dream of it. Besides, that is not my favorite sin.

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You have a favorite sin?

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Yep. Shhhhhhh. Don’t tell the nuns. I don’t make a habit of committing it.

On purpose.

With regularity.

Accidentally.

Every day.

So, what is it? Greed? Gluttony? Envy? Lust? Wrath? Sloth (Oi)? Pride?

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Sorry. I’ll never tell.

You can’t get it out of me.

It would take a miracle.

Gothic Lace Cowgirl

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I am breaking so many of my boundaries in these pictures.

Wait. Do you break boundaries or cross them?

Whichever it was, all at once, I found them tossed to the wind.

1. Never be photographed in sleeveless.

2. Never wear all dark colors.

3. Never wear braids in the wind.

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I layered my two Anthropologie Scalloped Monogram Bracelets with my husband and my initials.

And they were the only pieces of jewelry I wore that day.

The gnome doesn’t count, right?

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I just had to break my own silly rules when I found this cute Free People Dear Bridgette Lace Top at Nordstrom Rack (I cannot find it online but I found a similar shirt here). It was a steal. I all ready had the skirt (similar here) from early 2013 and the lace maxi slip underneath the whole outfit was a fabulous deal at NR last summer for around $30.

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The reason I had only worn bracelets on this day was because I decided to wear one of my fabric flowers I had purchased from a sweet seller at Pike’s Market in Seattle last year.

By the way, do you see why I have no back shots of this outfit? I forgot to have my husband button the back of my shirt!

Aw, well, you break some rules and everything just falls apart.

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I had mentioned in a post last week that I never wear black, because I think it is hard to make it look cheerful. But this outfit made me happy that day.

I am branching out.

Kicking my heels up, so to speak.

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Or boots, as it were.

Do you have any silly fashion rules? Have you ever broken them? Have you ever spent the whole day with your shirt or dress completely unbuttoned?

Yea, me neither.

*this post was edited using the App Afterlife’s Row filter at 50%.

Embroidered Doll Dress

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I have something I want to say.

“I LOVE THIS DRESS!!!”

Sorry, that was slightly unnecessary. But it is true.

I do.

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In, fact, I cannot seem to stop staring at the gorgeous embroidery. As demonstrated in my accidental pose above. It just makes me so happy. I had patiently waited for a sale on the Embroidered Peasant Doll Dress, and when it reached more than 60% off, I asked for it for my birthday.

It is short.

In fact, when my husband took these pictures, he exclaimed, “that dress is RE-E-E-A-A-ALLY short!”

This is coming from the guy that never notices if the entire back of my dress is unbuttoned. I knew it had to be a little too short if he was making a proclamation. I tried not to flashback to all of the bending and reaching I did at the grocery store in the dress, the day before. All of this to say, from this point on I will now be wearing a slip under this dress.

Modesty: it’s a virtue a necessity at my age exercise level.

Anyway, I wish I had gotten a close up shot of the neckline. It has little red stitching with the blue.

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In the last two photos, I have a hidden little gnome on my person.

It happens.

However, on the ride home, my husband informed me that my gnome bore an uncanny resemblance to my nemesis…

Elf On The Shelf.

And now he is back in my house. And he is surrounded by his multitude of brothers, because he came in a pack.

And I am trying to not freak the freak out.

Maybe I need to go look at this dress again.

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Ahhhhh, here we go. Isn’t that embroidery lovely? It definitely does not in any way remind me of creepy little dudes in red.

And that Scalloped Monogram Bracelet is now on sale at Anthropologie. I own one with my initial and one with my husband’s.

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Don’t worry.

I’m simply spinning.

I am not running away in terror.

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But I will be watching my back… Just in case.

What do you do about dresses that are too short? Do you wear them anyway? Or do you pair them with pants or a slip? I think this will be cute with tights in the winter, but what color should I wear?

*these photos were edited using the App Afterlife’s Meadow Filter.

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