russian

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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!

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It’s The Little Things: Matryoshka Doll

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For my birthday, my family surprised me with this sweet stacking Russian doll. As an outsider looking in, this seems to be just a sweet gift. But there is more to this little doll than meets the eye. Let me tell you tell a little story…

When I was four years old, my mother’s best friend brought her back a Matryoshka Nesting Doll as a gift when she returned home from her travels to Russia. My mother loved that doll. I was fascinated by it. We grew up pretty simply in the country when I was small. And I think that made my childhood special. It left more room for the imagination. I could spend hours on the floor talking to a beetle. It was with great joy that my mother let me stack and unstack her new gift.

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The best part about the doll was that it unstacked to the tiniest little doll. It was about the size of a grain of rice. I was obsessed with that thing. I loved (and still do to this day) anything miniature. One day, when I was playing with the doll, the worst thing happened. My mother, unaware that the tiniest doll was sleeping on the carpet on the floor in her bedroom (I know! How could she not realize that?), came in and vacuumed the floor. The small doll was vacuumed up. I was devastated. My mother was devastated. Sorry Mom!

And I never touched that Matryoshka Doll again.

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Whenever I spot one of these stacking dolls, I always ask if it breaks down into a tiny doll. No one ever knows what I am talking about. Although, I am sure they are curious as to why I sadly proclaim, “it’s not small enough,” and walk away remorsefully.

Well, my family found this Matryoshka Doll at The San Diego Fair. It has the tiniest doll! My husband and daughter sneakily found it while I was waiting with my son while he got his sculpture made.

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I love everything about this gift. The bright colors. The memories it invokes. The secrets it keeps inside. And the fact that my daughter found it for her mother when the opposite was true in our family’s past. Again, sorry Mom!

It’s The Little Things: The Littlest Doll. So happy to hold one again!

Do you own a Matryoshka Doll? Does it hold more than just miniatures of its own self inside? Does it hold memories, too?

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It’s The Little Things: Advent Calendars

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Oh my gosh! It’s December! It’s the holidays! How did this happen? I am beyond unprepared.

What better way to increase the panic than a countdown of days you have left until you implode into a falling pile of wrapping paper?

Awww, I love it.

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Every year I do an advent calendar that ties on the little Christmas tree in my family room. I fill the small bags (I bought my darling Matryoshka Doll bags from Etsy many years ago) with random small items for the kids. If there is not a small item in the bag then it may contain a date with their dad and me (such as a note that says, “get your coat on. We’re going for ice cream.”). Don’t worry I keep track on my calendar as to what day they are going to open their little notes. This way I can switch them when their little heads are turned in case I need to change the dates.

Well, as of today, the fifth, I have not stuffed these advent bags. I am so behind. Oh well, it will just have to be us counting down the eighteen days until Christmas here.

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I finally got them their chocolate advent calendars from World Market yesterday. I know Trader Joe’s makes them as well. They love opening the boxes and popping out a chocolate.

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My son gets a Lego Star Wars Advent Calendar every year. It is considered an early Christmas present. I am not providing a link, because the prices for it are ridiculous right now. Check your local Target. I have always seen them there for the correct price each year (retail $40. I actually purchased mine months ago. Wha’?). My daughter gets an extra present to open on Christmas to make up for it. I was not quick enough to score Sephora’s advent calendar they produce every year. I wanted to surprise her. Next year! Next year I will be more on top of it. Do you believe me?

I love the holidays. I love counting down the days until Christmas. To say this is my favorite holiday is laughable. I love it so much I almost always cry when the twenty sixth arrives.

Do you do advent calendars at your house? Are you prepared for the holidays? I am 75% done with my shopping. I hope to finish by Friday. We will put our two real trees up this Sunday. I want wrapped presents under the tree. Now, I just need to get on that.

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Do I look ready?

It’s the little things: making every day a mini holiday. Let the countdown begin!