Waiting for an Occassion

Whenever an item makes its way into my closet that I deem 'special' I often wait a terribly long time for an occasion to arise. When I finally acquired this Kate Spade dress last summer, after years of searching, I envisioned its first outing to be on a boat. There was nothing rational about this desire, and no reason I shouldn't have thrown on this dress the day it arrived at my doorstep. But I waited all the same, and when I had an opportunity to attend an event supporting small businesses in New London this weekend, I decided that boat adjacent would have to be good enough - this dress could not miss another summer.

While the forecast had called for cloudiness with a small chance of rain, it could not have been more wrong. Torrential downpours dashed my hopes of lunch al fresco, which was a shame, as the restaurants in New London along Bank Street all have fantastic water views. The rain didn't mange to stop me from shopping however, and I enjoyed patronizing all the small businesses in New London's historic downtown. When the sun finally broke through I thought it would be the perfect time to get ice cream; naturally the moment my sundae was in my hands the rain started up again! Despite dodging the rain drops, it was still a lovely way to spend a Saturday afternoon and I hope to plan another visit soon.

      

The Rundown
Dress Florence Broadhurst for Kate Spade via eBay
White Slides Ferragamo via Coco's on the Green
Black Straw Bag Zara similar
Earrings Vintage similar
Pearl Anchor Necklace Handmade similar
Gold Bracelet The Cavernous Jewelry Box
Midi Stackable Diamond Ring c/o AUrate New York
Thin Gold Ring Etsy via Ellyn Blue Jewelry
Cat Eye Sunglasses H&M
Nail Color "Caviar Bar" Essie

Evening in the Rose Garden

The Rose Garden at Elizabeth Park in Hartford has been around since 1904, and yet last week was the first time I ever visited. The stunning grounds, perfectly and symmetrically manicured are accentuated by eight paths lined with rose covered arches leading to a vine covered gazebo in the center. The park is free to visit, free to park at, and there is even a cute cafe called the Pond House you can visit. (Incidentally a few years ago I attended a baby shower at the Pond House and had no idea the rose garden was just beyond it!)

While the roses are said to peak in late June, even by mid July they were still just as beautiful, and as I saw photos cropping up on my Instagram feed, I knew I did not want to miss out visiting the garden this year. I decided to reach out to Courtney and we settled on a weeknight in the hopes that the park might be less crowded. Of course it was still bustling with photographers; engagement shoots, maternity shoots, senior portraits - everyone was taking advantage of the gorgeous evening light.

When Courtney arrived I was excited to see her husband Matthew had come with his drone and we got some really fun aerial photos as well! I love that while no discussion of what we'd be wearing had been had, Courtney and I both showed up in our sundresses with straw hats.

I'm so delighted with how these photos came out, and if you are in the area, a trip to the rose garden is well worth it, even simply to take in the beauty of it.

            

The Rundown
Polka Dot Dress J.Crew
White Slides Ferragamo via Coco's similar
Vintage Japanese Bamboo Bag via eBay similar vintage
Straw Hat Kate Spade similar
Pearl Earrings Maris Pearl Co. 
Pearl Anchor Bracelet Made by Me similar
Midi Stackable Diamond Ring c/o AUrate New York
Thin Gold Ring Etsy via Ellyn Blue Jewelry
Chevron Ring Etsy via Silver Canyon Jewelry
Nail Color "Canyon" Ten Over Ten

Photos by Live Lovely Photography

Always Winter Whites

It felt like a 'mild' forty-something degrees earlier this week when I met Megan for lunch at Chowder Pot, one of her favorite restaurants in town. Since it was 'warm' I decided to pull out my white culottes, and a blazer for outerwear, but by the time we'd finished our meal, the skies had become overcast, the wind picked up, and suddenly I was feeling let down by my wardrobe choices. Not that it stopped us from getting outfit photos done, and then doing a little window shopping.

This outfit also is the debut of my little Japanese Knot Bag I made last month. I'm quite proud of myself, I feel like I haven't finished a project in ages (including the overly ambitious alteration of a thrifted top which I started at the same time as the bag). I used to love to sew, and while my patience for doing tedious and intricate things comes through in other ways, such as decorative pie crusts, I do wish I could rekindle my flame for sewing.

         

The Rundown
Black Merino Wool Sweater Gap
Plaid Blazer H&M similar
 White Culottes eBay similar
Black Pumps "Natalie" Naturalizer
Teal Velvet Knot Bag Handmade similar 
Circle Earrings c/o AUrate New York
Thin Gold Ring Etsy via Ellyn Blue Jewelry
Pearl and Pave Ring Forever 21
 Nail Color "Bubbles Only" Essie

Linking up with Thursday Fashion Files

and

Elegance & Mommyhood's Thursday Moda

A Tee With a Little Flare

If you took a peek into my closet, you might think I lived in a uniform of tee shirts. I'm not sure how I've amassed so many, but there they are. There was the graphic tee phase of 2014, the embellished tees of 2016, and then the ruffled tee explosion of 2017.

There is something I love about the idea of just being able to throw on a tee shirt and jeans and feel put together. There must also be some mental block I have with regards to that very concept, as my quirky tees seldom venture out of the closet. Yet here I am, having bought another, convincing myself it will be different this time.

        

The Rundown
Striped Ruffle Sleeve Tee Green Envelope via TJMaxx
White Jeans Gap
Katrine Mule Crown Vintage via DSW
Micro Perry Satchel Rebecca Minkoff c/o Shopbop
Pearl Anchor Bracelet Made by Me similar
Thin Gold Ring Etsy via Ellyn Blue Jewelry
Sunglasses "Meteor" Ray-Ban c/o TJMaxx

Nail Color "Zip Me Up" Essie

 

Linking up with Shopping My Closet Style Me Wednesday
and
Style on the Daily

First Mate

This navy shirt dress has been my go-to work wear piece for warmer days since I got it nearly a year ago, and yet this is the first time it's been on the blog! The scallops called my name, and the conservative cut makes it easy to just throw on and go.

I heard that yesterday was national dog day, though to be fair, I don't think it has much significance as there are at least half a dozen other national days that involve our furry best friends, and apparently November is senior pet awareness month, which Chloe would certainly qualify for, as she's 18. Though I didn't include Chloe in this shoot for any reason other than that she'd just gotten back from the groomer, and I imagine like most women, she'd prefer to be photographed on a good hair day.

       

The Rundown
Navy Scalloped Shirt Dress Banana Republic similar
Red Bow Pumps Ferragamo via eBay
Micro Perry Satchel Rebecca Minkoff c/o Shopbop
Joanna Hat Brixton via Nordstrom
 Pearl Stud Earrings similar
Gold Knot Necklace Thrifted similar
Pearl Anchor Bracelet Made by Me similar
Thin Gold Ring Etsy via Ellyn Blue Jewelry
Sunglasses "Meteor" Ray-Ban c/o TJMaxx

Nail Color "Zip Me Up" Essie

Dog Chloe

Pearl Leash Fabuleash

Linking up with Pink Sole's How I Spring
and
By Lauren M's Mix it Monday