A familiar sight this time of year, it's hard not to be drawn to the sunflowers. A local farm plants these every year. To the best of my knowledge, they do not cut them and sell them, they don't charge for entry, they don't advertise, and there is no where to park other than the side of the road; but those who know it's there show up year after year to take photos.
After snapping away in the field, beads of sweat dripping off my face, bees buzzing may be a bit too close for comfort, it was off to a local vineyard, where the remainder of the afternoon could be spent with a bottle of wine and a cheese plate. While I'm sad to have missed so many social events this summer, at least sitting outside with a companion or two was still possible. While I may never miss the feeling of my makeup sliding off my face in the heat, I suppose it's a fair exchange for the luxury of getting to spend the day out of doors.
Some days, despite the heaviness of quarantine, I can still feel the hopefulness of spring. The reminder that things will get better and life doesn't have to only be doom and gloom. Though to be fair, there are plenty of those days; when I get an email about yet another event being canceled, when I try to buy hand sanitizer but the only place it's in stock is eBay for double the retail price, when it's cold and raw and raining for days on end...
But then there are the other days. When the sun comes out, when I look out my bedroom window and see the cherry blossom tree in full bloom, when I get packages in the mail, even if they contain boring things like shampoo and deodorant, (but you know there are enough 'fun' packages ending up on my porch too). Sometimes positive thoughts come into my mind and they get to linger for a few minutes before the negative ones overtake them. Sometimes I scroll though my spring blog posts from all the years past and revel in the comfort that the flowers always arrive, the world turns green, and eventually the cold fades away.
The Rundown White Ruffle Sleeve SweaterSara Campbellvia Coco's on the Green Gingham Pants Old Navy Pointed FlatsRothy's Black Straw Box Bag Zara similar Aries Pendant NecklaceMejuri Gold Bracelets The Cavernous Jewelry Box Midi Stackable Diamond Ring c/o AUrate New York Thin Gold RingEtsyvia Ellyn Blue Jewelry Sunglasses "Meteor"Ray-Ban c/o TJMaxx
I had thought these gingham pants would be cute for the summer, because I am delusional. Tight fitting pants on a humid summer day is practically a form of torture, and I should know by now that when wearing a dress is an option, it's one I will take.
But these gingham pants were so cute! And everyone was wearing them! And they were on sale!
...and there they sat in my closet. I even tried to wear them a few times, but overheating for fashion is not a choice I tend to make (freezing for fashion is unfortunately another story).
Now that Labor Day has passed, and perhaps some collective intention about being desperate for fall weather (present company excluded) was able to elicit a change in the atmosphere seemingly overnight, as there has been a noticeable chill in the air. Now I'm looking at pants with fresh eyes and will try to take advantage of this small window of time when I can wear them by choice, rather than necessity.
The Rundown Point Sur Square Neck TopJ.Crew Gingham PantsOld Navy Pearl Slide SandalsAnn Taylor Black Straw Bag Zara similar Pearl Earrings Maris Pearl Co. Gold Rectangle Chain NecklaceEtsy Thin Gold RingEtsyvia Ellyn Blue Jewelry Cat Eye Sunglasses H&M Nail Color"Bed Rock & Roll"Essie
In their heyday, I was a statement necklace fiend. I latched on to all the trendy styles and for nearly half a decade my jewelry box overflowed with my expansive collection of bold and colorful baubles. But trends shifted, perhaps our necks had grown tired with all the excess weight, and understated gold necklaces, ideally layered in pairs of two or three, became the new statement.
Delicate pieces that once belonged to my Grandma became my new go-tos, and I realized the value of owning a timeless piece of jewelry made from materials meant to stand the test of time and not just until the next trend.
It will be a slow process, but a beautiful one, of acquiring jewelry I want to invest in, and once again, I must make mention of AUrate - priced without jaw dropping markups and made from high quality 14 and 18 karat gold, AUrate allows my desire to own 'forever jewelry' to become a little more attainable. The pieces are handcrafted in New York with only ethically sourced materials, and come with an amazing lifetime guarantee - that includes breaks, re-plating of vermeil pieces, and polishing scratches.
Statement necklaces may become trendy again, but I doubt I will regret the ones I've since donated to the thrift store, new designs will have replaced them. Delicate gold pieces, however, will always be in style. No matter how old, they are simply classic. This pearl necklace would have been a piece my Grandma could have worn just as easily as I wear it now. Granted, she probably wouldn't have layered it with another chain, but that is just a little way to take a timeless piece and style it on trend. Now I just need to get a nifty necklace layering clasp like this one to keep the chains from twisting together as I let my gold layers shine.
The Rundown Gingham Wrap DressJ.Crew White Slides Ferragamo via Coco's on the Green Round Rattan Bag Etsy Gold Ball EarringsKohl's Simple Pearl Necklace c/o AUrate Gold Chain Thrifted Thin Gold Ring Etsy via Ellyn Blue Jewelry Signet Ring Sashi
Cat Eye Sunglasses H&M Nail Color"Bed Rock & Roll"Essie
Thanks to Nakturnal for partnering with me on this post!
When the cherry blossoms are in bloom, Wooster Square Park is arguably one of the prettiest places in New Haven, and for the last several years I've made a point of getting at least one photo shoot in before the petals fall.
A couple years ago I made the huge mistake of going during the Cherry Blossom Festival - fun I'm sure if you like festival things, food, music, crowds - but awful if you want to take photos, as you are competing with hundreds of other people to do so. Now I stick to weekday afternoons when I can enjoy the blooms without competition.
I'll admit I'm guilty of dressing for the blossoms here - on a cool spring afternoon I'm most likely to be found in jeans, but I planned this maxi dress for the shoot. While this dress was from Old Navy last year, the style doesn't seem to be going anywhere, and the current iteration at J.Crew Factory might even be cuter with the larger scale print, but I swear I'm not going to buy it.
The Rundown Gingham Maxi Dress Old Navy similar White Denim Jacket c/o Aeropostale similar Ankle Strap SandalsTarget Black Straw Bag Zara similar Straw Boater Hat Hinge similar Tear EarringsEtsycustom designvia Bonanza Studio Rhombus Charm Necklace c/o Happiness Boutique Bracelets The Cavernous Jewelry Box Midi Stackable Diamond Ring c/o AUrate New York Thin Gold RingEtsyvia Ellyn Blue Jewelry Sunglasses "Meteor"Ray-Ban c/o TJMaxx Nail Color "Find Me an Oasis"Essie
Goodness, that week certainly went in the blink of an eye - as has the whole half of September. There is no worse feeling than knowing we are charging full speed to the end of summer. The early sunsets, that morning chill in the air. Just another reminder of time lost, time wasted.
Sometimes I wonder what it would be like to abandon New England for the winter, to head south, ring in the new year in a place where donning a sleeveless sequined dress is actually a logical choice. Avoid the doldrums of January and February and head back just when life is starting to appear anew.
I wonder if such a plan were in place I would not be feeling so defeated by the knowledge that winter is coming.
For now, let's just pretend there is still plenty of time left for gingham dresses and sandals.
The Rundown Gingham DressCupiovia TJMaxx Mules Madewell similar Vintage Japanese Bamboo Bag via eBay similar vintage Square Scarf Loft Loop EarringsMejuri
Thin Gold RingEtsyvia Ellyn Blue Jewelry White and Rose Gold Link Bracelet c/o Jeweshop similar Nail Color"Sunday Funday"Essie
