Closet Swoon

"I got my expression back in high school, when I started to get into thrift shopping. In Texas, in the nineties, thrift shopping was pretty good – stuff was like 25 cents. Everyday, after school, we’d just go thrift shopping and then we’d just go home and play with it or cut it up and all that kind of stuff."

- Miss KK, costume designer/dress maker

Thanks friends, for indulging my recent questions on style and comfort. I thoroughly enjoyed reading all the responses and found them so interesting!

Among the different motivating factors that play into how we dress ourselves, I recall several mentions of how important mood is to the whole equation, which is SO TRUE. For example, plain and simple aside, at the moment, my mood has me longing to swap closets with this lovely gal!

Also, she kinda reminds me a bit of our very own style queen, Nicole, who I would also gladly swap closets with in a hot second ;)

You can visit Stylelikeu to see Miss KK's interview and peep more of her dreamy closet :)

The big news around here is that Clover made it through her first week of Kindergarten!!! I know, how did this happen, right?! Well, somehow it did and she is lovin' it and ADORES her teacher. Needless to say, we are thanking our lucky stars that the transition has, at least so far, been a smooth one :)

Ok, now back to work on part 2 of our summer road trip!

Fairly Silly

Looking forward to the Destruction Derby tonight at the Sonoma County Fair! It’s become an annual thing for us and a group of friends that seems to be growing exponentially each year. Probably due to word getting out about the fun. I think our headcount will be pushing 30 this year!

Also a tradition, the pre-Derby family visit to the photo booths and the post-Derby Old Timey group shot afterwards. SO FUN. These were taken last year. It’ll be interesting to see how crowded that wacky group shot gets tonight.

Sartorial Musings: Sunday, Plain and Simple

Simple outfit, mellow day. Mundane afternoon at home. Trumpet vine in bloom. Self-portraiture in the backyard. Evening BBQ with good friends. Sunday, lovely Sunday…

Lately, I’ve been finding the most sartorial joy in the form of simple wearable pieces. You know, still a bit of interest but nothing flashy, the kind that fit just right and sort of let the essence YOU shine through.

I thrifted these pants at the beginning of summer and they became fast favorites. High enough at the waist to be crop top friendly and just the right length for ankle boots and a fun pair of socks.

I opened a package from Nicky some months ago to find this lil’ sweater tucked in a pretty bundle of goodies. It definitely fit’s the bill.

Oversized caramel sweater. Found it in a rummage sale pile Saturday morning. My current go to piece for coziness. It actually got a little bit chilly here over the weekend!

Little sweater: gift from Nicky

Big sweater: thrifted

Pants: thrifted

Boots and belt: flea market

Socks: Target

Butterfly hairclip: gift from Nicole

Painted driftwood necklace: made by Anne

Truth be told, as much as I love a pretty frock and consider putting together fun, perhaps even flashy at times, outfits a favorite creative outlet, there is that sense of costumery that lingers for me. It feels creative as in I’m creating an image that stands out more than my natural self might. I guess that’s why it’s so fun though, right? The promise of becoming that image for a time. Like dressing for success, I suppose.

Though in reality, the sort of outfit in which I feel truly comfortable, most like myself, is of a simpler nature. Nope, not a frilly frock girl at my core, and those of you who know me, know that I am not, generally speaking, what one might think of as a flashy soul. Giant red rabbit wrangling aside, of course ;)

So, what do you feel most natural in? Care to share any thoughts on your own sartorial comfort zone? I’m kinda curious, and it occurs to me that for people who are perhaps bold by nature, the act of “dressing up” may even make them feel more true to who they are.

Also, I don’t mean to imply that getting dolled up necessarily makes me feel un-comfortable. It does however, add to how conscious I am of myself, and while that may even feel nice at times, I do enjoy being able to just let it go, ya know?