Granny Chic

Still no word on the camera. I'm beginning to feel discouraged, but am still hopeful. The owners of the B&B where we stayed in Minnesota went on vacation the day after our departure. Hopefully I'll hear back from them soon. If not, I guess it's about time to look for a new camera. There are so many finished and soon-to-be-finished projects to share with you...


I was looking back at photos downloaded before we left, and found a couple of an outfit I put together for a big day out. I call it "Granny Chic," because the blouse and the gold locket both once belonged to Grandma Ruby and because the look is pleasantly frousy. The skirt is one that came, unfinished, from Mom. I cut several inches off the bottom before adding the hem, and also added a closure to the waist band. It's made of a lovely, heavy, dark blue wool. The vest is one I knit myself from alpaca, and it features vintage buttons purchased at The Button Emporium. (I love that the vest creates the illusion of a bust-line, as I am naturally quite lacking in that area!) The pink sweater has been kicking around the wardrobe for several years now.



I really love to wear layers, partly because they're practical (our apartment is quite drafty), and partly because they allow me to mix lots of colors and textures. I LOVE texture! This outfit pairs the crisp, pintucked cotton with the slightly rough wool, the incredibly soft alpaca and the smooth leather of the boots. Fantastic.

This may not come as a shock to you, but dress-up was my favorite play as a child. Even when I wasn't playing dress-up, my everyday outfits tended to be, umm, creative. Mom has a picture somewhere of me at about 3-years-old wearing an outfit I put together myself. It consisted of a cherry red t-shirt with apple green shorts over cherry red tights - a very fashion forward look! About 10 years later, I remember drawing looks at school when I wore an orange poplin tunic over a long-sleeved black t-shirt and short black corduroy skirt with a wide black patent leather belt. I might mention this was worn in the spring, though it didn't even occur to me that orange and black was classic Halloween.

Over time, I started to tone down my dressing, to the point where I was feeling decidedly frumpy. However, over the last year, as I've had a chance to rebuild my wardrobe, I'm indulging in expression. I want how I dress to reflect how I feel and who I am. While I may never again wear cherry red ('cause I just don't do red, folks), dressing is fun again. And, since I live in such an incredibly creative city, even my most interesting outfits are far more tame than so much of what can be seen on the streets!