in which i dance with the daffodils

This is what I wore over the weekend to "celebrate" daylight savings. Except mostly I just like it because it reminds me of a daffodil--my favorite springtime flower!

(dress: goodwill; tights: h&m; shoes: seychelles; hat: vintage)

Daffodils

I wandered lonely as a cloud
That floats on high o'er vales and hills,
When all at once I saw a crowd,
A host, of golden daffodils;
Beside the lake, beneath the trees,
Fluttering and dancing in the breeze.

Continuous as the stars that shine
And twinkle on the milky way,
They stretched in never-ending line
Along the margin of a bay:
Ten thousand saw I at a glance,
Tossing their heads in sprightly dance.

The waves beside them danced; but they
Out-did the sparkling waves in glee:
A poet could not but be gay,
In such a jocund company:
I gazed--and gazed--but little thought
What wealth the show to me had brought:

For oft, when on my couch I lie
In vacant or in pensive mood,
They flash upon that inward eye
Which is the bliss of solitude;
And then my heart with pleasure fills,
And dances with the daffodils.

(William Wordsworth)

in which i am colorfolk and fancyfree

Apparently Thursday is the day I wear really obnoxious (in a good way) florals. I wore this dress in honor of Gogol Bordello because it has a folky Eastern European vibe (in my mind), but I'll probably end up changing before the actual show. It's not a great dancing dress because it's too puffy, which makes me self-conscious. And I don't like being self-conscious when I'm dancing. Still, it's fun for daytime, when I can attempt to tame it with a cardigan :)

(dress: modcloth; cardigan/hat/necklace/belt: thrifted; tights: hue; boots: seychelles)

Want to hear something crazy? I'm actually sort of looking forward to snow/winter! This is probably because I'm looking forward to the holiday season/eggnog, but still. It seems weird that we've really only had one blizzard so far this year and it didn't even hit where I live/had melted by morning. Maybe we'll have my favorite kind of winter (short and sweet with lots of snow and temperatures that don't make me want to cry)? I don't want to jinx it...

One more day until the weekend!

in which i live in a tropical rainforest

It is seriously tropical here today. Most of these photos looked like they had been taken through a scrim of algae before I adjusted the colors, but more importantly, the air is so thick and moist that I came into work feeling waterlogged. It sure looks lush out there!

(dress: forever 21; denim jacket: gap, thrifted; shoes: seychelles)

I'm keeping it really simple today with a no-frills summery (floral!) dress. In other words, I overslept and was lazy. I didn't even brush my hair. I did really want to add a necklace to this outfit but I don't have any summery accessories! I need to get on top of that. Also, K mentioned this morning that I seem to be "wearing a lot of flowers" this week. Indeed. (He doesn't read my blog enough, obviously...)

I found this denim jacket last summer at a Salvation Army in St. Johnsbury ($5!) and was overjoyed. Every girl needs a basic denim jacket. That's a strict rule, and I'm no rebel. Happy Thursday, everyone! The weekend is just around the corner :)

in which i blossom and bloom... and fade

I finally finished my scalloped shorts (and they make me think of bloomers)!!! Last time I wore them the hem was still undone, but a couple of weekends ago I snatched up some stitch witchery at Joann Fabrics, borrowed an iron from mom, and closed up the hem. Boy, does linen get wrinkly fast. I literally wore these for about 2 minutes in the car and look how mussed they got! No matter, my love for these shorts knows no wrinkle.

(hat/shorts/belt: thrifted; shirt: h&m; socks: uo; shoes: seychelles; necklace/ring: gift)

I'm still going strong with these florals (annnnnd with straw hats... what can I say? I love them)! In exactly two weeks I will be on an airplane, headed for Albuquerque! Yay! In the mean time, I admit I'm feeling a bit bored and uninspired about life right now. Am I allowed to say that on my blog? The blogosphere so often only shows the sunny side of life (flowers! sunshine! ponies!), and in general I tend to stick to that because I think it's important to put as much positive energy out in the world as possible (if you force a smile it makes you happier, and all that jazz...), but... blah. Maybe it's just the position of the moon, who knows. I think I'm just feeling antisocial and I need to get out in the world and see some people.

Hi, people! What do you do when you're in a bit of a funk?

in which i sing the blues

I hereby declare this FLORALS WEEK.

(dress: f21; skirt: thrifted; shoes: seychelles; necklace: uo)

This floral dress is my go-to when I'm off-duty (aka not posting outfits, aka on weekends). I think I wear it more often than anything else in my closet, because it's the perfect shape and has a sweet folk-y floral print. It can really only be worn one way, but since blogging introduced me to the brilliant remixing secret of layering skirts over dresses, I thought I would try to style it up in a new way. The dress is a bit longer than my skirt, which would be awkward if I didn't act as if the extra fabric underneath was intentional. I think it kind of works. Most importantly, it's like a whole new dress! Also, can I just say that I pretty much have to physically restrain myself from reaching for a straw hat every single morning? They're so wonderfully versatile, and during the spring/summer I want to wear them with everything! It probably doesn't help that I have three different hats that essentially serve the same purpose.

The weather has been brilliant around here this week--sunshine, blue skies, and the perfect balance of cool breeze and hot heat. When I finished Valley of the Dolls this weekend I immediately reached for another book (Bluesman by Andre Dubus III) and so far it is the perfect summertime read. It makes me want to pick up a harmonica or a guitar and start learning old blues ballads so I can sit and sing them by the riverside at dusk, or jam with friends late into the night with the windows open and the music echoing off the surrounding mountains. It reminds me of lazy summer days spent laying in the grass while my friend S played the guitar and sang and we ate raspberries off the vine at my parents' house, or went swimming and laid out on the raft and drank beers around bonfires and the days and nights all blurred together and I just felt so happy and relaxed. It's hard to recreate that mindset now, with a "real" job and all my best girlfriends scattered to the wind or similarly swallowed up with responsibilities. OH, how I would love to just quit it all and live like a gypsy...