a special occasion ensemble

Two days before my 30th birthday, I thrifted the perfect dress, which I then wore to my 30th birthday party. I've only worn it two times since: to a Dickensian Christmas party (Just the food was Dickensian, not the clothes) and this weekend to see Shen Yun  in Charlotte. It is my goal to wear it more often. Why do I save some of my favorite clothes for special occasions? I should be up in this dress on a weekly, or at least monthly, basis.

I mean look at that. Pockets. Brocade-y circle things. (I am not a fashion journalist, people. I do not know how to describe that awesome texture/pattern combo.)

Another thing I never, ever wear that I vow to wear: This hounds-tooth wrap. It was a gift from an incredibly elegant woman, and I feel a bit more elegant myself every time I put it on. It's also nice and toasty.

I loved the combination of red and orange. It's so warm on such a chilly day. Also: I didn't intentionally match the Bechtler Museum of Art, but it's awesome I did. That top photo is especially color coordinated.

The orange dress and hounds-tooth wrap don't get worn as much as they should, but I tell you what, I'm wearing out my black boots and leggings. They are my steadies. I'm getting pretty serious with that Firebird too. Robert even bought us memberships to the Bechtler for Christmas. All the more reason to visit!

Style Like U

The blog and this is peak introduced me to Style Like U, and I fell down that Rabbit Hole and watched video after video Sunday morning in bed until my husband expressed concern (I'm still in bed because I'm watching people talk about their weird, personal styles! I will get out of bed when I tire of watching these videos. I will never tire of these videos! You already walked the dog, right?). This one below was one of the first I watched and one of my favorites.


Charlotte Kemp Muhl & Eden Rice Closet Interview for StyleLikeU.com from StyleLikeU on Vimeo.

Baird's Umbrellas

I am in love with these paintings by Kendra Baird at the Lark and Key in Charlotte. Robert and I always buy one piece of original art for Valentine's Day, but we've already bought our 2013 piece (and I love it and will post about it later), but I keep seeing other pieces I want as well. I might have to save my pennies to buy one of these exquisite umbrella paintings. I love umbrellas and rain, and I love the colors in her work.

I also love the anonymity (not a face to be seen) and how it's both dreary and somber because of the grays and streaks of black and rain, and light and whimsical because of those umbrellas.

It speaks to my existential angsty side (We're all walking alone essentially) and my manic life-loving side (Umbrellas, color, Singing in the Rain, the part of me that is so in love with art).

Loving lately

Things I have been loving lately:

1. My sweater with the sheep on it. Because sheep are adorable and woolly.
2. Tea. All the time. So. Much. Tea. Green tea, lemon-ginger tea, tension-tamer tea, chamomile tea, Lady Grey tea (very ladylike), Earl Grey tea (he's quite dashing)....
3. Being a teacher. It's a lifestyle choice. You work long hours and when you're not at work, you think about work, but you also get to hang out with awesome kids all day and teach them about some really cool stuff. I'm a pretty big proponent of learning.
4. Weekends away with tall, dark and handsome men (okay, specifically one man, that one I'm married to).
5. Seeing old friends who are pretty much the same now as they were 17 years ago (the same meaning awesome).
6. Sweet potato pancakes. As seen below. Tupelo Honey in Asheville: It's kind of a big deal.

7. Katy Perry's documentary. I totally just watched it, and it made me cry. I like famous pop stars who celebrate weirdness.
8. How excited kids get about the very idea of snow. (I live in North Carolina.)
9. Amy Gross' strange, fungal, fairylands. (As seen below.)

10. Thinking about my Grandma. Thinking about how she wore sensible shoes to the USO dance during WWII, and how that's what drew my Grandpa to her. Thinking about the time, 60-some years after that dance, he pointed to her as she was walking away and told me "You see that little old lady? Inside that little old lady is a beautiful, smart, young woman." Thinking about how she said she was ready to die after he died. Thinking about how much they loved each other and how much I love Robert. Thinking about how even when someone dies at the age of 96 in their sleep (What is a better way to die?), death still sucks.