style crush: flower gown

It's officially the first day of Spring!
It's time for iced lavender lattes, colorful bouquets, and slightly less sweater-wearing.

Earlier this week I saw this extraordinary feature over on Green Wedding Shoes, which highlighted an extravagant dress made entirely of fresh flowers. I had seen a much more basic version of a similar concept using fresh flowers before, but this one struck me. Its dramatic wildness, the boldness of color, the scattered and vibrant flower variety. As strange as it sounds, I thought, if I was a dress of flowers, I'd want to be that one.

See the rest of the feature here. 

style crush: lily james

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Unfortunately, Lily James and I got off on the wrong foot. She entered Downton Abbey at a time when the show had cruelly devastated me, and her arrival as the new flirty and rebellious Lady Rose did not aid in fixing my shattered heart. Through no fault of her own, I broke up with Downton and we went our separate ways.

Lucky for Lily and I, we've been granted a second chance. Spring is full of her lovely face, because the arrival of Disney's star March movie means the arrival of Lily James as Cinderella. 

Of course I am wholeheartedly committed to a certain other Cinderella adaptation, ahem Ever After, but let's remember that love doesn't deplete - it multiplies. There is always more room for more love and magic in the world. 

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Here are a few of my favorite details about Lily James:

She was born the exact same day as my husband. April 5th, 1989. Fantastic people unite. 

She is British. Extra points for everyone who is British.

Her name is the same as Harry Potter's parents. R.I.P. Lily and James.

She began her acting career in 2010! She is the Bambi of Hollywood.

She smiles and laughs with her mouth open a lot, and it's really endearing.

She looks completely fantastic and natural in both blonde and brunette hair, which I find as rare a quality as being a unicorn. 

She is a unicorn.

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I suppose I would call her style classic exquisite. She exudes royal femininity with the long, sweeping gowns and classic silhouettes while also embracing some fantastic lace and embroidery (give it up for that chameleon-covered dress above - I want it). It's easy to forget that she's my age (younger, actually), but that girlish charm certainly serves her well. I think she'll make an excellent Cinderella. I cannot wait. 

I know she's dating Matt Smith from Dr. Who, but I quite enthusiastically wish she was actually in love with her Prince Charming co-star Richard Madden. I have a problem separating fantasy from reality. 

But really, lookit.

If this isn't actually Cinderella and Prince Charming, then I really don't know a dang thing. And I might be okay with that. Delusions, continue. 

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See Cinderella March 13th! I'll see you there.

valentine's day eve

Happy Valentine's Day Eve/Friday the 13th! Whether you're celebrating relationships or scary movies today, I hope your weekend is full of love.

Here in Arizona it's already starting to warm up and feel like springtime, so I thought it was fitting to give my blog a little facelift! I always try to use my own photographs for my blog backgrounds, to keep it personal and avoid stealing anyone's photos. In the floral spirit, I went back through my photo archives to almost a year ago (how is that possible!?) to our last springtime in Lynchburg, VA. We took these photos as a way to cherish our little apartment there, when our magnificent tree was blossoming with its delicate pink blooms. They usually only lasted for a week or so, but then we got to enjoy a pink-splattered parking lot of petals. I'm a big fan of the way the blog turned out, thanks to some very happy captured memories. 

We have a pretty laid back Valentine's weekend planned, including going to see Kingsman: The Secret Service (#colinfirthforever) and going to a fun, late night Valentine's Day dinner tomorrow at a new restaurant. 

We will dress up, hold hands, and be merry! 

hello, hello

Dress (remixed, remixed, remixed): Ruche (similar, similar), 
Top (remixed): Modcloth, Earrings: from Venice

Since March 1st was my last blog post, I'm going to acknowledge my embarrassing lack of blogging last month! I can't believe it's already a solid week into April.

Quick update on my life: our trip to Italy was amazing, pizza and pasta will never be the same. We came home and took a weekend road trip to North Carolina with some friends, then celebrated the upcoming end of law school with our Barrister's Ball. Some of our best friends from college visited for a week and we spent the weekend with them in DC, and this past weekend we celebrated my husband's 25th birthday!

All in all, March was good to us. It was a month too busy and thriving to even blog about, but I'll attempt to play catch-up over the next few weeks while we start wrapping our minds around the fact that we're moving back to Arizona next month. 

Until I get my act back together, may I just say hello, how are you, how have you been?
It's so nice to see you again.

wanderlust wednesday

Fernweh: "farsickness"; "an ache for the distance"; wanderlust

Just a little something to kickstart your Wednesday with wanderlust.
This is in Enniskerry, Co. Wicklow, Ireland. March, 2011.
One of my most favorite spots in the world! Sugarloaf mountain saw my husband and I get engaged, and on this particular Spring day, a little over a year later, it saw me dance for joy.

pocket full of posies

On Earth Day, I decided to host a great giveaway from Posies by Cait on Etsy.
My little shop has jewelry and accessories that are picture perfect for springtime and all the happy florals that it accompanies.

On Friday, I decided to wear one of my favorite Posies in spirit of the giveaway.

My best friend and Maid of Honor in my wedding threw me a bridal shower a month before the wedding, and Posies were the favors for the guests!
It was such a wonderful idea, and this headband is one of those special favors.

While the giveaway will feature custom-made items specifically for the giveaway gift box, it will include a special spring headband as well.
Don't forget to enter the giveaway!
Today is the LAST DAY to enter, and the winner will be announced tomorrow, May 1st.

The prize will include a gift box full of gifts from Posies by Cait, including an assortment of surprises valued at $40+, and these earrings, which were posted as a "sneak peek" on Posies by Cait's Facebook page and my Instagram.

If you win, feel free to share the prizes with friends and loved ones!
A wonderful choice for Mother's Day, or simply a happy spring treat for yourself!

Happy Spring!

mixing prints: springtime

April has been passing by at an alarming rate.
The weather has been somewhat confusing, teasing spring but sneaking in some leftover winter.

I finally begin to get excited about spring trends and floral prints and cute dresses, and I walk outside and the cold wind takes me completely by surprise.
I should probably just make a habit of double checking the weather (a weather app with a Wind dial is especially valuable for dress-wearing!).

In any case, this outfit was the perfect solution for the uninvited cold day we had on Tuesday.
It had some of my favorite spring colors, including a vibrant floral print, as well as a cute dress I picked up in London in March.

Dress/Scarf: Primark in London, Belt: Ruche, Pants: Vera Wang (similar) via Kohl's (remixed, remixed), Shoes/Cardigan: gifted

I love mixing prints.
It always feels a bit daring and even a bit crazy, but every once in a while I'll see two things hanging in my closet that somehow seem destined for one another.
This outfit was kind of a great accident.

I look forward to wearing this dress on fun summer weekends, walking downtown or visiting nearby towns to go shopping.
It has cute cut-outs on the side, and has an irresistible vintage feel to it.
Also, the print is so pretty and is neutral enough to have a lot of remix potential.
It reminds me of Fox and the Hound and Where the Red Fern Grows, or the kind of old wallpaper I used to love to look at; my grandma had this great vintage wallpaper in one of her guest rooms, that had all these hidden treasures to find, like magnifying glasses and maps and glasses. I love the details of a print like this.

I've been a little daring with my wardrobe all week, layering pieces I've never layered before and trying out new dresses with odd combinations.
Today I'm wearing a dress on top of a dress.
So who knows what the future holds!

earth day: giveaway!

In honor of the beauty of the earth, and in celebration of Earth Day today, I am hosting a very flowery giveaway!

What better way to give a nod to budding spring and our world's flora and fauna than by adding to your floral accessories collection?

The winner of this giveaway will receive a gift box of spring Posies, valued at over $40!

Your gift box could include: earrings, headbands, clips, brooches, rings, bookmarks, thumbtacks, magnets...or a little bit of everything!

Take a look at Posies by Cait for a sneak peek at some of the items for sale - although the giveaway items will be made especially for this giveaway!


a Rafflecopter giveaway

Make sure to spread the word - the giveaway winner will be announced on May 1st!

Enjoy!