novel dress: fairy tales

the little mermaid by hans christian andersen // esmerelda lace dress

Like many of you, I have received the majority of my folktale education from the workings of Disney. While Disney undoubtedly brings all kinds of magic to life, they don't have the best track record for translating their tales with any accuracy. Not that I'm complaining - I generally prefer their sugared down versions of these beloved fairy tales to the tragic and occasionally gruesome originals.

Even so, I am fascinated by them. I love that some of them have been circulating for centuries, their creators forever anonymous because they were oral storytellers. I have always been drawn to these adventures, even the macabre ones. I have vivid memories of poring over a beautifully illustrated book of Irish Legends that my dad bought us when I was a kid. Some of those stories are absolutely horrible (lovers beheaded, trapped for eternity, cursed, abandoned, etc.), but I loved them all.

These are the inspirations for this novel dress installment. Enjoy the nostalgia of these well-loved stories and their matching dresses on this rainy Monday morning.

(Click here to see all of the novel dress posts). 

thumbelina by hans christian andersen // beach stroll floral dress

goldilocks and the three bears by robert southey // golden age asymmetrical dress

beauty and the beast by jeanne-marie le prince de beaumont // loyal love floral dress

little red riding hood by the brothers grimm // finding love lace dress

hansel and gretel by the brothers grimm // corner shoppe gingham dress

jack and the beanstalk by steven kellogg (orig. by benjamin tabart) // mont rose striped dress

sleeping beauty by charles perrault // cheer me up lace dress

ali baba and the forty thieves from arabian nights // maura paisley dress

rapunzel by the brothers grimm // asymmetrical tank dress

don't you ever grow up {frocktober, day 21}

When I was a kid, my little brother and I had a solid block of years where we were quite literally inseparable. We were hip to hip at all times. I was always holding his hand or wrapping my arm around his neck. I had zero comprehension for those siblings that I knew who fought all the time, because Kevin and I never did. As it turns out, it's just because it's impossible to fight with him. My other siblings and I had a whole conversation about this - we don't know anyone who has ever fought with him. He's too thoughtful, quiet, understanding. He never acts against other people. You'd have to really try to fight with him and even then, I think he'd just stare at you, and you'd end up feeling like a horrible human for even bringing it up.

As kids we played together and laughed together, hosting marathons of Sega games like Battletoads while drinking juice boxes and listening to British Invasion CDs. My favorites of those CDs were definitely "the green one" and "the purple one" (volumes 1 and 3).

We had this giant, fantastic old CD player down in the basement that could fit like six CDs at once, so we inevitably had all six of those slots filled with these compilation CDs of great oldies music. One of them (volume 9) began with a song called "Fire" by The Crazy World of Arthur Brown. We would always yelp out when it came on because, frankly, it's terrifying. And yet it never occurred to us to change out that CD. I think it was a secret kind of enjoyment, waiting for that song to come up. Every time an album would end we would tense up, waiting for that crazy screaming man, carefully setting our juice boxes aside to avoid grape showers of terror. Once the initial shock faded, we would collapse into hysterical laughter and do our best hip-swaying impression of the singer's pronunciation of "fie-yah".

Today is Kevin's 24th birthday and I'm just sitting here like wait what. 
My husband and I took him out to dinner last night to celebrate, and sometimes it just really hits me how wonderful it is to have siblings. I have loved him all my life, and he is one of the best men I have ever known. That kind of innocent best friendship that carried us through into adulthood carries with it some of my most cherished memories. We're both living our own lives now, and can no longer be attached at the hip, but we can at least remain attached at the heart.
My mother-in-law has told me that she used to tell my husband and his siblings when they were little to love and cherish each other, because God had hand-chosen them as friends for life. What a special connection that is.

Dress (remixed): Gifted, Button-up: Target

Taylor Swift has a song that always makes me tear up. It's just simple and sweet, but incredibly melancholy. It's about Peter Pan's worst fear: growing up. She wrote it for her little brother, and I can't help but relate to it. The words include phrases like, To you everything's funny, you got nothing to regret. I'd give all I have, honey, if you could stay like that. And take pictures in your mind of your childhood room, memorize what it sounded like when your dad gets home. All of those wonderful evenings spent together as kids, all the games and the reckless abandon, the many dreams for the future. It goes by very, very fast.
Happy birthday to my darling adventuring partner of my favorite days of yore.

Oh, darling, don't you ever grow up.

Don't you ever grow up, just stay this little.

Oh, darling, don't you ever grow up.

Don't you ever grow up, it could stay this simple. 

Won't let nobody hurt you,

Won't let no one break your heart.

And even though you want to, please try to never grow up. 

grand budapest hotel

Oh, how I adore a good movie.

A good movie can mean many things. Heartbreaking, stunning, clever, fun, brutal, enlightening, deep, light, sweet, somber.
In the case of Grand Budapest Hotel, "good" encompasses a great many traits. Beauty and memory, creativity and nostalgia. Dark humor and endless quirkiness, the kind that only Wes Anderson can accomplish. A current of intrigue lined with friendship and loyalty. Intricate melancholy.

Overall there's a kind of sweet, creeping sadness to it that stays with you for days. Exactly where it comes from could be a fascinating discussion, I imagine. I tend to think it comes from a thought that's perfectly summarized in one of the very last lines in the film:

To be frank, I think his world had vanished long before he ever entered it. But, I will say, he certainly sustained the illusion with a marvelous grace. 

I must say, I find that girl utterly delightful. Flat as a board, enormous birthmark the shape of Mexico over half her face, sweating for hours on end in that sweltering kitchen, while Mendl, genius though he is, looms over her like a hulking gorilla. Yet without question, without fail, always and invariably, she's exceedingly lovely. 

There's a little knowledge tucked away in my mind that this movie is not for everyone, which makes me inexplicably sad. Of course I can't fault anyone for it not being their type. Everyone has a type, of course, a set of rules that decides whether or not they'll enjoy watching something. Perhaps that's part of what makes this movie so special to me, the acknowledgement that this secret treasure can only be shared with a certain type of person.

Art is so personal, and this particular embodiment of it really moved me. It unfolds like a pop-up book, colorful and strange, almost cartoonish in its storytelling. It makes me love Wes Anderson even more, because he's so brave and inventive with his style. From the moment I saw Fantastic Mr. Fox, Wes and I have been kindred spirits.

Grand Budapest is silly and dark and occasionally crude, completely absurd at times and overwhelmingly delightful at others. It's brilliantly acted. Ralph Fiennes is a superjoy, a word I made up especially for him. The dialogue is quick and poetic and fascinating, the whole film full of wonderful little hints and trinkets at the corner of each artistic shot that will take you many viewings to find. I adore it, in all its absurdities.

I will recommend it to you with cautionary enthusiasm. Be ready to love it, or else you'll be baffled by it. If you hate it, our friendship may suffer, but only for a second. I'll forgive you, if only because I know that for every person that rejects it my love for it grows that much more.

See all movie reviews. 

guardians of the galaxy

source

I think for the most part it has been properly established on this blog that I am somewhat, maybe, a little bit a nerd. I take this title proudly because most of the people I love most in the world are somehow nerdy in their own right.
Being a nerd has many definitions. Actually it has mainly two, one of which is being a foolish or contemptible person who lacks social skills or is boringly studious...but I'm gonna cross this one out and claim definition number two, which is a single-minded expert in a particular field. Vis–à–vis, a computer nerd.
Well maybe I'm a book nerd. A sci-fi nerd. A harry potter nerd. A cat nerd. I dunno, maybe I'm just a lot of nerds, which means I'm an expert in a lot of things.
But now, most certainly, I am a Guardians of the Galaxy nerd.

This movie is special, guys. Maybe I'm the only one who was tearing up with childlike wonder the entire time I was plopped in that cushy theater seat, but I have a feeling it was the result of an airborne spark of community and innovation. The contagious joy and understanding of true spirit.

I have an inkling that a lot of this special quality comes from Chris Pratt, who has quickly become my favorite leading man. I'm going to be honest and say that I have loved him since Everwood, and sometimes I still try to convince my husband that Bright would be a great name for our first son.
It makes me so happy to see Pratt working so much, obviously as lovable Andy Dwyer in Parks and Recreation for the last 5+ years and now as our favorite big screen heroes in movies like The Lego Movie, Guardians of the Galaxy and 2015's Jurassic World. 
It's like he has a monopoly on starring in movies that will be my favorites of all time.

And truly, it's for good reason. He is an absolute delight to watch. There's something about him that is magnetic and endearing, and he manages to bring the best out of everyone he shares the screen with. The ensemble is brilliant, too, establishing a solid sense of humor and rapport that is completely unique to them.

Peter Quill, a.k.a Star Lord, is flanked by a team of unlikely comrades. There's Gamora (Zoe Saldana), the alienated adopted daughter of the super-villain Thanos. Drax the Destroyer (Dave Bautista), a heartbroken and violent hulk of a man with a dangerous vendetta. Then there's Rocket (voiced by Bradley Cooper), a man-like Raccoon, who is the result of many experiments and technological advances (he has some unresolved issues as well). His sentient tree friend and bodyguard Groot (voiced by Vin Diesel) is one of the best and most charming parts of this film.
The filmmakers don't put any of them to waste, either -- they utilize each of their individual personalities to create hysterical dialogue, incredible action and heartfelt revelations. They're all perfect, and the casting served these characters brilliantly.

I don't want to ruin much of this movie, but the opening is scene is rather somber. It's a little glimpse into Peter Quill's younger days, his "normal" existence before he is plunged into a life of galactic swashbuckling. The first scene of grown-up Quill is epic. It sets the tone for the rest of the film in a most extraordinary fashion, via classic rock and dancing across a desolate planet-scape, hip sways and all. The scene is so captivating and entertaining, he just dances right into our hearts (is that a cliche? I'm using it anyway).
Dancing is absolutely the 7th hero of this film, behind the main five, and Groot again, because I count him twice.

The nuances that Pratt brings to this role really create an immediate connection between the audience and Peter Quill, the self-entitled Star Lord. I think this movie is a perfect illustration of why movies like this work so well on screen. It continues the legacy of films like Star Wars, which opened our minds to a whole new landscape of adventure and imagination. This movie had me drunk with visions of colorful space vistas and so many intricate details that I couldn't possibly manage to capture them all in one glance.

Thus, the need to own and rewatch this movie over and over again.

Everyone involved in the making of this movie should be incredibly proud. They have accomplished something wonderful, that I am thrilled to be a part of as well, even if it's just from the theater seat. 

It seems like Chris Pratt realizes that, and you should, too. 

Thank you all for your support. Simply put, we love you. Love, the #GuardiansOfTheGalaxy
— chris pratt (@prattprattpratt) July 30, 2014

This review made me weepy. Because I believe it's true. It's a good read. Please. He's right. This one is so special. http://t.co/K40W5vhmMz
— chris pratt (@prattprattpratt) July 30, 2014

If you've seen it, comment below! I'd love to hear your thoughts on the movie.

If you haven't, now you know why you should. I can't wait to hear your reviews when you do. 

source