Our Wedding Anniversary

 Hello, and thanks for stopping by

my blog today!

 In celebration of our wedding anniversary, which was March 18, Roger and I decided to get out our wedding clothes, 

and take some pictures of us in them now,

for fun and memories 

Our outfits were relatively simple for a wedding,

 as the ceremony was held on the beautiful beach at

 Cane Garden Bay, on the British Virgin Island of Tortola

My dress is not of the time, (1997) but is vintage,

from the late 30s or early 40's

    I  don't think it was meant to be a wedding dress

 I guess it could have been, during the war years

 Most likely, it was first worn by a young woman

 to a very special party or occasion,

 or possibly to her coming out celebration

Of course, I would love to be temporarily transported back

 to all of the previous times this dress was worn,

to learn all about it's previous life

before it came into my hands

I purchased it at an estate sale and at the time,

 had no idea it would become my wedding dress

Below, Roger is in light neutral colors in cotton and linen

It was hotter than usual for March in Tortola

A tie would have been suffocating,

and we certainly didn't want the groom

 to be passed out in a faint, 

so we left it behind

Boxy oversize cuts in general,

 as well as pleated trousers were in fashion 

at the time, and are pretty classic

 His look has come in and out of style several times 1997,

and if he wore it on the street today,

 no one would know it is nearly 30 years old

 

 I love all of the attention to detail and feminine touches,

and the overall modesty of my sweet dress 

It is made of ivory color rayon taffeta,

 which is an amazingly durable fabric

 Everything had to be carefully washed by hand

 after we got home, due to the hem of the dress and long veil 

literally being doused in salt sea water

Thankfully, everything came out

 looking as well as it did before

Hitched after six years of dating

(I had very cold feet, but made the right decision, at last!)

If you are married, did you wear

 a traditional wedding dress?

Do you have it packed away for sentimental reasons or have you sold or given it away, I wonder?

 

Recently, I watched a British reality TV show

 called Second Chance Dress

The premise is that a broker brings together previous brides

 who want to sell their wedding dresses,

 with brides-to-be who want to purchase

 a previously owned dress

 I am fascinated by this show,

 but I don't think I could ever part with my dress,

 it has so many lovely memories

My original hat and veil are pictured at the bottom of the post

They proved to be too cumbersome for this indoor photo

Here is the stand-in headpiece and veil

For jewelry I am wearing a 1950s vintage necklace

 of pink heart shapes, and a three strand creamy colored

pearl bracelet from the 1940's 

Also, current pink pave flower shaped post earrings 

Another accessory is this metallic gold bow belt

Neither of us kept track of our wedding shoes, though 

 Substituting a nude suede slip-on with a double tuxedo bow

 My original veil has three stepped layers of tulle

 and a long train

  I modified it by attaching it to a vintage 

1940's ivory straw cartwheel hat

  It was so much fun to play with on the breezy beach,

 it made some very fun photos

Hope you enjoyed our re-creation,

a few film pictures are at the bottom of the March 2024 post 

titled "Wedding Anniversary", if you are interested

in seeing them

 Have a good week!

Happy St. Patrick's Week-May the Luck 'o the Irish be with You!

Hello, and thanks for stopping by-

Happy St. Patrick's Day to all,

whether you are Irish, or not!

Today, I am wearing a bit of green, in honor of the holiday

🍀

I chose a forest green faux suede,

A-line dress, and in an attempt

 to lighten up what would be a darker winter outfit,

I chose an ivory belted asymmetrical vest

to layered over it

Roger has joined me today,

 in black trousers and a white dress shirt, plus

he has chosen a forest green, blue and black print tie

 to compliment my dress

 Unfortunately, I am standing in the way, in this photo,

and most of his tie is hidden,

so it's pictured below-

interesting seafaring print! 

Do you like to dress in the colors of the holidays?

It provides me the opportunity to build an outfit 

 that I might not have tried without the prompt 

For instance, I really hadn't thought of wearing 

short sleeves under this vest!

I chose a two tone faux suede camel colored bag

 to further brighten up this outfit,

with a red, green and navy plaid scarf

  tied to the handle for a little pop of color

Scarves have been a staple for me for years,

and all of a sudden this season they are everywhere!

Bringing in a little more color  

with a vintage red rose leather brooch

Other jewelry includes a bold, gold tone open cage bracelet,

 and 50's vintage abstract design clip on earrings 

More blending colors, with the silk scarf in my hair

 This scarf is so easy to work with,

 the silk drapes and folds so beautifully

 It is a very grand design, a print of jewelry

 festooned with diamonds on a background,

 in tones of teal, red and navy blue

I chose camel tan d'Orsay buckle detail,

 kitten heels for shoes

 I thought they complemented this outfit well,

 because they are very structured 

 Also, tan is a little different for me in the

winter to spring bridge season,

 because I so often go with a navy blue shoe

Plus, they match the bag-win,win!

I have found a photo of one more item I consigned

 with my fall and winter consignment

 This open cardigan has never been a favorite of mine

It is very heavy and bulky and a bit of a rusty red

that does not very mix well with the rest of my wardrobe

 I have mixed it in with my colors somewhat successfully

 over the years I have had it

 I thought I would wear it more as a jacket

 last September and October,

 but it just didn't work out well that way, except for with jeans,

so on it went to a new, happy home

Wearing the long cardigan in the winter of 2021

I discovered it is a perfect match for this skirt

 and this is the way I mostly wore it,

 with different tops and accessories

  It is very warm for wearing inside though,

 except for on the most freezing cold days of winter

I popped into the shop with a few

 non-clothing items to consign last week,

and am glad to see it has been sold 

 I hope it kept someone toasty warm this past winter!

Hope everyone enjoys the St. Patrick's day holiday

and has a good week!

 

Bright Turquoise Cardigan for a Dopamine Hit!

Hello and thanks for stopping by my blog

 I really appreciate your interest and comments,

and love being a part of this blogging community!

Good news for everyone this week-

daylight savings time has finally arrived

 With the days getting longer,

and the snow mounds melting,

 it is starting to feel more like

 spring is really going to happen!

I always get a little discombobulated

at the light shift though, how about you?

 

I'm going from teal last week, to turquoise this week-

I love my blue hues!

 The last time I wore this cardigan on the blog,

  I think I mentioned that the name of the color 

on the tag was "Zonk blue"

 I think a little zonking happy color is just right now,

so dopamine dressing it is

How about you-

are you a fan of wearing bright color?

💜🩷♥️💙💚💛🩵

Here in Maryland, and in many other locations too,

March is a bridge month, 

and it can be a very challenging month

 to get dressed, weather-wise

I am wearing cardigans and jackets a lot now, 

The type of outfits that have layers that can be taken off,

 and put back on as the need arises

March especially, can see all of the elements: 

rain, snow, sleet, hail and of course wind

 And occasionally, a nice warm sunny day ☀️😎☀️

Wearing my, bright blue ribbed cardigan

 over an ivory and black fancy crocheted camisole

 with a black knee length, cable knit flared skirt

 Lots of texture in this outfit of knits!

 Carrying my black and white round plaid

 handle bag with buckle detail

Sometimes a few interesting accessories

can make all the difference in an simple outfit

 

For jewelry, I chose vintage gold tone,

 dome shaped earrings,

 an expansion bracelet with turquoise bars all around,

 and a disc shaped pendant necklace

 

Further accessorizing with this fun

 black and ivory neck scarf

 with multiple sizes of polkadots

It is so soft and easy to work with

High quality silk is just the best,

but the really good stuff is difficult to find

at any price

I am happy to see that scarves are trending big this season They are part of my style, and I wear them all the time

 I think I will be very tempted,

as there are a lot of fun possibilities

 for me to refrain from purchasing this season,

as I already have a wonderful collection 

Black microfiber double strap Mary Janes

 with block heels to finish the look

 These are so comfortable, that I looked them up

 to see if they come in any other colors

It looks like LifeStride 

added a cute black and white herringbone fabric model

this past fall/winter season and

I hope some spring colors are coming soon in this shoe

Here is some more turquoise and blue

in my wardrobe to brighten up the day,

 in an outfit from autumn, 2022

🩵💙🩵

 I am seeing a lot of bright, saturated blue and red layering pieces popping up for spring and summer,

which is a little unusual, but I am glad to see these,

 along with the very soft, muted pastels

 that are prominent this season

The current crop of pastels are gorgeous

 on light, warm complexions

This seasons' soft and muted colors are very beautiful and unusual hues, not the basic ones that come around

 every spring, so if they flatter you,

 it's the perfect time to purchase them

Unfortunately, they are a real wash out for me!

 I think the items below are some of the last pieces

 I will be posting from my big fall and winter consignment

They are two bags I don't think 

  have ever even made it onto a blog post

 The first is a black and white herringbone fabric handle bag, with patent leather trim

I have had this bag for nearly 20 years

 and purchased it from the GAP-

it's a classic!

 I used it a lot during the middle aughts

 as one of my primary winter bags

I still like it, and it has held up exceptionally well,

 and is in great shape

 The reason I am saying goodbye to it,

  is that it has been mostly passed over in recent years,

 because it is quite heavy on its own,

 even without any contents!

The second bag pictured, I purchased three years ago

I thought it would be so useful

 in the neutral colors of black and beige,

  but in reality, I have hardly used it

 It is a little too big for me, and is also heavy to carry

I thought the two-tone design would add interest,

 but really, when I try it with different outfits,

 it looks quite staid and boring

 Someone who wears more neutrals

will snap it right up, it's by Kate Spade

It has been fun to document this purge,

a big closet clear out is not something I do regularly,

I tend to hold on to my clothing

 I have adopted (more like evolving) my own style,

 and wear what I like, and what suits me more,

I am not following trends too closely lately

We are planning to move house soon too,

and that has been a big factor

to selectively cull some clutter!

It has been fun and informative for me

to document this purge

A big closet clear out is not something I do regularly,

I tend to hold on to my clothing

 I have adopted (more like I am evolving) my own style,

 and wear what I like, and what suits me more

I am not following trends too closely lately,

they come and go so quickly it makes my head spin!

We are planning to move house soon too,

and that has been a big factor

to selectively cull some clutter

Hope you have enjoyed coming along on my journey

 Have a great week!

 

Monochrome in Teal

 

Hello and thanks for stopping by my blog

I did not think last weeks post "Last Snowy Days of February" would turn into this weeks post,

  First Snowy Days of March!

 I thought for sure we would be done with it, but as I write,

 it's snowing again-Harumph! ☹️

I did make it home before the snow began to fall, though

 I chose a one and done outfit today

with a dress of a gorgeous shade of teal

The color is so beautiful, it does all the heavy work! 

I purchased the dress two years ago,

 in 2024 when the color, called Aventurine 

 was one of the Pantone colors of year,

and lovely shades like this were easy to find

Have you heard this gorgeous shade of blue-green,

 along with the colors coral, navy blue, and purple,

 are said to be four hues that are neutral,

 and universally flattering for almost everyone to wear?

Do you have any of these colors in your wardrobe,

 and have you found this to be true? 

This dress has a split scoop neckline,

 broomstick pleats a wide smocked waist

It also has a deep flounce at the hem

Lots of pretty details!

Coordinating couple

A funny little story about Roger's necktie

It is printed with artwork created by Jerry Garcia- 

the irony of it!

If you didn't know,

 before Jerry became a famous musician,

 and frontman for the rock group, The Grateful Dead,

 he dabbled in painting

 He created the artwork that was later printed on this tie

  well before his music career,

and even before this kind of computer art became popular

 It is said that Jerry was not truly behind the idea

of printing his artwork on neckties,

but apparently his manager made it happened, 

and the ties were marketed

They are made of silk,

 and are quite bold, striking and beautiful designs

 Roger has a few of them, this one is from the 1990's

At that time, they were the best selling ties in America!

Anyway, for my jewelry, I chose some bold pieces

 for the blank canvas of the solid teal dress

Big, bold 80's style accessories are trending,

and this gold statement necklace really fits the bill!

 It is made of layered reticulating flat flower shapes

It is by Kate Spade,

 and was a bit of a splurge purchase several years back

 Also wearing a bracelet of large oval links,

 and teardrop dome shaped earrings

A few more accessories

 are a reptile embossed belt of a similar color to the dress,

 and a vivid, purple and teal silk scarf in my hair

For a bag, I chose this neutral light tan

 reptile embossed satchel, with horse bit detail,

and light tan suede sling backs

 with stacked wood look block heel

Another item among the last

 to leave my fall and winter wardrobe, 

is this dark grey quilted metallic bag 

It's in great condition,

 and I think it will find someone to love it 

It is squishy and larger that most of my bags,

 and these features are trending again, now

The chain strap telescopes into the bag,

 making it useful as a clutch, too

Sure enough, styles similar to this will be 

walking the runway next fall

Fashion seems to be cycling back

 faster and faster each season!

Here I am carrying it in winter, 2020

It has been a great option

 to add a little sparkle and texture

 to an outfit with dark grey in it

I have this ruffled peplum jacket out currently,

 getting inspiration to remix it this season 

Hope you all have a great week,

and the sun is shining in your part of the word!