First Falling.

It's fall for real. I've spent more days than not the last few weeks in tights, remembering how much more myself and better I feel in these kinds of clothes. There's an urgency in autumn, like we know the leaves are going to change and there's only a good week or two when everything is really aflame, and already I have the tiniest of knots in my gut that's dreading the long winter. Of course there's nothing to be done about it, and the weather is a boring topic, as though there isn't anything more interesting or original to write or think about, so I might as well slurp up these golden days and enjoy them. 

You know (you don't) I first saw this dress almost exactly a year ago? A little shop in Burlington, VT had it, and even though I had an extra little cushion of spending money burning a hole in my pocket, I left it behind. I even went back at the end of the day to visit it, think about it, and then never did a darned thing about it. It popped up here and there on other blogs and online shops, and I kept thinking about it on at least a monthly basis. Finally, a few weeks ago I thought well, if you're still mulling it over a year later you might as well bite the bullet and go for it. It has planets and stars on it for goodness sake! Why did I wait so long?

Dress: Family Affairs Life on Mars Dress, Tights: look in burgundy, Socks: J. Crew, Boots: Steve Madden Fall 2013, Bag: J. Crew (sold out), Jacket: J. Crew fall 2009

Then of course I had plans. A hat that is a favorite but has never quite gone with anything, a certain bag, hair-do, shoes, hosiery. It all fell through. My hair was flat and un-set from a night staying up too late laughing over dumb tv-shows, there was a promise of a sunny fall afternoon but the shoes were wildly impractical. A pair of tights purchased the previous afternoon (rainy, feeling urge for a new treat, drawn to the color) threw a wrench in the whole thing so that I just went well, throw on the big ugly socks and boots that are falling apart and do that whole honest-outfit blog thing. 

I mean, it's better that way right? I love a good gussied-up bit, with everything matching in that slightly-off just-so kind of way and I do often run around in some pair of slightly impractical footwear for the sake of my own amusement, but I also end up throwing on the boots that are peeling at the sole, or the flats that offer almost no support anymore. Not that either is really better, just, I suppose since the last several posts have been a little fantastical it's nice to switch the gears for something a little bit more indicative of my every day. 

These are also the really choice weeks when outfits are pretty much exactly what I want them to be. in a month or so it'll be cold, and I'll end up in flannel-lined jeans or thick leggings and 3 sweaters, sad that I can't wear dainty little shoes because of the salt and snow. But you know, for now everything is burnished gold and red and it's all walks outside and everything smells like dirt. In a good way. 

Thanks to David for snapping a bunch of these!

Golly Magazine.

If you follow me on other social medias, you've probably seen a few little reposts or retweets and things about this, but here's a proper little blog note to help a bit!

A few of my absolute favorite gals on the planet are making dreams come true with Golly Magazine, and you can totally help fund this pretty fantastic thing on kickstarter! Of course I'm excited because I've had the super-intense luck to hang with these women over the last few years, so I know it's going to be something amazing, but I'm pretty pleased that there seems to be a real movement to fill a void I've lamented in the magazine world, and lo! Along comes Golly to help out!

I finally tossed my little pile of pennies towards this today, my first payday purchase of September! I couldn't be more excited to see what happens with this, because I'm certain we can help get them to issue 2! I really wanted to get my hot little paws on the first issue, but even if you can't swing the 20$ to get that one (along with a few extra treats--it's all detailed on the kickstarter page), any little amount will help. 

Get your Golly and help get to issue 2 here!

The Sparking Dress.

The palette of these pictures is pretty similar to that last batch--milky blues and whites, the overly blown-out light of 3pm late summer afternoons--so I guess that's my vibe lately. It's kind of a dreamy, girly sort of style that I keep settling back into despite wondering if 28 is too old to keep dressing in frilly things, or when I want to be a bit more on the cool girl side of things. 

This is another I've-got-to-photograph-it-before-the-season-leaves dress, although I wonder sometimes if just a dress and a pair of shoes constitutes enough of an outfit to even bother posting about. It's only that I don't tend to wear much in the way of accessories much of the time--a favorite necklace and a rotating cast of teeny-tiny earrings--and in the heat it's really nice to be able to pick a dress, zip it up, and be set to go with minimal fussing. Is a dress by itself an outfit? I don't really care--it's good enough for me. 

Dress:Laura's Vintage, Shoes: Anthropologie circa 2007 (maybe? They're favorites, going to cry an awful lot when they're beyond wear)

I picked up this one at--no surprise here--Laura's early in the spring. It was one of those go in with one dress leave in another kind of deals, and comes from a little group of vintage dresses and skirts that all belonged to the same lady (unsurprisingly, I keep picking up items from her collection while shopping--generations apart we're on some kind of same wavelength), and this is what she called her 'sparking dress', from the early days of courting with her husband. Kind of a vintage lover's dream, getting the story along with the garment!

It's a pretty spectacular day dress, and I've really only worn it twice. It's not particularly delicate, but I'm already afraid of wearing it out. Imaginary numbers hovering over my vintage for the number of wears left in it haunt me. 

I'm kind of enjoying the sort of old-style-blogger shots I've got going on here too, back when I used to scurry around the neighborhood with my tripod trying to find places that didn't look too suburban, giving up, and settling with a plain white fence (inevitable some TV disk on a roof would pop up in the background somewhere). I pass this exploding bloom on walks, and it's just too good not to document!

Meadow-ing.

The summer wind-down is starting, blowing in with the slightest of chills in the breeze, the top of trees starting to color at the tips. In a few weeks they'll be all ablaze and afternoons will be full of apple crunches and boots again. Tights will feel really awesome, noses will get cold and hot beverages will become little beacons of warmth for frozen fingers. 

For now though, the days are still warm and bare arms still fry in the sun. Another dress I've been meaning to have on the blog, first in the beginning of the summer when the earliest bits of greenery were too vibrant fresh on camera, and then later when I had vague but big birthday-outfit plans. The latter fell through in favor of bathing suits on the actual day and piles of camping appropriate clothes the weekend after, but I just somehow was using this dress and the Starlette Crown from Giant Dwarf as a summer book-end. After I took some pictures with them I could cut my hair if I wanted, give up on summer, and fling myself into the coming season if I wanted (not sure on that one now). 

Dress: Vintage from Lawrence, Crown: Giant Dwarf, Necklace (tiny, but it's there!): Camille Carnevale via Fort Orange General Store

I had wanted one of these crowns for ages. I'm not entirely sure what held me back, but when the announcement came that Sue was discontinuing the line and sending it out in a blaze of falling-star glory sale, I pushed my spare pennies into a pile and got one. It's been sitting in it's gorgeous packaging since I got it, tucked away in my lingerie drawer (I don't know, it seemed like the right place somehow) waiting. I'm sure it will look fantastic in the snow, but I don't know. I had visions of meadows and frothy dresses.

They came out fine enough. I'm still borrowing cameras, forgetting the tricks of my self-timer as though I haven't been doing the run back in front of it scramble for years, cursing all the out-of-focus shots that clearly would be the best of the bunch had I taken the extra three seconds to make sure I was focused on anything else besides the tree line. Somehow nothing quite yet lives up to the artistic vision (to borrow a phrase a seven-year-old once used to describe the immense frustration I was feeling when my cohorts in holiday living-room theater performances were not putting in the rehearsal work), but it'll do as evidence of the outfit and setting. 

A big thank you is in order to my friend Janna, who obligingly led me to pretty spots and let me charge my camera battery in her house, narrowly avoiding a poison ivy patch and rewarding ourselves with farmstand corn and plums, and a sushi lunch. 

Drive-in Date.

I love the drive-in. Despite all the things that could go wrong with it (ankle-biting mosquitos, stale oversalted popcorn, sound that may or may come through clear, backaches if you didn't bring enough pillows), it always ends up being that nostalgia-tinted summer-night activity that feels pretty hazy and dreamy while you're still in it. I wouldn't want everything to be picture Kinfolk-perfect (and goodness knows I eat that vibe up like so many seasonal picnic dinners) because the cheesy off-kilter kind of crappy parts are the whole point, aren't they? I'm lucky enough to have three drive-ins in the area (varying distances, of course), but it's one of those things I worry about going away!

Last year we went to the drive-in late, not until late August or September, but did manage to pack in several visits into fall weather (which is kind of ideal in it's own right, when the nights get cool and hardly anyone remembers that the place is even open). This year we started right on time, and if you follow me on instagram you saw some of these snaps a little while ago. 

On me--Dress: Laura's Vintage, Shoes: thrifted. 

On David--Jacket/Jeans: both vintage (thrifted), Sunglasses: Eddie Bauer

We like to dress up for the drive-in. It's kind of a pointless activity because it gets dark, and then you sit in your blanket nest and no one sees you, and I have to say most of the time my outfits of choice aren't super suited to lying around snacking on sour patch kids until I feel sick. But that's part of the whole fun right? And kind of, I mean, the point of this whole blog (that trudges on, a funny little collection of outfits through the years, updates sometimes sporadically and with varying levels of interest). 

I had a totally different outfit planned for this day, but with some time to kill in the area I of course stopped at Laura's Vintage. Glenn's Falls is a halfway point for us, so it's a good spot for dates, and gives me an excuse to hang out trying on dresses for an afternoon if I get out of work early! 

This is the second time I've left the shop in a dress different from what I went in wearing! I thought this was a bathing suit at first---the neckline and ruffle detail somehow gave me that impression--and it looked pretty small but, something told me to try it on anyway (also, Laura was sure it would fit). I zipped it up and knew there was no way it was staying behind, that I couldn't even bear to take it off to leave the store. 

Plus, it was perfect for drive-in night! This added to the fact that David had managed an absolute steal on a vintage deadstock Levi's denim jacket earlier that same day. The vintage stars aligned just in time for two kids who cite The Outsiders as a formative years book/movie to live the dream. 

And we're off to the races, places.

There are a few activities that I really like over-dressing for. I mean, to be honest I like doing it for almost anything, looking for any occasion to pull together an outfit or don a favorite dress is practically a habit at this point, but there are a few things that I really like to specifically wear something a little extra fun for, and it's most likely to happen if it's a classical summer event. 

One of them is visiting the racetrack up in Saratoga. I haven't been terribly often, even though it's not particularly expensive (I guess that part depends on whether or not you wanna bet on horses, or splurge on an inexplicably pricey hot dog) or out of the way but this year and last I was invited to be one of the judges for 'Hat Day', a competition where people get all dressed up with outrageous hats and enter a contest! It's a lot of fun, and of course I use it as an excuse to get a little dressed up. So up I drove, joined by my boyfriend and best friend, for a day at the races! Considering we've spent the better part of two years since Amy moved back to the area listening to Lana del Rey's song of the same occasion, it's baffling that we forgot to put it on in the car. In our defense, it was only a few minutes drive and we know it by heart anyway.

Dress: Dethrose Vintage on Etsy, Shoes: J. Crew Sardinia Wedge Espadrille summer 2012, Bag: Aldo Outlet 2011, Pins: Vintage, Hat: Forever21 years and years ago.

Not that most people do. It's a lot of bringing a blanket and snacks and enjoying the summer weather, but I do like that kind of old-fashioned vision of going to the track that includes a straw hat and something a little bit special, even if casual wear is what most people go with (and honestly, that's okay! It's hot and sweaty and crowded). As usual I just love a good vintage vibe, especially if the activity in question lends itself to such a thing!

My hat isn't anything terribly spectacular--although it is one of my favorites--just enough to keep the sun off my face, vaguely 20s inspired in it's shape, straw with a ribbon. My mom snapped up a few vintage hats at an estate sale earlier this week but of course I ended up in an old standby--I think I've been wearing this one since 2007 or so, one of those mythical forever21 finds that was under 10$ but manages to last longer than anyone ever would have anticipated. 

And of course, a white cotton dress. I managed not to spill anything on this one (a slurp of iced coffee almost made it to the skirt while driving, but landed on my arm instead--sigh of relief), even after eating chicken wings (my face was not as fortunate but that's what napkins are for).

I've started the practice of throwing one extra pin on before I leave the house. The snap-decision forces me to choose without over-thinking it, and I kind of like that it's the opposite of that oft-quoted 'take one thing off before you leave' fashion tall-tale. I've been pretty pleased with the results, a kind of mish-mash of jewels that somehow comes off as less precious because of volume. 

Now that we've gone once, I'm sure we'll make at least one more effort before the season is over, with functional sun hats and shorts, so we can sit on the ground and gorge ourselves on Shake Shack (oh yeah, we've got one here! but it's only at the track during the summer) and round the corner into the deep days of summer. 

Flags and Donuts.

Happy (belated) 4th of July! Something came over me this year, an appreciation for summer kitsch I'd tried to shrug off for something more refined finally took over, and I rang in the start of July with all kinds of Americana paraphernalia, hot dogs almost every day, soft-serve ice cream cones of almost every kind except actual ice cream, fireworks, sparklers, and actual fire. Last night I rolled into bed with hair reeking of chlorine, skin tingling with sun (these are two activities I would normally always remedy with sunscreen and cleansing but, sometimes who can be bothered?), finally feeling that particular brand of summer exhaustion that I've been chasing all spring. 

Vintage Playsuit: Laura's Vintage, Shoes: J. Crew summer 2012, Pin: Laura's Vintage

This romper has been at Laura's Vintage for a little while; I had probably tried it on half a dozen times, but left it behind until it dawned on me that it's really totally perfect for 4th of July (and honestly, most of summer). I wore it on the actual 4th despite grey skies and rain, but knew it needed to be in sun for a real post! I wore it again at the end of the weekend for a BBQ to send off the 4th, complete with giant flag on the garage, and my current pride and joy: my pool donut. 

I love this thing. Generally speaking I love pool toys and load up on them every year (dollar stores are one of my favorite places for weird pool inflatables), but when I saw this one on Modcloth my heart skipped a beat and I needed it. 

I ended up getting mine at Zumiez, a store I had never actually been in but then saw this in the window. I maybe also purchased some heart-shaped aviators with american-flag printed glass and some donut printed socks but hey, maybe not. You can also find the donut on amazon, but I hate waiting for things to ship.

It doesn't end there. 

These magical peace-sign sunglasses (totally impractical for wearing as you can barely see a thing in them) were a dollar-store find back in the early days of spring, when the 4th of July was a long-off dream. Now we're here, smack in the middle of the summer, and I am not going to complain about the heat or sun one bit (out loud anyway). 

Lighten Up.

I like things that light up. You know, Christmas lights and glitter, neon signs, fireworks. Maybe it's because I'm a fire sign and drawn to things that blaze. When I was younger I remember 4th of July celebrations ringed in all kinds of backyard pyrotechnics, sparklers that stuck in the ground and were waist-high, and it's kind of been a while since I had my own personal little back yard light show. 

I came across a giant box of pretty small sparklers over the winter, or maybe it was the tail end of that season, and quietly started tucking away a nice little collection of the things (along with some colored smoke bombs) to save for when the weather was nicer. Of course, now I think how nice it would be to light up the snow, but something is really summer about setting things on fire (on purpose, and things you're supposed to). Memorial day was lovely, hot and a burning, taking absolutely forever to get dark, and I had a really strong feeling of okay, it's summer now, it's shorts and lemonade and grass.

Rebecca has always been really fantastic at photographing these things, and when her post broke I thought well, better get a move on! I'm pretty lazy when it comes to my camera--which I suppose is pretty awful, but, I'm not a big fan of fiddling around with things--and there's always the weirdness of hanging out in your backyard by yourself with a bunch of sparklers. Like, what am I supposed to do with these things once it's lit? Wave it around? I'm pretty happy just to stare at it and be excited by it so, girl laughing alone with camera and sparklers. 

It's my own weird little start of summer celebration, an offering to the good vibes of golden summers (the last few have been really good, practically molten in memory they're so bright), a chance to break out a dress left sleeping in the closet for a few weeks. Next up, marshmallows!

Dress from Dethrose Vintage, even though you can't see most of it.