Riviera Dreams

Someone on IG commented that this was very “Riviera chic” which was very kind of them. It did get me thinking about how nice a change of scenery would be right about now — Riviera adjacent or otherwise — but alas, we have to console ourselves with cute outfits instead. At least the weather is nice. Also nice? These Birkenstocks. I thrifted them at the beginning of the year and little did I know how much I’d come to rely on them. Not the most attractive shoe option but so dang comfy (once I broke them in, they were basically new) and perfect from shlumping around the neighbourhood. Lest you think I’ve completely given up on style, though, fear not. I did throw on a rather extravagant pair of earrings (handmade!):

Back in Black

I haven’t been wearing a lot of black lately and I do miss it. I miss my architectural, structured clothes. I miss them but I can’t convince myself to wear them while I work from home. So they are waiting patiently in my closet for better days. This outfit was a compromise – it’s black and has some interesting angles, but it’s not structured. Baby steps.

Circus Tent But Make It Fashion

This was another baby step — wearing a proper dress. It looks fancy but the reality is that it’s a glorious sack. My love of potato sack dresses goes back YEARS, but this may be the fanciest iteration I’ve ever had. Comfy like all potato sacks, but with an attitude. That a bold geometric print, all right. I adore it. And it’s a great backdrop for all sorts of funky jewelry, like this handmade Art Deco-inspired necklace.

I have been having trouble sleeping lately, a side-effect of this strange quarantine life. My usual strategies haven’t had much success in ameliorating the problem, but my failure has had one benefit: more time to craft. At night, long after the kids are in bed, my husband, who is also having trouble sleeping, works on his car project; I work on my embroidery projects. In some ways, those dark, quiet hours are quite lovely – a nice way to self-care, per millennial parlance. But, of course, I can feel my sleep deficit growing by the day. Ah well, we take the good with the bad.

What have I been making? A little bit of everything.

I’ve been trying a few different motifs for embroidery hoops.

Flowers:

Symbols of protection:

I have also gone back to making jewelry, using embroidery, beading, and upcycled bits of old costume jewelry. I started with a bit of a rainbow theme (one of my favourite things):

Then branched out into some other designs:

I have also started to sell some of my pieces on Instagram, which has been both gratifying and nerve-wracking. I always worry about whether my pieces will live up to expectations, but on the other hand, there is nothing cooler than knowing someone else is wearing or looking at something I made. I’ve had some requests on IG to write about how I make some of my jewelry pieces, so I’ll be working on a post for next week.

Graphic Summer

I decided to pull out one of my sadly neglected, non-elastic waisted skirts and give it a whirl this past weekend when the weather warmed up to glorious degrees. It felt nice even if it was only for a quick half hour walk around our neighbourhood. Maybe I should start calling it a “promenade” like in the old days. This skirt is certainly promenade-ready, even if it’s just a little old cotton number. I love the exuberant print, which makes the whole outfit look like I tried harder than, in fact, I did.

Once More, With Feeling

For anyone who was suddenly missing this sweatshirt, hah – here it is again. You’re welcome … or should I say, apologies? But, but, but! It’s so easy to throw over everything and anything, especially when in doubt. (This skirt is fun but difficult to style, I find, so the doubt is there.) The black is, well, black and does what black does, which is go with everything. The graphic part adds some contrast – does it clash with the stripes? does it go? who knows? – which at this point in time feels like “advanced style” to my quarantine-exhausted brain.

Jump To It

The last time I wore this jumpsuit was in Mexico and … actually, let’s not go there, it’s too depressing right now. I’m hoping to make some fun, new memories this summer with it even if that involves simply some neighbourhood bird-watching with the kids. [This weekend I learned the difference between loons and mallards … or at least I learned that there IS a difference and that people on the internet are quite passionate about it.] Linen is one of my favourite fabrics at the moment – and linen cut in loose, breezy shapes is linen at its best – so I am slowly embracing it, wrinkles and all, for my everyday life.