Adventure Awaits

Sometimes an ensemble and a backdrop are just meant to be together. Where am I exactly here? Perhaps just around the corner from the treasury at Petra? In an outcropping overlooking the sphinx? Nope, it's Garden of the Gods park in Colorado Springs.

Truly a remarkable place all its own! See some more photos of this gorgeous natural phenom in a very old blog post from me here.

I wore my natural colored linen bolero suit for a wander around the park. This time I paired it with a ivory rayon blouse I picked up a few years ago thrifting, my favorite ivory straw hat, and the ever gorgeous Evelyn heeled oxford shoes from Royal Vintage Shoes! These shoes are just the most perfect adventure ready vintage style heels a gal could ask for. I couldn't have dreamed up a shoe more suited to safari/adventure/explorer style ensembles!

I recently picked up a few vintage printed tin Japanese made brooch pins in the shape of cicadas and green beetles and pinned one onto my collar here for some extra "biologist abroad" vibes. Real cicada are terrifying and yet fascinating to me in equal measure. I've never seen one live (I think I would die of fright), but I also sorta like the loud sound they make in the summer breeze and they are indeed very interesting creatures-- even if my fear of insects also has me recoiling from even just photos of them! In jewelry form however? No problem, jeweled faux insects are the only kind I can tolerate after all.

I am craving a bigger adventure real bad these days, but sadly neither my bank account nor my older car are up for either flights or road tripping. So local adventures are the only kind I can get up to, other than the journeys available in a great book or a very good film of course. What is your favorite adventure film?

Suit: Made by me
Blouse, Hat, Clutch, & Jewelry: Vintage
Shoes: Royal Vintage Shoes

Adding to My Navy Twill Summer Suit

I already have two little short sleeved jackets and one pencil skirt in this same dark navy blue organic cotton twill from Mood Fabrics, but this year I knew I wanted to add an A-line skirt into the fray for even more mixing and matching possibilities. I've still got even more left over fabric from this skirt too, so I can possibly make yet another piece that will coordinate with it all! I do love me some coordinates <3

The sun is back and I have been enjoying days spent wandering the isles at all of the local garden centers and admiring the many flowers. I have been on a rather long spending freeze, so instead of browsing floral print fabrics I have been admiring the real thing instead. Sometimes I get in these moods too where I want to redecorate a room and re-fresh my surroundings instead of my wardrobe, so lately I have been window shopping for dressers and bedside table lamps. You know you must be getting older when you are excited about investing in a new dresser and some picture frames for your upcoming birthday!

Not that I don't have some pretty vintage accessories on my wishlist, because I do, but first I have to reorganize everything as I am running out of room! There is still a huge overflowing pile of fabrics waiting to become frocks down in my sewing room too, and I've simply got to get back to sewing after taking a break this past week. I have some pattern drafting to do too of course, as I have a lot left to show you all about how I draft my patterns! More of those posts coming soon :)

I hope you all have had a lovely Monday!

Twill Suit: Made by me
Shoes & Gloves: Amazon
Clutch, Brooch, & Earrings: Vintage
Sunglasses: Sunglasses Museum (Etsy)

Floral Two-Piece Dress

Since I had some fabric left over from making my black and teal floral skirt, I decided to make a matching blouse so I could wear the two as a dress! I just love this fabric, I am so glad I got two items out of it. It only cost me $12 for both the skirt and the blouse, which just proves that sewing can still be cheaper than buying ready made clothes!

I am in the middle of sewing my new and improved brown jacket/top to match my brown cotton skirt, so I'm off to finish that up!

Blouse: Made by me
Skirt: Made by me
Shoes: DSW
Tights: Amazon
Brooch: Vintage (etsy)
Earrings: Vintage (etsy)

Metallic Brocade

 Now that I have explained just how I made this hat little pillbox hat, I thought I would show you what it looks like with the matching dress! Together I think the look created is rather late 50's/early 60's! I am also wearing one of my newer vintage jewelry sets. I got it months ago, but banana leaves are rather a summer motif. I am excited to wear this set a lot this summer, I think it will match a lot of my more tropical outfits!

Our freak weekend snowstorm has melted away, I hope it was the last until next winter! I am ready for summer clothes!

Dress: Made by me
Shoes: Banana Republic
Brooch and Earrings: Vintage (etsy)
Hat: Made by me