Wearing Hats {Part 2}: Ring Hat w/ Veil

Hat Number One: Vintage Linen Ring Hat with Veil and Little Velvet Bows: 
Summer seems so light, beautiful, and full of endless possibility. 

Except sometimes, life has other plans. 

{outtake, but I actually loved it.}

Sometimes, we have to say goodbye in summer. I know, it doesn’t seem fair. It just doesn’t suit our collective spirit in summertime to have endings. I wore this outfit to the funeral of a dear friend’s grandmother. Sometimes, we must say goodbye at inopportune times. To be honest, there is never an opportune time for goodbyes. 
As I write this, there’s an odd light hanging in the air. A summer storm is billowing on the horizon, and the leftover sunlight juts through storm clouds in a strange pattern. Sometimes, too, summer storms billow on the horizons of our lives. 

{fingernail polish matches shoes}
I’m a believer in wearing black to funerals. It feels respectful, and symbolic of the loss. Black says, “The world is stopping for a moment, our world is, because we lost someone who kept it turning.” Much like my comments on Good Friday and the veil I wore then, wearing black and a hat helps me feel the symbolism, respect, and grieving process. When someone’s world stops as a loved one passes on, wearing black feels appropriate
And so does wearing a vintage ring hat with veil.
🙂 
Linen Ring Hat with Veil and Velvet Bows: Vintage, Thrifted, 25 cents! 
Hair: “Flowered” up–that is, pieces bobby pinned in curls to look like a flower
Dress: Gap
Tortoise Wayfarer-ish Sunglasses: Target 
Belt: Thrifted
Handbag: Vintage
Heels: Banana Republic, consignment store




Wearing Hats: A Series {Part 1}

I’m very excited to share a series with you this week about wearing hats, vintage & new. Before I begin sharing my own outfits incorporating vintage hats, I thought, we need to see some inspiration. Don’t you think? 
Jackie Kennedy’s iconic look included many hats. She was especially well-known for the pillbox style {center}
Any hat that Audrey Hepburn put on instantly became sculpture. WOW! 

There have been a handful of vintage hats on Mad Men. I adore Rachel’s simple brown hat she wears on the train {top left}. Rachel Menken’s purple feathery creation is one of a kind! Christina Hendricks wore several very stunning hats in the photoshoot for LA {bottom right}
But really, who does hats better than the British royals? No one. 
Queen Elizabeth II is so beautiful. I just love her cheerful spirit and colors. Always wearing a hat, and always smiling. 
Sophie, Countess of Wessex…love her hat & capelet

This is such an incredible photo of Princess Diana. That hat, the colors! Everything about it is stunning.
And, of course, the world’s newest darling, Princess Kate. I’ll forever call her that because it’s so endearing and I feel it suits her. She’s the Jackie Kennedy of our generation, I do think. Goodness she looks amazing in anything, and always happy and carefree {albeit skinny}.
I love rocking hats. I dearly love collecting them AND wearing them, and can hardly wait to start showing you a few from my own collection. Aren’t you pining for gorgeous hats now? 

Little Links

And does someone want to tell me exactly how and when it got to be noon on Friday? ‘Cause I can’t wrap my brain around that one this week. 
Here are some little things!
A little inspiration!
I’ve been really into carrying my collection of tote bags as purses lately. Here’s a “Kate Spade Hearts Japan” one from after the tsunami. 

Ok, I will! I may not live in a dorm room anymore, but I love my IU sweatshirt on the back of my home desk chair. 

This is the vintage glass whose mate I broke :-/ Inside is actually a delicious ginger drink made from homemade ginger syrup. So refreshing on a hot summer night!

A shoe shot from an outfit I never got around to sharing. 
Flowers for the week plus an almost-too-ripe local tomato.

I just LOVE the light in my kitchen in the late afternoon and how it illuminates the magnetic poetry.

And I made good use of that tomato, along with organic greens, the most perfectly-ripe avocado, milti-grain bread, salt, pepper, and uncured bacon. And organic Washington state sweet cherries for dessert. Mmm!

Have a great weekend, dears!!

Thursday Brights


Good Morning!

I hope you have a beautiful, bright Thursday, friends.
One that refreshes you with detailed love from God’s heart, shown to you through friends, family, and even strangers. I just love when God uses strangers in my life for a very specific purpose. Do you know what I mean? When you’re feeling sorry for yourself and you go to get a coffee on your lunch break, and you have the best conversation with the barista, who gives you your coffee for free? Or you can’t think of ANYONE to take over your nursery shift on Friday, but then a friend calls and asks if she can take your shift that day if you’ll cover hers on Sunday morning? Or your boss happened to stay late last night and leave a nice note on your desk? I think all of those details are love that God brings into our lives, to show us how much he cares. To lift our hearts and spirits. Oh, how much he loves us, through and through. 
And in light of that, I just have to throw my hands with hot pink and silver fingernails in the air. 
Blessings back to praise, 
ALWAYS. 
{Linen Pants: waaaaay old Libertine for Target, Sequin Tank: Talbots, Ikat Cardi: Target, Bangles: J.Crew, Sunnies: Local Store, Earrings: F21, Silver Mocs: London Sole, thrifted}
Have a great day!
xo!

Cliche Race-Running Analogies

I get to that point, mid-way through Week 2 of the Olympics where I think, “Is this over yet? ‘Cause I kind of have some other important things to get back to…” Do you? Am I the only one? It feels terrible to admit it. But I couldn’t let the past two weeks go by without thinking about how it related to my relationship with Christ. It seemed almost too much of a metaphor, at times.
And I saw that all toil and all achievement spring from one person’s envy of another. This, too, is meaningless, a chasing after the wind. 
~Ecc. 4:4

These Olympic athletes strive for perfection in every area of their performance, going to great lengths chasing after an elusive “edge” over their competitors (Michael Phelps’ hyperbaric chamber, anyone?). I don’t want to downplay their amazing achievements, and even how cool it is to see young athletes like Gabby Douglas using their platform for God’s glory. But I notice a bit of myself in these athletes. I see my own drive and dreams, and how, sometimes, I get caught up in finding my ‘edge’ and chasing after the wind for…well, yeah, I admit it… that “perfection” thing.
Let us throw off everything that hinders us and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us.
~Hebrews 12:1,2

Chasing our OWN perfection is meaningless. We will never achieve it, and it only hinders us from serving God whole-heartedly. When we chase our own perfection, it’s usually because we are unsatisfied with Christ alone. Ouch. It’s so easy to become entangled with sin and selfishness that takes away from the security of who we are in Christ. But when we run our race with Jesus’ perfection in mind, striving to be perfected more and more into His image, we can run with perseverance and hope. 

A heart at peace gives life to the body, but envy rots the bones. 
~Prov. 14:30

Don’t look over to see how fast or far the person next to you is running because you might trip on something in your own path. There is no life in keeping tabs on the person in the other lane. I don’t know about you, but a “heart at peace” and “life to the body” sound much better than rotted-out bones. Like vinegar poured on a wound is envy to our souls. It eats away and only creates a deeper hole. 
 For the Lord takes delight in His people; He crowns the humble with victory. 
~Psalm 149:4
God has His eye on you. He has His hand on you. When you are following His path for you, He will help you every step of the way. I have no doubt you you’ll find innumerable blessings along the way. And when we cross that finish line in Heaven, you can bet we’ll be perfected. Isn’t that exciting?
Instead of getting a gold medal, we’ll get streets of gold {Did I just take the analogy too far?} 

Miss Mollie

This is one of those dresses that looks utterly “meh” on the hanger. You think, “Shapeless column dress in a print that looks like a vintage curtain…no thanks,” right? But put it on…bam. Something happens, and it’s utterly charming. 

I’ve got a think for late-60s, early 70s maxi dresses lately. This 70s creation is by Mollie Parnis Boutique, one of the iterations of designer Mollie Parnis‘ brand. She dressed many First Ladies: Eisenhower, Ford, Johnson and several Kennedys. Now, she dresses ME, who thinks it would be fascinating (if not terribly exhausting) to be a First Lady (maybe for a week)

Braided gold rope sandals (F21), a stack of bangles (thrifted & J.Crew), vintage necklace, and 70s sunglasses
I never thought I’d wear this red/orange/pink vintage wooden-bead necklace as much as I do. It’s in the same category as blue suede shoes and orange jeans, the “Who’da Thunk?” subcategory of “Most Worn Clothing Items.” 
I suppose when I say things like, “Who’da Thunk,” I’m erasing any First Lady poise and potential I had…and also mocking every word on my fancy graduate degree. 
Sigh.

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Summer Layers

Did you feel it?
That subtle beckoning from autumn in the form of a cool breeze, reminding us to get our fill of gelato, berries and warm nights on the porch before things turn crisp?

I can’t lie, it felt a little bit wonderful. I’m not actually ready for fall, but I AM ready for a break from this extra hot summer! Just a few weeks of perfectly-warm days would be most excellent. I haven’t been to a drive-in movie yet, and I haven’t had my fill of maple creamees either. 

When we get down to it, I love layers because they are cozy. I’m such a creature of comfort. I’m SUCH a sweatshirt girl. Luckily, this light orange sweater is a linen blend, so I can have my layers and my summer, too! 🙂 
Now, weather, please cooperate with my plan for the next few weeks. K, thanks.
xo!

Remember that Day…

Remember that day I accidentally poured orange juice over my cereal instead of milk? 
Yeah, no, I don’t remember that either…
Remember that day I woke up and inadvertently dressed like the Swedish flag?
That day was today. 

Something Swedish has been on my mind for awhile…and my subconscious must be picking up on it…

Sending me into my closet for every gold & blue piece I own…

…even turning a dress into a skirt… 

and finding that my ring and fingernails complete the picture.
I may not be blonde, but I sure am Swedish!
{sometimes I act blonde and pour orange juice over my cereal instead of milk. so that counts, right?}

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A Casual Outfit and a Story

This is a basic, everyday outfit. It’s my “go-to” sort of outfit when I have to rush out the door in a hurry. Jeans, cute tee/tank, cardi, and fun scarf. 

Cute studded sandals, good jeans from Anthro, cute polka dot tank top, J.Crew cardi with nice buttons, and funky scarf. So easy, and all thrifted/tag sale-d except the sandals, which are F21.

{details}

Yesterday I was able to spend a leisurely evening with one of my best friends and her two little boys. I sure got a pretty good fill of little-boy hugs! Her oldest boy would just look at me adoringly, this little boy on the eve of his 3rd birthday. His eyes shone as he sat next to me, put his hand on my shoulder, then patted me on the knee. “I am so glad to be here with you,” he said and gave me another big hug.
Later, this sweet friend of mine and I sat on my living room floor, two bottle caps popped on the floor at random trajectories, two Apple-Ginger hard ciders propped on handmade coasters. I felt so happy in the cozy cocoon of my small apartment, made entirely Natalie-like over the past handful of years. Sharing it with a best friend and her two darling boys (asleep at this point) made my heart feel so full, you know? So full of love, of questions, and of the future..but mostly, it felt filled with the presence of the holy spirit in this quiet evening of sister-hood. Utterly blessed and grateful. We chatted in that tumbling-rambling way that happens when two best friends haven’t seen each other for months. One topic was topsy-turvy onto another topic, as we animatedly shared life in a way that can’t be replicated online. It was so wonderful to experience that blessing of friendship from God. It feels so rare these days.
I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: Dig in to life! Send roots deep down, invest in friendships, and really connect in real life. 
Goodness if it isn’t soul-filling! 
xo!
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Weekend

Weekend Gear: Coffee, sunnies, hat, wrinkly sundress, flip flops! 
After Saturday morning tag sales, it rained non-stop. 
So instead of outdoor adventuring, I enjoyed a low-key weekend around the house. 

Manicure/pedicure essentials…

Pretty pink toesies! (and yellow fingernails)
Hanna Andersson clogs
Supplies for a fun paper project I’m working on. 
Baked some ginger-chocolate chunk scones. Mmm! Sent some over to a dear friend packaged like this. 
Now, it’s into the week!
Let’s begin it beautifully, yeah?
xo!