A Dream is a Wish Your Heart Makes

So here we are at the beginning of February.  The first of the month always makes me think of this silly little thing I learned on Nickelodeon when I was younger.  If the first thing you say on the first of each month is "rabbit, rabbit", then you will have good luck for the rest of the month.  It hasn't worked for me ever, but every time a new month rolls around, it still springs to mind.

This dress is really special to me because my mum made it in school in the 1960s.  She made it in middle school, and the crazy thing is that it fits.  The sleeves are a little snug on my arms but it's great beyond that.

Outfit Details:

vintage 1960s dress {made by my mum}

vintage coat, cardigan, shoes, handbag, belt {thrifted}

knit stockings, gloves {target}

Cinderella necklace {walmart}

I adore this Cinderella necklace that I got on sale for $5.  It's the perfect combination of cuteness and whimsy.  Cinderella isn't my Disney princess, but it's still a sweet touch for a Disney girl who's all grown up.

This weekend is the Super Bowl.  I'm by no means a football fan but it is always fun to watch the half time show and of course the commercials.  The Puppy Bowl is an adorable alternative for the non-football freak.  What are your plans for the weekend?  Any parties or family affairs you're attending for the big game?

Want to see what photos didn't make it onto the blog?  Head over to Facebook for a gander.

Coffee Shop Chic

This is what I wore to a (sort of) blind date at Starbucks a couple of months ago.  That's how far behind I am in posting.  It was some day in October.  What do I mean by sort of blind date?  Well I met someone I was talking to on Plenty of Fish.  I thought the date went well and he reiterated that, until I never heard from him.  Isn't that always how it ends?  Suffice to say, I'm taking a break from online dating for awhile.  It's all just so contrived and I really wish to meet someone in an organic way.  It hasn't happened in the past 26 years, but it must be in my future somewhere.  I'm just hoping it's my near future.

Outfit Details:

vintage skirt {maternal grandmother}

vintage jacket, vintage handbag, cardigan, belt {thrifted}
vintage thigh high back seam stockings {flea market}

shirt, ruby and diamond ring {used to be my mum's}

wedges {eBay}

earrings, bracelets {Mess Of A Dreamer Design}

 Have you had any dating disasters?  Have you tried online dating?  Has it worked out for you?

Want to see what photos didn't make it onto the blog?  Head over to Facebook for the extras.

Something Borrowed, Something Blue

Can you believe that this dress was hiding up in my mum's attic for years?  It was hers from when she was in secondary school.  So it's a bit short on me for my tastes, but by wearing it with black stockings and black shoes it grounds the look.  The jacket was also hers and it's reversible so it can be worn as I have with the blue on the outside or with the daisies out.

I really enjoyed wearing this look and I got many a compliment whist I was out and about.  I let everyone know that it was my mum's from when she was younger.  Apparently there was once an umbrella that matched the jacket, but it was lost on a school bus long ago.  I also especially love the handbag that I got at my local Humane Society Thrift shop.  I've wanted a tapestry bag for awhile and was thrilled when I came upon it.

Outfit Details:

vintage 1960s dress, vintage 1960s jacket {worn by my mum in secondary school}

vintage handbag, belt {thrifted}

knit stockings, shoes {target}

Do you have any pieces that were passed down from generations before you?  Do you wear them?

Want to see what photos didn't make it onto the blog?  Head on over to Facebook for a peek.

My Week According to Instagram

This week was pretty good, though it didn't end on such a positive note.  I came home from work last night after midnight and it was quite cold in my flat.  I looked at the thermostat and it read around 60 degrees Fahrenheit.  I turned the hot tap on and it just ran cold.  It was a miserable night's sleep.  Smudger and I were all bundled up in bed and still couldn't sleep well.  When I woke up this morning it cooled down to about 50 degrees (which is quite cold when the wind is howling)!  It was too much to bear.  Poor Smudgie was shaking like a leaf so we packed a few things up and went to my mum's house until the landlord refueled at our flat.

Thanksgiving ended up being quite nice, although a bit hectic.  Mum and I spent all day cooking and baking (me being the genius that I am, did it in high heeled booties).  It was really fun.  I enjoy cooking and baking but don't do it that often myself since I live alone and also work second shift.  It was just three of us for dinner but then my brother, his wife, and my nephew stopped by for desert.  After they left Mum and I watched a bit of a film called Love at the Thanksgiving Day Parade.  I've seen it already and it's a really cute movie.

1. Adorable vintage looking hand mirror from the Dollar Tree.

2. Handmade Christmas gift tags available here.

3. Gone With the Wind marathon on AMC.

4. Mummy holding me when I was a wee lass.

5. Thanksgiving day outfit; soaking up the sunlight.

6. Five homemade pies: 2 pumpkin, 1 lemon meringue, 1 apple, and 1 cran-apple.

7. The apple pie I made.  I love the lattice work.

8. Lemon meringue pie.

9. Misty waking up from her nap.

10. Thanksgiving before the feast begins.

11. Thanksgiving outfit again, including the jumper and handbag.

12. My partner in crime, my mummy.

I'm so excited for my next day off on Tuesday.  I'm going to be spending the day decorating my flat for Christmas.  I love decorating for the different holidays or just in general.  There's a house a few minutes away that is selling boughs from their pine trees so I'm going to get some, put a red ribbon on them, and hang them under each window.  I also got a great CD yesterday full of old Christmas music from artists such as Billie Holiday, Ella Fitzgerald, Bing Crosby, Louis Armstrong, and others.

When do you normally decorate for Christmas?

For Those I Am Thankful For

As we all know, this time of year, especially today, is the day to give thanks for everything in our lives that we are grateful for.  I'd like to share with you the things that I am grateful for.  This post is dedicated to those special people in my life that make everything worth while.

I am grateful for my family.  Though some members I don't have as close of a relationship with that I'd like to, I'm still hopeful that one day things may change around.  I am so thankful for the rekindling of relationships that have long gone neglected.  It means the world to me to be reconnected with my family from Maine.  Especially having Kathy and Karen in my life.  They are like the two aunts I never had.  Their contact in my life means so much.

I'm thankful for my friends who are there for me through thick and then.  They understand and accept me just the way I am.  Even though we are growing up and developing our own adult lives, I know who the ones are that will always be a special part of my life (you know who you are, Michelle and Sarah).

Me and Mum at the Renaissance Faire, 2011.

Harry and Ginny. Er...me and Steven.

Shelly and I at a Halloween party.

A rare Christmas where my siblings and I are all together.

Knowlton family reunion. I am so glad I know these people.

My dear Smudger; he is such a great companion.

My brother's wedding in Boston.

My best friends Michelle and Sarah.

I miss the sleepovers and laughs we used to share.

The best hairstylists out there. Erica, Tiff, me, and Amanda.

Karen, Mum, me, and Kathy at the Renaissance Faire this year.

I love these ladies.

My dear nephew Evan and I last Christmas.

Great Uncle Bud, gone but not forgotten.

Grandma Parker, missing you.

Grandma and Grandpa Beitler. I never knew him and I miss her desperately. I am so grateful for the time that I did have with her, even though it was very short.

My mummy and I.

The person in my life whom I am most thankful for is my mummy.  She has always been there for me and supported me through every mad whim.  She's always accepted me for who I am and let me coming into my own person without judgement.  She is my best friend, my mentor, my mother.  I am so grateful for our bond and I couldn't ask for anything more.  She means the world to me. 

What are you thankful for on this wonderful day of family, friends, food, and fun?  I wish you all a wonderful day of thankfulness and celebration.