And it was all yellow

I have spent a lot of time at this lake lately. Whenever I get free time from work or class, I just find myself driving those back roads to the park, through farm land and past dilapidated farms. It's like nothing can really, truly reach me when I'm there. 

I've been wanting to wear this outfit all spring, and actually envisioned the floral wreath to go with this dress. Yellow used to be my favorite color as a child, and I've been seeking it out to match my current landscapes. I had some difficulties taking photos on this dock -- the outer section floats and doesn't have a foundation, so I had to be super careful with my movements to prevent my camera from falling into the water!

credits - dress, target | shoes, talbots | hair wreath, diy. 

What the water gave me

This post is a direct result of listening to so much Florence Welch and Lana Del Rey this week -- now that it's spring, all I want to do is bust out the floral hair wreaths.  I tried explaining all of this to a friend earlier this week and he called me the ultimate hipster. Though I like things that are popular in the fashion blogosphere -- constructing elaborate photoshoots and  making hair wreaths, for instance -- I can't say that I aspire to embody certain stereotypes. I like what I like and, well, no apologies.

There's been a sense of urgency in my photography lately, since I've been revisiting all of my photo spots in anticipation of moving in a couple weeks. When I go, I spend a lot more time planning for the locations, hoping to make the most of the weather and my time, everything else be damned. Whenever I go to the usual spots, I sometimes run into bird watchers and ornithologists, armed with their cameras and binoculars to watch for the herons and other aviary. It's always a good omen to see these visitors at the park, because usually my photos turn out better whenever they're there. I'm not sure why my photos end up better, but I think it's because I'm there early enough to watch the sunrise and do some reflection photography. When I took these photos, I shared the dock with some very good-natured landscape photographers. I usually shy away from other people at the park whenever I'm there to take photos -- I don't like having to explain what I'm doing to everyone! So when the photographers came and saw me, they were pretty cool about it and apologized for interrupting. And though for different purposes, we stood on opposite sides of the dock, working in silence on our photography. I don't know if they wondered what I was working on, or cared, but it was nice to have kindred company for once.

credits - dress, vintage, agora | floral wreath, self made | shoes, talbots | ring, heirloom.

Gather ye rosebuds

I've been in a floral crown kinda mood lately. I bought some more floral tape and wire at Michael's a few weeks ago and have just been making a bunch for spring.  I'm not a cold weather person at all, and so working on a craft so associated with summer helps lift my mood. Though it's not quite time to wear them yet because it's so cold, here are just a few looks of mine in the past that have incorporated floral crowns ... 

Cotton candy

When Sway Chic, a California boutique line, contacted me about featuring one of their dresses, I had fun  perusing their quirky assortment of clothing and accessories that can be described as vintage with an easygoing West Coast vibe. Too often when shopping online it's hard to find vintage-style clothing at moderate prices, but Sway Chic provides an anecdote to that with an array of beautiful blouses, dresses and jackets that are inspired from previous eras but don't require decades of preservation. I ultimately chose the confectionery Sweet Pea dress, and it seemed like a perfect fit with the floral wreath I made a few weeks ago. Sway Chic is currently having a July 4th sale, so check it out -- I'm a fan of the animal print blouses and lace dresses (surprise, surprise).

credits - dress: c/o Sway Chic| floral wreath: diy (here's a tutorial)| shoes: Born Crown. 

The laughing tree

Now that summer is here, I've been catching up on my favorite television shows. "Game of Thrones" has provided a lot of fodder for my other blog this season, and I celebrated its finale last week by making a floral wreath inspired by the character Lyanna Stark. Because her character died before the events of the show's timeline, she hasn't appeared, but her actions in the overall book series have pushed the narrative forward. In the story about the mysterious "knight of the laughing tree," Lyanna accepts a wreath of blue roses. I made mine out of blue hydrangeas because the small flowers are easier to bend into floral wire.

What books or television shows are you enjoying right now?

credits: 

dress: giorgio kauten, vintage, thrifted | shoes: born crown | floral crown: diy (tutorial here).  

It blows away with the changing wind

Blouse: Gap; Skirt: Thrift find; 

Shoes: Born Crown; Hair wreath: diy. 

 I always feel like an extra in Florence and the Machine's "Rabbit Heart" video whenever I wear this hair wreath, but wearing flowers in my hair has always been a signal of summer and youthfulness to me. I wore a floral wreath during our wedding and I think my fascination with hair wreaths will continue even into old age. 

How was your week? I had an extended weekend because of the Memorial Day holiday, so I caught up on television (read my film blog here) and friends (like Krista!). Jeremiah and I celebrated our anniversary this week by relaxing with some barbecue food and toasting to another year of graduate school finished. 

Twist me a crown of wind-flowers

Dress: Forenza, thrifted, vintage; Belt: Loft;

Floral wreath: diy (tutorial here); Shoes: Born Crown.

Twist me a crown of wind-flowers; 

That I may fly away 

To hear the singers at their song, 

And players at their play. 

Put on your crown of wind-flowers: 

But whither would you go? 

Beyond the surging of the sea 

And the storms that blow. 

Alas! your crown of wind-flowers 

Can never make you fly: 

I twist them in a crown to-day, 

And to-night they die. 

- Christina Georgina Rosetti, "Twist me a crown of wind-flowers"

How all the changes came about my ways

 Dress: Ariella; Shoes: Born Crown;

 Floral wreath: Self-made (tutorial here).

Listening to: Nico, "These Days."

These photos by Jeremiah.

These days I've been catching up on things I've neglected -- laundry, blogging, writing, crafting. There wasn't much of a reprieve between finals and starting my May research class, but I am enjoying more free time now that I don't have a full load of classes, work, research and freelance projects. Jeremiah and I are both taking classes and working on research projects for most of this summer. I'm looking forward to June when I won't have anything on my schedule to tie me down to staying anywhere near campus.

It's been really hot lately, so I've been favoring very simple dresses like this one from Ariella. Because of its short length, I had relegated it to being a beach cover-up. Now, I've been wearing it around town because it still smells of sunscreen and sand, and it reminds me that there are oceans and beaches calling my name (hopefully soon!). 

Pantoned

Dress: Spense; Shoes: Born Crown;

 Floral hair wreath: self-made (here's a tutorial); Bracelet: Kohls, gift. 

So I've always been interested in how Pantone chooses which colors are the 'it' color for the year or season. It turns out, it's a much more intricate process than I had originally imagined (paint chips on a dartboard?) that draws upon different themes that have cropped up across cultural, geographic and economic patterns. This story from Slate goes straight to the palette source and the reporter sits in on a color committee meeting. The back-and-forth debate sounds interesting ("Everybody’s into white flowers at the moment ... there are definitely movements, even in flowers"), but slightly mystical to outsiders and subjective to those involved. Either way, it's intriguing to see which colors will dominate in retail decisions.

Here I am in a dress I've had for years, but the color is a close rendition of the on-trend color of the year: 17-1463, or Tangerine Tango. Of course, I didn't buy it intuiting that the color would be popular years later, but it remains interesting how colors and trends ebb and flow. 

I took these photos at the park, knowing full well that the green foliage would make the dress's hue pop even more -- but didn't anticipate how naturally saturated it would all look. Hooray for playing with the color wheel ...

The Yucatan peninsula

Dress Target; Shoes: Born Crown; Hair wreath: Self-made; Bag: Thrifted.

During our cruise, we explored a good bit of the Yucatan peninsula. On the first day, we went to Progreso and Merida, Mexico. Jeremiah's family hosted an exchange student from Mexico several years ago, so we met up with her and she showed us around her town. We visited Dzibilchaltun, and walked through the ancient Mayan ruins and cooled off in the cenote, a natural sinkhole for swimming. On the second day, Jeremiah and I explored Cozumel on our own and hung out at Ocean Beach for a few hours. My favorite part of the beach? Finding beautiful shells and rocks for my collection at home.