Thursday, March 27, 2014

Weekend Dress


Last weekend, Justin and I took a trip, as usual, to a couple of small towns northeast of where we live. The pier on which I stand in this photo very well could be the longest wooden pier in the whole state, and the houses behind me are the cutest little community called Indianola, which started as a community of summer homes and is now a census-designated place with its own post office (again, probably one of tiniest in the state, if not the whole country) and a club house.


Typically, I wear some kind of comfortable pants for our road trips. But this time, for some reason, I decided to pack a couple of my maxi dresses, a couple of my jackets and a couple of comfy and stylish flats. I was at ease during the whole trip. My outfits felt super comfortable, surprisingly even more comfortable than pants, and stylish, feminine and sensual at the same time. For breezy mornings, I just wore my green ASOS utility jacket which goes beautifully with pretty much anything and makes any outfit modern in an instant.

Even though I love vibrant colors, I also love quiet hues - like this heather grey dress. I do not wear such hues very often, but I definitely understand their calming appeal. I think I look like an organic part of this part of the world on a cloudy day like last Saturday. In my outfit, there is something from the forest, and something from the grey sky, and something from the sun trying get through the clouds. But I couldn't resist adding brights to it, and brought my Spring-like green flowery purse and a hand painted scarf with me.


You can find plenty of waterfront communities similar to Indianola all around Puget Sound. When we first arrived in Washington, we lived in a small community in a very similar setting. It is by far my most favorite kind of living to date. We rented a tiny cabin right on the shore, where we spent three challenging, yet very happy years of our life. A winding woodsy trail would take us down a very steep hill right to our cabin. It is where 4 year old Anya once said when I took off without waiting for Justin and her, "Mama, wait! There might be wild animals there! And you are just a little human girl!" It's amazing what's going on in the minds of children. We tend to think of them as little and somehow less knowledgeable compared to us, and in a practical sense, they are. But there are too many times when my little daughter would make me feel like she is my mother; not in a funny overprotecting kind of sense, but in the deeply touching way one soul can love and understand another soul.


The shoes are new, discounted at Nordstrom Rack (my favorite place for shoe shopping in the last few months). Very comfortable, lightweight, and I adore the print! Oh, they also are a bit shimmery which is always a good thing! :)

What makes a soft, free flowing and cozy cotton maxi dress a really good choice for travel is the fact that you can add (and remove) as many layers underneath as you want to for warmth and comfort. Think a camisole, T-shirt, leggings or tights, even an underskirt (I will admit that I have never thought about it as a layer for warmth, but after one discussion online I realized that it sure can add some extra coziness to a damp day). 




We are surrounded by two gorgeous mountain chains here, in the Puget Sound area (which help our mild climate). Here you can see the Olympic mountains in all their glory.


We came back to a lovely village which I have already shown in my blog a few times - remember my Washington Secrets not so long ago? It is one little area of Bainbridge Island called Lynnwood Center. I don't think many people know about it. I don't even want to advertise it much - I just love to have it to ourselves, yes, I am that selfish. :) But you are friends, so here you are. Now it's yours too! Isn't it adorable? Have you ever seen anything quite like it? I admire the attention to every little detail the architects of this place put into their project. It's not even a project when it is so obviously inspired - it is a labor of love.











We also went to movies again. This time, you wouldn't believe it, we watched... a cartoon! When did you guys watch a cartoon last time? I mean, a grown up cartoon? I don't think I ever did! There are cartoons which are made so brilliantly for all ages that we watch as a family, indeed. I also watched quite a few short cartoons for adults. But it was probably the very first two hour long adult cartoon I have ever seen. In case you will want to give it a try, I will not tell you what it was about. But I will tell you that it was an absolutely surprising subject, beautifully done. And also that I was happy that it was a subject which I knew Justin would appreciate, and he was worried that I would be bored to watch a cartoon about this subject. :) And now, when I got you totally confused and hopefully a little intrigued, I will leave you with a poster. Don't read reviews! Just get yourself and your spouse or a friend tickets and go to the movies! :)


Maxi dress - Old Navy (also worn here and here). Golden jacket - Chico's. Green jacket - ASOS. Shoes - Born. Purse - Nicole Lee. Batik scarf from Russia. Jewelry - gifts, boutique finds.

Locations: Indianola and Bainbridge Island. 

18 comments:

  1. Looks like a lovely day and a beautiful place! You two are doing great on your pictures. They tell an interesting story. beautiful casual outfit and the olive tones compliment your coloring beautifully. Your shoes are adorable. Children can be so wise as you have conveyed in this story.

    blue hue wonderland

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    1. I really appreciate your comment, Ann! You know that I love your blog, your artistic vision and your photography, so it means a lot coming from you. Justin works so much on my blog with me - it is too a labor of love for us. :) And we both are storytellers indeed, so thank you for your very insightful comment!

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  2. It looks like a lovely weekend trip! What a beautiful little town. You look great in the soft colours and I love how you combined the sneakers with the maxi dress. Perfectly practical and yet also elegant and stylish. I love that scarf! What pretty colours. I don't have too much luck with maxi dresses, or most dresses actually since the waistband usually hits me in the wrong place, so I wear maxi skirts instead. I am intrigued by the movie. Our town usually only gets the Hollywood blockbusters so I will have to wait and see that movie on netflix.
    xo

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    1. Thank you, Shawna! I bet this scenery look soooo familiar to you - it's only a few miles away from your home. :)
      Maybe you could experiment with this Old Navy dress, they usually have them in a variety of colors and in both regular and tall sizes. I think I paid about $15 on sale (which they have regularly on their web). I am really happy with these dresses. I know it's not easy to find just the right fit on mass market since we all are built so differently. :) It's funny that I haven't thought about these shoes as sneakers, but you are right - they are! :)

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  3. You do suit a maxi, Natalia, you look super tall and leggy. My friend Krista swear by Nordstrom for fabulous shoes, she was showing off her latest crazy bargains when we Skyped last night!
    Indiaola, what a wonderful place name. Lynwood looks very quaint and rather European. xxx

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    1. Indianola sounds just as pretty as Pondicherry, doesn't it? :)

      I was surprised to find out (literally last night) that Krista lives in Portland. I though she is a British girl! I suppose we are talking about the same Krista. :) I haven't read her blog yet, just saw her photos and comments on yours blog and on Curtise's as well. All my shoes lately were from Nordstrom Rack (which is a discounted division of Nordstrom) including your favorites by J Campbell. I usually don't pay more than $30 to $40 for a pair. I consider it a bargain! The most expensive ones were Italian made booties, and they were more than 50% off as well.

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  4. You look so good in a maxi dress, Natalia, and that one is the perfect quiet background for the vibrant colours of your bag, hair and nails, and the soft pretty scarf. You have the most glorious scenery around you (look at those mountains!) and the little village you visited is adorable. As always, Justin takes amazing photos of you (especially in close up).
    How sweet that little Anya was concerned about your safety in the wild woods! I am an urban kind of girl (countryside is lovely to visit but I don't want to live there!) so I am impressed with your happy memories of cabin-dwelling in a small community. xxxx

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    1. I am so glad that you mentioned this close up, Curtise. I am picky sometimes and had my doubts about this one. I know that both Justin and Anya really like it. :)

      I am afraid I gave a bit wrong impression about the community where we lived. It is all a part of a pretty big urban area. But Seattle/Tacoma is different sort of urban area because of the Sound. We lived in a small community of beach houses (15 to 20 I think) and it felt like miles away from the civilization. The sounds of waves and seagulls were all we could hear there. It was truly amazing! But up the hill, there was this regular town life with neighborhoods, stores etc. So it wasn't like we really lived in the middle of nowhere. I am also an urban kid. I prefer living in a small town near big city - have the best of both worlds. :)

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  5. This is close to the views we had in Victoria when we lived there. So lovely to have both the mountains and the ocean. Your weather is looking very lovely and I am totally jealous.

    I adore animated features. I love all kinds of animation. Also they usually have the best story lines.

    I LOVE that scarf!

    bisous
    Suzanne

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    1. Thank you, Suzanne! I did not know that you used to live in Victoria. There are so many of us, Northwest folks here! :) I love the mild climate here. I am sure you know exactly what I am talking about. Toronto is not as harsh as Siberia is, but pretty tough too, especially this winter. So glad that it is over for you!

      I'd be interested to hear your impression about the movie!

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  6. The Olympia Mountains are incredible! what a view! I do enjoy 'travelling' with you and seeing the wonderful places you visit - of course you look as gorgeous as ever! the maxi and the shimmering gold jacket look amazing on you, it's flat shoes for me when I'm out and about too (I fall over a lot hehe!) beautiful pics and Hello to Justin! x x x

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    1. It's fun to take you traveling with us, Sandra! :) Justin says hello back! :)

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  7. I love this post. You can tell you're a writer, Natalia. I love that your outfit matches the natural surrounding. Living in a cabin on the water sounds so romantic, yet rugged. And yes, you are so right about the wisdom of the young. For some reason, maybe a carry-over from the seen-not-heard generation, we think that children can't understand or think. I'm already amazed at the learning and comprehension capacity of a 10-month old. I'm sure he will teach me many valuable lessons as time goes by! Thanks for sharing these lovely photos of your weekend away. Xo

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    1. Kids are amazing, there is so much to learn (or remember as we were kids too not so long ago :) ) from them, we just need to listen... Yes, that period of our life was definitely both romantic and rugged (I love this word, thank you for it). Thank you for compliments of my writing, it means A LOT to me! :)

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  8. Hello Natalia! You make me feel cooler than I deserve by thinking I'm in the UK:). I just follow so many of those cool Brit chicks:). Nice to meet you! Vix was just telling me about you last time we Skyped. We are neighbors, don't we live in a gorgeous area. I'll be reading what your up too for sure as I'd love to explore more of WA. Your maxi makes me wish I was wearing it right now, so cozy and your purse is a perfect bright reminder it's spring! I too usually go for crazy bright but I have loved wearing gray this winter, a first for me. Looking forward to getting to know you darling!
    Xxxxxxoooooo

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    1. Yay! We met at last! :) Thank you for your kind words, Krista!
      I am a moody person, and I pick colors which either reflect my mood or help me to create a mood I want to be in. :) Something like that. :) I love warm grays, though I don't have many in my wardrobe. But I just found myself getting more into it.

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  9. This is a great post, and I love your weekend away look - stylish and with comfy shoes.

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    1. I was truly surprised that maxi dress can be so comfy! No wonder our dearest fashionistas Curtise and Vix wear maxi dresses so often!

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