Bonjour

French countryside, that's what Justin named this outfit. On a gray rainy day it seemed almost like an escape to a far away romantic place...countryside...maybe in France...and maybe even in a different century. Considering that it was raining cats and dogs all day, such a soft-colored and lighthearted outfit might seem inappropriate to some. Wouldn't it be much more practical to wear a raincoat and wellies of a sensible dark color? Yes, it would. But I am with such style icons as late Lynn Dell, one of the brightest stars of the wonderful blog Advanced Style (and the inspiring documentary under the same name) who used to say, "I dress up every day for the theater of my life." Or, as another style icon and my beloved blogging friend Vix says, "Dress for the life you want, not the life you have." 

Whether Vix realizes it or not, in this very phrase she declares one of the cornerstone principles of creativity. To imagine is to experience. To imagine is to create. Imagination is one of the greatest (and still very much undiscovered and unused!) tools that's given to us all. Children know it. Animals know it (just watch a cat playing - what is it if not imagination?). Artists, creatives, scientists, inventors and mystics know it. Whatever we think about, becomes our reality, and from that perspective, each of us has a powerful potential to be a visionary and create the life that we want - first, in our imagination, then, if we believe strongly enough in our own vision, it becomes our reality. I'm sure each of us experience it, sometimes in small ways, other times in big, life-changing ways - I know I do.

And even though today I walked under raining gray skies on the streets of Seattle, some day I know I will be walking somewhere in charming villages and lavender fields somewhere in the French countryside. To imagine is to experience. To imagine is to create.

My sweater is another purchase from the Prabal Gurung for Lane Bryant collaboration (you can see the cape from that collab in my previous post HERE). I really fell in love with this piece the first time I saw it on the Lane Bryant website. The colors turned out to be much cooler in real life, and I did have my doubts as to whether I should keep it or send it back. Before making the final decision, I wanted to find the ways to style it with the items from my existing wardrobe. I played with my stuff, and found at least a couple of options I was happy with. This skirt (shown previously in FEBRUARY 2017) became just a perfect companion! The irony of it is, I've always loved the skirt, but did not have many ways to style it before. Sometimes, outfits need time to "cook", so they can present us a wonderful feast one day.

So even though the skirt and sweater aren't my ideal colors, I am head over heels in love with this ensemble, and the rainy city of Seattle did not mind at all to greet the French countryside today.

Slouchy sweater - Prabal Gurung for Lane Bryant

Boots - Born via Nordstrom Rack (Summer splurge)

Camel hat - Chico's (sale)

The rest things are remixed, old and well-loved:

Skirt - ModCloth (old)

Necklaces and earrings - mixture of old purchases and vintage finds

Green hat - Charlotte Russe (old)

Not shown here - old coat and umbrella for a rainy day

Linking with Patti's Visible Monday

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SUPERSEAL, our new bilingual book, is coming in 2017!

Illustration by Andrei Lialin

Find our books at

AMAZON or INDIE BOOKSELLERS 

in Seattle, Tacoma, Federal Way, Washington

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