Fish and Butterflies, and Life Updates

While Seattleites, Tacomans and their neighbors are experiencing a heatwave here and now, let me take you a week back in time when we were still in the mild mid 60s F with some raindrops thrown in for good measure here and there. Such weather was perfect to take my fish dress for another outing - so she wouldn't feel abandoned after her trip to Washington DC last month... besides, I promised you then to talk about my travel wardrobe! (HERE)

The dress is by Eloquii, from their last year Spring/Summer collection. I think it's sold out by now, but if you're looking for a fun, bold, fashion forward and a little unexpected plus size dress, I highly recommend you to look at their site. It's been one of my favorite PS brands for the last couple of years. This dress boasts a whimsical print, colors and wonderful details. I love the row of little buttons up front, and the high elasticized collar which sometimes I wear open. I chose it for my plane trip because it's modest enough for an official setting, yet far from boring, and additional bonuses - it is extremely lightweight, takes very little room when folded (we only had carry-on baggage with us) and practically does not wrinkle at all. The dress always gets compliments and the good kind of attention, I think the colorful fish are just irresistible and really unexpected!

As luck would have it, I had just the right accessories for this unusual dress! The enamel fish earrings were thrifted, and an obi-inspired belt I have had for ages, though I don't think I have worn it before. To tell the truth, I've never been a fan of belts (though I admit that a belt can elevate style) - I find them stifling in the long run, so I took this belt off almost as soon as I finished pictures. 

 Just yesterday, we celebrated Father's Day here in the US, and I posted about the main men in my life, my golden boys as I call them, on my Instagram and Facebook. Sometimes, we get so tangled up with our everyday life that we forget about what's really important - not to blame ourselves, because for most of us it's a natural tendency to take what's good in our life for granted. That's why such holidays matter - they can help us stop and think, not as in remembering, but rather as in feeling the appreciation for the love that we have. I am quite a thoughtful and sensitive person, but I too sometimes "forget" to be appreciative. But there is plenty to be grateful for! I am extremely blessed with these most wonderful men - my father Mikhail, my grandfather Aleksei, my brother Andrei and my one and only true love Justin, all of whom are wonderful fathers. I think that the deep sense of peace that I carry within comes from these four exceptionally rare men. I posted a little piece of writing in their honor yesterday, but each of them deserves a book dedicated to them.

Let's see, what else was happening in our household lately. First of all, it's finally the end of another school year. Anya got straight As for her grades, top 2 in her class. Smart kid! On the other hand, after a year in art school, she is not sure she wants to continue her education there, which came as a bit of a shock to us, I must admit, after all these years focusing on arts and creativity, but it's her life, and she really is a bright and multifaceted person who can thrive in any field of her choice - we are confident about it. But first, Summer break! All I want to do this summer, to spend more time outdoors, taking full advantage of our Washington State Parks Discover Pass, and reorganizing the house. Speaking of which... Justin and I got some new bookshelves much needed for his extended book collection, and we're trying to reorganize some home space, with enthusiastic help from our cats. I know that IKEA gets a bad rep sometimes, but for us, with our budget and rather nomadic lifestyle, it works fine. This bookcase is from their Hemnes series - made of solid pine, with a country feel to it, and the white stain really brightens up our cozy, but a tad too dark cottage, and mixed with a few vintage pieces, it looks rather charming in our old place.

I'm becoming quite an accomplished home cook if I may say so myself. I'm not professional, and I would never want to be (though, a thought of writing a cook book did cross my mind once or twice), but I love learning and experimenting, and with time, all these experiments accumulate into knowledge and experience. My newest achievement is the perfection of Indian inspired cauliflower curry.

On the writing news, I gifted my books to children in a small village in Botswana, Africa, and it feels almost unreal! I wrote about it HERE (in English and Russian). It isn't an accomplishment as such, no need to congratulate me or anything, but rather an exciting adventure on which my writing journey took me completely unexpectedly! I rarely share my writing news with you, but another little development is that I started rewriting one of my old stories which felt like a dead-end for a long time, and yet one morning I woke up with a glimpse of an idea, and wrote the whole day without stopping (which is a writer's dream, really). 

It's becoming increasingly easier to find our books! There are even more online sources available, including Amazon (in a few different countries and continents); Barnes & Noble; Thrift Books, etc. We also continue working with independent local bookshops. More about the unique, beautiful and soulful children's books which I work on in collaboration with my amazing creative team - my brother Andrei and my husband Justin - HERE.

The weather got significantly hotter in the last couple of days (90 F today), so I ironed a few summer dresses and such - you can see the theme forming here, can't you? I really don't know how it happened - I definitely did not plan it consciously. It's a mix of old, new and newly thrifted which I plan to mix and match for fun outfits all summer long!

No more words - straight to the pictures of the second part of my rainy day outfit. I guess the kind of Japanese vibe (obi belt, fish in koi pond...) made me think of this thrifted knitted coat (or cardigan) in minimalistic lines. And somehow I thought of the yellow umbrella, and then butterflies (thrifted pins) landed on my shoulder, with a soft whisper of a new story...

Sparkly shoes on my feet - and I was out the door for a day of IKEA adventuring! I know that it will seem too much for some fashion lovers, but I'm a storyteller and adventurer, and this unexpected mix is just right for me!

Dress - Eloquii (last year)

Cardigan/coat, enamel earrings and pins - thrifted via Goodwill

Clutch - thrifted via ThreadUp

Shoes (by AGL), umbrella, obi belt - old

Glasses - Christian Siriano for Lane Bryant (old)

Linking with Visible Monday

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