Summer Patchwork and Back to Who We Are

Just as quilt makers collect various scraps and fabric pieces which may or may not end up being a part of a quilt, as a style blogger I am also left with a variety of "scraps" - pictures of my outfits which were sometimes created purposefully and thoughtfully, with an intention to become a "quilt" - a post about a particular ensemble; while other times happened almost unintentionally, randomly, on the way to an event (or sometimes at the event), with very limited time and/or lighting for a decent photo shoot. I collect such picture "scraps", Justin's photographs of my outfits (my form of art) and from time to time combine them to create a post-quilt with all those lovely scraps... And so I've done with this post, showcasing 5 outfits which will tell you a few more stories of my Summer. Many pictures and words!

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Red Dress

Most of these clothing items you have seen before, just like this dress (JULY 2018), but combined with my Russian platok (one of a dozen in my collection) it takes on a very different personality, don't you think? I wore it to see Romeo and Juliet, a wonderful performance at the beautiful Bloedel Reserve located on Bainbridge Island (I wrote a post about this unique garden HERE. More posts about parks and gardens we love HERE).

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Double Embroidery

For the next outfit, I've only got one picture - but it's a memorable one! When I say "I am a writer and storyteller", what's usually left behind is...my whole family are writers and storytellers! Each of us has our own interests and focus, but the essence of what we love doing is indeed storytelling. And as such, we participated in a couple of free workshops that PowellsWood Garden Storytelling Festival gifted us. Unfortunately, the festival was cancelled this year (it would have been the 7th year for it in PowellsWood, the intimate and beautiful Northwest garden, located in the city of Federal Way), but we are looking forward to next year's festival! We absolutely loved our fellow storytellers, both teachers and students of the workshops, and on the photo below you can see my daughter and I with two of four Santa Clauses in our group! (Yep, real deal, no fake Santas there! I can attest - I've seen the driver's license!) 

The embroidered pants I wore in this old post - AUGUST 2017.

The two workshops were taught by Milbre Burch of Kind Crone and Sherry Norfolk. Both were just fantastic, and if you are interested in storytelling as an art-form - I highly recommend to look up these performers and educators. One of the most valuable lessons from Sherry was about confidence: "Don't worry about yourself. You are just a messenger." As a storyteller, as well as writer, or any kind of artist really, we put confidence in our message rather than in ourselves - we are confident in the story that we want to tell, in the ideas that we are passionate about! That was exactly how I felt for years when I did storytelling and all sorts of cultural, educational and community work bringing the Russian speaking community together - I was so on fire with my ideas that, to my own surprise, I really didn't worry about myself! 

What we truly love and care about is so infinitely bigger than our ego, 

that it allows us forget our worries! 

I've been doing this work since 2009, and after a much needed hiatus which I took to take care of my family and myself, I wrote and published four beautiful bilingual children's BOOKS, to which you, my friends and readers, were witnesses for the past couple of years, and I am very grateful for your love and support! And now I am eager to share my books with kids and their parents, as well as restart my story time program. The first one is coming very, very soon, this Saturday, August 18, 2018! (See the poster with all the details at the end of my post.) 

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Fruit Print

Back to my outfits. This summery dress, I bought at eShakti, with a huge discount this past Winter. It was made to my measurements, out of cotton, has a little stretch to the fabric, and fits me like a glove. I love the watermelon pattern and refreshing colors, and wear this dress quite a lot. Often, I pair it with my recently thrifted coral denim jacket (previously shown HERE), in fact, I wore this combination with some different accessories just yesterday. The beauty of the Pacific Northwest Summer is that even on the hottest day, it cools down a lot by the evening, especially here by Puget Sound, so it is always a good idea to bring a jacket (or a cardigan, or a shawl) with you, no matter how hot it seems. You probably recognized this location by the Knutzen Family Theater where our community enjoyed wonderful live theater by the Centerstage! Theatre, as well as other performers for many, many years. In fact, Knutzen was a synonym for Centerstage for so many of us, and even when you google Knutzen Theater in Federal Way, the link will bring you to the Centerstage! page... But it won't be the case as of the new 2018-2019 season. Unfortunately, the theater will be moving out soon and is looking for a new home now. It was such a privilege to have you here, and my family (even though we are not residents of Federal Way) have been your patrons for many years. I wrote about some of our favorite family performances here: DECEMBER 2017 and DECEMBER 2014. I also featured the beautiful park by the Knutzen Theater recently HERE and in my old post in JULY 2016.

  

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Blue Dress

Another impromptu July photo shoot. I wore this wonderful dress by Teresa Maccapani Missoni, made of lightest cotton, with gorgeous sealife lace detail, to an important appointment up in Seattle. You can see details of the design in my old post here - JUNE 2017. I felt both put together and office-appropriate,  and at the same time true to myself while also staying cool on a hot day. For accessories, I chose mother-of-pearl earrings and raffia clutch (both thrifted). The only thing you will probably not see anymore on my blog is this pair of orange wedges. Don't get me wrong - I love them, and they are very comfortable! I was wearing them on some happy evening back in July, strutting the streets while having a lively conversation with Justin...when I suddenly fell down.  It all happened so quickly that we both were rather shocked. I don't know whether it was an uneven pavement, or my ankle somehow made a twisty twist, who knows. I had a significant scrape on my knee, but everything else was well and sound, except for these wedges - they are damaged irreparably I think. Oh well, time to look for new shoes, I guess!

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Gingham on Gingham

I believe that at this point, I showed you all outfits from July, nothing is left in store, and finally, the only outfit I shoot in August is this. You have probably seen this cotton skirt in my old post in MAY 2018 - and by the way, you can see the clutch from this and previous outfit in that post too. Both the skirt and the top are from Target (the top was on clearance for only $7). Gingham on gingham! I added plastic earrings (vintage from Goodwill I think) and a floppy hat for even more bohemian vibe.

That's all about my Summer so far, darling friends! Let me know what outfit was your favorite, and share with me what a Russian storyteller looks like in your opinion! I have my own ideas what to wear to my very first event, but I am curious and would love to hear from your too! Speaking of the first event, in the flyer below you will find all the necessary information for those of you who live locally and would like to come and celebrate world cultures. Join us! Bring a friend or two! Spread the word about this event! I would love to meet you!

My grandmother, Antonina "Tonya" Lialina, 

my brother Andrei Lialin, (age 7) and me (age 2) in 1975.

Andrei is the illustrator of all OUR BOOKS and designer of our WEBSITE.

I feel deeply rooted in my family and my childhood. To me, my childhood is the definition of my native culture... My grandma, babushka Tonya, would have turn 100 years this year. Born in 1918, one of the hardest years in Russia, she as a young child growing in a large farmer's family, did not have an opportunity to get a proper education. Little redhead Tonya with adorable freckles all over her face, barely learned how to read, and after a year in school had to help her family with household work and raising her younger siblings. Two of them are still alive! Olga is in her 90s now - she lives in Kazakhstan with her children and grandchildren, and until just recently she lived in her own house and did most of the work herself, including growing a vegetable garden. Babushka's youngest brother Tikhon is in his late 80s and lives with his family in the Ural Mountains region of Russia. Their family came from a village near the Vyatka River which is in Central Russia. Babushka spoke Northern dialect of the Russian language which sounds quite different from the literary Russian, and all of her life Tonya was sure that Siberia is NOT Russia. (She moved to Siberia with her husband in the 1950s (Misha, their oldest son and my father, was only 11 y.o. then.) 

My Dad, Andrei, me, babushka Tonya and my Mom at our apartment. Babushka lived with her two other children in a small town on Angara River, but used to spend a few months with us every couple of years or so. 

I think I am 7 or 8, and Andrei is 11 or 12 here (early 1980s)

My Grandma would've been happy seeing her granddaughter on the stage 40 years since she had to sit through many a performance back in the 1970s, when I was about four and my auntie Lida's floral mini dress looked like a maxi on me, and I would come out of a heavy, velvety, cherry red table skirt, as if it was a stage curtain, read poems and dance for my family, and made them clap their hands. I guess we don't change all that much, eh?

If you pay attention, you will see my name in the list of the performers. 

Linking with all the ladies of  the wonderful Patti's Visible Monday

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