Back to September

Hello my dear friends and readers,

November has been a busy month so far, and to tell the truth I haven't even taken any new outfit photos yet. But I still have some unposted outfits from the past months, and why not use the power of our imagination, and instead of documenting what's happening right now, get into a time machine to travel a couple of months back?

 I adore this maxi dress. It is designed by Melissa McCarthy who used to have her own shop where she was selling her unique and quite recognizable designs, of which I own a few. But as of lately, her business is put on hold, as I understand, due to some disagreements with the management. I do hope that Melissa will find another way to do business in the near future - I've been always looking forward to her new collections. 

This dress, I found at a Goodwill Boutique over a year ago. If you're not familiar with the concept of Goodwill boutiques, check out your area - I heard of three nearby, but visited only one in Proctor, Tacoma. It is a smaller, well lit and organized, very welcoming little shop, with items that are only in great condition or even brand new, as is the case with this dress. I paid less than $20 for it (while the original price was closer to $150).

I remember seeing this dress on Melissa's website and admiring the beautiful floral pattern, but I had doubts about the dusty rose color. I've always loved this shade of pink, but I wasn't sure whether it would suit me. But I think that thanks to the large flowers in bold colors, it suits me just fine. The dress was also a size smaller than I usually would choose, but again, it fit me to a T, which is another confirmation that we shouldn't stick to preconceived ideas of what will or won't fit our bodies and our styles, and there is always room for experiments.

It was a sunny, but breezy weekend in late September, when Justin and I went on a walk along the shore and ended up at the local theatrical production (shout out to Tacoma Little Theatre!). So I paired my dress with a warm, but flowy reversible poncho, which offers many ways to wear it. (Previously shown in MARCH 2017 with another floral dress; in JANUARY 2017 with a fringed suede skirt; in OCTOBER 2016 with overalls; and in FEBRUARY 2016 with super trendy this season leopard print.) 

So what I've been up to these days? Oh so many things, really. We've been working on an evening exercise routine as a family, for the last couple of months. It goes really well, and I quite literally feel how step by step I build up my stamina (if you're interested to learn more about my experience, let me know in the comments, I'd be glad to share in the future posts). Ever since we set the clocks back a week ago, I felt challenged though. I really didn't think that it would affect me directly - after all, I don't have to get up early or at any particular time. But it did, and in the evenings I felt completely exhausted. It was also a busy week because we were cleaning/organizing the house, and I have finally switched my wardrobe to the Fall/Winter season. Typically, I do it in October, this year I'm a bit late. I haven't completed it yet, but the biggest chunk is done. I used vacuum storage bags for the first time, and I happily report that they do save a lot of space, so if you live in a smaller house, like we do, give them a try (I think I was able to shrink my summer dresses 3 times or more).

There are more things going on, but I will end my post here for now. Just a couple words about the purse I'm holding here. It's a faux leather purse which stole my heart with its delicate flowers when we traveled in Oregon last Spring. I bought it in a small shoe boutique on a blustery day in Cannon Beach, OR, and now it will always remind me of our trip.

Dress - thrifted Melissa McCarthy (brand-new via Goodwill)

Poncho - Pendleton (old)

Shoes - Dansko (last year)

Bracelet - Lane Bryant (old)

Purse - via boutique in Oregon

Clip-on earrings - vintage 

Linking with Visible Monday

and Tina's Pink Friday