Summer Vacation Capsule Wardrobe. Part 2: Dressy

 

What kind of fanciness do you really want on your relaxing Summer vacation by the seaside? I would think, pretty much everyone agrees that as little fanciness as possible. And even though I love dressing up and casual everyday style isn't what tickles me the most,  and even though ideas of fantastically festive outfits were burning inside me, I still decided to choose more relaxing, more quiet outfits even when I wanted to look a little dressed-up. All I wanted - the old world charm, which is mostly in certain silhouettes and details. So here, in the 2nd (and final) part of my Summer Vacation capsule wardrobe posts, I will show my 3 fancy-ish vacation outfits created mostly from the same pieces I used for my casual outfits.
(Part 1 HERE.)

Summer Vacation Capsule Wardrobe. Part 1: Casual

It's been a while since we took a long vacation. By "long" I mean anything more than 3 days, really. We often take day trips, and a few times a year, 2-day or 3-day trips, but staying in a hotel more than that feels quite generous and even extravagant. We felt like we all needed a nice long break and a change of scenery, so one day, practically on a whim, we found ourselves booking a suite in one of our favorite destinations - Seaside, Oregon. We got lucky because in the middle of the peak season, less than 2 weeks ahead, we got the loveliest 1-bedroom suite on the 4th floor, overlooking river and ocean.  It had a full size kitchen, so a couple of times I prepared home meals, which saved us some money. We also had a washer and dryer in the room, which we used only once, but theoretically, we did not need to bring much clothes with us at all. We opted out of the daily cleaning service which also saved us some bucks. All in all, it's a wonderful option for a family. The hotel has a swimming pool and hot tub, offers free breakfast every morning and free happy hour every evening (wine and beer for adults, snack and drinks for kids). If you're looking for a place to stay in Seaside, OR, I can heartily recommend Rivertide Suites - check them out. And no, it isn't a sponsored post.

Midsummer Midlife Fun: Shorts

A short while ago, I showed you my first in probably a good 10 years pair of shorts (here). I admitted in that post that shorts were never my favorite garment, not even back when I was very young and yes, in better physical shape. But one thing that aging unmistakably changes for me is my level of self-acceptance.  I think like many of us, I was way, I mean waaaaay too hard on myself when I was younger. So many things don't seem to be such a big of a deal to me anymore. Now I wear jumpsuits, overalls, rompers, culottes and even shorts. I don't do it to rebel or seek for approval of anyone, or for any such reasons. I do it for one reason only, and it is to drop my own inner barriers, which is all that ever matters, really. And it feels liberating!

Today, I invited two of my dear blogging friends to join me in a fun collaborative link-up (or blog hop) where each of us would wear shorts to inspire women to feel free to wear either what used to intimidate them, or what they rejected as age (or size) "inappropriate". It can be anything really, as each of us has her own inner taboos. We wanted to show that we middle-aged women (or those approaching middle age), some delightfully plump, some having troubles accepting one or the other part of our changing bodies, not only can look good wearing those "taboo" garments, but truly feel wonderful wearing them! We invite you to join us! Let us all have a good time, middle age or not, shorts or not. Feel free to simply be yourself and enjoy it. The link-up is open for one week. Anyone is welcome to participate. Link your new or old posts, visit each other and have the best time!

There's a First Time for Everything + Fun Announcement

Hello my friends,

Before I go on sharing some photos from early Spring that I did not get to share with you yet (also, a fun announcement at the end of this post!), let me tell you what happened yesterday. It was a wonderful day - first of all, it is always joy to visit with Erica (my hair stylist), and this time it was even more fun because I took Anya with me. After the salon, I took Anya shopping for clothes for her, and as we were marching to the food court of our outlet mall, a woman came to me and said,

"I just wanted to tell you that I love your blog!"

What? That has never happened to me before! In almost 3 years of writing this blog, I have not met a reader, with the exception of my wonderful fellow bloggers (which is fantastic, though a little different). Meeting my blog reader Susan was a wonderful feeling, and she was so lovely to say that she feels that I write from the heart. Thank you so much! You've really made my day, and I will always treasure that. 

Twin Dresses

Have you, my friends, heard the story of twin dresses? 

No? 

Let me tell it to you then.

Valaam: Rare Treasure of Russia

On my random trips to thrift shops and antique malls, I from time to time stumble on some really unexpected treasures, like a genuine antique XIX century Russian brass samovar (I wrote about it on my FB page a short while ago) or this beautiful Russian Orthodox icon. I don't pretend to be an expert on any of these things - samovars, icons or antiques for that matter. But I am an enthusiastic learner and even more enthusiastic appreciator of such things. So if they are within my budget, I happily offer them my home and try to find out their story. 

Old World Charm with a Twist

This summer is much milder than we anticipated. I mean, compared to last year and the year before that, it's really very mild with temperatures in mid 60s to mid 70s, most days. I don't mind - I like weather like this, as long as we have some sunny days here and there, which we do. Besides, this summer started unexpectedly in late March, and during April and May we had some very hot days. I was so happy to find a few linen (or rather linen blend) items earlier this year, like this adorable set - a top and shorts. Yes, shorts. I am pretty sure this is the first time you see me in shorts, as I haven't worn them in years. They were never my most favorite item of clothing, somehow. I remember sewing two or three pairs of shorts when I was a teen and loved playing tennis ("You play beautifully, Natasha, but incorrectly," my instructor used to say). I probably had shorts for the first few years in America too, just because they are so common here, and my first few summers in the Midwest were really hot. After that, for at least 10 years, I don't think I wore shorts. 

So here is my take on this popular summer outfit - I could not resist this charming ensemble, could I?