granny style, but i love it.

so, i caved.  i thought i stood firmly against midi skirts - not because i didn't like them, but because i wasn't convinced i could pull them off on my 5'2" frame - but it turns out i was only firm until i found one that fit well.  is it the best cut or style for me?  i don't know, but with a great floral print, and a price tag of a massive $3, i knew this baby was going to be mine.

shirt: h&m (i actually typed shit at first, but luckily i caught myself) // skirt: vintage/thrifted // sandals: aldo // bag: vintage/thrifted

i also have two other vintage midi skirts that i originally got with the intention of hemming up to knee length (but actually getting around to alterations can take anywhere from a week to 6 years), but after wearing this skirt and realizing that unlike shorter skirts, midi skirts aren't at all dangerous or pervert magnets on windy days, i think i'm going to keep them just like they are!

also, EXCITING NEWS!!!  if you didn't win the watercolor portrait i gave away last week, you needn't worry, because HERE'S ANOTHER GIVEAWAY!  beca was sweet enough to host a giveaway for a custom pet portrait on her blog, so if you haven't entered yet, be sure to go do it because it ends tomorrow!  and speaking of giveaways, i'll be having one here tomorrow, so be sure to come back and see what you could win!

stolen from a friend: an outfit post

i'm as big a fan of stripes and florals as i am of richard simmons nutella on bagels, and with spring just a split second away, i want to wear a floral print every day! my good friend beca posted pictures of what she wore (and i wish she'd do it more often) the other week and i instantly fell head over heels in love with her outfit. so naturally i stole it, sort of.

sweater: target, dress: vintage/thrifted, belt: came with a dress, shoes: old navy, necklace: i made it

so i didn't exactly copy her look, but if i could get my hands on a twin cardigan and skirt i would have. seeing her cardigan though reminded me that i had this striped one just hanging in the closet not being used (the tags were still attached). i got it a year or more ago with a gift card but never wore it because i always thought it didn't looked right. and then beca posted pictures. it's amazing what a little inspiration can do for a lack of imagination!

also, i love that second picture! right as the picture was being taken chris held flojo in front of the lens, and i just love that she's in focus and getting the attention, because she's so pretty!

stripes, flowers, and bear hair: an outfit post

when getting ready for work, two things happen: first i pull out a ton of clothes because it's fun to mix and match and try to wear things differently than last time. second: i look at what i put on and ask myself, "what sort of jokes will my clients make at my expense?" the answer to that question used to scare the hell out of me, which in turn put the same boring, predictable outfits on repeat week after week. now, if i think they'll tell me it looks like i'm wearing old curtains, i got dressed in the dark, or i look - as i was told when i wore this last friday - like a schizophrenic sailor, then i consider it a success!

wooden sunglasses: c/o tumbleweeds, silk sweater: halston (thrifted for $3!!!), floral blouse: target, cropped pants: old navy, wedges: target

i was so happy with this sweater when i founded i may have screamed. i couldn't wait to wear it, and since the weather has been exceptionally pleasant (meaning i don't have to wear a coat) i was happy to be able to wear it without it being covered up! now, back to jokes being made at my expense. my client made comments about my blouse, the tie on it, the length of my pants, the style and color of my shoes, and my pattern mixing. had i been the old danielle, i would have made up an excuse to rush out, then i would have cried as i drove away. the new and improved danielle listens (a little bit), but smiles and tells the person that life is too short not to have fun and be yourself. and i mean it. it gets people nowhere to laugh at or make fun of someone else, but it gets you everywhere when you have confidence and enjoy something as small as playing dress-up as an adult!

to elaborate a little further on having confidence, i still have a long way to go in other areas, but as far as clothes go, while i'm obviously not starting any new trends or doing anything groundbreaking, i've stepped out of my comfort zone of dressing to please others, and started doing what i like regardless of what my overly-opinionated male clients think. and you know where this sudden boost of confidence came from? blogging. getting positive feedback from so many amazing readers has helped more than you can imagine, and looking at other blogs with outfit and style posts has reminded me that clothes can be just another medium with which to create. it's reassuring seeing other bloggers in small towns (that are, like mine, filled with closed minds) making a statement, thinking outside of the box, and showing that it's okay to be yourself no matter who may stare. so for that, i thank you!

what's bear hair? kona, who is lovingly called bear hair thanks to the fact that labs blow their coats a couple times a year leaving me in black cloud of dog fur, is always nearby watching me take pictures, and since he doesn't make many appearances on my blog, i figured i'd give him a little extra attention include him so i can brag about how handsome he is!

and one last thing: toni of lost cabin vintage was kind of enough to include me in her meet the maker series here!

paper from the past

I wouldn't say I'm a big wallpaper person, in fact I'm quite the opposite (especially when it comes to the bright, bold monstrosities I remember from childhood homes), but there's something about the delicate colors and patterns of vintage 9or vintage inspired) and antique wallpaper that I just love. For example...

images via flickr

Sometimes I think maybe I'd like a wallpapered room in my house, but it would have to be a bathroom since I'm leery of prints and patterns. If I did any wallpaper though, I'd want it to be a large pastel pattern with flowers or leaves, and birds of course, like the first picture! So what do you think? Do you have any wallpaper in your house?

Also, I must tell you about my love of lambs. I've been begging Chris for years to let me have a donkey and a lamb, otherwise this farmland will just go to waste (that's what I tell him, at least). Well obviously I'm sans lamb and donkey, but yesterday on our way home from Culpeper we went the scenic route to see the multi-million dollar estates. Most have horses, but there was one (beautiful) farm with hundreds of sheep and cute little lambs! It was love!

How was your weekend?