I have been struggling over whether to write this post or not; struggling with what I would and wouldn't say. All I can muster is this: at the end of April my life changed drastically. It changed forever. My family and I are slowly coming to grips with reality. We are trying to seek a new normal. For me, updating my blog will not be a part of that process. At least not right away. I do think that I will still read blogs and comment from time to time, so I won't be gone completely. To readers old and new, thank you for being a part of this with me. Take care.

A quiet morning reading Frost

Sweater: H&M, Vintage dress: thrifted, Shoes: H&M

I have been on a Robert Frost kick recently and got caught up in this poem, Spring Pools, this morning. I kept poring over the words and images embedded in these few lines and really found myself feeling them. I may be wearing a springy dress and not wearing tights, but don't let that fool you - the air was chilly despite the sun. Birds and little bugs were out, but really, let's not rush the change of seasons too much. While I love full-blown spring as much as the next person, let's hold on a bit longer to that winter thaw. It's an awfully nice little span of time (though we didn't get much of one this year, I can pretend and enjoy this poem all the same).

Poker Face

I could not, in fact, keep a poker face while taking these photos. This bit of pasture is outback near our chicken coop where my dad keeps a radio playing to ward off prowling predators (gotta keep those hens and eggs safe). I wasn't paying much attention to the background noise until a particular anthem from a few years back came on. And it made me laugh. Who doesn't like a little Gaga on their Easter Sunday?

  

Vintage cardigan: thrifted, Vintage pin: gift/Etsy, Skirt: thrifted, Tights: Hue via Marshall's, Wedges: Target

Speaking of Easter, I hope those of you reading (who celebrate) had a happy one. This might just be my favorite Easter get-up in recent memory and that partially has to do with this buttercream cardigan. It's been designated to my collection of favorite spring cardigans and has been in some of my favorite spring outfit sets here on ye old blog (this one and this one). Isn't the color just delicious? As for actual buttercream (heavenly stuff!), I'd had it on my mind for the past few days and satiated my want of it by making some brown sugar cupcakes with buttercream frosting for dessert today. Also delicious!

I suppose since it's in some of these photos I'll talk about my little purse. I've wanted a vintage straw/basket purse for about as long as I can remember, but all the ones I ever come across are either in tatters or smell weird (or, exaggerating aside, have something not quite right about them). So, I don't know, 6 or 7 years ago I stumbled upon this small basket at Pier One, tied a vintage scarf to it and voilà! a basket bag with vintage flair was born.

And, finally, I couldn't resist sharing this photo of Little Bunny Foo Foo! 

 

Half and Half

Toward the end of last summer and beginning of autumn, I decided to try out the half-frame format on my Diana Mini. Setting the camera to half-frame allows you to stretch a single roll of 35mm film much further than it would typically go. While on this setting it will produce a maximum of 72 photos. Fun! Despite my excitement and eagerness over this trial run, it took me forever to get this particular roll of film developed. It languished in my camera bag whilst I did who knows what for months and months. Ah, so things go sometimes!

Note: When I get my photos developed I always have the film transferred to an archival disc (for easy uploading and what not) as well. However, due to their unconventional formatting, my Diana Mini photos usually get squeezed together in the spaces meant for typical 4x6 frames. Sometimes I'll crop and separate them before uploading, but didn't much feel like it this time around. In fact, I thought many of these frames looked rather complimentary side by side.

Camera: Diana Mini
Film: Kodak Gold 200

More photos from this set can be found on my Flickr.

The woods are never solitary

Cardigan and dress: Target, Sunglasses: Cynthia Rowley via TJ Maxx, Shoes: H&M

The obvious choice of cardigan to wear with this dress was white or mint, but since it's still technically winter I thought another round of wearing more earthy colors was in order, hence this soft, coppery-rust beauty. I could have easily gotten away with wearing sandals today too (it's so warm and mild!), but these smokey grey/stone brown flats are rather perfect with everything. Sadly, though, I don't think I had owned them for a full 24 hours before tripping on cobblestones and scuffing the toes. Bah! Erin suggested fixing them with nail polish and voila! Not great, but not as bad as they were either.

So, this dress was another one of my I-can't-leave-Target-without-buying-more-than-I-went-in-for purchases. I am famous for those. There I was heading toward the health & beauty and grocery sections when passing the young girls department my peripheral vision beheld this fine navy eyelet piece. I gasped, my eyes got wide, and I snapped the largest size up as fast as humanly possible. Some of my favorite cardigans have come from the girls department at Target (oddly enough, or maybe not, at springtime too...), so it's no wonder that eventually I'd encounter a dress I couldn't resist.

Eyelet is one of those fabrics I have always loved. There was a specific period during my growing-up years where I had a hard time embracing my love for stereotypical girly things. I'd collect little bits of eyelet for projects I'd never undertake or envision myself in eyelet-detailed blouses, but hid behind excessively wide-leg denim and band/skater t-shirts. I think a dress like this would have broken me out of that shell! Any awkward phases of your own to recount? Let's hear!

Baker's dozen

7am: Early morning sustenance. Or, placating my stomach until meeting a friend out for breakfast.



8am: Getting ready. Adding woolen layers for warmth and a bauble for fun.



9am: Heading out to warm up my car.



10am: A big diner breakfast.



11am: Killin' germs.



12pm: Taking a walk in the state park.



1pm: Driving home.



2pm: Rolling pennies.



3pm: Curled up to read.



4pm: I got up for a few minutes and upon returning found my seat had been stolen by a cat.



5pm: Sliced mushrooms to go with dinner.



6pm: Relaxing with tea and a crossword puzzle.



7pm: Cleaning up.

A bit of then, a bit of now

Camera: Kodak VR35 K40
Film: Kodak Ultramax 400

Here are a few of the latest photographs I had developed. Some are from this past autumn while some are from this past month. A roll of film can hold so much time (and conversely, so little).