Where the Cottonwoods are Swingin'

Shirt: c/o Threadless * Jeans: Old Navy * Jacket: Michael Kors * Belt: thrifted * Boots: Etsy * Serpentine necklace: Tree & Kimball

Flare jeans (well, a subtle flare, but a flare nonetheless). Softest t-shirt ever. Favorite jacket. Best necklace of all time ever. Spring has sprung, and I'm loving the sartorial simplicity that comes with it. Indeed.

I adore the silhouette of this outfit. Something about the shape and length of the bootcut jeans, the slim fit of the t-shirt, and the heeled boots made me feel long and lean, which is not a feeling I have often (it's the "long" part I have trouble with, as I'm actually quite pint-sized).

It's a day of few words, folks (again). I have a busy day ahead of me, and probably won't get home until late, at which point I have to pack for the weekend. I'm looking forward to seeing Joe, wandering the blooming woods, and sleeping in. What are you looking forward to this weekend?

Title song: Old Crow Medicine Show, "Motel in Memphis"

At a Crossroads

 

Long story short- my publisher, Running Press, asked me to create an image for a poster for them to hand out at this year's book expo in NYC. The theme they requested was "books & E-books". I made two images, and this was the one they didn't choose, and of course it was my favorite. Ha! That's okay though, because now I can share it with you.

The two characters..well, my publisher didn't want one winning over the other, or fighting, etc. Supposedly, E-books have actually brought on more sales, which in turn have brought a bit of an uptick in real books. (That's what I've been told anyway. I'm sure I'll hear otherwise in the comment section). If you are a regular visitor here, you'll know that is my usual modus operandi- fighting, some sort of embarrassment, tragedy, and so on, so this took a while to come up with. In the end though, I was happy with it. It has a jet-pack for Pete's sake, how could I not be happy?

Spring Swaps Snow for Leaves

Sweater: UO * T-shirt: thrifted * Jeans: Gap * Loafers: c/o Common Crow Vintage * Serpentine necklace: Tree & Kimball

So, I've pretty much worn this outfit every weekend for the past few weeks. This was my traveling outfit both to and from Arizona, and has become my go-to Sunday lounging outfit. It's perfect for these in-between seasons; enough layering for cooler temps, but cool, breezy fabrics for warm sunshine. And I just love the loose silhouette and utterly comfortable ... well, everything. :)

I love having a few good fall-back outfits. They almost always incorporate jeans, and in colder weather, there's almost always a scarf. But I love that the weather is turning, so I can go sock-less, and scarf-less, and bask in the sunshine of the warm spring days we're starting to have. What do your fall-back outfits incorporate? Do they change with the seasons (I mean, other than the obvious addition or subtraction of wool layers)?

I'm so grateful for the sunshine, and happy that the weeks are speeding by a bit, even if they are super busy. There are a few particularly big events and moments in the next couple of weeks, so though I'm a bit preoccupied, I'm definitely excited and optimistic. Maybe it's just the sunshine, or the obvious transition into spring that seems to be happening, but I'm starting to feel more hopeful about things.

Title song: Mumford and Sons, "Winter Winds"

Lights, Camera, Action!!!

Major Preparations are underway at Bonzie HQ as we get ready for the official Press Launch of Waterford Decked Out the Tall Ships Festival Fashion Extravaganza aboard the Russian Tall Ship MIR! Tomorrow sees a bevvy of Press folk roll into town to capture the celebrations as we toast the official release of "Waterford Decked Out" tickets from the TheatreRoyal this week!

I'm putting the last few stitches to my new fascinator as we speak!!! A gals gotta have a hat for such an occasion !!!

Toe to Toe

Dress: ModCloth * Cardigan: hand-me-down from Emily * Belt: Akira * Sandals: c/o BC Footwear * Necklace: Noble Town Vintage * Bangle: H&M

I adore these pictures. I wore this dress on one of the days of my weekend in Arizona, when we spent a good bit of time in desert surroundings (it was also the outfit that I wore to the Railroad Revival Tour, and was perfect for an evening of singing and dancing). My mom kept exclaiming how perfectly the colors and pattern of the dress compliment the backdrop of the desert; the raw dirt, prickly cacti, tactile succulents, and mirage-inducing sunshine. So we decided to snap a few pictures of the whole look, complete with serene desert background. 

I've taken outfit pictures before when I've visited my parents, but I've usually done it with the self-timer or Joe. This time, my parents got in on the action. Yesterday's pictures were snapped by my mom, and all of these lovely desert shots are courtesy of my dad. It was so much fun taking pictures with him. I always have fun with my dad, but he's not necessarily a fashion blog kind of guy, so I wasn't expecting it to be so easy and fun with him behind the camera. But he took on the role of photographer/creative director immediately, and I had a ball running to each of his chosen photo locations and posing it out for him. (He's also started to make pretty rad foam designs in his lattes, and has been rocking the denim-on-denim look for years, so I told him that he's well on his way to becoming a bonafide hipster. If his job market collapses, he can always find backup work as a barista/streetstyle photographer.)

The best part was how comfortable I felt with him taking pictures. Sometimes with a new person behind the lens, it's a bit awkward and uncomfortable at first. I look at the ground a lot, and stand in weird ways that never translate properly to film. The pictures always turn out in a way that show exactly how I was feeling, and I love how I look relaxed, happy, and just a bit silly in these pictures. 

Anyway, I love how these pictures turned out, both because I think they're beautiful, but also because when I look at them, I remember the fun I had with my dad on that day. Spending my birthday standing out in the desert taking pictures of my dress with my dad was the perfect unexpected activity that I didn't know I needed until it happened (whew, awkward sentence!). For those bloggers out there, how do you all deal with new people behind the camera? Have your parents ever stepped in as photographers? What's your most comfortable photo-taking routine?

Also, for more about my awesome dad, check out the post I wrote for his birthday last month.

Title song: Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros, "Black Water"

Let It Sunshine on My Mind

Tank: Forever 21 * Skirt: UO * Cardigan: hand-me-down from Emily * Belt: thrifted * Sandals: c/o BC Footwear * Bangles: H&M

Ah, that AZ sunshine. I miss it already. Bare legs, short sleeves, and warm rays of sun. Is summer yet? My mom and I took these pictures on my last evening in Arizona; I felt particularly nautical with my navy and stripes, so we thought the little lake boat would be an appropriate backdrop for pictures. And although I of course had to ham it up with my nautically-functional props, I love how the pictures turned out. Perfectly representative of the calm and comfort that I felt at the end of my weekend in the sun.

I've got another busy week on the horizon, and then another after that, so it may be crickets up in here for awhile. While I adore blogging, and while this community, and Between Laundry Days, has become such an important part of my life, it's a hobby that gets un-prioritized when things get crazy. I was happy to be able to spend a bit of time yesterday catching up on everyone's blogs, and finally leaving some long-delayed comments, but I'm afraid that probably won't be the norm for a little while yet. I'm still going to try to post, since I have loads of lovely pictures to share (one more fabulous set from my Arizona weekend, which should go up tomorrow), but I'll probably be light on words for a little while.

I'm still on a total high from my weekend in Arizona with my parents. The concert was such a perfect way to spend my birthday-eve, and the time spent with my family was utterly restorative. It's so hard not to live near my parents anymore. Until I moved to Chicago, they were, at most, an hour away, and though we didn't necessarily see each other every weekend, we knew that the possibility was there. It's hard to transition to visiting only a few times a year. I'm hoping for another trip to Colorado this summer, and hopefully with my sister as well. It's been too long since the four of us were together.

Joe and I had a really lovely weekend this weekend. We celebrated my birthday on Saturday by going out to a rad little tavern/pub place in a new neighborhood. I slept until 10:00 yesterday morning, which is downright obscene, and I thoroughly enjoyed the sunshine that is finally gracing the Midwest. Fingers crossed it keeps this up. It's May already, people! Time for winter to be over!

Title song: Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros, "Come In Please"

Bonzie Shop/Studio Directions.

Bonzie's New Studio/Shop

Address : Bonzie

Kite Design Studio

11 Henrietta St

Viking Quarter

Waterford City

Ireland

Pop in and say Hi!!!

The shop is open Monday to Saturday and there is a selection of bonzie goodies available to purchase. For those of you wishing to have something bespoke made or some bonzie pieces to match an existing outfit we are available for consultation by appointment on Saturdays. ( So in a nutshell. Mon - Friday is sew fest and Saturday is dedicated to meeting clients/appointments etc) See you there!

See handy map below. ;)

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