Raiders of the Lost Egg

A try (my first) at stop-motion animation. Plus fire.

Laundry Day: The Only Thing Everlasting

I realized last week that Between Laundry Days is officially two years old. Two years ago, I published my first post, having no idea what I was getting myself into. I'm not at all exaggerating when I say that this blog has, in some ways, changed my life. I have become a stronger, more confident, more expressive person because of it, and that shift was completely unexpected, yet entirely needed. I have met some of the most incredible people through this blog, and I am happy and grateful to call each of them a friend and inspiration, both in style and life. A lot has changed in the past two years, and I felt so much nostalgia just looking through old posts and pictures. I thought you all might appreciate a little blast from the past today (complete with pictures of me with longer hair)! Looking through all of this makes me excited, nervous, and totally ready for whatever the next two years may bring.

Thank you all, sincerely, for being a part of this with me. This whole experience would never have lasted more than two weeks without your encouragement, inspiration, hilarity, and kind words of support, advice, and friendship. So thank you.

Title song: The Good Life, "Two Years this Month"

I Give You My All

Dress: Shabby Apple (won in a giveaway from Vested Bee Vintage) * Cardigan: Target * Boots: DSW * Socks: Target * Belt: thrifted * Ring: gift

First of all, thank you so much for all your kind words and support yesterday. It meant the world to me, truly. Between that and ending the day with some of my favorite blogging ladies over drinks and dinner downtown, I went to bed feeling optimistic and more prepared for whatever comes next. 

However, after all the soul-pouring-out that I've been doing this week, I'm short on words today. I won this dress in the fall from a Shabby Apple giveaway with Vested Bee Vintage, but haven't been able to wear it until tights season was officially over (it's unlined, and I'm worried it would bunch like crazy over tights). I adore the color and cut, and the adorable layered detailing on the bodice. A perfect warm weather work staple.

Also, see that weird out-of-focus closeup shot up there? I had braided a bunch of little braids into my hair that day, and wanted to document the awesomeness (trust me, it was adorable and rad). However, when attempting to get the shot, my camera decided instead to focus on the one gray hair that was in the frame. That's what I get for complaining about it, I guess. :)

Title song: Led Zeppelin, "Thank You"

Pearl and Godiva Shoot

Very excited to be heading for a new Photo Shoot next week with the lovely folk of Pearl and Godiva. ( Vintage China Specialists ) . Our buddy and photographer extraordinaire Shane O'Neill of Aspect Photography will be on hand with his camera to capture the magic. Will be back soon with images. :)

Get Away from the Blind Side of Life

Blouse: free (found in laundry room of old apartment) * Skirt: thrifted and shortened * Cardigan: Forever 21 * Boots: Frye * Scarf: Forever 21 * Socks: Target

So here's the thing. It's been a tough year for me. The speed and routine of my life has changed drastically this year, and I've had a hard time adjusting to the new pace of things. I have less time to myself, and honestly feel like I just have less time, in general, for life. I've found it more and more exhausting to put time into hobbies, activities, a social life, etc., and have found myself only giving things 50%, if I can get to them at all. It's frustrating that this is all happening in a year when I'm consciously trying to simplify my life, since the result has been what feels like complication after complication. (I'm sorry to be such a complainy-pants, but when I sit down to write a post I usually just spew out whatever river of randomness is flowing through my brain at the moment, and this is where I'm at today.)

Part of what makes things a bit difficult is that there are so many unknowns, and so many things out of my control. There may or may not be changes in my life in the next few months, and I may or may not have a say in how those things pan out. I know that that's life, and that it's just how the world works. We don't often have control over the multitude of external forces that determine how our lives progress, but it doesn't make it any easier to deal with when something unexpected comes up. Humans, I'm convinced, despite our utter awesomeness and capacity for love, compassion, humor, and intelligence, are also selfish control freaks. So when things get out of our hands, it can be hard to deal, and I'm as guilty as the next person of succumbing to the "it's not fair!" doldrums.

The problem with the "it's not fair!" doldrums is that you quickly realize that there is no one to blame. There is rarely someone responsible for what happens in life. And while that is infuriatingly frustrating, since all we really want is to be able to point a finger at someone and say "fix it!", it's also calmly liberating. Most of the time, there isn't an easy answer to life. There are a multitude of options and choices, and each one leads to something different and equally out of our control. It's been said before, and it's cheesy as hell, but it's what we choose to do with what we have that is important, not whether or not we can affect what happens to us externally. It is what it is, as they say, and it's the responsibility of each of us to find a way to live with "it" and to fold "it" into our lives in a productive, happy way.

I'm still working on that, and I still wish there was someone somewhere that I could blame my problems on (and let's be real, my problems aren't that bad). But I'm trying to start each day fresh, to evaluate where my life is at this moment, and to make decisions about where I want it to go today. And at the end of the day, if it has gotten there, then great. And if it hasn't, then the slate wipes clean again and I keep trying. We're flexible, us humans, and we can deal with an awful lot of changes. So this week I'm working on flexing my adaptability muscles, and learning to deal with the possibility of change.

and...

Happy Wednesday.

Title song: Stevie Ray Vaughn, "Change It"

Upcoming Events ...

The new diggs are really becoming home girls. We are really settling into our studio space and we are meeting more and more customers coming in to see our wares on show in the shop. Lots of happy customers this month. A gorgeous gal wearing head to toe "bonzie" for her 21st Birthday Party, a stunning bride wearing a fabulous vintage inspired ivory headpiece for upcoming wedding, a lovely client who popped in with a simple pretty pink dress and left with a matching fascinator, handbag, bolero and corsage brooch and many, many more.

Pop in and see us at Bonzie , Kite Design Studios, 11 Henrietta St, Viking Quarters, Waterford City.

Girls, do you guys remember the stunning Vintage Fashion Extravaganza last year that was "Absolut Style at Set" in Kilkenny. WELL IT'S BACK DOLLS!!! Very excited to be returning to the event this year and it's even bigger than last year! Hope to see some of you there. Join the Style at Set Facebook Page to keep up on the updates etc.

Picture Above the beautiful Russian MIR Ship. This stunning Vessel will be visiting Waterford for the Tall Ships Festival in June and we are participating in the fabulous fashion event "Waterford Decked Out". Lots of work ahead prepping for our participation in this exciting showcase!

Gals, it's a crazy time of year for us as we tumble into the bridal and special occasion season whilst developing our recent venture in the new studios. There are a number of things going on at Bonzie HQ! Lots of lovely things coming up and lots of lovely clients visiting our new store. Hope to see you there soon. xxx

Keep up to date with our Facebook Shenanigans HERE

When My Lips Eclipse the Sun

Mustard shirt: Target * Maxi skirt: Target * Belt: Akira * Flats: GC, thrifted * Military jacket (unworn): thrifted * Bag: thrifted * Necklace: Tree & Kimball (Serpentine necklace)

It was hot this weekend. Hot for the first time this year, and all of a sudden the city just turned on. Chicagoans come out of hiding in the summer, and as the temperatures rise, people emerge from their seasonal cocoons and head to the lake (granted, I think there were just as many people out and about during the snowpocalypse, but that was different). Sunday was the first day when we felt as though that cocoon was worth leaving, and there were people, in droves, just being outside.

Someone asked me recently if Chicago is a friendly city. I paused, and said "no". People don't make eye contact much here, or greet you on the street, and there's not a big sense of friendliness among the population. I have to qualify my answer now, though, because what Chicago may lack in bubbly effervescence, it more than makes up for in communal identity. There's a sense of sticking things out, together, that Chicagoans embrace. We (I guess I'm a part of it now) are unified in some way, connected and bonded, together against (or with) the world. That was especially clear to me on Sunday. People were suddenly making eye contact with each other, and quietly, calmly, nodding in agreement about the beauty of the much-needed, and long-awaited, warm weather. We owned the day, as residents of the city, and enjoyed it together.

I spent most of the day wandering through the humidity, out to the lake, and along the lakeshore path. I noticed, as I walked, how different the lake shore looks this year than it has before. This winter has absolutely ravaged the shore of Lake Michigan, leaving giant slabs of concrete cracked and akimbo, and debris from the shore scattered along the coast. It's beautiful, in a way, and feels remote and abandoned, but it's also sad and a bit scary. Every time I've been out there since the weather turned, I think about what it must have been like to be right there on the shore when those winter storms rolled in. It's a poignant reminder of the power of nature. Chicago may be a huge city, with resources, and people, and a unified sense of self. But when the storms roll in, it's just a place, as vulnerable as any.

Parts of the lake shore are totally exposed to the city. You can see the buildings, hear the cars, and smell the exhaust from Lake Shore Drive. But parts are separated, isolated, protected (in part by the cracked concrete slabs, which, jutting up out of the lake just so create a man-made and nature-created barrier from the city). I found one of those spots on my Sunday walk. A little cove of rocks and algae and driftwood that, although I was literally throwing distance from the hundreds of bikers, runners, and families that were out that day, was completely removed from the noise and motion of the day. I explored my little area, took my shoes off and stuck my feet in the (freezing) cold water, and took a nap on a particularly welcoming rock. Laying there, I felt like I was adrift at the end of the world. All I could see was water, stretching out forever, and I forgot, for a moment, where I really was.

The day was beautiful. In all of the weekends in the past few months, I've felt that I needed a true break, a moment of relaxation and some time to recover from the speed and stress of my life. Each Monday I've felt a bit more tired, and each Friday I've been more ready for a few days off. All I needed, apparently, was an hour or two away from it all, lying on my perfect napping rock, and watching the gentle turquoise water roll through the rocks and nooks of the lake shore.

Title song: Prince, "The Max"