Clashing Calicos

"Rare is the day, that my mood is not buoyed by pulling on a favorite sweater, or slipping my prettiest earrings through my lobes. Dressing well, comfortably, warmly, brightly and wildly, is a cheap and easy form of self-care for me and I really hope more people would embrace style as that."

I love this quote from Milla's pineapple dress post. I too think of getting dressed as a magnificently simple form of self care each day. I like to wear something that has a memory or that engages my imagination. My style hasn't changed much in about twenty years, but the (very many) pieces of clothing in my closet have! I do have a few old favorites that I've had since my teenage years, and my daughters wear a lot of dresses from my own babyhood, so it all goes round in circles.

Floral calico prints put me in mind of old fashioned days, rustic places. I feel pretty and strong at once in a good calico dress or skirt; I want to hoist babies and gather herbs and chop wood and hold up my skirts to ford a stream. This particular skirt came from Andrea several years back, and I wore it on a cold cold trip to Utah with my sister. Memories, stories, fun little daydreams carried in its pleats and pockets.

Polly doesn't care much about clothes yet, but Lucy is becoming quite assertive in her sartorial choices. She loves her Dr. Seuss shirt, was thrilled to find it at the thrift store, and would probably wear it most days if I let her. She chose to pair it with these velvety hand-me-down pants, and increasingly she eschews socks. 

I got this cut up vintage thermal shirt from my friend Rebecca years ago at a clothing exchange. She had already made wild memories in it and I decided to make more, although I can't say I've followed through sufficiently. But my girls sure thought that bit of shoulder peeking through was intriguing and suggestive. They go wild about bare skin. Lucy was especially excited and even kissed my shoulder. 

And of course a coffee cup with summer Big Sur memories never hurt any outfit or early springish morn. Oh yeah ,and I realized long after I took these pictures that my vest was buttoned inside-out. Not at all surprising. 

Well my goal for these upcoming warmer months is for my clothes to bloom into stories every day. Little adventures tucked into every buttonhole like daisies.