A Time for Everything

There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under heaven; a time to be born and a time to die, a time to plant and a time to uproot, a time to kill and a time to heal, a time to tear down and a time to build, a time to weep and a time to laugh, a time to mourn and a time to dance…

Over the past few months, life has been a time to dance – a time to revel in the beauty of discovering oneself, in new relationships, in all that is life… Still, the dancing can’t continue perpetually; there also is a time to mourn.

Earlier this week, we laid my grandmother to rest. In her ninety-three years, she experienced the weeping, the laughing, the mourning, and the dancing. Her life was full. She traveled the country. She experienced the ups and downs of being a farmer’s wife. She cherished her children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren.

Yes, family was the most important thing to Grandma Edith. With all the cousins growing up in close proximity to one another and my grandparents, the visits occurred frequently. Holidays, birthdays, random picnics – we always were together.

Even as I grew up, practically every visit back to my parents’ house included a visit to Grandma. Her face lit up when she saw her grandchildren walk into the room. She wasn’t very expressive, so I always knew it had been a good visit if I managed to get a smile out of her; if there had been a laugh, even better…

Just as there is a time for everything, there is a dress for every occasion. This selection: A black knee-length Jessica Howard number. With its empire waist and beaded cutaway neckline, the frock provided the proper balance in bearing the heat and paying tribute to the sweet little lady I was fortunate enough to call my grandma. I paired the dress with these black Bandolino slingbacks and gold jewelry for an elegant look.

Times of mourning make you more thankful for those times of dancing. It also makes you realize there truly is a time for everything – a time to reflect upon the memories (e.g., the grape soda from the cellar or the jewel-toned sweatsuits), a time to laugh about the “hot shot nurses,” a time to give thanks for such a wonderful soul… I love you, Grandma.

Every Dress Deserves Its Day

I was this close to crossing two more dresses of my list yesterday. After all, the end of this experiment finally is in sight. I have been ogling the bold silhouettes and hues we’ll be seeing this fall and would like to add them to my closet.  I  found the dress for my birthday party and would like to order it. Quite frankly, I am ready to start buying dresses once again!

I’m down to just six more dresses, which compounds the situation. My anticipation is like that of a child awaiting Christmas morning. Even so, I chose to wear only one dress yesterday; every dress deserves its day.

Not only does every dress deserve its day, so too does every bachelorette. We didn’t want to limit ourselves to a night on the town, so we elected to kick off Nicole’s bachelorette party a few hours early. We began the festivities at the Kil’n Time Studio in downtown Ames. Despite the fact that six of the eight of us graduated from Iowa State’s College of Design, we were a bit overwhelmed. The  plethora of paints, stamps, and techniques, coupled with the desire to create masterpieces, made designing our respective pieces more challenging.

After agonizing over every little detail and finishing our pieces, we headed off to Hickory Park, an Ames tradition that central Iowans selected as one of the top 100 restaurants in the area. Then, it was time for a wardrobe change. Seriously, we couldn’t arrive in Campustown smelling like barbecue – not so attractive…

Since it wasn’t my bachelorette party, I selected a charcoal gray mini; the color allowed me to blend into the background with the other ladies. The beaded neckline makes this frock more glamorous, and, while the cut isn’t very forgiving, it does play up the shoulders and legs. To further accentuate my legs, I decided upon these Steven Madden peep toes. Finally, because of the dress’s bold beading, I chose to pull a low-key sterling silver bracelet and black dangly earrings from my jewelry armoire.

Like many bachelorette parties, the maid of honor created a clever list of slightly naughty tasks for the bride-to-be to complete at various bars. The first stop, though, was an obvious choice. During our college days, practically every Friday After Class (FAC) excursion began at Welch Avenue Station, so why would we deviate from that?! Then we traversed Campustown as Nicole endeavored to complete her tasks.

The bride-to-be managed to complete all of her tasks in an extremely efficient manner. I’m not so sure that this dress experiment has been executed with that level of efficiency, but that’s alright. I’ve been conscientious in selecting where to don each dress, making sure each occasion is just as special as the next; after all, every dress truly does deserve its own day.

It’s in the Bag

The most challenging aspect in preparing for a trip? It’s not coordinating schedules, researching the best restaurants, or finding a place for Coco to stay. It’s selecting the outfits, of course.

For my recent trip to Wyoming, I packed over two totes full of clothes. In my defense, though, the temperatures were forecast to range from the low forties to nearly eighty degrees. Further compounding the situation was the fact that I needed outfits for an assortment of activities.

The trip called for jeans and sweatshirts for early morning hikes around the cabin, located in the Centennial Valley, and for making s’mores around the bonfire. It necessitated capris and tees for exploring the intriguing rock formations at Vedauwoo. It also required me to pack specific shoes for these activities, all of which occupy a considerable amount of room in a tote.

In addition to the hiking and the exploring, the vacation included a trip to Saratoga to check out the famed hot springs. Therefore, I was forced to pack a swimsuit or three… Although billed as a “true Carbon County gem,” the springs were extremely disappointing. While I knew that they would be hot, they were too warm to even stand in momentarily! Fortunately, the springs were the largest disappointment of the trip (others related to a lack of vegetarian options, although Laramie’s Sweet Melissa and Saratoga’s Lollypops did offer outstanding menus).

Besides these outdoor activities, we spent some time in Laramie taking in works of art at the University of Wyoming Art Museum (there was even an exhibit featuring dresses!), sampling fruits and homemade goods at the farmers market, visiting the Territorial Prison, and partaking in Jubilee Days. These excursions required thought-out, well-executed outfits; after all, who knows when or where a dashing rancher might appear!

A dress naturally falls into the aforementioned category. Still, because I wasn’t quite sure of the weather or the activities, I packed two frocks for the trip. Ultimately, I chose to wear this army green J. Crew dress that I have had since high school. Yet another bonus dress, this mini is full of attitude – perfect for the day we visited the prison. The pocket detailing, cuffed sleeves, and collar transform this cotton dress from dull to compelling. Because the color of the dress is subdued, I supplemented the look with these Relativity wedges and coordinating leather and silver jewelry.

While the trip was relaxing, I was ready to head back to the city by the end of it. I was ready to see Coco, to have some family un-togetherness, to not be limited to the clothes thrown into two bags. Planners love having numerous alternatives, and just two bags greatly restrict my options. I guess I should start preparing for the next trip and prioritizing my alternatives; they have threatened to limit me to just one bag – eek!

Rocking on Out of Here

In its latest issue, Vogue inquires as to when chic became so cool. The simple answer: “When a generation turned away from slouchy tees and leather leggings.” Lucky for me, I absolutely adore the chicness that results from looking polished and grown-up rather than looking like a rocker. Nevertheless, there are a couple of those rocker girl looks hiding in my closet.

These looks include dress number forty-one, which allows me to channel my inner frockstar when the mood strikes. How? Black is practically a prerequisite for any rocker. The cotton dress includes a slouchy bodice, which exudes the laid-back attitude that exemplifies the rocker trend of the last few years. Additionally, the skirt of the dress projects a sense of fun, of not trying too hard when putting an outfit together – both of which are indicators of the rocker look.

Since this trend began, women have spent ridiculous amounts of money to look a bit disheveled, but this look certainly isn’t me. Furthermore, I didn’t want to be too much of a frockstar, so I opted to complete the look with simple teal and black snakeskin flip flops and silver jewelry. After all, the day was not about being a frockstar or about fashion in general. It was not about rock stars. No, it was about two men preparing to deploy to Afghanistan to serve our country. It was about two men who already have returned from war zones. It was about my cousins.

These two men will deploy later this month for a “year-long vacation,” leaving their wives and young children at home. They are proud to serve our country, to protect us, to maintain those freedoms. After enjoying a barbecue and spending time catching up with the family, it was time to say goodbye. But what do you say in a moment like that? A simple thank you just doesn’t cut it. Instead, it was a “be safe and take care of yourself” kind of moment.

It was a moment in which you remember how fortunate you are to live where you do. It was a moment in which you realize just how much you take for granted each and every day. It was a moment in which you recognize that chicness doesn’t necessarily equate to being a frockstar and that the people we should be celebrating as rock stars aren’t the rock stars themselves; they are our friends, our neighbors, our cousins…

Just a bit windy...