Lost and Found. And Found Again.

True to my word I spent this weekend taking several naps, folding laundry and OD'ing on Dateline, 48 Hours and 20/20.  On Saturday I had grand plans to get up early, do some light cleaning and later spend the day outdoors.  Instead I got caught up in a vacuuming frenzy during which time I thought I had burnt out the poor machine entirely when it made the most odd whirring noise.  In a panic I called on the Chef (who was in the other room watching baseball while I toiled away - where is the justice in this wicked, wicked world??) who carefully removed the vacuum from my white knuckled grasp only to disassemble it and find a sock stuck in the hose (a sock I've been looking for too btw - thereby debunking the whole dryer eats sock myth).  

Interestingly enough I don't even recall seeing a sock in my path.  

Anyway, having gotten myself all worked up I decided to open one of the closets (damn fool) and was inevitably sucked into a tornado-like swirl of shoes, boxes, more coats than I know what to do with and a few items I barely even recall purchasing (she admits sheepishly).  Thankfully I emerged safely a couple hours later with a pair of heels and 2 pairs of boots that are basically foreigners to me, and a dress I knew I had, but had been saving for warmer days. Forget that nonsense.

Remember this lovely lady from the H&M Garden Collection?

It sold out faster than you could get down there and pull someone's hair out for it.  I called in pronto when the line was released and all the liner-uppers had robbed me of my dreams of wearing the dress while riding a unicorn over the rainbow to the pot of gold (or something like that).  My heart sank as I spoke with the girl on the telephone.  We lamented, patted one another's telephone shoulders (she had wanted one too), and felt sorry for ourselves before she held some additional items for me and then exited the conversation.

Later that day I stopped by to check out my held items.  The person who had helped me on the phone had left for the day, but her shopgirl colleague said, "Ohhhhh you're the one with the Rose dress," as she walked into the back room to get my stuff.  I thought, "Wow I must have really been a pathetic mess on the phone if they talked about it amongst themselves afterward.  I need to reel it in."  As I was finishing up this thought she came walking around the corner with none other than THE.DRESS.  I swear I heard the heavens open and a choir of angels burst into song!!  My shopgirl had saved a returned dress for me!!  What are the odds of one getting returned the very same day??

I ran off into the fitting room, zipped it up, and the rest is history...history in my closet until yesterday.  The Chef had said to me, "It looks great, but I don't think you're going to wear that thing."  Met with the withering look of a girl in her newly recovered, coveted dress he sweetly re-adjusted with a grin, "Okay, where are you going to wear that thing.  With what?"  And I said I'd wear it everywhere.  Around the house vacuuming, watering my plants, to the store with flip flops, and maybe to a friend's afternoon bridal shower - pretty much wherever I wanted to (does this sound familiar?)  All he said was, "Yeah sure you're going to wear it casually around. Suuuuure."  So I bought it. And then I found it in my closet. And then I wore it all day yesterday.  Ha Ha Chef!

I wore it to Petco to get a treat for my cats.

Then I wore it while I waited patiently in line at Cold Stone Creamery.

The journey continued while I strolled around in the dress eating Key Lime Raspberry ice cream.

I wore it with a pair of my favorite flats.

 

Another thing I remembered I had in the closet; worn sparingly and with love.

 When the ice cream was gone I continued to window shop in the dress.

I came out of a pink door in the dress.

I looked around some more in the dress.

And having torn up the town, I walked home in the dress.

Right after I had him take a close up of its exquisitely feminine features.  

I'm so glad I challenged myself to buy and wear it.

The dress is so pretty and I felt like such a girl in it.  

My favorite part was the knowing smiles I shared with other women
who walked by.

Us girls, we love a cute dress.  It can make our day.

In recent years I have begun to make more pointed purchases like this.  Before I would have shied away for reasons similar to those expressed by the Chef - and there's nothing wrong with those reasons in and of themselves - but I got to thinking.  You know, I'm only going to live once.  And if I keep on putting these types of purchases off, there will come a point in my life when it won't be age appropriate to wear things like this anymore.  And I will look back with regret having missed out because I played it safe.  Life's too short.  Every day can be a garden party dress day - even if you're just running to the post office or grabbing a can of catfood.  Or simply vacuuming up your sock. 

Happy Monday everyone! Hope your weekend was grand! 

Outfit details:  Tom Ford Sunnies, Martin + Osa Denim Jacket, H&M Rose Dress/Garden Collection, Arnold Churgin Flats, Sorial Handbag, Melinda Maria Rings, Melinda Maria Cuff.