the wilderness in the backyard.

Am I the only person who finds blogging in the summer rather silly?  The weather is so fantastic outside right now, and there are suddenly so many things I want to do out there in the sunshine, riding bikes, playing catch, bocce ball, snow cones; (to name a few) the last thing I feel like doing everyday is sitting in our office on the computer.   We have a creek running smack dab through the middle of our backyard.  It's awesome.  The littles spend every afternoon back there ankle deep in the water chasing ducks and birds, or exploring the wilderness behind it.  They come home at dinner time filthy.  I adore it.  I can tell that I'm going to have to replace their clothes a lot faster here, even dainty little Hannah is ripping through the knees of her pants with record speed, and that's just fine by me.  Yesterday morning after Mr and I finished our workout, I went to the kitchen to get some water, and there were two deer just grazing around in our backyard.  Two deer!  Just out there like it was nothing.  I remember when we drove all the way from California to Yellowstone park (yikes what a road trip) and a deer sighting was such a big deal, it merited pulling over to the side of the road, and here they were just grazing in our backyard!  Anyways, all this to say, that we're enjoying the season, and the little wilderness in the backyard quite a lot. Speaking of summer, we have so many lovely new things arriving in the shop in the next few weeks, it almost makes me giddy.  I have literally been wearing them with glee and I can't wait to share them with you... If you want a little peek at one of the new pretties, you can check my instagram. @dresscorilynn Happy Thursday!

Pants: Gap. (on sale plus 40% off today!) Top: Forever21. (white version: navy in store) Shoes: Forever21.

guilty pleasure.

One of my favorite guilty pleasure past times is antique shopping.  What can I say?  I just really like old junk that used to belong to someone else.  No, but seriously.  I think the pieces in my my home I love the most are the ones I've found among the dust in old antique shops.  My ancient typewriter (that still works!), my vintage boat oars with the paint delightfully chipping off, the old fan (that we don't plug in because seriously those metal blades could cut off a finger), my old steamer trunk, a vintage suitcase and books, dozens of old books.  I try to limit myself to only really awesome unique pieces; I don't want my house to end up looking like an episode of hoarders, cause lets be real, there is such a thing as too many antiques.  Now, if I could just find a vintage kitchen scale, my life would be complete.
What's your guilty pleasure?

Skirt: Forever21 Top: JCrew Factory.

spring tweed.

I love it when a trend comes along that totally surprises me.  For example, I always thought of tweed as a very fall/winter sort of fabric, and low and behold this season we've seen all these delightfully bright and cheerful spring tweeds.  I was quite surprised/ecstatic to find this gem of a skirt in Downeast last Saturday while out shopping with my girls.  Hannah agreed that I should buy it immediately (especially given that it was on sale for only $15 dollars-- what, what!).  Ava, mostly slept in the stroller, as babies her age do. 
Speaking of shopping with my girls, it's basically the most fun thing ever to have daughters.  Can I just tell you that?  Hannah's getting to that age where I can talk to her, really talk to her, and it's suddenly like having a conversation with a little friend and not a small child.  I'm finding that her personality, which she's been hinting at in doses for the past five years, is turning out to be the sweetest, most darling, endearing personality I've ever known.  The way she gets wrapped up in the books she's reading, and talks about the things she hears at school.  How perceptive she is, and intuitive.  How hard she tries to be kind, and honest, and fair and good.  How she does her homework without being asked, her chores without whining.  How she mothers her brothers, dotes on her baby sister, looks up to her dad, and cares about every tiny detail of my clothing line.  How she'll sit in my studio with me; sketching dresses on spare croquis while I work on new designs.  How when I ask her what her opinion is on something, she gives me a real, honest answer.  I wish I had been that phenomenal at eight.    
My consolation is that wonderful idea that every generation has the opportunity to improve upon the one before it.
What a lovely idea that is.
Hannah's my proof that it's true.

this picture makes me happy on so many levels.  I mean.  Her face, his pout, and that arm around his shoulder. I die.

Skirt: Downeast.  (similar here and here.)

Blouse: Old Navy. (similar here.)

Shoes: Ruche.

Necklace: TJMaxx. (similar here.)

Bracelet: Brickyard Buffalo. (similar in white.)

perhaps.

One of my favorite sources of design inspiration is travel.  The idea of just packing up a suitcase and going somewhere.  Sometimes I wish I lived in a time when people still traveled by rail.  There's nothing as dreamy as a long railroad track.  And I find the idea of traveling by train to be so romantic.  When Mr. lived in Russia, he rode the train to travel between cities and got to spend a night in a sleeping car.  I've always been jealous of that experience.  Perhaps someday we'll climb aboard the trans-Siberian railroad and tour the country he called home for two years.  Perhaps.    

Skirt: Corilynn (new today!) Blouse: Old Navy. Shoes: Guess (similar here.) Sunglasses: H&M (similar here.)