It occurred to me this week that I’ve been shopping with Miss Candyfloss for a full year now! Here’s a look back at the 13 outfits I’ve purchased in that time…one per month, plus an extra, because why not (I’m also waiting on one more, very special piece that I’ll be sharing in the future)?!?
I don’t think I could pick a favorite if I tried. I love every piece…I have a pretty wide variety of styles, and they’re all different and each have a special place in my wardrobe. I really love how well Miss Candyfloss understands fit and sizing…as long as I follow the size chart for each piece, I know I’ll get a good fit. And the fabrics they choose are outstanding…some have texture, there are different weights for different times of year, and the colors and prints are lovely. Each article is well-made, and I’m pretty sure each piece I have has some kind of unique detail that makes it extra-special. I’m so glad I finally took a chance on a new-to-me company, because Miss Candyfloss is now a staple in my wardrobe!
It’s been a few weeks now, so I thought I’d take a look at my favorite things from the recent update to Animal Crossing: New Horizons.
The highlight was the arrival of Brewster…I’m so happy to be able to visit The Roost again…he really understands how I like my coffee!
Your neighbors can now visit your home…they can either ask if they can come over, as Roald did today, or they can just barge in on you when you’re at home, which I love!
They’ve added some new home decor options, including the addition of accent walls and hanging fixtures:
Kapp’n and his boat have returned (not to mention his sea shanties!), and the islands he can take you to have the added benefit of allowing you to occasionally pick up seasonal items that might not be currently available back home!
They also added a ton of new furniture with the update, including the Plaza series, which I absolutely love, and used to make a permanent Oktoberfest installation:
Group stretching on the plaza is lots of fun!
There are also new recipes, new hairstyles, and a whole new addition to Harv’s island, where you can shop with some of the special merchants who occasionally visit your island, as well as have Cyrus customize furniture, which is especially great if you want to collect items in colors not native to your island. And I haven’t even mentioned the DLC, which is basically a way to marry a whole new game to your existing one…stay tuned for a look at that once I get it figured out!
So many things in the last…almost two years?!?…have been different, and Garden Glow at the Missouri Botanical Garden is no exception, but not for the reason you might think…their big construction project has put a spin on how the event is taking place this year!
The biggest difference is at the start of the event. The entrance is through the temporary Visitors’ Center and Linnean House (the latter is the location of the Blizzard Bar which is usually at the tram shelter), and the big Christmas tree is in the Gladney Rose Garden, which is actually kind of a great location for it. The tree is a different style this year, too, which we really liked, and the topper is awesome!
A lot of stuff was the same, although the routing of the path for the first part of the displays was pretty different. The lights around the Central Axis and Climatron are always my favorites, and we got to see them first thing after the big tree!
There were some new things (like a new flower garden), and one notable admission (The 12 Days of Christmas), and many familiar favorites:
For some reason, I especially liked the hedge maze this year:
Another notable change comes right at the end, as the exit is routed through the Ottoman Garden. I don’t think that particular location has been open during Garden Glow before, and it was pretty cool to see some of the trees covered in lights as we said goodbye!
So, Garden Glow was a little weird this year. It was nice to have a different experience due to something other than COVID-19, though, and we liked the new additions…maybe they’ll keep them around!
Today I’m taking a look at something completely different!
I have always loved national dress, from Norway’s bunad to the sari of South Asia. And I have long lamented the fact the the US really doesn’t have ethnic dress, unless you count jeans (which I don’t). But my ethnic heritage (Austrian and German) does have a traditional garment for women in the form of the dirndl, something I have long wanted to add to my wardrobe, and Ryan bought me a purple and floral one for an early Christmas present!
This beautiful dirndl is from Rare Dirndl, a small business located in Chicago (where else?!?). It consists of a purple dress and a gorgeous floral print apron, and I’m wearing it with a Rare Dirndl puff sleeve, lace-trim blouse. Also, the best clothing designers know that women want pockets in their dresses, and Rare Dirndl is no exception!
The details on the dress are amazing (look at the pleated trim around the neckline and the piping down the front!), and the workmanship is outstanding (check out how well the hooks on the front are sewn on, and with such a beautiful color of thread, too…it almost looks like they’re set with gemstones!). The print of the apron is fantastic, too…it has a metallic sheen, and the colors are so vibrant…and the strings are actually long enough to fit me properly, which was a huge concern of mine. It is seriously the most well-made and best fitting dress I have ever had (and I have a lot of dresses!).
To accessorize, I added a purple fedora and a petticoat with a lace edge meant to be seen:
I added a leather Edelweiss clip to my hat (also from Rare Dirndl), and then moved it to my hair, just for fun. It can also be worn as a brooch…I love a versatile accessory!
Here’s a look at the whole outfit sans hat:
Rare Dirndl also offers some lovely jewelry, and many of the pieces feature Edelweiss, a flower often associated with Austria. The scalloped necklace is so delicate and beautiful, and I love the pop of color of the wrap bracelet! (I added one of my Lake Michigan HOMES bracelets in a coordinating color, since I’m celebrating my heritage.)
I’m ready to twirl my way through the Alps!
This is my first dirndl, but it won’t be last…I’m already waiting for my second Rare Dirndl dress to arrive! Erika was such a huge help in answering all of my questions and making sure I got the dirndl of my dreams, so I’m really excited to support her small business again! It’s really not a jump for me to go from retro dressing to ethnic dressing, because they both include a nod to the past in a new, modern way, so I feel comfortable wearing this outfit not just to German events (I can’t wait to style it for Belleville’s Christkindlmarkt in a few weeks), and it’s definitely not a costume item to me. I’m looking forward to sharing more photos of my national dress(es) as I style them in different ways throughout the seasons!
We started so many new things this week, it almost felt like a whole new school year!
Ladybug began a study of comparative denominations in religion…we started by reviewing what makes Lutherans different. She started a new chapter in biology…now she’s learning about cellular energy. We also began reading Beowulf.
Chickadee also started a new chapter in science…she’s learning about primeval reptiles. We began one of my favorite literature studies…D’Aulaires’ Book of Greek Myths. We also finished the time of the judges in her overview of the Bible.
We took our annual fall walk around Creve Coeur Lake this week, too. It’s a little later than we usually go, but we waited until a day everyone had off school, so all of the children could come with us!
