Sometimes when I look through my photos I think that maybe I should do more gritty urban photoshoots with graffiti and skyscrapers. Wellington actually has lots of fascinating urban corners: old character buildings, a couple of fabulous high rises (and a lot of really terrible ’80s ones), and AMAZING graffiti.
Every once in a while I do do that kind of photoshoot, but the thing is, I’m all about nature. By the time I get to a city photoshoot I’m already grumpy because of traffic and attempting to find parking (both of which are actually laughably easy in Wellington, but I’ve gotten spoiled). Then, when we actually take pictures, I’m just weirded out by people looking at me as I pose.
Take me out of the city to a park or the country and I start frolicking amongst the flowers and gambolling over the grass and climbing trees and generally loving the whole world. Nature just makes me happy.
Out in the wild I turn into a cross between a tree goddess and a six year old.
Last weekend was the annual Wellington Sewing Bloggers Christmas picnic. I love picnics! Food + nature = yay!
Mr D does not agree. He doesn’t understand why you would go sit on the ground when you have a perfectly nice set of chairs and couches at home that you could be sitting on.
So the picnic was a great chance to exercise my love of lounging on wool blankets and eating too many strawberries and being outside. It was also the perfect opportunity to hang out with the awesome WSB ladies, and to show off my latest frock, and get it photographed – because in addition to sewing, the WSB ladies are awesome at appreciative “Oooohs!” and taking pictures.
Appreciative “Ooohs” aside, this isn’t the most exciting sew. It’s another Henrietta Maria frock, and I’ve done quite a few of those, but it is exciting because I love this pattern so much, and it’s really the perfect summer dress. It’s so comfortable, works for every occasion, and best of all, has pockets!
And, because it’s in nature, I’m grinning like a chipmunk in half the pictures!
The dress is sky blue linen with subtle stripes, and it looked perfect with my rainbow belt, so of course I had to wear my most over-the-top diamond-like necklace so that I was Leimomi in the Sky with Diamonds.
Sadly, not one of the WSBs got the pun. Le sigh.
That did not stop me having a fabulous time with the ladies. It was a picnic! There was nature! I climbed things!
Multiple things!
You have to love a dress that you can climb trees and walls in!
The dress is one of those things that I just want to wear every day. I’ve found it also looks good with a braided leather belt and brown shoes – it’s the closest I get to boho chick.
Happiness all ’round!
Glorious. 🙂
You do you!
You look absolutely lovely. Pity us over here in England with rain and cold!
I love this! You look beautiful and the dress is darling!
Beautiful dress! I love the stripes, the color, and the shape!
I think you’ll laugh: This dress reminds me in form of another Commonwealth star: Celine Dion wore a dress of similar cut for her renewal of vows to her husband. (It’s her anniversary, and the blogosphere is remembering her wedding and renewal) Check it out–see if you recognize your own dress:
http://thepoweroflove-celinedion.blogspot.com/2015/01/celine-and-renes-wedding-vow-renewal.html
It looks great like that, even if the pun is not got. (I must admit I would not have got it, either, possibly because I’ve always thought those were stars, and those go with dark blue.) Why do I feel like I’ve seen those sandals before?
Also, this thing about being in nature appears to be another thing we have in common, although I haven’t had much experience with picnics yet and actually kind of feared tree climbing as a child. But that light streamind through leaves in these photos makes me happy, too.
What manner of awesome graffitti does Wellington have? Does it beat hattifatteners in Tartu and street poetry in Brno? Why must Wellington sound so much like my kind of city?
… that blue striped fabric is lovely.
google.co.nzThank you! You’ve definitely seen the sandals before: I got them two years ago at Art Deco weekend, and they are my go-to glam summer footwear. I’m sure they have appeared in a range of posts, but definitely in last-years Art Deco Weekend round-up.
I already suspected that you and I shared a love of nature. I love following your posts about ponds and birds and trees! I’ve always been a serious tree-climber, which is very helpful growing up on a fruit farm.
There are a number of well-known graffiti artists and groups in Wellington, but definitely the best known is BMD:
Their stuff definitely makes the city more interesting and beautiful in my opinion! I love going down some unprepossessing alley and discovering a new piece!
I think Wellington is your kind of city 1) because it’s awesome, and 2) it’s my kind of city and you are my kind of person 😀
You are truly the cutest thing! I looove that colour blue. Fabulous frock!
Hehe. I don’t get called cute often! Thank you!