Have you ever fallen in love with a dress? You walk by and see it in the storefront or on a hanger and instantly fall in love. You can picture yourself in it and how beautiful you'll feel. You try it on and it fits like a glove, and better still the price is RIGHT.
That's how I felt a few months ago when my man and I went to one of the largest vintage and antique markets in Italy. Sifting through the stalls I noticed this stunning black lace beauty from acorss the room. Hanging by itself I asked the woman how much it cost and when she said "quindici euro" - fifteen euros, I said "se mi sta bene lo prendo di sicuro" - meaning "if it fits me well I'll buy it for sure!".
It fit like a glove, and so she threw it in a plastic bag and away I went.
I had it dry cleaned the following day and it looked brand new, with a wire framed bodice, underskirt and intricate lace layers that make the skirt heavy and perfect for spinning. I wore it around the house for the first few days because I just felt so good in it. But alas, it came time to cover it with plastic and put it away in the closet of pretty dresses I've either never worn or only worn once or twice.
A woman's fantasies are so strong and so intense that we make a good portion of our purchases based on experiences we'd like to have and not necessarily based on experiences . Marketers know this very well. It is how they convince us to buy swimsuits in February and heels we can hardly walk in.
But human nature is human nature and I am a essentially a slave to my fantasies and will most likely continue to make purchases based on what I would like my life to be like and not what it is actually like. Meaning, in my mind I was destined for balls, ball gowns, red carpets and a 1986 bottle of Avignonesi Occhio di Pernice Vin Santo and my real life is more like playgrounds, the farmer's market, sundresses and whatever wine is being poured.
Creating an Occasion - A Reason to Wear a Fancy Dress
A few weeks ago I was hanging out with my good friend Adrienne, you may remember her and her story from this post. She has a beautiful house in the Carpi countryside with a stunning backyard filled with roses and a garden oasis that she lovingly curates to perfection. A friend gave her a call out of the blue because she was in the area and it turns out that Adrienne's been meaning to introduce me to this friend for a while.
Her friend's name is Cindy Swain and she is another North American expat living in my area, and she is also a BLOGGER! She writes a food blog in Italian and English called Italicana Kitchen and is also making quite the name for herself locally by co-hosting a local radio show and doing "show cooking" events throughout Italy.
We chatted for a few minutes when a lightbulb went off in my head ... through my ridiculously high-pitched sqeals I managed to say something along the lines of "Oh. My. God. - We should have an aperitivo or dinner together where we all wear pretty dresses and cook together! We can make Cindy's recipes and host it in Adrienne's garden!" ... What followed (after a bit of begging and convincing) was one week of planning and we pulled it all together!! And so I would like to share with you:
The Girlfriends Apericena - A Garden Party Worth Dressing Up For
Creating something beautiful gives an incredible sense of satisfaction, so we chatted about details such as what to wear, the menu, the silverwear and the decor...etc. etc.etc.etc......and it all came together wonderfully.
What's a Girl to Wear?
The first thing that became obvious was that I love clothes and dressing up. As a Leo I don't mind being the centre of attention and although I don't think I'm particularly photogenic I don't mind having my picture taken. I was happy to try on 10 or so dresses but knew in my heart which dress I wanted........ NEEDED to wear.
Cindy, being quite the socialite and media personality herself also had no issue in coming up with what to wear. She is so stunning and very photogenic (you know those girls who look perfect in every photo!!), and although she says she "suchs at fashion", I think she has great taste and a very nice personal style. As a side note her very handsome husband wooed her on their first date by buying her a pair of high heels....*ahem* that's an Italian man for you and it's no wonder he stole her heart!
Adrienne, was a little worried about choosing the right dress and it made me realize a few things:
- Most women aren't used to having their photograph taken constantly like bloggers/instagrammers and can find photos stressful!
- Most women don't see themselves as the incredibly beautiful goddesses that they are (call me, I will convince you!)
- Normal women have so few occasions to dress up for that we are conditioned to feel more comfortable in sweatpants that we are in skirts (Oh how things have changed since the 50s!)
Adrienne tried on something like 25 dresses.....and it was FUN! She is so beautiful with a petite body (did I mention she's a mom to the most adorable 2 year old girl), great hair, a perfect smile and an incredibly warm and fun personality.
I *love* the story of her stunning handmade beaded necklace. When she was younger and studying she worked across from a boutique selling handmade luxury jewelry. Often she would go in and try things on but they were so expensive she couldn't afford them. The day she graduated she went in and spent an even *longer* time trying everything on. The artist/owner was always very polite and nice to her even though she had never bought anything, but this time she choose a beautiful necklace for herself and bought it as a gift to herself. Can I get a "you go girl"?!
What We Ate - An Italian Apericena
I love the idea of Italian combinations, things like fruit and cheese, that many North Americans don't often think about such as watermelon and mozzarella, pear and gorgonzola or in this case an interpretation of prosciutto and melon!
Cindy gave us some great guidance on dishes that were fresh, light and perfect for a mix between a - dinner and an - cocktail. She suggested I prepare a recipe from her blog that was so easy, fast and delicious I HIGHLY RECOMMEND you try it. It litterally took me no time at all to make her "pesto of fave beans", which was so good on crusty Italian bread, but also as a condiment for pasta the next day!
We also prepared "la paella", a Tuscan bread and tomato salad that I make often at home (here's a tip, soak the onions in red wine vinegar and water for 2 hours before adding to the salad and serving, they will be less abrasive).
Cindy made spinach crepes from scratch with a whole array of yummy toppings from fresh ricotta and peas to walnuts and lemon dressing and we washed it all down with some Champagne thanks to our gracious hosts!
As the sun set we started to drink a little more, relax a little more, dance a little more (we totally danced the tarantella!) and chat....oh the chatting that took place. And we had fun all while being pretty!
We chatted until our men practically begged us to stop and it was wonderful. It was a perfect reason to dress up and I have these words to say to any woman that has a lovely gown hanging alone in her closet:
"Call your girlfriends and give yourself an occasion to be beautiful - you'll have fun"The only downside of hosting your own "event for no reason" is that you'll most likely end up doing dishes dressed like you just got back from your prom, oh well, c'est la vie!
#REASONSTODRESS DRESS TO IMPRESS FASHION BLOGGER LINKUP
Welcome to the #REASONSTODRESS DRESS TO IMPRESS LINKUP for fashion and style bloggers!
This linkup is hosted by REASONS TO DRESS - An Italian lifestyle blog about an expat-Canadian married to an Italian leather artisan. Part of this new linkup is sharing up and coming style bloggers and we're always looking for fabulous co-hosts who will be interviewed and featured - email [email protected] for info!
REASONS TO DRESS - An Italian Lifestyle Blog About Fashion, Travel & Life in Italy
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