dress me up, buttercup

Without the rain, There would be no rainbow....



Happiness.
It's something that's been on my mind a lot lately.
Some days it just seems to find me and other days, I have to reach for it.
I mean really really reach for it.
(i used bold and italics here people, i hope you understand the great lengths of my reaching, haha)
I don't like that happiness has become more of a task than a general state of being as of late,
but I suppose in being mom to a 1 year old and a 3 year old, I am pre-destined to go through little bouts of "this".
This being ::: those frustrating, terrible two, can't find a matching sock, no food in the cupboard, daughter spills a bucket of paint and breaks a hazardous CFL light and shampoos her hair with half a bottle of dish soap on the living room floor all in the same day, kind of days.
(yesterday was exactly that)

Today, though particularly gloomy and wet outside, was one of those unexpectedly wonderful days where happiness just seemed to find me-- in the sound of rain, in a peach tea snapple, in a walk down memory lane by way of our sweet vintage dress collection.

 Nearly all these little dresses of ours come with a story and memory.... or are a starting point for happy days to come (i've already got the girls fourth of July dresses picked out for this year, if that tells you anything... and finding something to wear always seems to be half the battle if you're a girl, right?)



This little dress took me back to Jed and Haley's sweet photo session and made me want to kiss my husband.  Cameron can't fit in it yet, but the idea of Haley wearing something one year and Cameron being able to wear it the next always delights me.



This dress will probably be Cameron's easter dress this year and is also the dress Haley wore to the elementary school when we went to help judge the talent show.  The day Haley tried to get on a school bus with the big kids and finally showed a bit of interest in school (or atleast it's fancy big yellow commute).



This is Haley's most favorite dress of all. Her "Cinderella" dress.  I can't tell you how many hours she has spent in this dress- twirling around, curtseying, marrying princes and tending to other royal businesses.



And these two little numbers... two of my most favorite of all, were worn for Thanksgiving dinner and graced the front of our christmas card.

Yes, today is one of those days where happiness has just shown up on my front door step all on its own.
Wrapped up in flutter sleeves, polka dots, smocking, ruffles, and gingham...
Be still my heart.

<3