The Pretty Dress Company Tartan for Christmas Eve

Merry Christmas Eve!

I am now applying for the part of Mother Christmas. 😉 When I realized that this vintage 1970s plaid cape matched my dream dress from The Pretty Dress Company in Tartan, I had to put them together. This morning we woke up to a delightfully frosty (and freezing) morning. What better time to properly photograph a dress I’d been dreaming of for ages than now? I have realized that, despite some financial hardships, this year has been remarkably nice to me so far as finding a lot of dream pieces. There’s the Collectif Pearl coat, several Miss Candyfloss Dresses, some BAIT shoes… this year I have learned to save up for things that really spark joy, and let go of things that do not.

And in some ways, gaining weight has something to do with that. More and more, I’m unwilling to compromise my own comfort for the aesthetic of a pretty dress. I’ve purged my closet of so many things that don’t make me feel happy. In their place are some of the things I’ve dreamt of for years. This Tartan Pretty Dress Company dress was one of them.

Dress, The Pretty Dress Company (here, or budget version here) || Flower Crown, The Retro Flamingo (similar) || Shoes, BAIT Footwear (here, here, here) || Brooch and earrings, vintage (here, here, here) || Cape, vintage (similar here, here here)

This is my fourth dress from The Pretty Dress Company.

The first I ever purchased I have yet to take photos in, but I bought it for my birthday. It’s the most glorious black dress with pink roses on it in the Tilly style, and I cannot wait to wear it out! The second and third and this fourth one all came in one package. The Pretty Dress Company had an insanely good sale during the summer and, because I had some extra funds from dress sales, I decided to treat myself. I bought this Tartan dress, and then a rose print one in two different colorways.

Having always been a maximalist with my closet, I’m surprised to find that lately I want to minimize. Curating what I own is at the top of my list for 2021.

I never thought I would be one to aspire for a less-plentiful closet. But lately, I’ve felt overwhelmed. Things need to go. I want to get rid of half my closet, live in things that make me truly happy, and honestly minimize the chances of mess. The more kids I have, the less things I want. Though I will likely always be a bit of a maximalist, I want to be a bit more curated with what I own.

This year especially has taught me that, as we’ve lived a full year in our new house and I’ve stayed home all year and realized how important is to create a happy and orderly environment.

What are your plans for Christmas if you celebrate? What are your plans for the new year? I’m not much of a resolutions person, but I do have goals. I want to streamline our home, of course; purge my closet of things that don’t fit comfortably, purge our belongings of things that just make clutter. I want to continue along the vein of creativity that has struck me this year. And I want to finally publish a book. I have published one, of course, but I’m ready to put out some novels!

Though the status of the economy and covid-19 are still unsure in 2021, I’m hoping for a better year. And I’m thankful for all I’ve learned this year. I’m thankful for the friends who have immeasurably blessed us. The family that has stuck with us through thick and thin. Our kids, our home, our love.