June 3, 2020
Yes, it’s the May bracelet. Time has lost all meaning for those of us between the quarantine and the curfew.
And I have to apologize for a slowly diminishing selection of products available to include on The Vivienne Files. More and more stores seem to be running out of things (or at least running out of good assortments of sizes), and some places are already getting in cashmere sweaters. It’s difficult to know what the future few months of retail will look like, but I think I can confidently recommend that if there’s something you really like or need, you should grab it when you can….
I will continue (of course!) to try to find the prettiest, best coordinated, best-priced items I can, available in as many sizes as I can manage. If something you love is sold, keep checking the vendor site because merchandise seems to be moving in and out of stores without a hint of a plan.
Your Father’s Been Busy…
May birthstone Agate Bracelet Set – Fierce Lynx Designs
“He cleaned out the loft in the garage and put sleeping bags up there for all of the kids. There’s Wifi out there now, and electricity…”
May birthstone Agate Bracelet Set – Fierce Lynx Designs
“AND he cleaned up all of the canoes and got new life vests…. So pack up all of the kids – get your sister’s and brother’s gang too – because Grampa’s having summer camp at our house!”
Sweater – L.L.Bean; chrysocolla earrings – Carmen Anocibar; Monet scarf – The Met Store; sleeveless shirt – Lands’ End; tote – MZ Wallace; watch – Olivia Burton; espadrilles – Goodnight Macaroon; pants – L.L.Bean
She knew that her parents were going to try to do something to get all of the kids together, out of town, and out on the lake. She wasn’t quite expecting something this elaborate, but her father had been a teacher for years, so she couldn’t say that she was entirely shocked!
Chrysocolla pendant – Patricia Jara; hat – Eric Javits; green dress – L.L.Bean; mist eucalyptus linen tunic – Lands’ End; white tank top – L.L.Bean; sunglasses – Ray-Ban; beige linen dress – Marks & Spencer; tie-front tropical top – American Eagle; pajamas – Desmond & Dempsey; eucalyptus striped tee – Lands’ End; cropped canvas pants – L.L.Bean; bag – Kate Spade New York; boat shoes – Sperry; white linen shorts – Lands’ End; sandals – Lands’ End
Depending on how everyone adjusts, she might actually come home for a few days and leave all of the kids to their own devices. They’re just old enough to be able to take care of each other reasonably well, but still young enough to enjoy days on the lake, or doing whatever else her dad has cooked up…
Her plan is to help her parents stock up on groceries (how many s’mores can a child eat?), keep laundry done, and otherwise just endeavor to be useful…
“Make sure the kids bring as many swimsuits as they have – and warm sweatshirts! It gets really cool up here at night.”
“And something pretty warm to wear at night – the garage loft isn’t exactly heated…”
“If you can find your books about identifying stars, bring them up with you – Dad’s got something specific he wants to look for in the summer night sky…”
She dreams of being half as industrious as her father…
love,
Janice
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I love the soft green and a great story. Grandad is the hero! With a grandad like that who knows what adventures the kids will have. The memories will last a lifetime and they will do the same with their kids and grandkids. Hope Grandma has a great time too.
Thank you for the lovely combinations and the charming story to go with it. I always struggle with coordinating and styling outfits. The Vivienne Files has been a godsend – I just love the start with art/scarf features.
This is such a lovely wardrobe — elegant but still relaxed. The story reminds me of visiting a friend’s mother, a retired elementary teacher, who would set up little entertainments for the kids around the yard (bubbles in one corner, something to dig in another, blocks, a sprinkler, a ball) and the kids would just run from one thing to another while the tired parents got to sit and relax — thank goodness for the aunties, uncles and grandparents of the world. Thank you also for recommending the Aria Code, it has brightened a few gloomy days lately.
What a lovely wardrobe. So calming… although that being said I’m planning on wearing yellow today to cheer myself up! Bringing back memories of my grandfather – who was a logger – and would take me up in the woods with him, drop me at the nearest waterfall and know I would keep busy playing in the water until he had his load and we could head back down. Sleeping in hammocks on the back porch. Making bottle rockets for 4th of July. The huge “frosties” (what he called soft ice cream cones) he would buy me on the way back from the mill. Thank you for the best start to my day!
Oh my gosh, that is the grandparent I want to be! As someone who did decades of family beach weeks with 9 cousins and siblings, I can say that these types of gatherings build amazing memories and traditions. Thanks for the lovely post!
I love the bracelet and I am wearing green today! My professional life seems to be changing again…so hopefully I will be back commenting more often. Have missed your posts…always helpful.
Janice,
I want to be one of those kids and also be that kind of a grandparent, though also realizing my true energy level would peter out pretty quickly ! What a lovely post ! Those PJ’s could be worn separately as day wear too !
The Land’s End white sandals are very reminiscent of the ones that I wore when I was May Queen in 6 th grade — a fond memory !
This green is muted and serene in feeling — perfect for a too hot day ! I’m just loving everything about this post — the story and the clothes !
Be safe !
This sounded so much like something my father might have done; I want to be one of those kids right now too! I’ve spent QUITE enough time indoors…
hugs,
Janice
I’m a green magnet so of course this is a post I love. I can go either way with my neutral colouring: cool green like this one or warm green like olive. I’m lusting after the cool green pullover sweater and have a lot of items similar to your collection already in my closet. I’m starting to think that I should separate my green clothes and treat them like two different colours . I think I’ll make up separate clothing clusters with the cool and the warm. Hmm. Always thinking. PS Pretty green bracelet with the little acorns too.
I am ready to jump into this wardrobe and this scenario! Lizette’s observations has me realizing that I have not really distinguished between a cooler moss green and a warmer olive green, but doing so would be beneficial. I like this spectrum of greens (that I call “olive”) a lot, especially with navy and white. That bracelet is gorgeous; I don’t wear bracelets made of hard materials because they always crash and clack against my keyboard, etc., in an annoying way, but I definitely would enjoy wearing it were I to find myself in this story. Also, hurray for prints! I am 100% seeing that floral scarf with both sleeveless tops as a wrap around the shoulders as a gorgeous and versatile alternative to a kimono or other lightweight topper.
Green has always been one of my favourite colours (and yes I wear it a lot with navy) but wondered why certain shades didn’t suit me so much, until I read that green can indeed be ‘cool’ or ‘warm’. Lucky Lizette being able to wear both!
I love every single item!
My son, Mark, has an app that identifies stars and constellations in the night sky. We enjoyed using it last fall when he and family visited us at our mountain home. Our grandson, Elliot, still talks about roasting marshmallows and making s’mores.
That sounds awesome…
hugs,
Janice
What a captivating mix of tints & tones in beige and green. The ratio of prints to solids makes this a versatile wardrobe. Love to see more like this with majenta or aqua blue. Thanks for the visual delicacy.
Retail is quite odd at the moment, isn’t it? Many retailers seem to be practically giving it away. And as a result, the selection is rapidly dwindling. I’m trying to update with a few t-shirts and am shocked at how many stores are completely sold out of my desired colors and size.
What a fun story! It reminds me of the Callahan Cousin’s books for middle grade readers by Elizabeth Doyle Carey.