Spring things....

Two exciting events coming up this Spring...... the arrival of V and S's first grandchild, and the marriage of  V and B's daughter.  Both occasions bring such joy and promise to everyday life, and we're all just thrilled. 

I've already bought my dress for the wedding. Dress shopping can be daunting at times..... you want to buy something that's age-appropriate but you don't want to look like you're wearing something from your grandmother's closet.  So many pretty dresses are made for 20-somethings, and you just can't wear those styles when you're over a certain age, unless you want to look like a fool. 

We have one clothing store in town here that has a nice selection of dresses, especially now when Easter is coming up and all the Spring dresses are coming in.  I went there last week, and saw rack after rack of dresses not-to-be-worn by anyone over the age of 50.  My favorite saleslady was there, and I told her how important this wedding was, and asked her if they had anything other than strapless, sleeveless, size-0 dresses with ruffles from bodice to hem.  She took me towards the back of the store, and there they were..... six racks just filled with beautiful dresses, not strapless, not filled with sequins...... and not a size-0 in sight.

I found a pretty black dress with the fabric below the waist set into diagonal ruffles that were sewn down onto the material, not bouncing around like ruffles usually do. It has a white silk puffy flower at one side of the waist...... just a classic-looking dress a la Audrey Hepburn...... it was sleeveless, but I knew I had the perfect little bolero-style jacket at home that was peacock blue on a black background. The saleslady said to take the dress home and try it on with the jacket..... if I didn't like it, then I could return the dress. Perfect.  Nothing beats a little black dress, especially when the fabric is satiny smooth and rich-looking.

Shoes....... the store had a pair of sparkling silver heels.... which looked so nice with the dress....... but when I got the shoes home and walked around our wood floors with them, I nearly slid from the front hallway to the end of the living room.  Way too slippery, those shoes. I could just picture having to call an ambulance at the wedding reception after sliding down a staircase...... not a good thing. I returned the shoes, kept the dress........  I have brand new black heels in my closet to wear with that great dress.  So excited about this wedding...... to see V's daughter all grown up and walking down the aisle, and her sister will be maid-of-honor....  in the same church where her parents and grandparents got married. It will be a wonderful day.

And then....... V and S are giving a party for their son and daughter-in-law, to celebrate the upcoming birth of their first child. Not exactly a baby shower, because V is inviting the husbands.......... it will be a party with family and close friends, filled with all the love and intimacy that was present when V and S's son got married.  We went to Austin for their wedding... it was our first Texas wedding, and it was beyond lovely.  V and S are so excited.... their first grandbaby, and they already know it's a little girl, which is even more exciting..... the first little baby girl in the family.

I had been looking around for baby gifts.  I'm not too good at picking out baby gifts, not having children of my own. All those clothes, and the different sizes for the ages--- how do you know what to get? How do you know what's going to fit?  I usually get baby books for baby showers........ books for babies, not books about babies.  Kids get more than enough clothes and toys for birthdays and holidays.... but never seem to get enough books, in my opinion. (Spoken like a true book-lover.)

I was in one of the antique shops in town and happened to see the prettiest vintage tea cup.............. and it was pink, a beautiful shade of baby-girl pink. Gorgeous old porcelain cup and saucer, and its pink color got to me thinking that V's daughter-in-law really loves vintage things, and sooner or later, she will have a tea party with her little girl.  What would be better for a tea party than a vintage pink china tea cup and saucer?  I bought that teacup, and then started searching for a child-sized teacup, also in pink.  That took more than a few stores, but I found one, white china with beautiful pink roses all over it......... perfect little-girl sized teacup and saucer.

I will put both teacups in a pretty basket, tucked into pink tissue paper, with a soft pink baby toy or a few pink bibs...... and I will make a card that says "Someday you and your little girl will have a tea party........."      I think the two vintage teacups will make a wonderful keepsake gift for V's daughter-in-law and her baby girl.

Such exciting things to look forward to this Spring....... along with all the wildflowers that will soon be blooming in our fields. Life is good.  Wildflowers, and the perfect little black dress. What more could you possibly want?