Embrace Change, Accept, and Adapt.
by Tara Osipoff on October 1, 2012
Like the wind, I am in a constant state of change—ever evolving, ever growing. Like that wind, there are times when my whisper is gentle—where it is calm, dancing throughout this life. That same wind has a side that is fierce, that screams out, “I am here to be heard!”
Change: some fear it, some embrace it, and some know nothing of it.
Go with it, or simply be left behind.
Be better than you were yesterday, but less than you will be tomorrow.
When the wind blows, it doesn’t think about how you feel about its breath, about it’s push; it does what it does, without thought. It has no concept of fear.
Imagine how easy life would be if we were all a little more like the wind—if we didn’t think about what others thought.
I have been asked many times by some of you lovely readers about how to transition a maxi skirt into the fall. I think that when fall comes, we all think we need to run out and buy an entirely new wardrobe. You look at your lovely little closets and think, “Ugh, I’m clothes-less—hopelessly clothes-less.” I will argue that this is simply not true. There is a wide array of summer colours and styles that can be taken right into the fall season, and some right through to winter if done properly and paired correctly. The maxi skirt is one of them. Even if it is only a thin piece of material, a maxi skirt can be worn with a pair of leggings or a high boot to add warmth. You can also pair it with a long sleeve shirt or a bodysuit as worn in this shoot. If you want, it can even still be worn with tank top—just toss on a blazer or an oversized sweater. All it takes to keep your wardrobe transitioning through the seasons is a bit of creativity, and if you are reading this thinking “look Tara, I’m a numbers gal; my mind doesn’t flow in that way,” welp—that’s why there are fashion blogs and the web in general to offer you endless ideas that are free as free can be! This past weekend I wore a one-piece bathing suit with a pair of leggings and a jean jacket. There was no way I was spending $150 on a bathing suit and only wearing that sucker in the summer—no my girlfriends and man friends, I don’t roll like that. Getting creative with your pieces is a way to save moola and transition them into the ever-changing seasons.
I think that part of the reason I am creative with my pieces is because I grew up in an environment where I was forced to be creative. My parents did everything they could to ensure that we had some spending money for clothes throughout the year, but it was seldom and the pot wasn’t huge. So I knew that the pieces I bought had to have some functionality behind them; they had to have the ability to transition into different seasons. I put a lot of thought into colour and structure; I knew I had to spend time with these pieces. So now that I am not operating on a Fat Cat children’s bank account from the RBC and have money to spend on fabulous clothes, I have developed a knack for finding functional pieces. Don’t get me wrong; not every piece I buy can be worn throughout the year. But I do question a piece’s life span when making any purchase.
So don’t run out with your credit cards clutched in hand, ready to go into debt over a new fall wardrobe. Look at the pieces you have from the summer that have potential to be worn into the fall. Seek out warmer colours like burgundies, browns, burnt oranges, mustard yellows, and deep reds, and purchase pieces that can be worn alongside them. If those colours aren’t your cup of tea, you can work with pastels as well. Soft colours can also be worn well in this season. Be creative, open your mind to change, try things you have not tried before, and don’t worry about what others may think—trendsetters never do. Wear what makes you feel fabulous. Embrace change, continuously evolve, and be a better you than you are at this moment—there is always room for growth. So be fierce, be strong, be kind, be grateful: be you.
Thanks for reading dearest humans, and remember: life is beautiful, dress accordingly.
This week we were pleased to work with a guest photographer, Luke Sitter. He is a creative photographer here in Regina, Saskatchewan and more of his work can be found at www.lukesitterphotography.com or on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/lukesitterphotography. He has a ton of must-see work in his portfolio.
Hair – moi
Styling – Ohhh you know, me of course.
May you all have a beautiful fall day,
xoxo
Tara Marie
I dreamed up an unconventional wedding for an unconventional story
by Tara Osipoff on September 26, 2012
I am not a conventional woman.
Shall I ever be wed, I won’t have slicked-back hair and a princess dress.
There may not even be shoes involved.
The dress will definitely be vintage, and will most likely not be originally intended as a wedding dress at all.
I’m not a picket white fence; I am not warm pie in the windowsill. I won’t ever have supper on the table by five. I am unpredictable and sometimes irrational. I like to paint when the days are rainy, and when I need to escape I can be found under the covers, humming to old records in lipstick and a rock t-shirt.
I don’t need a ring on my left hand to know that love can last forever. Your eyes would tell me just that if I looked deep enough, and that is all I would need.
Besides—who is worried about forever? The present moment is all I am certain of anyhow; it is the only time that is real.
If you bought me a diamond ring I would be certain that you are not my happy ending.
I won’t be your four-door sedan; I won’t be your woman behind the wheel with soccer balls in the trunk.
I play my music way too loud on Sunday mornings and burn incense ‘til the house is smoky.
I am ironic, I’ve been told.
My favourite smells are a cigarette when it’s first lit and freshly laundered clothes, even though I’ve never smoked in my life and I hate doing laundry.
So I guess you can count on me never doing yours.
I am not nine to five behind a desk and straight home to watch the latest reality TV show.
I once turned a television into a planter, and a beautiful one at that.
I might cut up your favourite old t-shirt to make my new favourite tank top.
I will most likely drag you to dingy bars to listen to live music and make you stay up late discussing the set with me.
I can’t be bothered with hockey and I read far too much.
I believe that meditation brings clarity and I may sit in the middle of the kitchen floor in a daze while your mother is over for tea.
I can’t promise you three children with quirkier names than the neighbours’ kids and I won’t have a dog named after your favourite sports team.
I assure you that no one has ever described my hair as “neat” or even “combed” for that matter.
My eyes are not a sea blue but a light brown, and sometimes, in certain moods, they are a creepy yellow.
I have daydreams more peculiar and extravagant than the ones you have when you are asleep at night.
I will probably push every button you have and push you further and harder than you’ve ever been, because I wouldn’t have kissed you in the first place if I didn’t think you were worth it.
Sometimes I am bossy and I need to be told so.
I see the good in everyone and spread love like wildfire, and you may come home to a homeless man sitting at our table while I fix him a sandwich and discuss his journey.
I want to sail around the world for a year and live far off in the woods when I’m old.
My art is my closet and that consumes a lot of my time.
My life certainly isn’t typical… and I guess that is what inspired this shoot when I was putting together the looks.
But if you notice, although it may not be a typical wedding shoot, it certainly still is a fairy tale.
My life may not be straight out of a book, but I live a beautiful dream.
These dresses were all found at thrift stores. Some of the women who have worn them may be divorced, still married, or asleep beneath the ground we walk. They all have a story. That is the beauty of vintage clothing, of clothing that is used. Just like art, there is a story behind every piece. Some stories may not be pretty, and some may be dark and scary; but some are beautiful, inspirational, and make a piece of clothing worth wearing.
I think if I am ever to be married, I want my dress to tell this story of exactly who I am, for it to be the art depicting my beautiful life and the beautiful partnership I form with another human being.
Thanks my lovely fashion lovers.
Photography by Mike Phillips – He is back again as my main contributor after a break where he was off to be wed himself, to his beautiful wife Janel Walker. I added a photo that I snapped on my iPhone as Mike was capturing some shots. His eye for fashion is incredible. He helps me to create art out of the looks that I put together. As you can see in the photo, he pulls out all the stops, and his creation sees no boundaries. If you are in need of a photographer for any event in your life, be sure to check out his work—you will be wildly impressed. www.michaelphillipsphoto.com
Styling by me, of course
Models: Jess Martorana, Robyn, and lil ol’ moi
Life, it is so very beautiful; dress accordingly.
Tara Marie
