an afternoon for a princess

Allie and I got to spend a lovely afternoon having a tea party and exploring an older beautiful home here in town.  It truly felt like we were princesses in these dresses.  Mine is one of my most favorite feminine pieces I own and from a local boutique owned by a lovely family.  Allie's dress came from Gymboree's pre-Christmas $16 sale (I mean seriously, don't you love those?), she sported it for Christmas, and will hopefully get lots more wear out of it through the winter including her baby dedication coming up in a few weeks.  I'm not sure there's much else more girly and fun than a tulle skirt!  And the fact that the top part of the dress is a SWEATER?!!  Do these come in adult sizes??  No seriously.

twirling twirling

A side note, Allie has really been breaking my heart lately.  I suppose it's what they do, though.  They're in the heart breaking business, ya know.

Sometimes when she falls or hurts herself, the sides of her lips turn downward and her eyes grow teary, but she barely utters a sound other than a few short, whimpering breaths as she tries her very best to be strong and not cry.  On one hand I am so proud of her for being brave and strong.  On the other hand I want to say, "Allie, it's okay.  Cry, baby girl.  Cry!"  I want her to know it's okay to hurt and to show others she is hurting.  That there's bravery in showing pain, too.  I suppose it's the tip of the iceberg when it comes to the vast emotional journey we still have yet to conquer over her lifetime.

One day at a time, precious girl.


My outfit:
dress, leggings: Sissy & Me Too
cardigan: NY&Co.
boots: Urban Artsy

Allie's outfit:
dress, coat, headband, tights: Gymboree
shoes: Amazon

Photography: Emily Blankman @ Gypsy Ed