I was a really, really good little girl-and that is not an exaggeration.  In fact I was often teased by my peers and called a goody-goody-two-shoes, a brown-noser, and  the teacher’s pet (which was probably true).  And of course it all seemed so horrible at the time, but in hindsight, I am proud that I was indeed all of those things growing up!!  However, none of us are perfect and I of course had my challenging moments, just like any other kiddo. 

In fact, my beloved grandma loves to tell a story about me when I was in the 3rd grade and visiting her in Detroit with my family.   She and my mom had taken me shopping, and while I have always been opinionated about what I like to wear, for whatever reason, that opinion reached a fever pitch during this particular outing.  My grandma wanted to buy me a Polly Flanders dress-white with pink and lots and lots of ruffles and smocking.  She and my mom thought I looked ADORABLE in it and both ranted and raved in the fitting room about how excited they were for me to have it.  I, however, was not convinced.  And so, when my mom left the fitting room, my grandmother said I looked her squarely in the eyes and said “You can buy that dress for me, grandma, but I won’t wear it.”  And oh the drama that ensued.  To this day, my grandmother still laughs as she relives the shock she felt when her sweet little Abigail uttered those defiant words to her.  But in the end, as I was a spoiled first-born grandchild and had previously done no wrong, ended up getting the dress that I wanted that day-a purple dress with white polka dots, and some really cute leggings to match.  And as a budding fashionista who knew what she wanted from a very young age, it ended up being one of my favorite outfits during my 3rd grade era.   So when I was at the Rack a couple of weeks ago and saw this cute polka dot number, I knew I had to have it in memorandum of that infamous day…

Sunglasses:  Cole Haan c/o Nordstrom Rack

Dress:  c/o Nordstrom Rack

Leopard Belt:  Express (still in stores!)

Mustard Cardigan :  H&M

Leggings:  c/o Nordstrom Rack

Shoes:  Jessica Simpon c/o Macy’s

Watch:  Michael Kors c/o Macy’s

Necklaces:  Tiffany, and my personal collection of charms

Many people reflect on defining moments in their life and as I look back, I can’t help but think that maybe the incident with my grandma and the Polly Flanders dress was perhaps my defining fashion moment.  But whatever the case, I still love polka dots-so am thrilled that they are back with a vengeance this season.  And as you may recall, I talked about chambray being one of the new neutrals of the season a couple of posts back, well, leopard is the other-which is why I selected a leopard belt to accessorize this dress.  It might seem busy, but leopard really goes with anything due to its neutral coloration.  Plus a leopard scarf, belt, shoe, or bag is a really great way to spruce up an outfit without having to put forth much effort.

Here’s to dressing in what makes us happy!!

xx

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