The Magnificent 8: How Does Your Garden Grow?
When Spring finally decides to arrive in the North Country, the flowers bloom with a passion and intensity that any seedling would possess after being buried in the frozen ground for a very long and cold 8 months. I know. Because I am quite similar to the frozen seedlings. I have been so cold for so long that I am running out of patience as I await the arrival of some warmth and sunshine so I too can bloom with passion and intensity. And all this time spent in quarantine has further fed my desire to bask in the warm air while the sunshine gently kisses my face.
While Spring has arrived nearly everywhere else in the Northern Hemisphere, I am still impatiently waiting to be able to shed my blanket scarves and extra layers. But a girl can dream of a Springtime garden filled with brightly colored, vivacious blooms, can’t she? And a girl can certainly wear the images of beautiful floral arrangements on her dress while she waits for the ground to thaw.
The Magnificent 8 has chosen How Does Your Garden Grow as our theme for this month. I had every intention of creating an outfit that was inspired by vegetables or other produce similar to my Eggplant Inspired outfit from February. In fact, that outfit was sort of the catalyst for this theme.
But since we have 8 amazing women ranging from their 20s to their 80s who all have a very unique and different personal style, we decided to broaden the topic to include anything that may grow in your garden…from flowers to fruits and vegetables to herbs and trees and shrubs. In fact, this theme could even be interpreted to include animal prints and motifs of any number of whimsical creatures that may take up residence in one’s garden. I, however, was not so clever in the end and stuck with a very expected floral print.
As I already have complained a million times over, it is still really cold in Northern New York. So when it comes to transitioning my wardrobe for the seasons, I don’t really! I keep it all in one place because layers are pretty much necessary all the time except maybe in July. So I pulled out one of my favorite black floral maxi dresses to showcase the darker side of a North Country Springtime! All black and barren with hints of colorful blooms.
The day we shot these photos, which was about 2 weeks ago, the sun was out but the wind was whipping up some really cold air. I knew I wanted to style a denim jacket with this dress, but in the end I had to add a giant blanket scarf, a hat, tights, gloves, and boots if I stood any chance at not freezing straight through to my bones. Hopefully, it won’t be too long before I can at least shed the blanket scarves! (I am wearing one right now while I type this post, by the way.)
Do go check out the other gorgeous gals of The Magnificent 8 and see how their gardens are growing this Spring.
The Magnificent 8 is a collaboration among 8 stylish women, each in a different age bracket, ranging from early 20’s to early 80’s. The mission of this collaboration is to show you just how ageless style is, how we can each dress however we’d like and in ways that make us feel fabulous. There are no age restrictions on style. So wear what you want, when you want, add a smile, and strut your style with confidence. And be sure to check out all 8 of these amazing gals!
Every quarter, we choose a theme and each create an outfit that suits our own personal tastes and fashion choices and we post them on the last Wednesday of every third month. So be sure to go check out everyone’s posts for lots of style inspiration at any age!
Let me introduce the ladies of The Magnificent 8.
- Grace of Graceful Rags is representing teenagers.
- Michelle of Michelle’s Pa(i)ge is representing the 20-somethings.
- Roxanne of Glass of Glam is representing the 30-somethings.
- Shelbee of Shelbee on the Edge is representing the 40-somethings.
- Rena of Fine Whatever is representing the 50-somethings.
- Eugenia of Age of Grace is representing the 60-somethings.
- Lesley of Jodie’s Touch of Style is representing the 70-somethings.
- Charlotte of Jodie’s Touch of Style is representing the 80-somethings.
We are showing that you can’t put a number on style! (You can see all of our past themes by clicking on the collage image above.)
How would you interpret this theme? What does your Spring wardrobe look like? Has Spring actually arrived where you live or are you still stuck in the rain and cold like me?
Keeping it on the edge,
Shelbee
Linking up with these Fabulous Link Parties.
Shop my look…
Outfit Details: Dress-Torrid / Jacket-Thrifted (Old Navy) / Scarf and Hat-Target / Gloves-Old Navy / Tights-c/o Sheertex / Boots-c/o Country Outfitter / Earrings-Good Life Gift Shop / Necklace-c/o Rosegal
shelbeeontheedge@gmail.com
I am a midlife woman, wife, and stay-at-home mother of 2 boys and 2 cats. I have a passion for helping other women feel fabulous in the midst of this crazy, beautiful life.
37 Comments
Jennifer
I cannot wait to shed all of my layers as well. I’m so sick of being cold. Love your dress!
Jennifer
Effortle
shelbeeontheedge@gmail.com
Thanks so much, Jennifer! The cold is getting really old!
xoxo
Shelbee
Nancy
OMG! THose boots! Have I seen them before on you? Wow, they are fantastic. And so perfect for under a gorgeous dress. I love dark floral dresses, they have something a bit dramatic!
shelbeeontheedge@gmail.com
Thanks so much, Nancy! I have worn my red cowboy boots on the blog before. I got them last summer and I think I have shown them off at least 2 or 3 times on the blog. Maybe even more than that! I am a huge fan of dark florals, too! They take me back to the 90’s for some reason.
xoxo
Shelbee
Eugenia Russell Hargrove
Shelbee,
Hi! Spring officially arrived back in March but here in Central Pennsylvania, I’ve not seen it or felt it.
First of all, those boots are fabulous. The plaid dress with the denim is a winner too and great chic outfit for hiking with your family.
I do admire everyone interpretations on the Magnificent 8 themes. I know I’m always out in left field with whatever the agreed upon theme is. But the bottom line is it’s fun and gives one an opportunity to be creative and shopped their closet to make it happen.
shelbeeontheedge@gmail.com
Eugenia, thanks so much! I love that we all interpret the themes differently in our own unique ways! That’s what makes it so fun! I am about to make my rounds to check out everyone else’s posts. I am still waiting for Spring in Northern New York myself. I am still wearing sweaters and lots of layers! I hope you are well, my friend.
xoxo
Shelbee
jodie filogomo
Those boots?? I love them with the skirt. What a perfect way to marriage the spring weather where you are.
XOXO
Jodie
http://www.jtouchofstyle.com
shelbeeontheedge@gmail.com
Thanks so much, Jodie! I love these boots so much! I am making my rounds in a few minutes to see how you all styled this theme!
xoxo
Shelbee
Monica Hein
I am in love with the boots!
https://villemo20.blogspot.com/
shelbeeontheedge@gmail.com
Thanks so much, Monica! They are my favorite boots!
xoxo
Shelbee
Patrick Weseman
Looking very nice. Love the boots and the skirt is very spring.
The weather here is interesting. We have fog in the morning, followed by sun. It is chilly in the morning but decent in the afternoon. We still need layers here.
shelbeeontheedge@gmail.com
Thanks so much, Patrick! Today actually turned out to be a beautiful day (it was supposed to rain). And now I am fighting with my kids to go the heck outside and play!
xoxo
Shelbee
Michelle
Gorgeous dress! And as always, you’ve styled it wonderfully! You do look set to usher in Spring. I’m glad you are finally getting some sunny days. Looks like it was a nice day for photo shoot!
Michelle
https://mybijoulifeonline.com
shelbeeontheedge@gmail.com
Michelle, thank you so much! The sun peaks out us every 5 or 6 days it seems, then retreats again! Even today, it started out mild and sunny with temperatures hitting a high of 60. But before I knew it, the cloud cover moved in and I am freezing again!
xoxo
Shelbee
Bettye L Rainwater
Love your floral look, Shelbee! It reads very “prairie” to me and I love that style.
Hope you’re staying safe and well,
Bettye
shelbeeontheedge@gmail.com
Bettye, thank you so very much! I do love a look that is suitable for the prairie or any outdoorsy kind of vibe. We are safe and well here. I hope the same for you!
xoxo
Shelbee
mireille
I love these pictures! And you really need to move South! I can’t believe that it snowed in the north in the last couple of weeks.
http://www.chezmireillefashiontravelmom.com
shelbeeontheedge@gmail.com
Thanks so much, Mireille! I would love to move south soon, but I fear we are stuck in this frozen tundra for quite a while longer. And it snowed in June last year, so I am not busting out my summer clothes any time soon!
xoxo
Shelbee
Lizzie
I always love the magnificent 8 collabs! So fun! I also really love this outfit on you. Absolutely love the florals and the unexpected boot combo!
Lizzie
http://www.lizzieinlace.com
shelbeeontheedge@gmail.com
Thanks so much, Lizzie! This is definitely one of my favorite collaborations, too. It is so much fun to see women of all ages rocking out our own personal styles for a given theme.
xoxo
Shelbee
Logan
Oh my goodness, this scarf is beautiful! Such wonderful colors.
xo Logan
https://peculiarporter.com/
shelbeeontheedge@gmail.com
Logan, thanks so much! I was actually hesitant about purchasing this scarf because I wasn’t certain I had much to wear it with. But I do love how it paired with this outfit!
xoxo
Shelbee
Joanne
Spring is taking it’s sweet time getting here in Ct too; we have teases here and there (like today where it reached 60!) and then it’s supposed to drop and be rainy/ windy for the next several days. I definitely make the most of the warmer sunnier days and even broke out my flip flops for an hour this afternoon.
shelbeeontheedge@gmail.com
I can totally relate to all of that, Joanne! And when it gets to that sweet spot of around 60 degrees, it feels way colder inside my house for some reason. Today was a beautiful day but I had so much work to do inside and I have been literally shivering all day! I hope we can get some sort of stability or consistency with something, anything really…the weather, the economy, the environment. I’ll take any thing that feels normal these days. Thanks for stopping by!
xoxo
Shelbee
Roxanne
I don’t transition my wardrobe either – one day it’ll be 30 degrees then 70 the next, haha! Absolutely love your outfit, especially the boots!
–Roxanne
https://glassofglam.com
shelbeeontheedge@gmail.com
Thanks so much, Roxanne! This was the perfect theme for Spring even when it doesn’t feel like Spring yet! I hope you all are well, my friend.
xoxo
Shelbee
Ada Furxhi
WOW you guys had another long, dreary and super cold winter over there?! I cannot believe you still have to be in warm wool blanket scarves. But those red cowgirl boots are gorgeous and I love them with the floppy hat. STAY WARM DEAR FRIEND! =)
P.S. If you ever want a guest poster for this series in June or July or later, I will be your girl.
shelbeeontheedge@gmail.com
Thanks so much, Ada! I am still freezing over here on May 1! Wrapped up in a blanket scarf and sweats at my computer. I am so getting used to it by now though. I don’t expect to wear short sleeves until mid June. We have never had guest bloggers for this series, so I will have to run that one by the ladies in the group first. I hope you have a wonderful weekend!
xoxo
Shelbee
Grace
Such a cute look, Shelbee! I love how you accessorized your outfit with that black bow choker. I also thought it was so clever to compare yourself to the frozen plants waiting to bloom! I love the symbolism of picking the black dress since it still isn’t spring for you yet.
I also wish I could have done more with this theme; I really liked the idea of “how your garden grows” so I’m kind of bummed Denim Day fell on the same day as our collaboration! I think I’ll plan on doing a different garden-inspired post in the future, though. Hope things warm up for you soon!
Miles of smiles,
Grace
gracefulrags.com
shelbeeontheedge@gmail.com
Thanks so much, Grace! This was a fun theme and I wanted to be even more creative with it, but then I just never got to taking pictures and stuff. I think you did great with the theme and I loved that you included Denim Day in your post! It was a brilliant idea. We need to use our platforms for spreading awareness on important topics and I love that you embrace that!
xoxo
Shelbee
juliet brown
Love your outfit – perfect! Actually I dont have many print items of clothing in my wardrobe – its all plain, so I guess I have to admire it on other people – but you are making me reconsider, maybe a bit offloral here and there might be a nice addition sometime
shelbeeontheedge@gmail.com
Juliet, thank you so very much! If you don’t want to spend a lot of money and just want some splashes of pattern, maybe just add a few printed scarves to your wardrobe? I hope you have a lovely week ahead!
xoxo
Shelbee
Suzanne Bell
What a fun look Shelbee! This Boho chic look is everything I love! From the dress to your amazing boots-topped off with a bold poncho, this is an amazing creation!! 👏🏼👏🏼
I hope you get some sunshine soon, it’s a mood lifter for sure.
Thanks for linking up with stylish Monday!
xx
Suzanne
http://www.AskSuzanneBell.com
shelbeeontheedge@gmail.com
Suzanne, thank you so much! This was one of my favorite outfits this year, for sure. And it is still so cold here with snow moving in this weekend!
xoxo
Shelbee
Emma Peach
What a fabulous outfit!I love the maxi dress with the denim jacket, and those cowboy boots are amazing!
Emma xxx
http://www.style-splash.com
shelbeeontheedge@gmail.com
Thanks so much, Emma! This is one of my favorite outfits, I think. And my red cowboy boots are very cherished in my closet! Although I kind of want another pair of statement cowboy boots but I am trying not to spend too much money.
xoxo
Shelbee
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