Ditsy Florals for a Ditzy Gal & #SpreadTheKindness Link Up #220
I know it is the very end of April and you are probably thinking I should be less layered up. But let’s face it, it will not be warm enough here for true spring fashions until June at the earliest. In fact, just this morning my weather app was predicting snow flurries again this weekend…when the calendar flips to May. So bear with me for a few weeks longer and I will start to show a little more skin…it will be very pale pasty white skin, but a little exposure to the sun will do my translucent epidermis a world of good!
Until then, however, I have been combining some of my spring pieces with the necessary layers for my personal comfort. Prairie dress styles are trending big this season and they work perfectly with floral prints. I found this black and white ditsy floral print maxi dress at Old Navy a few months back and I couldn’t resist the whimsical print or the $7 price tag. In fact, I liked it so much that I bought it in another print as well.
It is a wonderfully comfortable dress that feels much more like I am wearing sleepwear rather than actual clothing, but it is not the most flattering style with all of its billowy fabric and high neckline. But do I care about that? Not really. Because sometimes it is perfectly acceptable to choose comfort over the most flattering things in our closets. This was very much a throw-together outfit that consists of nothing more than the dress with a long sleeve black tee layered underneath and a red bomber jacket on top with my new favorite lug sole boots. And once it gets warm enough, this dress will be even easier to style with nothing more than a pair of a sandals and some jewelry.
Now let’s have a miniature vocabulary lesson about ditsy patterns and what that means exactly. We often hear of ditsy prints as ditsy florals. Actually, up until this point right now, I had always thought ditsy prints were simply teeny tiny floral patterns. Although certain teeny tiny floral patterns can fall under the category of ditsy prints, these patterns are not at all limited to just florals.
A ditsy print by definition is a small scale patterned design that usually features a scattered or random ordering of the print in contrast to a more defined pattern like stripes or checks. For some ditsy prints, the scale can be so small that the fabric will appear like a solid color from a distance. Florals are probably the most common element in ditsy prints but they can also feature scattered dots or other shapes.
And now you may be wondering why I am a ditzy girl…so let me tell you that story.
On Saturday morning as I was exiting the bathroom after my shower, I stubbed my toe on the bathroom door frame which sent my back foot sliding on the wet floor as I crashed face first into the hallway! No big deal really. I am ditzy and rather clumsy and find random bruises on strange parts of my body all the time from colliding with bannisters, furniture, and walls (and sometimes the floor).
Unfortunately for me, the result of this particular ditzy moment was a broken toe. Yep, the middle one on my right foot is mangled and bruised and hurts like hell. So right now I am actually feeling much gratitude for the cold spring weather that has been tormenting me. Because I can keep the ugly thing hidden inside of my boots until it heals. Plus securely fitted boots are what I need right now for the extra support for my tiny little broken toe bone.
It will be fine in a week or two, but I do have to say that it irritated me to no end when I realized it was broken. I literally break a toe bone on an annual basis. It is the most ridiculous thing ever! I think I am currently sitting at about a 50-50 chance of broken toe if I stub it. Once it heals, I will be needing a new pedicure as well because the force of the stubbing action took the polish right off that toe and it is much too tender right now even for a nail polish brush. I think I might have bad toe karma. Is that a thing? I also step in chewing gum much more frequently than any person should ever have to endure. So maybe I just have bad foot karma!
Have you ever broken a toe? I have never broken any other bones except for my tailbone. And I have to say that I will take all the broken toe bones over any severe break of a major bone. That might just make me faint with the queasiness factor!
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Keeping it on the edge,
Shelbee
Linking up with these Fabulous Link Parties.
Outfit Details: Dress and Tee-Old Navy / Jacket-Torrid / Boots-Steve Madden (DSW) / Earrings-Shelbee’s Shoppe
74 Comments
Claire
Happy Tuesday, Shelbee. Beautiful outfit. Love your dress, I have one very similar to yours but light green 🙂 Thanks for hosting
shelbeeontheedge@gmail.com
Thanks so much, Claire! I know your green dress! I love your green dress! And I immediately thought of your green dress when I saw this one! I wish I could find a green one! Have a fabulous day, my friend.
xoxo
Shelbee
Suzy
OUCH Shelbee!!!! That hurts like hell. I know from experience, after having stubbed my little toe on the bathroom doorframe a few years ago. I hadn’t realised I broke it until the bruising came up!!! It’s such an easy thing to do though. I’m like you, I’m often covered in bruises from bumping into things, especially tables and the edge of the sofa. So I usually get bruises in the same place which, after a few years, results in little thread veins I guess!
I’m loving your dress! It’s super pretty! And it looks fab with those chunky boots!
Hugs
Suzy xx
shelbeeontheedge@gmail.com
Suzy, thanks so much! I am glad to know that I am not the only clumsy person covered in bruises! Haha. A few weeks I slammed my forearm into the railing going up the stairs. I was walking and simply moved my arm in such a way to scratch my other arm and subsequently slammed it so hard into the railing that I thought I broke it! I had a huge hard lump for weeks and it still is a little sore. Somehow, it never bruised though. Very strange. I need padded walls in my house!
xoxo
Shelbee
Suzy
Ooooooh Shelbee! That sounds so painful! Glad to hear you didn’t break it though!!!!
Suzy xx
shelbeeontheedge@gmail.com
Oh my gosh, I am so glad that I didn’t break it, too! We don’t heal so easily at this age!
xoxo
Shelbee
Kathrine Eldridge
Love this prairie-style dress and the way you layered over it! I appreciate the explanation of a ditsy pattern. So sorry you stubbed your toe and hope it heals fast my friend. Thanks so much for the link up!
https://www.kathrineeldridge.com
shelbeeontheedge@gmail.com
Thank you, Kathrine! I can’t wait for it to get warm enough to just toss one of these dresses on without any layers. It’s like pajama dressing at its best! My toe is already feeling much better but the bruise keeps growing!
xoxo
Shelbee
Anna Marcus
Sorry to hear about your toe, it must hurt like hell. Love your outfit, the red jacket over the boho dress paired with chunky boots have a really cool vibe
https://lookingfabulousat50.blogspot.com/
shelbeeontheedge@gmail.com
Aw, thanks so much, Anna! My toe is already feeling much better but the whole top of my foot is bruised now! The bruise is growing as the pain is lessening. Haha.
xoxo
Shelbee
Nancy
Oh my goodness, a broken toe sounds so painfull. Gerben had it once. And you definitely have bad foot karma. On the other hand you have all the luck in finding such lovely dress for that price!
shelbeeontheedge@gmail.com
Thanks, Nancy! It really does hurt for such a little bone! It is feeling much better already except the bruising seems to have grown and now the whole top of my foot is black and blue! It is very ugly to see. Haha. So now I am thankful that it is too cold for bare toes!
xoxo
Shelbee
Pamela
I, who never do florals, have also bought a ditsy flowy dress this Winter, blissfully comfortable. But then I had to have it taken in down the sides and lose the pockets because too much fabric always makes me feel so wide – that’s what happens when you’re vertically challenged. Anyway good result this end and lucky you that dress will be a keeper!
I know the agony of foot problems hope you’re running around more comfortably very soon.
Pamela x
http://www.style-yourself-confident.com
shelbeeontheedge@gmail.com
Pamela, thanks so much! I definitely bought this dress way too big and could probably use a little nipping and tucking to make it fit better. But I will probably most likely just wear it around the house. I wear all of my clothes just around the house these days, what the heck am I talking about?! Ha. My toe is already feeling much better, but the bruising looks like the whole darn thing could fall off! Have a fabulous day, my friend!
xoxo
Shelbee
Jennifer
I love your dress!!
Jennifer
Curated By Jennifer
shelbeeontheedge@gmail.com
Thanks so much, Jennifer! Have a wonderful day!
xoxo
Shelbee
Kellyann Rohr
I have heard a broken toe is super painful. I am so sorry to hear about yours, ugh. Amazing how something so small, like a little toe can cause so much pain! Hope it heals quickly!
xo,
Kellyann
shelbeeontheedge@gmail.com
Thanks so much, Kellyann! It surprises me how much it does hurt from such a little thing. Fortunately, the worst of the pain is passed. Now I just need the ugly bruising to go away!
xoxo
Shelbee
Michele Morin
I broke a toe playing kick ball with my family.
BUT let the record show that I made it to first base anyway…
shelbeeontheedge@gmail.com
Oh my gosh, Michele! This is the best response ever! Haha. I broke a toe when I was 18 years old at swimming nationals…and I swam my race despite the fact that I couldn’t push off the walls! I didn’t do so well performance wise but I made it to the end just like you made it to first base. A 12 year old out swam me that day, sbut he was a very talented 12 year old!
xoxo
Shelbee
Jill
I thought ditzy meant florals too. Your dress is darling! Love the prairie vibes! I’m sorry about your toe! My feet are so sensitive – I know how much that hurts!
Jill – Doused in Pink
shelbeeontheedge@gmail.com
Thanks so much, Jill! Apparently, my toes are sensitive with very weak bones! Haha. I have broken my toes on elevator doors, cardboard boxes, door frames and wall corners. I even broke some of those tiny foot bones once just from walking! I am feeling much better now but the bruising is ridiculously ugly!
xoxo
Shelbee
mireille
I love the red with the black print. And I learned something new about ditzy prints! I have never broken a toe but I do remember stubbing mine really badtly when I was first dating my husband and getting a foot massage! I do need a pedicure badly and plan to go on Thursday.
http://www.chezmireillefashiontravelmom.com
shelbeeontheedge@gmail.com
Thanks so much, Mireille! Oooh foot massages are my favorite thing ever! Jeff gives me one most nights of the week but he hasn’t been able to since I broke the darn toe! Well, he massaged the left foot the other night but it isn’t the same to get a lopsided foot massage! Enjoy your pedicure, my friend!
xoxo
Shelbee
Ellie
Love the dress paired with the bomber jacket and boots. The weather has been all kinds of crazy here too. We now have to run the AC over here right after needing to turn on the heat! Hope it warms up over there too!
I’m sorry to hear about the toe, not sure I ever had a broken toe, but definitely stubbed my big toe and it hurt for quite some time. We recently decided to take our living room sofa table to the basement because my daughter would constantly run her toes into it and she’s had a broken big toe before (not good when you depend on your toes for dance). Then what does she do … she kicks her small toe on the bathroom doorframe. Her toe nail is currently turned black but she can dance so it must not be broken. Maybe it’s time to wear some closed toe slippers around the house!!
Thanks for the linkup as well as explanation about the word “ditsy.
Ellibelle’s Corner
shelbeeontheedge@gmail.com
Ellie, thanks so much for this wonderful comment. I think we sometimes don’t realize how much we need our feet and toes to be comfortably in working order for so many things! I am glad that your daughter is still able to dance after her toe mishap. I generally do wear closed toe slippers in the house, but I was just out of the shower when this one happened! Hopefully, we all have the most beautiful summer ahead in exchange for this erratic spring!
xoxo
Shelbee
Tamar A Strauss-Benjamin
Hope your toe is ok! Great look and what a sweet neighborhood for pictures!
shelbeeontheedge@gmail.com
Thanks so much, Tamar! It is feeling much better already. This little neighborhood is so cute. It sits right at the entrance to the park where I take a lot of my photos.
xoxo
Shelbee
jess jannenga
Oh gosh, that sounds painful with your toe! I remember hitting mine on the bed and it turning purple, that hurt.
Love the small florals here on you, and I have been loving long dresses, midi and maxis, the red jacket is a great touch! We are in the 80s this week, a bit warm for April here, but we have had a Spring so far.
jess xx
http://www.elegantlydressedandstylish.com
shelbeeontheedge@gmail.com
Thanks, Jess! The discoloration definitely makes it look worse than it is! The pain is mostly gone now unless I put pressure on it (or bump into walls)! It sounds like you are having a beautiful spring. It has been so cold and rainy here with still some snow flurries popping in the forecast. The next 10 days here the temperatures should remain pretty steady between the high 30’s and low 60s with rain most days. So still a little chilly for me!
xoxo
Shelbee
BArbara
Hey,
I commented on your flower pin last week but it didn’t post so i felt miffed about that minute lost in cyberspace, hah. Might’ve been i didn’t check my phone to see if i hit send thought😊🌻. I feel for You re: your toe. I sprained my ankle the other day, just while i was trying to get into the Spring ‘sporty’ mode, ugh.
shelbeeontheedge@gmail.com
Barbara, thanks so much! Oh no, I am sorry your comment went missing! I try to check the spam comments because sometimes valid ones end up in there for no particular reason but lately I have been getting hundreds of spam comments a day and so I have just been deleting without going through them one by one like I usually would. So if it did end up in there, I apologize because I definitely deleted it then. And I am sorry about your ankle! That is definitely worse than a broken toe! I am walking around just fine now. But my foot is pretty ugly all black and blue. I hope yours heals quickly so you spring about once again!
xoxo
Shelbee
Vanessa Thales
Suas postagens são ótimas, estou seguindo seu blog e curtindo bastante!! Parabéns!
shelbeeontheedge@gmail.com
Vanessa, thank you so very much for your kind words! I really appreciate that.
xoxo
Shelbee
I am going to add the translation of your comment below…please feel free to correct it if it is incorrect (I used Google translate)…”Your posts are great, I’m following your blog and enjoying it a lot !! Congratulations!”
Nora Minassian
So sorry about your toe! That must hurt like crazy. Hopefully it will heal before sandal season. Love this dress on you, it is so soft and pretty.
shelbeeontheedge@gmail.com
Nora, thanks so much! I hope all the discoloration goes away by sandal season, for sure! Although it isn’t sandal season here until at least June so I should be good…as long as I don’t break another toe before then!
xoxo
Shelbee
Michelle
Yikes! Your poor toe.
I love this ditzy dress! The high neckline is perfect for your more chilly spring weather. And it looks great on you! Also? The red jacket looks so nice with the dress colors.
Michelle
https://mybijoulifeonline.com
shelbeeontheedge@gmail.com
Thanks so much, Michelle! The dress feels very frumpy without the jacket giving it a little bit of shape. But it’s comfy and cute so I don’t really care if I’m sometimes frumpy!
xoxo
Shelbee
Ashley
It can be sooooo tough to dress this time of year- you’re definitely ready for spring stuff (and tired of winter layers!) but the weather just won’t fully cooperate. Sending you warmer vibes, babe! And loving that pretty praire dress on you!
-Ashley
Le Stylo Rouge
shelbeeontheedge@gmail.com
Thanks so much, Ashley! Now I just wish it would stop raining! But it’s in the forecast for like the next 10 days. Grrrr.
xoxo
Shelbee
Darlene
You know I enjoy your description of ditzy! Both the fabric pattern and you! Lol! So sorry about the toe. Yikes. I broke my little toe a long time ago and had to wear flip-flops for a couple of months. It seemed to take forever to heal! You look cute in your ditzy floral, my friend. Love the red jacket with it! Have a great week!
xx Darlene
shelbeeontheedge@gmail.com
Thanks so much, Darlene! I absolutely thought of you when I launched into my ditsy lesson! I even stalked out your blog because I thought you had written a post about ditsy prints and I was going to link it. But I think it was the druzy print one that I was thinking of. I hope you are well! Have a fabulous week.
xoxo
Shelbee
Christina Morley
Awww! Thank you for the feature! I wasn’t sure if I was going to manage to get my weekly blog hop posted today since I’m away visiting my in-laws. I’m so glad that I did! Wishing you a lovely day.
shelbeeontheedge@gmail.com
Thanks, Tina! It was my pleasure to feature your post. I hope you are enjoying your visit with the in-laws! My in-laws are visiting us this weekend.
xoxo
Shelbee
Anita Ojeda
You make me laugh, Shelbee! I thought I was the only translucent toe-stubbing-furniture-bumping middle-aged blogger out there. It’s good to know I’m not alone ;). Thanks for the history on ditsy prints–I had no idea that was even a thing. I just called it ‘calico.’ I love the historic-looking homes in your photo shoot :).
shelbeeontheedge@gmail.com
Anita, thanks so much! You just made me laugh out loud! You are definitely not alone as a translucent toe-stubbing-furniture-bumping middle-aged blogger! I stand proudly in your clumsy company! Haha. I remember the first time I learned of ditsy florals. I fell in love the with the term (probably because it describes me) and then I fell in love with the whimsy of the teeny tiny prints that it referred to and I’ve been a fan ever since. I took these photos in the little neighborhood that sits right at the entrance to our local park where I take many of my photos. It is a really beautiful location and the houses are so interesting and beautiful.
xoxo
Shelbee
Laura Bambrick
What a steal for that dress! And it is so cute on you too! Hope you get some warmer days soon!
shelbeeontheedge@gmail.com
Thanks so much, Laura! I do love bargain hunting! Warmer days will be here soon…in June. I hope you are having a fantastic week!
xoxo
Shelbee
Mica
So sorry to hear about your broken toe! i’m so lucky, I haven’t broken a bone yet which is strange given how clumsy I am, haha! I hope it heals fast for you 🙂
Thanks so much for the feature too! it’s funny becuase I just linked up my recent post which is another blue and yellow kimono outfit – been having a yellow moment recently, and you know I love my kimonos, ha!
Thanks for the link up 🙂
Hope that you are having a nice week 🙂
shelbeeontheedge@gmail.com
Mica, thanks so much! My toe is feeling much better already, but the bruising I think will last a while longer. You are lucky to have never broken a bone! I am glad that I have never broken a major bone. I am loving your kimonos and yellow is such a lovely color on you! Keep on sharing them! I just put a kimono outfit on the blog today.
xoxo
Shelbee
Rena
Oh, ouch. There was a time I seemed to bang up my toes quite regularly, too. As for broken bones, the 3rd year anniversary of a trip-n-fall down a teeny, tiny step that landed me in the ER with a broken foot and dislocated shoulder is coming up soon. My husband still cautions me any time I around steps or stairs. Anyway, I adore your dress, ditsy floral and all. I think that I have the same dress but in another pattern. “nightgown” dresses are so comfortable.
Rena
http://www.finewhateverblog.com
shelbeeontheedge@gmail.com
Thank you, Rena! Nightgown dresses is the perfect way to describe these! Oh, I remember your wicked fall from a few years back. I’ll take my frequently broken toes over something like that any day! Yes, please do be careful near those stairs, my friend! I hope you are having a lovely week!
xoxo
Shelbee
Anne M Bray
Hello from the Queen of Ditsy! Ditsy prints, that is. You know, my day job: underwear prints. You might be interested to know that Costco Japan is particularly fond of ditsy prints for their panties. Taiwan prefers romantic florals. Canada, modern textured prints.
I’ll be linking a lazy version (not step-by-step) of the skirt-into-dress DIY. As soon as I write it!
shelbeeontheedge@gmail.com
Oh my gosh, Anne, thank you for this little lesson in regional preferences in underwear prints! I love it! I thought of you as I was writing this post because I did know that you were a human pattern encyclopedia. I am looking forward to your lazy version DIY post. I am going to follow it and turn my very sentimental skirt into a wearable summer dress!
xoxo
Shelbee
Anne M Bray
Haha. The Pattern Encyclopedia. I like that!
xo
shelbeeontheedge@gmail.com
Yay! I am glad that you do. Haha. And Sheila…she is the Viscountess of Vintage and seriously knows the year of every thrifted piece that I share! Haha. I love it!
xoxo
Shelbee
Shauna
You look beautiful! Love this fun print! Hope your toe feels better too. Ouch!!
Shauna
http://www.lipglossandlace.net
shelbeeontheedge@gmail.com
Thanks so much, Shauna! My toe is feeling much better but my feet won’t be ready for sandals for another month or so!
xoxo
Shelbee
Katie
I am so sorry to hear about your toe, Shelbee! I hope it feels better soon. I love this print and how you layered it. We have had cooler weather here and I am actually enjoying wearing jackets and sweaters while I can!
Katie
http://www.hellokatiegirlblog.com/
shelbeeontheedge@gmail.com
Thanks so much, Katie! My toe is feeling much better already, but the ugly bruising will probably stick around for a while longer. I enjoy wearing light layers this time of year as well. But some days, I still need heavy layers! I hope you are having a wonderful week.
xoxo
Shelbee
Chrissy Rowden
Oh my goodness Shelbee! I’m sorry you broke your toe. I’ve seriously stubbed mine where it remained swollen for days and it hurt so bad! Hoping you heal up quickly. P.s. thank you for the lesson on a ditsy print. I had never heard of that before!
shelbeeontheedge@gmail.com
Thanks so much, Chrissy! My toe is feeling so much better but it is ugly to look at, that’s for sure! I am glad that you learned something new from my ditsy post! I hope you are having an amazing week, my friend! We need to chat again soon!
xoxo
Shelbee
Carrie @ Curly Crafty Mom
I have broken a pinky toe before and it hurt so bad! My daughter broke her pinky toe a couple of years ago and had to miss a dance competition for it… it hurts that much! I don’t think I would have understood her pain if I hadn’t of done the same thing in years past. Lol. I love the tiny pattern of this dress and I get cold easily, so I say wear all those layers till it warms up there!!
Carrie
curlycraftymom.com
shelbeeontheedge@gmail.com
Thanks so much, Carrie! Broken toes really can cause some damage to our activities, can’t they? I feel so bad for your daughter that she had to miss a dance competition for her broken toe. I remember breaking a toe when I was at swimming nationals in high school. I was able to swim my race but it was a pitiful display because I could only push off the walls with one foot. My history of breaking toes goes back that far! Haha. I hope you are having a wonderful week.
xoxo
Shelbee
Patrick Weseman
Ooh, sorry to hear that. I hope it heals fast.
Thanks for the education there and looking really nice.
Thanks for hosting and sending you positive thougths.
shelbeeontheedge@gmail.com
Thanks so much, Patrick! I really appreciate that! I hope your week is going well.
xoxo
Shelbee
Cheryl Shops
Hoping your toe heals quickly (at least by sandal season)! I’ve stubbed my big toe three times and it’s never been the same since!
Cheryl Shops | http://www.cherylshops.net
shelbeeontheedge@gmail.com
Thanks so much, Cheryl! I did manage to refresh my toenail polish yesterday so I was happy about that! But the toe is still bruised and needs to be taped to minimize pain. So now I am not so bothered by the delay in sandal weather! I hope you are having a wonderful week, my friend.
xoxo
Shelbee
Jacqui Berry
This style of dress is so popular at the moment, so much so I want to go buy myself some! Thanks for sharing and hosting today. Jacqui x
shelbeeontheedge@gmail.com
Thanks, Jacqui! I imagine myself wearing these dresses around the house all summer long! I think I can even get away with no bra if I am just hanging at home and there is nothing better than that!
xoxo
Shelbee
Sheila (of Ephemera)
I cannot tell you how many times I’ve busted toes – I am the Queen of Stubbed Toes, having broken several walking into furniture. Tape your toe to your other toes, that always works for me!
Love that “ditsy” is any small irregular pattern! I did not know that, but had an idea of the small scale, and my mind went right to floral.
shelbeeontheedge@gmail.com
Thank you, Sheila! It was an interesting little tidbit to learn about ditsy prints for me, too! I have had my toes taped since the smashing incident! I was able to paint my toes the other day so I was happy about that. And today is the first day I feel okay without the tape. But that could change later in the day!
xoxo
Shelbee
Lucy Bertoldi
Love that ditsy pattern on you- and loved the explanation you gave on this! As for your toe Karma- poor you! I know a thing or two about broke toes…having done ballet for over a decade OUCH! And, I know you can’t wait for a pedi…but don’t be surprised if the nail just falls off (sorry!).
shelbeeontheedge@gmail.com
Thanks so much, Lucy! Oh yes, I know dancers can relate to all kinds of foot issues and pain! I did just paint my toe nails the other day and the nail is still completely in tact, thankfully. The way I slammed it was weird because the top of my foot is much more bruised and sore than the toe is now.
xoxo
Shelbee