Two Early Spring Looks with Vivaia
According to Celtic calendars spring starts in February with Imbolc; the midway point between the Winter Solstice and the Spring Equinox. It always still feels like winter to me until at least midway through April, but already signs of spring have begun to emerge in the countryside—graceful snowdrops daring to bloom even through frosty mornings and the first crocuses emerging from the soil in a burst of vivid purples. Slowly but steadily the landscape is transforming. Already I have seen the first buds of the blackthorn beginning to sprout on the spindly branches in the hedgerows and tiny lambs are beginning to appear in the fields as well. When Vivaia asked me if I wanted a new pair of flats to wear this spring I immediately honed in on this gorgeous green pair. This is the Aria 5° style flat, the first flat Vivaia made and their best seller, updated and in fresh new shades for spring. This perfect shade of mossy green is one of my favorite colors to wear in every season, but perhaps most especially in spring where it echoes the young wild garlic and thimbleweed leaves emerging in our woodlands. It is the green of spring; of growing things, of buds, and unfurling leaves and life slowly returning to the land. The fact that Vivaia shoes are machine washable as well means this is one green flat also made for those spring paths so often rife with muddy puddles!
While I’m usually more comfortable in dresses and skirts I have been drawn to the newer silhouettes of jeans lately—like this straight, wide cut pair. I’m not sure it’s the best shape for someone with my body type and height, but it does feel refreshing to wear something so loose after skinny jeans for so many years! The green Vivaia flats here are a nice pop of color against the dark blue of the jeans and the white of the blouse. The cardigan is also a bit looser and bigger than the usual spring layers I’d choose, but I couldn’t resist the exuberance of this oversized knit with its adorable mushroom pattern. It’s not only cute though, the size and thickness of this knit does make this a surprisingly warm layer perfect for these months when you’re tired of wearing a heavy winter coat but it’s still too cold to leave the house without some layers. 
wearing: MyRacle handmade mushroom cardigan, old blouse, Vivaia “Aria” flats, SimpleRetro jeans
My other spring look is much more of my typical “cottagecore” style and my comfort zone when it comes to getting dressed. It’s funny looking at these two very different outfits I feel like most people would find the jeans outfit more “normal” but for me that silhouette and style is my getting out of my comfort zone and trying something different. The outfit I would wear most days and not think much about is definitely this one with the full skirt and floral print corset. Everyone’s normal and area of comfort is so completely different! I love how the Aria 5° flats work so well with both looks—it’s a classic ballet flat style that can be styled into a more modern look, or something vintage-inspired like this outfit. And the new design of this popular style has a wider toe box with a 5° inward adjustment so its even more comfortable than the original. I think it would also look very cute styled with some ribbons laced around the ankles.
One of the things I’m most looking forward to this spring is getting back to foraging. I do some foraging in the winter, but mostly for making things like dried flower crowns and wreaths. I’m not a very experienced forager so I never find much in the woodlands to eat or cook with in winter. I have bought a few new foraging books from more experienced people based in the UK though and I’m excited to take them out and see what I can find. I already did my first forage of the new year by making a simple syrup with gorse blossoms (I shared this recipe on my Patreon page). I think next up I’d like to finally make something with stinging nettles; they grow in abundance in my area but I’ve always been too intimidated by the stings to try picking them and I’m not a huge fan of most greens so I wasn’t sure what to do with them. I found a recipe recently for stinging nettle cake though and I feel like that would be a good way to use nettles but actually enjoy eating them. Next I just need to get some proper gloves so I don’t horribly sting myself while collecting them! The wild garlic has also started to appear in our woods and that’s one plant I’m very confident foraging. I usually make wild garlic butter which is delicious with potatoes and one of Thomas’s favorite things to eat. We both find it very fun to be able to go out in nature, recognize a plant and then go home and make something we can eat from it. It makes me feel more connected to the land around me and self-sufficient.
Don’t forget Vivaia offers free worldwide shipping and you can get 18% off your order with my code ACH.
While January turns most of the countryside to a bleak landscape of grey and browns, there is one magical wood near me that always stays green. The trees are towering evergreens only allowing the briefest glints of sunlight through, nearby there is a herd of fallow deer, and the woodland floor is carpeted in moss, ferns, and clovers. In winter I tend to stay very close to home; I can rarely be tempted further afield than what I can reach on foot when the weather is so cold and the days are so short, but this woodland is always worth the short drive. Wandering here is always like stepping into a fairyland, a little oasis where spring seems to always remain even in the bitterest months. I recently put on one of my folk inspired outfits and went looking for one of the few mushrooms I feel safe identifying--scarlet elf cups. 
I'm so happy vintage-inspired bodices and corsets like this are becoming more popular because it's a style I love so much. They're really nice because they add so much personality to the simplest of outfits; I'm only wearing a white blouse and black skirt but with this bodice I feel like a someone in an old folktale (like the peasant that glimpses a passing fairy procession while out gathering herbs). This particular bodice is by 
I edited these pictures with the Elderberry Preset from my 
These days most of my focus has been on growing 
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In the last few years I’ve tried to switch to a more ethical wardrobe; cutting out as much fast fashion as I could and investing in more sustainable brands. When shopping more mindfully certain pieces have been easier to find—I easily discovered brands that specialized in dresses and skirts in linen (one of the most environmentally friendly fabrics). Accessories have been a bit harder, one sustainable solution is to shop more secondhand so I’ve made an effort to buy vintage boots for the winter months but spring and summer flats in my style and size were a bit trickier to place. Which is why I was so excited to find Vivaia Collection this year. Classic and colorful flats that can be thrown in the wash? Yes, please! And they’re made of recycled plastic bottles? I was sold. Vivaia Collection shoes work so well with my vintage inspired outfits and help me follow my goals of shopping more sustainably. When I saw they had some new boots for autumn and winter I knew I wanted to try a pair for myself.
It always feels when November rolls around everyone is ready to focus on Christmas, but autumn is still lingering and golden in my region. There’s piles of leaves building up everywhere, jackdaws coming in to roost beside our lake and the smell of peat smoke lingers over the village in the evenings. So many days are still mild enough that you can get away with a few cozy layers rather than a full coat. As long as there’s still leaves around I’ll be embracing the autumn vibes. I always like to wear the colors of the season, so 
This last outfit is more of my everyday look; it might be a bit more whimsical than the 60s inspired outfit, but I love these romantic sleeves, corset, and the bold color of the skirt. It’s very peasant princess for the autumn months and that style to me always seems not too dressed up or fancy. I think some people would find this look a bit theatrical, but linen is such a practical fabric I always feel like I can wear these clothes anywhere. Linen is pretty easy to clean and layers warmly, even my Vivaia collection boots can be brushed clean if I end up wandering off the beaten path. I like the way the lace-up details on the Vivaia Tammy boots echo the lacing of the corset, it really ties the outfit together for me. We haven’t had a hard frost in our region yet so our nasturtium plant in front of the how is still quite green. It’s always such a contrast to the trees around us that are shedding their leaves right now, but soon this garden will reflect the season as well.
P.S. If you like these boots and want to try Vivaia Collection for yourself be sure to use my code ACH for 20% off!
