the soubrette brunette: Peonies

Lilacs and peonies are my two favorite flowers in the entire world. They happen to bloom one right after the other most of the time, which means I try to soak them up in May and June. If and when I get married, I'll have those fragrant, pastel blooms everywhere. I already featured lilacs this year (see this post if you missed it!), but I had yet to post my peony-themed photos. It's been hard to find time to edit photos these days, so I'm finally sharing them today!

The Tree Peony Festival takes place every year at Linwood Gardens, but my mom and I had never been before. I knew we had to make the trip this year, though. Linwood is an absolutely beautiful estate with a huge selection of Japanese and American tree peonies. The garden is private, but they open it up during the festival and some other days throughout the summer. We spent the most tranquil morning there exploring! And of course, I had to wear this pale pink Bernie Dexter dress to match my surroundings. :)

I'd never owned this Jodi dress style before, but I've longed for this print since it came out. It's known as the pink taffy print, but it also reminds me of pastel ribbon candy. Either way, I absolutely love it. I did order up in this style – I'm between sizes in Bernie dresses right now, and I usually err on the size of ordering up to have enough room in the bust. That was definitely the right decision. I felt like a total fairy princess in this outfit, especially with the addition of this vintage hat!