meticulously mismatched...

*this post has been in my drafts for over two weeks now...what is wrong with me???


Ruby loves to pick out her own outfits and get dressed all by herself. Generally she does a decent job on her own...sometimes though, we end up digging through her drawers together, switching and swapping until we can finally agree upon something. A tweak here or there is usually all that's ever needed to keep her from looking like we just picked her up from the orphanage. This morning, however, I almost couldn't believe my eyes...in fact, a double take was definitely in order when she proudly burst out of her room wearing a colorful striped turtleneck with a short-sleeved butterfly print jacket layered over the top, paired with some kitty cat printed leggings, a checkered skirt, and plaid shoes. When she matter-of-factly declared that she was all ready for school, I almost as quickly marched her back into her bedroom...but...the more I studied her, the more I fell in love with the whole picture; and for some strange reason, I refrained from opposing. I imagined her looking through her drawers and meticulously mulling over each article of clothing. I imagined her thought process as she paired and layered each element of her mismatched ensemble. I imagined the smile forming on her face as she slipped into each individual article of clothing, and then carefully layered one on top of another...and another...and another. As I played it all out in my mind, and then was witness to the larger-than-life smile painted across her spirited little face, I decided to just smile too, and then proudly sent her off to school...