It was a weekend of biking and extravaganza! Saturday was the Dandies and Quaintrelles Seersucker Social. You may remember the Tweed Ride Cidell and I did in the Fall. The Spring version is a garden party. I was out of town for it last year so this was my first time.
Unfortunately, I had a terrible cold and made the HUGE mistake of trying to take medicine for it Friday night and ended up literally not sleeping at all. No decongestants ever again for me. Ever. So I wasn't feeling great but was determined to join the party.
I didn't get any photos of actual biking (we did the long ride--a little over 8 miles), but I think this photo proves that biking was involved! There were hundreds and hundreds of bikes parked all over.
After meeting up at Ft. Reno Park and wending our way through Upper Northwest Washington, DC, we ended up at the Hillwood Estate, the home of Post cereal heir Marjorie Merriweather Post. It was my first time to visit the estate and it is just gorgeous. Unfortunately, I didn't explore too much because I was pretty much dead on a picnic blanket the whole time, but there are a few photos in my flickr set.
Picnicking was the main event, with food trucks if you hadn't brought your own and St. Germain cocktails available for purchase.
There were also activities, if that fit your fancy. There was a band with swing dancing, the wandering violinist to the right, croquet, hula hooping, and golf putting, in addition to just wandering the grounds.
One of the great things about the Tweed Ride and Seersucker Social is the opportunity to wear a hat!
In case you didn't have a chance to get one, they had a hat-making table with all kinds of fun papers to form into a suitable head-covering.
I had much fun designing my look, and even got to bust out some of my vintage gloves.
I also finally got around to making bike bloomers. I've been meaning to do it for ages, as they will be much cooler than wearing bike shorts under my dresses all the time, as I do now. You can read more about them here.
And here is the complete look! Reviews to follow on the various components. Thanks Cidell for joining me! This wasn't all our biking for the weekend--On Sunday we rode 25 miles in Baltimore's Tour Dem Parks, Hon event. But that is a story for another day...
All photos are here. The flickr pool of all photos from the Social is here.
I LOVE your bike bloomers!
ReplyDeleteBike bloomers? AH.MAZING. What a great and adorable idea.
ReplyDeleteBike bloomers... I never would have thought of that! What a great get up and beautiful place!
ReplyDeleteWhat a fun event! I love your outfit and the bloomers are just perfect!
ReplyDeleteplease tell me you have a review for the bike bloomers! as someone who rides 26 miles a day and usually in a dress or a skirt i would love to make a pair of my own!
ReplyDeleteSo cute! Love your entire outfit, but the bloomers are adorable!
ReplyDeleteOoh la la, such a pretty lacy nether garment! I can't take commercial decongestants (high blood pressure) so, when my head decides to fill itself up with nastiness, I take vitamin C pills -- your choice of dosage size, about one every hour -- until everything starts moving. Then I take a maintenance dose to keep my head clear. Doesn't last as long as otc remedy, but much safer (you excrete anything your body doesn't need, and you can sleep comfortably).
ReplyDeleteBloomers!?!! Love them.
ReplyDeleteI L.O.V.E. your little bloomers! Too cute! This event looks like fun, wish we had something like that here...
ReplyDeleteI use a saline bottle (Ayr is the brand) whenever I'm congested (or in a situation where there was a lot of dust), it works great, and no freaky side effects.
Your outfit is super cute. Love the dress!! What pattern is that? Also loving the bloomers–very useful. If I had to do a long bike ride and still be presentable afterwards... well, that just wouldn't happen–sweaty mess!
ReplyDeleteI too am opposed to decongestants. I just finished the 4th (and final) week of the nastiest cold there ever was. I just used the old neti pot, steamed with eucalyptus and tried to get as much sleep as possible. Feel better!!
LOVE the bloomers! And your dress is so flattering, with the side panels. I look forward to your reviews :)
ReplyDeleteBLOOMERS!
ReplyDeleteYou look great! I hope you wear the dress a lot of other times, too, because it is beautiful. Fabulous bloomers
ReplyDeleteThe bloomers are brilliant! And I just love your hat!!! Hope your cold is getting better!
ReplyDeleteI second the request! Please tell us more or do a review on your bloomers.
ReplyDeleteI second both the request for the bloomers review and the request for your dress pattern. You really look amazing!
ReplyDeleteI'd like to request a bike bloomers sew along!!
ReplyDeleteLooks like a very fun event.
ReplyDeleteBeautiful dress and bloomers! I hope you will share the pattern info for both.
ReplyDeleteDid you use a pattern for your bloomers? If so what pattern did you use? They are super cute, and I need to make myself a pair.
ReplyDeleteGreat look! I love the belt and the shoes. (And the bloomers - do they ride up? or stay in place pretty well?)
ReplyDeleteA tip for your next cold, if your sinuses are all closed up and miserable - get the short-acting decongestant (avoid the 12-hour stuff), take it only in the daytime (no later than supper), and use a nasal decongestant spray at night so you can breathe. The voice of painful experience. :)
You look adorable! No one would know you'd been up all night feeling lousy the night before. Bike bloomers are a cute idea. I certainly could have used some when I was living in Holland with a bike as my main mode of transport.
ReplyDeleteI think your hat is the perfect finishing touch.
I was in southern Maryland this past weekend, and I'm amazed that you look so cool and crisp. The bloomers are lovely and such a good alternative to tight underwear in summer humidity. Your dress fits so beautifully, and I love the color on you. But the curls--double wowie zowie. In all, yet another great look. Brava!
ReplyDeleteLooks like a really lovely event, you'd definitely never know from the photos that you missed a nights sleep.
ReplyDeleteYou are gorgeous! I love the whole outfit, but especially the hat. As soon as you or Cidell can find me an American husband, I am moving over there so I can take part in all of this fun. Every time I see these events I get more and more jealous.
ReplyDeleteCarol--Get in line! LOL Once we find ourselves American husbands we'll start looking for you. Unless you want to do an international husband exchange...
ReplyDeleteThat looks like so much fun!! I love the hat and I'm completely jealous that you get to wear a hat while you ride. We have to wear helmets by law here in Oz so it's bad hair and no hats for us!!I hope your feeling better.
ReplyDeleteOh yes and a gentle natural remedy to try - olive leaf oil.
ReplyDeleteBike Bloomers, great idea and so cute!!
ReplyDeleteYou both looked great!
ReplyDeleteI love your bike bloomers!! The day sounds and looks wonderful. Too bad you were feeling under the weather. :(
ReplyDeleteHow fun! This looks even more up my alley than the tweed ride - I'm jealous! Sorry you weren't feeling well, but you looked fantastic. It's cool there are so many biking sewists out there who want your bloomer pattern (and add me to the list!) but what I'm coveting even more is that fab baby chevron fabric - I've been dying to jump on the zigzag dress train, but I literally cannot find chevron fabric anywhere. Can't wait for the details!
ReplyDeleteLove the bloomers, who knew? Really great idea. Love your dress, shoes and hat. Looks like a fun day.
ReplyDeleteYou look great. What a gorgeous place to picnic.
ReplyDeleteLove those bike bloomers, the hat, everything! You looked so beautiful. Sorry you weren't feeling well. But what an accomplishment to have done the ride anyway.
ReplyDeleteWOW what an event...L*VING those awesome lace bloomers :)
ReplyDeleteThose bloomers are the bomb. So cute.
ReplyDeleteRe the decongestants: I learned through unhappy experience not to take anything with ephedrine in it (or anything that sounds like "ephedrine") at night, although it works just great during the day. But never, ever take the 24-hour stuff. For nighttime, I study the packages and avoid anything labeled "non-drowsy." Love the 2-tone panels in the dress.
ReplyDeleteWhat pattern did you use for the bloomers? They look adorable. Something I could totally use.
ReplyDeleteLOL @ Carol. Trena's right, get in line! But, I do loooove the Australian accent. I second the trade.
ReplyDeleteOMG. how purdy..
ReplyDeleteThose are SUPER CUTE!!!!!!!!!!
ReplyDeleteI love that sherbet color green on you; the whole outfit is perfect! I'm hopelessly unstylish on my bike (old bike, mommy outfits), must get better at that for sure!
ReplyDelete