I Never Promised You a Begonia Garden
You know summer is in full-force in NYC when you see blooming begonias on Park Avenue. I think we got about 6-10 days of actual spring this year. I only know this because I associate spring with "tulip weather." My dad was legendary in Fort Worth for planting beautiful tulips and I learned that it takes a very specific spring climate for them to thrive. Park Avenue is known for its spring tulips, but this year, in what felt like under a week, sweltering temperatures took over and the famous florals began to wilt and die. Within a day or two they were replaced by the Park Avenue signature flower: the resilient, heat-withstanding begonia.
To channel my inner begonia, I choose to dress with the sun. There's no such thing as "too bright" on a sunny summer day. I tend to incorporate vibrant pieces year-round, but when June hits there's no holding back. I was amused, but not entirely surprised, to find that these neon yellow Valentino rockstud pumps not only complemented, but actually matched like 7 dresses in my closet. Who has 7 dresses with neon yellow in them? Me. I guess I like to stand out?
One of the dresses is this floral, turquoise, Pucci-inspired muumuu/kaftan. I bought it at Forever 21 for like $27 in 2012 when I was pregnant with my daughter and I'm telling you I've probably worn it 27 times which averages out to $1 per wear, making the Valentino shoe splurge completely justifiable, right!?
I've previously excessorized the dress in a multitude of ways from giant white plastic earrings to contrasting hot pink clutch, but on this bright day I really wanted to play up the bright neon. This Erickson Beamon "I Never Promised You a Rose Garden" necklace is one of those purchases that seems impractical, but then actually ends up working with 90% of your wardrobe. With its central neon yellow rose and turquoise jeweled accents, I couldn't resist styling it into the look. If you're too timid to rock bright on bright on bright, you must at the very least invest in a vibrant, bold necklace. I promise you a [rose, begonia, and tulip] garden that it will bring style and joy to years of outfits.
Think like the begonia, and keep cool out there, y'all!
Dress: Forever 21, Shoes: Valentino, Necklace: Erickson Beamon, Bag: Fendi