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| miss mae, looking quite alarmed that i am standing on a chair to take this photo and that is MOST DEFINITELY NOT ALLOWED. she's all about rules. |
i have daughters. they both love pink. LOVE. if someone had told me four years ago just how much pink clothing would live in my house today, i would have glared at them disapprovingly and shaken my head like they really DIDN'T KNOW ME at all. sigh... i would love to dress my kids in beautiful greys and pale lavenders, french navy, muted mustard yellows, even a bit of red but as my first daughter grew to an age where she could make her colour and style preferences known, i found i really could not find a justifiable reason to deny her what she wants. why should i? if pink clothes make her happy and comfortable, i want her to be secure in her choices and strong enough to defend them, against anyone, including myself (although i may regret this when she is 14). who am i to tell her that pink tights, a pink long sleeve tee and a pink dress over top might just be a bit of overkill? she's four, let her revel in her happy pink fantasy world as long as she can, i say.
i don't even mind pink, really, there are many shades that i would say i actually quite adore. unfortunately, mae's favourite shade is not one of them. she loves magenta. bright screaming magenta, verging on fluorescent. a tone that makes me cringe... inwardly. in my fabric stash i have a linen/cotton blend that is just the right mae magenta. i bought it on clearance at spotlight last year, marked down to $3 a meter (what? no one else wanted bright pink linen/cotton?) with the aim to dye it. but mae spots it on my fabric shelves regularly and exclaims how "beautiful" it is. she has asked a few times for a dress out of it and i've managed to change the subject convincingly enough (i've accepted her love of magenta, that does not necessarily mean i want to spend my time sewing with it). finally the other day it struck me, a way to make the bright pink linen/cotton acceptable, i don't know why it has taken me so long.
white stripes. made with masking tape on a handmade screen. easy peasy, done in 20 minutes and much appreciative oohing and aahing from mae upon seeing it this morning (soph immediately dragged it off to use as a picnic blanket so it has her stamp of approval too). now to find just the right pattern...
i remember that arguement, many many moons ago. I'm with you, let her wear what she likes.....and get off that chair!
ReplyDeleteOh embrace the pink while you can...my girls are 7 and 9 and I miss it o
ReplyDeleteIt's beautiful! And a great compromise. I've had the same thing in the past with my 2 girls and though it drove me crazy at the time, I totally agree with you & let them wear it. Yes I used to cringe sometimes when we went out but I got over the embarrassment after a while :-) And I unexpectedly found that I do actually like pink after avoiding it for years! I look forward to seeing what you make with your lovely fabric.
ReplyDeleteAh pink- Where does this innate love of pink come from? I'm like you, I don't mind pink, but once Jemima was about 3 it was just about all she would wear, and I let her. It's just not a battle worth fighting is it? I'm sure Eve will be the same, especially with her big sister's influence, but while she is still little, I like to dress her like my dolly. Today Eve wore grey/black denim/lavendar with a yellow cardigan and red shoes. Yay! Love your linen print by the way!
ReplyDeleteWhat a precious picture to illustrate your story. Pink rules!
ReplyDeleteAh Leslie, I have a post almost ready to send where I express some of the same sentiments - I mean PINK? Oh well, it's a good lesson in surrender! :) Love the fabric by the way...even if it is PINK :)
ReplyDeleteOh Leslie, this made me smile! I happen to love pink...except for of course barbie doll pink which makes me feel nauseated. Unfortunately loads of girls stuff is in this awful shade and also magenta like your mae loves so much. I think you've done a superb job of making the magenta more pleasing to the eye...bravo!
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