The stylish 70s! This pretty portrait of my mother was taken during the summer of 1975. My mom (Katy) was 19 years old at the time. A family friend and photographer was invited to come by and capture some photos of her at the family’s country home in Little Falls, Minnesota.
(A view from upstairs in the barn.)
A gifted seamstress, my mom often made her own clothes, including this charming, garden-inspired floral-print sundress that she wore to her senior prom the year before.
About six months after these photos were taken, she moved away to San Diego, California. Is it any surprise that this dress soon became a beach favorite?
As the years passed by, she tucked away this hand-made treasure for another day when another girl would enjoy it just as much as she had.
(This photo was taken at my parent’s home when I’m around 21 or 22 years old.)
But the story doesn’t end there. And I’m so glad it doesn’t…
While my mom was living in California, she met my dad. After they married, they moved around a bit before settling in Montana.
Growing up, I watched as my mom poured hours and hours into her sewing creations. Thankfully, this included many more timeless treasures like the one I’m wearing in our family portrait below.
I’m about three years old here and sweet as can be in this darling little number, don’t you think?
I was unaware of it at the time, but my mom took care to set this dress aside as a sweet keepsake for another special somebody.
(Joanna at the age of two years old.)
And here she is, dancing her way through a photo session with our family photographer, Tracy Walsh.
As a mom, I love seeing my daughter Joanna embrace her precious hand-me-down gowns. She enjoys wearing this pretty little dress so much that these days, she rocks it as a cute blouse instead.
And speaking of girls with great style, who are these two flashing big smiles?
Our story returns to my mom’s childhood home in Little Falls, Minnesota.
That’s me (age six) holding a can of cream soda, standing on the farmhouse steps next to my cousin Tina (age seven). I’m wearing a light-blue floral-patterned dress that my mom made for either my birthday or Easter that year. My cousin Tina is looking fab in her cute denim jumper, plaid blouse and pink headband.
There’s a barn dance underway at the farm that day and a live polka band is playing too. Soon we’ll be off to perfect the bunny hop.
Meanwhile, on a pretty porch swing somewhere, there’s another girl waiting for her invitation to a barn dance someday…
For now, she’ll stick to making friends with backyard chickens. That’s our hen Dandelion. Joanna loves to carry her around our property and Dandelion happily obliges.
This beautiful garment worn by Joanna is nearly 60 years old. The photo above is untouched, so the vibrant red you see in it is its true color.
The dress was given to Joanna by my mom’s younger sister Claire. She and my mom’s other sisters used to wear it too. While it’s not homemade, the tag is still legible and reads: Tiny Tots Togs. You can still find the vintage brand online.
And I love the twinning that’s going on here…
That’s my mom (left) with her older sister Becky (right). The girls are about two-to-three-years old, respectively.
To this day, my mom is still making dresses and other delightful gifts. In the last year, she made a butterfly-inspired Easter dress for Joanna and a basketball-patterned chef’s apron for Weston.
She also enjoys making purses, mittens, bibs, blankets and many other beautiful works of art.
As for myself, I’m still enjoying the dress that was saved for me so long ago. As you can see, this delightful flower-power piece is still getting plenty of wear.
☀️Wilderness & Wildflower Wisdom:
Keepsakes are a part of the fabric of your family's history. Woven through the years, these sentimental pieces help you tell your story. Cherish them while you can.
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