Sisterhood of the Traveling Hat

I recently had the extreme honor of participating in The Sisterhood of the Traveling Hat.  What is that, you ask?  This is a project created by the creative and talented Tanith Rowan who hails from the opposite end of the world, Australia.  She is an extremely gifted maker of hats.  From vintage inspired, to costume, to modern styles and everything in between, her hats are fun, whimsical and charming.  Recently, she came up with the idea to make a hat and have it travel around the world and document all the adventures it partakes in.

When I read about the project on Tanith's Blog I excitedly emailed her immediately telling her how happy I would be to participate.  Allowing her hat to make it all the way to Alaska. 

I received the hat in the mail a little over a week ago and have finally had the chance to wear her and take some pictures.  I was really hoping to get some good pictures sooner.  However, I live in Alaska and we are experiencing an extremely smokey summer.  Our state is on fire!!!  Leaving the clear and beautiful days more rare than we all would like.  

  I took this picture the day after I took all the pictures of me wearing this darling hat.  That's not fog or smog, that is thick smoke making it very hard to breathe outside.

 

So, on our first sunny and clear day I jumped at the chance to take the hat for a spin.  I paired her with my black vintage, sateen, shirt-waist dress a navy blue belt and vintage pearl brooch and earrings.  Although this outfit came together beautifully, it proved to be very uncomfortable.  Anything made of thick black fabric worn in the blistering 90 degree evening sun would be though. Thankfully, I found a few shaded places on the boat to pose.  Us Alaskans just aren't used to these tropical temperatures.

The stairs leading to the upper deck of the ship was one of the shaded, and therefor cooler places.  As soon as I sat down to pose Cupcake jumped on my lap to cuddle (and pose).

This little girl sure knows how to steal the show.  I'm sorry Tanith.  I wanted to focus solely on your lovely hat but Cupcake clearly had other plans.

 Although Cupcake would have preferred me to be holding her, I didn't allow her to be in EVERY shot.  It was a heck of a lot of fun to run around on the boat finding good spots for pictures.  Even if I was a bit embarrassed to be doing so with a few of the crew downstairs wondering what the heck I was doing and why. 

If you are a hat person (who isn't?) I highly suggest you check out all of the amazing creations Tanith has made in her Etsy Shop.  If you aren't a hat person (shame on you) I'll happily accept anything in her shop as a gift.  She even does custom orders!!! If you have an idea, she can create it.

Thank you again, Tanith, for allowing me to participate in the adventures of the traveling hat and accepting me in to the sisterhood.  It has been an honor and a wonderful experience I will carry with me for many, many years.  And now the journey continues for this hat.  It was a bit painful to pack her back into her box to send her on to the next lucky sister.  I would have happily kept her with me.

XOXO,
Cherry