Mermaid in Winter

Collectif is back and the world seems like a brighter place.  In particular I'm glad to have my dear Caterina style back in so many beautiful new prints.  I purchased this mermaid print from the grand-opening sale in December and I have never had a Caterina that I didn't love.  

Outfit Info: Caterina Mermaid Check Swing Dress from Collectif Vintage  Sweater from YeMAK

Sweet Strawberry Things

In my first post of 2025 I mentioned my New Year's goals.  In case you missed that, I'll sum it up by saying that I really want to get back to having other hobbies besides shopping.  To that end I have revived my Felt Sweets hobby that I picked up while living in Japan.  So far I have made four cakes and thought I would showcase a couple of my favorites here.  In the beginning I wanted to dive in head first and just power through all my ideas; in other words, I wanted to be totally obsessed.  However, rather than go that route, I reminded myself to slow down and enjoy this as a form of relaxation and it has made all the difference.  I make little goals to pace myself, and it's been great for getting me away from my computer while providing something that I enjoy and gives me sense of accomplishment.

For months now I have been completely hung up on strawberries.  They're in my kitchen, in my crafting and in my closet.  This Betsey Johnson dress is one that I said I didn't need to buy because I already have some strawberry dresses and fabrics, but after three months of wanting and searching I found one so impossibly cheap and I still wanted it so much that I caved in and bought it.  It goes perfectly with my velvet strawberry earrings, and I did think about it and wait for a good price for months before purchasing, so I think it was Ok to allow myself this indulgence.

My First Cake getting back into the craft.  I really wanted to start small and work out all the rust from my memory.  I'm glad I did; Can you see the pencil marks on the piping?  

Cake #4  Getting Fancy with this unicorn cake!  I just completed this cake this morning and am definitely more comfortable in the process.

Cake #2 was this chocolate berry cake.  Berries are some of the harder things to make, but after a few trial and errors, it was starting to come back to me.

Cake #3.  Trying to increase the difficulty by making a double decker cake.  

After taking these photos, I just felt the cake was lacking something, so I added some leaves around the larger cake.

And now, if you're tired of cakes, we can just do the fashion photos so you can checkout this pretty dress!

Outfit Info:  Betsey Johnson Strawberry Fields Dress, Velvet Strawberry earrings from Kramaric Millinery

Valentine's Day

Spending Valentine's Day with one of my true loves, Collectif.  When the new website launched in December, I was thrilled to see my favorite styles in new prints, plus a selection of old stock at hugely discounted prices.  I may have gone a little crazy supporting Collectif's return, but I had been in serious withdrawls since their closure in July, so a December binge upon all their re-opening seemed only fitting.  So, I purchased several deadstock items which included this Purrfect sleeveless Caterina dress with an adorable postie cat print.  Feels like it was made for Valentine's Day.  I'm really, really trying to Low-Buy in 2025, so I haven't yet tried anything from the new stock, but I am committed to saving up for a piece or two this year to show my support!

This pretty pink Ecosusi bag was also a 2024 purchase.  They had an amazing buy one, get one free sale, so I indulged.  I haven't had the chance to use it yet, but February seems like the perfect time for bows and pinks.

Outfit Info: Caterina Sleeveless Postie The Cat Dress, Similar style is the Jade Dress in the same print, Cardigan from YeMAK, Bag by Ecosusi

Weavly.WU

    One look at my clothes or my home will let you know immediately that I love all things vintage.  So, when Weavly.WU reached out about a collaboration, I was definitely on board.  Weavly.WU was founded in Wyoming by designer WU in 2024.  They make the most adorable handmade bags and accessories!

    This little granny square bag in white (it also comes in black and I definitely had a hard time choosing!) comes with an additional strap which has adjustable length, and though it looks small it acutally has lots of room.  The material is incredibly soft and the bag is well made.  I styled it with my typical errand-running outfit and I love the look!  My full YouTube is linked below.

Outfit Info:  Vintage Granny Square Handcrafted Crochet White Bag from WeavlyWU

Sweet Rosie Revamp

Last year the search was on for a lovely Ivy City Co. dress that slipped by me in 2023 called Sweet Rosie.  I tried to console myself that it couldn't be as pretty in real life as it was in the photos; I went on a search to see it being worn on a real person and tracked it down on the blog With Wonder and Whimsy.  I was smitten!  It looked even better in WWW's pic than the shop's.  So, I kept searching for months until I finally secured one second-hand!

The print is so lovely and I love the tiers, ruffles, and the shirred top.  I was thrilled to try it on, but when I did, I realized that this sleeve is not flattering on  me at all.  I did these outfit photos, hoping against hope that I was wrong, but upon reviewing them, I couldn't have been more disappointed to be right.  Flutter sleeves just aren't for me.  Saddened that after so much searching this dress just wasn't right for me, I folded it up and put it away for the year. 

Lately I've been thinking about which dresses I want to bring out for my spring wardrobe, and my mind drifted back to this dress.  Perhaps the cabin fever has inspired a little creativity, but I suddenly had an epiphany that it would be the easiest thing in the world to alter the sleeves!

This post may seem rather long, but I'm going to walk you through it photographically step by step.

1.  First things first, located the sleeve seam and determined it was wide enough for an elastic cord to run through, about 1-1.5mm in thickness.  I measured a piece of elastic cord by wrapping it around my arm, allowing a little overlap, and then doubled it, cut, and cut it in half.

2.  Next I ripped a few stitches at the seam closure as this is the most difficult place to run elastic through.

3.  I pushed a small safety pin, narrow enough to fit along the inside of the seam, through the elastic and tied a knot at the end so that the pin wouldn't unravel the thread around the elastic.  This really is key.

4.  I stuck a straight pin through the opposite end of the elastic to keep it from being pulled through the seam all the way.

5.  Finally, I used the safety pin to push the elastic through and begin gathering my sleeve end.  Because this is such a tiny edge, it took much longer than I thought.  It took me about 30 to 45 minutes to get both done.  That's OK, I just found a sunny window and enjoyed focusing on the work.  At the end, I sewed the elastic ends together and restitched the seam closed. 

I decided to pause after the first sleeve to show the difference between the two.  I was already happy with how this was looking.  Keep scrolling for the finished product!

Now this beautiful dress is just perfect for me and I am more excited than ever to wear it this spring.

Outfit Info:  Ivy City Sweet Rosie Dress is from 2023.  Shoes and Necklace are old.