The Belle of the Bicycles

Cross Stitch PDF, Organic Cotton Fabric, and Bicycle Mugs from Etsy.com

I can't resist a bicycle ride or a bicycle print.  I gave up on riding bikes years ago when I had at least one and sometimes two or three children hanging on me all the time, but now my kiddos are old enough to ride and our town just finished a scenic city bike trail complete with reasonably priced bike rentals.  I'm determined to make it one of our springtime family outings this year.  In the meantime, I'll stick with my prints and this Make Great Rides dress by Banned Apparel is one of my all time favorites.  The first time I wore it, it was summer and all I could see were the mint and burgundy colors.  This time, I just got this Dream of the Crop Cardigan in Sunset from ModCloth's Sale on Sale and the orange and burgundy seemed so right to make a more seasonally appropriate look.  

Shop the Look:
Dancing Days Bicycle Dress by Banned Apparel from ModCloth
Dream of the Crop Cardigan in sunset from ModCloth
Burgundy Heels from ThredUp

Loads of Ruffles? Yes, please!

Yes, it's true, it's almost that time of year again when we break out our best red dresses and celebrate V-day.  So, naturally, I'm on the lookout for things bearing that lovely, warm shade of red that I adore and I found this little gem--a Buckle Duffle High Low Coat.  I have to say:  I.  Love.  This.  Coat.  Love it!  I love the ruffles.  I love the gorgeous twirl effect, and of course, I love this hood.  Finally, a company that knows how to make a decent, full hood.  This coat is my first purchase from Stylebest.com and I couldn't be happier with it.  I ordered this in a size Medium and it fits perfectly.  Normally I wear a size XS in US sizes, but for Asian sizes, remember to check the size chart and go one to two sizes up from your usual.

Shop the Look:
Buckle Duffle High Low Lace Up Coat from Stylebest.com 
Use the code STStlyledress to receive 30% off your order
Dress is handmade by me
Boots from Charlotte Russe are old
Rain Cloud Necklace is from ModCloth

Vintage Orchid

Sooo, there's this funky little vintage clothing shop that's been around at least since I was a teenager and yesterday I decided to stop in.  I haven't been there since 1998, but it hasn't changed a bit.  The people are lovely and the goods are still just as retrolicious as ever.  I didn't really intend to buy anything, but on my way out the door, this gorgeous orchid dress caught my eye.  I tried it on and discovered that while it wasn't a prefect fit, it's pretty darn close, and I love the colors so much, I don't even care if it's a little loose.

Shop the look:
Vintage Dress
Layer it On Tights in Graphite and Charter School Cardigan in Rust from ModCloth

The Mermaid in Winter

    I wanted to be a mermaid when I grew up.  It was really the only thing that interested me for years and years, and I spent a lot of time making my landlocked mid-western country bedroom look like a beach house getaway.  Well, needless to say, magically being turned into a mythical being didn't exactly pan out for me, but deep down, I'll always be a mermaid at heart. 
    It follows then that I would love this Mermaid fabric by Heather Mendocino.  I was so crazy about  it that I bought what little I could find in pink and then went completely overboard in blue.  The good news is that while I didn't feel like making a whole dress out of the blue, I did make this fabulous full skirt (no pattern) and have enough left over to make airy summer skirts for each of my girls. 
    In the meantime, I don't have to wait for summer to wear this skirt.  I chose autumn-y orange, cream, and tan hues to accompany the cool blue of this skirt and I think it instantly turns it to something seasonally appropriate.  I'm done with mermaid for a while, mostly because I haven't found anything that I like as much as this fabric, but if I do, the mermaid will return, hopefully

Shop the Look:
Top from ThredUp
Heather Ross Mendocino Fabric
Dream of the Crop Cardi and Flats from ModCloth

Bombshell and a Birdcage

Necklace, Watercolor Print, and Dirigible Birdcage from Etsy.com

I'm a fan of A Fine Frenzy's Bomb in a Birdcage, so I can't take full credit for this title.  It's been an unbelievably busy month and my posts have been a little sparse because of it.  I've got the outfit pics, just not the time to sit down and post them.  I've been given some exciting new responsibilities at my job and working like crazy on some projects at home including finishing four dresses and a skirt!  January can be a very dreary month, but this year I've found so much to keep me busy that I can hardly believe it's almost over.  I've enjoyed it though, and all this busyness has made my down days when it's just too cold to do anything but curl up with a book or a movie by the fire all the sweeter.

Shop the look:
Charter School Cardigan, Heels and Tights from ModCloth
En Creme Blouse and Forever 21 Skirt from ThredUp
Use my ThredUp link to sign up and save $10 off your first order.

Dive In

I know it's still chilly outside, but ModCloth has unvelied their new 2018 swim collection and it is awesome!  Here are just a few lovely pieces in the collection:

Offbeat Belle Long Sleeve One Piece Swim Suit $99.00

Niche at the Beach Reversible One Piece Swim Suit

Set the Serene One Piece

Rooftop Pool One-Piece

80's Comeback

A very dear lady gave me a whole box of 80s sweaters and they are as retrolicious as it gets.  This peppy pink pom-pom one is my favorite and they do make me wonder if we were having a mini ice age in the 80's because these bulky pullovers are heavy enough for Arctic wear and yet it seems like they were the height of fashion nation wide back then.  Whatever the case, we had a couple of warm days followed by the inevitable re-freeze which now seems even colder after a day or two of 55 degrees and no coats, so I'm donning this and staying indoors today.  The nice thing about this sweater is that I managed to find a look-alike so I can share the look and the love.

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Similar to Knit Your Love Sweater from ChicWish