A Plaid Skirt and a Poodle

I love Victorian Trading Co. fashion and home decor, but I haven't purchased anything.  I've just spent the last five years or so, sighing and occasionally drooling over their catalogs.  This year, I was given this lovely tweed corset coat as a Christmas gift and it has been so very nice.  Four years ago, before the blog life, I bought a knee length gray wool coat and it kept me warm through all those long winters of walking everywhere in Japan.  This year, about two weeks before Christmas, I got my scarf stuck in the zipper of the coats and, since I was particularly tired and frustrated at the end of a very long day, I yanked and pulled on the scarf and zipper until I irreparably broke the zipper and the teeth on that coat.  The scarf came out unharmed but forever associated with the loss of my beloved coat.  It's sunny, chilly day, so I decided to pull the poodle sweater off the shelf and my very first plaid skirt from the beginning of my blogging to wear on a little walk in the woods at sunset.  The days are still short and I can't stay out too long, but a nice quiet stroll is just what I need today.

Shop the Look:
LindyBopUSA Sweater
Pink Martini Skirt and My Stroll Mate Flats from ModCloth
Houndstooth Corset Coat from VictorianTradingCo.

Spring Picks from Eshakti

Eshakti has just released their Spring Collection and it is lovely indeed!  I like so many things that I'm splitting it into two posts, so stay tuned for the second to come this week.  If you use my link to sign up, you'll get $25 off your first order!

FLORAL PRINT GEORGETTE TIE NECK DRESS $64.95

FLORAL APPLIQUE POPLIN DRESS $59.95

LEMON PRINT COTTON BELTED SHIRTDRESS $59.95

PLUNGE CONTRAST TRIM DUPIONI DRESS $54.95

TIE-NECK FLORAL BUNNY PRINT COTTON DRESS $59.95

A Peplum Print

I picked up this beauty from EShakti last year.  I've waited so long to do photos because most of my photo spots are outdoors and I didn't want this lovely green dress to get lost in the foliage.  Sadly, I think this dress is now sold out, but they have so many other great dresses that I'm devoting two posts to their new spring collection.

Shop the Look:
Find more great looks at EShakti.com   Use my link to sign up and receive $25 off your first order!

Sailing Away

It's cold outside.  I'm not going out there.  Not today.

Shop the Look:

Sailor Collar High Waist Vintage Dress - Purplish Blue  $28.98 from RoseGal.com

Blueberry Gingham

Now that Valentine's day has come and gone and we're no longer seeing red, I thought it was time to mix things up with a little blue.  There's something about gingham that always makes me thing summer time and picnics even if, like today, summertime is still a million miles away.  It's chilly out here at the park, and I'm not exactly dressed for hiking.  Oh well, I can still stroll around on the paved paths with my favorite fella.

Shop the Look:

Blue Gingham Shirt from Hodoyi

Blue Charter School Cardigan and blue Heels from ModCloth

Boho Blossoms

I'm not waiting in anymore.  I'm breaking out the floral prints now and wearing this Ruby Dress in Boho Blossom from Karinadresses.com while walking  a winter wonderland.  Check out their new Resort Collection for more lovely dresses.

Shop the Look:
The Ruby Dress in Boho Blossoms from KarinaDresses.com

A Nautical Twofer

I think the ocean will always be close to my heart, even if I never see it again....but I think I will.

Shop the Look:
Twofer Long Sleeve Dress in Nautical Knee Length by ModCloth in XXS, XS, Small, Medium, Large, and XL

Bake Shop Sweetie

This fabric wasn't my first pick when I was planning how to spend my crafting budget in January.  It was however, my youngest child's first pick and she loved it so much that I promised to buy it when February rolled around and make a skirt for each of us.  I'm glad I did get it, because it is very sweet and so bright and cheerful.  Since the world has recently been frosted with this lovely layer of ice, I thought it was the perfect day to don my new skirt.  I made it yesterday and I've found that if I start a sewing project and don't finish it by bedtime, I'll dream about it all night.  So, I determined not to quit until I finished this skirt and I did indeed complete it in one day.  Next I'll finish my little girl's skirt and one day soon we'll wear them together.  I didn't use a pattern for this skirt.  I simply cut two 27" long pieces of fabric, sewed them together at one side, ran a gathering stitch along the top, adjusted it to my waist, put on a waist band at the top and a zipper at the side.  Easy Peasy, Lemon Squeezy.

Shop the Look:

Michael Miller Bake Shop Sweet Cakes Confection

$10.45 per yard at fabric.com