Black ballet flats have been a standby and a staple of my wardrobe for over a decade now. I think it's finally time to change things up a bit. When the lovely people at Leiyuting-Shop reached out about a collaboration with their Harriseve Flats, I was thrilled to work with them, but I promised myself, whatever I chose, I would not get black flats. If you've been stuck in a rut with plain shoes, maybe it's time for you to branch out too.
There are more neutrals in the world than just black and beige. Navy blue is an excellent neutral shade that goes with practically everything. While I don't mean to diminish black flats, there is something about Navy that just looks like you put in a little more effort even though it was grab and go.
These Harriseve flats are lightweight and breathable, they fit true-to-size and they're so comfortable to wear indoors or outdoors, and with my promo code you can save an extra 10% off your purchase. So, why not mix it up and treat your feet.
It's been a while since I've updated the shoes section of my wardrobe, but with summer getting hotter and hotter, I figured it's time for some stylish new flats that are perfect for work or play. I'm excited to announce this collaboration Harriseve Women's Flats from Leiyuting-Shop.
These lovely people sent over three pairs of flats for me to try and I've had ever so much fun styling them three ways though I'm sure more great styles are soon to follow. Inexpensively priced at $21, these flats are lightweight and breathable with a foam insole that also makes them comfortable.
Since I've spent most of my summer so far working, I thought we'd start with a nice casual wear-to-work look with these dark green flats. With so many great colors to choose from, I had a hard time choosing just three, but I am so glad I went with green. Black is basic and goes with everything, but there's something about these green flats that really make all the other colors in my outfit pop.
These Harriseve flats fit true to size and are great for indoor or outdoor wear, plus they go with pretty much everything. The best part is that now through August 13th you can save 10% with my code 4E292K39. More great styles are on the way with Harriseve.
When it comes to Selkie, I used to be very level headed, skeptical even, but somewhere in my research and testing, it turned into infatuation and then obsession. I'm not exactly sure when, but it was undoubtedly due to all those gorgeous prints. I've said it before and I'll say it again, when it comes to most Selkie styles, I'm not a fan. They're not really right for my body shape and tend to (the puff dress in particular) look better on girls who are short and stacked. Good for you if you've got the body for them, but I'm neither of those things and so I don't feel that they're really right for me. Add to that the fact that organza is one of the cheapest fabrics on the market but these dresses carry a price tag that suggests they're made of silk. And, yet, I now currently own a baker's dozen of these dresses. My most recent and hopefully last acquisition from Selkie (oh, who am I kidding?! I'll definitely get more when they release their summer or fall collection!) is the Abbot Prairie Puff in the Secret Garden print.
The style? Long puff sleeves, empire waist, and a super short hemline--still not a fan. The print? A stunning impressionistic painting called Garden of Finisterre by Abbott Fuller Graves(1859-1936) that makes my heart skip a beat. I didn't even realize how gorgeous it was until I saw the dupe. It was so stunning I considered buying two and using the fabric to make a dress or skirt that will look good on my shape. But, I suppose that's really a subject for another post. For the moment, please take a look at this stunning print as captured through a screen shot and just know that no photos will ever do it justice.
After I bought the dupe and saw how great that print was, I knew the real Selkie would be even better, so I started looking for it. Revolve and ShopIsalis both had it one size up from mine for $295, but Boho-Chic had it for 30% off, so it was only $206 plus free shipping, but it was two sizes up from my usual. Either way, I was going to have to tailor it and my pretty dress savings is severely depleted, so I had to go for the bargain.
So far, the two Selkies I've had tailored have cost me an additional $85 each. The tailor has done a fantastic job and it's been worth every penny, but that means that if I bought the Prairie Abbott at Boho-Chic and had it tailored, it would almost negate the amount I saved. I thought about it for several days and decided that my best course of action would be to either save up for the right size or buy the discounted dress and tailor it myself. Given the current state of the economy, saving doesn't really seem to be an option. All my extra income will likely be going toward putting fuel in my car and keeping my home cool this year, so I chose the bargain and altering it myself.
As far as shopping with Boho-Chic went, the first time I tried to purchase with them, my bank declined the transaction. I tried my mom's card and it also declined the transaction. Boho chic said everything was working on their end, so I knew it was probably an issue with the bank. This time, I called the bank and told them I'd be buying from a website based in France and they put a travel note on my card that was good for 24hours so I could purchase the dress without the card being declined and everything went smoothly. My order shipped the following day and I was sent emails with updates on my tracking status throughout the entire process. My order arrived to me from France in about one week. That is excellent service and I'm a little sad that they've decided not to carry Selkie anymore because buying from them was so wonderful.
The dress arrived and I tried it on, knowing it would be big, but I didn't expect how much dress there was. The skirt was so full and the sleeves were so long and puffy that I felt swallowed.
There was just too much dress everywhere. Too much fullness in the skirt, too much sleeves, and it was too big. So, right to work. I watched a video on how to work with organza and then tore into a dupe dress for practice. (I'm currently piecing that dress back together in a different style.) and then I jumped into this project. I gathered the recommended needles and thread for sewing with slippery, prone-to-snag fabrics like organza but after experimenting with my dupe, I opted to sew everything by hand.
This dress actually doesn't look too bad in photos, but I can assure that in real life it was a disaster! I felt like I was wearing giant cupcake wrappers.
The first thing I did was to take out the inner most layer of organza which was just tacked in to the other two layers. I removed the seam holding this layer to the bodice and then slowly cut above the gather so that I could keep the fabric gathered and I intend to make a skirt out of it. After removing the lining layer, I marked off the amount the dress would need to be taken in and used a seam ripper to take out the zipper and then cut out the excess fabric.
Following this I reattached the bodice to the skirt and put the zipper back in. The fit was perfect now, but the sleeves still felt overwhelming, so I decided to shorten them to elbow length. I measured and cut.
Since I opted to sew this entire project by hand so that I could have a little more control over this slippery fabric, I knew that the cuff would look a little less polished and professional than if I were using a machine. To fix this I decided to reuse to the ruffled cuff on the long sleeves. I cut off the ruffle leaving a little room for hemming so there would be no fraying. Then, I hemmed the sleeve and the cuff and attached them together.
This is an up-close pic of the finished product on the sleeve cuff. From the outside, you cannot tell that I did this by hand, it worked really well to hide by hand-stitching and looks more polished and professional.
I began this project on a quiet Sunday morning at around 10 a.m. and finished it at around 8:00 p.m. I did take a few breaks and of course there was the process of getting video of the actual sewing and stopping to try-on, so over all, even though I did this entire thing by hand, I'd say it only took me about 6 hours to get this finished product:
Let me just say again how happy I am with the finished product! Not only does it fit, but it looks like I'm wearing the dress instead of the dress wearing me. I don't even feel like it needs a belt. Here's a quick side by side so you can compare:
Proper photos of this gorgeous dress are on the way soon, but in the meantime, you can checkout my video for a more thorough run-down of the alterations process, and I hope that you feel encouraged that if you love a dress (or a brand as I love Selkie) it's not a lost cause if it's not quite right for you. You can put in a little work and make it work for you. Or, you know, take it to a tailor and have them make it work for you.
While I'm at it, I think I owe us a look at the painting itself because it is truly quite lovely. I wish Selkie had released this print in a cotton day dress instead, but alas, I will just have to be content with what I have.
After all the work to find and acquire this dress, I could only get one that was two sizes too big. So, I had this dress tailored and it did cost me a chunk of cash and a chunk of time. You may be wondering if it was worth it. Well, let's look at the expenses.
First there was the time I spent checking the website to see if the dress was back in stock, and the phone calls I made to stores in a day-trip driving distance to see if they carried it. Then there is the cost of the actual dress, the time spent waiting for it to arrive, the search for a qualified tailor, the 60 mile round-trip to drop off and pick up the dress, the 4 weeks of waiting for it to be tailored, and the $85 charge for the work. So, it's fair at this point to assess whether or not it was worth all the effort and the money. Was it?
The answer is a resounding Yes! My tailor did a fantastic job and I am thrilled with the fit, so much so that I immediately took my Night in Paris Corset Dress in to be tailored as well. Fortunately, it's only one size too big, but Selkie just released the (final?) spring drop and if I had waited for my size to be in the Selkie drop I would have been devastatingly disappointed as they decided not to release it on their site.
Sometimes when you love the dress, you do the work, you go the extra mile, or you forever regret it. No regrets here. I can't wait to wear this dress at every possible occasion.
Wanna be a rebel? Wanna be different than everyone else out there? Wanna go against everything that the culture stands for? In a world that glorifies lewdness, violence, cruelty, narcissism, and self indulgence, if you want to stand out: Be modest. Be patient. Be Kind. Be Self-controlled.
I have to laugh at all these aging counter-culturalists who seemed edgy 25 years ago and now are hopelessly commonplace but have no idea. They're still screaming, they just don't know who they're screaming at anymore, since most politicians, corporations, and the general public are all extremely accepting if not in total agreement with them now.
When the world is moving in one direction it takes a lot of strength to go against the current, to be different, to stand up. Right now I see this trend of people who call themselves marginalized outsiders, but if a huge percentage of the population now identifies with you, it's time to admit you're not counter culture; you're mainstream. You're not fighting the power; you are the power.
I'm not saying you should rebel for no reason (although if you are looking to rebel against something now's a good time). But, I am saying that if you're unhappy with the way the world is going, you don't have to go along with it. Don't expect going your way to be easy. If it were easy, everyone would do it. But, everyone doesn't. Most people go where everyone else is going because that's easy. They don't have to think or try or risk. They just exist and follow along.
Right now, the trend seems to be complete self-absorption, immediate explosive rage, and general dickery. So, if you really want to be an outsider, if you really want to be different: put others first, respond instead of react, be patient instead of demanding, kind instead of demeaning, put your screen down and be present in the world and in the moment, and be a valuable part of it.
This pretty little Garden Pub Selkie seemed like a great bargain on Poshmark and I love the pastel print, but the world is becoming a more and more dishonest place and I buy everything with a grain of salt these days. Unfortunately, the posher I bought it from claimed it was New With Tags, but it arrived with a tiny food speck on the front, so I knew it had at least been worn for the duration of a snack. That didn't really bother me too much. Then, a few days later, when it was too late to return it, I took it out to wear it on a humid day and that's when the pit-funk hit me. Ugh. I wish all companies would put tags in a place where they couldn't be hidden for wear and then resold as new. I washed the dress and the funk has been reduced, but it will take another wash or two at least to get out this lying posher's stink. I hate dishonest people. Ok, dress-tangent over. Let's get to the actual topic of today's post.
Sometimes, it starts feeling like my blog posts are stuck in a rut. That I'm constantly discussing a struggle of some sort and to be frank, there are times when that's all I write about because that's all I'm doing; I'm struggling with some thing or problem daily. Fortunately, today will not be a tale of woe but of triumph!
The literal fruits of my labor are finally paying off in the form of my herb garden. When we moved onto our farm, we had to contend with the bewildering choices of the previous occupant. One such choice was to cut down two trees in the front yard, but leave the stumps about four feet high and blocking the walkway to the front door. Those stumps were then surrounded with giant boulders bordering bare desolate earth. It was a strange, grim sort of landscaping, but as everything was too bizarre to contemplate and too heavy to move, we left it alone.
Later I planted some flowers called Four O'clocks, which are lovely, but merely decorative, and only covered the ridiculous stumps for one third of the year. The rest of the year it remained a festering eye sore. Last spring I decided to reclaim this area as it is one of the few sunny spots in our yard. Herbs seemed the logical choice for such a small space, so I planted, mint which was gifted to me by a friend, basil, and chamomile, along with marigolds for a little pest control.
It took quite a bit of work to transform this speck of ground into something lovely and useable. I had to start by using a rock bar and a hammer and chisel to break down some of the larger boulders that were blocking the sun into a useable perimeter fence. I used the boulder-turned-rocks to expand, in fact to double the size of my plot.
Then I had to haul more rocks to build a fence, plus haul in topsoil. Mr. Bleu removed one stump and greatly reduced the size of the other since they were not only taking up room but also blocking the light. Finally we had to fence off the whole area to keep out hungry chickens and curious cats who would have scratched all my work up in a matter of minutes. But, I knew it would all be worth it for some homegrown herbs, particularly if one of those herbs would make a very nice tea.
I must have been about 17 and living on my own for the first time when I chose to become an herbal tea drinker. It was something that I saw an older, more refined and worldly friend doing and, since I wanted to seem refined too, I decided to take it up. I bought a variety of teas and began testing them. It was not easy at first, in fact, I despised the taste of most of them, but I was determined to persevere and after about 500 disgusting cups of tea, I eventually learned that I love chamomile tea and pretty much nothing else in the herbal variety of beverages.
Last year being the first year for my little garden, I didn't get a single cup of tea. Instead I let all the flowers go to seed and saved as many as I could just in case my plants didn't return on their own this year. To my delight, not only did my plants return, but they thrived and multiplied, so this spring I am diligently plucking and drying as many of these aromatic flowers as possible so that I can enjoy this taste of spring long into the winter months, although I fully intend to enjoy a cup or two with fresh flowers on one of these lovely mild mornings in my favorite spot under the trees while the season lasts.
Unfortunately, my herb garden is still quite small and certainly not grand enough to make for a nice backdrop for photos, so I had to content myself with taking photos among some wildflowers and photographing the chamomile all on its own. It's come back this year so gloriously full and with so many blossoms that it has brightened up this strange, previous bland rocky spot and I don't really mind letting it be the star of its own pics.
I thought a few pics of my latest second-hand selkie acquisition would pair nicely with the chamomile. I'm obsessed with Selkie prints but still not a huge fan of the puff style. So far this pink belt and this pair of pink cotton bicycle shorts have been the saving grace that's allowed me to wear all these short Selkie puffs without worrying about the empire waist making me look dumpy or unwanted bum exposure from how short they are. I am nothing if not someone who loves a challenge.
Shopping Info: Selkie Pub Garden Puff Dress, cotton bicycle short from amazon.com, belt from shein.com
It's been a very long while since I've done an Artist Spotlight post and even longer since I've done a Style Crush. Since I'm taking things even slower than usual about getting out and taking photos, I thought this might be a good time to revisit these sections of the blog.
I wasn't quite sure which one I'd like to do, but fortunately one of my favorite Instagrammers covers both subjects very well as you'll soon see from the photos on her Instagram.
Liskin_doll, a.k.a. Ellen Tyn, showcases not only her paintings of landscapes and quaint woodland creatures, but also her embroidery. Of course, her lovely cottage core style just melts my heart every time I see a new post, and her photos of what looks like absolutely amazing baked goods always make my stomach growl.
So, for today's post, let's just sit back and imagine that we are in Liskin_doll's world, that dreamy cottage in some fairytale meadow.
I am or have been a member of the blogger affiliate program for the following brands: ModCloth, SheIn, Romwe, ChicWish, KarinaDresses, Zapaka, Ticked Teal, Etsy, Rock Flower Paper, ASOS, Sally Beauty, Claire's, Morning Lavender, Role Cosplay, RoseGal, Capsul Jewelry, Berrylook, Milanoo, EricDress, Retro-Stage, VIVAIA, Bellepoque, Naturevibe Botanicals, Forlest,
As an Affiliate of these brands each post may contain affiliate links, meaning if you click the link and make a purchase I receive a commission.
For some of these brands I am also a collaboration partner. What this means is that the brand has sent items for me to promote/review free of charge. In those posts I will note that this is a collaboration between myself and the brand.
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