Dark Cottage Core

    I'm absolutely mad about toile.  Wallpaper, shelf paper, upholstry and yes, dresses.  A beautiful blue toile day dress is what drew me to Worth Collective, but I found a couple of other beauties while I was there that also caught my eye.  Since WC sent me a 20% off promo code as a thank you for my first order, I decided to bring home this black and ivory toile beauty and the other as well.  I like to think of this Amalie dress as a dark cottage core.   

    Each of the dresses I purchased are 100% cotton and they're both pregnancy and nursing friendly.  Those days are long gone for me, but love the comfy fit.   I did find this style is a little more flattering for my shape when I added a belt.  In fact, I wore this outfit out to dinner after our little photo session here and as we were walking to our table a mother and teen daughter nearby gasped when they saw this dress and exclaimed, "Oh!  How Pretty!"   Already getting positive feedback on the Amalie and it was my first time to put together an outfit and wear it.  I can't wait to see what else I can come up with.

Outfit Info:  Amalie Dress from Worth Collective

A Dress Lover's Movie Night

    I hope things are looking Spring-y where you live but that is sadly not the case for me.  With the weather outside still looking rather frightful, I like to plan a few themed movie nights to share with my family.  Two years ago I was on a roll that tragically ended in an ill-conceived Martin Short Movie month, in which my family and I watched campy hits such as Captain Ron, Pure Luck, Inner Space, and Treasure Planet, at the end of which my family announced I would no longer be trusted to plan our movie themes and then burned Mr. Short in effigy.  

    After a brief 24 month hiatus, just long enough for them to heal and forget (forgiveness may be too much to expect), I'm back and better than ever.  I've picked myself up, dusted myself off, and I've learned from my mistakes.  This time I'm going to stick to what I know, and what I know is: dresses.  So, pop some corn, crack open a bottle of the fizzy stuff and let's enjoy and evening at home with some Best Dress-ed Classics!

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1.  Mrs. Harris Goes to Paris. (2022.) 

Love at first sight, this movie is a delightful gem, a feast not just for the eye but for the soul.  Follow the story of the dependable and kind Mrs. Harris, who waits for beyond all hope her husband's return from war while sacrificing her own dreams.  She then embarks on a marvelous journey, touching lives along the way to purchase her dream dress from Paris couture fashion house, Dior.   Costume design is by the very talented Jenny Beavan.  Remember that name, you're going to see it again.

2.  The Dressmaker.  

This one is actually on my to-watch list.  That's right, I haven't seen it yet, but it's got all the elements I'm looking for: Pretty dresses, Kate Winslet, and a 66% postive rating from viewers on Rotten Tomatoes.  So, this one's been requested and is on the way to my public library as we speak.  The story in a nutshell is that a fashionable woman goes back to her small town and seeks revenge for the past, but I'm hoping along the way she does some good too.

3.  Ever After: A Cinderella Story.  (1998).  

With an all star cast, a brilliant story revamp and stunning costume design of Jenny Beavan, who you may remember did my No.1 pick, this retelling of a children's classic has always stood out as my personal favorite.  Suddenly the characters have motivation, they have depth, no more mere good and evil.  Cinderella has dreams and opinions, the stepmother has trauma, and the prince wants more than just arm candy, he wants intellect.  Although one look at her in that marvelous dress and it's safe to say he gets both.

4.  Cruella.  (2021). 

Ok, ok, I know the storytelling is pretty weak on this Disney prequel, but cinematography and the brilliant actors, Emma Stone & Emma Thompson,  do make up for some of what the story lacks.  If you're in it for a fun girls' night of oogling pretty dresses then this movie fits the bill.  Oh, and once again, the costume design is the work of Jenny Beavan, because that lady knows how to make a beautiful dress!

5.  Troop Beverly Hills (1989).

This movie has been a favorite of mine since its release in 1989 and has featured in more than one movie night since then.  A few years ago while living in Japan I had a friend who also loved the movie and suggested that we introduce our daughters to it together with a very girly movie party.  Since then my daughters and I have watched many times together.  The story has all the heart warming 80's charm you could want combined with plenty of celebrity cameos and of course fabulous dresses as Shelley Long's main character, Phyllis Nefler, would say.

Cabin Fever Remedies

Winter is underway and our family recently spent three days snowed in together, followed a few weeks later by five days snowed in together.  We've gone longer in the past, so three and five days doesn't really feel like a big deal to me.  To be honest, I spend so much of my time working in my home on the weekends and feeling like there is never enough time to get it all done, that I relish the snow days so I can finally tackle all the "extra stuff."  My family on the other hand loved the first day of laying around and relaxing and then started to get cabin fever.

My theory on why cabin fever affects them so much and myself very little is that I rarely have those entire days of just"doing nothing."  I break up my screen time with chores that get me up and moving, so even though we may tear through a whole series in three days, it wasn't by spending the day glued to our seats.  I always have projects to do even if they're just cozy little chores or an enjoyable hobby.  So, here are some of my favorite things to do on snow days to keep cabin fever at bay.  

1.  Mending and Sewing.  I have so many things that are in need of alteration or repair and they tend to sit on my sewing table for long periods of time.  A snow day is the perfect time to throw on a favorite movie and sit on the couch with my mending in hand.  Alternatively, I make a little room on the floor to lay out my alteration projects, and still keep an eye on the movie.   It's important that it be a movie that I've already seen or I'll miss too much while I'm pinning and cutting.

2.  Clean out the Fridge.  Cleaning out the refrigerator used to be a spring and fall task.  That was before I worked outside the home.  Now it kind of gets done when it gets done.  But toward the end of several days of everyone being at home, we are usually running low on groceries and it's the perfect time to take everything out, throw away the expired condiments, wipe down all the surfaces and put everything back neatly.

3.  Declutter.  I have been known to start first thing in the morning with a huge closet declutter, or to just take out a few desk drawers for a micro declutter.  Anywhere is fair game: bathroom storage, linen closet, sock drawers, or kitchen cabinets.   For this most recent snow-bound venture, I focused on my desktop and adjoining bookcases.  There are so many books I've brought home to read and after years of collecting dust, I have finally toted them out in donation bags.  Likewise, I have binders full of class lectures that I will never read again, and various other such paper stacks that have now been relegated to the firestarter pile.  I managed to clear off a quarter of my deskspace and get rid of years of clutter.  I also went through my formal dresses and closet once again as prom season approaches and managed to pull together one more 33 gallon bag filled with donations that I hope will make someone's prom dress dreams come true.

4.  Try a New Recipe.  Snow days are my favorite time to make comfort food.  On our most recent stint indoors, Mr. Bleu started us off with crockpot chili and I followed two days later with chicken and dumplings.  The trouble with this is that you may need ingredients that you don't typically keep on hand, your options here are to either be prepared before the snow hits, or be creative with things you already have.  

5.  Rekindle an old hobby.  I've been getting back into making felt sweets this year, but I also needed some new kitchen towels, so I decided to embroider some blank white towels and make a fun little project out of it.  This is something that can also be done while listening to music or watching an old movie with the family.  I love to keep my hands busy even while we're sitting around together.

6.  Focus on Self-Care.  There are plenty of mornings when I don't feel like I have the time to squeeze in a workout and plenty of evenings when I'm too tired to do the extras like deep conditioning my hair, or whitening my teeth.  But, on a snow day, I have nothing but time.  These are the days when I can work in all the extra stuff.  In addition to the things I mentioned above, I also like to:  Take a long soak in a mineral bath, do my nails, try a new make-up technique or hair style, dry brush, and the list goes on. 

I won't say that I never get cabin fever, but with so many ways to keep busy and feel productive, it definitely takes me way longer to feel like leaving home, and in the end makes these times feel like a little vacation rather than a forced seclusion.  With winter still raging on, I expect to have a very tidy home by the time spring rolls around.

Outfit Info:  Pink Velvet Earrings from Kramaric Millinery, Collectif Skirt is thrifted, J.Crew Strawberry top is thrifted, YeMAK Cardigan

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