Celia & Disturbia

2026 is off to a rocky start.  Barely out of a huge family holiday drama and we had a big trip and a couple of medical emergencies back to back to back.  I'm kind of tired already, but such is life and we just keep going.  We drove in all the winter chill to an out of state graduation that was in a small town in the middle of no where...and I loved it!  This tiny old town had so much history, tiny little eateries, funky small bookstores, and even an antique store where I found both this lovely vintage necklace and beaded bag for a song.  I have recently tried a new-to-me brand called Disturbia and though I only purchased two pieces in total, I am very pleased with the results.    

I ended my No Buy challenge after 8 weeks, by making this purchase from Disturbia and one other dress from Unique-Vintage and just in time for this trip because I knew I might want to look at thrift or antique stores and decided to allow myself that flexibility. Also, I like to plan for success, which is why I knew I didn't want to be ratcheted down on my spending during a family trip.  It worked like a charm.  I enjoyed my time with my family, the pressure was off me financially, and  I only spent $20 at the antique shop with no regrets about the lovely pieces I found there.

As far as this Celia Moth dress from Disturbia, it's unlike anything else in my wardrobe, and since it's also been a while since I've done a Youtube review of a brand, you can check out the lengthy, long winded details  on the video below.

 Outfit Info: Celia Moth Dress from Disturbia, Use my link to get $10 off your first order of $60 or more.  (just a referral link, not an affiliate) Necklace and purse are vintage, shoes are old from SheIn

OxKnit Sweaters

Sooooo, I rarely do negative reviews, preferring instead to hit the highlights of a brand, but when I purchased some OxKnit sweaters, I had issues with them and decided to do a very honest review, still trying to be kind.  I got a multi-paragraph response from OxKnit in the comments section of my YouTube video in which they basically couldn't deny anything I said, but mostly just said, "we're working on it."  Fair enough.  As a sign of good faith, they recently commented that they have now added size XS to their line and that gives me even more reason to hope things improve.  In the meantime, I had to take this sweater in several inches at the sides to get a nice fit, but I do like the finished product well enough that I ended up keeping most of my purchase.  And of the pieces I kept, I have washed and worn them all once or twice and so far they look just as nice and have held up well.  Check out my video below for the full review.

Ode to Jove Grace Day Dress: Ivory Sheep Review

I've been a fan of the Canadian based company, Ivory Sheep for several years now.  I first encountered the owner in the Selkie fan groups as her business was just beginning.  I loved how she was just a person, a fellow dress lover who was fulfilling her dream to become a dress shop owner.  The cherry on top was that she gave prompt and personal service, and genuinely seemed to care about her customers.  When Selkie's spring launch was an utter shit show, she went above and beyond to get orders out.  I never saw a single negative word uttered about her and many saw her as someone to rely on against the chaos of that time.  Unfortunately in the wake of that and other frustrations Mackenzie and Ivory Sheep, like so many other stockists at the time, chose to end their relationship with Selkie.  Fortunately for dress lovers, Mackenzie soldiered on by launching her own collection.  I fell immediately in love with this Ode to Jove dress when it released on the spring of 2025, but the rules of my Low Buy year didn't allow me to purchase.  I determined that if it was still in stock come Black Friday that I would bring it home.

Black Friday rolled around and to my sheer delight Ivory Sheep had a 40% off site-wide sale and allowed me to stack a promo code as well, plus gave me free shipping and I was able to make this beauty mine for 50% off the original price.

The print for this dress is called Allegory of Glory.  Originally painted in the fresco style by Mariano Rossi it depicts the battle of Roman general Marcus Furius Camillus against the Etruscan city of Veii.  The Roman army lay siege to the walled city and the Etruscans were successful in holding them off, until General Camillus got the idea to tunnel under the city.  This painting celebrates his victory.  Strange subject for a dress print?  Perhaps, but you can't argue with the outcome.

Outfit Info: Ode To Jove Grace Day Dress from Ivory Sheep, Shoes from B.A.I.T.

Stardust & Stems: A Perfume Review

It doesn't happen often, but occasionally I do succumb to Instagram ads.  I try to never impulse buy, but rather to save the item, think about it, then research to see if it's legit, then think some more before finally buying.  The whole process can take a week to several months.  When I saw this ad for Stardust & Stems perfume, I definitely save it and got to thinking.  I waited two weeks before buying and I'm excited to share the results with you since the gift giving season is right around the corner and perfume, though very personal, does make a great gift.  *I am not in any way affiliated with any of these companies and clicking my links doesn't earn me any money or brownie points with them.*

Since I've entered my late 30s and early 40s, I have realized that the body spray I've been using since high school just doesn't really work for me anymore.  I still love the scent, black raspberries, but I need something that has a little more staying power.  To that end, I've been on the search for a signature scent.  Two Decembers ago I found this White Peach and Peony perfume at a TJ Maxx and purchased it. It's floral and fruity and I like it, but it may be a little too youthful for me.

The search went on and back in May '25 I purchased La Vie Est Belle L'Elixir during a Mother's Day sale from Lancome which promised a blackberry scent.  It delivered.  It is a lovely fragrance, but so rich I find it overpowering.

My next attempt was simply using vanilla essential oil.  It was my favorite of all, but I don't like the feel of oil on my skin, particularly in summer, so I didn't dilute it with a carrier oil and within a few months I developed an allergy.  So that was out.  I decided to try Vanilla Fields instead to get that natural vanilla smell without the awful rash.  It is a lovely scent, but still not quite what I was looking for, so the search continued.

As mush as I love the look of the cottage witch ad, I was more intrigued by the Roseberry Briar, Lilac, and London Fog.  Those are the three I purchased, and yes they did give me a promo code for signing up, so I saved 15% off my first order.

All of these lovely scents arrived within two weeks and were wrapped very nicely complete with testing strips.  Unfortunately, none of these scents are really my cup of tea.  They are pleasant and unusual, and seem perfect for a younger person, (I'm sure that's their key demographic) but nothing is quite harmonious with my vibe.  Perfume is a very personal thing and these just don't work for me.  I took a risk, ordering a scent from the internet, but I don't regret trying something new.  I'm sure if given enough time I could find a scent I loved, but for now my daughter loved and immediately took them all, and the search continues for me.

Canyon Group Robes: A Very Negative Review

Back in the 90s each week my favorite Must-See-TV shows on Thursday nights featured at least one fashionable character wearing a chenille robe.  The Nanny, Daphne on Frasier, Phoebe on Friends, and then Brad Pitt wore that famous coffee mug robe in Fight Club, forever sealing the deal and making me want one of these robes desperately.  Their popularity grew to the point that one year they turned up in our local mall.  There were an assortment of adorable robes, but they were rather pricey.  I begged; I pleaded.  I guess my mom passed the word along to her mother, who was a little more financially well endowed than we were.

On Christmas day, I opened my gift and saw a chenille robe!  It was blue, far too large, and covered in a moon and stars.  Now, I know how bratty and ungrateful this sounds, but as excited as I was to have this robe, the moon and stars pattern was, out of all the styles available at the mall, the only one that I didn't want.  I wanted wedding cakes, coffee cups, cherries, or daisies.  Something pink, something girly.  I felt guilty for my disappointment.  Still, it was pretty, very thoughtful, and very, very cool, so I wore it with pride for nearly 30 years, telling myself that one day I would save up and buy a different style.  Unfortunately, right around the time I had enough, the only place I knew of that sold these robes went out of business and it seemed like Canyon Group was just gone.  

I kept an eye out for that coffee cups robe or a wedding cake robe, but unfortunately, people tended to ask double or triple what they originally paid and I could never really justify paying up to $1000 for a used ratty bathrobe.  A couple of years ago, I did find a peach wedding cake robe for $100 (that post is coming up this week!) and I bought a vintage peacock chenille robe for around that price as well, plus I still have my original Canyon Group robe.  Three robes is plenty...but my 90s teenage heart wants what the heart wants.

Last year, while on vacation with my family, I spied my moon and stars robe in-stock in a shop.  And there were lots!  I peered through the window (the shop was already closed for the day) and spied the name on the tag: Canyon Group!  And their website was on the tag!  I went home and immediately searched for a robe.  After nearly 30 years, my robe was showing its age.  The fact that the website had only old, grainy photos seemed like a red flag.  But their payment programs seemed legit and I decided to purchase with Affirm/ShopPay so that I could make payments.  I got a first time buyer discount of 15% and set up my payment plan and received an email saying that although they were a little behind for the holidays, my order was due to ship in December.  No problem, I totally understood.

Exactly one week later Black Friday happened and all the robes went on sale for 40% off.  Ashamed at having missed such a great sale by a narrow margin, I told myself it was OK because I was supporting a small business, and didn't try to cancel the order or see if they would give me a partial refund.  According to the website, orders take 6-8 weeks for delivery, so I proceeded to wait.  At round 6 weeks, I received a letter saying that due to high demand, they were behind on orders, but mine would ship soon and they gave me a coupon for $100 off my next order.  I wished they would have just applied it to my current order, but I thought, That's OK, maybe I'll come back and get another later on, perhaps during the next Black Friday sale.  So, I waited and waited and waited.  My message in February went unanswered until March when I received a message saying my order was due to ship in about a week!  Finally!

The 12th of March came and went and my order didn't ship.  I saw a face book post with a video (gritty and questionable in its recentness) depicting a sweet little old lady on a sewing machine stating that they were working hard to get orders out.  One comment underneath said something about it's been months, no one will answer my messages and my comments keep getting deleted, where's my robe?!  Yikes, another red flag.  They did in fact delete that comment.  I commented something similar and my comment also got deleted.  To be clear, I was not rude, just asking why no one was responding to customer service messages.  In April I received this answer: 

Ok, they were training more people.  I could wait...I guess.

Finally at the end of June, SEVEN MONTHS after I ordered, I asked for a refund.  

I was told that because of their "system change," they would not give me a refund and I would have to go through my bank.  A small business that is entirely at fault and then decides to hide behind some alleged "system" is not one that I or anyone should do business with.  They didn't say what it was that prevented them from giving me my money back after waiting for seven months, while continually promising that my order was on the way when it NEVER was, so that  I had to jump through extra hoops in order to get this refund, but I did inform them that because I used ShopPay it might not be so easy to do.  They didn't care.  I had never asked for a refund from ShopPay, but I didn't want to wait any longer.   

I reached out to ShopPay who directed me to Affirm and opened a dispute over the charge.  I provided proof of my claim to a refund by attaching screenshots of the original date of the order, and the email where I asked for a refund and was told to take this route.  After two weeks, Affirm found in my favor and issued me three payment refunds and the final payment was sent in a paper check to my home!  Canyon Group?  Rude.  Ridiculous.  Utterly Dishonest!  

On August 2nd, several weeks after I got my refund, I received an apology letter from CG, sent to all customers, saying they had had a warehouse fire and basically were lying about being able to ship orders when everything was in ashes.  

A fire?  That didn't explain all the months of delay prior to that, and besides, people would have been understanding, so why weren't they honest?  Well, maybe because this was just another lie.  The video included was again, gritty and vague.  If this was recent video, why wasn't the owner or manager talking and walking people through it to explain or apologize?  It was questionable at best.

While on my mini-break this year, I saw a couple of CG robes still hanging in that same shop window.  I went in to speak to the owner about her experience with the company and she told me that she had known the original owner back in the 90s and since he died, the company had zero integrity.  She also stated that she placed an order to restock her robes, that was 14 months ago, and she was still waiting.  I mentioned that they'd had a fire and she claimed that the fire had occurred years ago and that this was yet another lie.  At this point, I really don't know what to believe except that this company can't be trusted, and you're better off buying a vintage chenille throw, learning to sew, and making it into a robe yourself than waiting on Canyon Group to make good on their promises.

All the Little Things of Spring

Since I've already given you the run-down of what to expect from Worth Collective, I'll devote this post to talking about all the things I'm excited about this spring.  It doesn't seem like that long ago that I was doing my fall bulb planting of daffodils, hyacinth, and allum.  This is my second autumn to plant these flowers; the first year was a trial run to see if they would even grow here, and since it was successful, I plan to make it an annual thing.  

The flu has passed through our home and it was rough.  Seems like we always get sick in that home stretch right before spring.  We're still coughing a bit, but otherwise we're getting through it as we always do.  There's really nothing like a little time sick in bed to make me appreciate my good health and the good weather.

I've cleared out the garden and flower beds for the new growth and got my peas and turnips planted too.  I've also spent a couple of very exhausting Saturdays raking up all the fall leaves and strategically burning them in areas that need the stubborn and resilient undergrowth to be tamed.  I'm desperately trying to make this little hilltop home a verdant paradise, but oy, is it hard work.

I have been planning a little springtime tea party for a few family members and thanks to all those snow days, my house is decluttered.  So, I have spent the last few windy days doing a little decorating indoors.  I am so pleased with how things have turned out, I'm even more excited to have company.

Our baby chicks are thriving and soon we'll be building a new chicken house with an improved ranging area.  This one will be mobile so that my girls always get fresh scratching ground.  And it's nearly time to move all the indoor plants out to the greenhouse or onto the front porch so that they too can enjoy fresh air and a little more sunshine.

Spring is here and this year I have so many projects cooking, I cannot wait to get started.

Outfit Info:  The Catherine Dress in Cream Blue Floral from Worth Collective, Shoes from VIVAIA, Necklace is handmade by me

Worth Collective Dress Review

As part of my Low-Buy year, I am trying to shy away from shopping so much in general, but I have kept some room in my budget for the occasional purchase.  After hearing the buzz in one of my FB groups about Worth Collective, I decided to head over and see what they had to offer.  I found two pretty little dresses that I wanted to try and then found a 20% off promo code to sweeten the deal.  So, let's dive in to a few key features about Worth Collective.

1. Shipping.  My order shipped the following day and arrived within the week.  Already we were off to a good start.  Also, orders over $175 ship for free.  Pretty much buy two dresses and you'll get free shipping.  My order was minimally packed, so if you hate all the plastic bags and wrapping, you should know they put both dresses into a single bag.

2.  Sizing.  As far as size inclusivity goes, I tend to save that term for shops that offer XXS ~ 6X.  While Worth Collective offers XS to 3X on many styles, there are also plenty that only have Small through XL, so I can't exactly say they're size inclusive but I do appreciate that they're trying.  Believe it or not, many shops out there don't offer anything outside of Small ~ XL.  You won't really see them featured here on the blog, because they never carry my size.  Having said that, I ordered XS in both dresses and they actually fit extremely well, so I'm happy.

3.  Purpose Inclusivity.  This brand does something I really love, and that is that they recognize that you may want a beautiful dress for all the various roles you may play in your life.  From a woman of any age who loves to wear a pretty dress, to pregnancy/bump friendly styles, to the need for clothes that accomodate the way your body continues to change during nursing, motherhood, and beyond into the menopause years these dresses seem to be versatile in their design to allow for a changing body.  One way this is accomplished is through the liberal use of elastic throughout.  I cover this topic more in the video below.

4.  Quality.  So far, I have washed, ironed, and worn these dresses and they've held up beautifully.  The prints are lovely and the fabric on the Mary Elizabeth in particular is very nice.  I love that they have so many 100% cotton dresses (which are also 100% cotton lining!).  Synthetics are dead.  They're hot, itchy, and uncomfortable.  Natural fibers are where it's at.

5.  Price.  On my first order, I found a 20% off promo code through sites like Retail Me Not, and then as a thank you, I was emailed another promo code after my first order.  I'm not affiliated with this brand, so this is something that is potentially open to all, and definitely is what helped me make the decision to-buy or not-to-buy each time.  Dresses here range from $78 ~ $198, with most dresses falling at about $150 or less.  It does seem a little high to me, but with free shipping and a promo code, it feels about right.  I chose the Mary Elizabeth because it reminded me so much of the Selkie Day dress but at 1/2 the price and it has pockets!

In summary, I'm very, very happy with this shop.  Are there some things that could be improved?  Yes, but just a tiny bit.  Over all, I think they're doing a great job and I'm happy with the whole experience.  In fact, I decided to use my thank you promo code to get a couple more dresses, one of which you've seen in my Dark Cottage Core post, the other you'll see in my upcoming posts.  My video review is posted below.

Outfit Info:  Mary Elizabeth Midi Dress in Blue from Worth Collective, shoes are old from Charlotte Russe.