A Tale of Four Strawberries

Well, it's been one berry-licious week and since we're on a strawberry roll, I thought we'd properly bookend the week with another strawberry option.  As I mentioned yesterday it's very much a part of the fashion business that once designers roll out their latest designs, others rush to create similar looks usually at lower prices.  Some are stunning and affordable, some are just cheap knock-offs.  We've covered the knock-offs already, so let's talk about a stunning and affordable similar strawberry style.

I really admire Unique Vintage for seeing a trend and not making a copy.  Instead they came up with their own version and kept it in a vintage style.  In addition to this skirt they also carried a strawberry dress in the midori style, which I actually saw at the same time as the strawberry sweater.  Two strawberry styles in the same day--that's how I knew something was up in the fashion world.

The Midori dress was so gorgeous and I could totally have envisioned it being worn in the 1950s and 60s.  Unfortunately I just missed out on it.  I finally decided to buy it, had it in my cart, got called away for an hour or so and when I got back it was gone and totally out of stock.  Bummer.  But the skirt was still available and I knew I could style it in some fun ways.

I really felt more at ease buying from Unique Vintage because I have never had a problem with the quality of their clothes, so I felt confident that this skirt was going to be lovely, well made, and fit well and I was not disappointed in any of those areas.

While I decided not to do a side by side comparison, you can probably tell from the photos that this skirt is actually a different shade of pink from both the Matoshi dress and the Aliexpress dress.  It's more of an orange-pink and quite a vibrant color and rather pretty for the warmth of its shade.

I couldn't make up my mind today, so I decided to show you both styles I had in mind.  Obviously pink and red were on my mind.  I tried a white top, but it just didn't look quite right.  I'll have to keep experimenting with other colors.

Well, that's a wrap on Strawberry week and I think I have enough strawberry clothes to last me a while though I do love them all and I will definitely be posting more outfit pics of each soon.......or at least in the springtime when the flowers bloom.  I don't what it's like where you live, but I'm calling it quits on outdoor outfit photos for a while.  It's just too cold out there.

Shopping Info:  Ye Mak cardigan from Amazon, Strawberry skirt from unique Vintage, Red and Pink tops from Shein, Flats from ThredUp

Blue Mountains, Purple Fields

Everywhere I look I see purple flowers blooming.  Johnny Jump-ups, wild violets, and nettles covering every yard, field and forest floor.

 You might recognize this field.  I come here every spring to snap a few photos.  Normally I don't make it here until much later in the season when the nettles are hidden under a layer of golden flowers.

But, it's been so warm out lately that I've made a point of driving by here just to see if the yellow flowers are blooming yet.  I'm glad they're taking their time so I could capture this amethyst field instead.  

I love this spot nestled against the blue mountainside with the the old gray barn on stilts standing guard.

And the breeze was especially playful making it nearly impossible to catch a moment with my sailor collar and hair all in place at once.

 While I've been home, I've been using my free time to do a little sewing.  Normally by springtime I've put away my sewing until winter comes around again.  But, since we're all staying close to home for the foreseeable future, I've been keeping busy with a few simple sewing projects to keep me feeling productive.

I thought this purple mermaid print on white cotton would be perfect for this scene and it did not disappoint.  I know I will wear this skirt a lot this spring and summer and I am definitely looking forward to the warmer days ahead and more time spent in the sunshine, even if it is in my own backyard.  

 Shopping Info: Dear Stella Fabric from Fabric.com, Top from SHEIN, Headband from Claire's

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

A Good Eye For Cacti: ootd

Art Print, Watch, Coaster Set available on etsy.com

     For the last few months it seems that everywhere I look cactus prints keep popping up.  I've never been a fan of cactus anything, probably because I once loved those adorable mini cactus arrangements, begged my mom to buy me one, within five minutes of bringing it home I was bleeding and one year and a thousand drops of blood later, I let it die of neglect.  But, maybe it's not just that this plant has hurt me so many times, maybe I just saw this style over used in every retro kitschy home I've ever been in and burned out on it.    

Regardless of its origin, I'm not a fashion fan of our friend (or mortal enemy) the cactus.  Buuuuuut, as with so many things, if I see it enough times I get curious enough to try it.  So, when I was picking out my Mermaid Top from a few posts ago, I noticed a cactus top.  I was pleased enough with the fit of the blouse that I went back and decided to give this print a try.  OK, I gotta say, it's pretty cute with a yellow sweater or jacket, and for only $11 I'm glad I tried it.

    No review for this top; it's the same fit, fabric and price as the mermaid top, just a different print.  If you'd like to read that review, click here.  In the mean time, here are some other cactus things I dig:

Miss Patina Dress L, ModCloth Dress Center, Urban Outfitters Tee R

Shop the Look:

Cactus Top

Skirt From Thred Up  (<--Use this link to save $20 off your first order)

Charter School Cardi in Honey from ModCloth