Thursday, August 28, 2025

Fall-ing in Love with Dolly & Dotty

Just because it starts as a work relationship doesn't mean it can't blossom into true love.  Sometimes a collaboration turns into a lasting love affair and such has been the case with Dolly and Dotty.  I worked with this up-and-coming brand many times in 2024 and I absolutely adored all the beautiful dresses they sent me.  (If you'd like to see those posts click here.) I still go back and browse every now and then to see what new beautiful prints and styles they've come up with lately.  When I saw this Sleepy Cat print on my favorite of all styles, a shirt dress!, I knew I had to have it for my autumn wardrobe.  This style is called the Mabel and I'm currently eyeing it in a couple of other prints as well.  My birthday has just come and gone, and I've been asked by a few lovely people in my life what I would like.  Hmmm...let me think.  Pretty dresses from Dolly and Dotty, of course!

Monday, April 29, 2024

Hot Air Ballooning with Dolly & Dotty

Pastels in Springtime?  Why yes, please.  Whimsical hot air balloon print instead of florals?  Don't mind if I do!  Dolly & Dotty is rapidly becoming my favorite shop for these novelty prints and vintage styles.
I've been rather pampered by brands like Dolly & Dotty because everytime I go into a shop now and see nothing but aisles and aisles of florals and geometrics, I get so bored.  Don't get me wrong, I love florals and geometrics, but it is nice to have other options.
When it comes to clothing or anything else that's important, life is just to short for boring or run-of-the-mill. I think we all need a little bit of whimsy and novelty in our wardrobes and everywhere else in between.  I guess that's just what makes brands like this so special; they offer things that aren't run-of-the-mill.
I loved this Hot Air Balloon print the minute I saw it in the Darlene dress and what's even better is that it also comes in the Amanda style (another favorite) and a matching tote bag as well.  Is this company awesome or what?!
Fortunately, did already the perfect little flats, which have gotten lots of wear this spring, and have a little novelty bag that matched this dress to a T.  I always love it when I can use the things I have loved and collected for years to create new looks.

This is most definitely a brand that I hope to be partners with for a very long time as I adore everything they make!  If you haven't tried Dolly & Dotty yet, you simply must!  Just click the link below and let the vintage love affair begin!
Outfit Info:  Darlene Hot Air Balloon Swing Dress-£50 from Dolly & Dotty,  Wonder Molly Balloon Bag is old, flats are old from SheIn



Wednesday, August 28, 2024

Citrus Summer with Dolly & Dotty

Following on the heels of Monday's post, here is another Dolly & Dotty dress that has some seasonal versatility.  I fell in love with this Lily Sicilian Orange Stripe Swing dress right away.  I love citrus prints and while citrus is something traditionally seen only in summer, these gorgeous orange hues felt like a perfect spin on the traditional pumpkin spice palette for autumn.
I'm all about pumpkin spice colors, and I'm not ashamed to admit it, but every now and then, it's nice to mix things up a little and with so many shades or orange, yellow, and even a few greens, how perfect is this print going to look while strolling under the fall leaves?!  That's a rhetorical question, of course, it's going to be totally perfect.
This dress checks so many great style boxes.  That swooping neckline, full pleated skirt, fitted waist, and, of course, pockets are all must haves for my vintage tastes.   The fabric has some stretch for comfort and breathe-ability.

Dolly and Dotty have very quickly become one of my favorite shops for vintage styles.  Everything has just been so gorgeous, I love it all and I am so glad I can share it with you.  Check the blog on Friday for another great Dolly & Dotty style.
Outfit Info:  Lily Sicilian Orange Stripe Swing Dress-£50 from DollyandDotty.co.uk, Shoes are Bettie Page

Wednesday, April 24, 2024

Retro Cherries with Dolly & Dotty

Oh my, oh my, this cherry dress from Dolly & Dotty is just what the springtime ordered!  With a fitted waist, flowy skirt and flutter sleeves, not to mention this darling cherry print, this Donna dress truly is the perfect little gem for all the things and places we've been going this season.
Yes, indeed, every single year I look forward to the warmer weather so I can just spend my free moments lounging outside and soaking it all in, and every single year I forget that warmer days mean a full docket of things to attend like plays, weddings, graduations, baby showers and all the like.
A dress like this has been really perfect for everything and believe me when I say, that we have been doing all the things.  And, frankly I am more than happy to go and celebrate momentous occasions with family and friends, these are the things that make life so enjoyable after all, but I do miss all the downtime we get in the colder seasons.  Would it be totally terrible if I admitted that I have finally found something to love about winter?
This is my first time trying the Donna Style from Dolly & Dotty, but I can tell you it is  probably my favorite style so far.  I know lots of women struggle with comfortable sleeves and this dress has not only comfort but a flattering style.  It also has a fitted waist with ruching for tummy camouflaging and a perfect-for-twirling-full skirt that creates a most flattering silhouette.
This is what I would call an "easy dress," because it just slips on and looks amazing with so little effort on my part.  And when you have every weekend and most week nights fully booked for a weeks on end, it's necessary to have pieces like this that you can grab and go while still looking your best.
Outfit Info:  Donna Retro Cherry Crossover Bust Dress-£45 from Dolly & Dotty, bag and Qupid Heels are old, 

Friday, August 30, 2024

Eye of Newt & Tooth of Hound

I didn't start out this collaboration intending to have a theme for the week, but here we are and I am seeing the pattern.  All of my Dolly & Dotty dresses from this collaboration are things I chose because they are perfect for summer and the seasons ahead.  Maximum wearability is what I am all about.  
Houndstooth is an all-year-round kind of print, but this black and white dress in particular makes me think of fall and winter.  For autumn, I'll wear orange and rust colors with it, and for winter I'll switch to reds and greens.  It's the perfect base!
Maybe I'm jumping the gun a little, but it's the last day of August and that means that Autumn and Halloween are on the horizon.  And, while I do have a few holiday specific pieces, what I really love to do is bring out all my fall colors in September and wear them all season long.  And, that includes things that don't just fall into the orange/red/yellow palette, such as this Lily Houndstooth print dress from Dolly & Dotty.
You may not be in a fall frame of mind just yet, (I always look forward to the autum colors, but personally, I won't mind if the summer weather lingers for a few more weeks) which is why pieces like this are so great, they make that seasonal transition right along with you, whenever you're ready.  
I added a black petticoat underneath for a little more fullness to the skirt, but again, with this color palette, you could add any petticoat to match your 'fit and have it coordinate beautifully.  You really can't go wrong anytime of year with a Dolly & Dotty Dress.

Wednesday, August 7, 2024

Saving Summer with Dolly & Dotty

While I've had a special side project going for basically the entire summer, it's been really nice to have collaborations with Dolly & Dotty to give me an excuse to blog.  I very foolishly thought that I would only need a few weeks to get this project done, but instead it has stretched into months and it has consumed every single free day that I've had.  I don't regret taking this on, but I do feel a bit like I've missed out on summer, and I've definitely missed blogging.
Summer is for sipping lemonade on the veranda while wearing floral prints and light dresses.  White is wonderful for keeping cool, but I've always preferred ivory.  Add an adorable cat print and a gorgeous style and how could I resist this Amanda dress from Dolly & Dotty.  It's the perfect summer style.
You know I love a nice full skirt that hits just below the knee and a suggestive neckline with thicker straps, so it only stands to reason that the Amanda style has become a Dolly & Dotty fave.  DD has so many great prints, I am incredibly grateful for this collaboration partnership; it's been wonderful!
Well, I may have lost a month or two to this project, but there's still a little more left to go and I fully intend to make the most of it, so I'd best get to it.  In fact, I just made a peach cobbler and have whipped up a batch of homemade lemonade for sipping in this shade today.

Friday, April 26, 2024

Apple Pie of My Eye

Alright, perhaps a bit of a reach on the title there, but I have been baking lots of pies lately and so this Palma Dress in Apple Pie Print from Dolly & Dotty seemed like the perfect dress for today as I will most assuredly be baking a pie.  I find that it is easier to bake a pie in advance and then reheat throughout the busy week or very busy weekend.
In my opinion there are two kinds of dessert lovers: Cake People and Pie People.  It's all a matter of taste, of course, and no such thing as a right answer, but this girl loves pie.  Personally, I've always said that if I'm going to indulge in dessert, it better be worth it and by worth it, I mean rich and decadent.  And cake is just a bunch of fluff.

Pie on the other hand is buttery, flakey, gooey, salty, sweet; it's the whole package and a top pick when I do have dessert.  But, truth be told, I haven't been making sweet pies of late, rather I have been experiementing with savory pies and Oh Boy, I may be in trouble!  
Lately, I have been playing with an old Martha Stewart recipe for Cheese & Potato "pie," I use quotations there because the recipe calls for a puff pastry to envelope the filling and so it's more like a hot pocket than an actual pie.  Well, I decided to change that.  I've had this recipe in my arsenal since 2005 or so, I have made it numerous times, and it only keeps getting better.
I'll link the recipe at the bottom so you can experience this culinary delight for yourself, but basically I use an old fashioned pie crust recipe with butter, not lard and then to the filling instead of just Gruyere and leeks, I use Gruyere, green onions, potatoes, and sauteed mushrooms.  I serve it with roasted chicken and roasted asparagus spears and my, my, it is certainly a treat coming home in the evening from a hard day when there is a dinner like that waiting for me. (Even though I had to make it myself and then reheat it when I got home :D )
Thanks to this Palma Pie dress, I am feeling rather inspired to whip up an apple pie to go along with my now perfect cheese & potato pie recipe.  You can never have too much of a good thing, not when it comes to pie and certainly not when it comes to Dolly & Dotty dresses.
from Dolly & Dotty, Shoes by Honiara Vintage/Charlie Stone, Bag is old



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