Summer Sewing Project

Since summer is waning, I thought I had better post this sewing project from May before it was totally seasonally inappropriate.  I was seriously yearning for the Ivy City Co. Sweet Rosie dress that I missed out on, so I went on a search for some similar fabric so I could make my own.

I found this nearly identical print on Etsy, decided to use Vogue Misses 1957 sz 6-14 sewing pattern #v8789 and set to work in such a flurry that I forgot to line the pattern for the bodice up properly and didn't realize my critical error until the dress was all done.  Yes, because of this darling print and my foolish haste, the bodice print was badly misaligned on the front.  Very badly.

In the normal scheme of things I would have gone back, cut out another bodice, and started over, but I was out of fabric and buying more would have meant spending as much as the original dress cost.  After much deliberation, I decided to create a little ruffle from the remaining scraps of fabric that I had and attach it down the center to distract the eye from the misalignment.

It worked surprisingly well and as much as I was kicking myself for making such an amateur mistake, I felt pretty proud of myself for problem-solving it like a pro.  After all these years, my self-taught sewing skills still are very much lacking, but I have made some progress and that ain't nothin'. 

As luck would have it, a Sweet Rosie popped up on a resale site for a song, less than I paid for the fabric even, so I went ahead and bought it.  However, I will be keeping and wearing this dress once spring rolls around again because ultimately, as much as I was thirsting for the Rosie, this dress is actually more flattering on my shape and I think I like the bigger print a little more than the tiny Rosie print.

I held off on posting these for so long because the photos did not turn out well.  (I guess my photography skills could use a little work too) The sun was so impossibly bright that after loads of editing, the colors still look odd.  I hoped to get out at a later time and take them again, but I never managed to work it in.  I decided that much like the dress itself, I'm just full of flaws and sometimes it's OK to just accept them, share them, and move on.

Positively Pink

No, acutally, in case you're wondering, it is not autumn already.  Technically we still have a few weeks to go until the official start of fall, but I have already put away all my summer things and gotten out my fall wardrobe (Youtube video on this topic will be on today at 10 a.m. central time.  Click here to watch.)  so I can really being wearing it and make the most of it.

Pink is rarely considered a fall color, but in this particular dress, I think we'll have to make an exception.  It's just the perfect shade of dusty pink to make it perfect for autumn.  This is also my one and only corset purchase from Selkie and while I do love the way that it changes the overall silhouette of this dress, I don't think I'll invest in any more.

I am so thrilled to have switched over my wardrobe.  Thankfully there are plenty of both lightweight and warmer fabrics so that I can survive the lingering summer temps while still wearing fall colors.  I've never been so exicted to "shop" my own clothes as I have during this capsule experiment.  Hopefully this means that my spending habits are finally turning a major corner.  

I think I'm finally coming to terms with the fact that I will always love buying clothes, so lifelong abstinence is a fool's errand.  But, moderation, that is something I can definitely achieve and I am determined to keep working at it. 

Outfit Info:  Dress and corset are from Selkie, Shoes are old from ModCloth by Qupid

Capsule Progress

Ok, I know it was a little early to start breaking out the pumpkins and the fall prints, but I couldn't resist in my last post.  The fact is, it's still very much summer here and I really don't mind.  Just to prove it, I thought we'd come back around to this pretty pink cupcake dress from Ivy City Co.

There won't be much more pink in my blog posts for a few months, because I really did go ahead and change out my wardrobe for autumn.  I've been doing a little experiment with wearing a capsule wardrobe for the past 4 months, and I promised myself I would change everything over in September, and here we are already.

There were times when I was truly tempted to go and get things out of storage in order to have something "new" to wear, but I persisted in only wearing the things in my capsule.  Those moments of weakness aside, I really loved wearing and re-wearing my clothes.  

Not only did it feel good to know that these items were living up to their purpose, but it was also just less stressful to know that I had few options.  I basically wore the same outfits to work on an every other week rotation and it took a lot of the stress out of my morning routine.  I'm excited to continue this little project into the fall and I'll keep you posted on my progress.

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.

Outfit Info:  Lily Houndstooth Sleeved Full Circle Dress in Black/White-£50 

from Dolly & Dotty

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

Strawberry Versatility with Dolly & Dotty

When it comes to wardrobe versatility, I find that a strawberry print is something that works just as well for winter as it does for summer.  Sure, summer is the strawberry season, but consider the colors one finds in a strawberry dress and you'll see why I love strawberry prints like this Grace Pleated Bust Dress from Dolly & Dotty even, or should I say especially, in winter.

First of all, the traditional colors of the Christmas and in fact the entire winter season are red and green in much of the world due to the evergreens like holly, pine, cedar, and mistletoe, and of course the Cardinals do not migrate during the winter and so provide a delightful contrast against the snow. 

Red has been shown to boost the mood during the winter as well and has long been a part of decorations and clothing in countries where winters are bitterest.  Going back to strawberry prints, the reds of the berries and greens of the leaves combined with any background hue make for such a cheerful look in those long cold months.  

I love the contrast of the black background of this Grace dress because it really makes the print pop.  Throw some polka dots into the mix and the contrast of this warm red pleated bust line and I am in absolute vintage heaven.  This dress is so dreamy.  It's perfect for a summer picnic, suggestive of Christmas with these colors,  and wouldn't it make the perfect Valentines's date night dress as well?!  And all it takes to convert it to winter readiness is to add a cardigan and some wool tights underneath. 

I'm loving every minute of summer while it lasts and wearing this Grace dress as much as possible, but this pretty dress is definitely making a comeback for winter.

Outfit Info:  Grace Black Strawberry Pleasted Bust Dress from Dolly & Dotty, Bag is old from Collectif, heels are old.

Another Happy Return

My birthday has come around again as birthdays do.  I'm officially another year older and much, much grayer, but other than that, still plugging along as always. I thought I'd pause a moment to share some lessons learned along the way to 43.  Yes, it's true I am beginning to have to hold the small print a little further from my face to read it, but I also spent many long summer days wielding a pick-axe to hew out a retaining wall for our basement, which is something I could never have done at 23.  So, I am older, yes, but also stronger.

For part one of that statement I will say that as I look back over the years of my life, I find the secret to most of my so-called successes to be the same for each case: Just keep showing up and giving it all you've got.  Truth be told, I'm really not very good at many things.  In fact, I can't really think of anything that I'm better than average at, but I keep at something until I see results.  I keep showing up, keep grinding at it, until something changes.  And it seems to me after all my years on Earth, that really, this is the secret to most people's success in work, relationships, hobbies, interests and all the like.

For part two, I feel I must iterate that life really is all about what you give not what you get and the most fulfilling life is not the kind where you got everything you ever wanted but the kind where you gave everything you possibly could.  Show up every single day asking not what you can get out of life but what you can give.  Every single day, I give everything I have, even if I don't have much, I still give it all.  That's the only way to make this life count.  That's the only thing that will make me ready to go when my life is over is to show up every day, run the race, fight the good fight, give it all, and do it every day and every moment there is breath in my lungs.  Because it's all a gift, every breath, every moment on loan to us.

I am grateful for my time here on Earth, the good and the bad.  I can honestly say that I have learned more and grown more as a person from hardship than from prosperity, but I'm definitely not an expert at how to live the best life, so I won't continue pontificating.  Instead, I'll just leave this post with the rest of these beautiful pictures in this beautiful dress.

Decluttering Lessons

It's been a little over a year ago that I started to take a very hard look at my life to begin to separate the fantasy from the aspirations and the plain old reality.  It involved a lot of soul searching, a couple of conversations with my spouse over the direction our lives were heading vs. where we wanted them to go, and then months of home renovations and delcuttering.  It has been an overwhelmingly positive experience and I have learned a few things along the way that I wanted to share, and I thought this Lavish Alice dress which I first featured in 2015 (that post here), but which remains a fave, was the perfect pick for today's topic.

1.  Delcuttering Is a Continual Process.  Unfortunately clutter finds its way into our homes and lives and getting rid of it is never a one and done thing, not just because new things come along and old things break, but also because our lives change and things that used to suit our schedule, tastes, decor, etc. don't always stay suitable.  I went through all my clothes and decluttered.  Then waited awhile and went back through and decluttered again.  Then a third time, and each time, I was able to whittle down more and more to a core collection of very beloved and/or useful things.  I wasn't ready the first time to get rid of some things.  Either because I was still using them or just not ready to let go, but eventually, I came around.  In fact, just last week I went through everything once again and still found two or three pieces that although I like them, either don't fit well, or have been worn out to the point they need to be thrown away.  Decluttering has become part of my deep cleaning routine and things are staying much tidier because of this.

2.  Start Simply and Slowly.  I have seen a number of videos about a No-Buy Year, and I think they're a great idea, but if you're a shopping addict, emotional/theraputic shopper, etc, starting with something as extreme as a No-Buy Year is a great way to set yourself up for failure.  For the record I think a No-Buy is a great tool for analyzing spending and changing habits, but it's a top tier habit, not a beginner thing.  In the same way that babies start out by taking a wobbly step or two adn then one day, way down the line, maybe run a marathon. The No-Buy is a the marathon, it takes some training to get to that level.  First, it's all baby steps.  Scale back, start slowly and simply with small things that are achieveable so you can be successful and then build on that foundation.  I started by just journaling every single day if I spent money or shopped, on what, and how I was feeling that day.  In this way, I really identified my patterns so that I could begin to create a strategy for success.  The next step was to schedule other activities on days I knew were likely to trigger a shopping spree that would help me cope with my stress in a positive way.

3.  Nothing Forbidden.  In the same vein as a No-Buy year, for some of us, when something is forbidden, we become obsessed with it.   This has been identified as a major reason why so many diets fail.  Tell people who eat a normal amount of carbs that they're suddenly forbidden and they're likely to obsess and binge to a degree they never did before.  However, if you tell them to focus on eating nutrient dense foods instead of cutting anything out, many people will be more successful because they know they can have their favorites if they want them.  The same goes for shopping.  As much as I would like to stick to a No-Buy, I'm just not strong enough in that area yet.  I'll get there, but I need a little more time building good habits and a strong foundation first.

4.  You Make the Rules.  As much as I have apprecited watching Youtubers' journey with decluttering, this really is a very personal thing and there is no one-size-fits-all approach.  I think there are plenty of people out there who tried delcuttering in the Kon-Marie method and later regretted getting rid of things they actually really wanted around.  While it can't hurt to try it someone else's way, the fact is you have to do what works for you not Marie Kondo or Margareta Magnusson.  Glean what you can from the experiences of others and then find your own path.  There are no police for this; you make the rules, so make them to suit your life and tastes.  Personally, I realized that I have no interest in being a minimalist; it's just not me, and that's perfectly OK.

I've mentioned already that I have tried to make 2024 a Low Buy year and decluttering regularly has been a part of that.  Have I done perfectly?  Nope.  However, as I continue this process, I am feeling stronger, more at peace, and more content and that is what keeps me going.  When I slip up, I don't quit; I keep right on going because the only way I can actually fail this is if I give up.

Outfit Info:  Lavish Alice Grommet Dress was thrifted back in 2015.  Heels were thrifted from ThredUp several years ago too.