Silver Cat Tea Party: April 2016

Thursday, April 28, 2016

Outfit of the Day: Out and About

Like most of my Outfit of the Day posts this one is a hodge-podge of different outfits I've worn recently

Outfit of the Day (last last Sunday):

Last last weekend, Sunday was a very relaxing day for my husband and I. It feels like its been a while since we just got to relax and lounge around the house. Therefore we took full advantage of it when we had a free day on Sunday. While we weren't planning on leaving the house we did get hungry and decided to go to El Pollo Loco, a local fast food place, to pick up Mexican style tostada salads-- one of my favorites! I didn't bother with contacts or even putting on make up but since I had to change into day clothes I decided to throw on a dress I haven't worn for a while, my Trashy Diva L'amour in Red Waterlilies. I paired this with my red Ecco flats because they matched and luckily were right by the door. :) Now how's that for throw on and go? I love dresses for that reason!

Trashy Diva L'amour dress in Red Waterlilies- Front View

Trashy Diva L'amour dress in Red Waterlilies- Side View

Outfit of the Day (Saturday):

This past weekend on Saturday I went out for brunch with some friends from high school. It was supposed to be a group of six of us but turned out to only be the three of us. No bother; it was still great to get to see some old friends, one I've known since middle school who I haven't seen for years and years, and another from high school who I've been lucky to have been able to keep in touch with pretty frequently. We went out for vegan brunch which was actually a lot more tasty than I was anticipating though it did leave me hungry. For this day I decided to wear a dress I haven't worn for ages, the Floating on Flair dress by Knitted Dove which I got from Modcloth years ago. I paired this with a navy cropped cardigan by MAK also from Modcloth from several years ago and a pair of navy flats by Rocket Dog, also from years ago from Zappos. For a finishing touch I wore a pair of cream colored flower studs from Forever 21, also from a few years ago.

Knitted Dove Floating on Flair dress, Modcloth- Front View

Knitted Dove Floating on Flair dress, Modcloth- Side View

Knitted Dove Floating on Flair dress, Modcloth- Front View

Knitted Dove Floating on Flair dress, Modcloth- Side View

Knitted Dove Floating on Flair dress, Modcloth- Close Up

Outfit of the Day (Sunday):

On Sunday Tim and I didn't have any plans. We were up pretty early because the cats were making too much noise so we decided to get out of the house a bit and check out the mall and the outlet mall. I decided to wear my new Pinup Girl Clothing skirt, the Jenny skirt in Orange Branch Border print (you can see my recent review here). I thought since we were going to be out shopping it might be fun to wear this skirt and keep my eye out for more tops I can pair it with. I didn't have any luck looking that day but I don't mind it paired the way I did with a Trashy Diva Trixie top in Chambray. To balance out this look I wore this with a matching mustard colored cropped cardigan by MAK (which I got from Modcloth a while ago) and a matching pair of mustard colored peep toe flats from Target from several years ago. For a finishing touch I paired this with golden and white metal basket weave earrings (Modcloth, from a few years ago) and a white and yellow orchid hair flower (Ebay, from last year).

Pinup Girl Clothing Jenny skirt in Orange Branch Border print, Trashy Diva Trixie top in Chambray- Front View

Pinup Girl Clothing Jenny skirt in Orange Branch Border print, Trashy Diva Trixie top in Chambray- Side View

Pinup Girl Clothing Jenny skirt in Orange Branch Border print, Trashy Diva Trixie top in Chambray- Front View

Pinup Girl Clothing Jenny skirt in Orange Branch Border print, Trashy Diva Trixie top in Chambray- Side View

Golden and White metal basket weave earrings and white and yellow orchid hair flower- Close Up

Monday, April 25, 2016

Dress Review: Orange You Glad the Orange Branch Border Print is Back!

A little bit ago Pinup Girl Clothing decided to bring back some fan favorite prints that were previously out of stock

I was so happy to see that the Orange Branch Border print was one of the prints selected to return. A few weeks after this print was restocked I decided I'd better jump on it before it sold out again.

This print comes in both a skirt version and a dress version. Because the dress version has a solid white top (with the exception of orange straps), and I tend to shy away from wearing too much white, I decided the skirt would be the better option for me.

The Jenny skirt in Orange Branch Border is a full gathered skirt. Like Pinup Girl Clothing's other Jenny skirts this one is super abundant in fabric! And not only is there a lot of volume to the skirt, the fabric is also very thick and sturdy, helping to give it a great shape. In fact, this skirt has so much volume I find it really isn't even necessary to wear a petticoat with it to get a great shape. Also, like other Jenny skirts, this one has pockets and a back zip. Length wise, I found it perfect for my 5'3" frame though if you have a few more inches on you I'm sure you will still find the length sufficient for that classic 50's look. Because it is a border print and would be very hard to hem, I was really glad it wasn't super long like I found the original Jenny skirts in Harlequin print to run.

Now for sizing, I did run into a bit of an issue here. I read through every single review published on the PUG website for this particular skirt and could not really come to a clear consensus as to if I should get this skirt in my usual size or size up. Some ladies said it ran small and so to size up while some other ladies said it ran snug but was still okay in their usual size. Almost everyone though said to pay careful attention to the size chart. One the size chart it said the large would fit a 28-29" waist while an extra large would fit a 30-31" waist. From these measurements it looks like this skirt was definitely running a whole size smaller and so I opted for the xl for my 30-31" waist. I was so surprised and sad when the skirt arrived and was too big! Measuring it flat I measured it to be 16" and therefore 32" around, not accounting any give the fabric would have when stretched a bit. I emailed customer service to see if I might want to exchange this skirt for my usual size but they confirmed that the mediums were measuring 14" flat, 14.5" stretched as far as it would go and thus, would only accommodate a 29" waist. They did however, go on to say that the xl skirts were measuring 15" flat and so it seems to me I possibly got an oddly made skirt or that some of these skirts were just not very consistent in their sizing. Since I was lucky enough to grab the very last xl skirt it was not possible to exchange my xl skirt for another xl in hopes I would get one that was actually measuring at 15". Anyhow, I decided to keep the skirt that I got and make do. What I ended up having to do with this skirt (for an easy and temporary fix) is just safety pin it tighter at the waist by about an inch or two. Because of the gathers at the waist I didn't personally feel like it was too noticeable worn like that. I think to make a more permanent solution I will sew in a hook and eye at the waist to make that cinching more permanent and sturdy when worn.

And now, let's talk about that print! What I really love about this skirt is the gorgeous print! It reminds me of an old classic 1950's Florida theme and since Florida is my original home state I figured it would be a real shame to miss out on this print! Aside from feeling a special attachment to this skirt because of the Florida oranges theme as well as the Florida state colors prevalent on the skirt, I also love that it's a fruit theme that features oranges which is pretty unusual in my book. Themes and motifs aside, I also just really love the design of the print. I love that it's a border print which is oh so vintage looking, and that the oranges hang on vertical vines and get bigger as they go down the skirt ensuring a good balance on the skirt as the skirt flairs out on the bottom. Overall, it's a great skirt! Just be careful with the sizing!

Pinup Girl Clothing Jenny skirt in Orange Branch Border Print- Front View

Pinup Girl Clothing Jenny skirt in Orange Branch Border Print- Side View

Pinup Girl Clothing Jenny skirt in Orange Branch Border Print- Front View

Pinup Girl Clothing Jenny skirt in Orange Branch Border Print- Side View

Pinup Girl Clothing Jenny skirt in Orange Branch Border Print- Back View

Pinup Girl Clothing Jenny skirt in Orange Branch Border Print safety pinned tighter- Close Up

Pinup Girl Clothing Jenny skirt in Orange Branch Border Print safety pinned tighter- Close Up (Back View)

Pinup Girl Clothing Jenny skirt in Orange Branch Border Print- Close Up

Saturday, April 23, 2016

Outfit of the Day: Grandparents in Town

Last week my grandparents were visiting from Florida

We celebrated their arrival with a Korean BBQ dinner at my mom's house during the week and then that weekend took them for a day trip to Yosemite! It was great having them here for a visit and it was a great time getting to spend it with them outdoors in the perfect weather we were having that weekend.

Yosemite Falls, Yosemite National Park

Another waterfall in Yosemite National Park

The small people, building, and van gives some scale to show how huge this cliff is

Deer in the meadow, Yosemite National Park

Outfit of the Day (Wednesday):

The day my grandparents flew in from Florida my mom hosted a Korean BBQ dinner. For the first day seeing my grandparent I decided my silk Trashy Diva Betty dress in Cherries print would be the perfect dress for the occasion! I paired this with gingham wedges I had just received from Modcloth that day! (Available here on sale now!) I also paired this with a red cardigan to brighten up the outfit some more.

Trashy Diva Betty dress in Cherry print- Front View

Trashy Diva Betty dress in Cherry print- Side View

Trashy Diva Betty dress in Cherry print- Front View

Trashy Diva Betty dress in Cherry print- Side View

Trashy Diva Betty dress in Cherry print- Close Up

Outfit of the Day (Saturday):

On Saturday for our day trip to Yosemite I didn't really expect to get too much hiking in since we were all going to be there with my 80+ year old grandfather so I figured why not wear something super fun and springy? I decided my Trashy Diva circle skirt in Jade Watercolor would be perfect for the trip! I paired this with a green Tatyana sweater I just got on sale in Las Vegas during our last trip there. I also paired this with Sketcher Go Walk shoes for the bits that we would be walking and, to stay warm, a pair of brown sweater tights I got from Target earlier this wear. It was the perfect cool spring day outfit for Yosemite.

Trashy Diva Circle skirt in Jade Watercolor, Tatyana Pullover Sweater in Green- Front View

Sunday, April 17, 2016

Matching You Teaware to Your Dresses Part 26: Daisy Chain

It's Spring!

And what better way to celebrate Spring than with a refreshingly warm cup of herbal floral tea... perhaps something with rose hip, or lavender, or camomile in it? And in that vein, what better way to celebrate than with a floral perfect pairing to kick start this new blossoming season?

I found this Fred Roberts Daisy pattern teapot a few weeks ago on Etsy and could not resist adding it to my collection. How perfectly does this teapot evoke the feeling of Spring? With the all over molded flowers and touches of branches springing from the spout and the handle it's as though this teapot is blossoming as you look at it! The pops of white and yellow in the contrasting daisies only add to this blooming effect.

Fred Roberts Daisy pattern teapot

When I first saw this molded floral teapot I was amazed at how perfectly well it matches with Bernie Dexter's Paris dress in Daisy print, one of her newest dresses for the Spring season! Like the daisy teapot, this Bernie Dexter dress features an all over green background with pops of blooming white and yellow daisies all over. It's like this dress is blossoming as you look at it. This is Spring in a dress!

Bernie Dexter Paris Dress in Daisy Print, image source Bernie Dexter: http://berniedexter.com/collections/dresses/products/daisy-meadow-print-paris-dress

How wonderful it would be to have an outdoor garden tea party, or perhaps just a tea party for one, sipping tea from this teapot while relaxing amongst the blooming flowers in a dress which in itself invokes the glory of Spring?

Thursday, April 7, 2016

My Interview On Miss Milla Cherry

Hello Kittens!

I have some exciting news to share! I was featured in an interview on the blog Miss Milla Cherry! I'm so honored and excited to have been asked to be part of the lovely Camilla from Miss Milla Cherry's blog! You can check out the interview here as well as check out other content on her lovely blog! <3

Thank you Camilla for having me on your blog! :D

Monday, April 4, 2016

Outfit of the Day: Two Weekday Dinner Dates

Last weekend Tim and I went snowboarding with some friends

Because I stayed home all day the day after on Sunday nursing sore muscles and aching bones I have no Outfit of the Day pics from this previous weekend. But I do have two after work weekday outfits to catch up on...

Outfit of the Day (Friday):

A couple weeks ago on a Friday I met up with a friend for dinner. For the event I chose to wear my new to me Trashy Diva Pontchartrain skirt! I paired this with a Trashy Diva Chambray Trixie top which I got a few month ago from Trashy Diva and a turquoisey light blue sweater I got from Target several years ago. For a finishing touch I wore this with a matching turquoise plaid belt which I was able to pick up from Trashy Diva and a pair of B.A.I.T. Ione pink heels I got a couple years ago on Amazon.

Trashy Diva separates, Ponchatrain skirt and Chambray Trixie top- Front View

Trashy Diva separates, Ponchatrain skirt and Chambray Trixie top- Side View

Trashy Diva separates, Ponchatrain skirt and Chambray Trixie top- Front View

Trashy Diva separates, Ponchatrain skirt and Chambray Trixie top- Side View

Outfit of the Day (Thursday):

The next week on a Thursday Tim and I met up with some friends for dinner. We decided to go out for Korean so I thought my Trashy Diva Annette in Chinese Opera would be a fun print to wear. I paired this with a purple cardigan and a pair of black Mia flats both from Nordstrom Rack from several years ago.