3 Dresses For My 33rd B-day!

Not one, not two, but three dresses for my thirty-third b-day!

I do like to treat myself on my birthday. ;)

I know a lot of people who dislike birthdays and really hate the thought of getting another year older. I, myself, LOVE birthdays! A couple of years ago I started my own personal tradition of buying myself a birthday present. I find that taking part in some grand indulgence(s) makes birthdays all the more fun!

Because this year was a twin double digit year (3 and 3) I decided to follow suit with three dresses to make it a triple three!

With larger price tag purchases I find myself  usually being more prudent in deciding to buy a dress or not. I will take my time eying the dress and deciding if it's really a dress I want to lay down lots of money for. Therefore, I usually buy older season's dresses when they come from companies like Trashy Diva, Tatyana (formally Bettie Page Clothing), and Stop Staring (unless I find a super awesome sale, or I fall completely in love with a dress at first sight).

Also, just as a side note, I have the absolute worst timing with Trashy Diva. Last year, when I finally decided to take the plunge on their Annette French Quarter print dress, the day after I bought the dress they ended up having a 20% off sale! Ugh! Then, this year, when I finally decided to buy their Apple Pie Gingham dress (armed with a coupon code this time), the day after making my purchase they announced on Facebook that every order that day was going to come with a free goodie bag of fun things. Missed it by one day again! Also, as luck would have it, the two Trashy Diva dresses I bought this year both ended up going into their sale section and got an extra 50% off their sale price (the sale is still currently going on so check it out here if you haven't already!). I was not fortunate enough to get this great price on the two dresses though. But then again, I am just happy that I got these two dresses that where long on my wishlist in my correct size! ...once these two dresses went into Trashy Diva's sale section, my size had already been sold out.

And without further ado, here are my three birthday dress reviews!



Trashy Diva's Apple Pie Gingham Dress:

My first dress up for review is the Trashy Diva Apple Pie Gingham dress. I purchased this dress from Cats Like Us. I initially purchased it from Trashy Diva in a size 12 after seeing their size 8 and 10 were sold out. I had a coupon code for 15%. Usually I would have waited for a larger discount but the other two sizes selling out made me nervous so I decided if I wanted it, I'd better get it now. It is an older style dress so I knew once this is gone there is little to no chance this one will be restocked. I was dismayed when I saw that the size 12 was way too big! It was way too big in the bust and way too big in the waist.... I thought about how I could alter it and tuck in the sides and maybe even the bust darts myself to get a better fit but thought it still would not look right. I had two other options: 1- return this dress and get a smaller size from Cats Like Us. If I did this I would lose out on the shipping cost to me and shipping cost back to them and I would have to pay full price for the dress rather than have the 15% discount from TD... My other option was 2- send this dress in for professional alterations... because this dress is fully lined in the bust I figured it would be a good $35+ for the alterations and even then it might not look right. Also I figured the alterations cost would probably be about the same price, if not possibly more, as returning the larger size to TD and getting the smaller size from Cats Like Us... besides, I do like to purchase from the cats at CLU so I decided on option 1... I would have initially ordered the dress from CLU but I was thinking the size 10 would be too small. Too bad I didn't go that route to begin with.

Because of Cats Like Us' free shipping and their slightly smaller price tag for this dress, I ended up paying the same amount for this dress through them as I paid through TD with the 15% discount, though I was still out all the shipping I paid for the purchase and return from Trashy Diva. Anyway, to my complete surprise, I got the size 10 in and what do you know... slightly too small! I am still so surprised how a size 12 could be sooooo completely too big yet a tiny bit down to a size 10 could be too tight! It's a good thing I did end up purchasing the too big size from TD first because the too big was way too big and the too small was only slightly too tight though still wearable. If I would have first purchased the slightly too small one from CLU I would have sent it back thinking the size 12 would fit better and getting completely frustrated with all these dresses being shipped all over the place when I would have later found the size 12 to be way too big and the 10 being a better fit.

The moral of this story... Trashy Diva needs to open a store closer to me so I can go into the store and try things on before buying ;)

The Trashy Diva Apple Pie gingham dress is very similar to their new Apple Tart dress though with gingham instead of seersucker. Also, there is the obvious difference that rather than being gingham print throughout the body of the dress, as the seersucker is for the Apple Tart dress, the Apple Pie dress is a black dress with contrasting black and white gingham at the bust and on the pockets of the dress. Like the Apple Tart dress, this dress features a sweetheart neckline with a ruffled bust which I feel is the signature element to these two dresses. This dress is fitted at the waist and though the skirt of the dress is said to be a-line, it feels very full and has a good amount to body and flare even without a crinoline underneath. This dress is made with a light weight cotton.

Trashy Diva Apple Pie Gingham Dress- Front View

Trashy Diva Apple Pie Gingham Dress- Front View

Trashy Diva Apple Pie Gingham Dress- Side View

Trashy Diva Apple Pie Gingham Dress- Back View

Trashy Diva Apple Pie Gingham Dress- Close Up

Trashy Diva's Alison Dress in Hawaiian Charm:

The Trashy Diva Alison Dress in Hawaiian Charm is the second dress I got for my 33rd birthday. Like the Trashy Diva Apple Pie dress, this dress is one I've been eying for quite some time. What really drew me to this dress is the fabulous colors! I love the beautiful blue color with the darker maroon and green which is contrasted by the hints of yellow and lit up by the white! Also, I love the tropical flowers on this dress. This dress is made of a light weight rayon. It has a cross-over v-neckline in both the front and back, gathered shoulders, giving the shoulders and underbust identical ruching, a fitted top-stiched waist, and a nicely full and flared skirt. I read on reviews that this dress fit tight around the ribs so I picked out a size 12. The size 12 was very tight! Usually a 12 in Trashy Diva will fit slightly loose on me but this was a tight 12. This is another dress that went into the sale section at Trashy Diva but was already out of my size. Blue Velvet Vintage, which was my backup plan, also sold out. I was so glad to find this dress at Retro Glam and even got lucky to see they had a coupon code on their Facebook page out that day for 20% off! Even though it was shipping from Canada I found that shipping was not bad and their customer service was exceptional!

Also, for those Trashy Diva lovers out there... I noticed that the Alison dress and the Ashley dress are very similar at first glance... (the Ashley in Crepe Myrtle is another TD I've been eying) so I asked the ladies at TD what the main differences were between the two. Here is what they said:

The Alison has a taller fitted waist section and there's a crossover front and back, where the Ashley just has a crossover front. The sleeves on the Ashley are also slightly longer/puffier. Additionally, the Alison Dress is a little more forgiving in terms of fit. It's a more modern, 50's fit, and the Ashley is more of a 40's style. Hope that helps!

Trashy Diva Alison Dress In Hawaiian Charm- Front View

Trashy Diva Alison Dress In Hawaiian Charm- Front View

Trashy Diva Alison Dress In Hawaiian Charm- Side View

Trashy Diva Alison Dress In Hawaiian Charm- Back View

My favorite part.... These Chelsea Crew Shoes are perfect with this dress... completely unplanned too!

Trashy Diva Alison Dress In Hawaiian Charm With Chelsea Crew Madison Pumps In Red

Tatyana's Alika Circle Dress in Green:

The Alika dress by Tatyana (formally Bettie Page Clothing) is the third dress I got for my 33rd birthday! I've been swooning over this dress since it first came out years ago. At first I had my eye set on the red version but after I got the red version I started thinking maybe I would like the green better. Both are beautiful. I do find though that the red version just has more of a formal feeling to it. Somehow it just feels more dressed up, while the green one I feel has more of a option to wear it dressed up or dressed down. This dress is made of a nice stretch bengaline. The silhouette of this dress is a perfect fit and flair shape with sleeves. What makes this dress really stand out is the bold solid colors, in this case green, with a lattice style thick netting at the top which adorns both the neckline and the sleeves. The fitted waist has a bow and the full circle skirt ensures itself to be twirl ready! The fullness of the material makes it look great as is even without a crinoline. The material furthermore, has a good amount of stretch to it giving it a very comfortable feel and a great fit! This dress may be last on the list but it's definitely by no means a last pick! ;) I got really lucky with this dress and snagged it at a great price from Pinup Darling during a sale!

Tatyana Alika Dress In Green- Front View

Tatyana Alika Dress In Green- Front View

Tatyana Alika Dress In Green- Side View

Tatyana Alika Dress In Green- Back View

Tatyana Alika Dress In Green- Close Up

Tatyana Alika Dress In Green with Chelsea Crew Malibu T-straps

And so those are three presents I bought myself this year for my birthday. Birthdays are the best! For reference on sizing, my measurements are 39"-31"-38", 5'3".

Another year older, but also another year of life, another year of memories, and another year full of experiences! Looking forward to every day I get.

The Convivial Celebration Dress At Modcloth

This may be the shortest dress you'll ever see on me!

I was thinking of returning this dress initially because it was actually way shorter than I expected, but my husband convinced me to keep it. Considering that I got it for under $50 with a coupon code at Modcloth, and considering that I already had green T-strap shoes to match, it wasn't too hard for me to be convinced.

This dress is a dark forest green A-line dress with a super cute chelsea collar. I've also seen this type of collar being called a pointed peter pan collar. The material is a combination of polyester, rayon, and spandex which helps keep it wrinkle free, gives it a good drape, and allows some stretch for a good fit. This dress features a tailored fit on top from the pleating and hemline under the bust, has a super fitted waist, and has a very nicely flared skirt. I love the A-line silhouette of this dress. The A-line sihouette in combination with the short length and sleeves gives it a very 1960's style and feel. I can't quiet tell if the name of this brand is Ixia, Lxia or 1xia, but whatever their name they designed a great dress!

For reference I purchased this dress in my usual size large and my measurements are 38-31-38, 5'3".

Convivial Celebration Dress, Ixia, Modcloth- Front View

Convivial Celebration Dress, Ixia, Modcloth- Side View

Convivial Celebration Dress, Ixia, Modcloth- Back View

For fun I threw on a hat I also purchased with this dress from Modcloth which together make for a fun summer look.

The Bushels Of Fun hat is made by Kathy Jeanne who also makes the Pure Edith Hat from Modcloth. The Bushels Of Fun hat is a straw hat which features a cluster of cherries on the side. This cloche style hat has a short, drooping brim which is shorter in the back making it easy to wear. Like the Pure Edith Hat the woven texture has a handmade look with the weaving and color of the straw being a little inconsistent at spots. I've been looking for a summer hat with cherries on it since I saw the Louise Green Cherry Doll Hat which is one that I still love but is way out of my price point for hats. This hat by Kathy Jeanne, while not the Louise Green Cherry Doll Hat, is way more modestly priced and is a fun one to have.
 

Convivial Celebration Dress, Ixia, Modcloth with Bushels of Fun Hat, Modcloth- Front View

Convivial Celebration Dress, Ixia, Modcloth with Bushels of Fun Hat, Modcloth- Side View

Convivial Celebration Dress, Ixia, Modcloth with Bushels of Fun Hat, Modcloth- Back View

Convivial Celebration Dress, Ixia, Modcloth with Bushels of Fun Hat, Modcloth- Close Up

An Apple A Day....

Allo Mes Amies

Sorry if it's seemed like I've been on blog hiatus. I guess you can say it's been a busy month and yet at the same time you can also say I've been on mental holiday. Last weekend over the Easter vacation I stayed in and caught up on some personal crafting/sewing projects. I finally got around to making some curtains using some scrap fabric for the garage window (black and white gingham with a black trim at the bottom which came out quite cute if I do say so myself) and I also finally got around to hemming some curtains for the inside of the house. The weekend before that my grandfather was visiting from Florida and I got to spend some time with him and the family. All great things but perhaps not so blog related...

And finally I'm back and I'll start things off with a bushel of apples! I have a dress review for ya'll! And not just one dress review but two, Hell Bunny's Shelia dress in both green and in blue. I could not decide which color to get so I decided to get both colors. Perhaps it was a bit excessive of me to get two of the same dress in two different colors but Hell Bunny is priced so reasonably, and it was such a cute design, AND I've got such fun little accessories to play around with these two dresses, I just could not resist. Also, I feel that the change of color gave the dresses completely different feels to them. While the blue dress was very bright and jolly the green one felt that it emphasized its wholesome nature.

The Hell Bunny Sheila dress is a 1940's style dress with a classic A-line silhouette. There is ruching at the shoulders and little bows at each shoulder which in turn also has ruching right where the bows are placed, giving it a very sweet and feminine look. It is fitted at the waist and right under the bust line there is more ruching to balance out all the ruching at the top. (Am I using the term ruching correctly?) It also has a v-neckline that is is just right in my opinion, not too high but not too low plunging either. The fabric is made of polyester which has a light, airy, silky feel to it. There is also a back zipper. But what really makes this dress exceptional apart from all the ruching and bows, which are both two things I love in a dress, is the pattern on the fabric. These dresses have an all over pattern of red apples with green leaves and white flowers with yellow centers. I love the little apples which gives it such a sweet yet wholesome look to it. I am in love with these dresses. I got them from JBR clothing's ebay store where I got them for 10% off the already low Hell Bunny's (and JBR's) price. I love Hell Bunny. They are forever continuously designing super cute 1940's and 50's style dresses while keeping their dresses priced low. The Sheila dress is available in green, blue, black, and caramel... and if you are lucky to live in the Australia I've seen they also have turquoise out there.

For reference I bought both dresses in my usual size large which fits my 38"-30"-38" frame just right.

Hell Bunny Sheila Dress Blue- Front View

Hell Bunny Sheila Dress Blue- Side View

Hell Bunny Sheila Dress Blue- Back View

Hell Bunny Sheila Dress Blue- Close Up of Shoulder Detail

Hell Bunny Sheila Dress Blue with B.A.I.T. Ida Heels in Pale Blue and Cream

Hell Bunny Sheila Dress Green with Chelsea Crew Malibu Heels in Green- Front View

Hell Bunny Sheila Dress Green- Side View

Hell Bunny Sheila Dress Green- Back View

Hell Bunny Sheila Dress Green with Green Cloche Hat- Front View

Hell Bunny Sheila Dress Green with Green Cloche Hat- Side View

Hell Bunny Sheila Dress Green with Straw Hat- Front View

Hell Bunny Sheila Dress Green with Green Cloche Hat- Side View

With all the fun accessories I have to play with with these Sheila dresses I could not help pairing them in my pictures. I wore B.A.I.T. Ida heels in pale blue and cream with the blue Sheila dress and Chelsea Crew Malibu heels in green with the green Sheila dress. Also with the Sheila dress I paired it with two different hats, a dark green felt cloche hat I got from Nordstrom Rack, and a straw hat, the Pure Edith hat in green, from Modcloth.

Also since I picked up two of these apple dresses I had to make the look complete by ordering some apple earrings from Modcloth. I kept on putting off the purchase until I saw they only had 4 left in stock then had to buy them before they were gone but hopefully Modcloth will stock more of these apple earrings for you gals who are keen on having an apple ensemble to call your own :)

Hell Bunny Sheila Dress with Apple Earrings

And that is my review for today. I hope you enjoyed!