Saturday, October 8, 2016

Matching Your Dress to Your Teaware Part 29: Arsenic and Old Lace

"Well, how did the poison get in the wine?"

"Well, we put it in wine because it's less noticeable. When it's in tea, it has a distinct odor." --Arsenic and Old Lace


There's no arsenic in my wine or my tea but I thought conjuring up the image of the classic Halloween film Arsenic and Old Lace would be the perfect start to this edition of Matching Your Dress to Your Teaware.

There is something so romantically gothic about the Senorita pattern by Royal Albert. I love the contrast of the bold intricate black lace pattern against the stark white background. The silver edging and large printed rose adds a beautifully delicate and graceful touch that harmonizes well with the lace.


Footed Cup and Saucer in Senorita by Royal Albert, image source: Replacements.com, http://www.replacements.com/webquote/roasen.htm?rplSku=8822909

Teapot in Senorita by Royal Albert, image source: Replacements.com, http://www.replacements.com/webquote/roasen.htm?rplSku=8822909


I found this footed cup and saucer set and teapot on replacements.com and right away knew this would be the perfecting pairing with Stop Staring's Love dress. Stop Starting's Love dress is a classically structured 1950's style wiggle dress. It has an all over printed pattern of pink with delicate black lace. Like the smooth curvaceous lines of the Senorita footed cup and saucer and teapot, the ruching along the waist, bust, and shoulders of the Love dress makes for a flattering shapely look for any body type. Like the rose in the Senorita pattern, the Love dress features a back cut out and oversized back bow which adds a delicate and graceful touch to go along with this dress.

Stop Staring's Love dress- Front View

Stop Staring's Love dress- Back View

Stop Staring's Love dress- Close Up


Are those bats I see flying in the distance? I can hear a crackle of a small wood burning fire going in the background...

Such a Perfect Pairing for a candle lit tea on a dark stormy October night. 




Thursday, October 6, 2016

Dress Review: Trashy Diva Does 80's!

I'm so excited to bring you this post today that I just have to repeat it: Trashy Diva Does 80's!!! :D 



Well, I don't think it was actually intentional on Trashy Diva's part (they describe this print on their website as a jazzy 50s 60s geometric print), but for me, the first time I laid eyes on Trashy Diva's new Hourglass print I squealed in delight over how incredibly 80's it looked to me.

This print couldn't have been released at a more perfect time. I've been really feeling in the mood for more 80's in my life from 80's music and movies to 80's fashion.

The Trashy Diva Hourglass print is a black background print with purposely ambiguous tiny geometric shapes all over. As it says on their website, are the shapes "martinis, bowties, or the silhouette of a woman"? I guess it is whatever you would like it to be. The small hourglass shaped shapes are neon green, hot pink, brown, and white outlined black. At the skinniest part of each hourglass shape is a two dots on either side of the shape. Neon green, hot pink... Did I mention how much this print screams 80's to me! I'm thinking maybe 1987... 1988 :)

This print came in five different dress cuts (the long awaited return of the Hopscotch dress, a Cage, Liz, Virginia Shirtwaist, and the new Apple Tartlet dress), as well was three separates (a Lena top, Lucy skirt, and gathered mini skirt).

With so many prints coming out from Trashy Diva this year I've been really trying hard to limit my new dress purchases to only one per print but swooning hard over this 80's looking print I ended up with two! Well, a dress, and a pair of separates, to be exact. The Hopscotch dress has been a dress I have long awaited Trashy Diva to re-release. So when I saw this dress was back I had to jump on it (into my basket) that day! However, the most 80's looking pairing of them all in this print, the Lena top with contrasting hot pink at the bodice, and the Lucy skirt with the contrasting hot pink accents on the pockets, could not be left behind! I went a little crazy for this print for sure. But do I regret it? Not at all.



The Hopscotch dress

Whenever anyone asked me what dresses I wished would make an appearance my answer would always be to bring back the Circle day dress, the Hopscotch dress, and the Dixie dress (as well as more Streetcar dresses- especially in cotton voile). These dresses are forever on my dream list from Trashy Diva. I've been hoping for these first three to happen for so long that my fingers have gotten cramps from keeping them crossed so long! And so it was with not a small amount of fan fare that I excited squealed when I saw that this new Hourglass collection was going to include a dress in the Hopscotch cut.

Why the Hopscotch dress? This dress is a gorgeous classically 50's shaped dress with fitted bodice and full circle skirt. It has a higher neckline for those of us who prefer a more modest top, and yet has an open slit at the top bodice for just a touch of daring. Also, the Hopscotch dress has a Peter Pan collar (my favorite collar shape ever) and ornamental black rhinestone buttons down the bodice. In the back, this dress is all play with it's cutout at the upper back. The cutout is situated perfectly too so that no special undergarments have to be worn with it. With it's homage to 50's style and it's daring cutout back, this dress was a perfect cut to come out in this 80's style print, and is a perfect cut for me who loves the classic 1950's silhouette and who gravitates towards more modest tops.

It's a little difficult getting in and out of this dress. You do have to maneuver into it a bit. The hidden side zip allows for this dress to have the awesome bodice it has and the super cute back cut out it flaunts but it does not provide for easy on and off.

I got this dress in my usual size 10 and while it fits, it is very fitted in the bust. For a more comfortable fit, most ladies I have heard from have sized up from their usual for this cut.



Trashy Diva Hopscotch dress in Hourglass- Front View

Trashy Diva Hopscotch dress in Hourglass- Front View

Trashy Diva Hopscotch dress in Hourglass- Side View

Trashy Diva Hopscotch dress in Hourglass- Back View

Trashy Diva Hopscotch dress in Hourglass- Close Up

Trashy Diva Hopscotch dress in Hourglass- Close Up





The Lena blouse and the Lucy Skirt

Speaking of Trashy Diva does 80's, there is no other cut in this dress that speaks 80's to me more than the Lena top and Lucy skirt separates! The combination of this black background print with hot pink accents is exactly like something I would have (and actually did have) in the late 80's growing up.

The Lena top is a cropped top which features a structured under bust with contrasting hot pink fabric in pin tuck style folds at the bust. The straps on this top are fully adjustable with three different button settings in the back. There is ruching on the sides to ensure a great fit and a back zip to make it easy to get in and out of.

The Lucy skirt is an all new item from Trashy Diva derived from their past releases, the Lucille and the Lucy dresses. This skirt is a 3/4 circle skirt... not quite a full circle skirt, but still with lots of fullness in the skirt. It features small gathers at the front sides of the skirt, a hidden back zip, and most notably, hot pink contrast pockets in the front finished off with oversized smoky translucent buttons.

I got these separates in my usual size for separates (10 in the top, and 12 in the skirt). I probably could have sized down in the top but I decided to keep it as I ordered it and have this as my more comfortable of the two dresses that I got in this print.

I love how easy is to mix and match Trashy Diva separates as well as how well the separates go together as a set. When worn together these separates could fool anyone into thinking it's a dress but if  I had the feeling to I could easily wear them separately pairing the skirt with a black or pink top or likewise, pairing the top with high waisted jeans, capris, or a black skirt. So many different looks can be made with separates!


Trashy Diva Lena blouse and Lucy skirt in Hourglass- Front View

Trashy Diva Lena blouse and Lucy skirt in Hourglass- Front View

Trashy Diva Lena blouse and Lucy skirt in Hourglass- Side View

Trashy Diva Lena blouse and Lucy skirt in Hourglass- Back View

Trashy Diva Hourglass- Close Up


Hope you enjoyed my review and that you have found it useful!




I debated whether or not to post this today with the impending Hurricane Matthew making its way to Florida, Georgia, and the Carolinas. I ultimately decided to go ahead and post since there is nothing to be done to stop the storm that is making its way but I do hope everyone will be safe. I am very sad for all you of going through this. 







Tuesday, October 4, 2016

Outfit of the Day: Hello October

I love October


Not only does October mean corn mazes, pumpkin patches, pumpkin spice everything, Halloween, and the all around spookiness that Halloween and the month of October brings, there's also a crispness to the air even on the warmest days we may have in Northern California. I love the start of sweater season and yet love that there's a lingering to the last days of warm weather for the year. There's also something so cozy about the longer nights as the sun goes down sooner and rises later.

Well, I kick started the first weekend of October with a bang! This past weekend my friends and I got to go to the corn maze and pumpkin patch, pumpkin spice lattes in hand. I even treated myself to a pumpkin and cream cheese muffin while I was it. Such a wonderful month and so many fun things to be done! I'm looking forward to seeing what the rest of this month will bring <3



















Outfit of the Day (Saturday):

For our outing to the corn maze and pumpkin patch I decided to wear one of my favorite fall dresses, my Trashy Diva Doris dress in Warm Watercolors. I wore this with a pair of brown herringbone flats which I got from the Gap Outlet several years ago since I knew there was going to be a lot of walking on dirt. Also, because I wasn't quite sure what to expect from the weather I brought along a burgundy beaded cardigan by Free People which I got from ebay earlier this year. For a finishing touch I wore this with a pair of brass colored cat stud earrings which I got from Hot Topic last year and coordinated it all with a vintage brown purse I got from Etsy a couple years ago.


I noticed I've been speaking a lot about fall dresses vs summer dresses and dresses that work well for both fall and summer... Well really there's nothing wrong with wearing any of these dresses during any season with the right warm weather styling or weatherization to go along. For me I just really love dressing in theme whether it be a themed event or theme for the season. And so I don't mean to put a label and pigeon hole my dresses. I just really love themes! :D Just wanted to add that little tidbit ;)


Trashy Diva Doris dress in Warm Watercolors- Front View

Trashy Diva Doris dress in Warm Watercolors- Front View


Trashy Diva Doris dress in Warm Watercolors- Side View

Trashy Diva Doris dress in Warm Watercolors- Front View

Trashy Diva Doris dress in Warm Watercolors- Front View

Trashy Diva Doris dress in Warm Watercolors- Side View

Cat earrings- Close Up

Trashy Diva Doris dress in Warm Watercolors with vintage purse- Close Up


Vintage purse and cat eye sunglasses




Outfit of the Day (Sunday):

In comparison to Saturday, Sunday was a much more relaxed and lazy day. My husband and I went out for lunch and then retired for the rest of the day with our Netflix at home. But seeing as I got out one of my favorite fall dresses the day before, I wanted to follow it with another of my favorite dresses (for fall and summer) my Trashy Diva Country Club dress in Butterflies! Oh Trashy Diva Butterflies how I love you! I paired this dress with a vintage brown with gold beaded cardigan which I got from Etsy last year and because earlier this year I did say I wanted to try and wear some of my fancier shoes out, I wore a pair of brown Mary Jane Naya pumps which I got from Nordstrom Rack a few years ago. For a finshing touch, I kept things simple and wore a pair of gold colored ball stud earrings which I got from Forever 21 last year.


Trashy Diva Country Club dress in Butterflies- Front View

Trashy Diva Country Club dress in Butterflies- Front View

Trashy Diva Country Club dress in Butterflies- Side View


Trashy Diva Country Club dress in Butterflies- Front View


Trashy Diva Country Club dress in Butterflies- Front View


Trashy Diva Country Club dress in Butterflies- Side View


Gold colored ball stud earrings- Close Up







Thursday, September 29, 2016

Dress Review: Dress of the Rising Sun, Trashy Diva's Cranes

“Autumn is a second spring when every leaf is a flower.” ― Albert Camus


Trashy Diva's Cranes print is a beautiful Asian inspired collage of cranes in flight against a rising or setting sun in the midst of a wetlands setting. Like the last dress I reviewed, Trashy Diva's Virginia Shirtwaist dress in Red Fans, Trashy Diva's Cranes print works fantastically well as a Fall print even though this collection was actually released in the summer. The multitude of colors in this print include red-orange, citron green, cornflower blue, yellow, black and white. It is the red-orange and citron green in this print that really legitimizes this print as a Fall print to me.

I can see it also working equally well as a summer print though... I can imagine the murky swamps of Louisiana as being an inspiration for the color choices in this print from this New Orleans based company. In fact, when this print was first released Trashy Diva vowed to donate 10% of the profits of this collection from its release date of 7/28 through 8/26 to the Gulf Restoration Network, an organization dedicated to helping protect and restore the natural resources in the Gulf Region. You can read more on this partnership on Trashy Diva's blog here. Perhaps it was this partnership that helped secure this print as being Trashy Diva's fastest selling print in Trashy Diva history (of full run releases that is). But perhaps, also, it's the gorgeousness of this print that caused it.

While the beautiful Cranes print came out in several different styles including five dresses (TD's Sarong, 40's, Sweetie, Connie, and l'amour dresses) as well as several different separates to mix and match (sarong skirt, high waisted shorts, lounge pants, Dottie blouse, Trixie top, and Mai Tai top), I opted to order this print in the l'amour cut. What I loved about the l'amour in this print is that it's a more simpler cut compared to other cuts in this collection, which I felt worked to balance out the busyness of this print. The l'amour dress features an adjustable skinny strapped top which gathers around a drawstring keyhole at the bust (also adjustable to your preference of exposure). It has ruching at the sides to ensure a great fit and has a back zip for easy wear. The skirt is a lovely full circle skirt which has great drape in the rayon fabric. While it took me a while to warm up to the l'amour in general, I have found it to be one of Trashy Diva's easier to throw on and go dresses. It is extremely comfortable and extremely flattering with very little effort.

I got this dress in my usual size 10 and while it fit in that size, I did notice that it seemed the bodice was longer in this print than in my other dresses of the same cut. This was confirmed by other ladies in the TD facebook group I'm in who also noticed the same thing. Good news for longer torsoed ladies, though just a little sad for us shorter torsoed ladies.


Trashy Diva l'amour dress in Cranes- Front View

Trashy Diva l'amour dress in Cranes- Front View

Trashy Diva l'amour dress in Cranes- Side View

Trashy Diva l'amour dress in Cranes- Back View

Trashy Diva Cranes print- Close Up


Hope you enjoyed my review and that you have found it useful!



Check back again next week. Next up for Dress Review: Trashy Diva Does 80's!