a bit of bliss . . .

. . . .oh, if only these beauties could speak . . .

Shoes . . . again

Sigh . . . . note to self. When you see a pair of shoes that catch your attention while travelling and they are on sale (well, actually, they don't necessarily have to be on sale). . buy them. Just buy them. These lovelies were in a store window in Amsterdam last year in May. Pay special attention to the pair in the center with the satin and silk two tone rosettes. Yes, the one with the yellow SALE sticker . . . .

The other day I was looking for a pair of shoes to wear with a blush and copper toned dress. Do you think I could find something I liked? that wasn't the same price as a mortgage payment? No, of course not.

I'd like to run away to . . . . .

It's Monday. I say it again . . .It's Monday. After a late night and an early 5am morning in order to do homework assignments, I am starting to feel the effects of too much to do and too little sleep. I have just two more weeks of pattern drafting and couture hand sewing classes and then I am free for the summer. Then I need to begin filling orders for pants and dresses for the fall collection.

If I could pick up and run away . . .

I like the dreamy-ness of this photograph, the subtle grace and whistfulness.

To walk barefoot on the sand in a beautiful frothy dress by Vintage Precious without cares. Bliss.

In the meantime, I will have to be content with a second cup of tea and some sinful chocolate caramel biscuits to get me through the day (store bought, I'm afraid).

Travel Memories . . .part 1

Ever gone back and looked at your travel pictures and thought . . ."I wish I could just hop on the next plane" ?. In 2008, I spent five wonderful days in Paris. When I saw this picture from my trip photos, I was instantly filled with a desire to pack a bag and vite, vite on y va !

Sweet and Pretty . ..take 2

Today's edition of Sweet and Pretty is brought to you by veroque, and is a pair of wire flower and green Swarovski crystal earrings. Prefect with summer and those flirty little dresses!

Wire Flower Pendant and Green Turquoise Swarovski Crystal Earrings

Stay tuned for more interesting Swwet and Pretty finds to come . . . . .

It's a Cinch !

Call me crazy, but I like corsets. That symbolism of ultra feminine suppression to me is just . . . ultra feminine. 

I own several corsets, both steel boned (where the steel ribbings are inserted all the way around) and steel / plastic boned (where only the front ribbings and stays are steel and the rest are flexible plastic). And while I’m not a tight –lacer by any means, I do like hug of a properly fitting corset on my body, not to mention what it does for my already hourglass figure or how it makes me feel. . . like I want to bust out in cabaret tunes.

Corsets have also improved my posture. Working at a desk most of the day, there is a tendency to slouch over and not sit up straight. I find I am less tired and my shoulders are not as sore on days that I’ve worn a corset. My “work corset” is an under bust style, making it easy to breathe while still providing support to my back and core. And most importantly, people at work don’t see the top or tail of it peeking out of my suit jacket. Not that there’s anything wrong with showing off a great corset. Just maybe not in a meeting discussing Bailed Waste Productivity Forecasts.


Then again, maybe that would make the meeting more interesting.

Sweet Sofa !

I am in the process of recovering my sofa. Make that SOFAS . . . as in I have four of ‘em. Well, technically I have a sofa that seats three and then a three piece sectional with a chaise lounge. The cat has decided that she does not care for the current fabric on the sectional and so has attempted to remove it herself. Hence the need to get it recovered.

I also love fabric and can not bring myself to part with the often beautiful pieces I have left over at the end of a project. I’m not talking simple synthetics or bits of broadcloth . . .I’m talking half meters of embroidered silk taffeta or supple soft suede.

And then I fold THIS chaise lounge by namedesignstudio and lemme tell you . . .my eyes got wider, my mouth dropped open . I am in LUST for this piece. But at $2,200.00 and $500.00 in shipping costs from Istanbul, Turkey (and unmentioned import duties and taxes), it is a little outside of my price budget right now. And only because I’m still looking at getting new drapes and having my dining room table refinished. Otherwise, it would be on the next flight home to me. Never mind that it would drive my cat bonkers.
So my solution is going to be to take all those lovely pieces of fabric I have left and create the same effect. In a slip cover. Not the frilly slipcover your grandma has in her sitting room with the ruffles and bows at the arm rests. No, a sleek, close fitting slip cover with button detailing and shaped darts that I can take off and have professionally cleaned.

Mais, c'est clever, non?