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Sartorial Saturday–A Vibrant and Verdant Dress for Spring

Today I’m taking a look at a beautiful dress in the loveliest shade of green that I got for a steal from Miss Candyfloss!

I’ve had my eye on the Nerine-Sage dress since it was first released two years ago in the Viva Rita collection. I couldn’t quite commit to the bold color, but when it went on sale at the end of February, I couldn’t resist any longer!

I went bold with my accessories, too, including an equally bright green fascinator I got for Easter, a pair of necklaces from RockLove Jewelry, a stack of Splendette Duchess Bangles in green and pink, butterfly earrings in the same colors, and an Erstwilder Easter egg brooch:

The dress doesn’t just have a bold color…it also has a subtle leopard print pattern!

Here’s a closer look at my bangle stack, along with the pink gloves and belt I added to the outfit:

I added a green charm from the RockLove The Princess and the Frog “Tell Your Tale” enhancer set:

And here’s a look at the top of the fascinator, which is just gorgeous!

The lightweight, satin fabric has a great twirl!

This is such a pretty dress for spring, and there’s something about a piece of clothing that was a great bargain that makes it even more enjoyable to wear!

Sartorial Saturday…On a Sunday–Easter Pastels and a New Fascinator

Over a year ago, when I first saw the Nalini-Pia dress in the Miss Candyfloss Chérie Bardot lookbook, I knew it would be the perfect Easter dress. Unfortunately, it wasn’t released in time for me to wear it last Easter, but I was finally able to today!

It was a bit chilly this morning, and I really didn’t want to wear a sweater over the dress, so I ended up wearing a lace dirndl blouse under it. I’m not totally thrilled with how that turned out, because I think it detracts a bit from the beautiful pastel colors on the bodice of the dress, but sometimes it’s function over form.

I went all-in on those pastel shades with my stack of Splendette Duchess Bangles, plus an Erstwilder Easter egg brooch, a pair of RockLove Jewelry necklaces from their retiring Disney “Tell Your Tale” collection, and a new, brightly-colored, lime green fascinator:

Here’s a closer look at the pair of necklaces…they’re the same, just different lengths, and one has a Tiana charm from the same collection attached to it:

And the true star of the outfit…the fascinator! I knew I wanted a lime green headpiece for Easter, and I was starting to despair of ever finding what I had in my mind, but Dillard’s had the perfect thing!

Dirndl blouse aside, I really like how this look came together…the fascinator really brings out the green section of the dress!

I felt very much like a decorated Easter egg, which was kind of the plan!

This was such a cheerful look for Easter!

Sartorial Saturday–Another Color Styling Inspired by Mary Blair

Before Mary Blair March wraps up, I have one more outfit inspired by her color styling!

For this look, which kind of resembles a can of lemon-lime soda, I combined two of my favorite Mary Blair-esque shades…bright yellow and chartreuse, with the Miss Candyfloss Harriet-Naia dress and my favorite shrug.

I accessorized with a Splendette necklace and Duchess Bangles, and an Erstwilder brooch:

I really love the way the bangle stack turned out!

This is such a cheerful color pairing!

I’ve really enjoyed thinking outside of the box when planning outfits this month!

Sartorial Saturday–Another Dress Deconstructed

Last fall, I transformed a dress that had a skirt with a bold print that I love, but a bodice that I really didn’t, into a skirt that I can pair with different tops. Today I’m back with another such transformation, this time with a Mary Blair clown print!

The original bodice of the dress was a basic (boring) black that was also a style I really don’t like, but after removing it, I can now pair a bold color with the whimsical print of the skirt…this time, I went with an-almost red Vacation blouse from Vixen by Micheline Pitt.

I went with bright accessories, too, including a statement necklace, an Erstwilder brooch, and a stack of Splendette Duchess Bangles:

This wasn’t as smooth a transformation as the one I did last fall…the waistline of this skirt is much larger, and will need a better permanent solution to make it wearable in the future, but for this outing, a second (hidden) belt held the look together, and I really like how the whole thing turned out!

I’m really happy I have found the confidence to make my wardrobe work for me instead of the other way around!

Sartorial Saturday–Stripes and Dots

Today I’m taking a look at my first-ever pair of Miss Candyfloss capri pants!

The Jacinna-Lee capri pants are a lovely shade of blue and covered in polka dots. I paired them with the Kacey-Wisteria striped top for a bit of contrast in pattern and color, and added a white, pearl-accented cardigan to complete the look.

I accessorized with an Erstwilder brooch that goes really well with the top, and a stack of Splendette Duchess Bangles.

Here’s the only problem with the pants…when they say “soft and comfortable,” they really mean soft and comfortable! They’re extremely stretchy, to the point where I wish I had sized down. They’re quite a big baggier than I prefer, but there is no doubt that they’re comfy!

I love how casual but still put-together this outfit is!

I don’t wear pants super often, but it’s nice to have some options when I do!

Sartorial Saturday–MAXImizing My Wardrobe

Everyone once in a while, I add a “modern” piece of fashion to my wardrobe…but really, this denim maxi skirt from Lane Bryant reminds me of the 90s!

What I really like about this skirt is the tulip hem, which I think gives it some good movement and visual interest.

I paired it with a sweater (also from Lane Bryant) with a fun neckline that has been in my wardrobe for YEARS. I added an Erstwilder scarf as a belt, and Dr. Martens Mary Janes, in keeping with the 90s theme:

I accessorized with a Spiffy the Sausage Dog brooch from Erstwilder to match the scarf, plus a RockLove Jewelry necklace, and earrings and a bracelet from Lane Bryant:

This is a fun modern, and yet familiar, look for me!

I’ve already found many other ways to style this skirt…denim is very versatile!

Sartorial Saturday–A Caped Coat

Thanksgiving was almost two months ago, but I’m just now getting around to sharing my one big Black Friday purchase, the Abiona-Juniper caped coat from Miss Candyfloss, which I got for an absolute steal!

I’ve had my eye on this coat since it first came out in the fall/winter Vintage Glamicons collection in 2024, but I just couldn’t afford it. In all honesty, it’s kind of a weird piece for me to fall in love with, because it’s a pencil coat, which doesn’t really go with my full skirts, and it’s double-breasted, which is not a style I normally prefer. But something about it really captured my interest, so I was super excited to be able to buy it for something like 60% off!

It’s hard to accessorize a coat, but I did add an Erstwilder brooch in a boldly contrasting color, a pair of Splendette Duchess Bangles, and a RockLove Jewelry necklace:

I love the almost military-style influence of the jacket, both from the olive green color, and the removable cape, which just screams “dress uniform” to me for some inexplicable reason:

It also has a luxurious faux fur collar and cuffs, plus a matching belt:

And did I mention the cape? I absolutely LOVE a cape!

While it has a slimmer silhouette than my other two Miss Candyfloss coats, it still has a nice, below-the-knee length:

I love a sale, and I’m really glad I had the opportunity to grab this coat before it sold out in my size!

Sartorial Saturday–Perfect Pleats

You’ve already seen the pinstriped Maryam-Lou blouse from Miss Candyfloss…now it’s time to see it paired with the coordinating Emeline-Paz skirt!

It’s a lovely and soft corduroy skirt in a dusty shade of pink:

My number one favorite detail about this skirt is the three sets of purple pleats inserted around the bottom…they give so much movement to an otherwise straight skirt!

I accessorized with a hat from Mein Wunderbarer Hutsalon, an Erstwilder brooch, a stack of Splendette Duchess Bangles, and my newest necklace from RockLove Jewelry…I love how vibrant the color of the stone is!

This look was inspired in part by Maleficent…not the animated character, or the one portrayed by Angelina Jolie in the eponymous movie, but rather the Queen of Darkness played by Kristin Bauer van Straten in Once Upon a Time. I loved her 40s-inspired style when she was in Storybrooke, and everything about this look, from the hat to the skirt (and especially the “Maleficent Malicious” necklace, which is inspired by that original Disney villain), felt like something she would wear!

I added my wine-colored ankle boots from Lane Bryant, which I think added just the right pop of color to finish off the look:

I love finding outfit inspiration from unexpected places!

Sartorial Saturday–Dressed to InVEST

You’ve seen both the Cloe-Minty dress and the Terentia-Paz vest from Miss Candyfloss individually…now it’s time to take a look at how they go together!

If I hadn’t ordered these two pieces together, I’m not sure it would have occurred to me to pair them…I don’t think I’ve ever worn a vest over a dress before. But seeing them side-by-side right out of the package made me notice how well they looked together!

I accessorized with my original hat, gloves, a stack of Splendette Duchess Bangles, and a vintage brooch from the antique store:

Here’s a closer look at the brooch…it’s absolutely splendid!

I love the pop of color the vest brings to the dress, and also that it brings out the subtle mint green stripe that can be overlooked if you’re not paying attention!

Any excuse to add a Miss Candyfloss peplum to an outfit!

This was a really fun way to play around with pieces in my wardrobe!

A Feast for Epiphaday

Today is Epiphany, but it’s also Ryan’s birthday, and we had one last festive feast to celebrate!

I made chili for dinner, and making chili means also making fry bread to go with it:

And for dessert, I baked a Boston Cream Pie…it’s been years since I attempted this particular cake, and back then, I had a problem with the filling being too thin and running out of the cake. If anything, this time I over-thickened it, but it tasted good, and it stayed put!

The days have long since passed when I used to make baklava every year on Epiphany, and our church doesn’t have an extra service during the week, but I still wore my favorite star-shaped brooch from Erstwilder…it is the absolute perfect star for Epiphany!

I still have one more cake to bake yet this week, and then the festive feasting season will draw to a close!