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Shopping blog featuring products made by people not factories.

Cocktail Party

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I’ve been daydreaming lately about throwing a lovely cocktail party, full of fancy dresses, music, laughter and great conversation. Unfortunately, my apartment is barely big enough for my craft supplies, let alone guests. I am undeterred, however; a cocktail party will come my way sooner or later, and when it does, I’ll be ready with the perfect handmade outfit.

Fashion in Hawaii is pretty casual, which means I’ll be extra excited to slip into this gorgeous 1950’s style silk dress by Fiori di Arancio. The high neckline, full skirt, and short sleeves are chic and elegant, while the organza bow adds the perfect touch of sweet. The dress can be made in any color silk, but I love the patterned fabric shown on the model–it’s classic, subtle and sure to turn heads among the little black dresses.

What’s a cocktail dress without the perfect statement-making ring? This bezel set option by Blue Wave Jewelry will add just a little bit of sparkle and modern flair to my vintage-style dress–a fashion juxtaposition, if you will. The different dimensions of this druzy quartz stone will catch the light perfectly, and set it apart from your typical cocktail ring. The oval shape and wide sterling silver bezel setting are classic.

A great clutch is always a must when you’re dressing up for a night out. This simple black option by Designs By Ambiana is made of vegan leather, lined, and includes a small pocket. It’s large enough to hold all of your things, but small enough that it won’t compete with the cocktail dress. The silver purse frame and chain will coordinate perfectly with the silver jewelry, and the pattern on the vegan leather is just the perfect amount of texture.

Now that I have my perfect cocktail party outfit, all I need is an invitation, and a drink!

**The image featured at the top of this article is a photograph by The Bunny Cage.

Bridal Party

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My best friend from high school got engaged this week and I couldn’t be more happy for her and her new fiance. She’ll be the first in my group of friends to tie the knot, making her wedding a momentous occasion for all of us. Despite the busyness and excitement around the engagement, I got a chance to speak with her over the weekend about the proposal, her engagement ring, and, of course, her ideas for the wedding.

My friend has loved the color baby blue ever since I’ve known her (we met in the 1st grade); therefore, it didn’t surprise me that she wanted to have it as one of her wedding colors. When I came across this beautiful baby blue dress by Ananya, I couldn’t help but think of my friend’s wedding. Besides being the perfect shade of blue, I love the elegant simplicity of this dress. The architectural collar adds just the right amount of elegance to this otherwise simple, but timeless piece. And just in case my friend changes her mind, there are plenty of other fabric colors to choose, everything from hot pink to black.

My friend wants to make sure that every girl in the bridal party feels completely comfortable in her dress, no matter what their body type. The Coda wrap dress by nataJane is the perfect solution. It can be worn a dozen different ways, from strapless to sleeveless to kimono style, and will look great on everyone in the bridal party. Oh, and it comes in baby blue as well as 44 other amazing colors.

My friend loves strapless dresses, and I think she would just adore the sweet ruffles and the architectural look of the Kia dress by Nostalgia. Accenting the smallest part of your waist and falling around the knee, this dress is universally flattering and timeless. With a price tag of only $89, it’s affordable as well!

I can’t wait to pass along the links to each of these dresses to my friend. With so many great choices, I have no doubt that her bridal party will look absolutely amazing for her big day!

**The photo featured at the top of this post was taken by CAPow Art & Design.

Aarrgh Matey! Pirate dresses

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I have loved all the Pirates of the Caribbean films and I think even Disney were surprised at how popular they were. The absolute gorgeousness of Johnny Depp in them probably has something to do with it in my opinion. Then there is the romantic freedom of the open seas, the girls in the revealing corsets and big skirts, the fit and tanned deckhands, the exotic sunny climes, the swashbuckling sword fights and stretches of sandy beaches…actually it was all round a winning formula! The films, to some extent, have kept alive the popularity of the pirate theme for parties, carnivals and festivals all round the world and of course the opportunities to dress up in such fabulous outfits have increased. I don’t need a fancy dress party – I’d be too tempted by such gorgeous clothes and want to wear them as often as possible. I’m sure it’s fine to do the weekly supermarket shop in a Victorian-esque outfit with frills and ruffles everywhere; English folk would be too polite to ask, and I could fill up my trolley, confident in my pretence that I am on my way home from a pirate party!

I absolutely love the dress above by RomanticThreads. Do you see what I mean? It is far too nice to only bring out from the wardrobe on special occasions once or twice a year if you’re lucky. I have decided to make it my mission to get everyone wearing clothes like these to Tescos (or Walmart if you’re American)! It would make the whole experience much more enjoyable.

This dress by GoGothic genuinely could be worn on a daily basis – it’s simple enough to get away with wearing it to work (depending on what work you do, of course), but it has those extra touches – the gathers at the neckline and the full, but tied in sleeves, that gives it the piratical look.

I’ve actually included a dress I made myself this week. Earlier in the year I made a whole collection based on pirate wear, and this is one of my favourites, kindly modelled by my daughter. I called it the Mary Read Dress, after the famous pirate who I imagined wearing clothes like this when she was on holiday from plundering the high seas!

Tiara Trauma

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As if you didn’t have enough decisions to make whilst planning your wedding you will have to think about what to wear on your head. For the groom this is fairly simple as most choose to avoid a hat unless you are having a grand affair and a top hat is required. Yet for the bride the decision about headwear is complicated and it is better not to choose a tiara before you have chosen your dress. However if you have chosen a vintage inspired gown then this headband from Chez Bec would be the perfect accessory.

Firstly a bride will need to think about how to wear her hair, up in a french pleat, half up or half down or fully down. Obviously this may depend on the style of dress you have chosen or you may have already chosen a beautiful tiara, like the slightly unusual motifs of pearls and crystals used in the design of the above tiara from Tiararama.

Whether you choose a tiara, hair slides or combs, veil or fascinator there is plenty of choice in styles available. Pearls are a traditional stone for wedding jewels and look great worn in the hair, as shown above in with the gorgeous tiara from Be Something New .

Yet you may want your headwear to add even more sparkle to your wedding day. Many jewellery designers can create bespoke tiaras, combs or headbands in a choice of Swarovski crystals to add colour to your day, as seen in the combs above from Tilley Jewels Bride.

Maybe pearls or crystals are not the look you are after but require a more dramatic statement piece. A fascinator is a great alternative to princess fairytale inspired tiaras, featuring feathers, netting and even pearls, crystals or rhinestones. Fascinators are also proving a popular choice for Mothers of the Bride and guests as an alternative to hats. Whilst you could stick to bridal creams and whites, a fascinator maybe your chance to add some drama, especially with this fabulous peacock feather fascinator from Nyjole J Walters Jewellery Design.