Floral fantasy! My review of the Hip Hip Handmade Yani dress featuring Bari J's Painted Desert Night Floral

I am so excited to be reviewing my custom made Yani Dress from Hip Hip Handmade in the breathtaking Bari J and Art Gallery Fabrics exclusive Painted Desert Night Floral.  It is always a privilege to team up with another creative person on a project so this dress is a very special thing to me.  It is one of the most beautiful and personally meaningful pieces of clothing I own.  I have gushed over and over in the past about how much I love floral prints but there is something about this specific print that just makes my heart sing.

My custom made Yani dress from Hip Hip Handmade in Bari J's Painted Desert Night Floral is a dream come true!

 A good chunk of my wardrobe is made up of fanciful floral prints because they bring me so much joy!  I have been enamored with flowers and plants since I can remember.  My mother and grandmother always had tons of houseplants so I grew up with a green thumb.  My grandmother was particularly fond of African Violets, they always delighted me because their velvety purple, pink and violet flowers were always blooming providing beauty even in the middle of winter.  I love all kinds of flowers so when I started making Pinterest boards to plan our home redecoration, I decided I wanted a bold floral rug for our living room, this was when I discovered the inspiring and whimsical floral designs of Bari J and I was immediately smitten!  The pattern that really stood out to me was the Painted Desert Night floral and through a few searches I found that Art Gallery Fabrics had a Bari J collection so I contacted Hip Hip Handmade to bring my vision to life!

POCKETS!!!

I am absolutely in love with my custom Hip Hip Handmade Yani Dress.  The Yani dress is a peasant style with a generous full skirt, pretty cap sleeves that can be worn on or off the shoulder and pockets.  I cannot get enough of this dress, it really is a dream come true.  The fit is like a glove, made to measure so it flatters my body showing off my curves to a tee, Shilyn is very meticulous so her dresses fit me absolutely perfect.  This style is very figure flattering, it creates an hourglass silhouette and the versatile sleeves make it easy to style the dress on or off the shoulder depending on the occasion.  I wore the dress to church with my sleeves on the shoulder for modesty, this also allows me to wear a regular bra with the dress which is much more comfortable for everyday wear or casual events. For a little more sexiness on our date night, I wore my Yani Dress off the shoulder.  For foundation, I am wearing a Cacique strapless longline bra and Spanx higher power shorts underneath.  I looked and felt enchanting as we enjoyed dinner and a stroll through a local orchard together at sunset.  I could not resist frolicking in this glorious field of wildflowers in bloom, the pure white Queen Anne's Lace made the perfect backdrop to compliment all of the deep jewel tones in this floral and the streams of golden light from sunset gave our walk a magical otherworldly feel that made our date night extra special!

I really cannot gush enough about this ethereal Painted Desert Night floral design by Bari J and the material from Art Gallery Fabrics is bold and bright, capturing the spirit of Bari J's work perfectly.  Flowers, leaves and vines in shades of aqua, purple and bright green dance over a background of slate grey.  The colors in this print are some of my favorite shades so it is a pleasure to accessorize this dress as there are many beautiful shades to play with for endless combinations.  I went simple and romantic with my accessories because I wanted the dress to be the star of this outfit and I wanted to be comfortable on our date.  A homemade double purple ranunculus hairpiece, ivory rose topped golden hoop earrings and an ivory bangle gave me the summer garden fairy look that I wanted for my romantic date night.

 My Hip Hip Handmade Yani dress is going to bring me many years of pleasure and wear, it is a special piece of my wardrobe.  I highly recommend working with Hip Hip Handmade, she is incredibly sweet, her work is very high quality and working with a seamstress gives you the ability to create something together that is 100% you!

What dreams may come....

Beautiful Birds and Summer Sunshine! My review of the Dolly and Dotty Amanda Dress

Today, I am reviewing the beautiful Amanda Dress in Forest Green Bird Print from Dolly and Dotty.  This glorious summer perfect frock is made of a soft Forest Green jewel toned satin with an allover print of birds and wildflowers.  This dress looks luxuriant and feels amazing!  Amanda features a scooped neckline that tapers into a box pleated flared skirt and comes in a variety of prints.  This dress is a classic that will never go out of style, fabulous for wearing to weddings, graduations, picnics and for any summer occasion.  The Dolly and Dotty Amanda Dress is comfortable, classic and chic, a versatile piece to add to your wardrobe.

Outfit Details
Dress: Amanda Dress in Forest Green Bird Print in size UK 20 from Dolly and Dotty
Glasses: Cat Eye Style 665918 in Red from Zenni Optical
Flower Crown: Claire's
Makeup: Tarte Cosmetics
Lipstick: Forever Red from Besame Cosmetics

 Dolly and Dotty has incredibly consistent fit, I am wearing my normal size UK 20.  I love that I can purchase the same size knowing that it will fit me perfectly!  The satin material is sturdy, it did not snag or run like some other dresses I have had made of similar material.  I love the feminine scooped neckline and straps on this dress, they make it easy to wear a nice supportive bra without worrying about straps showing.  This is a lovely modest dress, before our birding adventures, I wore my Amanda Dress to sing at church with a yellow cropped cardigan and shed my cardigan as the day got warmer.  The skirt of the Amanda Dress is generous, I am wearing a petticoat for volume here but this skirt is beautifully shaped with box pleating that gives shape even without a petticoat underneath.

 Let's talk about this incredible print!  A brilliant shade of forest green featuring brightly colored birds happily fluttering among blue, red and yellow wildflowers and vines.  This print is perfect for me because I am a bird fanatic and it is a shade of green that is sadly lacking in my wardrobe, I have been trying to add more green and jewel tone shades to all the bright prints and pastel florals in my closet.  The print of this Dolly and Dotty Amanda Dress has a variety of colors making this a fun piece to style, you can chose one of the shades to play up or wear different colors for a bold fun look.

I have been an amateur birder for many years.  My love of birds started in high school with bird watching in biology class and grew into a full blown bird nerd obsession when we moved into our home 17 years ago.  Our backyard has such a huge variety of birds, we put out bird seed and suet as well as having several bird baths and planting bird friendly trees.  We enjoy relaxing on our deck while watching our bird friends and helping to preserve their natural habitats in the woods surrounding our home.  I  wore my Dolly and Dotty Amanda Dress for a beautiful day spent bird watching under the apple blossoms with my husband.  I felt like such a dream picking flowers, looking for new types of birds in my bird book, watching the bees busily working among the apple trees and spending some outdoor time in the sunshine with my husband.  A perfect day in a dreamy dress!

Dolly and Dotty has the most glorious selection of vintage style clothing that is perfect for everyday wear, I cannot say enough wonderful things about this company, they are truly one of a kind!

Perfectly Pinup Pumps! My review of the customizable Pixie Cove Elise Pumps plus an exclusive discount

Outfit Details:
Dress: Jade Dress in Watermelon Print from Collectif Clothing
Hat: Watermelon Print Hat from San Diego Hat Company
Shoes: Custom Elise Pumps C/O Pixie Cove (gifted for honest review)
Hair Flower: Daisy Jean Floral
Earrings: Bow & Crossbones
Bangles: The Moby Duck
Lipstick: American Beauty from Besame Cosmetics
Makeup: Tarte

Hey everyone!  Today, I am excited to have have teamed up with Pixie Cove to review the customizable Elise Pumps.  Pixie Cove is an awesome online boutique that features a huge selection of retro styled items including dresses, accessories and the most amazing vintage styled shoes.  I noticed Pixie Cove on Facebook first, they caught my eye with their made to order, customizable retro styled heels, I contacted Pixie Cove and they sent me a custom pair to review here for you as well as offering my readers an exclusive discount!

The Pixie Cove Elise Pumps are a medium height, rounded toe pump that is fully customizable to suit your personal style.  Elise is the quintessential comfortable heel for all occasions, featuring a medium thick 3.35 inch heel and a .79 inch platform at the toe making them super comfy and easy to wear.  For me, heels are usually a no go, these Elise Pumps are great for me, being born with club foot makes my feet extra sensitive to heels, the platform at the toe makes these a breeze to wear and the heel is thick plus at a modest height so I can walk comfortably.  I also have wide feet so generally shoes tend to be too narrow for me, these Elise Pumps are fabulous for wide feet.  I chose a size 9, I usually wear an 8.5 and since heels tend to make my feet swell after a bit I always size up a half size for comfort.  The craftsmanship and materials are high quality, the inner material is soft, the heels are sturdy and the width is just right, these are very well made shoes.

The best part of the Pixie Cove Elise Pumps is the fun you get to have when you make them your own.  These heels are fully personalized and it is a ball creating the shoe of your dreams!  First you chose your material, Matte, Patent, Nubuck or Metallic in a rainbow of colors.

 Next, you can chose to add Pixie Cove's pretty lace look trim in the color of your choice or no trim if you prefer a simpler style.  After you chose your trim you can add a bow if desired, there are three different choices in different styles to suit you.  Do you like your shoes with a strap or without, what style strap you prefer is up to you and the color is your choice too.  Every detail of your Elise Pumps is within your control!

I chose Black Matte Material, White Trim, a White Bow in style number 2 on the toe and no straps but the possibilities are endless and if you do not see the combination that you are looking for on the website, Pixie Cove is more than happy to accommodate special orders.  I was going for a very versatile, neutral and classic design, the shoe that can be worn with everything.

 I love these beautiful heels!  Pixie Cove did not leave any detail behind, they even have the prettiest vintage floral material inside the Elise Pumps.  I was also impressed with the turn around time on these shoes, my order was placed, my shoes were made to order and they were at my door within 10 days, that is incredible considering these shoes are completely customized!

 I chose to wear my customized Elise Pumps with this gorgeous and bold Collectif Watermelon Print Jade Dress and this incredible matching hat from San Diego Hat Company so these classically styled Pixie Cove Black and White Elise Pumps would stand out among the bright colors.  I cannot wait to wear these beautiful custom creations with all my pinup pretties because they match everything!

These shoes are as fun to wear as they are to customize and every single detail is perfection.  Pixie Cove has also generously offered an exclusive discount code so you too can customize a pair of Elise Pumps or shop to your heart's content, save 25% off ANY order at Pixie Cove using code AM_BRIANA_25.  Happy Shopping!!

Cozy and chic! My review of Ye Mak Sweater and an exclusive discount for YOU!

Disclaimer: This blog post contains links that when clicked on and purchased from may result in a small commission to the owner of this site.

Today is the perfect day to talk about my favorite sweater because it's blustery, snowy and cold.  Spring was here for about a week, long enough for the daffodils to bloom but we generally get one last big blow out and it happened yesterday, at least six inches of show dumped on top of us, winter just loves to pick on us.  I am looking forward to getting back to work, honestly this winter has made it hard to blog, it really was one of the toughest ones we have seen in a really long time and since I shoot most of my content outside and at different locations the weather we had really limited my ability to take quality photographs, it was harsh!!  I have also been struggling with depression and generalized anxiety, the winter season seems to exacerbate both of these so that made this winter particularly hard on me, I really was isolating myself due to this and it has had a negative affect on my blog.  I apologize and I truly treasure those of you who have stuck with me in spite of these issues.  I look forward to doing lots of new stuff this year, including more video content, ,be sure to follow me on my social media accounts listed below so you do not miss out!  I have tons of great new content coming as the spring and summer season comes as well as a couple giveaways in the works, I am so excited to share!

  The weather in Michigan is very unpredictable so Ye Mak sweaters are a staple in my wardrobe, they offer a wide variety of styles in both straight and plus sized options that flatter and look chic without breaking the bank.  I am thrilled to be a brand ambassador with Ye Mak Sweater becauset I started out as a customer, I bought three Cropped Cardigans, then a few more, then I was wearing them with almost every outfit so Ye Mak was kind enough to gift me some items to review for you along with a very generous discount!

Ye Mak Crewneck Cardigan

 Ye Mak Sweater are a company that I have been a loyal customer to because of their selection, commitment to quality products and friendly customer service.  First thing to love about Ye Mak is that they love all bodies, their size range goes from size S-4XL.  Another thing to love is the broad color range, I love that I can take a print and change the personality or seasonality of it just by adding a sweater in a different color.  It is possible to match just about anything because Ye Mak sweaters come in a huge rainbow of colors and styles so you can get just the look you desire.  My sweater collection also lets me transition my dresses from summer to winter.  You may have noticed that Ye Mak sweaters have been featured in many of my blog posts and on my social media quite heavily, this is because they are such a versatile part of my wardrobe.  I do not have a huge budget for clothing so I have to stretch my dollars as far as possible, Ye Mak helps me get the most mileage from my closet!

  I am excited to have a couple of exclusive items for you!  First is exclusive news, a little birdie has whispered in my ear, that Ye Mak will be expanding it's plus size variety soon so you can look forward to more styles in the expanded size range.  I am also super excited to be able to offer you an exclusive coupon code for 50% off your entire order at Ye Mak Sweater!!  Use code Briana-yemak-001 to get 50% off and now is the perfect time because Ye Mak Sweater is having a blowout sale up to 50% off so you can save a ton!  Happy Shopping!

Since Ye Mak Sweater has such a big selection, you are free to chose the style that suits you the best, I am reviewing my three favorite Ye Mak Sweater styles here but I would love to hear from you about what is your favorite and I would really love to see photos of you wearing your sweaters, check me out on Facebook or Instagram and feel free to DM me photos of you in your Ye Mak pretties!

All the Cropped Cardi Goodness!

My favorite and most worn style of Ye Mak sweater is the 3/4 Sleeve Cropped Cardigan, this style is my go-to because as a petite woman this cropped style is just the right length to flatter my bottom heavy figure.  The Cropped Cardigan is a scoop neck cardigan with a cropped  length that hits at the waist featuring 3/4 sleeves and a button front.  This versatile and cute little sweater is perfect for all occasions, in fact I am rarely without one in the colder months!  Soft and stretchy, I wear a size 1X which hits me just at the waist, the sleeves are just below my elbow and this size has plenty of room for me to button it up without gaping should I desire more coverage.  I love to pair my Ye Mak Cropped Cardigans in complimentary colors with my novelty print dresses and skirts, they add a whole new dimension while keeping me cozy and warm. Truly one of my favorite pieces of clothing, I have these Cropped Cardigans in a ton of colors so I can match my outfit to my mood!

Secondly, I am reviewing the Pattern Cropped Cardigan.  This gorgeous sweater looks like it came out of my Grandmothers closet with the pretty vintage knit pattern and styling.  Ye Mak Sweater really took it to the next level with this one, I have a vintage cardigan that is very similar in pattern.  I was delighted with this style when I first saw it because it is so feminine and it is perfect for the majority of my WWII era events, it is period appropriate when looking just so is a must.  The Pattern Cropped Cardigan features a rounded neckline, puffed 3/4 sleeves, a button front and a pretty retro perfect knit pattern.  This sweater is a bit heavier and offers more coverage than the cropped cardigan, so it is perfect for looking pretty on even the coldest of winter days.  The size 1X is again the perfect fit on my figure, hitting me just below the waist and the sleeves hit just  couple inches above the wrist so this gives me more coverage.

Pretty as a picture in the Ye Mak Cropped Bolero Cardigan

Last, but certainly not least is the Short Sleeve Cropped Bolero Cardigan.  This petite pretty is my newest favorite, I just purchased a couple of these and I absolutely love them for the springtime and summer days when I need a little warmth but not too much.  This Ye Mak style is a cropped length cardi featuring pretty puffed short sleeves, a V neckline and a button up front.  Adorable and so feminine, this style is great for those days when a sleeveless dress is not enough, this cute little sweater adds just a touch of warmth and modesty.  I wear my normal Ye Mak size 1X in this style as well, I have found that Ye Mak sizing is very consistent so it is possible to wear the same size in most of their styles, this speaks highly of their quality control because sizing can vary so wildly in the clothing market.  I will also tell you these sweaters are STRETCHY so they are very forgiving, if you are looking for a more fitted look in any style I would suggest sizing down because they will stretch a long way!

My Ye Mak Sweater collection will just keep on getting bigger because every chance I get I am adding more colors so I can have fun putting together a multitude of outfits with my wardrobe!  I hope that my review has been helpful to you and I would love to hear about your haul from Ye Mak Sweater using my 50% off code: Briana-yemak-001, leave a comment below and let me know what you got and what outfits you have planned with your pretty new sweaters!