Back to school cool! My review of Karina Dresses Style Academy Collection featuring the Nora Dress in On Point

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Hello everyone, I am feeling fabulous!  It is just about fall here in Michigan, the leaves are turning, the weather is cooler and apple cider is being sold at our local orchards.  Fall is my favorite time of year so I am looking forward to having a fantastic season.

Today, I am reviewing the Karina Dresses Nora Dress in On Point print.  Karina Dresses newest collection, Style Academy, features fall perfect prints in crisp bright colors that are great for back to school, days at the office, casual time out and all occasions. I chose the Nora Dress in On Point print because I absolutely adore novelty prints and the Nora is such a classic, comfortable style.  The Nora Dress features a wrap bodice, banded waist, shirred shoulders, gathered back, pockets and a full skirt.  I love this style, it is super flattering and curve creating. I am wearing the Nora Dress in On Point print in size XXL, fit is perfect.  Stretchy but flattering with a nice flow to the skirt.  The top is flattering and modest, the shirred detailing at the shoulders is a pretty and feminine touch that gives the dress a unique retro feel.  The banded waistband emphasizes the waist giving a curvy silhouette.  Length hits me a few inches below the knees, I am petite at 5'2" so this dress is a bit longer on my short frame.  The Nora Dress also features pockets, an incredibly thoughtful addition that makes this already great dress even better.  I love having pockets in my dresses so I have the option when I am out to carry a purse or leave my purse at home and carry my necessities in the pockets.

This new Karina Dresses signature print, On Point, is a fun twist on the retro novelty print featuring pop art pencils in white and yellow on a bright blue background.  I love novelty prints because they are so fun to accessorize, this On Point print would be especially great for teachers or students.  I had a lovely time shooting these photos at the Gaffield School House at the Montcalm County Heritage Village in Sydney, Michigan.  This historic one room school house made the perfect backdrop to showcase this scholarly pencil print.  I accessorized my Karina Dresses Nora Dress with a white vintage hat, matching vintage hoop earrings in yellow, bangles in yellow and white, white beaded vintage purse, a white cardigan, classic black and white heels and a shiny apple brooch.  It was such a fun dress to style, I love that you can play with the different colors and put together themed outfits.  I was going for a pretty teacher style look, I imagined myself as a teacher from a bygone era welcoming my students back.

Karina Dresses microfiber material is stretchy but with structure so it fits your curves without clinging in an unflattering way.  As with all Karina Dresses, this Nora Dress is hassle free, the microfiber material requires no maintenance and does not wrinkle so you can roll, fold, pack or even wad this dress in a ball and it will look as if it is brand new out of the package.  This dress is so vintage perfect, it reminds me of the effortlessly stylish day dresses of the 1940's era, a classic design that will never go out of style.  Chic on it's own or styled with a cozy cardigan, the Nora Dress is versatile and fun to wear.  Fabulous signature prints, effortlessly stylish designs and hassle free material, Karina Dresses will always keep you looking sharp!

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....

Life's a dream! My review of the Kiyonna Daydream Maxi Dress. Happy 23rd Anniversary to Kiyonna!

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Hello All!  Tonight, I am reviewing the Kiyonna Daydream Maxi Dress.  This boho confection is a romantic date night dream, perfect for a casual day event or a date night out on the town.  I also want to congratulate Kiyonna and celebrate their anniversary!!  Kiyonna is 23 years old this month and as a way to celebrate Kiyonna is giving back to their loyal customers with a big sale!  You can use coupon code 23YEARS to save 30% off your order of $100 or more, PLUS many of Kiyonna's best selling items are on sale for up to 50% off at Kiyonna.com.  Happy Anniversary, Kiyonna!!  Thank you for giving us plus size gals consistently beautiful garments designed to fit our bodies perfectly, thank you for helping us look and feel as glorious as we are!

Happy 23rd Anniversary, Kiyonna!

The Kiyonna Daydream Maxi Dress is a two piece maxi consisting of a solid black under dress and a textured chiffon overdress printed in a bohemian style floral pattern of white, blue and pink.  The bodice is a wrap style bordered in scalloped lace, a stretch lace band at the waistline gives this dress a lovely shape that is very curve enhancing.  The dress also features a pretty tie back, full, flowing sleeves and a long full skirt.  The skirt is gathered at the bottom giving the illusion of being one huge ruffle, this feminine and flowing style feels as dreamy as it looks.  I wore my Daydream Maxi Dress for an evening date, it was a bit different than my normal full pinup 50's style and my husband Kevin was very vocal about how much he loved this more laid back romantic look!

I am wearing my normal Kiyonna size, 2X which is an 18/20.  This dress fits me perfectly with just enough room to flow nicely.  The slip underdress is comfortable and soft providing coverage under the sheer bubble crepe of the top half.  The tie back feature is a pretty, romantic touch that is also practical, it allows you to tie the dress to adjust how the wrap style top fits and keep the dress from falling off your shoulders.  The sleeves are full and flowing providing nice coverage,.  This is a very long dress on me of course but although I am petite, I LOVE maxi dresses.  My second love in fashion next to pinup is bohemian, hippie style clothing so maxi dresses are another passion of mine.  I always wear heels or wedges when we go out because at 5'2' most maxi dresses hit the ground on me but I will confess, in a more casual setting, I love to throw off my shoes and enjoy how the dress feels flowing romantically around my feet.  This Daydream Maxi Dress is ethereal, just like the name says, it feels like a flowing daydream to wear.

The Kiyonna Daydream Maxi Dress has a beautiful bohemian floral pattern with shades of blue, white and pink.  I chose to play up the pink and blue of this pattern with my accessories by wearing a pink hair flower, bold blue floral statement earrings, pink cateye bohi  sunglasses and I finished my outfit with black peep toe wedge sandals.  Kevin and I had a lovely time walking the streets of historic Greenville, Michigan.  They have been working hard on revamping their historic downtown area and they have really made it look inviting.  The pretty blooming flower beds and artwork delighted us as we walked around town, I kicked off my shoes and frolicked barefoot in a cute little pocket park, then we enjoyed a delicious dinner at a local restaurant.  I was date night perfect in my Daydream Maxi Dress, I received a ton of compliments on the dress from my husband and a few other people, what a head turner!

Outfit Details
Dress: Daydream Maxi Dress size 2X C/O Kiyonna
Glasses: Clip On Set #5030 in Pink Tortoiseshell C/O Zenni Optical
Earrings: Walmart
Hair Flower: Daisy Jean Floral
Makeup: Tarte
Lipstick: American Beauty by Besame Cosmetics

Don't forget to pick up the Kiyonna Daydream Maxi Dress and load up on your Kiyonna favorites during their incredible 23rd anniversary sale.  What are you going to pick up first?

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!

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

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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!