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....

Retro redecoration with Nostalgia Electrics!! Reviewing the Retro Series 3-in-1 Breakfast Station, Microwave and Toaster

Disclaimer: This blog features links that when clicked on and purchased from may result in a small commission for the owner of this website.

Hello everyone!  I know, it has been forever since I blogged.  I have been concentrating on things here at home and taking the time to plan and do some well needed repairs, updates, reorganization and redecorating in our home.  Personally, when my home is organized, clean and taken care of my mental health is better so I have been putting in the work to get things changed for the better.  We have been in our home for a long time and have not made any big renovations or updates.  It is hard to think of things like that when you are busy parenting but now that our son is 18, I find myself thinking of the not so distant future when it will just be the two of us in the house and it gets me dreaming of the possibilities.  This kitchen update is just the first step to take in creating my dream home where vintage meets modern in a practical and pretty way.

Today, I am reviewing three Retro Series products from Nostalgia Electrics.  I have always had a love of vintage decor, growing up close to my grandparents meant that I was always using vintage items.  Because they were raised during the Great Depression, if an item worked you used it until it needed repair or died completely so many of  my grandparents items were from the 1950's and 60's which started my love of retro decor.  This love of vintage items has given me a desire to collect and decorate my home with eclectic and unique items that make me smile each time I see them, many of the items are family items or have been gifted to me by family and friends which makes them even more special.

 Retro appliances are a different story than decor though, old plugs are a fire hazard and rewiring can be costly  and destructive to antique pieces so I was thrilled when I discovered the Retro Series from Nostalgia Electrics.  The Retro Series is a collection of appliances that are retro styled but feature the newest technology.   Nostalgia Electrics were kind enough to send over their Retro 3-in-1 Breakfast Station for me to review.  After I received the Breakfast Station, my husband and I fell absolutely in love so we decided it was high time to replace our 21 year old toaster (it was a wedding shower gift!!) and malfunctioning microwave with Retro Series appliances for a complete matching Nostalgia Electrics Set!

The Nostalgia Electrics 3-in-1 Breakfast Station is a handy little appliance!  It has a 3 cup coffee maker, griddle top and toaster oven.  Sturdy, infinitely useful and retro perfect, our family absolutely loves this machine.  We are constantly toasting sandwiches, mini pizzas and other tasty treats in the toaster oven.  The 3 cup coffee maker brews just the right amount of coffee for myself and my husband to enjoy.  The griddle is the perfect size for a quick breakfast and it also works well as a chafing dish to keep things warm as you finish cooking the rest of your meal.  This 3-in-1 machine gets so much use in our household but the toaster oven is definitely our favorite feature.  It is a small and compact appliance, so it is the perfect size for our family of 3.  It is easy to use and the multi feature aspect of this appliance makes it desirable as a space saver for people with smaller homes.  Three appliances in one, high quality and super stylish, I love my Nostalgia Retro Breakfast Station!

Retro style, modern convenience!

The Nostalgia Retro 3-in-1 Breakfast Station is as stylish as it is useful with it's Mid Century Modern style meets Modern convenience approach.  The aqua color is just right for the vintage style that I am looking for in my kitchen, it is a pretty shade that really stands out.  This machine is also the perfect size for smaller spaces, great in a camper or apartment where space is at a minimum.  I really cannot say enough great things about this appliance.  I found the Nostalgia Electrics Retro 3-in-1 Breakfast Station to be convenient to use, easy to clean up and perfectly retro styled!

Mini Pizzas are quick and easy in the Retro Breakfast Station toaster oven!

COFFEE!!!!!  My favorite food group!

Next, I am reviewing the Nostalgia Electrics Retro Microwave Oven.  We bought the largest available size from Nostalgia through Amazon, which is the 800 watt 0.9 cubic foot model.  I love the retro styling of this unit; the aqua color, chrome accents and round window make this a very attractive appliance.  Our old microwave was acting crazy so when the time came to replace it we were thrilled to kick it to the curb in favor of this super cute replacement.  Not only is this microwave adorable it is super handy with tons of great features such as a one touch 30 second express button, timed defrosting and easy programs for cooking all your fave foods fast.  The thing that really stands out about this microwave for me is how quiet it is, in my experience most microwaves have a very loud and annoying hum, this machine is so quiet you can barely tell that it is on.  I am so happy that we purchased this unit, it fits perfectly in our small home!

A Pinup in her element

Outfit from Pinup Girl Clothing

Retro mixed with modern makes a cozy and pretty kitchen that I love working in!

The final Nostalgia Electrics item I am reviewing is the Retro 2 Slice Toaster.  Having grown up with a thrifty mindset, I admit, we kept our dinosaur of a toaster much longer than we should have.  Although it worked, it barely toasted and half the time it would randomly burn things to a crisp so replacing it was way overdue!  I was thrilled when I pulled this chic appliance from the box to finally have a toaster that works properly and looks so adorable.  Aqua with white and chrome accents this toaster looks so vintage.  Easy to use and fast, it truly was eye opening to me how much time I was wasting using my old toaster just to save a few dollars.  Toast, Bagels, Frozen Toaster Strudels and more cook up fast and perfectly in this unit.  I have no complaints, I have been enjoying mornings filled with tasty fresh coffee and toasted bagels using my beautiful Nostalgia appliances.  Nostalgia Electrics has an incredible selection of retro and other products made to make your life not only more convenient but more fun!

Let's talk a little about my kitchen!  We have been in our home for 17 years, most of those years were spent busy in parenting so home decor was not something in the forefront of my mind.  Now that my son is 18 (HOW CAN THIS BE!!??) I am focusing more on making the house a place that is not only functional but also reflects our love of vintage.  I cannot put into words how happy it makes me to see the improvements that we have made in our kitchen.  Getting these new appliances motivated me to work on reorganizing cupboards, using existing items in creative ways and purging the things we no longer needed.  Our kitchen is in the center of our home so it is a room that we all spend a lot of time in, it is always a happy moment for me to walk into the kitchen and see the items that we have spent many years carefully collecting to make this room perfect.

 Although I have a few big changes left to make in the future such as repainting, new counter tops and replacing our aging carpet with laminate flooring, the kitchen is finished and this room is so cheerful!  Everywhere I look there are happy memories and treasured unique items, a lot of the items are family heirlooms.  The window is the center of the kitchen and the centerpiece of my window is a heart shaped Michigan map tile from Little Traverse Tileworks surrounded by pretty plants. I have a green thumb so we have plants in every room of our home, many of my plants were gifts, I even have a few plants that were my grandmother's and she passed away in 1998, so they are irreplaceable to me.  Plants make a cozy home and besides looking lovely they actually clean the air in your house!  My most treasured item is the Winnie The Pooh cookie jar, although beat up and losing it's paint, it is a treasure, it was the "magic cookie jar" at my grandparents house, magic to us because it was always full.  I am using a vintage tiered hanging produce basket as storage for various K-cups, this makes it easy to walk up and make a choice of drink.  My 40's era Breadbox was a gift from my mother, I use it to store Coffee and Tea so the counter is not too cluttered.  Other items have been picked up at local antique shops or have been gifted by friends who know that I have a passion for vintage.  I prefer curated "maximalism" in a world that prefers minimalism in decor, I simply love being surrounded by meaningful items that make our home a unique place filled with personality.  I cannot wait to get to work on the rest of the house because my vision for a retro paradise is incredible.  I hope you have enjoyed this peek into our home! 

 You can purchase these Nostalgia Electrics appliances and other vintage inspired products in my Amazon Affiliate Shop here: Sassy Scarlet

Plants make a house a home!

Our China cabinet filled with love and topped with pretty retro canisters

Home sweet Home

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!!