Raspberry and ruffles! Kiyonna Barcelona Wrap Dress Review

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Today, I am reviewing the Kiyonna Barcelona Wrap Dress in Raspberry Cooler, size 1x. The Barcelona Wrap Dress is a soft, flowing A-line wrap dress with ruffle accents and cold shoulder detailing. This dress is trendy in so many ways! Ruffles are really coming in this season, which thrills me because I love the flirty, feminine feel they give to clothing . I have also been seeing the cold shoulder style everywhere, from dresses to sweaters, its really hot! I had to try this dress because I am trying to modernize my wardrobe a bit, while I love retro styles, they are not always practical. The Barcelona Wrap Dress is perfect, modern but with a vintage vibe I love!

Outfit Details:
Dress: Barcelona Wrap Dress in Raspberry Cooler size 1x courtesy of Kiyonna
Earrings: Kendra Scott Sophee Drop Earrings in Silver c/o Rocksbox
Bracelet: Kendra Scott Candice Cuff in Silver c/o Rocksbox
Shoes: Mudd Plaid Peep Toe Flats-Thrifted
Photography: Tedd Gorman

This dress is lovely, very comfortable, and compliments my figure. I am wearing a size 1x, which feels perfect, the polyester spandex blend material has just the right amount of stretch for a flattering yet comfortable fit. The bodice wraps you in ruffles, ties at the waist to give shape then flares into a skirt that flows beautifully over your curves. The construction of the dress is high quality, the material is sturdy and it doesn't cling as some wrap dresses tend to do.

   

The style of this dress makes it very versatile, it's a great dress to wear for a day spent adventuring or to a dressy dinner party. I wore my Barcelona Wrap Dress for a fun day with my bestie in St. Joseph, Michigan, we took advantage of some unseasonably warm fall weather by exploring the shoreline of Lake Michigan.

The Barcelona Wrap Dress is a great dress for this time of year when the weather is cool and crisp in the morning but afternoons can get quite warm. The sleeves provide good coverage, hitting me just at the elbow and the barrel sleeve style is very flattering as well as comfortable, no pulling or binding around the arm. Raspberry Cooler is a perfect shade for Autumn, a muted yet rich berry. It's adorable with cute flats, heels or you could warm it up for autumn with a pair of knee high boots. I styled my Barcelona Wrap Dress with matching plaid peep toe flats and pretty silver jewelry from Rocksbox for a modern, casual look. This dress is dreamy and feminine as well as trendy and flattering, exactly what I'm looking for in my wardrobe! Thanks Kiyonna!!

Taking Chances! Kiyonna Valentina Illusion Dress Review

It has been a while since I blogged!  I've been busy with family matters, we had a few setbacks regarding medication and getting my husband's mental health stabilized.  It's a journey for us, learning to navigate life with Kevin's diagnosis, Dr. visits and trying to find the right medication.  I am happy to say things are going very well now, we have been enjoying family time, working on our home and being outside in the beautiful Michigan summer.  I have taken a bit of a break to enjoy some well earned peace on the home front but I have missed blogging!!

Today,  I am completely stepping outside my comfort zone.  I have always been self conscious about my weight, my extreme hourglass shape and the size of my butt.  I was teased pretty mercilessly as a kid, called "bubble butt" among other terrible things.  From then on, I always wore baggy clothing trying to disguise the fact that I was larger than other girls of my age group and even if I wasn't larger my body shape was so much different.  I have fought with my body image so much over the years and still struggle, but the main reason that I started this blog was so I could help people face this body shaming society head on and stop the cycle of hurt!  I have gained so much confidence the last couple years as I have begun dressing in pinup styles and finally feel like I have clothing that shows the flair of my personality.  Even though I have been loving my new style and feel glorious, I still feel the need to try and step outside my personal box every now and again.  I rarely take chances with my wardrobe, I am a matchy-matchy, play it safe kinda gal.  I always choose what I believe will be the most flattering shape on my body type and generally shy away from sexier, fitted styles.  However, I kept finding myself drawn to the wiggle dress shape, knowing that it is a classic wardrobe piece that is perfect for elegant occasions, I really wanted to get over my fear!

I have been eyeing the Valentina Illusion Dress for some time but kept making the safe choices afraid, what if I got the dress and hated it on myself?  When the dress arrived and I pulled it out of the package, I looked at it and thought, there is NO WAY I can squeeze myself into that, I was way to scared of ripping or damaging the dress to even try!  I put it back into the package, intending to send Kiyonna an e-mail stating that I could not fit into it but Kevin told me that I had better at least try it on, which I admit I was pretty reluctant to do!  It fit perfectly!  I was still pretty apprehensive about how tightly the dress fit so I had Kevin take a quick cell phone shot for me and I was blown away at how I looked!!

The Kiyonna Valentina Illusion Dress in Black/Blush is THE perfect dress for any occasion when you want to look drop dead gorgeous, turn heads and feel lushly sexy.  This dress glides over your curves and caresses your body perfectly!  The ruching along the front of the dress disguises any trouble areas and adds a glamorous touch. I love how contrasting black lace shapes the body and enhances the curves, I felt dangerously curvy in this dress.  I am wearing Spanx Higher Power Shorts underneath the dress for extra smoothing, but this dress does not require shape wear because there is great stretch in the material.  The black really exaggerates your body's natural shape and makes this dress so very sexy.  Black lace sleeves are the perfect length slimming the arms and adding glamour.  The cross over bust is a great feature that flatters and can easily be adjusted to show more or less skin as desired.  I chose to accessorize very simply, I felt the dress itself is a statement piece and I wanted it to really shine!

Dress: Valentina Illusion Dress in Black/Blush size 2X courtesy of Kiyonna
Earrings: Pearl Drops by Ceci Punch Designs
Photographer: Tedd Gorman
Location: The historic Whitcomb in gorgeous downtown St. Joseph Michigan

I rarely do sexy, I usually feel like a bouncy princess but sexy is not a huge part of my character.  But I am trying to get comfortable with the fact that I deserve to look and feel sexy on the occasions when I desire to!!  I felt self conscious at first, wondering if maybe someone would look at me funny or God forbid say something rude, but I recieved only very appreciative glances and compliments as I was wearing it!  This dress made me feel like a femme fatale, a friend said I looked like Jessica Rabbit and I think that compliment was spot on.  I really felt sultry, like a glamorous beauty straight out of old Hollywood!  It is always surprising to me how rewarding stepping outside my comfort zone can be.  I may not get a ton of chances to wear something so elegant but I am planning to wear this glorious dress any occasion I get because I love everything about it.  Thank you Kiyonna for once again making me look and feel amazing!!

Cheery Cherries! Dolly and Dotty May Dress review

Its a beautiful May morning here in Michigan.  The sun is up, birds are singing and the world is alive; green with leaves and fragrant flowers blooming that scent the breeze with delight!

Today I am reviewing the adorable May Dress by Dolly and Dotty.  Dolly and Dotty make fabulous retro inspired dresses to fit the modern woman.  Carrying a variety of vintage styles, fun prints and available in sizes 8-24, Dolly and Dotty have something for everyone!

Dress: May Swing Dress in Black Cherry, Courtesy of  Dolly and Dotty
Petticoat: Jennifer Petticoat in Red by Malco Modes
Stockings: Magic Stockings in Natural C/O The Big Tights Company
Photos: Put A Smile In It Photography (in their fab Tiki Set!)
MUAH: Ashley Leathead

 The May Swing Dress in Black Cherry is a bright bold pop of juicy cherries with a flattering vintage inspired design.  May features a V-neck wrap top design tapering to a belted waist and a generous full circle skirt.  I am wearing a size18 here.  The fit is good overall but I feel that the bodice is a bit loose on me and since the material has a fair amount of stretch, I could have easily gone a size down.  The Dolly and Dotty dress fit is generous compared to many UK brands I have encountered.  The dress included both a white and black fabric belt to match and I love this addition because it lets you make the decision which color belt you would prefer with your dress.

 The skirt is a full circle with plenty of twirling potential!  I am wearing the Malco Modes Jennifer Petticoat in Red with my May dress here, it looks lovely and adds a nice shape to the skirt but the material drapes nicely even without a petticoat.   This skirt is definitely large enough to accommodate a larger crinoline or petticoat, depending on your fullness preference.

The Black Cherry print is such a fun bold pattern.  The bright cherries just pop against the black background accented with white dots.  Cherries are celebrated here in Michigan so this dress reminds me of my home state and my favorite juicy treats so I feel positively delicious wearing it!  The May Dress is high quality, fun to wear, comfortable and available in many different prints which makes it a perfect addition to any closet.  I am impressed with the quality and style of Dolly and Dotty!!  I have my eyes on several other color ways of the May dress because I need to add more easy breezy summer dresses to my wardrobe that give me that beautiful vintage feeling.  What is your favorite May Dress?

Christmas elegance! Blueberry Hill Fashions Santa Baby Dress Review

I had a magical Holiday season!  I enjoyed time spent with family, fun with friends, ate good food and received some fabulous gifts that I cannot wait to share and review.  I had a ton of fun choosing my outfits for the holiday season and I will be reviewing several of the pieces this week.  I like to mix unique one of a kind vintage pieces with new items to create a look all my own.  I spent a lot of time combing my favorite local antique shops for kitschy Christmas items to give my wardrobe flare.

Vintage Brooches and Earrings found at The Intersection, my favorite local antique store!

 I found several Christmas brooches,  pretty earrings and a fabulous poinsettia embellished net apron that was begging to be worn!  We are a one income family so I cannot spend a lot on the things that I wear but I manage pinup on a budget.  My secret: I save for good base pieces and my favorites, then, I search local thrift and antique stores to accessorize.

The Santa Baby Dress from Blueberry Hill Fashions is an adorable red strapless swing dress with white piping detail.  The color is slightly darker than crimson red, which is flattering on most skin tones.  Made from a sturdy weight Polyester material that has a light amount of stretch, Santa Baby is a flattering dress with lovely fit.  I am wearing a size 20 and I feel that it is just the right fit.  I generally avoid strapless dresses and honestly have never worn one in a winter ensemble before but I have been growing in my personal style and wanted to try it!  

 Photos: Renee Ricket Photography
Location: Julie's Salon in Edmore, Michigan

Dress: Santa Baby c/o Blueberry Hill Fashions

Tights: Plus Size Nylon Lycra Tights in Emerald Green c/o We Love Colors

Makeup and Hair by Sassy Scarlet

Cosmetics: Physician's Formula 

Lipstick: Red Velvet (1946) by Besame Cosmetics

This was a step outside my comfort zone however, the dress looked lovely!  It was also pretty paired with a white cardigan, I liked having a bit more coverage when at our family Christmas Party.  I feel that the sturdy material and construction of the dress make it stay put a bit better on me than other strapless dresses.  The bodice is lined so it has some shaping and structure, even a busty gal like me can wear it with confidence! 

A cardigan makes things a bit more casual.

I love the flattering shape, the bodice tapers to a wide waistband and a generous full circle skirt.  I am wearing a vintage 120 yard cream petticoat underneath, giving the skirt a lovely graceful bell shape that made me feel like a Christmas Fairy Princess, but the full circle skirt makes a nice swish even without a petticoat underneath.  The Emerald Green Plus Tights from We Love Colors were the perfect compliment to the outfit giving a delightfully Christmas pop of green.  Tights are a comfortable, cute and affordable way to take your summer dresses into the colder months as well as adding a fun pop of color to your outfits, I will be reviewing We Love Colors Tights this week as well, stay tuned! 

I love this ensemble so much, I felt beautiful and elegant!!

Santa Baby is perfect for holiday looks but us also a fabulous base for many pinup ensembles.  This dress will be a staple in my wardrobe!  I will be wearing it in nautical inspired looks this coming summer and I really look forward to all of the fun outfits, I will be able to put together with this gloriously versatile dress!!

Tuesday Treasures: A Very Vintage Christmas!

Christmas already!!??  It's hard to believe that this year is nearly over, it went so fast!!  I had a whirlwind year of adventures that made time simply fly by, so here we are two days from Christmas, my favorite holiday of the year!  I have fond memories of the magic and warmth of Christmas.  Decorations, memorable childhood gifts and the presence of loved ones, many of whom have now passed away.  We spent a lot of time at my Grandparents home when I was a child and this shaped my taste in Christmas decor.  Many of the decorations that my Grandparents had were mid century decor from the 50's and 60's.  This developed in me a love for the unique, kitschy and bright however I also love shabby chic, victorian and art nouveau decor in my home so our house and our Christmas decor is an eclectic mix of styles from many eras.  Today's Tuesday Treasures blog is a virtual Christmas tour through my home highlighting my favorite pieces of Christmas decor from all time periods.  Each piece has a story, where I found it, why it has meaning to me and of course the actual history of the item itself.  Enjoy!

 Here is our Living Room decked out for Christmas.  We have two Christmas trees because I just cannot fit all of my Christmas spirit on one!  We have a 6 foot artificial pine and an Aluminum pom pom sparkler tree.  Both trees are filled with ornaments that have meaning to us, we try to collect an ornament each year but honestly we end up with many more than that as we both love antiques and searching through the stores together is something we can spend hours together doing, I love it!  I adore sitting here by the trees and our little faux fireplace wrapped in my furry blanket relaxing with a hot cup of cocoa.  I love interesting things and when they all have memories it makes a home happy indeed, so I have little touches of Christmas in every room!

 My Favorite thing on our large tree are these Vintage Celluloid Icicles-circa 1950's. I am lucky to have eleven of these pretty celluloid icicles that were my Grandmother's, they give an outdoorsy touch.  I love the magic that they lend to our tree which is decorated with cream, gold, and silver.  All sorts of whimsical ornaments, red birds, stars and fanciful things that make my heart soar!

 Vintage "Sputnik" Ornament circa 1950's.  Everything space was huge in the 50's, so these sputnik ornaments are the cutest in mid century kitsch.  I love how it sparkles!  I am definitely going to be on the lookout for more, we found this while browsing the local antique mall and both fell in love!

Our Christmas Tree holds pieces of our lives and memories from each Christmas we have spent together.  It has been a tradition since our very first Christmas as a couple in 1998 to listen to the Celine Dion- These Are The Special Times Christmas CD while decorating the tree and I love the conversations that always go along with it!  I have tried to uphold these traditions and have added more along the way as we became a family in 2000 and as our son Lennon has grown, Christmas has always been a magical time in our household!!

The Sparkler Aluminum Pom Pom Christmas Tree-Circa 1966.  My Uncle purchased this tree shortly before he left for the Vietnam War, somewhere over the years it ended up in my Grandmother's annex storage, when I was 16 I wanted to deck my bedroom for the holidays and asked my Grandma for a Christmas tree, thus the Sparkler became mine. 

I LOVE this tree, its so eclectic and fun, I love putting colorful mercury glass ornaments on it and I am always seeking new pretties for my vintage tree.  I found the multicolored starburst cover lights at a local thrift shop and they add lovely colors but I am going to invest in a color wheel for next Christmas, so I can have the true retro effect!

 Lefton December Angel-Circa 1950's.  My Grandmother had many of these Lefton angels when I was little.  I will always remember when she finally gave me her April Angel, because that is my birthday month and because she made me wait until I was old enough to care for such a delicate figurine.  I found December at my favorite local antique store and she won my heart with her pretty poinsettias and golden halo, I knew she would look perfect sitting with my photos of Grandma and Grandpa.

Keeping watch over the living room on our fireplace mantel are these Christmas Elf Vases-Circa 1960's.  My Mom found these guys at Goodwill, the kitsch lover in me squealed.  I knew I had to have them but I will admit, they are a slight bit creepy but a lot of great retro Christmas decor is!  These "Creepy Elvis Twins" adorn each side of our fireplace mantel every Christmas on their matching plastic poinsettia doilies, that I picked up at a local thrift store for 25 cents!  The cutesy little Christmas Mice are from the 60s and were in a box of awesome retro Christmas decor given to me when I was a teen, by my Mom's best friend.

 Antique Santa Plate-Age Unknown.  Another Goodwill find, this antique Santa plate is something I found our very first Christmas married in 1998 and I knew that I had to have it for serving Christmas cookies!
 

Vintage Santa Circa Early 1900's.  Gift from the sweet Inge, owner of my favorite local antique shop.

Vintage Santa Night Light-Age Unknown.  Found at our local antique mall.

 Antique Santa figures are something that I have just recently become interested in adding to my collection.  It all started with Warren.  I met Warren at church during a very hard time in my life, we were both needing companionship and formed a father/daughter like bond that blessed us both greatly.  He was 84 years old at the time, a big sturdy gentleman with a heart of gold, warm firm hugs and a mischievous twinkle in his eye.  We bonded instantly because I loved hearing his tales of days gone by, I heard about the adventures he had experienced his time in the service during the WWII Era, he reminisced about his beloved late wife and he shared the wisdom learned in a long life.  We were blessed to have Warren as a guest at our home last Christmas and he brought with him a gift, an Antique German Santa Claus Figurine dating from the late 1800's. I cherish this Santa and he stays out year round in memory of Warren, who sadly passed away in the summer of this year.  I began researching and picking up cute vintage Santa's as a result of this gift and the fond memories it gives me.  I love how each person touches our lives and leaves their fingerprints!

Grandma's Christmas Trees!  These two trees are both very thrilling additions to our Christmas decor collection and both were found after hunting for a good deal but it is always worth holding off to find just the right item for you when buying vintage! 

The St. Nick Christmas Tree by Arthur Hahn Company-Circa 1950's  was a decoration my Grandmother Beatrice always had in her kitchen at Christmas.  I remember this cute little bottle brush tree lit with its bright pastel lights gleaming from the heavily snow flocked white branches, it always evoked visions of magic in my young mind.  My Grandmother's original tree was sadly destroyed but I went searching and found this one on E-bay that is an exact replica of Grandma's.  I have had it for about 10 years now and unfortunately the vintage lights stopped working but it's still lovely.  It brings back an exact vision in my head of my beloved Grandparents kitchen!! 

This handmade Green Ceramic Christmas Tree-Circa 1960's, is the newest addition to our collection and my big Christmas gift from my husband this year!  I remember the Green Ceramic Tree that was in the home of my Grandma Marvin, who lived on Horseshoe Lake just around the corner from my Mother's Parents home on Lake Montcalm.  I grew up in a small picturesque rural area with lush forests, wildlife and clusters of picturesque lakes, the natural beauty of Michigan is breathtaking.  It was so fun when I was a kid to be able to walk from Grandma to Grandma to get spoiled by both and it also turned me into an old soul, as I was influenced by a different generation, this translated into my vintage tastes as an adult.  Grandma Marvin always had her big Green Ceramic Christmas Tree as the centerpiece of her kitchen table.  I remember trying so hard to sleep on Christmas Eve, when I was about 6 or 7 years old.  I remember staring at the pretty colored lights from the tree trying, in vain, to lull my excitement!! My husband Kevin and I have been looking for a ceramic tree for several years, we were lucky to win this one in an auction at a local antique mall and I am still in a bit of disbelief that after years of searching it's finally ours!  Christmastimes when I was a little girl were always a treat because we could start the morning at Grandma and Grandpa's opening gifts there and then go just around the corner to open more at Grandma Marvin's or vice versa, I loved having my Grandparents close and their vintage tastes influence me to this day!

I love having little touches of Christmas all over the house.  I picked up these cute plastic candle rings circa the 1960's at our local antique mall to add a little touch of nature. 

 I hope you have enjoyed this little peek into our home at Christmastime.  What is your favorite piece of Christmas Decor in your collection?  Follow me on Instagram and Facebook for tons of Christmas fun to come!

Vendula Funky Handbags- Beauty Salon Box Bag Review

What a lovely day it is here in Michigan, the unseasonable warmth has given way to a bit of snow so I am holding out hope for a white Christmas!  I have been getting everything looking lovely with lots of new vintage additions to my Christmas decor collection this year, stay tuned because I will be posting a big Tuesday Treasures blog filled with Retro Christmas goodness!!!  I have so many great new photos and a couple of holiday dress reviews coming soon, be sure to follow me on Facebook and Instagram for the whole scoop!

Today I am reviewing the Beauty Shop Box Bag in Rose Pink from Vendula.  Vendula have a great selection of funky handbags and unique accessories in a variety of adorable and delightful styles.  I fell in love with so many of their designs and when I contacted them, Vendula were kind enough to send me a bag to review for you.  While I love all of their stylish and interesting bags, I chose the Beauty Salon Box Bag because I could not resist the adorable cats getting all dolled up in the Beauty Salon plus I already own the adorable Voodoo Vixen Kitty Dress and matching Isabella Cardigan (review coming soon!!) and I knew this trio would be absolutely purrfect! 

 Photos: Jeremy McNamara
Bag: Beauty Salon Box Bag in Rose Pink courtesy of Vendula
Editing, Makeup and Hair: Briana Herzog
Dress: Voodoo Vixen Kitty
Cardigan: Voodoo Vixen Isabella
Lipstick: Red Velvet (1946) Besame Cosmetics

Immediately out of the box, I noticed the bright colors, fun subject matter and bold details on the bag.  The Vendula Beauty Salon Bag pictures appliqued black cats in a fun and action packed Beauty Salon scene.


Our first Lady Cat, complete with a pink bow in her hair having her nails painted red by a stylist cat. Behind her are the usual Beauty Salon items, a mirror and an advertisement featuring a model kitty with crazy on trend candy striped hair! To the right is another cat complete with a towel on her head, green face pack on and slices of cucumber on her eyes, she's reading a magazine and enjoying a pedicure in true Beauty Salon pampering style. To the left, we have the shop front door with an applique open sign and door knob. The salon is beautifully decorated with adorable applique hanging baskets and fabric flowers with the trademark striped canopy.  The back of the bag pictures an old fashioned street lamp, bicycle perched against. In true Vendula humor, ‘Bill Posters Will Be Prosecuted’ and in spray painted graffiti underneath the words ‘Bill posters is INNOCENT!!’ and it would not be a complete street scene without the London red Telephone box!

The purse is roomy, lined with Vendula London print fabric and featuring a zip pocket inside.  Vendula Bags are made of sturdy animal friendly faux leather and bright synthetics so you do not have to worry about harming our animal friends for fashion!  I am impressed with the feel of the bag, it is very well made, of high quality materials that will stand up well to daily use.

 The long adjustable moc-croc strap is cute and makes it easy to carry over your shoulder or slung across as a messenger bag if you need your bag kept more secure.  The bag and strap feature contrast green stitching that I just love against the brilliant pink and black colors.  The design if the bag makes it a visual delight and I have had fun seeing peoples reactions to it.  Everyone wants a closer look at this adorable bag!    Vendula Bags are unique, high quality and ethically made, practically purrfect in every way!  Which design by Vendula is your choice??