Big O' Flowers

Today was busy, busy. I had orientation today to be a substitute teacher. It looks like it should be a good way to test myself as a teacher and to see if I should get my certification as I am a little on the fence at the moment. It also gave me the chance to wear a dress that I had previously ordered and blogged about. It just seemed like the perfect occasion for the outfit that I hadn't had a place to wear since I received it about 3 weeks ago.

Okay, about the dress. When I first got it I LOVED it & HATED it at the same time. The fit is weird...really, really weird. The top & around the waist of the dress is too big, almost sack like, but is then a little snug around the hips, not so much when standing or walking around, but a bit snug when sitting. It's almost like it's widest point is at the shoulders and then it tapers down to the bottom. It's actually quite hard to explain, think upside down triangle. The final odd thing about the dress is that it is about 3 inches shorter in the back than the front, which I didn't notice at first until my husband pointed it out. It's not really a problem as the dress hits just at the knees on my 6ft frame, so there is a little room for some up and down. However, I did find myself tugging at it throughout the day.

In the end I was able to hide the awkward shape with a belt (what can't be fixed with a belt?) & ended up absolutely LOVING the dress. It has the best print of anything I have ever owned. What is particularly great about this dress is that it can be made to look very professional without looking stuffy and dull. I also love the hourglass shape that is achieved with the belt. I am going to say that this one is a winner.

As you can see, I paired the dress with a simple cardigan and earrings. On a side note, looking back at my recent blog posts, I have been wearing the hell out my teal cardigan, but it's such a great color that goes with pretty much everything I own.

Earrings worn in the above post

Outfit Details:
Dress: Old Navy 
Cardigan: Target
Earrings: DIY

Birds of a Feather

Well, it's been a little bit since I last made a post. Been a tad busy lately making jewelry and working part time as a substitute teacher. I've worn cute outfits, but haven't been keeping up with the photo taking, so shame on me. I did however have a little time today.

Sorry for the blurry photo.

My super cheap Target shoes

New Pretty Penny Mae jewelry

Not the most exciting outfit today, just something comfortable and easy.

Dress: Old Navy 
Cardigan: Old Navy Men's
Shoes: Target (on sale for $6.00!)
Earrings: DIY

I made 3 sets of the earrings above, 1 I kept for myself, but the other 2 pairs are on my Etsy shop. All of the earrings are FREE SHIPPING within the United States! Below are the 2 styles I have at the moment.

Both pair available at: http://www.etsy.com/shop/PrettyPennyMae

Bicycles & Spinach Pie

Today is going to be my errand day. I've already gone to the post office, pet shop, and grocery store, now all that's left is the craft shop & to pack up the dog and visit my folks for the weekend. I end up spending the night at my parents house once a week to give my husband a little man time and our cat a break from the dog. Plus, I really enjoy it, my folks are VERY funny people, so it's always a riot. Tonight my dad is working late so I'm going to cook my mother some Mexican Spinach Pie. It's my favorite thing to make, kind of like a quiche, but the crust is made from tortillas and it is rather spicy. Yumm!

Today's outfit is simple, no patterns, just color, khaki & teal.

Outfit Details:
Dress: Target
Cardigan: Target
Necklace: DIY

I like the necklace but am not thrilled on how it hangs, but that being said. I still like the size and the feel of it.

Floods & Pirate Ships

Well, it has been a soggy few days, floods and all. My husband was off today so we went out for burgers and craft supplies. I bought a bunch of stuff to make necklaces and my husband picked up a pirate ship hook rug kit. It's pretty funny and should be great when finished.
I received my ASOS dress in the mail yesterday so I thought I would give it a go today. You may recognize it from the We Are Large, People blog. When I originally ordered it I did so because I liked the lace detail on the front, but I wasn't sure about how the dress would hang on my figure. I have to say I like it a lot. When I first opened it I was put off with the initial feel of the fabric, but after wearing it on such a humid day I really appreciated how light it was. It's a girly dress that you can dress up or down, which is always a plus.

 

Since I took this photo with a self timer I couldn't get the bottom of the dress, but it's about 3 inches above the knee. It's the perfect length to wear with or without tights.

I've been working on necklaces for my Etsy shop, which is the same name as the blog. I haven't posted any of the pieces yet, but here is a sneak peak of what will be for sale. These necklaces are each one of a kind and the images from a 1960s text book behind double sided glass.

Each frame is 2in X 2in with a 20in chain

Left: Cabins and Lonely Donkey
Right: The Birds

The below photo is the back side of the above.

Back of above necklaces

Vertical 1in x 2in    Square 2in x 2in

Vertical: Prairie Series
Square: Childhood Dangers (I'm keeping this one for myself)

Back of above necklaces

If anyone sees one that they like before I get the shop going, let me know & we'll work something out.

Sew Difficult!

Today I decided to tackle hemming a dress that I've had for months, but never worn. To begin with, I don't have a sewing machine and I've never hemmed a dress. I have to say, it went pretty well...in the front. There was a bit of an issue with the back and now it is a bit short, well, really short in the back, like 2 inches below my flat butt short. If I was shorter I don't think it would be such an issue, but I'm 6ft tall, so I'm showing A LOT of leg. I'm going to figure out a way to add some extra fabric or maybe just buy a frilly slip to wear underneath.

This is how the dress looked before. Dresses below the knee are really unflattering for me, so it had to be shorter.

After

This is how the dress looked after. I think I look flustered in this photo, which was the case. The dress does looks a lot better, and is a great length in the front, but the back is near pornographic, (I couldn't get a photo that would explain my point). I  considered returning the dress once I received it but I just thought it had such potential and nice details, so I couldn't bare to take it back. That being said, I've got a little more work to go, but I think I'm going the right direction and has been great practice for me.

Close up of the detail

 
Dress: Old Navy Plus 
Cardigan: Old Navy 
Belt: Target 
Leggings: Torrid