Inspired by Yellow

Some friends and I went to see "Knight and Day" last week,and one of my pals couldn't stop gushing about the yellow dress Cameron Diaz wore in the film.  She wanted to run right out and shop for the perfect yellow dress.

I have never owned a yellow dress.  Ever.  Come to think of it, a yellow anything.  'Cause I'm half Japanese, and yellow is not flattering if you have an underlying yellowish tint to your skin.  But if I could wear yellow, here's a sampling of what I'd choose...

Vintage-inspired dresses are fabulous.  I could see wearing this with heels, flats, a cardigan on a cooler day, and with slacks underneath (one of my favorite ways to wear a shorter dress!)

Image by Tshahel

A romantic dress in pale yellow, so dreamy!  I changed into a dress similar to this for my wedding reception.  A Bulgarian fashion designer and I collaborated on the dress, and she whipped it together right before my return to the States!   It was light and airy, just perfect for the amount of dancing we had planned for our reception.

Image by Jennifer Buehrer

Smocked, empire waisted dresses are practically a staple in my wardrobe!  This shorter length with the layers of fabric is a must have for sure.  This dress may convert me to wearing yellow, even if I have to endure a spray tan or do whatever to look great in it!

Image by Shawn Lavery

Lilah, dear, this post is for you!

A Celebration of Certain Blues

It's probably quite obvious, with the new background and header on my blog,

that I am obsessed with the lighter, whimsical yet rich shades of blue.

Teal, Turquoise, Robin's Egg Blue...

I am quite the admirer of the pops of color and visual interest

these color variations add.

After lamenting the fact that I wasn't connecting with the thrift stores in my town,

I came across a store called "The Unique Thrift Store" about 20 minutes away.

Whoo Hoo!  And they've got a ton of treasures,

like this marvelous candlestick.

These birds, originally dark brown, were found in the Dollar Store 

and spruced up with Robin's Egg Blue craft paint.

Though Easter was months ago, I still have some eggs out and about.

Inexpensive plastic eggs are great to experiment with...

Cream and Robin's Egg Blue craft paint 

and wrapping with Black Jute twine,

Or with Turquoise raffia.

Details on a decorative pillow.

And finally, my favorite ring and earrings.

The ring was my grandmother's,

and the earrings were purchased in Maine.

They both add that certain je ne sais quoi factor

to an outfit.

Wire Cage Revamp and Hair Accessories

Totally inspired by the whimsical decor (especially the centerpieces made of tomato cages) by MayDae, I gathered up twine, burlap, potpourri, old candleholders and a wire cage found on clearance to make my version.

First, I wrapped a glass candleholder with black jute twine and used it to elevate the wider brown candleholder inside the cage.  After a layer of dried moss, I filled in the base of the candlesticks with potpourri.  The wire cage is finished off with twine wrapped the long way around it, two burlap flowers and a ribbon at the top.

A close-up of one of the burlap flowers I made...

some have loops of twine to added to the back like the flower above.   

I made massive amount of flowers with whatever fabric scraps I had - 

here's a great tutorial from Made By The Mama Monster. 

More of the dried moss and potpourri fill this apothecary jar.

And I repurposed my favorite wooden pears yet again by using them in place of candles on this rustic 75% off clearance piece from Target.  The twine was already wrapped around it and fits in perfectly with everything else! 

More of the black jute twine around the top of a lamp shade...

and around the base along with fabric rosettes made from an old wool sweater.

Finally, a bunch of hair accessories I made from fabric rosettes and faux flowers attached to headbands and barrettes.  My toddler, who insists on playing with anything I'm working on, helped me out by modeling some of the accessories.  Shh, don't tell his dad I took pictures of him wearing all of this girlie stuff!