in which fashion is such a commitment

This is THE summer dress. I would wear it every day except a) that would get boring, and b) it's actually pretty heavy linen and my body doesn't like to sweat.

(dress: salvation army; shoes: seychelles; hat: uo; necklace: k's)

Now. I have something to say: Fashion is such a COMMITMENT. I'm struggling with this because in recent months I have not been financially capable of keeping up with the trends that I'm enamoured of, and I've officially trained my sights on fall fashion, which I predict I might actually be able to partake in. But when I realized that my DREAM SHOES are back on the market (they sold out last season and I've been checking back periodically for months to make sure I was ready to pounce when they reappeared) and they're just as expensive and unaffordable as they were last year, I was disheartened. I have no problem splurging on a nice pair of shoes, but what if I want them in yellow AND in brown (I do)? I am literally panicked by the thought that they might disappear. And after a night with a bottle of champagne, Project Runway (which always sparks inspiration), and a sketchbook, I want to buy up all kinds of fabric and fashion myself a fall wardrobe (loafers and leather and lace, o my!). But even that costs money. And what about my bigger goals? Would I be such a desperate shopoholic if it weren't for this blog? If I didn't feel pressure to offer up something new and different everyday, would I still haunt Etsy and Modcloth and Goodwill with such ferocious frequency? Would I still stress and sweat over the potential loss of a most-coveted pair of pretty shoes? Or would I be able to redirect that energy elsewhere? To maybe save some money once and a while? What about my other goals? What about travel? I can't say. I love fashion. It's become more and more apparent to me as I've been indirectly forced to watch from what feels like the sidelines while my fellow bloggers prance about in granny florals and washed-out whites, with a seemingly endless collection of pretty heels at their immediate disposable.

I'm not ashamed of loving fashion. I maintain that making clothes can be an art form, and that dressing up is important for many reasons. And sometimes all I want to do is curl up with a copy of Vogue and daydream of what I would do if I could really tackle my technical incompetance and make something miraculous happen with my sewing machine (working on it...).

But those shoes...

I... want... them.

Is that healthy?

designer spotlight: jewelmint

My dear friend S (who has just started her own blog chronicling her culinary pursuits--go visit!) has always been a very bad influence on my shopping habits. She is the Queen of Good Deals, and she often passes that information along, which often leads to me pulling out my credit card because I am weak. This time, however, I feel compelled to pass that influence on to you guys, because I think she's really on to something!

Last week she invited me to join JewelMint, an online bauble-of-the-month club that offers personalized jewelry from the Kate Bosworth/Cher Coulter design team for $29.99/item. When you visit the site, you will be asked to take a "Style Quiz," which will ultimately determine which pieces of jewelry Kate and Cher deem appropriate for your particular aesthetic. Based on your answers, your "Showroom" will be populated with pretty rings, necklaces and bracelets, highlighting your "Top Match" (voted most likely to tug at your pursestrings).

You can also view any other pieces from the collection by clicking "Show Me More," and add or remove items from your Showroom, at which time you will be asked why a particular item doesn't appeal to you (further narrowing your preferences). I loved my Top Match immediately (the lovely Mosaic Dream Necklace shown above), but hemmed and hawed about joining the site and committing to a $30/month membership. Finally I decided to buy it for myself as a Valentine's Day gift (I mean, come on, there is even a heart on it...) and quit the site immediately afterward, but I have yet to quit--I'm curious about what will come along next month, and there are already so many other pretty pieces that I'm considering! The best part of the membership is that you can choose to skip a month at any time, choose to buy a piece during a month you previously decided to skip, or to simply cancel after a single purchase with no fees or penalties. If you forget to skip a month, you will receive a credit (one item) to use at any time, so it's not like you're paying even if you're not using the site.

If you're at all interested in joining the site, you can give me your email address and I will send you an invite. This way, if you do decide to make a purchase, I get some free jewelry! Or you can just poke around on the site without my help :)

my first dress

Excitement! The debut of my very first DIY dress :)

It's definitely not the most complex article of clothing ever made, and it does have some sketchy construction, but I'm pretty impressed with myself. I picked out this rust-colored jersey fabric earlier this summer, and I intended to make a wrap dress that would transition into fall. Time went by, and I decided I would really rather use the fabric for something that would go with a peter pan collar. Because I didn't feel confident enough in my sewing skills to make puffed sleeves, I decided that the collar would have to come from a white blouse, which I would wear underneath. Unfortunately, these photos are a little too overexposed to give you a real sense of the color, but it's definitely more of a rust-orange than a salmon-pink.

Because I still don't have a blouse with a peter pan collar (but I couldn't wait to wear the dress!), I just wore the ruffle-collar blouse I thrifted from Bargain Boutique ($2!) and folded the collar down from the second-to-top button. It has basically the same effect!

(dress: DIY, first sewing project ever!; blouse: Bargain Boutique; shoes: Seychelles)

Next time I wear it I'll have to go beltless--I sewed a 2-3 in waist between the top and bottom sections, which you can't really see with the belt blocking it from view. What do you think? Did I do okay? :)

Next up: I need to make some faux-fur pillows for the living room couch, and I want to make a rag rug for the kitchen. Just call me Sally Homemaker!