I don't really have much to say about this lovely piece.

I'm thinking that this might have been an 80s nightgown. That petite pocket...what goes in there?

I'm crazy about the color palette...

...but the rest of the piece is a minor disaster. I plan on giving this Storm Watch 2013 a pleasant April showers, bring May flowers kind of makeover.

I just had to get rid of that pocket!!

Once the pocket was off, I targeted the sleeves next. It feels like summer in LA, so I wanted to make my first real sundress of the season.

I started to remove seams from the collar-esque panel around the neck - I wanted this area to sit at my shoulders, acting as straps to my dress.

After I removed the seams, I did some fabric folding and pinning to get the dress sun ready. I wanted the top of the piece to be as open as possible.

I didn't have a problem with the original length of the dress, but because of all the fabric eliminating I was doing up top, I thought going a smidge shorter would be awesome. I just didn't want the dress to feel disproportionate or too weighty.

Post trim, I pinned down my new hem...

...and pinned together the remnant piece that I just cut to create a belt for the dress.

The hem was stitched in place...

...and so was the new neckline, back, and side seams.

Ready for a new, rockin' dress??

With some tightening up and some shoulder exposé - the accent is a shout out to my girls, Exposé - the 80s band that I not-so-secretly rock out in karaoke - this piece got a total 180.

And I don't think it looks so nightgown-ish anymore! Also, it's SO comfortable that I could easily fall asleep in it if I were vegging in the grass on a picnic blanket under the sun.

I paired my upcycled dress with some vintage navy Candies along with my mom's sunglasses from the 70s. These are my absolute favorite shades. I put them away every once and awhile and as I was just reorganizing my accessory area, they got pulled back out and put into circulation.