Charity Saturday: Robin Hoods

I became privy of robin hoods and the founder, Tracey Van Vooris, through one of my best friends and I just fell in love with what she was doing.  It's something that I really wanted to share just because I'm so proud of her following a passion to really do something incredible that will help people.  Here's her story...

My mom was diagnosed with a terminal, grade 4 glioblastoma which is a fancy term for "one nasty SOB of a brain tumor." The prognosis was certainly bleak, with only 40% of patients surviving a year after diagnosis.

Fortunately, my mom is extremely tough and even more stubborn, and she is fighting this cancer tooth and nail.  Despite the hardship, there have been many surprising and wonderful gifts that have come out of this diagnosis: a renewed closeness with my family, the cementing of so many important friendships and relationships in my life, and even a new business venture that I have chosen to pursue, robin hoods.

To be brief, after trying tirelessly to find my mom some head covers to mask her scars and hair loss, I was beyond disappointed at the lack of stylish, well-made, and comfortable head covers available. As such, I designed a line of stylish head covers (turbans, modified head scarves, etc.) under the name robin hoods (my mom's middle name)...

...and I'm approaching the final stages of development before I officially launch. 

My focus was on using only the most beautiful, high-quality materials...

...a clean design...

...and made with love from start to finish. The result, a product that appeals to women of all ages and style sensibilities, and makes the wearer look, and subsequently, feel better! 

Tracey started a Kickstarter campaign to gather funds for her new venture and I just had to support the cause.  From those of us who have been touched by cancer in some way or another this is something I’m so happy to get behind and share.

You can find the Kickstarter page here and see all the awesome stuff Tracey is up to on Facebook.  Yay for Tracey and putting her love into something so amazing!!  I couldn't be more excited for her to get robin hoods rocking and rolling!

Easter Ensemble!

I'm having a bit of trouble deciding on what to wear for Easter this weekend.  I'm definitely feeling pastels, but need just a smidge of help! Look #1 (Sheer top lace layer with spots!)

Look #2 (Muumuu/robe - yeah, that middle piece is attached!)

What do you guys think??  Help!!

My Mother's Attic: March

Here's this month's installment of My Mother's Attic with my girl Ashley!  I'm just LOVING the piece she scored from her mom's closet and cannot get over how it turned out.  Check it out...

It's only JUST beginning to feel like spring here in Vermont, but that hasn't stopped me from dreaming about warmer, sunnier days, and the glorious spring outfits that accompany the change in season.  Heck, I'll rock flip flops and a sundress if it hits 50 degrees.  (OH PLEASE LET IT HIT 50 DEGREES!)  I'm positively obsessed with the fabric and pattern of this vintage dress of my mom's.

It was a gift from my Grammy to my mother back in the 70s when my mom had just graduated from college and was a young schoolteacher.  It's a Pierre Deux piece (a fabric and furnishings company known for its quintessential Southern French textiles that sadly closed its doors in 2011).  The dress has that characteristic pattern of country French living.  Totally swoon-worthy.

Unfortunately, I couldn't button that crazy neckline or the cuffs of the sleeves, and it was speckled with some holes and stains to boot.  It hadn't been worn in years and it was definitely time to change that.

To spread the wealth, I decided to make TWO garments out of the one dress.  I ripped the seam of the lower half of the dress and used that bottom fabric to make a simple skirt for my almost-4 year old to wear all spring and summer.

I followed a tutorial by Dana Made It which is perfect for a newbie sewer like myself.  I then cut the cuffs off the end of the sleeves...

...and used those to create pockets on the skirt.  I like that they showcase the beautiful fabric buttons from the original dress.

With the top part of the dress, I cut the neckline and hemmed a v-neck which was more comfortable and fit my size and style.  I also cropped the sleeves and re-hemmed to make a short-sleeved top and added two buttons to the top so that I wouldn't risk flashing the public when I ventured out in the ensemble.

Once I was done, I had a spring top to compliment my oldest daughter's new skirt.

Matching, but not too over-the-top.

We had fun running around our farm property snapping pictures of our new looks.

Granted, there's still snow on the ground and it was a rather brisk afternoon - so we'll have the wait a bit to really rock these looks together. They'll be perfect when the spring weather really sets in.

See you next month, preferably with no lingering snow!

To keep up with Ash online, find her over at Blog a la Cart and here onTwitter, Instagram, & FB!