I'm loving Ash's post for this month because she uses one of my favorite tricks! I think you guys are going to like... One weekend in November, my husband took my two little girls and our new puppy on a trip to visit his parents. I had to hang back because of some photography gigs, but I didn't mind the rare opportunity to spend time at my own home without any dependents. The uninterrupted sleep was an added bonus.
One evening, I did what any solo mama would do on a treasured night alone... I played dress up! I pulled racks of vintage dresses of my mom's, grandmother's and great-grandmother's that I've got stashed in our basement and spent an hour or so trying on various pieces that hadn't seen the light of day in years. Sadly, many of the extremely old and delicate pieces are ripped or stained or torn in ways that aren't salvageable for everyday use. But I have a grand vision of some of these dresses from the '20s from my great-grandmother being hung on a wall in a bedroom to showcase this history. Here is the snap from Instagram I shared of this flapper dress...
...(the silk is torn in so many places, but it is a treasure!) that is by far my favorite (despite the tears). I'll definitely share photos if/when I make that dress wall happen!
Among that pile of dresses was this knit, cream dress that my mother claims was her Momo's (my great-grandmother who was born in 1901).
The yarn was badly tea-stained...
...and there were a number of holes in the pattern.
I got in the NDAD mindset, and did something I would never have thought to do prior to meeting Maris! I decided to...
...dye it to cover the stains and give it new life.
A quick bath in navy blue dye...
...and some mending on those holes and it was ready for layering. Since it needs an under layer, I went a little wild and put it over this plaid Ace & Jig dress to add warmth to the ensemble.
I call my style "Hobo Chic," and I realize that this particular choice of layering may border on more hobo than chic...
...but I personally love a wild, layered look.
I was able to stay cozy over Thanksgiving despite the cool temps, and snuggle up with Francis Turkey (a ridiculous plush turkey that I made for my girls' last Thanksgiving)...
...while hosting Pie Breakfast (details on our Friday morning gathering HERE!)
For my final post (how has it been a year!), I'll try to showcase more of the super vintage pieces and pull something special together for you all. It has been too much fun cameo-ing here for the year. (It all began with this tree skirt I made out of an old quilt that my great-auntie's made decades ago that Marisa let me share with this wonderful community last December. I'll be repurposing for life thanks to y'all! Enjoy a happy, safe, festive December. I'll see you before the New Year!
To keep up with Ash online, find her over at Blog a la Cart and here onTwitter, Instagram, & FB!
