In anticipation of heading back to LA where it was supposed to be cold and rainy (a complete departure to my NY temps) I had this fabulous long sleeved and ruffled number down for the cause.
I wanted something that wouldn't take multiple hours as I just got home and am in total jet lag mode. This Holly Hobbie-esque dress (did anyone else think this?? It's not as patchworky as HH's but it just feels super prairie like the doll's outfit!) only had two major steps which was perfect!!
This is also something that will work nicely with tights and boots on this less that 70 degree day, so let's get to work!!The first thing I had to do was to get rid of two layers of skirt. Because it felt Holly Hobbie-esque and straight prairie girl, which was partially due to these ruffle-y layers, I wanted to make them less of a focal point.
I began cutting around the dress, right below the top ruffle.
After succssful cutting, I ended up with this....
...a whole lotta excess fabric My next step was working on the neck. Check it out up close and pers...
It's gathered and elasticky and there's even a space where the elastic peeked through the fabric. This just makes me think potato sack races for some reason. It's too covered up, so I'm going to make a slight change to that as well.
To make the most important adjustment, I grabbed scissors and attacked that elastic around the neck!!
I snipped it and was left with some excess.
Before being completely through, I now cinched a bit of fabric, right in the center, pinched a little bit like an accordion, and safety pinned it in place. This gave a slight ruching at the boob area and just opened up the neck a little as well. The outfit was almost through. Because I was a bit chilly all am, I threw on my ivory cardi to wear on top all day. Added that with some textured brown tights, my ankle boots, and a fab black and white checkered floor, I had my Tuesday ensemble covered.
And when I set my eyes on all the red going on, I had to hold some props. Feels like I'm walking around Crate & Barrel or Pottery Barn where I end up touching literally everything. I'm a tactile gal and feel the need to pick up everything that fills the walls of those stores. From lemon squeezers to the gourmet flavored margarita salts, Marisa likes to act like a two-year-old and pick up/touch all that hits her eyes.
What goes on at Pottery Barn holds true to my friend's apartment it seems. I was ooh-ing and aah-ing from the kitch during my impromptu photo shoot. It's like I had never seen curtains or a big mixing bowl before...
