Oh, Jackie O!

I was thinking of the days when I would walk into Banana Republic and purchase a couple basic dresses and automatically had an updated wardrobe. The fun begins when you accessorize.  You ladies know what I'm talking about.  

So the other day when I saw my youngest switching up one of her basic dresses and looking so lively and youthful, I had a deja-vu moment! {snap}   The queen of understated and classy:  Jackie O! was the style icon of the shift dress.  She looked savvy, hip, and elegant.  All the time.  I'm pretty sure she awakened every morning, stretched her arms above her head; looked into a mirror and saw an easy, glamorous first lady looking right back.  She was the epitome of naturally fresh and put-together!  That lady was, I'm also pretty sure, just plain perfect!

So why not do the same thing as Jackie O!  A shift dress paired with flats and you are one classy gal!

Once my creative juices began flowing, I got to thinking what if I take a basic pattern and amp it up with funky fabric. So I did.  Basic pattern, funky hot pink and orange dots!

  

I'm only speculating but I think I'll need a pair of Jackie O sunglasses to shade my eyes from the pink glare!  Now that's a bright idea!

Dress Up!

You already know we finally hit our winter weather and have been keeping ourselves busy sewing dresses.  Once we finished the red polka dot, twirly dress, I took her to a fabric store where she browsed.  In less than 5 minutes she had already spied the perfect fabric:  a heather gray and white pinstripe, seersucker.  And again, it's a twirly dress.

Just to see the look on her face and hear her exclaim:  "Mom, this looks better than the dresses in the stores.  And it's lined and everything!" makes me swoon.

Ha!  And to think we're accomplishing all this on a 40 year old sewing machine with only straight stitching and zig-zag.  I tell you, they do not make sewing machines out of iron anymore, do they?

I'm speculating that we'll be taking a trip to the fabric store again this weekend and I'm all twirly inside wondering what we'll do next.  I think I'll dress up for the occasion.