Saturday, May 06, 2017

Strawberries and Chocolate

My strawberry plants survived over winter, and are flowering. To celebrate, I'm giving my new Sarah Coventry brooch an inaugural wear. I was attracted to the brooch as I already have strawberry earrings, though a quick peek at the internet confirms there were earrings made to match the brooch. I'll keep an eye out for them, but until then, I have a pair I'm rather fond of.


How adorable are these? As far as I'm concerned, these are my spring earrings. Cherries you can wear all summer, but strawberries arrive early and leave quickly. What goes well with strawberries?
 Chocolate. Specifically, a milk chocolate brown taffeta dress.
I added beige accessories because the only thing better than strawberries and chocolate is Neopolitan ice cream. Damn, now I'm hungry!

Outfit Particulars:
Vintage dress-Defunct costume shop
Vintage Naturalizer shoes-Thrift World
Belt-Goodwill
Sarah Coventry brooch-Goodwill
Earrings-can't remember
Vintage Handbag-Hand-Me-Ups
Bracelet-Hand-Me-Ups
Fragrance-L'Air du Temps
The details were difficult to photograph. The centre of the flowers are a plastic stud surrounded by a rhinestone in each petal. The pale brown colour combined with the smooth surface of the fabric was challenging to show in detail. I hope this is enough for you to get the idea. It is a very nice dress, even if it is in need to a steaming. Fresh from the dry cleaners I'm sure it would be lovely. 
A one-piece girdle/bra get-up would solve that muffin-top issue (standing up straight wouldn't hurt either) as these dresses were made with the expectation of such serious foundations being worn. I'm not willing to go there. but it is worth keeping in mind if you're tempted to purchase a close-fitting dress in a thin fabric, and you're self-conscious. 
"Self conscious?"  I think not. 

I planted out the bright red salvia plants yesterday, so now we'll just sit back and wait for the hummingbirds to arrive. I'm keeping the tomatoes and herbs indoors a bit longer as I don't trust our weather. 

Hope your weekend is treating you well. 

14 comments:

Bibi Maizoon said...

I think the lovely details on that dress photographed well. I love those spectator pumps with the pratical heels too!
I wore those heavy-duty bra-girdle foundations a lot when I was a pharmacist. They really help with the back strain from standing all day and if fitted properly are quite comfortable.
Speaking of dirty tricks: Like Baker's chocolate I've noticed a lot of luxury & drugstore makeup have kept their prices the same but sneakily reduced the quantity of product you get. They must really think we're dumb.

ThriftyParka said...

Goody, your waist is TINY!! All that running (and modified diet, hah!) is paying off.

Thank you for positing that GORGEOUS Sarah Coventry broach....lurve it!!

happy thrifting ;)

Melanie said...

Beautiful dress and the earrings are fantastic! Pretty brooch too, I have an Austrian glass strawberry brooch, it's one of my favourites. I always wear it with my strawberry skirt xxx

Polyester Princess said...

Those earrings! They are beyond adorable. I have a brooch which is somewhat similar, but it's so delicate I hardly dare wearing it. I love the milk chocolate dress, and you are looking very slim in it. I wouldn't mind about the muffin top thing. I have some dresses which require a bit of shapewear, which means I'm not wearing them often enough. Can't get through a full day at work wearing shapewear ... xxx

Vronni's Style Meanderings said...

This is a perfect outfit on you, Goody. The dress is gorgeous and I love the brooch and those fab strawberry earrings. I think the perfume choice is ace. Our strawberries are in flower, too!

The dress is perfect for your hourglass figure and your waist looks like Scarlett O Hara's. The bag is fabulous. Once again you look like you're off to tea with Liz at the Palace!

Vix said...

That dress is a beauty and the strawberry red goes perfectly with the brown.
Our wild strawberries grow all year round, they never cease to amaze me with their resilience. We have ours with wild rocket and balsamic vinegar...yum! xxx

Perdita Tinsel said...

That brooch is something else! Love it.
Just stumbled on this blog and cannot believe I don't follow already.

Beth Waltz said...

So this is where you were going with the tray of brownies... This dress combines the best features of the shirtwaist concept, a feminine bodice, a tiny waist and a bit of twirl in the skirt. And it fits you perfectly!

I agree with Bibi about wearing a foundation garment for support and comfort IF it's properly fitted. But have any of those ancient ladies with the tape measures, glasses on chains of pearls, and sensible oxfords -- those women who fitted one's bra when there was a lingerie department in the department store -- survived?

Hope said...

Strawberries and champagne the best brekfast .This dress is adorable,elegant .

Goody said...

@Bibi
Even fitted I can't manage them-I can barely stand the feel of a bra on my ribcage. I'm sure it is something to do with being all twisted around in the spine, but I do believe they can be helpful as a brace.

Sigh, and the packaging you can't take apart to get the last few drops from...They're evil.

@Thrifty Parka
Nah, I just have such a huge rack and fat ass it creates an optical illusion. I'm not running for weight loss (which is a good thing because I've gained weight).

@Melanie
You have a strawberry skirt?! Oooh, envy!

@Ann
Don't you hate having things that are too delicate to wear? I always wish there was some way to encase them in glass and *then* wear them. That could be a post idea-things too fragile to wear.

@Veronica
They wouldn't let me near the palace-they know I'd nick the silverware ;)

@Vix
For the first year ever, we have rocket growing wild as well as what I've planted in pots. I wonder who's garden it blew in from and overwintered? I'll try it with strawberries-that sounds great.

@Perdita
Thank you, and welcome.

@Beth
I worked in the Foundations department at Filene's when I lived in Boston. You pretty much described my work look! I dressed better when I went to work at Jordan Marsh in the Men's Furnishings.

@Hope
That does sound like a perfect breakfast.

Mim said...

That is a really nice brooch. I like the fat berries.

I always think of strawberries as a summer thing; maybe they come later over here. Like Vix, I have the little alpine ones growing in my garden. I usually just pick off any that are ripe and eat them while gardening.

Goody said...

@Mim
Wild strawberries wouldn't stand a chance against the local pheasants. They eat grapes as well. I'm going to need to net the berries soon or I'll find the empty stems waiting for me. I once had my grape vines decimated in an afternoon by a pair of pheasants on the farm. Bastards were lucky I don't hunt!

Radostin said...

Mmmmm, strawberries and chocolate! Delicious!
That dress is really impressive.

Goody said...

@Radostin
Thank you. I wish I had more occasions for taffeta dresses, but sadly, I don't.