April Cornell's Spring Collection 2013

April Cornell's new spring collection has lots of 1940's inspired pieces and lovely prints! There used to be a store really close to my town before but, it closed down many years ago. It think it's time for me to do a little road trip to their store in Burlington!

 

Butterick's Early Summer Collection 2013 - Vintage Up-date!

Through their Early Summer collection, Butterick has made a new "Retro Butterick" patterns and two new "by Gertie" pattern available.

 

B5880 - Dress with "volant" and belt

 

B5882 - Dress with "shelf bust"

B5895 - Short shirt and high waist-pants 

I love the pants of that last pattern, this definitely goes on my "to-do" list!

Aldo's "Kustes" Unboxing and Review

Aldo is what Zappos used to be like in Canada. Great website, good sales and free shipping! Aldo started out as a regular shoes store back in 1978 with it's headquarters in Montreal. Before then, the company it self stared distributing their products in the Le Château stores in 1972. Anyways, I like what they do and I think we need more stores like that!

As part of their current half-price on sale items special, I got myself this adorable black pair of sandals. The style's name is "Kustes". They have a velvety like finish and cute cut-out heart on the front! I generally wear size 39 (or a wide size 8), but I went for size 38 for this one as I don't plan to wear them with socks. The fit is great! I'm glad I got them! And the shipping took an amazing 48 hours. Yes, I'm counting this in hours. It's fantastic! I'll definitely buy from their web store again.

BPAL Review Challenge: Undertow

My BPAL review challenge: Science theme! (#2 out of 10)

Wikipedia's definition: Undertow is a subsurface flow of water returning seaward from shore as result of wave action. This type of shore current can play a role in material deposition such as creating sand bars.

 
Origin of the perfume: Imp brough though the BPAL.org forum

The Lab's description: The Dark Side of Water: clean and purifying, yet menacing -- lotus and juniper with a hint of mint. A scent dragged up from the depths to the Stygian shore.

In the bottle: Very minty... and a strange piney and dusty scent that reminds me of laundry soap.

Really often, when smelling BPAL perfumes, certain scents trigger memories of places and their distinctive scents. When I smelled Undertow straight from the bottle, I had a vivid memory of a basement or a cold chamber in a old building, dark and filled with cans, wood, laundry soap and spiders.

Wet on skin: The source of that piney and soapy scent that is so strange to me definitely is the lotus and juniper.

Dry down: Gets more minty than "creepy basement-y".

Final: I love minty scent, but this combination is way to strange to me!... I won't keep that one. :(

SparkleLux Giveaway by Dollie DeVille!

If you head over to Dollie DeVille's blog, you can participate in a SparkleLux giveaway!

SparkleLux is a little shop run by Miss Tayva, and she makes the cutest, sparkly, retro inspired earrings.

 

SparkleLux's scalloped earnings

We have until Sunday to participate! Good luck!

New Year's Blah Blah

My blog is going to by quiet for a few more day. I'm moving out of my university residence in Neuchâtel this Thursday. If everything goes alright, I should be back in Motherland (Canada) on Friday. Then, I have to move again from my house to the room I'm renting for the university. Classes already started this Monday, so, I'll be already one week late on my classes! Oh the joys of student exchange!

And this brings us to!...My resolutions for 2013.

Make a more "Oktoberfest" inspired Dirndl
The first traditional dress I've made, was based on Folkwear #123 pattern. I was aiming at making a traditional central Switzerland Dirndl (I think they refer to them as Tracht, I'm not sure). This time, as I'm more confident in my Dirndl making skills, I want to make a more "fun" design with more crazy colours and shiny fabrics. I just got a cute pattern, Burda 7443, at a local store here. I'll make one for a friend, it's not a design that could suit me well I think.

Look how pretty this is!

Make a Christmas dress

Yep, that's right. I'm already planning on what I'm going to wear. I though of making Butterick B5556 in a black velvet fabric. I wonder if it's a good idea, I've never sewed velvet before! Would it be to heavy? Should I go for satin instead? If you have other colours or fabric suggestions, please suggest away!

Expand my wardrobe with wearable vintage inspired pieces

I hate shopping. That's why, when I need clothing, I'm going to buy them out quick without putting too much effort into it. Most of the time, I end up getting pieces that are either too crazy or to coloured because that's what caught my eye first. Also, that's why I LOVE online shopping. I can spend hours looking and judging different pieces, trying to find stuff to match with in my real/IRL/live wardrobe. But seriously, I need basics, stuff that's wearable everyday. Everyday cardigans, everyday skirts, everyday shoes (a girl who hasn't a ton a shoes?! Yep, that's possible.), etc.

Talking about sewing, there is a petition asking the Burda Magazine to wake-up about the quality of it's monthly issues going downward since a couple of years. I think it's a good idea, I really enjoy getting that magazine once in a while and I think Burda makes good products. They shouldn't let their magazine die like that, it would be a shame. There is the link, sign it! Also, let's hope they include more vintage patterns in their magazine. Normally, they only include one per issue and from what I've experienced, they aren't great choices either. Very often, they are unflattering designs. It gives me the impression that they are keeping the best ones for their retail patterns. Oh well!

Enough blah blah for now, Tschüß!