Monday, May 18, 2009

Special Occasion: Caro's Birthday

So I was happily posting away yesterday and getting ready to hop in the shower and go for lunch with L, when he said, "Don't you have lunch today with your girlfriends?"

Oh, crap! I'd forgotten. I jumped in the shower, called the gals and raced down to the restaurant (only 45 minutes late). So sorry, gals! What a cow I am.

I've never worn this dress since I got it in NYC a couple of years ago. It's hard to put things with because of the colours, and it's (as I had forgotten) almost totally sheer. Thank goodness for fully granny panties.
Yikes! But it's a gorgeous dress. Do I look tired? This is me after 3 caesars and a special coffee, and sitting out on the restaurant patio in the sun for 4 hours. Woo hoo! Happy late birthday, Caro!

Dress (Hale Bob), cami (Plum), shoes (Nicole, NYC), big silver hoops.

13 comments:

  1. It's a really cute dress, I wonder if you layered over the top of another dress or pretty slip if that would help with the color issues and would certainly help with it's sheerness. Maybe something in a darker tone of brown. Or, cami and legging the same darker brown. I think in summer I'd go with a short capri legging or maybe with the Fluevog boots.

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  2. oops! I knew there was a reason granny panties were my favorite. That dress is beautiful. May I suggest buying a full slip and then dying it a color that you woulld like to wear under the dress, like the color of your tank maybe? That way you get full coverage that is still pretty enough to peek out the top of the V-neck.

    I just dyed some pretty slips that I got at Goodwill. Two are beautiful and one turned out to be a very unfortunate BRIGHT shade of orange. I have it on today. If I take my clothes off and just have it on, I look like a safety cone. Ha!

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  3. It IS a gorgeous dress - love it!

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  4. Maybe Tina will read this... I'd like to know how she dyes the slips. I like the idea of full slips, but I would like more daring colors.

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  5. The dress is awesome, I must look around for something similiar!
    Plus...looks like an easy oops...last minute look stunning thing to throw on.

    ( I am getting hooked on full slips, esp when a bit of lace shows!)

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  6. I think Tina's idea sounds the best. The dress is lovely but I'm not sure it works so well with the grey.

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  7. For all of you who suggested a slip - I've been looking for one for 2 years, since I got this! They are hard to find, and yes, I have been haunting the thrift shops. You'd think that with all the dresses out now that lingerie shops would catch up, but no.

    Alison, there's no brown in it, so I probably wouldn't do that (and I loathe leggings). The colours in it are silver/grey, bronze, blue, white and pinky coral. The weight of it (it's a very light silk) is a bit too light for boots.

    Tina, thanks, love the idea...as soon as I can find a freakin' slip! I've been able to find black and fuscia pink so far, but no luck with something to go with this!

    Thanks, Sal and MM!

    Tina - some tips for us?

    Erin, thanks! Yes, it's an easy last-minute thing...too bad I forgot about the whole sheer thing!

    Jane, yes, I agree. I'm not sure which grey you're referring to? The shoes are silver and the cami is blue.

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  8. I buy the RIT powder, and use the stovetop method to dye them. I use a large cooking pot, fill it a little more than 1/2 way with hot water, then add only about 1/2 of the dye mixture to the pot. (I find that using all of the dye makes the dye too strong and I get bright colors, which I don't want for my slips) It takes almost no time at all for the slips to soak up the dye. Leaving them in the dye bath for too long is how you end up with a hot pink rather than dusty rose colored slip. oops. (at least it's still pretty)

    Some tips:

    - be sure the slip is completely clean before dying it, or you will get patchy color.

    - be sure the slip is completely wet before putting it in the dye bath

    - stir the pot!

    - don't overdye

    - sometimes the lace will take the dye and sometimes it won't. It just depends on the type of fabric. Be prepared for either to happen

    - Rinse, rinse, rinse

    - wash it in the machine before wearing or mixing with other clothes.

    If you need more info, feel free to email me. But it's pretty basic. Have fun!

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  9. I never find them in the regular stores, but I've been having a lot of luck with thrift store slips lately. If you aren't put off by thrift store slips and want to tell me your size, I am happy to keep my eye out for you. They're never more than $3 and I would be happy to ship to you.

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  10. such a beautiful dress!
    You might try catalog shopping.
    (maybe when your done your shopping ban....?)

    here's 2 links:

    http://www5.jcpenney.com/jcp/X6.aspx?ItemID=14f082f&ItemTyp=G&GrpTyp=STY&ShowMenu=T&ShopBy=0&SearchString=slips&RefPage=SearchDepartment.aspx&s4PageSize=15&CmCatId=searchresults&Search1Prod=True

    http://www5.jcpenney.com/jcp/X6.aspx?ItemID=14f0827&ItemTyp=G&GrpTyp=PRD&ShowMenu=T&ShopBy=0&SearchString=slips&RefPage=SearchDepartment.aspx&s4PageSize=15&CmCatId=searchresults&Search1Prod=True

    PS added Hitman and Muse of Fire to my book list. Thanks :D

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  11. It sure would be cool to be able to dye a slip to match some of the flowers. Bummer that you haven't found one that would work for you. Probably would be better than the brown idea, I guess I was thinking a similar brown as the bronze just a touch darker to make it stand out. Strappy sandals would be very cute with it too. I do like the odd combo and light weight with heavy, feminine with a touch of hard edged rocker. I like to be at odds and quirky sometimes.

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  12. Wow, thanks, Tina! That's awesome. Now I just need to find a slip! I have been looking (but not terribly hard) - please don't bother yourself to look for me. :) But thank you so much - you are a total dear.

    Thanks, Sher! Lingerie doesn't count in my ban, so I've been keeping an eye out for a slip (admittedly, not looking THAT hard). Enjoy the books! I've only read "Hitman", not the other one.

    Alison, I totally agree - I would love to match the butter yellow shade. The bronze is quite an odd colour to match - I think legging near that shade would look like really dark nylons. I've also considered doing a jean with this, but the bottom feels too voluminous.

    I do like that hard and soft mix, but it's not really me. :)

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