"Something Happened" ~ Eshakti Contest Entry from My Daughter

For the twentieth time, I scoured every store I could think of. Every time, I thought something beautiful, vintage, and good quality would somehow "pop up." I went to the cheapest thrift shops and the most upper-end malls. The thrift stores had pieces that were, well, never going to fit (they seemed to have one size and that was "tiny")! The expensive stores had - expensive clothing (why was I surprised?) which was WAY out of my budget. To my frustration, nothing ever did "pop up." Nothing perfect, that is.  I was really starting to lose hope. It seemed like finding my dream dresses was proving impossible. I'm a teenager with definite ideas of what a dress should be, and the mid-calf length, 1950's inspired dresses I pined for were, simply put, nonexistent. That was a rough summer.

Then something happened. Fast forward a year. I had big events coming up, and, as usual, nothing to wear. That was when my mom suggested checking out Eshakti. Now, I'd seen plenty of Eshakti ads in my time, and, to be honest, I always ignored them (my excuse? young and dumb). Well, 5 minutes on the site, and I was ready to preach Eshakti to all the deprived dress world! I was instantly stunned by the huge assortment of vintage inspired, CLASSY dresses! Dresses that looked like clones of Audrey Hepburn dresses! After considerable hemming and hawing, I bought two - a navy blue shirt-dress and the hounds-tooth dress I'm wearing in the photo. And oh! When I tried them on with the custom sizes I had ordered, I felt like a million bucks!

Then - something else happened. When I wore the hounds-tooth dress, my aunt instantly complimented it, saying how flattering it was to the waistline!!! That's a big deal because I've always struggled with having a naturally thick waist (Ugh).

THEN something ELSE happened! My friend saw the dress. She has VERY different taste from my aunt and I; preferring a more modern look as opposed to the feminine and vintage look we like. And guess what, she loved the dress (and she's super quiet and withdrawn, so it meant a LOT coming from her)!

And finally, I have to say, I was nervous about the "big" event I bought it for. But when I put that navy blue 50's dress on, and added a polka dotted scarf and peep toe wedges, I had all the confidence in the world! I'm so happy Eshakti exists! I've got a big summer coming up... And I'll need all the gorgeous custom made dresses I can get my fingertips on!

Thank you for reading this entry from my daughter for the "Something Happened" Eshakti contest!

Vintage Rose Hearts ~ Mason Jar Labels ~ Free Printable

Here are some printable vintage rose heart labels that fit nicely on regular sized mason jars. A dab of glue will keep the label in place. They will also fit nicely on the plastic mason jar lids if you like those. 

Simply download and print from the link menu below if you are interested.

MASON JAR LABELS Vintage Rose Hearts by JES

Shared at Homemaking Wednesdays, Raising Homemakers and the Wise Woman.

Lovely Girl in the Garden ~ Floral Label

"It is a golden maxim to cultivate the garden for the nose,

and the eyes will take care of themselves."

~Robert Louis Stevenson

Victorian Fashion ~ May 1852

Figures 1 and 2.—Ball and Visiting Toilet.

May is here with its bursting buds and early flowers, but its fickleness overmatches that of its imitator, Fashion, and foils all her attempts at adaptation of costume for the carriage or the promenade. To-day the sun smiles as in leafy June; to-morrow cold, gray clouds lower upon the brow of the firmament, and chilling winds chase the zephyrs back to the orange groves of the South. To-day a light dress is seasonable; to-morrow a cloak might not be uncomfortable. 

Fig. 3.—Visiting Dress.

Fig. 4.—Ball Toilet.

~ Excerpts from Harper's New Monthly Magazine, May 1852

Victorian Fashion ~ April 1851

Fig. 1.—Promenade and Evening Costumes.

Like coquettish April, Fashion is now beginning to exchange its more sombre aspect for its sweetest smiles, and to develop its pretty flowers and delicate foliage. The darker colors and firmer textures of winter are now disappearing, and all the gay hues and lighter fabrics are taking their places.

—Bonnet.

—Straw Bonnet.

~ Excerpts from Harper's New Monthly Magazine, April 1851

Victorian Fashion ~ March 1851

Fig. 1.—Morning and Evening Costumes.

Fig. 2.—Morning Costume.

Fig. 3.—Velvet Bonnet.

Fig. 4.—Ribbon Bonnet.

Fig. 5.—White Silk Bonnet.

Fashionable Colors are of deep and mellow hues; white predominates for evening use.

~ Excerpts from Harper's New Monthly Magazine, March 1851

Victorian Fashion ~ February 1851

Fig. 1.—Carriage and Morning Costumes.

Fig. 3.

Bonnets.—Those which are most worn this season are extremely open in front, as seen in figure 3, but close at the ears. They are moderately trimmed, consisting of rûches of lace, leaves and flowers of velvet, nœuds of ribbon and velvet, and feathers. The interior is sometimes decorated in a fanciful manner, having garnitures composed of choux, or a bunch of ribbons of the same color as the bonnet, only in different shades: for example, a chou of green ribbon composed of the lightest shades, the bonnet of a very dark green. Most of the crowns are made of the jockey form, that is, round, but not plain, being generally covered with folds or fullings, according to the fancy and taste of the modiste. The curtain is now an important part of the bonnet, and requires great care in the placing, as it gives a very youthful appearance to the bonnet, if properly put on.

Fig. 4.

Head-dresses are now extremely rich and tasty in their appearance. Figure 4 shows a pretty style of coiffure for a miss, in a ball costume, the flowers being natural, if possible. Some of the latest novelties for head-dresses are those composed of gold ribbon, or silver and silk intermixed, the colors being of the finest character. Some are formed of long velvet leaves in shaded green, pink, and white; while others, of a grenat color, are sable and gold. Several pretty little head-dresses for home costume have appeared, composed entirely of shaded ribbon-velvets, or a square net-work of various colors, which have a novel and picturesque appearance.

Fashionable Colors are dark, rich, and full, such as grenat, narcarat, dark green, reddish brown, violet, and a reddish gray; while white, amber, purple, and pink predominate for evening dresses.

~ Excerpts from Harper's New Monthly Magazine, February 1851

Mirror Frames in Five Colors

    

Scraps of Lovely Lace

“Out of the way! We are in the throes of an exceptional emergency!

This is no occassion for sport- there is lace at stake!" (Ms. Pole)”

~ Elizabeth Gaskell, Cranford

Woman at Writing Desk

Feminine Articles

“The fact that I am a woman does not make me a different kind of Christian,

but the fact that I am a Christian does make me a different kind of woman.” 

~ Elisabeth Elliot