Crazy 4 my collectables

Easy, Breezy, Beautiful, Summer Dresses

July 10, 2018 By: Fan

The team over at Lady Voluptuous keeps amazing me with each season as they come out with the prettiest of wrap dresses- the Lyra dress. I love the Lyra dresses because they look spectacular on a wide variety of body shapes and available in sizes 14-32 UK and are made from high quality fabrics. I love the Lyra’s fit, because it is a wrap dress it fits my bust perfectly and gives me a very feminine silhouette. I feel well dressed and beautiful.

For summer, these two styles (already selling out online) are perfection. Being a lover of color, I was smitten with the Lyra Dress – Summer Blue immediately. The full 1950s skirt and fluttery sleeves felt so classic while the fabric (96% polyester and 4% elastine) is perfect for those scorching hot summer days and, no wrinkling!! The dress ties in the back to accentuate your waist.

The bright Summer Blue dress is such a stunning color and the florals make it a very pretty print. You can match cardigans and accessories with ease. I kept the look simple, as I wanted the print to standout and am wearing my standard size 18 UK in the Lyra dress. Fits my curves perfectly and keeps me comfy all day. Even hangs with my puppy dog Luna on the porch are perfect in this dress

Take a look at this gorgeous Lyra Dress – Floral Wonderland. The stunning florals are what caught my eye and I could not wait to get this dress. Again, I am wearing my standard size 18 UK and couldn’t be happier with the fit. I added a sweet pink bow and my blue shoes for a pop of color.

The Floral Wonderland dress is classic and sophisticated making it a perfect dress to wear to a summer wedding or out to dinner and dancing, or a stroll on the boardwalk and beach. The florals are so pretty and feminine. The fabric is a stretch jersey and has those lush fluttery sleeves and ties in the back to accentuate your waist. The Floral Wonderland is selling out quickly and comes in sizes 8-22 UK.

Lady Voluptuous is a UK company and makes all their items right in the UK. They have a wide selection of dress and skirt styles in sizes up to 32. Lady V of London has many styles of dresses that come in a variety of silhouettes and stunning prints that you will need them all!! I live in California and shipping is very fast. Hurry to Lady V of London and snap up your summer dresses before they are all sold out!!

All pics by my sweet hubby Gary

Mod Mint Day in San Francisco

July 2, 2018 By: Fan

A fit and flare dress is universally flattering on a number of body shapes while making legs look longer and showing off your waist. This aqua blue beauty with a stunning border print of San Francisco in particular from retailer Modcloth in collaboration with one of my favorite vintage-style brands Collectif Clothing made me swoon from the first moment I saw the Collectif MC Golden State of Mind A-Line Dress online.

Living in the Bay Area this dress was an absolute must for me!! It arrived very quickly and I could not wait to put it on and shoot it for you all. I was not sure exactly which size to order but I followed the online size guide to fit my bust and am wearing the dress in size 20 (UK) and it fits my curves perfectly. Dress is available in sizes 4 (UK) – 28 (UK). It is so wonderful that Modcloth has beautiful clothing for us plus size gals. There is room for my ample bust, it has pockets, and the skirt is so full and gives me such a feminine silhouette and makes me want to twirl, twirl, twirl.

The boarder print on this Golden State of Mind A-Line Dress is incredibly detailed with the world-famous Golden Gate Bridge and the cable cars that buzz around the city all day and then of course that stunning aqua blue water. The dress is cotton but feels like cotton sateen and is made incredibly well and is very high quality. I styled the dress for a pastel summer day in San Francisco complete with my pink sweater and vintage Enid Collins cable car purse. We snapped some photos before heading into San Francisco!! I received so many compliments and felt so pretty.

Check out this super sweet Polaroid camera that matches my outfit to perfection!! My sweet hubby surprised me with this one, it is the brand new Polaroid Originals One Step2 Camera Mint in special addition Mint and nearly impossible to get your hands on and this pack of Ice Cream color film. WOW!! We had so much fun in the city taking a photo walk.

I cannot wait for more dresses like this from Modcloth. I have many dresses from Collectif London and love the 40s-50s vintage glam Pinup styles so with Modcloth collaborating with Collectif, I think we are going to be seeing some amazing items hitting the Modcloth website soon!! Ladies, hurry and snap up your Golden State of Mind A-Line Dress while sizes remain in stock….. You will be sad if you don’t!!

All pics by my sweet hubby Gary

The 5 Best Instagramable Spots in Sonoma County California

June 15, 2018 By: Fan

From world-class wineries to Alfred Hitchcock and Charlie Brown, the Northern California towns of Sebastopol, Santa Rosa, Bodega Bay, Healdsburg, and Petaluma are like no other, each with their own personality and character. Below are my top 5 Best Instagramable spots of Sonoma County Calfornia and some travel tips and hot spots too.

15 miles from the Pacific Ocean and 50 miles from San Francisco is the quaint town of Sebastopol. You will find several antique shops, art galleries, artisan restaurants and bakeries in Sebastopol. Tourists flock to this little gem of a town and the atmosphere is very laid back and unpretentious. Locals that live in Sebastopol know they are blessed and are as friendly as can be. Florence Avenue is a cute section with cottages and lots of neat sculptures that decorate the yards known as junk art and I will do a post about that soon. But I want to share these two super cute blue walls located at the intersection of Bodega Ave. and Edman Way. The wall with the bees and the wall with the colorful pipes are Instagram perfect!! Shops and restaurants are very close by and there are those fabulous junk art sculptures all over making for even more Instagram pic goodness.

Sebastopol also has the campus of a tech and learning company O’Reilly Media that has gardens and grounds open to the community. You can drive up and take a lovely nature walk and snap Instragramable pics on your adventure. There is a new trendy section in Sebastopol called The Barlow and there are some cool metal corrugated walls, lots of artisan restaurants, shops, and communal areas that make for great Instagramable pics. Have your breakfast, lunch or dinner while you explore. Also the super neat old Purina factory and feed store is across the street and has some a mural and lots of country charm that would be great for Instagram pics.

Santa Rosa is home to Snoopy and Charlie Brown as creator Charles M. Schulz lived here. You will see many gorgeous vineyards and wineries, resorts, and there is also the Russian River. All over downtown Santa Rosa you will see figures of the Peanuts gang (Charlie Brown, Snoopy, and their pals) and those always make for great Instagram photos. The Astro Motel is newly revitalized original 1960s motel with lots of Mid-Century Modern charm and style and a great stop for out-of-this-world Instagram pictures. Whistle Stop Antiques in downtown Santa Rosa by railroad square is also a great spot for snapping your Instagram pics as there is a huge train wall mural as well as lots of shops and restaurants and things to see and do.

Bodega Bay is located not too far of a drive from Santa Rosa and Sebastopol and is perfect for a day trip. Take in the incredible views of the coast, beaches and cliffs, also great hotels and dining if you want to stay longer. You can also camp out at Bodega Bay and go fishing, hiking, boating and enjoy the town with antique shops, cute salt water taffy shops and fish & chips restaurants. Bodega Bay was the setting for the famous 1963 Alfred Hitchcock movie The Birds starring Tippi Hedren, Rod Taylor and Suzanne Pleshette. You can visit The Potter School and St. Theresa’s Church are from the movie and perfect for Instagramable pics your followers will be thrilled to see.

Petaluma is such a great walking town with a lovely waterfront, upscale shops, lots of bars and restaurants, and beautiful architecture. There is also a lovely historic library and museum to tour. Petaluma also has a ton of events like the twice yearly antique fair that takes up several downtown blocks and the Crusin’ The Blvd. Petaluma’s Salute to American Graffiti classic car show where stars from the original movie come out to greet fans and you can see some of the cars from the movie like the T-Bird that Suzanne Summers drove, blue Citroen 2CV that Richard Dreyfus was in, the 1958 Chevy Impala drive by Ron Howard, and the Vespa that Charles Martin Smith rode.

Aside from the fabulous shopping, eating and events that take place in Petaluma, there is this amazing brick wall!! Opening pics to this post. This brick wall has a painted mural that changes regularly. I loved the mural for Valentines Day and this fun one for Butter and Eggs Day as well as the magical Unicorn. The location is a little Mail Depot at 40 Fourth Street across the street from a super duper fabulous fish & chips restaurant Fourth & Sea. Their brick wall is very Instragramable and you will love it!!

Healdsburg is a very trendy upscale town about 20mins from Santa Rosa. You will find some of the most prestigious wineries, restaurants and hotels in Healdsburg. If you want to people watch then this is the town for you. The main part of the downtown is a square with lots of pretty buildings, shops and a lovely little park in the center with giant gazebo. Special events are held in this park and little antique shows too. Healdsburg is very trendy and tourists from all over flock here. You will also see some of the most sought after pricey cars! You will find tasting room upon tasting room so if wine is your thing you can bet you will enjoy yourself!! Lots of benches surround the square so you can find a spot to relax and this is a dog friendly town and it is so fun to see the well groomed dogs trot on by with their fashionable owners.

Lovely turn-of-the-century homes can be found on the outside of the square. The beautiful Victorian homes and cottages are definitely Instagram worthy. You will find some fabulous walls too that are all glass brick or Mid-Century style mosaic and those are pretty fun too for taking Instagram worthy pictures.

Hope my little post of the 5 Best Instagramable Spots in Sonoma County California is helpful as you plan your visit to glorious wine country!!

All pics of me by my sweet hubby Gary Greco

Flower Power

June 4, 2018 By: Fan

Talk about flower power? This Hysteria Floral Wisteria Print Dress from Joanie Clothing exudes a flirty yet graceful look with its purple-hued flowers that hang beautifully on this stunning summer dress. I was really excited about this dress as it was my first one from Joanie Clothing and I didn’t know too much about them. Here is a little bit of information about the company for those of you that may be new to them. Joanie Clothing is in the UK and is a new and unique women’s wear brand with fun, flirtation and femininity at its heart, they are passionate about making beautiful clothes, lovingly fashioned with a pinch of playfulness, a splash of quirkiness and a healthy dose of nostalgia. Spend a little time on their website and you will see so many adorable and one-of-a-kind amazing items!!

The silhouette of the Hysteria Floral Wisteria Print Dress is ultra feminine with a fitted body that flares out into a pleated skirt and it has pockets! When I first saw the print I was smitten and couldn’t wait to get it on my body and shoot it for you all. I put together two looks; one with just the dress and my lavender Lola Von Rose purse and the other with my Heart of Haute sweet sweater in a pinker purple color to add a little contrast. The dress is very well made and is fully lined. It features darting on the bust as well. The dress is also very affordably priced and comes in sizes 8-22!! This dress is versatile and perfect for a garden party or brunch and you can even wear it to the office with the simple addition of a cardigan and pumps. If you are looking for a well-made summer dress that has fit, flare, and style then hurry and snap up the Hysteria Floral Wisteria Pint Dress before it sells out!!

A big thank you to my sweet hubby Gary Greco for another fun shoot!!

Viva Las Vegas Car Show Style

May 28, 2018 By: Fan

My hubby and I love classic car shows and this weekend we attended one of our favorite shows in Sebastopol, CA that benefits the local senior center. The dilemma of finding that perfect car show outfit is real so when Pinup Girl Clothing launched their 2018 Viva Las Vegas collection in collaboration with artist Derek Yaniger (tiki, shag art, atomic, mid-century modern) this past Spring I was really excited!!

I am wearing the Pinup Couture Ginger Dress in Vegas Boarder Print and the turquoise blue pink/purple pastel colors are perfection. The boarder print too is absolutely perfect for a classic car show with the cute little gals driving their cars and then there is that Vegas glam vibe with the retro signage and atomic starbursts. This is my first Ginger dress and I wasn’t too sure how the fit would be with the crisscross halter straps but this is a Pinup Girl Clothing dress so there is no need to be concerned. I am wearing the Ginger in my standard PUG size of 2XL and this is a fantastic dress for busty gals as there is plenty of room to accommodate a full bust. The straps are adjustable, the bodice is fitted to nip in your waist and the fabric is luxurious cotton sateen that zips up the back. There are also nice deep pockets. I am wearing the Ginger Dress in Vegas Boarder Print with a petticoat underneath and I added my Heart of Haute pink Sweet Sweater as the day started with rain and was overcast. I received so many compliments from the moment we set foot at the car show. So many people took photos of me and newspaper folks covering the show also had me posing for photos. Hubby and I are always ready to have fun with the crowds and posing for photos with them and their cars is lots of fun.

It’s always so fun to see all the classic cars from the Chevy Bel Airs, even a Barbie 50’s pink Bel Air limousine, to the Ford Sunliner, 1950s Thunderbird, lots of hot rods, coupes and trucks too.

The Ginger dress print also comes in a Bella and petite Bella skirt. The Viva Las Vegas collection also comes in different prints and styles so hurry over and snap yours up before they are gone!!

All pics by my sweet hubby Gary

Heart of Haute Betsy Blouses so Sweet and Chic

May 21, 2018 By: Fan

Heart of Haute is known as the voluptuous gals best friend when it comes to clothing that perfectly fits curves. Heart of Haute is also very well known for their Estelle, Elsa, and Giselle blouses of which I own several. Today I am super excited to share these new Betsy blouses with you all!!

Dressing for summer has never been so easy and the Betsy blouse in Pink Plaid just screams sweet and chic!! I am wearing the blouse in my standard 2X size and it is 100% cotton with a bit of stretch and as you can see from my pictures there is absolutely no gaping, puckering, or pancake effect. The waist is fitted but not tight. The blouse has princess seams to add shaping and a tailored fit that closely follows a woman’s curves. There is also plenty of room for my arms.

I paired the Pink Plaid Betsy Blouse with a simple white circle skirt and belt. The blouse would look beautiful with Capri pants, HoH Diva skirt and even slacks. This blouse’s classic silhouette is perfect for work or play and is available in sizes XS-2X! I felt so comfortable in this blouse and the collar laid perfectly flat and that never ever happens with fashions from the mall. Heart of Haute knows how to design and sew clothing for a women’s curvy body with style and uses high-quality fabrics in the prettiest prints.

For my second outfit, which I actually wore as my outfit for the day is the stunning Betsy Blouse in Candy Stripe Black. It is a showstopper and hugs my curves exquisitely!! I am wearing this one too in a size 2X and the button up front once again has no gaping, puckering, or pancake effect and the collar lays flat again my voluptuous bust. I paired the Betsy Blouse – Candy Stripe Black with a vintage-style novelty skirt featuring puppy dogs and my own Bichon Frise pup Luna even had a fun time taking pictures. The Betsy Blouse works so well with any print, skirt, slacks or even cigarette pants.

Heart of Haute is a woman owned business in California that takes great pride in making vintage inspired clothing for women of all shapes and sizes from retro, to Pinup, to dresses, skirts, blouses, sweaters, and more!! Do yourself a favor if you have not yet visited HoH website and start picking out your new wardrobe!! I own many blouses and dresses from Heart of Haute and they keep coming out with new prints and styles that are mesmerizing. Their blouses are definitely wardrobe staples that make putting outfits together effortless and, busty gals like me never have to worry about gaping, puckering, or that dreaded pancake effect, talk about going to work and about town with style and confidence, Heart of Haute makes it easy!!

All pics by wonderful hubby Gary Greco