The Dorothy Days - Year so far...

Hello everyone,

Can't believe it is nearly March, how have 2 months sped by already?! It has been such a busy year so far so I thought it would be fun to share some of the highlights so far and celebrate with you all some milestones too :).

#1  - 1000 Instagram Followers

So happy to reach this big milestone this month.  Instagram is fast become one of my favourite platforms to use and I am really happy that lots of you have come over and followed me :) thank you! 

Find me on Instagram here

#2 - Sellers Advisory Board

I was selected to be part of the Sellers Advisory Board for Etsy! I am so excited to be part of this and will be flying out to New York for the first meeting in a few weeks time. 

You can find more about the SAB here: https://www.etsy.com/uk/seller-handbook/article/announcing-etsys-seller-advisory-board/34287741664

#3 - New Hobby

One of my new year's resolutions was to take up a new hobby so I decided to take up painting. I have been experimenting with acrylics and then recently started painting in watercolour. 

Finding it really relaxing and enjoyable and it has been fun experimenting with different things to paint and ways of painting.

#4 A New Arrival

The Cradle - Beret Morisot - Musee d'Orsay

This month my family got one bigger! He is beautiful. So exciting especially as we haven't had a new baby in the family for over a decade!


#5 Vienna

Had the most amazing trip to Vienna, it is so beautiful out there and I hope that I will get to return some time in the future. Has to be one of my favourite places I have visited to far.

#6 Getting organised!

#7 A HUGE milestone

This month I reached a HUGE milestone for my little Etsy shop and made my 1000th sale. So exciting! Each and every sale means so much to me and I can still remember the joy of receiving my very first sale (I did do a little happy dance!!) and still get so much join from receiving new sales from across the world. Thank you to everyone who has supported me and my little shop!

#8 Origami Challenge

As well as my painting, I have also started trying to learn how to make origami and set myself the challenge of making one per day. I thought it would be fun to post my makes up on social media so have started the hashtag #TDDOrigami and you can follow along on either Twitter or Instagram 

#9 More vintage

When I first started my shop I sold tags and vintage items and slowly have been making more and more handmade items for the shop which I totally love but am making it my goal this year to add more vintage items too. So far I have added lace bobbins, beautiful vintage brooches, trinket boxes etc and I have been experimenting with my shop photography too!

#10 New Branding

Decided that this year it was time for a little bit of a rebrand in my shop so I now have a new logo and banner and should have some new business cards on the way soon as well!

Exciting stuff!

Thanks for reading

The Dorothy Days Xx

Style Saturday - Street Style Trend

Hello everyone,

I hope that you are having a wonderful weekend so far. Recently I have been posting a lot of Style Saturday posts with light pastel colours so today I thought I would share with you something a little bit different.

I really like the fringe shorts. You can either buy shorts like this or up cycle some of your old jeans. Lots of my jeans are getting a bit past their best and have holes in the knees so I have been cutting them into shorts like these. The 'Mean Girl' style t-shirt is fun and could easily to swapped for another top in a similar style but still work with this outfit. I really like the big headphones, perfect for commuting or travelling around the city but most of all I love the trainers. This look would be really easy to recreate as it uses monochrome with a splash of red and each of the items could be used as part of a different outfit and made to look totally different.

Get the look....

Fringe shorts
£21 - stylemoi.nu

Adidas Originals red shoes
£63 - mytheresa.com

Valentino leather cuff bracelet
£190 - monnierfreres.com

Forever 21 hair accessory
£0.97 - forever21.com

Preppy Girl's Top
£12 - stylemoi.nu

Nixon Stylus Headphones
£34 - backcountry.com



The Dorothy Days X

3 Wedding dress looks that I am loving this week

Hello everyone,

So wedding season is in full swing and one of my family friends has just had the most beautiful wedding out in Thailand on the beach. It looks incredible! She wore a stunning dress. It was understated and totally beautiful with a beaded front and low back with criss cross strap. It was really different to any of the wedding dresses I had seen before so got me thinking about different wedding styles and dresses.

Here are my top 3 wedding dress styles I am loving this week.

1) Retro Tropical 

When you think of weddings, retro tropical is probably not a style that springs to mind but how perfect is this wedding look? I am totally in love with that dip dye dress. It has such a pretty lace sweetheart style back and looks like a modern twist on a vintage style dress in style and then you get to that bright orange dip dye which is just amazing. It was dip dyed by hand as well. It sounds like it really shouldn't work but it so does! I love the tropical look from the flowers to the pineapple wedding stationary and the groom's outfit is pretty cool too!

Amber Gress Photography/ Ambergress.com  via Buzzfeed 

26 Bridge Wedding Shoot from Valerie Barnes Film on Vimeo.

2) The Two Piece

Less formal wedding dresses are big this season. Separates have been a huge trend generally and are now being seen in bridal wear too. I love this two piece wedding dress which I found on Etsy.com it was handmade by Candice Lee in Australia

Candice Lee Bridal - on Etsy.com

3) Non- white wedding dresses

When I think of weddings I usually think of something quite traditional; the bride wearing a white wedding dress and it set in a church. People are now thinking of lots of alternative venues for their weddings and breaking with tradition so why not break with tradition with your wedding dress too and instead of choose white go for something with colour and pattern. I am totally in love with these dresses by Marchesa. 

Photo Credit - Marchesa 

This dress is bridal in shape but anything but traditional with the colours and pattern. I love the 'floaty' look of this dress and it would make a beautiful wedding dress.

Photo Credit - Marchesa 

A black dress is probably the last thing you would think of when thinking of a wedding dress but this dress is AMAZING. I have fallen totally in love with it and it would look incredible. 

The Dorothy Days X

Quote of the week - Maya Angelou

Hello everyone,

Every Monday I like to post an inspirational quote and today I have picked the wise words of Maya Angelou. I hope you all have a wonderful week! 

Thanks for reading my blog

The Dorothy Days Xx

Style Saturday: Tropical Getaway - Palm Print and Pink

Hello!

Lots of you are packing your bags and off on your holidays/ vacations soon so for my Style Saturday this week is this gorgeous palm print and pink fashion inspiration. You often see palm print paired with browns and khaki so this makes a really lovely change, updates the look and feels much more pretty and summery. This outfit could be worn with flats in the day with the sun hat to keep you cool and with the satchel for your water, suncream etc and for the evenings the beautiful pink heels, clutch bag and a hair up would make this outfit look super sophisticated. You could add to this outfit big sunglasses and perhaps a chunky necklace.

Are you off on your holidays? What outfits are you packing and what are your holiday essentials? Please let me know in the comments section below 

The Dorothy Days Xx

Happy June! Thank you for all your support

Hooray! It is June!!  I know I say this every month but it really does feel as if this year has flown by! Can't believe that we are now 6 months into the year.

This year so far has been fantastic so I am hoping the next 6 months will too! Thank you to everyone who has browsed in my shop, bought from me, messaged me on social media, and to all of you now who are reading my blog! I really appreciate your support. Last month I relaunched my Facebook page which was both exciting and nerve wracking as I had not been active on Facebook as a social media site for some time. Since relaunching I have had 100 new likes on the page which has been wonderful so an extra big thank you to everyone who has come over and taken a look at my page there (and if you haven't already you can find it here https://www.facebook.com/thedorothydays)

Bring on the sunshine, days lazing in the park and ice creams that June normally brings!

The Dorothy Days

What I have been up to the last few weeks....

Hey everyone,

Wow, it has been a busy few weeks and nice to take some time out to reflect and tell you all what I have been up to. Highlights were the Women of the World festival on the Southbank which was AMAZING and my trip to Cornwall both of which I will tell you about in a separate blog post (as I am likely to get some excited and carried away with photos!) but in between that this is what I have been up to...

Rufus has gone on holiday/ dog training camp as he is still being a little terror! The house is so quiet without him but I have been getting little updates and it sounds like he is having a great time and hopefully will come back having made a lot of progress with his retraining. His hair is so long at the moment he looks like a little fluff ball.

I have been having some photography lessons in hope that I will be able to improve my shop photography, I have learnt lots and got to play around with this beast!  Great fun and really useful too. 

Can't wait to get going photographing new items for my shop.

A day trip to beautiful Kent. I have only been once to Kent so it was lovely to have some time to explore and have a look around. We took a day out to Scotney Castle. It is a stunning National Trust property surrounded by beautiful countryside. 

Here is the house itself, what a beautiful building. We had a little tour around the grounds, castle and house. 

and of course tea had to feature....! Check out my Moomin mug!

The Dorothy Days Xx

Plans for March - How is it March already?!

Hello everyone,

How did it get to March?! I still can't get my head around it being 2015 let alone it being March! Feels like this year has already gone by super fast.

This month is shaping up to be an amazing month. I have a really packed schedule of exciting things including...

• The Women of the World festival at London's Southbank Centre. I went last year and it was AMAZING so I can't wait to go again this year. There are workshops, talks, debates, a marketplace and just so much going on. I will try and take more photographs this year and hopefully will also write a blog post so watch out for that one!

• I will be continuing to host a series of 'Live Chats' with the Dorset Etsy Team. We are working together as a group to improve our Etsy shops and so get together every Tuesday night online and discuss a topic for that week. It has been fantastic and I have learnt to so much.

• A big family holiday to Cornwall, I can't wait. It is right by the sea and there is a slide in the house as well as stairs....thats right....a slide! Well we all know what I am going to be doing for the entire week....!!

• I have been invited back to the U.K Etsy summit which this year will be held in Bristol. I can't wait to see all the other team captains who I have met before and also lots of new faces!

I will try and blog as much as possible this month and take lots of photographs for you all! 

Thanks so much for all your support and to everyone reading the blog

The Dorothy Days Xx

Last week in photographs featuring valentines day flowers, the best soap ever, banana cake and of course tea!

Hello everyone,

Hope you are all having a great week so far. I thought today I would share with you all my week last week in photographs. My week was filled with….. birthday celebrations, bowling, a trip to the sea life centre (you are never too old!), beautiful flowers, banana cake, what a fantastic week!

My beautiful beautiful flowers, aren't they stunning!? Full of some of my favourite flowers (and yes there are left over Christmas chocolates just below!)

This instantly made the week so much more fun. Soap that smells like strawberry laces?! Best thing ever!

We ate lots of really yummy cake to celebrate my sister's birthday.

We cooked up a storm in the kitchen! 

….. and of course drank lots of tea!

The Dorothy Days - Things I love this week...

Would love to hear what you are loving this week, please let me know in the comments section below.

The Dorothy Days X

Christmas Countdown - 2 days to go - Zee Avi No Christmas for me

Hello everyone,

Merry Christmas Eve Eve!! How are your Christmas preparations coming along? Are you all sorted for Christmas or are you manically dashing to the shops and trying to get the food shopping?!

Today I thought I would share with you all one of my favourite Christmas songs. The song is by Zee Avi and she has such a beautiful voice and I thought it might be calming for those who are rushing around getting things ready!

She says of the song....

"This song was inspired by everything i've experienced/read/watched/heard of from movies or stories, about one's lover being far away for Christmas, be it serving in the army, college, another country, peace corps etc... In a way, it's also about not losing hope."

The Dorothy Days Xx

Winter Decor - white and rustic winter wonderland

Well the first Style Saturday in December of course had to be Christmas themed! Turn your house into an elegant white wonderland with simple rustic style decorations, soft cosy blankets and fabrics and candles. You could even make your own wreaths and spray paint pine cones to hang on your tree. 

19 days to go…..!

Luxury Girly Treats for Pampering

Style Saturday - Grey comfy weekend clothes

The perfect collection for a lazy weekend in doing your Christmas shopping online! 

The Dorothy Days X

To see last week's Style Saturday blog post please click here

Extreme Dad dancing - hilarious youtube video to brighten up your day

Hello everyone,

Wednesday is not my favourite day... I know Monday's are normally the day in which everyone moans about but I tend to feel quite positive on a Monday as it is like a fresh start and a brand new week. Wednesday for me are instead always the "AHHH I haven't done this and it's already mid way through the week" kind of days. Today I spent the day catching up on emails and paperwork so when I stumbled across this (yes, I was being naughty and procrastinating!) it cheered me right up and made my day much brighter. The video actually made me cry in laughter, I love how his children are just sat there ignoring him dancing like it is an every day occurrence!

Hope that this video brightened your day a little too.

Thanks so much for checking out my blog.

The Dorothy Days

Click below for 1 minute 20 seconds of pure hilarity! 

Erased de Kooning Drawing - Robert Rauschenberg - An Art blog post!

Erased De Kooning Drawing, Robert Rauschenberg, 1953.

The work is in the collection of SFMOMA and the image above is copyright of the Robert Rauschenberg Foundation with the photograph by Ben Blackwell. 

Hello everyone,

While I was unwell it was what would have been Robert Rauschenberg's birthday. I have not blogged about art in ages so, even though his birthday has now come and gone, I thought I would share with you this clip of Rauschenberg talking about his piece Erased de Kooning Drawing. I once gave a presentation on Rauschenberg and since then have always found his work interesting. This is mainly because his work pushes the boundaries of art and what can be considered art, an area in which I always love writing about.

Robert Rauschenberg (22nd October 1925 -12th May 2008) was an American artist. He is not normally considered to be part of any one artistic movement but his work was extremely influential especially to the Pop Artists. His work is often discussed because of his use of appropriation. In art, appropriation is when an object or image is taken from one source and made into art with little or no changes being made. This is image or object is normally a 'non-art' object but is appropriated and becomes art. One of the most famous examples of this is Marcel Duchamp's Fountain in which he places a urinal on a plinth and signs it 'R. Mutt 1917'. This ordinary object them becomes a work of art. Here Rauschenberg takes an artwork by one of the most famous artists of the time from the Abstract Expressionist movement, Willem de Kooning and erases it. He therefore is appropriating De Kooning's work but unlike Duchamp, where the urinal was before a non-art object, the object was already an art piece before he appropriated it. He transforms a work of art into a totally different work of art therefore allowing new and different interpretations to what was originally intended.

In this clip Rauschenberg talks about how the work came to be.




'The power of Erased de Kooning Drawing derives from the allure of the unseen and from the enigmatic nature of Rauschenberg’s decision to erase a de Kooning. Was it an act of homage, provocation, humor, patricide, destruction, or, as Rauschenberg once suggested, celebration?'
- SFMOMA

Rauschenberg once said 'An empty canvas is full' and here, even though the canvas only has traces of the original artwork, the canvas is still full of meaning. As the SFMOMA puts it, 'Erased de Kooning Drawing eludes easy answers, its mysterious beginnings leaving it open to a range of present and future interpretations.' 


Hope that you enjoyed this blog post.

Let me know what you think about the work in the comment section below and if you would like to read anymore about this work please take a look at the SFMOMA website which I have linked. It is full of information and is where the image and video is from.

The Dorothy Days Xx

Hellooooo!

Hey everyone,

Sorry that I have been so quiet on my blog recently. I have unfortunately been really unwell (much better now!) and also super busy with the Dorset Team Christmas Fair planning! It is really exciting but also means that I am not finding I have much time for blogging, tweeting or making new bits at the moment.

Feeling back to my normal self so thought I would write a little blog post to say hello! Thank you to everyone who has been reading my posts.

Actually managed to do some creating and making today. Was so nice as I haven't done much lately. Super excited about sharing which I made but will keep you in suspense for a little longer!

Thanks for all your lovely get well soon tweets, very kind and cheered me up even when I was feeling really poorly!

The Dorothy Days Xx

Duke Ellington inspirational quote

Happy Monday everyone

An inspirational quote for you all to start the week by the great jazz legend Duke Ellington.

I hope that you find this inspiring and have a wonderful and productive week.

The Dorothy Days Xx

My beautiful new vintage leather rucksack

Hello everyone,

How are you all? Hope you are having a great week so far. Today I wanted to share with you my new rucksack as I am rather in love with it and it is beautiful! I have been looking for a bag for a while and really wanted a rucksack especially a leather rucksack. This vintage one fitted the bill perfectly! I can't wait to start using it and it will be perfect for my trips to the art galleries!

The Dorothy Days X

Style Saturday - Nude and Grey