A couple of weeks ago, I attended Belk's Girls Night Out to support blogger buddy Alexis Barton of Same Chic, Different Day who was hosting the event.  I wore an oldie, but goodie - Vogue 1258 (Out-of-print now).  I re-discovered this dress about a month ago as I was purging my closet preparing donation bags.  I tried it on and it fit better than it originally did, so into rotation it went!  So while at Belk, I was there absorbing the atmosphere and sipping on wine, I did some exploring and some trying on!

This fabulous Elie Tahari Emory Floral Print Sheath Dress - $428, jumped off the rack at me!  I had to try it on!  

It's neoprene and mesh!  A floral neoprene at that!  Can I just tell y'all that I've been searching high and low for a similar print and I've had no luck thus far.  But I'm not giving up.  I absolutely loved the details.  This is a dress that can easily be made.  I could use a ponte knit or a stretch twill, but I really want a floral neoprene on a black background.  Notice how the darts are sewn.  I hope you can see it.  On the inside, the seams were left raw.  I've noticed that in ready-to-wear, neoprene is never finished on the inside.  And on this dress, nor is it hemmed.

I also wanted to try this tailored jumpsuit.  What drew me to this is that it has a front invisible zip, even though it's a little low-cut.  I've never really had much luck with ready-to-wear jumpsuits because due to my height, they always seem too short in the rise.  

But this one fits well and it was even comfortable when sitting.  And I was also impressed with the length.  It stopped where it was meant to according to how the model is wearing it.

Trina Turk Emmalyn Jumpsuit - $328

Let's look at the inside...

The bodice of this jumpsuit is fully-lined with a facing.

Here's the back.

And they even used hem tape.  This is a detail that I don't often see.

And of course, I had to buy something and what an amazing buy it was!  I found the DKNY Feather Hem Lace Dress that originally retailed for $495.  Brace yourself... I found it on clearance for... $19.98!  Yes, 20 bucks!  I paid for this dress with pocket change!  I very rarely buy ready-to-wear, so this purchase makes it worth my while!

Sometimes when your sewing mojo has taken a hike, the easiest way to motivate one's sewing self is through pure magazine inspiration.  In the age of all things digital, it's good to fall back on the satisfaction of simply flipping through the glossy editorial pages of a fashion magazine.  

At one point, I thought Issuu.com and Pinterest had almost ruined the experience for me.  But it's just something about daylight savings time and the turn of the new season that inspires me to grab an actual magazine.  No matter how many Pinterest boards I create, I still love to rip out those pages and push pin them to my inspiration corkboard.  I must know what they think is hot!

My inspiration for this dress was pulled from the pages of the April 2015 issue of Marie Claire.  The dress is Alexander Wang Pre-Fall 2015.

I had recently purchased this fabulous striped ponte knit from Mood Fabrics.com.  The weight and quality of this ponte knit is unlike any I've ever felt outside of a ready-to-wear garment.  If you're looking to make a fitted body-con dress, then I suggest you seek a ponte knit swatch from Mood.  

I used McCall's 6886, once again.  This is such a great basic pattern that is perfect for when you have a spectacular fabric that you want to be the star.

I used the same cut pieces as before, which was the size 14.  But I needed to shave down the sides by 1.5" each.  The stripes run horizontal... selvage to selvage.  But I cut it the other way for my look.  And instead of hemming the neckline, I wanted my dress to be a little closer to my inspiration piece.  So I used the black stripe in the fabric, that was serendipitously 1.25" wide.  Which was perfect for a 5/8" neck binding.  I just cut into the white part so that I would have a seam allowance.  How I did this was to trim down the neckline on the front and the back by 5/8".  And stitch the binding on as if it was meant to be like that.

 I'm thinking that this pattern is officially a "TNT" that I'll be making over and over.

The new Bobbi Brown store inside Belk at The Summit is now open and it's beautiful!  Just look at the countertops.  Doesn't it remind you of a kitchen?  The marble counters, the large island in the center and the cabinetry is gorgeous.  

Let's have a brief history lesson about Bobbi and her brand...

Bobbi Brown's story is very inspiring.  It all started with these 10 lipsticks pictured above.  In the 1980s, with a degree in theatrical makeup she was a makeup artist.  The makeup trend back then was strong contoured faces and red lips, which Bobbi didn't find all that flattering.  Bobbi's own look was inspired by Ali MacGraw in "Love Story", so she wanted to create natural looking lip color so that lips would look like "lips".   She launched her lipsticks at Bergdorf Goodman in 1991, with instant success -- she sold 100 lipsticks on her first day!  And after 4 years, her brand was acquired by Estee Lauder with Bobbi retaining complete creative control.  Just like we all read those affirmations that say things like, "If it doesn't exist, create it".  Well, she did! 

These are the current lip colors...

And the creamy lip color which is like a tinted lip balm definitely caught my eye for everyday wear.

And there is also a simple balm.

And she offers foundations from the lightest to the darkest.  And an interesting fact:  they are all yellow-base.  This piqued my curiosity, because even though I have golden undertones to my skin and I would naturally wear a yellow-base foundation, I wouldn't think that everyone could.  But the way her makeup is formulated, it works.  And she also says, "Concealer is the secret of the universe".  And I believe her.  It's the difference between looking exhausted or like you've had some great sleep.

And even it you need a little bit of help, her bronzer is perfect for color correction.

And the beautiful array of blushes.

Here is the eye color.  Colors from cool to warm.  I like warm!  And from everyday clean to a dramatic occasion look.  

And most importantly, the skincare products.  And another little fact I learned:  The moisturizers contain a primer!  So that's one less step in your routine.

And here are 4 of the 8 books she's written that are also available at the counter.

And what's a major plus about this brand are the very educated makeup artist!  Bobbi Brown Coordinator Jennifer Puckett (sec. from the left) and her team of professionals are excellent in helping your establish your skincare regimen and makeup routine.  And they also offer classes.

Here's my sheet!  And they keep a copy on file in the store.

And they get to wear this fun, cool girl shirt!  So, if you're in the Birmingham Metro Area, make sure to stop by Belk and head to the Bobbi Brown counter!  Or any Bobbi Brown counter in your area.

This morning I attended Gus Mayer's Spring Preview Blogger Breakfast.  

A lot of Birmingham's most fabulous bloggers were in attendance.

As usual for Spring '15, florals will most definitely be making an appearance.

The first look is Noir Sachin Babi cropped top and embroidered organza midi skirt.  This look is right on trend for this season.  

The other dress is a fit and flare neoprene dress from Erin Erin Fetherston.  It seems that each season neoprene gets better.  This one is gorgeous and this dress has so much movement.

Sewing details:  Notice that exposed zippers aren't going anywhere.  And I love the use of the grosgrain ribbon as a zipper facing.  I've noticed this detail a lot and I plan on incorporating it soon.

I also like these two printed looks.

I also noticed a lot of mixed media pieces.  I love the sporty chic look of these pieces.  The mesh inserts keep these tops fun and can easily ago from day to night.  This is something I might consider adding as well.  Think about when a pattern calls for lace, mesh would be a great substitute.

Fringe is on everything and everywhere this season.  Lots of it...

Or you can keep it subtle.

Even here in The Deep South, we wear leather all year.  And this white leather dress is perfect to wear into summer.  And a white perforated leather tote is a wonderful addition.

Another fabric that screamed out to me was gauze in boho hippy styles.  My favorite is the modern tie-dye.

Now if only spring actually shows up!