Vivre Sans Murs

And, as predicted, I have been distracted. The Etsy theme may or may not return. As we have lately been working on making our little yard fun to hang out in (the Virginia Creeper is getting huge and has nicely climbed up the courtyard gates and across the wires intended to make it a lovely, leafy roof), I am obsessed of late with living and entertaining en plein air. Here are a few inspiring designs that have caught my fancy.

Do places like this really exist? If only every dinner could be eaten in a setting like this.


A fantastic design for shading a sunny outdoor party. Almost like made-to-order clouds. The only thing that would make this any cuter would be trained birds holding it up instead of balloons.


Oh, if only I had a few thousand extra dollars sitting around so I could go spend a week or two on Santorini. How ridiculously idyllic is this?


"Float" by Design-Mobel. It would be atomic dream fuel to fall asleep in a lighter-than-air boat-bed like this beauty.


The Lily swing by Fletcher & Myburgh, whose swings seem to have come directly out of my eight-year-old fantasies. A lot of me is still eight years old, so I'd love to have one of these hanging in our courtyard. If only we had a big old tree...

Etsy Upcycled/Repurposed/Altered Clothing

I always have great intentions of trying to do stuff like this - I've even gone so far as to buy materials and even start one or two pieces. Here are some talented people who actually get it done!

Sobriquet Ensemble by DesiraPesta: A quirky little piece made of t-shirt material. Oddly asymmetrical but adorable!


Monster Mash by RubyPearl: A mash-up of several party dresses. Would definitely suit some cute waif, and not an hourglass, but it's nice to look at anyway.


Doily Dress by Armoursansanguish: A flouncy little number made of... yep! Doilies! This could easily have been ridiculous, but manages to be rather stylish and wearable.


Black Hole Mystery by GlacierMilk: Judy Jetson ain't got nothing on this funky little number. Again, pink - not my favorite - manages to be the right color for the job.


Altered Couture by Katesvintageapparel: Extremely wearable and refreshingly not too busy or over-thought(a strong tendency in the altered arena). A touch of French and a touch of 1930s glamour.

Etsy Corsets

Those of us blessed/cursed with an hourglass figure can surely best appreciate the stunning effect of a corset. They are really one of the few things left in this world that praise our body type and exist to help those poor souls who haven't the voluptuosity (if that's not a word, it should be) of a 10+ inch difference between waist and hips/bust.
Some of my favorites available on etsy.com:

Leather Steampunk Top by jazuchan: To tie in my last post, a beautiful marriage of antique, fantasy, and post-apocalyptic style. Couldn't pull off the bare midriff myself, but if I could, I'd totally wear this on stage.


Nautical Nancy by BoobieTrapCorsets: The best name for a corset line EVER! The epitome of pin-up deliciousness, and cute photography to boot!


Marie Antoinette gown by Battyazac: One can't help but be in awe of the talent and skill (not to mention patience) required to make this elaborate and stunning of a costume. I can't imagine getting to wear something like this (though I don't think it would be fun wear it all day every day).


From the Retro Numero Uno collection by Freyagushi: Okay, so I'm normally violently opposed to anything frilly and pink, but this one... Somehow it is rather kick-ass anyway, and it's not just the styling.


From Carnie Couture by Lvizia: Of course it's not exactly something that you can wear anywhere but a masquerade party, but I love this kind of thing! If you're familiar with my love for circus things, whimsy, and couture, you'll understand why I had to include this gem.