Do you know what I love the most about blogging? Getting to meet so many fabulous women around the world – and even some right in my own backyard – who share the same love and frenzy for fashion. This community of people who I likely never would have met otherwise. Well, when Sarah of Ask Sarah contacted me about her amazing idea to DIY a pair of Whipped Cream with a Cherry on Top Shoes, I was beyond excited to see these cherrylicious beauties come to fruition (pun intended).
And then she put the cherry on top of the proverbial ballet flat cake, and made me my very own bonafide pair! I nearly burst from footwear excitement. After they made their way from the other coast to me (you can imagine I was ever so patient during their trek), I naturally put them on and pranced around the garden for awhile, so delighted in my latest pair of footwear confection.
I was so beyond excited to receive these beauties that I wanted to give you guys a chance to get to know the fabulous woman behind their calceological genius! So, Sarah and I hatched a plan via the interwebs and spent some time getting to know each other – She wrote a review of Dressed and then interviewed me for her blog (which you can read here) and she did a guest DIY here on TDA on how to make these amazing shoes. After so much mutual appreciation, I knew I needed to send some questions zipping through cyberspace to understand a bit more about her particular brand of fabulous.
Q: When did you start Ask Sarah and what was the main catalyst?
Sarah: “It’s a really boring story! I’m bipolar and there came a time when I couldn’t work. I spent my time cooking and cleaning and on Facebook. I’d always loved household hints and tips stuff and I was hugely into cooking. I was spending heaps of time on Facebook, answering everyone’s cleaning and cooking type questions. Mum dared me to start a Facebook page and it went really well. But then I found many people asked the same questions and I was re-typing stuff, so my husband set up a blog as a present to me. That was five years ago and I’ve never looked back!
It was a humble beginning (OMG I had 20 daily readers in the beginning!) but it lead to so much more. I’m not sure if I would have learned to sew at all without it but it lead me to the Australian Sewing Guild and my roles there. I am Neighborhood Coordinator of the Marion Sewing Group and am about to retire my role as National Marketing Coordinator. And then of course, I was asked to write a book and did it! Ask Sarah is the most motivating and rewarding work I’ve ever been lucky enough to do.”
Q: When did you start sewing?
Sarah: “I’ve been trying to sew my whole life but somehow I could never figure it out and gave up. However, with illness related weight gain and with more free time, I was determined. I just couldn’t get the clothes I wanted in my size or in my budget. I did a beginner sewing course back in 2010 but didn’t make anything until a year later, so I’ve only been sewing for a bit over 3 years. Any skills I have come from internet watching & sheer bloody mindedness! Since then, I have sewn like a wild thing and I mostly wear clothes I’ve made now. I don’t sew anything too complicated, I’m too impatient! I’ve been too keen to build my wardrobe but now that it’s building up I’m more inclined to tackle the complex projects.”
Q: I love the concept behind Me Made May – do you have a favorite that came out of that adventure?
Sarah: “I love all the combinations I find when I try to wear so many Me Made garments in every outfit. That’s actually how I found your fabulous Dressed App! I was thinking about how Me Made May really helps me to plan outfits and that lead me to look for a way to combine things without making a big, messy pile of clothes. In terms of the sewing, it’s a tie between the shoe clips and my handbag. I use the bag every day and the shoe clips get worn a lot too. There’s an amazing satisfaction in creating a useful item that gets used daily. I do loathe the process of bag making but it’s immensely helpful. I get a compliment on it most days, so definitely worth the sewing hours!”
Q: What’s your process from going from idea to reality?
Sarah: “I do lots of research! I read blog posts and tutorials, pin my inspiration pics to Pinterest. I need to know everything before I start. I feel like a lot of DIY tutorials leave out details about durability and safety of item once made and so I need to read ALL the tutorials so I can piece it together. Same thing with sewing tutorials really, some miss out detail or assume knowledge I don’t have. So often there’s many evenings spent going down a rabbit hole!
I buy a lot of supplies online, so I research prices and make orders. Sometimes I need to find an alternative product because the recommended product isn’t available here. I often as ask older sewing friends about how things were sewn in the past or how they would do something. Once all of that’s been in done, I dive in and show no fear!”
Q: I think a lot of people (myself included) are a bit intimidated by DIY – any advice for first timers embarking on a project like the Whipped Cream/Cherry Shoes?
Sarah: “That’s hilarious because I’m always terrified! Well researched but terrified! Sewing was not easy for me, I really struggled to learn until someone told me ‘It’s sewing, not rocket science!’. DIY is the same, I just remember it’s not rocket science and get started. The best advice I have is to just take a deep breath and do it. Also, wear gloves, cover surfaces & check that you have the right adhesive for the job.”
Q: It’s so amazing that you wrote a book! Can you tell me what it’s about and what inspired you to undertake such an ambitious project?
Sarah: “Ask Sarah is all about cleaning, cooking, sewing, DIY but in the easiest way possible. I mean my tag line is Surviving life with flair! And I have to admit, there was a rash of blogger-turned-author situations, and I was kind of jealous. I mean, how does this even happen? But I wasn’t trying, I hadn’t written anything or even pitched an idea. I’d totally given up on the whole idea that I could write a book and then I got an email from New Holland publishers. They wanted to put out a book about how to do life. They were wondering if I’d write Girl’s Guide to Survival (yes, they already had the name!). Shocked and excited, we exchanged phone calls and emails. I hadn’t researched for this so I had no idea how it worked. In fact, even though a proof was sent to me on black and a bluish colour, I had no idea how the cover would look until it arrived! I didn’t even know if it was hard or soft cover!
I tell you this was a crazy ride! I was asked in April, contracts were signed and done by late May and I delivered copy and illustration two weeks before the mid September deadline! It was rough because I used that time before being asked and signing off to prep my blog ahead of time (I still posted 2-3 times a week). Still, I lived that book until it was done. Poor Mum used her holidays to assist me, doing my household chores and helping me find a word that was on the tip of my tongue. My best friend Nene read and edited by chunk, chapter & at the end. As to what it’s about…..
Because Noisy Neighbours, Landlord Inspections, Dodgy Drapes and Wardrobe Malfunctions Happen…
The Girl’s Guide to Survival is every girl’s essential reference guide of all those things your mother never taught you – or that you chose not to listen to. It’s a practical hands-on, down-to-earth guide focusing on those every day household problems and challenges that you are likely to encounter in real life, and it is full of tips and advice to help you keep your house (and you) from falling down around you”
Q: How would you describe your personal style?
Sarah: “Why is this so hard to nail? Retro/vintage/rockabilly/eclectic are a good start. My home is a teeny, tiny flat built in 1966. My husband is very modern but I love the retro eclectic. He planned to change so much when we bought it but it still has original kitchen fixtures because everything is of non standard size and it costs a fortune to change. I adore it as is, same for the grey, pink & white tiny tile in the bathroom. And of course I bought the little pot plants made of crochet and the flying porcelain ducks. He won the IKEA storage TV wall battle. And somehow this house of this and that is my wholehearted, happy, personal style. Items belonging to a span of 75 years, jostled together in a colourful, lightly cluttered cohesion.
I adore clothes from almost all eras. From the 50’s New Look silhouette, shiny 60’s Lurex and my beloved 70’s polyester. All of these feel like home. I like to mix the feel of these eras and identity, with comfy stretch tops and modern elements. I know and admire a 1940’s vintage purist (I could murder her for her wardrobe, if only it would fit), but I must love all the things! My style is a bit like a great op shop haul, vintage finds, handmade goodies, reproduction cuties and a perfectly fitting tee shirt!”
Q: We live in different worlds: work, friends and family. If you could describe each set in an outfit, what would it be?
Sarah: “Hmmm, work is all about pajamas! All of the things I consider ‘work’ (sewing, DIY, testing recipes, blogging & writing) I do mostly from home. That means I’m usually in my PJ’s, hair pulled up in a bun and no makeup. Nothing too cute either, but if I see PJ’s with cats on them, I have to do it!
The rest of my ‘work’ happens at Mum’s, but it’s where I catch up with my sister and her grown up kids too. Those outfits are about comfort & practicality. Lots of errands, shopping, sewing and sometimes the dog park. So usually a half circle skirt & a stretchy top and a shrug or cardigan to top it off. I test out & photograph things there too, so I can end up with a full face of makeup and a very full on outfit!
For friends and fun stuff it’s poofy dresses and crinolines all the way! It’s very similar to any other day but in velvet & silk and with pom poms & fringe. I’m not shy about big hair accessories with fruit, flowers or feathers.”
Q: Staying true to yourself takes courage – how do you balance the good with the bad and stay true to yourself?
Sarah: “I’ve always enjoyed clothing that has a bit of spectacle about it. Even in high school I was wearing tight 70’s body shirts with cigarette leg pants while most of my friends were wearing the wide leg pants of rave culture. I’ve swished around in red trench coats and battered old faux fur coats. I was always raiding grandma’s wardrobe, I still have a few of her things now, which is nice, as she passed away 3 years ago. I have a huge desire to play dress ups and doing so gives me a sunburst of happiness. That turns into a bolshy sort of confidence. I think it’s almost like a dare. I dare you to stare or take a picture or comment to my face. I’ve certainly had unpleasant comments and my low cut necklines have been the talk of bitchy clumps of women. It stings and the odd comment has brought tears. But then I remember that we can’t all be the same or dress the same and if everyone dressed like me, I’d be forced to wear beige to exert my individuality and that would be something to cry over!
The safety in dressing (or decorating your home) in a generic or fashionable way is that in doing so you reveal nothing of your own soul, your inner identity, your core thoughts and feelings. The same applies if you dress to fit in or gain approval from others. When you express your innermost self through what you wear, you are inherently vulnerable. But it allows others to connect with you. The older ladies at my supermarket who stop me to ask if I made what I’m wearing because they don’t make them like that anymore. The people that gravitate to you at a gathering because they’re interested. The amazing people you meet online because you share a passion for amazing outfits. And because of all of that you must be you and you cannot help but be true to yourself!”
Q: As we all know, “Nothing Haunts Us Like the Vintage We Didn’t Buy” – what is your Ghost of Clothing Left Behind?
Sarah: “It’s all the well loved bits & bobs I’ve chucked through the years. Either by a cold exacting chuck out or because it didn’t fit. Top of the list:
- A perfect black jacket that could work & play
- A 70’s body shirt I wore for at least 10 years before it didn’t fit
- A zebra faux fur pea coat I still have but is at least 5 sizes too small
- The Lurex cardi my sister and I wore until it unraveled
- A 1930’s silk step through undergarment that was utterly perfect in every way and fitted perfectly. It was $7 in an op shop and I regret it bitterly, even though it wouldn’t fit me now.
Cest la vie!”
Q: Because I don’t think we ever stop growing and learning, finish this sentence: When I grow up, I want to be…..
Sarah: “A crazy old Aunt with too many cats, who never stopped wearing red lipstick and floats around in embarrassing outfits. I used to do a drudge of a commute by bus. An elderly woman of about 80 shared my bus home every Friday night. She had a wild beehive, silver ankle strap clunky heels, bold blue eye shadow and red lipstick that wasn’t ever quite straight. One day we chatted. She told me that she was widowed in the war, her children lived overseas and that she went to the market in the city every Friday. I asked her why she kept up this tradition in this raging rain and icy, inky black night? She told me that a girl like her must get properly dressed and head out. Otherwise, how could she wear out these good shoes?
When I grow up, I want to be just like her……”
Q: And to end, If you could write your six word memoir, what would it be?
Sarah: “Well, I gave it a go!”
℘
I don’t know about you, but I fell in love with Sarah just a little bit more after reading her answers. I always find inspiration in women who stay true to themselves and embrace their vulnerability, their strength, and their quirks – because that brings out the best in the people around them and inspires them to live life just a little more fully.
Also, how can you not be smitten with someone who made you a pair of the greatest shoes on earth?? Seriously, these beauties may never leave my feet. I may request to be buried in them.
(I also kind of love that Sarah has a photobombing furry companion too. Willie isn’t all that weird, apparently!)
I can’t even tell you how much I love these shoes. They’re so comfortable and have been incredibly durable, particularly considering what I put my shoes through on a daily basis. I was also impressed by the fact that they only took 15 minutes and cost $12 – As those prices, I could fill up an entire wardrobe with whipped cream shoes! Now, there’s an idea…
If you missed any of them, here’s a quick recap of Sarah and my collaborations that have been brewing and coming to fruition these past few weeks:
A Review of Dressed and Giveaway: Here on Sarah’s blog, AskSarah {giveaway now closed}
Whipped Cream With A Cherry on Top Tutorial: Here on The Dressed Aesthetic
Interview with yours truly: Here on AskSarah
And finally this interview with Sarah!
We are awfully tired from all of our collaborating and in need of a cocktail, but have had an amazing time getting to know each other. I hope you find a ton of inspiration on Sarah’s amazing blog (which just had a fab makeover). She posts on everything from recipes to sewing to DIY – this gal does it all! And to make her even more awesome, Sarah is offering the chance to win a copy of her fabulous book Girl’s Guide to Survival to two lucky readers of The Dressed Aesthetic!
To enter, leave a comment in the comments section below with your own six word memoir. You can also have additional entries by following AskSarah and The Dressed Aesthetic on our various social media pages (using the widget below). Note that you don’t need to complete them all the be entered into the giveaway, but the more times you enter the more likely you are to win! The giveaway will be open for two weeks (ending 11 Sept 15). And if you just can’t wait, you can buy the book here.
You can also check out Sarah in all of her fabulousness on her blog as well as on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and Bloglovin. If you have any additional questions for her not covered above, feel free to ask in the comments below.
Now, is anyone else craving an ice cream sundae??
xoxo
Outfit Details:
Gigi Young Dress: Rockin’ Ruby’s Vintage (similar here, here, here & here)
Brooch: Luxulite
Belt: Alannah Hill (similar here & here)
Bag: Xtabay Vintage (similar here, here & here)
Socks: DSW (similar here & here)
Shoes: c/o AskSarah (see how to make them here)
Sarah’s photos courtesy of AskSarah
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