Suzannah Hamlin Stanley's Blog, page 72

Decor trends and faves from Street of Dreams 2016!

It's time again for Street of Dreams in Portland! This year's event features five homes (WAY bigger than last year's, though I didn't think that possible) in a beautiful vineyard-centered private neighborhood outside West Linn. I went to one Street of Dreams right after high school, and then last year's, and now that I've been to two recently I love comparing them and analyzing why we're seeing the trends and changes for this year!

The event runs July 30 through August 28,...

More gingham! Simple black and white top

I just can't quit you, gingham!!

I've made two fabulous black and white checkered dresses this summer (this ruffled one and this fitted one) and I love them both SO much! They are both on my all-time fave DIYs list! I had some extra fabric from the larger buffalo check one, and have also been loving loose, simple tops this summer... so I made very efficient use of it and whipped up this top!

I used the dress and romper pattern Simplicity 1355 as a starting point. I've used severa...

New favorite romper! Simple strapless stripe

I am stoked about this romper!! I've made a few before, but never this simple, comfy, or easy to wear. The straplessness takes away the classic romper dilemma of "how do I get this on??" without lots of fastenings or a deep V in the front or back! It also made for super easy sewing. And the elastic at the waist and top make it SO comfy!! I used an organic rib knit provided by Organic Cotton Plus so it feels great, too!


My inspirations initially were these little things. I love the si...

The SIMPLEST fancy dessert recipe - paleo flourless chocolate cake! You can do it!

I'm finally sharing this baking success with you!

We just got back from a lovely long weekend visiting husband's grandparents in one of the most beautiful places on earth, the Olympic Peninsula, on a ridge overlooking the strait out to Canada. 270 degree views and no one else around, just family and relaxing and books. It's pretty great when we get up there.

We're often celebrating birthdays or other reasons for treats, and I've made this [mostly] Paleo flourless chocolate c...

The deal with Thrive Market

I've been hearing a lot lately aboutThrive Market, and you probably have, too. I first heard about it a couple years ago on Robb Wolf's podcast, touted as a mix between Costco and Whole Foods--high quality groceries and products at a discount if you're a member.

It took me a while to try it out, though! I recently made my first order and have spent some good chunks of time researching and shopping atThrive, and I wanted to talk about my experience - the pros and cons - and if you w...

Black and white gingham fit-and-flare dress

I made this black and white gingham dress earlier this summer and I'm pretty much obsessed. I've worn it quite a few times and it's so versatile, not too dress or too casual, super fun, and goes with everything!

Gingham in basic colors is usually easy to find and pretty affordable, too! I figured, with how much I love the first one, it wouldn't hurt to have another, though different, checkered dress, right??

I did want to do a pretty different style than my elastic waist, ruffled one. I looked...

Embroidery-inspired ribbon trim crepe shift dress

I sure do love summer dresses! This one's a little different than several recent ones because I had some fun with trim!


This sweet white crepe shift dress was inspired by this embroidered swing dress from LOFT, and I guess also by those beautiful, multi-colored embroidered yoke Mexican cotton ones. So pretty, and you could make one at home, but that's a lot of specialty embroidery! It would be quite a project. But I liked the simple design of the embroidery around the neck of the LOFT one...

How to host a [low-stress] clothing swap!

Have you ever been to a clothing swap?!? It's just like it sounds - gather with friends and bring unwanted clothing, and trade with them! I've been to two and just recently hosted one, and it was such a success that I wanted to share my tips and take-aways with you.

How to host a clothing swap (low-stress style!)
I've been to a formal clothing swap, with a long period of gathering/making piles and scoping out before a hard start point when the swapping began, and an informal clothing swap with...

Black and white bias summery top - the Hunter Tank pattern

I am just so impressed by people who make and publish their own patterns! Like this one by

Sharing my dresses with you!! 2nd Edition

This is a very special kind of post! I don't do custom sewing but I do love to share my creations with the world, sometimes in ways other than hopefully inspirational blog posts ;). Last summer when we thought we were moving, I started cleaning out the spare closet and shared a handful of dresses I'd made that no longer fit me or are no longer part of my lifestyle.

Those dresseswent like hotcakes!! Within minutes of publishing the post I had quite a few emails about them. One of them,...