About me & Disclaimer

Welcome to Dainty Dress Diaries

My name is Catherine and welcome to my floral, painted, tea dress-wearing, creative corner of the internet. My blog is my place to share my love of all things creative. I am a bit of a jack of all trades when it comes to creativity, from drilling to sewing, photography and videography, I do it all. My goal is to share what I learn in the hopes that it inspires you to flex your creative muscle!

I love to transform old into new and document it along the way.

I started blogging back in February 2014. I originally wanted to blog about fashion, but as I only ever wear dresses (hence the blog name), I didn’t have a direction. Later that spring, I had attended some furniture painting workshops and, then I rediscovered my love of all things creative. I also became more confident in my blogging abilities as I had a bit more of a direction. In 2016 I started the Dainty Dress Diaries YouTube channel.

I still share my outfit posts, but I stick to what I love, adorable tea dresses, with a vintage flair. I have also started to share more personal posts on my blog as I grow and learn as a person. I have added a travel and places corner to my blog as one of my favourite things is solo travel and, I love travel photography.

Running my blog and my Youtube channel is currently my hobby and, I do work full-time. However, I always aim to have a fresh piece of content for you every Thursday on my Youtube and website.

I hope to inspire you to create the home and life you want to with whatever budget you have. I believe that we can all create the life we want and, we can achieve this through creativity. I have tons of projects on this blog so, I hope you get lots of inspiration when navigating around my website and Youtube channel. I love seeing your projects so, do reach out on Instagram or Facebook to share your work with me.

As my blog grows, I aim to stay true to what my blog is about. I will always disclose at the bottom of my posts if an item is gifted or sponsored by a brand. As tempting as it is to take free items, I always only accept PR that I love and that I would genuinely purchase myself.

The past few years I have been delighted to collaborate with Laura Ashley, Marks and Spencer, Loccitane, Energia, to name but a few, if you are interested in collaborating then drop me an email by clicking the contact form and we can chat.

Disclaimer

From time to time, I may work with brands and get paid to do so. I am also a member of affiliate networks, and I sometimes use affiliate links within my site. 

I always declare using AD or “sponsored content” on posts where I have collaborated with a brand on a paid basis. If I have used an affiliate link, I will mention it at the top of a blog post under the fold. As my blog grows, I have been able to work with some of my favourite brands and will continue to work and endorse brands and products I love and ones I know you love too. 

The revenue I make from my blog enables me to put the money back into the blog and increase the quality of my content, thank you for the continued support.

Feel free to contact me with any questions and, you can find me over on Instagram and over on Facebook, You can also click on the contact button on the top of the site and fill in the contact form.

Get To Know Me

Dainty Dress Diaries FAQ

Below is some popular questions that I get in my inbox, from Youtube comments, and from my search analytics. I hope these help!

When did Dainty Dress Diaries start Youtube?

I started YouTube in November 2016. I am not the best writer, so I decided to use videos to show people my projects. Since then, we have grown our channel in size, and I still upload a new video every Thursday.

When did you start Dainty Dress Diaries?

I started this blog in 2014. I cringe at my first blog posts, but we all have to start somewhere. Over the years, my site has grown with me, and I am proud to say that it has inspired thousands to reignite their creativity.

I have a piece of furniture that I want to paint, how do I paint it? Can I send you an image for advice?

Unfortunately, I don’t do consultations. However, I have tons of resources on this blog. Click here for my paint guide, and here for this Ikea painting guide. You can also use the search bar at the top of this site to navigate.

How can I sign up for the SewBegin online sewing course?

Click here for all the details on my online sewing course. You can sign up at any time, and you have unlimited access to learn at your own pace.

Who owns Dainty Dress Diaries?

The website daintydressdiaries.com, and YouTube channel, is owned by Catherine Carton.

Is Catherine Carton married? Is there a Mr Dainty?

Believe me when I say, if I don’t know what my relationship status is, then neither does Google, lol! As of January 2021, I am a spinster with two cats, and plenty of suitors, however, nobody special……. yet? This question is purely for the nosey buggers who I see searching this question from my analytics dashboard. Yes, people search for this each month. It is one of my most searched keywords that drives traffic to my website. There is no Mr Dainty, and sadly because of online intrusion, I am reluctant to share again when there is one.

How old is Catherine Carton?

I am an eighties baby! I was born in North Dublin in 1988.

Catherine Carton Job? What was your job before blogging?

In January 2021, I was made redundant during the pandemic, and I decided to work for myself. Before then, I worked for the Arcadia group for over fifteen years in various management roles and locations.
Unfortunately, I did have to remove my Linkedin last year for safety and privacy reasons. While YouTube and my website support me now, it can be very up and down, so I also do freelance creative work for companies to make up for any losses in income. So, in the future, I may change things up, but for now, I am enjoying being creative here.

Dainty Dress Diaries
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8 Comments

  1. francesca sacco
    June 2, 2018 / 1:32 am

    I just love you,you are a breath of fresh air…I love the world you live in….I live in Texas USA…I recently found you and get excited with each new post I see…I wish you much success,happiness and peace on life’s journey 💕💕💕

  2. Unknown
    August 2, 2018 / 1:32 pm

    I have rescently found you on youtube. I also have the same interests as you. It is refreshing to see such a lovely lady and high spirited lady go and do thing you love. If you dont know how to find a way to know how. I love your personality too. Keep up the wonderful things. I am so looking forward to seeing what you diy or travel too next. 💗

  3. leia
    March 27, 2019 / 6:40 am

    Thank you for helping me in completing my personal project! 💞

  4. June 28, 2019 / 12:21 pm

    So…I first stumbled upon one of your videos while looking for “DIY a tea tray” guides. But a lot of your other videos and DIY ideas have caught my eye as well; also, one of my best mates is in Bandon (we were pen friends when we were growing up, I have always lived here in the USA) and so I have that American sentimental thing about Ireland going on (blush). You always give me about ten different ideas for things to do every time you post a video.

    If you ever find yourself in Brooklyn, give a shout.

  5. Lovi Collier
    July 19, 2019 / 5:44 am

    Kia Ora Catherine,
    Well just recently been following your blog after the YouTube post. Which I am thoroughly entertained. Love 💖 and enjoy your travel tips and journeys, then the d.i.y, Blondie, and your home.
    Smiles from down under.👍😀💐

  6. daintydressdiaries
    Author
    September 1, 2019 / 3:48 pm

    Aw thank you so much! X

  7. daintydressdiaries
    Author
    September 1, 2019 / 3:49 pm

    You are so kind Kim, thank you x

  8. Robin Carter
    December 10, 2020 / 9:27 pm

    Love your Youtube and now your blog