Bowl-a-rama

Because I have this ever-present desire to look like I belong in the cast of any and every 50's movie-musical, I'm totally taken with Campbell/Crafts' adorable retro shirts. I really enjoyed their pastel diner themed collection, and their mint & pink bowling shirts are just as adorable! After putting on this outfit, I immediately got "Score Tonight (Let's Bowl)" from Grease 2 stuck in my head – which is kind of the exact reaction you want, really. If only this shirt would allow me to pirouette down a bowling lane... or at least let me get a good score without using bumpers.

If you're thinking of getting yourself one of these tops, they're made of a lightweight fabric and are pretty comfy to wear. It's prone to wrinkling (I had assumed they'd be a little stiffer), but it makes for a really nice casual piece, which is a welcome addition to my dressy wardrobe. I received the UK 14 in an attempt to accommodate my bust without having gaping in the buttons; I still experienced some, but sizing up again would make the shirt much too big in other areas, so I think I made the right choice. I decided to tie the bottom of the shirt in lieu of tucking it in to the skirt as I had planned, which is also a great option if you wanted to layer it over a dress or wear it with high-waisted pants.

Outfit Details

Ladies Bowling Shirt: c/o Campbell/Crafts

Twirl in a Circle Skirt in Black: c/o Le Bomb Shop

Bowling collar clips (DIY'd into brooches): similar

Flats: Aerosoles via Amazon

Have a wonderful Wednesday!

Doilies

Some people collect baseball cards or coins... while others collect dresses. Although I'm trying to weed out the pieces I don't wear anymore, my Bernies remain a wardrobe staple. (Hopefully you aren't too sick of seeing them!) It's sort of become my unofficial mission to eventually acquire all of the Bernie Dexter dresses I can find. When I saw this dress pop up on a Facebook swap & sell group, it was a no-brainer addition. I'd seen this fabric in another style before (it has a heart cut-out in the back), but I loved this version even more – which is like the Paris but with a halter tie! Since this style seems to be an older one (and therefore, a rare find), I'm glad I was able to add it to my ever-growing collection.

This week's going to be a busy one, as tonight signals the start of tech week for Heathers. This rehearsal process has gone by really quickly, as it's such a large-scale musical and a bit of a beast to put together. It's at the stage where the show feels not quite there and you start to worry whether everything will work out okay (spoiler alert: it always does), which is a bit stressful. But if nothing else, I'm having a lot of fun with it, and with a show like this, that's exactly what's needed. We open on Friday, and though I've planned out a couple of posts in advance, my presence will be a bit scarce until after this weekend. Duty calls!

Outfit Details

Bernie Dexter Yours Always Dress in Bouquet: swap & sell group

Cropped cardigan: available here

Petticoat: Pinup Girl Clothing

Flats: Amazon

Necklace: old

Have a great Monday!

Friday Favorites #130: Mother's Day Gift Guide

Mother's Day is right around the corner, so today's Friday Favorites is all about finding the perfect gifts for the mamas in our lives. I love searching for unique gifts for the people I love, and because my mom and I are so close, I sometimes enjoy shopping for her more than I do for myself (well, almost). Although I usually get her flowers on Mother's Day, I try to combine the traditional with the unexpected. Here are some fresh ideas that caught my eye:

a.  Audrey at Home: Memories of My Mother's Kitchen

b.  Picnicking Watering Can

c.  Customized Mom Necklace

d.  Williams-Sonoma Infused Olive Oil Gift Set

e.  Anthropologie Lucerne Apron

f.  Crabtree & Evelyn Hand Therapy Tin

g.  The Republic of Tea Assortment Jar

h.  Bluetooth Tracking Tag

i.  Music Note Measuring Spoons

j.  The Tea Book: All Things Tea

k.  Two Tiered Garden Cart  

l.  Vestige Lipstick Holder

m.  Literary Candles 

n.  Erstwilder Tulip Bouquet Brooch

o.  Kate Spade Daisy Crossbody Bag

p.  Natural Bath Bomb Set

In addition to the gift guide above, I just had to include these adorable Girl Gang greeting cards and matchboxes from Ettatorials! I love the idea of having a girl gang (especially now that I have friends who are mommies!), and the concept of repurposing old photos into cute little gifties and as ways to keep in touch with those we care about is such a wonderful one. My mom is one of my best friends, so not only would these be lovely Mother's Day cards, but a set of 4 would make for a perfect present!

Krissy from Ettatorials also sent me two of her matchboxes, which would make a great addition to a guest room or powder room (especially for a candle lover, like my own mom). Krissy just launched her Girl Gang collection, but she has lots of other goodies available in her shop – and she's offering my readers 10% off when you enter SOUBRETTE10 at checkout!

Cards & Matchboxes c/o Ettatorials

I'll actually be performing on Mother's Day this year, so we'll have to celebrate whenever we can. Do you have any fun Mother's Day traditions? I love hearing about what other families do!

Have a wonderful weekend!

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Oopsy Daisy

As Meg Ryan says in You've Got Mail, "don't you think daisies are the friendliest flower?" They really are, too – they never fail to make me smile and they always make me think of my mom (who was *this* close to naming me Daisy). Since spring is finally upon us, I couldn't wait any longer to style this daisy print dress by Bernie Dexter. This particular print also brings to mind an iconic scene from Disney's Alice in Wonderland. Wouldn't you just love to lie in a field of daisies? I know I would. Maybe I'll find one someday.

The "Paris" is one of my favorite dress styles that Bernie makes, but I will say that they all fit a little bit differently. For example, my orange print Paris dress is the most forgiving in the bust, but this daisy print Paris has the least wiggle room. It's not super noticeable in these photos, but I do wish there was a bit more consistency within the same dress style. That being said, the print alone insures that this one's staying in my closet for the time being – it's too cute to give up!

Outfit Details

Paris Dress in Daisy Print: Bernie Dexter

Cropped cardigan: available here

Petticoat: Pinup Girl Clothing

Boater hat: similar

Flats: Aerosoles

Have a wonderful Wednesday!

Typography

I really love working with and supporting fellow artists and small businesses, both in "real life" and here on my blog. So understandably, I was thrilled when Emily G. Clothing decided to advertise with me this month and offered to send me this adorable dress to review! Emily makes all of the garments she sells in Brooklyn, NY, and I love that she's so dedicated to making unique clothing for her equally unique customers. Everyone knows I'm a sucker for a good novelty print, and as a lover of (and stickler for) grammar and punctuation, this dress was the perfect fit for me. ;)

I'm not usually drawn to navy blue, but I love all of the colors in this print – and, of course, the ampersands, asterisks and exclamation points (which I echoed in my ring choices). I do love a good fit-and-flare dress (with pockets, yay!), and I like the fact that this one is definitely work-appropriate. I also love the fact that it's called the "Sally Dress," since I work for my mom (whose name is Sally) and we basically spend all day writing! Since I took these photos on a chilly morning, I opted to add a cropped cardigan, but I ended up liking the short cap sleeves more than I anticipated and would wear it without a sweater, too. The top portion is a tad more tight-fitting than I normally like, but it certainly won't keep me from wearing this adorable dress, as it's very well-made and feels so personal and special – as if it were made just for me.

Outfit Details

Sally Dress in Typography: c/o Emily G. Clothing

Cropped cardigan: similar styles here

Rings: ModCloth (similar)

White flats: Aerosoles

Have a great start to your week!

What's your damage?

I'm in rehearsals for Heathers right now (we open at the beginning of May), so I figured it'd be a good time to post these photos! I'm having a lot of fun in this show – it's the type of role I don't often get to do, the music's fun and the content is pretty dark and raunchy. It's a challenge in the best kind of way, and I'm really looking forward to putting it all together. When I found out I'd be playing Heather Duke, I knew I'd need to get this graphic tee (as did my fellow Heathers and our Veronica, out of solidarity). The film's a cult classic, so it's great to have so much memorabilia at our disposal. I have so much Heathers-related merch in my Etsy shopping cart right now!

I opted to style this top pretty simply, since I wanted it to be the focus of my outfit (though I know I'll wear this a ton with cardigans – or even an apropos blazer!). The top itself is made of a nice quality, lightweight cotton-poly blend. This particular tee runs small (I'm wearing a women's large, which was perfect because I like my tees on the more fitted side), so if you're looking for a more oversized fit, I'd definitely size up or order the unisex/men's version. Although my own sense of style skews much more 50's than 80's, this awesome tee pretty much lends itself to any era.

Outfit Details

Heathers Tee: Alison Rose

Little Jun Skirt in Black: Pinup Girl Clothing

Jessica Simpson flats: Amazon

Belt: from another dress

Have a great rest of your week!

Pink + Peaches

The warm weather is finally here to stay (for a while, at least), which means I can bring out my summery staples again. Although I've worn gingham year-round, I associate it with picnics and sunshine, so it just feels *right* to wear it in the spring and summertime. This pink gingham number from Unique Vintage is so sweet (albeit sexier than I'd anticipated!), and the lightweight cotton fabric of this dress makes it perfect for summertime get-togethers. I'm especially enamored with the button detail on the bodice! This look makes me yearn for backyard barbecues and cotton candy at carnivals.

I'd never owned any Bettie Page brand clothing before (though I love their shoes!), and I hadn't realized that their size chart aligns more closely with UK sizing than with US sizing (though the company is based in the USA). I probably fall somewhere between their size 12 and 14 in Bettie Page (for reference, I'm usually an 8 or occasionally a 10 in most brands), but I went with the 12 and it fits fine, aside from a very slight tightness in the shoulders. I found this dress to be quite flattering on me, though I will say that I wasn't expecting the neckline to be quite so deep! I'm not fond of wearing camisoles underneath dresses, but I found this dress to be far too revealing without one, and the end result actually looks better than I'd thought; it ties everything together and makes for a slightly more casual look – especially with the addition of flats, my trusty boater hat and the cutest peachy picnic pin from Erstwilder!

Outfit Details

Golly Miss Molly Swing Dress: c/o Unique Vintage

Boater hat: similar  ||  Flats: Aerosoles via Amazon

Pettislip: Amazon ||  Camisole: Target

Peachy Keen Brooch: c/o Erstwilder

Now that it's spring, what are you most looking forward to doing – or wearing?