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!

Kitchenette

Another day, another novelty print dress... and this one's a beaut! My Bernie Dexter dresses are among my most treasured and unique pieces, and when I saw this 50's kitchen print dress from Unique Vintage, I knew I had to add it to my collection. One thing's for sure: this print did not disappoint! It's even better in person than I had hoped – a retro-loving gal's dream! Because it's such a special and busy print, my styling was quite minimal, but I'll definitely wear a red or yellow cardigan with this in the future – or you could easily layer a sweater or a skirt over it to create separates!

This "Kelly" style dress is a relatively new one, and I was a bit unsure about it at first; I wasn't a fan of the zipper front, but then I realized that it would be the perfect solution to button gaping for well-endowed girls like myself. Because of the way it's designed, there's a bit more room in the bust than in a lot of other Bernie dresses and I felt more covered while wearing it (I love the "Paris" style, but it shows too much cleavage to be appropriate for some situations). If I worked in a more traditional office environment, I'd feel totally comfortable wearing it to work, which is a definite plus. (We'll just pretend that I don't work from home and wear my pajamas most of the time...)

Outfit Details

Bernie Dexter Kelly Dress in Kitchen Print: c/o Unique Vintage

Shoes: B.A.I.T. Footwear (similar)

Petticoat: Pinup Girl Clothing

Have a wonderful Wednesday!

Elephant in the room

Happy Monday, and Happy Leap Day! I hope your week is off to a good start so far. I'm currently fighting off a cold (I may be losing the battle by the time this post is published), which is sort of poor timing, considering we're now in tech week (i.e., the somewhat-stressful time when all of the elements come together) for the children's theatre show I'm in. We open on Saturday, so I'm hoping I'll be able to get enough rest in so that I can feel better by the weekend. Because the show I'm in is called Elephant and Piggie's "We Are In A Play!", I thought it was only fitting to post my photos in this Bernie Dexter elephantine find.

Since I missed out on this dress when it was readily available, I was on the hunt for this dress for quite some time (I blame Ashley, as always). The eBay gods have been kind to me, since I was lucky enough to find this dress in my size and for a good price. I love it even more than I thought I would! I'm partial to Bernie's "Paris" style, but I really love the way this "Sugardoll" cut fits me. It's a bit more forgiving in the bust than some other Bernie Dexter dresses, and I think it flatters my figure quite nicely. Sadly, I don't think it's being made anymore (it was called the "I'm All Cheers" dress on ModCloth), but I was fortunate enough to track down this print and the yellow cherries print in the same style. Plus, this dress even came with a matching fabric belt, which is always an exciting find for both retro reproduction and true vintage.

Outfit Details

Bernie Dexter dress: eBay

Petticoat: Pinup Girl Clothing

Shoes: B.A.I.T. Footwear (similar)

Hair flower: similar

We were blessed with a couple of beautiful days recently (aka why I'm not wearing so much as a cardigan in these photos), but I think it's about to get cold again. Our winter hasn't been awful this year, but I've still got spring fever! Is it already feeling springy where you are?

Sunflower, good morning

It's way past sunflower season, but I think there's something very cheery about wearing florals in winter. Sunflowers always put a smile on my face (they remind me of my mom), especially when there's snow on the ground. I actually wasn't sold on this dress initially, but after seeing it on Ashley, I decided I needed it (Ashley seems to do that a lot)! I'm really glad I changed my mind on this dress, because I'm going to wear the hell out of it. Despite the fact that all of my Bernie Dexter "Paris" cuts fit slightly differently, they're still my favorite – and I end up wearing them year-round.

I spent the better part of last week sick in bed, but I'm finally feeling better. Luckily, last week was a relatively slow one for me, as it was my time off between my last show and the rehearsals that start tonight for my next one. I guess if I had to pick a time to get sick, that was it! Other than that, I'm glad that we didn't get hit with the blizzard a lot of other people are experiencing (though we already have lots of snow – much more than you see here – and snowstorms are business as usual for us)... but it's been plenty cold, so I've been holed up inside like everyone else!

Outfit Details

Paris Sunflower Dress: Bernie Dexter

Sweetie Sweater in Black: Heart of Haute

Petticoat: Pinup Girl Clothing

Opal necklace: gift (old)

Shoes: ModCloth

Have a great start to your week (and stay warm)!

Fairytale

Well, it's officially winter here! We finally got some snow, and I'm sure more is on the way. I don't mind a little bit of cold weather, but my fingers are crossed that this winter won't be anywhere near as awful as it was last year. Luckily, I have pretty dresses to get me through. As soon as I saw the sneak peeks of this Bernie Dexter Rococo print dress, I knew it belonged on my body. Plus, it pairs perfectly with this enchanted carriage brooch from Deer Arrow and my new Miss L-Fire boots!

This week is going to be a bit hectic, as we're in the midst of rehearsals for the show we're putting together with 1 week of rehearsals. It's going to be really fun though (it's such a cute little play), and a really great challenge. My best friend (who's also directing the show) and I did a little interview on TV for it last week, so I'm hoping both the response and turn-out for the show will be good. (If you're interested in watching it, you can find it here!) In general, there are a few really fun things coming up for me, which definitely makes the winter a bit more bearable.

Outfit Details

Paris Dress in Manor Print: Bernie Dexter 

(get 25% off with code 25BERNIE)

Enchanted Carriage brooch: c/o Deer Arrow

Miss L-Fire booties: available here

Cropped cardigan: ModCloth

Petticoat: Pinup Girl Clothing

Have a great start to your week!

Bubbly

New Year's Eve is nearly upon us, and once again, I'm not exactly sure what I'll be doing this year... but I do know what I'll be wearing! Initially, I wasn't crazy about this Bernie Dexter dress, but when I saw it on Ashley, I completely changed my mind. (Ashley seems to have that effect – I swear, she can sell anything!) Ironically enough, I don't drink at all these days, but I seem to gravitate towards NYE outfits that have an alcohol theme; last year's post featured a martini glass print dress, and the other options I considered for this year both had prints of tipsy elephants! I opted for champagne all around this year, and completed the theme with an amazing Kate Spade wristlet and vintage brooch.

I'll be posting my annual outfit round-up on Friday, but I'm taking some time to reflect back on what I've achieved this year. I've said before that I sometimes beat myself up for not being where I want to be (or at least, where I thought I'd be by now), but I have to remember not to discount how far I've come in the last 365 days. I looked back at my 2015 resolutions, and I was surprised to see how many I was able to check off my list. Among them:

• I made significant strides in my personal life and took a lot of time for myself (to the point where I can say that I've really gotten past most of the pain from my last relationship)
• I left my old box office job and started working for my mom; while this may end up being a temporary change of pace, it was definitely a necessary change
• I kept better track of my spending and have managed to put money away to save
• I finally got my website up and running (check it out here – it's a work in progress)
• I met Ashley and Kate in person this year (and had an awesome time), and by doing so, I went to NY and LA
• I exceeded my blog follower goal and ventured outside my yard for photos
• I went on Accutane and feel a million times better about my skin
• Although I have a lot still to learn, my photography has improved quite a bit

I still have lots of goals that will transfer over to my 2016 resolution list (i.e., losing weight and exercising regularly, learning how to sew, buying a car), but I'd rather view that as making progress than "failure" in a conventional sense. I'm actually pretty happy with where I am right now, especially because I've started to enjoy things in the moment. Finding the joy is always one of my resolutions, and I think I've been really trying to do that lately.

Outfit Details

New Year's Eve Dress: Pinup Girl Clothing 

(Also available here for 25% off with code 25Holiday)

Kate Spade wristlet: eBay (available here)

Heels: Zulily (also available here)

Hair flower: NicCoCo Creations

Cardigan: ModCloth (similar)

Petticoat: Pinup Girl Clothing

Brooch: eBay (exact here)

Have a happy and safe New Year's Eve! I'll see you in 2016!