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?

Coffee and tea and the java and me

Outfit Details:

Ice Coffee Circle Dress: Bettie Page Clothing (on sale!)

Telephone brooch: Kitty Cat Shop

Ampersand ring: ModCloth (part of a set)

Lady in Rad Boots in Ink: ModCloth

Coat: Bettie Page Clothing (gift)

Belt: from another dress

Tights: ModCloth

Crinoline: eBay

These photos were taken a few weeks ago, so no, we do not have this much snow on the ground right now!  I must have been crazy to go traipsing around in this!  Although I don't exactly love these boots with this outfit, there was kind of no way around it (that is, if I didn't want to wear the ugliest snow boots in all of creation).  Plus, you can barely see them, since it looks like I'm being eaten alive by these snow drifts.  I'm already kind of sick of snow, truth be told.

I'd been eyeing this dress forever (as well as the pencil dress version, which is adorable but would not be flattering on me), and I finally took the plunge during Bettie Page's sale on Black Friday (with some encouragement from the ever-lovely Amanda).  Bettie Page's sizing chart seems to slant on the big size to me (which is often true of a lot of pin-up-esque lines, I've found -- anyone else?), and I probably could have stood to order down in this dress, at least in the waist.  Luckily, I was able to swap out the belt this dress came with for another from my closet, and that pretty much solved the issue.  I was actually really afraid this color wouldn't work on me; neutrals are often tricky on me, especially ones that have yellow or brown undertones.  But I was so pleased that this wasn't the case!!  I also love that it's a long-sleeved dress made out of fabric that's quite heavy -- that certainly comes in handy for this polar vortex we're currently experiencing.  Can you tell I'm tired of the cold?  My mom and I are leaving in 6 days(!!!!!) for our Florida vacation, and even if it's not going to be super hot, I'm so excited to be getting away from the cold and dreariness. 

I don't think I ever went into detail here on our vacation plans, come to think of it!  My mom and I are heading down to Naples to visit my grandma for a few days, and then we're driving up to Orlando and going to Disney World!!!  This is precisely the kind of thing that we both need right now, and I'm really looking forward to spending time with my mom and doing stuff we both love (i.e., experiencing Disney magic and eating everything in sight).  I'm not sure if I ever mentioned this, but my ex and I had talked about marriage on a pretty regular basis, and we had always planned on going to Disney World for our honeymoon.  Like, this was a topic of conversation VERY often.  And I decided that I really did not want my idea of Disney World -- a place I truly love -- to always be intertwined with this painful breakup and a relationship that went down in flames.  I've given him too much power over my emotions as it is, and I decided that I'd be damned if I was going to let him take away the Happiest Place on Earth from me, too.  So I'm not!  We are going to have an amazing time and I really can't wait.  I'll be posting a lot more about Disney, and I'm sure you'll probably get sick of it, so suffice it to say that I'm ecstatic and I have so much to do before we leave!!

Have a happy Saturday!

xox Sammi

Swimming with the fishes

Outfit Details:

What A Catch Bra Top and Skirt: Bettie Page

Necklace: Forever 21

Octopus ring: ModCloth (free with purchase)

This outfit has been waiting in my closet since the winter to be worn.  It still isn't really warm enough to wear it yet, but I want real summer so badly that I couldn't wait any longer!  

I'd never have purchased this ring myself, but for a free gift, I'll take it!  It goes well with nautical things, so I can't really complain (except octopi kind of freak me out just a little bit, honestly).

I daringly tried to set the timer and get pictures in my creek, but it was a huge failure.  I hurt my ankle a little and almost lost my flip flop, and I got zero usable pictures, so that was a bust.  I need to recruit a photographer for something like that, and find a better spot that isn't so rocky and that doesn't have a strong current (the spot was further down the creek than this picture shows).

Hope your Monday goes swimmingly!

xox Sammi