the soubrette brunette: Kate Spade

It's rare for me to meet a novelty print I don't like, so I'm not sure why I wasn't immediately drawn to this Paris print Jenny dress from Pinup Girl Clothing. It wasn't until I saw it in person (when Ashley picked me up at LAX for my visit last summer) that I realized how great it really is. It's beautifully detailed and I love the color scheme. I have a few solid color Jenny dresses, but this one seems much more fun – plus, this new run has pockets!

I'm going through a bit of an emotional struggle right now, so I've been trying to distract myself and get out of the house as much as possible. I've seen a couple of good movies (Love & Friendship was delightful, and Popstar: Never Stop Never Stopping was ridiculous, raunchy and stupid in the best way) and I'm spending a lot of time with friends and my mom. I'm also back on Weight Watchers (after a particularly horrifying, long-overdue weigh-in) and am feeling generally motivated. So I guess you win some, you lose some. I'm just trying to focus on the positive, which is all I can really ask of myself.

Outfit Details

Jenny Dress in Paris Print: Pinup Girl Clothing

The Bare Essentials Brooch: c/o Erstwilder

Crionoline: Pinup Girl Clothing

Kate Spade flats: 6pm (on sale!)

Have a great day!

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.