Happy Halloween!

I'm just popping in quickly to say Happy Halloween! I had a busy birthday weekend and the weather has been too rainy to take a full set of photos in this dress. But I'll be wearing it at work today – and apparently I'll be going trick-or-treating with my guy's nieces and nephews later. I'm not going to wear a costume, per se (though I could create about 10 different ones just with what's in my closet). But thematic dressing is kind of my specialty, which can be just as fun. :)

Outfit Details

Dress: Pinup Girl Clothing (thanks to Ashley!)

Sweater: Heart of Haute (other colors here)

Shoes: similar

I hope you all had a wonderful weekend. Happy haunting!

Brolly

I generally don't like to own more than one version of the same print, but there have been a few exceptions – including this one. I currently own both the dress and skirt incarnations of this Mary Blair parasol print. Although I love the style of the dress (which you can see in this post from last year), it's quite small on me and fits strangely. Sadly, this skirt also has a sizing issue; my normal PUG size wouldn't have fit, but the next size up is definitely baggier than it should be. Ultimately, I think the eventual solution will involve getting the waist on this skirt tailored and letting the dress version go. But am I the only one who has a hard time parting with clothes, even when they don't fit correctly? I'm trying to hoard less and limit my emotional attachment to my clothes, but it's proving to be a challenge.

I've sort of stretched out my birthday celebrations for an entire week. I went to tea with my mom this past Saturday and gorged myself on scones, tea sandwiches, and miscellaneous goodies. I'm having a nice meal at my parents' house tomorrow night. But as far as my actual birthday weekend is concerned, I'm not sure what I'll be doing. The boy (ooh) offered to plan something for me, so I guess I'll have to wait and see what that involves. I hope to do some Halloween-y things on Saturday or Sunday though, like getting apple cider, going on a haunted hayride (eek!), or some other slightly spooky activity. At this point, I guess I care a lot less about doing something *big* for my birthday. Ultimately, I'd rather just eat yummy food and spend time with people I love.

Outfit Details

Jenny Skirt in Mary Blair Umbrella Print: Pinup Girl Clothing
Striped Jailbird Top: Pinup Girl Clothing
Flats: Amazon
Belt: similar

Don't forget to enter my annual big birthday giveaway! You can enter to win an incredible prize package courtesy of Unique Vintage, Heart of Haute, Sourpuss Clothing, Voodoo Vixen, and Dreaming of Johnny. Get all the details and enter here before Halloween!

Halloween Harlequin

I can barely believe it's already October 20th. Where did this month go?! It's nearly Halloween (and my birthday is next week), so I decided to get cracking on my second eerie ensemble. I was kicking myself for missing out on the Halloween harlequin pieces from Pinup Girl Clothing... but much to my delight, I miraculously now have two pieces in this spooktacular colorway – thanks to Ashley and another kind lady in a Facebook swap group! I'll be styling the other piece later on, but I'm currently obsessing over this Harley top.

I'm honestly not sure if I'm going to dress up as anything for Halloween this year. My birthday falls on the weekend when most people will be out partying... I'm honestly a total homebody and I may just dress in something fun that's already in my closet. Is it weird that I'm looking forward to staying home for any trick-or-treaters that might drop by (and eating copious amounts of candy if no one shows up)? It's funny how your priorities change. But I don't hate it.

Outfit Details

Harley Top in Halloween Harlequin: Pinup Girl Clothing

Little Jun Skirt: Pinup Girl Clothing

Cropped cardigan: ModCloth

Pumpkin brooch: Summer Blue Jewelry

Flats: Amazon

Have a great rest of your week!

Boats

Happy Monday! I have autumnal posts in the works, but today marks the last of my more summery sets. I'd been wanting this Mary Blair boat print since I first saw it in the "coming soon" section of the PUG website, and I'm glad this skirt is finally mine. I can't wait to style it with long sleeved tops this season. For these photos, I decided to check out a park I'd never been to before and was rewarded with a beautiful location. I'll definitely be heading back soon to check out the fall foliage!

I have lots of things to cross off my to-do list in the coming weeks. I want to go to a pumpkin patch and go apple picking, I need to decorate my apartment for Halloween, I have to start planning what I want to do for my birthday... October is already going by so quickly! Time, please slow down.

Outfit Details

White Vamp Top: Pinup Girl Clothing

Jenny Skirt in Mary Blair Boat Print: Pinup Girl Clothing

Boater hat: Pinup Girl Clothing

Necklace set: similar

Flats: Amazon

Have a great start to your week!

Stripes and Sunflowers

These photos are a few weeks old, but posting them now gives me the chance to relive a perfect afternoon! My dear friend Rusty came home for a few days, and I felt so lucky to spend some time with him. We were determined to take photos in this big sunflower field – and we got there just in time. Most of the sunflowers were past their prime, but we managed to find a section of late-bloomers... which is sort of appropriate for Rusty and me, actually. We've talked about (and bonded over) how we each have needed a bit more time than other people might in order to find our place and our stride. But once we find it, we tend to bloom beautifully.

After spending the golden hour amongst golden flowers, we enjoyed a delicious dinner at a pizzeria Rusty recommended. I could (and often do) spend hours catching up with Rusty when we've been apart. Although I have a fairly large circle of acquaintances from the theatre community, it's rare for me to find such a supportive friend with whom I connect so deeply. Three of my closest theatre friends aren't living in Rochester right now, so what time I do get to spend with them is precious. Rusty recently figured out that he's a fellow Highly Sensitive Person, and I love being able to relate to him on that level, too. I wish he was here all the time, but he's off doing wonderful things with an equally wonderful theatre company down in Virginia. I'm so proud of everything he's accomplishing, and I'm grateful to know that he feels the same way about what I'm doing here.

Sammi's Outfit Details

Vamp top: Pinup Girl Clothing (other colors here)

Striped Jenny Skirt: Pinup Girl Clothing (similar)

Boater hat: Pinup Girl Clothing

Flats: Aerosoles

Rusty's Outfit Details

Shirt: Gap (similar)  ||  Hat: Gap (similar)

Shorts: Forever 21

Shoes: Converse

Have a lovely Wednesday!

Ella

It's starting to feel more like fall, but this dress makes me think of springtime! The Ella dress from Pinup Girl Clothing isn't my favorite style (it's a bit too long for my liking and the bust is a little wonky on me), but I couldn't possibly resist this gorgeous print and the sweet little mint bow. This print now comes in both a Jenny skirt and the new petite Jenny skirt (which is essentially the Darling Dames skirt – a favorite of mine). At some point, I may either get this dress hemmed or try to trade/sell in favor of the skirt version... but for now, this dress is staying put in my closet.

I can't believe it's already the middle of September. The last few weeks have flown by. I'm really enjoying my new job, and I think that's a big part of why time seems to go by so quickly. Of course, I'm still exhausted at the end of the week, but I'm so much happier when I'm creatively fulfilled and intellectually stimulated all day long. (I mean, who wouldn't be?). I feel very grateful to have found a position that I like so much and seems to be so well-suited for my skill set. It's a rare event, and I don't want to take that for granted.

Outfit Details

Ella Dress in Floral Ribbon Print: Pinup Girl Clothing

Boater hat: Pinup Girl Clothing

Necklace: similar

Shoes: similar

Have a great day!

Wonderland

Oh, how I've been waiting to get to this post! I had been planning for these photos for quite some time, and all of the elements finally came together for me to take them. When I found out the sky blue Jenny dress was coming back at Pinup Girl Clothing, I knew I wanted to showcase it in an Alice-inspired post. I thought that the grounds at the George Eastman Museum (which I visited before in this post) would be an idyllic setting, and after a delicious breakfast at The Mad Hatter (you know I love a good themed outing!), we headed over to the gardens.

The Mad Hatter also serves high tea on Saturdays, and their menu looks incredible! It's a definite on my to-do list.

When I was looking for accessories to go with this dress, I came across the most perfect book brooch from Tangerine Menagerie. The little details on Julia's work are absolutely incredible (look at the little "A" and adorable White Rabbit!), and this brooch is so well-made and was clearly produced with a lot of care and love. I feel pleased as punch that I was finally able to add one of her beautiful pieces to my pin collection. Her brooches often sell out lightning-fast, so if you've got your eye on one, it's best not to dawdle! She's always adding new designs, so be sure to follow her shop!

It's not often I spend an exorbitant amount on shoes, but when you can't get a particularly special pair out of your mind, you sometimes have to bite the bullet and make a frivolous purchase. I watched for my size in these beauties like a hawk, and I ordered them as soon as they arrived. The "All in the Golden Afternoon" scene is one of my favorites from the film, and the intricacy of this design is really incredible. This post is actually good timing; although these particular heels don't seem to be available anymore, Irregular Choice just released a second Alice in Wonderland range with some really adorable pairs of shoes – including another version of the ones I'm wearing in ballet flat form! You can see the full second installment of this delightful Disney collection here.

Outfit Details

Jenny Dress in Sky Blue: Pinup Girl Clothing

Alice in Wonderland book brooch: c/o Tangerine Menagerie

Flowers Can't Talk Heels: Irregular Choice (similar here)

Belt: available here  ||  Petticoat: available here

Have a "wonder"-ful start to your week! ;)