Big Birthday Giveaway! [CLOSED]

It's that time of year again: time for my annual big birthday giveaway! Every October, I love to give my lovely readers a little treat (much more preferable to a trick, if you ask me). My birthday is on Friday, so I'm kicking off my birthday week by giving you all a chance to win some wonderful prizes from some of my favorite brands! Read on to find out how.

I'm keeping this year's birthday giveaway a bit more *intimate* than in previous years. Really, things have just been so busy that I decided to make it a bit more exclusive and less overwhelming for myself. In the past, I've given away a bunch of smaller prizes for several people, but this year, I've opted to giveaway a HUGE prize to one lucky follower. Here's what's up for grabs!

The winner will receive:

- Red and Black Pindot "Diana" dress from Unique Vintage

- Your choice of "Estelle" blouse and circle skirt from Heart of Haute

- Purple spiderweb Backseat Baby purse from Sourpuss Clothing

- Wanda Woodward pin + "Really Good Hair Club" print from Dreaming of Johnny

- "Liv" cardigan from Voodoo Vixen

RULES: Enter the giveaway using the Rafflecopter widget below. There are mandatory entries you must complete to be eligible (one of these is that you're a follower of my blog – no unfollowing after the giveaway ends, please). There are also optional entries you can complete to increase your chance of winning. One (1) winner will receive all of the prizes listed above. The winner will be contacted via e-mail, so be sure to provide a valid e-mail address. The winner must respond to my e-mail within 48 hours or a new winner will be chosen. The giveaway is open worldwide and will run from now until 11:59 pm EST on Sunday, October 30th (right on the stroke of Halloween – spooky!).

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Thanks for entering and best of luck!

Spooked

Well, I completely bypassed early fall and went straight to the Halloween Countdown, didn't I? But with a skirt this fun, I couldn't help skipping over to All Hallow's Eve! I've been loving these printed skirts by Unique Vintage (I've worn the watermelon and cupcake versions here on the blog before), and when I saw this spooky haunted house skirt in their "coming soon" section, my Halloween-loving heart skipped a beat. Even though the skirt is 100% cotton, it feels substantial enough for fall weather -- which is fortunate, because things just got bone-chilling around here.

For these photos, I decided to head to the historic Mt. Hope Cemetery here in Rochester. This is actually where we took photos for another Halloween post (and one of my favorite posts in general) from last year, featuring my friends Henry and Rusty (and the same hat, lol). But it's such a large cemetery that I didn't really use any of the same locations. To be honest, I've always felt sort of iffy about taking photos in a graveyard. I don't want people to think I'm being disrespectful by taking taking photos of myself there. But at the same time, Mt. Hope is a historic landmark where people are invited to come explore (they were holding a tour the same day I took these photos), and I wasn't trampling over anyone's grave. It's all done in complete reverence. It's a thin line, but I think intention makes a big difference. I'm not trying to show off or seem sexy or anything... I just love this spot in our city (and it admittedly does make the perfect backdrop for the skirt).

Outfit Details

Haunted Mansion Swing Skirt: c/o Unique Vintage

Top: c/o Unique Vintage

Hat: vintage (similar)

Bolero: similar

Shoes: similar

Have a spooktacular day!

Martian Woman

When Erstwilder released their galactic collection, the "Deep Space Donna" design particularly spoke to me, and here is why: I think I've mentioned before that my parents were in a band in the 1980s, and released an album on Atlantic Records. I used to listen to their songs when I was little, and although one of their music videos appeared on MTV, one of my favorite songs of theirs was a wacky tune called "Martian Woman," about an alien lady who comes to Earth and has trouble fitting in. It's so delightfully weird, and (because I learned from the best) my mom used to dress up in iridescent green outfits when she'd perform it. It was too hot to wear her jacket from those days in these photos, but I'm carrying it in one of these photos as an homage. Her outfit looked a little like what "Donna" is wearing in my brooch!

I decided to go for an 80s-does-50s vibe with this outfit: classic black and white with pops of pink. I've been on the hunt for more basics lately, because I don't have a ton of them in my wardrobe and they're realistically more versatile than my loud prints. This Vivien skirt from Unique Vintage is a great piece for almost anything. It doesn't require a petticoat, and I can easily throw it on and go if I need to look put-together in a hurry. I had initially planned to take these photos in front of one of the few murals I've found in Rochester... but between terrible lighting and a heckling from a bunch of d-bags, those plans went awry.  It's always a bit of a bummer when a plan for a post doesn't quite pan out, but at least I'm finding new places to take photos (and I'm closer to most of them now that I live in the city)!

Outfit Details

Striped top: c/o Unique Vintage

Black Vivien Swing Skirt: c/o Unique Vintage

Deep Space Donna brooch: c/o Erstwilder

Kate Spade flats: 6pm (on sale!)

Hair scarf: Amazon

"I've made such a long trip in my shiny new ship
Just wait 'til you see how much fun it can be
With a martian woman!"

Cupcake

Goodness, I'm glad it's Friday. Normally, I kick off the weekend with a Friday Favorites post, but I just couldn't wait to show off this adorable cupcake skirt from Unique Vintage! You all know that I love a healthy dose of kitsch (and I have a wicked sweet tooth!), and I thought this skirt would look perfect against the backdrop of my little pastel kitchen. I'll be giving you a full tour at some point soon, but since I still have quite a bit of decorating to do, hopefully you'll make do with this little sneak peek.

I was honestly a little afraid this skirt would be a bit too over the top for me (which is saying a lot!), but I ended up liking it a lot in person. It'll definitely make for a great birthday outfit – but I'll be getting quite a bit of use out of it until October rolls around. I've found these skirts to fit true to size, and they have a nice weight to them; I might not wear them with a full crinoline (they're actually a gathered A-line, not a true circle skirt), but I think that makes them a bit more wearable. This skirt is the same style as the watermelon skirt I wore here on the blog earlier this summer. Unique Vintage keeps coming out with new seasonal designs for them, and I look forward to seeing every one. This carousel version is adorable, and I'm freaking out over this Haunted-Mansion-inspired design – a definite must-have for Halloween!

Outfit Details

Pink Cupcake Swing Skirt: c/o Unique Vintage

Top: c/o Unique Vintage

Shoes: B.A.I.T. Footwear

Teapot  //  Tea towel

Have a great weekend!

Priscilla

One of the little things I enjoy about blogging and social media is being able to match outfits with virtual friends across the country. Acquiring one-of-a-kind pieces brings a me particular kind of joy, but I also love being able to share a sense of style with other girls around the world – and being able to "twin" with my bestie is... well, it's the best! Ashley featured this same dress on her blog last Monday, and since I recently acquired one for myself, I decided to style mine today. Even if it's delayed by a week, I still get a kick out of showing off our coordinating ensembles!

This dress by The Pretty Dress Company is just so... pretty! This print was too great to pass up, especially since Unique Vintage is now their exclusive retailer for the United States (see their full selection here). This is only the second dress I've owned by this brand, but from my own experience, the quality is really nice. The fabric is thick stretch cotton, and it's surprisingly comfortable (and has pockets!). The bodice is a bit roomier than I'd like (probably due to the fact that the fabric has some give to it – plus, I followed the size chart and went up a size from my normal selection), and because of that, I wish that the straps were adjustable... but at least shortening the straps would be an easy tailoring fix, and it certainly won't keep me from wearing this beauty.

Outfit Details

Priscilla Miami Midi Swing Dress: Unique Vintage

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

Petticoat: Pinup Girl Clothing

Belt: similar

I had a pretty low-key weekend that included seeing Finding Dory (which was wonderful), watching the first couple episodes of OITNB and spending Father's Day at home with my parents and grandparents. I'm still going through a bit of an emotional time, but I keep reminding myself to "just keep swimming," and that seems to help. :) Have a great start to your week!

Watermelon Weather

It really feels like summertime now, which means I've got beach days and backyard barbecues on the brain a lot of the time. One of my favorite things about summer is that all of my favorite fruits will soon be in season. Although peaches will always top the list for me, there is something wonderful about perfectly-ripe watermelon in the summertime. And since I can never say no to a thematic outfit, I have a feeling I'll be wearing this scrumptious skirt from Unique Vintage quite a bit over the next couple of months!

I'll admit that I wasn't initially sold on this skirt, though I'm not exactly sure why. I'm really glad I took a chance on it though, because it's a really adorable option for more casual get-togethers. (I realize that my definition of casual might differ from that of others', but I'd so much rather wear a breezy and fun skirt than constrictive jeans!) Since I'm having a bit of a "moment" with off-the-shoulder silhouettes, I decided to pair it with this adorable basic black tee from UV – which is super soft and just a tiny bit sexy. I added a subtle popsicle necklace, my trusty boater hat and my favorite black flats to make a look that's perfectly put-together and yet appropriate for pretty much any summer event.

Outfit Details

Watermelon Swing Skirt: c/o Unique Vintage

Black Marilyn Top: c/o Unique Vintage

Popsicle necklace: similar

Boater hat: similar

Flats: Amazon

Thanks to everyone who expressed their well wishes on my post last week. Things are looking up now, and I'm feeling in a much better place this week. :) You're all the best. Have a great start to your week!

Hamilton

The last few days have been absolutely gorgeous, so I've been spending as much time as possible outside. Since I live right near the Erie Canal (which is always a nice perk during the spring and summer months), I decided to head into the village and snap some photos in this adorable dress from Unique Vintage.

The Hamilton Dress – which has proven to be almost as popular as the hit musical that shares its name – definitely lives up to the hype. This lightweight cotton dress is perfect for summertime adventures, and I love all the unique little features: the asymmetrical buttons, the large right-side pocket, the shoulder and waist ties all make this dress truly special. I found the fit to be spot-on, and it's pretty rare to find a dress that's as cute as it is comfortable. It's the sort of dress that can instantly transport you to another time and place; it feels so classic and yet totally current. It's certainly going to be a summertime staple for me!

Outfit Details

Hamilton Swing Dress: c/o Unique Vintage

Boater hat: similar  ||  Flats: similar

Petticoat: Pinup Girl Clothing

Have a wonderful Wednesday!