Mele Kalikimaka

Christmas is less than a week away – can you believe it? The past month or so has been really hard, but I'm glad that the last few weeks have gone by quickly. I still have a few holiday outfits to share here on the blog, including this pink velvet number from the Gal Meets Glam collection. I shared this dress on my Black Friday wish list post and it's one of the only things I actually bought for myself. It's my third dress from GMG and, like the others I own, it's beautifully made. But unlike the other GMG dresses I have, this one has a fair amount of stretch – so much so that I could have comfortably sized down. At least it'll be super comfortable for holiday eating and general merriment.

This dress is classically beautiful, so I opted to pair it with something kitschy. This glazed Christmas ham brooch is one of the funniest things I've ever seen. Erstwilder gave them out as freebies with larger orders during their Christmas release, but unfortunately I wasn't able to snag one then. I ended up finding one in a swap group and it arrived just in time for the holiday. The ironic thing is that I'm a Jew who celebrates Christmas and who has never eaten a spiral ham in her life. But I couldn't pass this up! (The meat itself is a different story.)

Outfit Details

Joy Dress in Pink Velvet: Gal Meets Glam Collection

Glazed Gift brooch: by Erstwilder

Gold heels: ModCloth

Decor Details

Sisal bottle brush tree: At Home

Christmas tree pillow: Pier 1 (similar)

Retro pink bird ornament: Target

Hot air balloon ornament: Kohl's

Mint green velvet drop ornament: Michael's

Pusheen ornament: Hey Chickadee (2018 version)

As you can see, my tree is up and a few gifts are wrapped... but this weekend will be devoted to getting all the rest of the holiday details ready. Presents, cookies, classic movies, and plenty of time with my family. I'm trying to keep my chin up, in spite of everything. The funny thing is that I'm not quite as worried about how I'll feel on Christmas as how I'll feel after it's over. For now... I'll be listening to non-stop holiday music and trying to focus on other things.

Wilder West

Happy 2018, everyone! I know it's been a couple of weeks since I last posted. The wintery weather has temporarily turned me into a bit of a blanket burrito who wants to wear pajamas constantly and never go outdoors... but I just had to get a little dolled up to show off a few pieces from the latest collection from Erstwilder! This range, "Wilder West," is filled with cacti, cowgirls, and critters. As an East Coast girl, the concept of this range wasn't necessarily something I was drawn to at first. But when I saw these adorable pieces in person, I did a total 180°.

I'm styling three different brooches here. "Aces High," the pair of cards with an arrow going through them, is such a great piece that I think I'll be wearing for Valentine's Day this year. And as the girlfriend of a guitarist (who has been known to play a mean banjo), "Stay Plucky" was a must-have. But I think my favorite of the bunch is "Billy the Kid," since I have a bit of an obsession with goats and I love a good pun! They're all perfectly sized and beautifully made, as always. I can't wait to see how others style products from this range!

Details

Brooches: c/o Erstwilder

Red faux leather jacket: TJ Maxx (similar)

Grace Dress in Black: Hearts and Found

Dolly Dress in Lavender Gingham: Hearts and Found

Erstwilder also made a really cool, one-of-a-kind resin wall hanging that looks like a decorative buffalo skull – there's a brooch to match it called "Sacred Ground" – that they're giving away to one lucky winner! For every piece you purchase from this collection on their site, you'll receive one entry to win it (you can receive an additional two entries if you buy the matching brooch!). And since Erstwilder is giving away double loyalty points for 24 hours, now's the perfect time to add those brooches to your shopping cart and check out. Keep in mind that you'll have to act fast to take advantage of both these offers; the double points offer ends at 7 AM EST tomorrow (which is 11:59 PM AEDT on January 17), and entries for the wall hanging end at 7 AM EST on Thursday (11:59 AEDT on January 18). Please note that time zone conversions are NOT my strong suit, so I'm going off a tool I found online! If you want to avoid missing out, I'd suggest ordering right away! :)

If previous Erstwilder launches are any indication, the "Wilder West" collection is bound to be a big hit. I found one cat in the OK Corral who thinks so, at least...

Have a great day!

Bunny Hop

I consider myself to be a celebrator of all holidays. I'm Jewish, but I grew up celebrating the major holidays from both the Jewish and Christian traditions. I stuffed myself silly with matzoh at the start of the week, but I'll be ending it with lots of chocolates from my Easter basket (thanks, Mom!). And although I dream of having a matzoh dress someday, Easter is definitely a bit more fun to dress for – as if I needed an excuse to wear my pastel-filled Sunday best.

I actually gasped when I saw that the Unique Vintage "Hamilton" dress was coming in a new colorway. (You can find how I wore the green version here.) It's one of my favorite UV dresses, and it looks like it could really be vintage (probably because it was inspired by a vintage design). And when I found out the new version would be peachy-pink, I knew it had to be mine. This dress reminds me of the table umbrellas on Main Street, USA in Disney World that I remember from my childhood. It's perfectly pretty and dapper, making it an excellent choice for Easter brunch at my parents' this weekend. Of course, I had to pair it with this adorable bunny brooch, which is actually my friend Dana's bunny, Sophie! PSA: please do not give rabbits as pets this Easter. Wear them in brooch form, instead! :)

Outfit Details

Hamilton Swing Dress: c/o Unique Vintage

Sassy Sophie brooch: c/o Erstwilder

Boater hat: similar

Flats: Aerosoles

Do you have any plans for Easter weekend? I can't wait for waffles on Sunday morning!

Catty

Can one ever have too many kitty-cat-festooned pieces of clothing? I feel like there used to be a much bigger stigma (at least for me) about being called a cat lady, but in the last few years, I've totally embraced it. It definitely helps when there are cute skirts like this one! It doesn't look like it's available anymore, but the dress version still is.

I had a pretty low-key weekend, but I did go vintage shopping and got SUPER lucky. I got the most adorable blue rain cape, a strawberry-covered hat, a brooch, and a great pair of sunglasses. Did you do anything exciting this weekend?

Outfit Details

Black Harley Top: Pinup Girl Clothing

Mary Blair Cat Skirt: Zulily (via Pinup Girl Clothing)

Party Animal brooch: c/o Erstwilder (available here)

Flats: Amazon

Have a great start to your week!

Felix

Happy New Year! I hope you all had a nice New Year's Eve. Mine was pretty much just what I wanted: a cozy night at home with yummy food, some good movies, and my boy + cat. It wasn't a big to-do, but opting for pjs instead of a fancy dress honestly felt so nice. After this crazy year we've had – and a particularly stressful week –  I was thrilled to stay in and be an old lady.  :)

I may like my sweatpants a lot during the week, but I'll always be a sucker for a great novelty print dress, like this one from Voodoo Vixen. The print is all kitty cat clocks, which feels especially appropriate for my life right now; time seems to be going by so quickly and I seemingly never have enough of it. And since I'm spending my evenings in rehearsal for a children's show that's all about cats, they seem to dominate my thoughts all the time! This might actually be one of my favorite dresses I've worn from Voodoo Vixen. It fits really well (I'm wearing my normal size, FYI) and I love all the little details. And it's actually on sale on their site right now!

Outfit Details

Kat Dress: c/o Voodoo Vixen

Mischievous Minty brooch: c/o Erstwilder

Belt: from another dress (similar)

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

Have a great start to your 2017!

Candy Cane

I know most girls don't want to dress like candy incarnate, but for me, there's nothing better than looking like a human representation of sweet treats. This skirt from Pinup Girl Clothing might actually be one of my favorites; not only is the candy cane striped print irresistible, but it's actually made out of canvas, rather than the normal sateen PUG tends to use. While that might not have been a welcome surprise for some girls, I actually really like it. It feels a lot more wearable to me.

This skirt also runs larger than some of my other Jenny skirts. Since I'd rather have a little breathing/eating room, I don't mind it – but if you're on the smaller side of a certain size, you might want to consider sizing down. Clearly, I had to pair this skirt with the matching candy cane brooch from Erstwilder – yet another piece from their newest holiday collection. I wear one pretty much every day leading up to the holidays!

Outfit Details

Jenny Skirt in Candy Cane Stripe: Pinup Girl Clothing

Harley Top in White: Pinup Girl Clothing

Sprinkled With Love Brooch: c/o Erstwilder

Cropped red cardigan: ModCloth

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

Have a wonderful Wednesday!