Frozen

I feel very Elsa-esque in this wonderfully wintery skirt from Unique Vintage. It's very fitting for the weather here too, since we got a ton of snow recently – and temperatures have been staying in the 15-20° range. I really love all of these UV brand skirts; they're especially great for holidays and they hold their shape so nicely. And since winter lasts so long here in Rochester, I know I'll be able to wear this one for months to come.

Although this outfit was totally impractical for getting a Christmas tree, I couldn't resist heading to a local Christmas tree farm for these photos. Sadly, we didn't find a tree that would work for my small space. But we did find a fake white one that looks pretty darn adorable in my living room! I was able to make some headway on cookie baking and present wrapping yesterday, so while I'm sure I'll still feel a bit stressed this week, I'm hoping I'll be able to relax and enjoy. :)

Outfit Details

Winter Kingdom Swing Skirt: c/o Unique Vintage

White Silver Sparkle Angette Top: c/o Unique Vintage

Seasonal Symmetry Snowflake Brooch: c/o Erstwilder

Shoes: vintage (similar)

Oh, and I forgot: in case you hadn't noticed, I dyed my hair! It's more subtle in person, but I really like it a lot. I'm not one to get bored with my hair, but I felt like it was getting kinda dull and listless. I was in desperate need of a cut, but I wanted a little change, too. It had been a LONG time since I'd put any color in my hair. Part of me wishes I hadn't waited so long! It was the perfect holiday pick-me-up.

Have a great start to your holiday week!

Bulldog

As an animal lover, I was so excited to see the results of Erstwilder's #BroochMyPet competition in their newest Fan Pets range of designs. When I received the Taciturn Taco brooch, I knew I had to pair this cutie with a matching pullover that's been oft ignored for no good reason. I love how it looks as if the big bulldog is looking adoringly at its pup! In an effort to stretch my existing wardrobe, I layered this sweatshirt over my black Jenny dress from PUG (how apropos, given the dog theme!) to instantly create a skirt.

Outfit Details

Bulldog Sweatshirt: I Heart Ronson (similar)

Black Jenny Dress: Pinup Girl Clothing

Taciturn Taco brooch: c/o Erstwilder

Flats: Aerosoles

Belt: similar

I took these photos on one of the last, beautiful days of fall. It's definitely more wintery now, but since Christmas is less than two weeks away(!!!??), I don't mind so much. I got a chance to do some holiday things this weekend – I did some shopping, looked for a Christmas tree, and watched Scrooged. Plus, I got a much-needed hair cut (and color!) and saw some dear friends I hadn't seen in far too long. Next weekend, I'll need to get down to business and start wrapping presents!

Be sure to check out the entire Fan Pets collection here, and have a great start to your week!

Cherry Tart

Okay, so this outfit isn't very fall-like. In fact, it's pure summertime. But even though I've fully embraced autumn, I took advantage of some warm weather we had a few weeks ago and decided to break out this former unicorn to showcase here on the blog. I missed out this Bernie Dexter beauty back when ModCloth carried it, and I'd regretted it for years. Nothing haunts us like the things we don't buy, amirite? Luckily, it popped up on eBay – a size smaller than I normally wear – for a good price when I was visiting Ashley in California last summer, and I pounced.

This cherry-adorned number is definitely is a tad smaller than my other Bernies (I wish it was roomier in the bust!), but I actually compared it to a size large someone was selling and this medium inexplicably has basically the same measurements. Although it zips, I think I'll need to be a little more resolute with my Weight Watchers in order to feel more comfortable in it. It's not like I think I need to shed the pounds in order to look good in clothes, but I do need to be a bit more diligent about eating well so that I feel better and fit more comfortably in the clothes I already have and love. It's always a struggle with me – sometimes I have a lot of will-power and other times I have absolutely none – but getting back into it is probably the hardest part. I haven't been as active since I moved into my own place and started working full-time. I thought I might want a gym membership (I still may consider asking for one for Christmas), but I think I might enjoy some workouts I can do at home. If you have any recommendations (especially ones that involve video or are good for people who just don't like working out), I'd love to hear them! I do love getting out into nature, but since winter is on its way, I'd love to find a way to get some decent exercise without going out into the cold!

Outfit Details

Bernie Dexter dress: eBay (similar)

Be My Cherry Pie brooch: c/o Erstwilder

Vintage boater hat: similar

Shoes: B.A.I.T. Footwear

Have a great 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!"

Starburst

As most of you know, I've been a loyal fan of Erstwilder's intricate, quirky designs for the past few years. They recently launched an out-of-this-world galactic collection, and I'm totally over the moon for it. ;) I'm not always the biggest sci-fi fan, but I really love this retro-futuristic range. I'll be showing off another piece from this collection very soon, but for today's post, I decided to pair this vibrant star burst brooch with my new pastel yellow Jenny dress from Pinup Girl Clothing for a real shining star feel! Be sure to check out the whole Erstwilder Goes Galactic range for even more fun pieces.

Most of the Erstwilder brooches I own would qualify as "statement pieces," but I think that's particularly true of this collection. These pins are so detailed, brightly colored and just plain fun. I didn't want to go too over-the-top with my actual outfit, so I went the simple route. It's been so hot here lately, so I couldn't even wear a cardigan with this outfit, but I can definitely picture myself wearing a bright pink or turquoise one to complete this look in the cooler months. I actually wasn't sure I was going to purchase this yellow Jenny dress, but I quickly found myself powerless to resist (oops!). It's definitely getting to be time to list some more pieces to sell in my shop my closet store... I'm running out of room for all my pretties! Keep an eye out for that within the next couple of weeks.

Outfit Details

Pinup Couture Jenny Dress in Yellow: Pinup Girl Clothing

Star Burst Brooch: c/o Erstwilder

Shoes: B.A.I.T. Footwear

Have a wonderful Wednesday!

PS: Did you enter my latest giveaway with Le Bomb Shop yet? One lucky gal will win her choice of The Soubrette Brunette Sweetheart Dress! Get all the details & enter here!

Sunhats & Sunflowers

Sunflowers are one of my favorite blooms to have around. They're just so cheerful! This is my second sunflower printed dress (it actually has two of my favorite flowers – sunflowers and daisies), and I couldn't wait until late summer to wear it here on the blog. It's actually an older Hell Bunny dress, but I'd been wanting it for quite some time and hadn't had much luck finding it until now. It's the perfect match for this sunflower Erstwilder brooch, and my mom was sweet enough to get me a little sunflower bouquet to make me smile.

Outfit Details

Hell Bunny sunflower dress: swap group (similar here + here)

Sumptuous Sunflower brooch: c/o Erstwilder

Boater hat: Pinup Girl Clothing

Petticoat: Pinup Girl Clothing

Flats: similar

Today is the first day of my new job, and I'm pretty anxious about it, but optimistic. I've said it before, but it's really scary to venture into brand new territory. This week is going to be crazy-busy; I'm moving into my new apartment this weekend, so between getting adjusted to working full-time and packing and everything else, I'm probably going to be stressed out and perhaps not able to blog as much as I'd like – but I have to believe it'll all work out and will be great in the end. Thank you to all of you who have offered words of encouragement and advice – it's been wonderful to have your support.