Bouquet

I haven't been posting during the weekend lately, but I couldn't wait any longer to post these! I'd been eyeing this beautiful bouquet print dress from Heart of Haute since it came out in the spring, and I'm so glad it finally made its way into my closet. This Mercedes style dress is the same as the one the wore in this post. I love the higher neckline of this style, but it also comes in the Milan and Marsailles styles – both of which are really pretty. The Mercedes fits a bit tighter in the bust than some of my other Heart of Haute dresses, but I love how versatile it is; just because it's a pastel floral doesn't mean it won't transition into fall! I just added a cute cropped cardigan (and a new Erstwilder brooch) for a sweet look that's perfect for early autumn.

The past two weeks have been very busy, but very enjoyable. The Rochester Fringe Festival ends tonight, and though it's been stressful, I've been able to catch some wonderful shows. I love Fringe because there's always such a variety of captivating art being created right before your very eyes. And it also gives me an excuse to wear all my wildest outfits! ;) This year's Fringe had it all: circus, burlesque, drag, musical theatre, improv, visual art, dance, music, film, and so much more that can't even be categorized... it makes me feel very fortunate to live in a community where this festival can thrive, and we are all the better for it.

Outfit Details

Mercedes Dress in Bouquet: c/o Heart of Haute

Fairest of Them All Brooch: Erstwilder

Cropped cardigan: Trashy Diva

Spectator heels: similar

Petticoat: similar

Don't forget: you can always get 10% off your Heart of Haute order with the code Haute10!

Have a wonderful rest of your weekend!

Anchors aweigh

I know that nautical prints are sort of a retro wardrobe staple, but I didn't own any anchor-embellished dresses until recently. I'm not a huge fan of navy blue, and because a lot of sailor-esque dresses tend to use that color, I was never really drawn to them. When I saw this dress from Heart of Haute, I immediately took a liking to the silhouette and use of chambray fabric. Since I live about 5 minutes away from part of the Erie Canal, I headed to a nearby park for a change of pace.

I found the fit of the Hillary dress to run true to size, and I really ended up loving this more casual piece. I have so many fancy dresses (and rarely have occasions to which I can wear them), so this is a great addition to my closet. It also gave me an excuse to wear my Erstwilder platypus brooch! I know they're venomous, but I think they're so cute and I've always wanted to meet one! For now, I'll settle for this charming little brooch instead.

Outfit Details

Hillary Dress in Chambray Anchor: c/o Heart of Haute

Erswilder platypus brooch: available here

Boater hat: similar

Flats: Amazon

I'm so excited because I leave for California tomorrow to visit Ashley! It'll be my first time ever on the West Coast. We have so many fun things planned, and I can hardly wait to see her! I have a couple of posts scheduled during my trip, but if you want to see what I'm up to while I'm there, be sure to follow along on Instagram!

Have a great Wednesday!

Garden Royale

One thing you learn as you cultivate your personal style (an ever-evolving endeavor) is that there are certain brands that flatter your body type more than others. And when those brands also fit in perfectly with your personal aesthetic, it's a beautiful thing. I've been an admirer of Heart of Haute for quite some time now, and have styled their designs before on the blog (see here and here). When I first saw the print on this halter dress, I was convinced that the print wasn't really "me," but I kept coming back to it. I was drawn to its grandiose and romantic design, and I felt like I might need to try it out for myself – maybe this dress was more "me" than I had thought!

Needless to say, I ended up loving this dress. I know not everyone is drawn to halters, but I adore the sweetheart neckline and halter straps on the Sweetie dress. This silhouette fits my shape really well (there's even a waist tie in the back to create a little extra cinching), and the dress runs true to size. The print is even more beautiful in person, and even though it's a light cotton dress, I'll definitely be able to layer it under cardigans in the fall.

After trying them out during recent stage performances, I've started wearing my Rago waist cincher underneath some of my outfits (like this one), and it makes a huge difference in smoothing out my curves and making me feel completely confident in what I'm wearing. I have them in two different sizes; there isn't a big difference between the medium and large, but the large seems to be more comfortable for long periods of time. Their contouring shorts are incredible, too! If you're in the market for some really good shapewear, I pretty much swear by Rago these days.

Outfit Details

Sweetie Dress in Garden Royale: c/o Heart of Haute

Rago waist cincher: Amazon (also available at ModCloth)

Hair flower clip: ASOS

Pettislip: Amazon

Black flats: similar

Butterfly brooch: old

If you love wearing Heart of Haute as much as I do, be sure use #hautehoney for a chance to win a gift certificate each month – and you can use the Haute10 coupon for 10% off on their website!

Have a great day!

Painting the roses red

I think this dress from Unique Vintage has the best rose print I've ever seen. It's so romantic, and I love the classic silhouette. It'd make a perfect Valentine's Day dress, but since there are still some roses in bloom, I decided to take a trip to the Maplewood Rose Garden here in Rochester. It's sort of a strange place for a rose garden (it's surrounded by department stores and located near an iffy area of the city), but it does provide a sense of serenity and escape. Weirdly, I've seen at least four other bloggers who had the same rose garden post idea around the same time... but since I had a backlog of outfits, I've been sitting on these photos for about a week.

I'm in complete denial that July is nearly over. What happened to summer?? I'm determined to get as much out of this last month as I possibly can. I have a couple of little trips planned (you'll hear more about those soon), and I still have to cram in some other things on my summer to-do list, like going to the beach, an amusement park, and the Renaissance Faire! I did manage cross one big thing off my to-do list this week – we did a big overhaul of my room and did some redecorating, with which I'm very pleased. I'm hoping that now it'll look nice enough to use as a photo backdrop for the colder months. 

Outfit Details

Heart of Haute Rose Garden Dress: c/o Unique Vintage (on sale!!)

B.A.I.T. Footwear Spectators: available here

Pettislip: Amazon

Do you have any plans for the rest of the summer?

Lilac Lane

I've mentioned before (i.e., probably every time I've worn this dress on my blog) that lilacs are my absolute favorite flower in the whole wide world. I guess it's a fortunate choice, because not only are they pretty common in this area, but we have an entire festival dedicated to them! I took these photos in Highland Park (the same park where I took these photos), which has a huge section dedicated solely to showcasing all of the varieties of lilacs. Lilac season is relatively short, so I was glad to catch them at just the right time! I don't usually take photos in the morning, but I wasn't about to try in the late afternoon during the festival, and it was so serene to take photos in the sunshine when virtually no one else was around.

My sweet friend Henry came along with me for these photos! You might remember him from the post we did for Airigami's Balloon Manor or this diner-themed post. He's gone for the summer for a performing gig, so it was great to spend some time with him before he left. It's always a lot of fun to take photos with Henry, because he has such a distinct personal style and is into fashion just as much as I am. Isn't he dapper in these shots?? Men, take note: please wear suspenders much more often.

Outfit Details

Dress: Bernie Dexter (similar)

Cardigan: c/o Heart of Haute (from a giveaway)

Lilac brooch: eBay

Pettiskirt: similar

Flats: similar

Have a beautiful Wednesday!

Cherry bomb

I think a good cherry print is imperative. Which makes it sort of insane that I never acquired a cherry print dress until very recently (and now I own two!). I love this Beverly style dress from Heart of Haute, and I got this dress as a lovely surprise in the mail! It's an awesome work-appropriate dress that works just as well for a night out. I opted not to wear it with a petticoat here for a more casual look, but this silhouette looks even better with one. I wore this dress to the Rochester Music Hall of Fame induction ceremony last month (my dad played in the house band for the fourth year in a row), and I thought it was a really fun choice. I wish I had a cherry brooch to go with it, but at least I have the awesome cherry pie ring that Kate made for me!

Today's post is on the short side, but for good reason: for the next three weeks, I actually get to feel like a "real" actor. I'm in a workshop of a musical I was involved with a couple of years ago, and this time it's a mix of local and Equity actors (meaning union actors) from New York – which in plain speak means that I feel like a professional who gets to earn an actual weekly salary during this process. It also means that I'm already really tired (and it's only day 2!); I haven't had an opportunity to earn a living wage solely from performing since before I started my blog, and I sort of forgot how much energy it takes. It's a great opportunity and a lot of fun, but I'm just glad I have a backlog of photos right now! 

Outfit Details

Beverly Cherry Dress: c/o Heart of Haute

Heels: ModCloth (similar)

Ring: gift from Kate

Have a great Wednesday!

xox Sammi