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!

Basic Isn't Bad

If happened to see me this summer, chances are good that you saw me in this dress. Like many other girls, I picked up this "Who What Wear" striped bardot dress from Target and found it so comfy and cute that I rarely wanted to take it off. I think the bardot neckline is so romantic, and when it's combined with soft, easy cotton, I'm automatically a fan. Sadly, it's no longer available from Target, but I've linked similar ones in the outfit details section.

Wearing this dress got me thinking a little bit about basics. I tend to be drawn to unique, special pieces... but they usually have to be combined with a good basic to work. Basics are things we always need and want, but they aren't terribly exciting most of the time. And then I started thinking about how we describe other women as being "basic" for liking certain things. Admittedly, I love fall and pumpkin spice lattes as much as the next girl. I shouldn't feel ashamed for liking these things – or for wearing wardrobe staples – but it does have a negative connotation. I'm not sure why. But I'm going to embrace my love of basic things. Just because I'm wearing (or drinking) something basic, that doesn't mean I can't feel special.

Outfit Details

Striped bardot dress: similar here and here

Belt: old (similar)

Necklace: similar

Flats: Amazon

Have a terrific Tuesday!

Friday Favorites #143

Friday Favorites are back this week! Even though my job isn't active in the slightest, I come home exhausted every day. As much as I try to plan ahead, sometimes I'm simply too tired to put a post together. But I wanted to make sure to get the last of my Halloween picks in for this week's post.

I'm not sure what my Halloween costume is going to be this year, but if I opt to just dress "spooky" for the holiday, I might go for an outfit like these:

a   ||   b   ||   c   ||   d

Halloween print dress   ||   Skeleton dress

Or a zombie pinup dress is always an option...

You can infuse some fright into any ensemble with brooches like these:

a    //   b   //   c   //   d

a    ||   b   ||   c

Aren't these poison bottle brooches awesome?

And these Hocus Pocus pins are everything.

1    //    2

These Sanderson Sister Funko Pops are AMAZING.

I love this book dress as a subtle nod to spells:

I'm obsessed with these shoes. They'd be perfect for any period costume, but I'd definitely wear them in real life, too!

a    ||    b

And finally, how cute is this monster print by Steph Buscema?

That's it for this week! Have a wonderful weekend!

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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!

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!

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!