Country Castles

Happy May Day! When I was little, my mom would make little May baskets filled with flowers to leave on neighbors' steps. (I seem to recall they had a handle for hanging on doorknobs, but I might not be remembering this correctly.) It's a tradition that isn't really done much anymore, but I think it's kind of a lovely sentiment... even though I really don't make friends with my neighbors (oops). While spring technically started a while ago, it's only now starting to feel that way here. I'm determined to soak it up while it lasts!

This dress from Emily and Fin is a quintessential spring staple. The print is so pretty, and I instantly felt more cheerful when I put it on. I tend to wear my pieces from Emily and Fin quite a bit, as I love the quality of the cotton and the fact that they're lined and have pockets. Emily and Fin now has individual size charts for each piece, which is incredibly helpful. However, I will say that fellow well-endowed ladies might do well to choose your size based on the bust measurement (and, if in doubt, order a size up). Since the fabric really has no stretch to speak of, you may find that you'll be more comfortable with a little extra room.

I was inspired by the landscape in this print – which is supposed to be Tuscany – to head to one of my favorite hidden spots in Rochester, the Sunken Gardens at Warner Castle. The last time I was here, I did a Cinderella-inspired shoot with my friend Rusty (you can see it here). I even saw our same little cat friend we met before! It's not quite as green there yet, but I'm sure I'll be back later on in the season to snap some more photos!

Outfit Details

Lucy Dress in Painted Tuscan Landscape: c/o Emily and Fin

Boater hat: similar ||  Bracelet: old  ||  Flats: similar

Have a great start to your week!

Friday Favorites #149

Hello and welcome to another Friday Favorites post! It seems like I'm just not able to keep up with these posts on a weekly basis (they really do take a lot of time, to be honest), but I'm trying to make sure that when I do get a chance to post them, they contain some really stellar stuff. Here's what I've been lusting over lately...

In my mind, it doesn't get better than Betsey Johnson novelty bags!

(Side note: I was FAR too amused that the name of the wicker crustacean bag is "Crab Calloway.")

a   ||   b   ||   c   ||   d   ||   e

And this Tatty Devine cosmetic bag is my jam!

I think this Miss Candyfloss dress is so sweet.

And speaking of sweet... who wouldn't want this sweet strawberry welcome mat?

I'm also loving this strawberry dress by one of my old favorite brands, Blutsgeschwister:

Nothing says summer quite like gingham, and this red gingham swimsuit is so darling!

It's not hot enough to swim yet, but we are getting our fair share of rain. These sparkly wellies light up(!), which would make puddle jumping even more fun!

I don't normally love "tropical" print dresses, but I think this leaf print is so lush (and it reminds me of Blanche Deveraux's bedroom on Golden Girls).

I'm also totally obsessed with these Bettie Page bags:

1   //   2

And finally, every couple can rejoice: you can now have alpacas and llamas in your wedding!

Have a great weekend!

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Cherry Bomb

As much as I love pastels, I'm powerless to resist a red-hot dress. And this one might honestly be the best one I've ever owned. I'd never had a chance to try out anything from Stop Staring! before, but I'm so glad I gave this dress a whirl. The quality is truly top-notch and it's one of those dresses that makes me feel like a million bucks. I absolutely love the silhouette and the millennium stretch fabric gives this dress the perfect fit while still being completely comfortable.

I tend to fall for dresses that give a good mix of sexy and demure, so it's no surprise that I can't wait to wear this again for a summer date night! I'm already thinking of all the ways I could style it. For this post, I opted for cherry accents (really, just an excuse to wear some of my favorite heels of all time), but I have so many pieces that would work well with this. Dresses like these that me excited to get creative with my wardrobe!

I was a bit concerned about sizing, since I'd never owned anything by Stop Staring before. I actually ended up sizing up on this dress and I think it fits well. Because of the stretch, I might have been able to fit in my regular size, but since I quite like breathing and being able to wear undergarments, I think sizing up was the way to go for now. It's very easy for me to get caught up on what size I wear, but I always try to remember that no one sees the tag but me! When a garment fits well, you'll feel more confident and comfortable, and people will be able to see you for you (and not for your too-small clothing). Of course, the goal is to feel confident no matter what... but I find that a killer dress can make you feel invincible!

Outfit Details

Summertime Swing Dress: c/o Stop Staring!

Cherry necklace: Riot Ruby (similar)

Shoes: Melissa x Vivenne Westwood (similar)



Have a wonderful Wednesday!

Cabbage Rose

Well, spring has definitely sprung! Some of my favorite flowers and flowering trees (like lilacs, magnolias, and dogwood) are taking their sweet time to bloom, but I know they'll be out before long! Until they do, I'll be wearing as many floral dresses as possible.

I've loved this Bernie Dexter sorbet cabbage rose print (as well as its sister print, the blush cabbage rose) for quite a while, but I never ended up taking the plunge on it. I've seen other styles in this print before, but this version caught my eye when I saw it on eBay. It has little bows on the straps, and it's definitely a LOT more boob-friendly than a lot of my other Bernies. I would love it if she came out with some more pretty florals for spring and summer; I get so much use out of them and never get tired of looking at them!

Outfit Details

Bernie Dexter dress: eBay (similar)

Cardigan: available at Trashy Diva

Boater hat: similar  ||  Flats: similar

Have a great start to your week!

Checkerboard

Did you all have a nice Easter holiday? I enjoyed the most delicious brunch at my parents' and soaked up the sunshine. We had a beautiful couple of days here, so I've been trying to get outside as much as possible. And it was finally nice enough to wear this adorable checkered dress from Dolly and Dotty! In my opinion, there's nothing better than gingham and checked dresses for spring and summer. This one is super comfy and easy to throw on, so I know I'll be wearing it a ton over the next few months.

Outfit Details

Sophie Dress: c/o Dolly and Dotty

Cropped cardigan: available at Trashy Diva

Hair flower: similar  ||  Flats: Amazon

Belt: from another dress

Have a great start to your week!

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!