Lavender

I've done my fair share of adventuring this summer, which makes me happy. My mom and I have wanted to go to the Finger Lakes Lavender Festival at Lockwood Lavender Farm for a few years now and we finally made it out this year! It was actually a bit smaller than I was expecting, but it was a beautiful day and we had a lot of fun. I really hate taking photos in public, but I managed to get past my self-consciousness for a few shots.

It was too hot, sunny, and crowded to spend much time on getting the perfect photo, but I wanted to at least capture the perfect dress! This purple gingham number from Hearts and Found couldn't have been better for the occasion (and the heat). It's definitely a scene-stealer, for sure! I'd been wanting to try this Dolly style for a while, and even though I was apprehensive it wouldn't work on me due to my bust, I was very pleasantly surprised at the result. I think the structure of the dress makes it a bit short-waisted on my frame, but it's really comfy and low maintenance.

Outfit Details

Custom Dolly Dress in Lavender Gingham: Hearts and Found

Boater Hat: available here   ||   Flats: Aerosoles

After we had our fill of the festival, we wanted to walk around Skaneateles. Unfortunately, everyone else had the same idea. We couldn't even find a place to park! We eventually had to give up and decided to stop over at Mirbeau for a little snack. I'd love to stay there sometime! The garden is so beautiful there. All in all, it was a really nice way to spend the day with my mom and be surrounded by nature.

Have a great start to your week!

Pirate Treasure

Ashley and I had the best time on our New Orleans trip! It was a total whirlwind and we definitely didn't get to do everything we wanted to. But I'm really glad we got to spend some time in City Park at the New Orleans Botanical Gardens. We wore Trashy Diva almost exclusively during our time there, which meant I got to put some of my favorite frocks to good use. The Hollywood dress is one of my favorites, and I love that we actually got to twin in person!

Ashley shared her post with our pirate pieces yesterday, but I've been so exhausted (I had kind of a crappy week last week) that I didn't get a chance to put a coordinating post together until after hers went live. She captured some really great images -- she's a wonderful photographer as well as a wonderful model! -- and all of the ones of me in this post were taken by Ashley. As much as I like the solitude that blogging provides me, it's so nice to spend time with someone who understands it all so well. Long-distance friendships can be tough sometimes, but I'm so grateful to have met Ashley through blogging and for the connection we have.

My Outfit Details

Hollywood Dress in Pirate Treasure: Trashy Diva

Flats: Jessica Simson  ||  Hair flower: similar

Ashley's Outfit Details

June Blouse and 40's Skirt in Pirate Treasure: Trashy Diva

Shoes: Remix Vintage Shoes

Who else is stoked for the new Trashy Diva print release?? I think the styles in this collection are really fantastic. I can't wait to style my Mime Time piece and see everyone else in theirs!

Have a great day!

Berry Chantilly

Well, I'm back from our NOLA trip! We had so much fun and I'm still reveling in all things New Orleans, which is why I'm styling another Trashy Diva dress today. This is actually one of my favorite prints ever. The second I saw it, I knew I needed a piece for my closet. I ended up ordering the 1940's dress, which is what I'm wearing here, but I had wanted to try on the Camilla in-store to see whether that style would work for me. I ended up liking it much more on me than the 1940's, so the Camilla came home with me! (I am selling this dress, which is sold out on the TD site, over in my Shop My Closet store if you're interested! As much as I like this print, I guess I don't need two different dress styles in it.) But I styled the 1940's before I left on my trip and ended up loving the photos, so I wanted to make sure I posted them.

All of the summer fruits, including strawberries, have been impeccable this year. This gal couldn't be happier about that – or about the fact that I have a vintage strawberry bag and hat to go with this outfit. My mom and I actually went strawberry picking the day I took these photos, but the patch was less than picturesque. (It did, however, have some of the best strawberries I've ever tasted.) We decided to head back to the cherry orchard for these photos. Close enough, right?

Outfit Details

Berry Chantilly 1940's Dress: Trashy Diva

Vintage strawberry bag: Trashy Diva (similar)

Strawberry hat: Treasure Trove Vintage

Popular Preserve brooch: c/o Erstwilder

Heels: B.A.I.T. Footwear

Have a great day!

Carnival

Photo credit: Emma Rizzo

How lucky am I to have a lovely and talented friend like Emma who's willing to indulge me and document my little Rochester adventures? I've been meaning to post these photos (many of which were taken by Emma) for quite a while now, but it's been hard to muster up the energy to edit them. That might sound silly, but it really does require energy and concentration, both of which I'm usually lacking after a long day. But since I'm headed off to New Orleans with Ashley today(!!!), I thought it was the perfect time to debut this fantastic NOLA-themed dress from Trashy Diva.

Photo credit (above): Emma Rizzo

This was actually my first Annette dress after purchasing one years ago and returning it (which I now regret because it's now a highly coveted design). As you all know, I love a good novelty print... but I was initially worried that this might be a little much. I actually ended up loving it in person and also love that the skirt provides a bit more *poof* than most of Trashy Diva's designs. My one regret with this dress is that I didn't size up. It zips, but it's definitely a bit tighter than I'd like. (I guess one option would be to lose a bit of my own *poof*, which I'm trying to do anyway.) Lesson learned: if you're between sizes, keep in mind that cotton voile doesn't provide stretch when ordering!

Photo credit: Emma Rizzo

Photo credit: Emma Rizzo

Photo credit: Emma Rizzo

I'm so excited to go on this vacation with Ashley and I can't wait to do lots of shopping – mostly at TD! We're both eager to try on styles we're usually too afraid to try out when we order online. Basically, we planned our entire trip around shopping and food. If you want to live vicariously, keep an eye on our Instagram feeds! I'm sure we'll be updating throughout our time in NOLA.

Photo credit: Emma Rizzo

Outfit Details

Carnival Annette Dress: Trashy Diva

Boater Hat: Pinup Girl Clothing

Jessica Simpson Flats: Amazon

Photo credit: Emma Rizzo

Have a wonderful Wednesday!

Ticket To Ride

Circuses, carnivals, festivals – I love them all. So when Unique Vintage launched an entire collection devoted to life under the big top, I had a tough time limiting myself to just one piece. They designed a three-ring circus skirt with a functioning stage curtain, for goodness sakes! But this ticket print Billie swing dress was the clear winner for me. As a performer myself, how could I say no?

I ordered up in this dress after Ashley told me that her normal size in it was teeny-tiny. But actually, this size is a bit too big on me! I was worried about not having enough room in the bust, but I had to tie it as tight as it could go – and there was still extra fabric along the back. Fortunately, the straps are designed to be adjusted (the fabric bow is the end of the straps), so it's an easy fix. I really love this style overall, with its zip-up bodice and roomy pockets. Plus, it's super comfy and lightweight, making it perfect for summertime.

I have to thank my fantastic photographer, Emma Rizzo, for these shots. All of the photos in this post were taken by her. I really hate taking photos in public under normal circumstances, and having to lug around my tripod and not get in everyone's way would have been really difficult and embarrassing for me. Not only did she save the day by coming with me, but her photos made both me and a rather underwhelming local carnival look our best. And I felt so special having a photog with me! If you're in the area and need a photo session, get in touch with her!

Outfit Details

Circus Ticket Billie Swing Dress: c/o Unique Vintage

Popcorn necklace: similar  ||  Flats: Amazon

Thanks so much to everyone who placed in order in my Shop My Closet store last week! There's still a ton of great stuff left. I'll be out of town for most of next week, so if you've got your eye on something, now's a good time to grab it! 

Have a great Wednesday!