Country Cutie

As an introvert who spends most of her working hours (and some of her non-working hours) in front of a screen, it can be easy to forget how important it is for me to get outside and spend some time in nature. Actually, one of the reasons I still really enjoy blogging is that it almost forces me to spend time outdoors and allows me to reset mentally and emotionally. Studies have found that spending time in nature is incredibly restorative and reduces stress and depression, so even though I wouldn't consider myself an "outdoorsy" person, I've been trying to soak up these nice days and spend as much time as I can outside. 

This past weekend was really great, and I think that has a lot to do with the fact that I spent a significant amount of time outdoors with people I love. As I mentioned on Instagram, I went peach-picking with my mom, went to a local nature park with my boyfriend, and went to a huge sunflower field extravaganza (photos coming soon!) all in the span of a couple of days. We might not be able to get down to the lake again this summer, which has now become a favorite summertime activity, so I'm glad I was able to take a few photos in this cornfield near the lake house.

I actually already own this Dolly and Dotty dress in the black and white colorway, and I wear it ALL THE TIME. (I styled this version here.) Chances are that if you've seen me in real life this summer, I've been wearing it. It's super comfy and appropriate for virtually any summertime activity. Another great thing is that the fabric is sturdy enough to go braless, which means it's an awesome grab-and-go option (and makes a good swimsuit coverup!). I was eager to style the red version because 1) I can always use another casual, lightweight dress and 2) it reminds me of picnic tablecloths and there's literally nothing better than that to end the summer. 

Outfit Details

Sophie Check Dress in Red: c/o Dolly and Dotty

Boater hat: similar  ||  Necklace: similar

Flats: Aerosoles

Do you have any Labor Day plans? I'm not sure what we're doing (if anything), but during this week/weekend, I'd really like to go to a baseball game, go swimming, go on walks, and eat lots of food. With everything that's going on right now, I feel very fortunate to be able to even look forward to these kinds of things and enjoy the rest of summer.

Have a great rest of your week and have a safe holiday!

Hi Ho Cherry-O

I can never get enough of summer fruit. Strawberries, watermelon, cherries, raspberries – I love them all. Peaches and nectarines are by far my favorites (my fingers are crossed that I get to pick some this week!), but I got a chance to get pick sour cherries at Hurd Orchards earlier this month. Of course, I had to wear some cherry accents! I have a lot of cherry accessories, ranging from jewelry to shoes to bags. But for this post, I chose to wear my beloved cherry hat (a gift from sweet Polly) and a fruity necklace.

How cute is this dress though! I have a ton of items from TiCCi Rockabilly on my wish list, but this gingham cherry dress stood out from the crowd. I was a bit concerned about sizing, but I ended up choosing exactly right. For reference, you'll definitely need to go by measurements with this one (I'm wearing what they call an XXL!). I'm very pleased with the fit overall, but the straps were laughably long. Luckily, my mom was able to fix them for me without much effort. Other than that, I had a great experience ordering from them and wouldn't hesitate to do so again in the future.

Outfit Details

Lily Cherry Dress: TiCCi Rockabilly

Cherry necklace: similar  ||  Hat: vintage (similar)

Flats: Jessica Simpson

Have a sweet rest of your week!

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!