Friday, February 24, 2017

Friday Favorites #147

It's been a while since I was able to put together a Friday Favorites post. I officially have spring fever, so you'll notice a lot of florals in this installment! Here's some of what I've been loving lately.

These Betsey Johnson bags are absolutely scrumptious!

a   ||   b   ||   c

This new Hamilton dress colorway from Unique Vintage is EVERYTHING.

This Kate Spade iPhone case is gorgeous.
...And it goes perfectly with this Chicwish skirt!
This chair from Anthropologie is so dreamy.

I can't get over how pretty this floral flock is!
I can't resist this Mrs. Potts and Chip brooch set:

And these Irregular Choice shoes are so much fun!
And finally, these floofs are everything I need right now.

Have a great weekend!

Wednesday, February 22, 2017

Curtain Call


I gradually (and unofficially, I guess?) came to the conclusion a while back that I didn't want to pursue performing full-time. For a while, I was staying in Rochester because I wasn't sure what I wanted to do or where I wanted to be. That isn't really the case anymore. The weird thing is, it doesn't feel like I'm giving up a dream. (Maybe because I've made new ones?) Being on Broadway or making a living as a working actress might have been what I really wanted for a while, but as I've gotten older (and hopefully wiser), my priorities have changed. I don't want to live in New York City. I don't want to work a survival job I hate in food service or at a temp agency just so I can go to auditions and face constant scrutiny and rejection. For a lot of people, the pay-off is well worth it; it just isn't for me, and that's okay. I'll always love theatre and performing and still consider myself to be a highly creative artist who's capable of doing really great work. I put my degree to good use every day, and I've never once felt a twinge of regret for going down that path. I still agree to do only paid projects with peers who take their craft seriously. But now, I control how involved I am in the theatre world and am able to have a life outside of it. And I've found that that's a lot more personally fulfilling for me. I really admire my friends who are still pounding the pavement and are finding success in the professional world. I may be a little wistful for my youthful optimism, but I think my attitude towards my own path (i.e., not comparing it to anyone else's) is a lot healthier now than it used to be. The bottom line is that I'm happy with how things are going, even if they're totally different from how I envisioned them playing out.


That being said, I am – and always will be – a performer. So when I saw this stage curtain print skirt by Retrospec'd go on sale at A Classic Paradise, I finally took the bait and made it mine. I love the fact that you might not notice what the print actually is at first, and then when you take a closer look, the detail is really extraordinary. It reminds me of book illustrations I used to love as a kid, actually. So I suppose this skirt may be all about nostalgia and magic for me. What could be better than that?

Outfit Details
Deadly Dames Jailbird Top: Pinup Girl Clothing
Retrospec'd Opera Curtain Call Skirt: A Classic Paradise
Chase & Chloe heels: Amazon
Necklace: similar

Have you ever been through anything similar? Is your life drastically different from what you thought it'd be? It always helps me to know I'm not the only one!

Have a wonderful Wednesday!

Wednesday, February 15, 2017

Lovebirds

trashy diva lovebirds gia

Considering that Valentine's Day was yesterday, I thought it was high time I shared the dress I bought from Trashy Diva's Lovebirds collection. This was the heritage print that TD brought back into circulation after its initial release. While I wasn't sold on it initially (I was rooting for a couple of other older prints instead), I changed my mind once it came out. It's such a sweet print but because it's black, it's still very versatile.

trashy diva lovebirds
bird print dress trashy diva
trashy diva dress

I chose the "Gia" style for this collection, which is pretty much the same as the dress I have in the Venice Nights collection. Along with a slight difference in sleeves, the Lovebirds Gia runs a bit tighter and it actually seems a bit shorter in comparison. I believe the waist may be slightly higher, as well, but I personally didn't have an issue with the shorter torso. While it doesn't have as much give as VN, I ordered my Trashy Diva normal size and found that it was perfect. I actually have a couple of cardigans that will be perfect with this print, but since I wanted to show off the sleeves, I braved the chill for these photos.

lovebirds dress
trashy diva lovebirds
trashy diva
Outfit Details
Gia Dress in Lovebirds: Trashy Diva
Opal necklace: similar

I hope you all had a nice Valentine's Day, sweet things!

Monday, February 13, 2017

Dotty For You

dolly and dotty annie dress

Happy almost Valentine's Day! I had planned on trying to squeeze in two valentine-y outfits this year, but I'm afraid the weather isn't going to cooperate for that. In case it doesn't, I wanted to make sure I posted this beyond-adorable polka dot frock from Dolly & Dotty. I got the chance to try a Dolly & Dotty dress last year (see my post here) and found it to be a great fit and of really nice quality. Much to my delight, I found the same to be true for this "Annie" dress.

valentine's outfit
red polka dot dress retro
heart brooch

The "Annie" is one of the brand's staples and is available in several other colors and prints. It's a great staple dress and is quite comfortable (and affordable!). While I've seen similar dresses on the market, this one has the longer length and fit I'm always looking for. Plus, it goes perfectly with this heart brooch from Femme de Bloom! I can't wait to style it in other ways as the weather starts to warm up.

vintage red polka dot dress
Outfit Details
Annie Dress in Red and White Dots: c/o Dolly & Dotty
"My Sparkle Heart" brooch: Femme de Bloom
Cropped cardigan: available here
Heels: similar

red polka dot

Did you do any celebrating this weekend? We just relaxed, but I'm hopeful for at least some yummy chocolate in my near future! :) Have a great holiday!

Friday, February 10, 2017

Beauty Shop

unique vintage erstwilder beauty salon

Unique Vintage has done it again with this new novelty skirt! I'm a sucker for nearly all of the ones they produce, but when I saw this beauty salon skirt – a collaboration with another favorite brand of mine, Erstwilder – I knew I needed to be mine.

erstwilder brooch
erstwilder rollin' with katie brooch
unique vintage novelty swing skirt
beauty salon skirt

Like their other skirts of the same style, this skirt runs true to size and has pockets (what more could you want?). I love all of the little details of the design, and the fact that at least one of the girls in the print is wearing a dress that UV actually carries! Talk about meta. Unique Vintage also sent me the matching "Rollin' With Katie" brooch that Erstwilder made for this release, which is simply adorable. There's also a dress that matches the brooch, which you can find here.

unique vintage skirt
Outfit Details
Beauty Salon Swing Skirt: c/o Unique Vintage
Erstwilder Rollin' With Katie Brooch: c/o Unique Vintage
Sweet Sweater in Black: Heart of Haute
Black camisole: similar
Heels: Aerosoles

heart of haute sweet sweater

I'm not sure whether I'll be celebrating Valentine's Day this weekend or next, but no matter what, I'm hoping to relax, catch up on sleep, and do a bit of blogging. Last weekend ended up being quite busy (I had a hair appointment, cleaned my apartment, and watched the Super Bowl), so I'm looking forward to not having anything too major on the docket. But next week will have a few Valentine-y outfits, so stay tuned. :)

Wednesday, February 8, 2017

Black Dresses and Kitschy Bags

black scalloped dress ouges

By now, most of you know that I love outfits that are filled with kitsch. I can't resist a good theme or novelty bag! But while my personal aesthetic tends to veer on costume-y, I realize that it's not always practical for everyday wear. However, I think today's outfit proves that you can incorporate kitschy elements into an otherwise classic & conservative look.

vendula london funky bags diner
ouges dress amazon vintage 1950s
erstwilder jukebox brooch

First, let's talk about this dress! When I first saw this OUGES dress on Amazon, I wasn't quite sure what it'd look like (or how it'd fit) in real life. However, the plethora of positive reviews and affordable price tag won me over, so I decided to try it out, along with another dress from their online store. Upon receiving them, I was so pleasantly surprised by the fit and quality. Due to the ample stretch of the material, I had more than enough room (I could have possibly sized down to a medium, rather than my normal large). It's definitely one of the more comfortable dresses I own! I really love the scalloped neckline, and the 3/4-length sleeves have come in handy during these cold winter days. It's a nice length too, which can also be a concern with certain dresses you find on Amazon. If you're looking for a cute and versatile LBD that fits in your budget, this one should definitely be a contender.

black retro dress scalloped

While I wouldn't normally wear such a plain dress with a purse like this, I think it does illustrate my point: that novelty purses – like one of the Vendula London unique bags I'm styling here – can work with all sorts of outfits. In fact, they often work better when they can be the star of the outfit, since the overall effect isn't overpowering. This diner purse gives the perfect pop to my outfit, and the details are amazing. I styled another Vendula London bag last spring for my Easter post, and the quality is always superb. I went with a smaller, cross-body style this time, and I absolutely love it. There's enough room for all the necessities but it's still the perfect going-out bag. Even the lining is adorable! I love this entire range of Vendula London creative bags, but all of their collections are so much fun.

vendula london diner box bag
Outfit Details
Scalloped black dress: c/o OUGES
Diner Box Bag: c/o Vendula London
Jivin' Jukebox brooch: c/o Erstwilder (available here)
Tights: similar  ||  Heels: Aerosoles

vendula london diner unique bags

Also, the winner of my giveaway has been chosen! Congratulations to Kate R. and thanks to everyone who entered! You've made the last four years of blogging an absolute delight. Stay tuned for more giveaways in the coming months! <3


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