Country Life

Hello there! Well, it finally feels like June here! It was cooler than normal for the most part, since the end of April. April felt more like spring than May did! Today got up to about 85 degrees, and was sunny all day (still is), and I'm loving it! Tomorrow through Tuesday it's supposed to be in the low 90's. Today I met up with my friend for lunch at Panera, and got to give her her birthday card & gift (her bday is Tuesday). 
I also did some cleaning & laundry at home, and in the afternoon went to a brew pub with Bob to sit at the outdoor bar and have some drinks. It's about fifteen minutes from us, and I've been waiting since September to go back! Obviously the outdoor bar is only open when it's nice/warm out. While we there, we got a couple of small appetizers, and I really like the one that we got: spinach flat bread. We also saw a bear while we were there! It was across the street in someone's driveway, and it was fairly small; it was probably a baby. 
Tomorrow Bob and I will be going to his parents' house in the afternoon; two of his aunts and uncle from West Virginia will be over, and his dad is cooking dinner for all of us. Bob hasn't seen his WV kin in awhile, so I know he's really looking forward to it. 
In the pictures below I'm wearing my Retrospec'd Country Life Connie dress. I have three Retrospec'd dresses in this very comfortable style. I wear them to work a lot. I love to pair my Erstwilder cherry pie brooch with this dress; it just seems to go well with the country theme. I didn't wear this outfit today, but it would've been appropriate, considering I saw a bear today! Oh, the joys of country livin'. 

Dress: Retrospec'd
Brooch: DNJ Retro (Erstwilder)
Bangles: Splendette
Heels: BAIT Footwear

~Bye bye for now!
 

Timeless Gingham

Hello there, and happy Saturday! Bob and I aren't doing much this weekend, but we're glad about that, because we had such a whirlwind trip over part of last week/weekend. I'm cleaning, doing laundry, and working out today; all the fun stuff, ha!
In the pictures below I'm wearing my newest Bernie dress, in a brand new Bernie style called the Nicole. It seems to be the same as her Kelly zip front shirt dress, but just with long sleeves instead of short sleeves. As with most of my Bernies, I sized up a size for my bust, so the bust fits well, but the waist is big on me. Just having longer sleeves definitely made me feel warmer, so I'm glad to have this as a cooler weather option, as most of my dresses are sleeveless or short sleeves. I can't resit the perfect trifecta of a shirt dress, gingham, & red! 
I don't own cowboy boots, but I think they'd be a really cute pairing with this dress. I can see that as a great outfit to rock at the Nashville Boogie, which Bob and I are going to by the way(!!!), in May. This is my only complete red and white gingham dress; I used to have another Bernie one, but sold it, and I do own two Trashy Diva dresses that have some red and white gingham in them, but not all over. Gingham has to be one of my very favorite prints. I think it's so timeless and adorable. I think my Erstwilder cherry pie brooch pairs so well with red gingham, and I tend to always reach for it when I'm wearing any of my dresses with red gingham.

Dress: Bernie Dexter
Brooch: DNJ Retro (Erstwilder)
Bangles: Splendette

~Bye bye for now!

Sugar Doll

Hello there! Tonight I met up with three friends from a former job, and it was great to catch up; I hadn't seen one of them since I quit the job seven months ago. I don't have much going on yet for this upcoming weekend, but I'm quite excited for its arrival. It's definitely cooled down now here, so much so that some mornings this week I wore a coat. But, by the time lunch break rolls around, it's been very comfortable out, warm; but not hot.
I'm almost done re-reading "Water For Elephants". If you haven't read it, I highly recommend it! Reading it again just made me remember how wonderful it is. The movie wasn't nearly as good as the book, which is unfortunately usually the case. The book is so well written and interesting, and I love the fact that so much of it is based on actual circus events, and mixed with circus folklore.
In the pictures below I'm wearing my Bernie Dexter Sugar Doll dress that I recently scored from a Bernie Facebook group. It's been a unicorn of mine for years! I had it in the light blue verison awhile back, but ended up selling it because it was big on me (it was a size larger than this one), and I wanted the yellow verison more. It's hard to find cute dresses with a yellow background, and I always love a good cherry print. This dress is very tight on my bust, but at least it does fit! I felt like I had to pair my Erstwilder cherry pie brooch with this dress. 
I couldn't ignore that perfect pairing.

Dress: Bernie Dexter Facebook Swap & Sell Group

Necklace: Modcloth

Brooch: DNJ Retro (Erstwilder)

Bracelets: Splendette

Earrings: Etsy (IncredInedible)
Heels: BAIT Footwear

~Bye bye for now!

 

Rainbow Prism

Hello there! Yay for the weekend coming around again. Today Bob and I are looking at a couple of houses, and later on we're going out for drinks to a place I've only been to once, and that was a long time ago. Tomorrow we'll just be staying at home.
We only have a couple episodes left of season 6 of "Shameless", and that makes me sad!! Seasons 5 & 6 became available on Netflix about a week ago, and we blew through all of season 5, and now almost all of 6, and the show is still SOOOO good! It's definitely my favorite show. Season 7 premieres on Showtime in October, but we don't have Showtime, ugh, so we have to wait until Netflix gets it. I hope the show doesn't end for a long time! Some of my all time favorites like "Breaking Bad", "Boardwalk Empire", "Mad Men", and "Downton Abbey" all have gotten cancelled int he past year or two.
In the pictures below I'm wearing a rainbow Modcloth dress that I got close to a year ago, and featured on the blog before. This dress is comfy, and is a little shorter than most of my dresses and skirts, but I can deal with that, ha. I wore it to work this week, and got complimented by the art teacher, which I consider a high compliment! I keep wearing this Erstwilder cake brooch; it's so darn cute, and matches with a lot of my wardrobe.

Dress: Modcloth

Necklace: Etsy (Luxulite)
Brooch: DNJ Retro (Erstwilder)
Heels: BAIT Footwear

~Bye bye for now!

A Picnic Dress

Hello there! Well, after having a nice little reprieve of somewhat cooler weather, it's gotten hot again, and will be 90 degrees the next two days. I don't have too much going on this week, but Saturday Bob and I will be looking at a couple of houses, with a realtor. It'll be the first time we're doing this. We have driven by houses before to look at them, but never gone inside. So, this should be exciting.
The kids came back to the school I work at on Tuesday, but it hasn't been too loud or anything, or too different (yet) from working over the summer. It's just different hearing the bells ring, though! I haven't heard school bells ring in quite a few years.
In the pictures below I'm wearing my Trashy Diva Lena picnic dress that I got a year ago. It's the perfect summertime dress. There's stretchy side panels that make for a comfy fit. 
I wore this outfit to the bbq I went to on Sunday, and got a couple of compliments on it.  
The Erstwilder cake brooch and the Splendette bangles are all new. The bracelets came with a matching Luxulite brooch; it was a collaboration between the two brands, and not very many sets were made, so I'm glad I got to snag one! The brooch is from Erstwilder's most recent release, and I got another brooch from that release (an adorable tiki drink), as well as one from the previous release. I posted a picture of them in my last blog post. This cake brooch is my favorite of the three.

 

Dress: Trashy Diva
Brooch: DNJ Retro (Erstwilder)
Necklace: Etsy (Luxulite)
Bangles: Etsy (Splendette)

~Bye bye for now!

Country Life

Hello there! Bob and I are just hanging out at home today. Friday night we went over my parent's for dinner, and my grandparents came, too. We had burgers, which I don't have much, but I like to have a good burger once in awhile, and these were really good. We looked at pictures from my parent's vacation out west a couple of weeks ago. Last night I met up with a friend for a drink.
In the pictures below I'm wearing my newest Retrospec'd dress. The print is called Country Life, and the style is called Connie. I already had one Connie, in the Gay Parisi print. Shirt dresses are my favorite dress style. I've gotten a lot lately, especially in the Bernie Dexter Kelly style. This print is gorgeous, just like so many of Retrospec'd prints. It looks like a painting. Even though I love going to cities, the print on the dress is pretty representative of the area I grew up in and still live in; very rural, with lots of farms. Speaking of that, it's funny to me how it seems most people think of New Jersey a very busy and crowded area, like the area right outside of NYC. We've had this happen a lot when we go on vacation, and we love to educate people about NJ, ha. Yes, NJ does have that area, but the area my husband and I are from couldn't be more different from that. The town I'm from is very small, and there are more cows than people there. There's a farm on the road I grew up on, and there's two stoplights in the town. It takes 40 minutes to get to a mall from there, 35 minutes to get to the movies, etc. The town I live in now is a little bigger than that, with more to do, but there are still lots of farms right around me. So, anyway, in case you didn't know, now you do! 

Dress: Grease Rags Clothing (Retrospec'd)
Bracelets: Splendette
Brooch: DNJ Retro (Erstwilder)
Heels: Modcloth (BAIT Footwear)

~Bye bye for now!

Drinks On Me

Hello there! This week is a scorcher here, very hot & humid. It's perfect beach weather, that's for sure. I wish I lived closer to the beach. Bob and I are planning on going there for a day in August. It's just annoying dealing with the traffic and all the people on the beach, so we don't go much. Tonight's going to be low key; staying home in the AC, and watching more "Shameless". Tomorrow night Bob and I are going to my parent's house to celebrate my mom's birthday, and Friday night I'll be meeting up with a friend.
In the pictures below I'm wearing my Lindy Bop drinks dress. The print is so fun and adorable. This dress is of surprisingly thick material, and was my first Lindy Bop purchase, so I wasn't sure what to expect when I ordered it a few months ago. I have since gotten one more Lindy Bop dress, and that one is a lot more lightweight. 

Dress: Lindy Bop
Bracelets: Splendette, Etsy (Luxulite)
Brooch: DNJ Retro
Heels: BAIT Footwear

~Bye bye for now!

Anniversary Weekend

Hello there! I'm not going to be doing too much today; staying home and enjoying the day. This coming week I have a four day weekend (not working Thursday or Friday), so I'm very excited for that. I have an errand to run Thursday morning, and then Thursday evening I'm meeting up with a couple of friends. Friday is open thus far, and I'm happy to just relax at home that day.
Yesterday Bob and I headed to Bethlehem to go out to eat and have drinks for our 2nd anniversary. We also took a walk down Main Street there, and went to The Moravian Book Shop. I bought a really cute dish towel there and a book there. Dinner was great, as it always is at Brew Works. After dinner, we sat at the bar for a bit, and had a couple of drinks. The weather was perfect for walking; it was sunny and hot, but not too hot or humid. There were a lot of people eating dinner on the sidewalk at the restaurants that have outdoor seating. 
I wore my beloved Trashy Diva Lena picnic dress for the occassion. I got it last summer, and it's one of my favorite dresses to wear in the summertime. 
I really liked how my hair turned out yesterday. I posted close up pics below. I washed my hair yesterday and dryed it, and then put hot rollers in it, and kept them in for about forty minutes, and then brushed my hair a little bit, and put tons of hairspray in it. After just a little bit, my hair was already not holding completly, which surprises me, because my hair holds curl really well, but it still looked decent I thought.  

Dress: Trashy Diva
Necklace: Etsy (Luxulite)
Brooch: DNJ Retro (Erstwilder)
Heels: BAIT Footwear

~Bye bye for now!

PA Shopping Day

Hello there! Today my mom and I went out to Mifflinburg and Lewisburg, PA to do some shopping. We usually go out together two times a year, but this year we are going three times; we'll go back one more time in September. I got a few pieces from The Stamm House, my favorite store out there. I have a lot of pieces from them now. They do vintage reproduction decorations, mainly holiday decorations, but today I also got a gnome and a monkey there, which obviously aren't "holiday" decorations. They create all the pieces in their workshop in their house (their store is also in their house); they buy vintage molds, and create the item, and then handpaint them. My mom and I always have a fun time going out there. My mom also brought her dog, Heidi today. Heidi slept at my feet/on my feet the whole time.      
I'm going to be cleaning, doing laundry, running to Target, and not much else today. It's hot and humid out, yet again. But, I'm not complaining! I do wish the humidity would die down, but otherwise, I am loving the hot weather. Wish I lived closer to the beach though!
In the pictures below I'm wearing my Hell Bunny poppy print dress. I'm not as into the brand as I used to be, and have sold some of my dresses, but I really love this one. Poppies are gorgeous flowers.

Dress: Modernpinup.com (Hell Bunny)
Necklace: Modcloth
Bracelets: Etsy
Brooch: DNJ Retro (Erstwilder)
Heels: BAIT Footwear

~Bye bye for now!

Love Ur Look

Hello there! I don't have much going on today, a typical Sunday for my husband and me. He'll be doing some cooking and baking, and I'll be working out, reading, getting outfit pitures, and doing a whole lot of relaxing, ha. The season final of "The Family" is on tonight, and I'm excited to finally find out how it all comes together! It better not end on a cliffhanger, ughhh.
I received the lovely dress I'm wearing in the pictures below as a gift from Love ur Look (http://www.loveurlook.co.uk/). I had never gotten anything from this shop before. 
The print on the dress is totally adorable, it has ice cream, soda, drive-in signs, donuts, etc. on it. As I've said many times before, I'm a sucker for shirt dresses, so that is another reason I love this dress. I also love the pink background color. Believe it or not, I have barely any dresses with a pink background color, and pink is one of my very favorite colors! I also like the yellow piping on the bottom of the dress, it's a cute touch.
As far as sizing goes, definitely check out the size chart, and make sure the size you order will fit your bust. I had been thinking of getting a size smaller, but Ronke (the very sweet owner) sent me a size up, according to my measurements, to make sure the bust would fit me. The waist is quite big on me, but the bust just fits. Wearing a belt hides the fact that the waist is big on me. This dress comes with its own cute matching fabric belt, but I wanted to style it with this white belt. Especially when there's a buttons over the bust, you want to make sure you get the right size for your bust!
Besides the fact that Love ur Look makes adorable, fun, retro-style dresses, I also love that they are an ethical company. You can check out information about this on their website, under the "about love ur look" section. They create their clothing in India and the UK, and with working standards such as no discrimination, and humane working hours. Love ur Look also donates profits to an animal hospital in India, which makes me happy to hear, as I LOVE animals!  The brand is based in the UK, but ships internationally. 
 I suggest you check out this company, if you haven't yet. Here's a link to the dress I'm wearing below: http://www.loveurlook.co.uk/pink-candy-print-dress/, and this print also comes in another dress stye: http://www.loveurlook.co.uk/pink-candy-collar-dress/. There's plenty of cute style to choose from!

Dress: c/o Love ur Look
Brooch: DNJ Retro (Erstwilder)
Heels: BAIT Footwear


~Bye bye for now!

Springtime in Paris

Hello there! I'm not doing much tonight, just going to be reading and watching TV. I don't have much going on this weekend yet either, just going to my parent's on Mother's Day. We're having pulled pork that my mom's making, and my grandparents are coming over. Hopefully it's a nice enough day to sit outside!
I had an excellent mail day today. I received the Pin Up Girl Clothing Paris Jenny that I'm wearing in the pictures below, two Erstwilder brooches, and two pairs of BAIT shoes. I used to have the Pin Up Girl Clothing Jenny Paris skirt a couple of years ago, but ended up selling it, because I don't love the Jenny skirts on me. I much prefer the Jenny dresses. This print is amazingly gorgeous!! I would LOVE to check out Paris one day. It just seems like it needs to be seen to be believed. It definitely near the top of my overseas list. (Ireland and Italy are at the very top.)

Dress: Pin Up Girl Clothing
Cardi: Viva Las Vegas booth
Necklace: Francesca's Collections
Brooches: DNJ Retro (Erstwilder)
Shoes: BAIT Footwear

~Bye bye for now!