Tuesday, July 29, 2014

Take Me Back

h&m cat dress

Today I'm going out to lunch with a friend in my old neighborhood.  I'm happy that our family owns a home these days but I'll always miss living in such an eclectic city.  What once was miles of new, interesting, independently owned establishments has now been replaced with an endless abundance of chain restaurants and mega stores.  Moving to the suburbs has its perks but the shopping or dining experiences isn't one of them.  I guess it just forces me to get all nostalgic and make my way back every once in awhile!

Sunday, July 27, 2014

Luscious Rose

Bernie Dexter Scallop Dress in Luscious Rose print 002

Have you ever felt like you've packed too many fun things in a weekend?  Well, it's only Sunday morning and I already feel like I'm spent.  Friday night my sister in law and I attended the Pinup Girl Clothing Prom.  It was so much fun!  My brother never took his now wife to prom so I thought it would be fun for the two of us to go together.  We got all dolled up, took prom pictures, saw a Masuimi Max burlesque show, enjoyed an Ivy Levan performance, and had some late night Argentine empenadas.  My feet are still numb from shoving my hooves into 6 inch platform heels but it was completely worth it.

Yesterday we took Bianca to her baby BFF's first birthday party.  It was great to be around friends and family for the day.  It also has me thinking about Bianca's party (in January).  I didn't realize how much work even a smaller party will be for her until I saw our friends hosting their daughter's special day.  I have no idea what the plan is, but I know I need a lot of time to get everything together.  I'm thinking maybe a Hello Kitty theme?

Friday, July 25, 2014

Flock Together: Hearts on Fire

It's been much too long since I've posted on the Flock Together site.  This time I'm styling Jana's lovely heart printed dress.  Click HERE to check out the full post!

flock together heart dress


xoxo

Ashley

Tuesday, July 22, 2014

What's On My Radar: Current Loves

I'm happy to say that I've avoided shopping all month.  I'm surprised that I have such strong willpower!  Of course, I always have a wishlist a million miles long.  Who doesn't?  Here are my favorites this month:

Modcloth Yacht It All Dress
This dress immediately caught my eye, probably because it looks like two pieces.  I love the combination of vertical and horizontal stripes.  It is definitely a showstopper!


gojane jelly ballet flats
I'm one of those people who is happy that jellies came back around.  Add an insane amount of glitter and a cute bow and they go right to the top of my wishlist.  They also come in three other colors.


Modcloth Belle at the Reception Dress
No joke, this is pretty much the most beautiful dress I've ever seen.  It looks like the perfect 50's homecoming dress.  The crossed off the shoulder neckline is so pretty and I adore the full skirt.  I absolutely need this!


gojane striped ball clutch
Such a cute clutch!  I've always been attracted to stripes and this is no exception.  This is the perfect bag for a wedding or a night out with my husband.


Modcloth Dreamy Day Away Dress in Flourishes
I can't get enough of this cut.  It kind of reminds me of a Bernie Dexter, with the sweetheart neckline and the thick straps.  It gives a little sex appeal without feeling on display.  I'm all for any dress that lets me wear a regular bra, it's really important!


Gojane garden soiree pleated skirt
I really like these pieces together but I think they'd add so much more to my closet separately.  The skirt is gorgeous!  The top may be a little too exposed for me, but it's a great set regardless.


What's on your list this month?

xoxo

Ashley

Sunday, July 20, 2014

Island Dreaming

eShakti floral dress

Recently I was contacted by eShakti to do a review on one of their products.  As a self proclaimed dress hoarder, I was ecstatic to choose a new dress for summer.  It took me about two days to actually choose the one I want.  Seriously, there are way too many cute options!  I ultimately decided on this floral number.  Not very surprising, right?

Thursday, July 17, 2014

An Absolute Sweetheart

Bernie Dexter The Absolute Sweetheart Swing Dress Doily Print

I've been dying to announce this on the blog (I semi-announced it on Instagram) and today is the big day to do it: I've been chosen by Bernie Dexter to model some dresses for her website!  She so graciously sent me four gorgeous dresses and I've been around town taking pictures for her.  As I'm sure you already know, Bernie is such an inspiration for me.  She's beautiful on the inside and out and she designs my dream dresses.  I've had so much fun playing dress up and I get completely giddy when I see my images on her site.  I've already photographed two of her dresses which you can see on her website now.  I'll also be using them for outfit posts too.  This is the first of many Bernie themed posts :)

Tuesday, July 15, 2014

City and Sea

Mint tulle skirt

I happened to look back on some really old posts of mine and I noticed something: I never photograph my bags anymore!  I think the main reason is that I usually carry around a Hello Kitty diaper bag these days.  But on the rare occasion that I'm Bianca free, I love to dust off a cute bag and carry lipstick instead of diaper rash cream.  While I love this particular one, lipstick is about the only thing you can put into it.  It's cute though and we all know that cute trumps functionality!

Sunday, July 13, 2014

The Big Dress Debate: Bernie Dexter vs. Jenny

I've been dying to talk about this on my blog!  As someone who is doing their best to make less but higher quality purchases, I was worried about where to start.  When you save up to purchase a high quality piece, you want it to be perfect.  I've discussed this with a few other bloggers but there has been lots of debate between Bernie Dexter dresses and the one and only Jenny dress from Pinup Girl Clothing.  Which is best?  That's hard to say off the bat, but here are some points to consider if you're thinking about either of these dresses.

Bernie Dexter Pinup Girl Clothing Jenny

Quality
Both Bernie and Jenny get points in this department.  They're both made in the USA and they usually come in cotton.  The Jenny dress also comes in sateen which is an added bonus.  The fabrics are sturdy and breathable.

Construction
I'm going to give this one to the Jenny dress, only by a hair though.  The bodice is always boned and the straps are adjustable.  You can literally fit this dress to your liking.  To my knowledge (I could be wrong) none of Bernie's dress straps are adjustable.  Some of them do come with boning but not all.  If you need boning in your Bernie dress, make sure to check the description before you buy.

Sizing
Again, Jenny by a hair!  Both offer sizes from XS-2XL.  Jenny wins because their sizing goes up to 4XL.

Fit
I would actually consider this personal preference, but Bernie wins it for me here.  Her dresses fit my frame to perfection.  I have a larger bust with a much smaller waist and Bernie's dresses definitely cater to that frame.  I consider myself between sizes in the Jenny dress.  I end up going with the larger size for my chest, but I feel like there is a bit of extra fabric in the waist.  It's minor and nothing a tailor or a belt won't fix, but if we're splitting hairs I have to mention it.

Extra Features
Bernie wins this round!  Her dresses almost always come with pockets (major plus!) and a matching belt.  I love it when a dress comes belted, you can never have enough belts in your closet!  The Jenny dress doesn't have either of these features.  I will say that the skirt of the Jenny dress is considerably fuller than any Bernie dress I own.  If you really love to twirl in your dress, Jenny should be your pick.

So what's my preference?  I'd choose Bernie Dexter for my next purchase.  I have two Jenny dresses and I don't regret those purchases for a second.  But, I feel like I get more for my money with a Bernie dress.  I highly doubt that I'll stop at two Jenny dresses though ;).

What's your opinion?  Which do you prefer?  Maybe there's another designer you love that I haven't mentioned.  Let me know in the comments below!

xoxo

Ashley

P.S. See all of Bernie's dresses HERE and the many variations of the Jenny dress HERE.

Thursday, July 10, 2014

Hey, Sugardoll

Bernie Dexter Sugardoll dress in poppy field print

Are you sick of seeing my Bernie Dexter collection yet?  This beauty is the newest edition to my closet.  Even though the bodice is black I feel like this dress is perfect for summer.  I'm quite partial to her landscape prints and this one is no exception.  I don't wear many dark colors so it's a nice compromise.  There are times when I actually enjoy getting out of my comfort zone.  I've already promised Kevin that I'm going to wear a body hugging dress for his Christmas party.  I know that's half a year away but it gives him something to look forward to!  It also gives me time to get rid of those lingering eight baby pounds (also known as the hardest eight pounds I've ever tried to lose).

Tuesday, July 8, 2014

Six Months

Half a year has already passed with this little bean?  It's been a wonderful six months and she just keeps getting cuter and cuter.  So what's new?  The biggest thing would be that she's now a crawler!  Well, she's done it a few times, and by that I mean she's gone far enough to play with the fireplace poker (I almost died).  Baby proofing is something we now have to consider.  I feel like everything is a potential hazard but I'm focusing mostly on the lower cabinets and the brick fireplace aka the skull cracker.

Bianca 014

She's been on solid foods since the fourth month but she doesn't really react well to it yet.  Mostly because she really loves breastfeeding but also because everything but cereal backs her up.  Sweet potato is her sworn enemy and avocado has now made its way on that list.  She has a doctor's appointment tomorrow so once we talk to him we will have a more clear idea on how to happily introduce more food.  I'm not that concerned because she really has been fattening up without a bunch of solids.  I also plan to breastfeed as long as I'm still producing and at this age most of her nutrients come from me anyway.  We will see what the future plan is though!

Bianca is definitely more vocal these days.  She loves to "sing".  I call it singing but I think she just loves the sounds that come out of her mouth.  It's almost always high pitched and she does it pretty much all day.  I can't even say I'm annoyed, I love her cute little voice!

Bianca 041

Tooth number five and six are currently coming in.  This girl never stops teething.  I guess it's a blessing that they're all coming in at once, but until they stop I'll be dealing with a cranky little girl.  She's a drooling machine and wants to bite down on everything, including me!  Our nights are still a little rough because of it, but she actually sleeps for longer intervals when she sleeps with my husband.  While we always go to sleep in the same room, I end up in one room while Kevin and Bianca are in another.  I look forward to the day when she sleeps soundly in her own crib...

Bianca 010

I really enjoy writing these updates every month and taking these pictures because she grows so fast before my eyes.  Pretty soon she'll be walking and talking (although I don't want to think about it) and I won't even remember what it was like to have such a small and cuddly little girl.

I just want to mention that she was not happy about taking her pictures this month so I didn't have many to choose from.  The proof is right here:

Bianca 061

xoxo

Ashley

Sunday, July 6, 2014

Pretty Plum

Purple Harlequin Jenny Dress

I feel like it's been forever since I've posted an outfit.  I have so many cute new pieces but I'm entirely too lazy to get out in this crazy heat...  Unless you get out there at 8am.  That's dedication, right?  I got this dress at the Pinup Girl Yard Sale and I'm completely smitten.  I've wanted a Jenny dress for a really long time but knew I should wait for the sample sale.  I'm glad I waited (I love a great deal) but I feel like this beauty should have been in my possession for a long time.  It's wonderful!

Wednesday, July 2, 2014

Independence Day Flash Sale!

From now until Sunday, July 6th most items are ten dollars or less and shipping has been reduced to five dollars in my shop!  Time to clean out my closet so here's to hoping you get some cute stuff for a wonderful deal!

storenvy

xoxo

Ashley

Tuesday, July 1, 2014

Pinup Girl Yard Sale 2014

I finally had the chance to attend the Pinup Girl Clothing Yard Sale this year!  After hearing about the amazing deals they put on I decided it was time.

First off, I had to get there early.  It opened at 9am but I got in line a little after 7am.  I kind of knew there was going to be a line already, but I had no idea it was going to be around the block!  There was probably 100-150 people in front of me.  I wasn't too worried though, I heard they would replenish constantly throughout the day so everyone had a fair chance to shop.

Once the doors opened they only allowed a few people in at a time.  It was a pretty smart move, I wasn't about to get into brawls over a dress!  It took about half an hour to actually get in, but once I did it was like a kid in a candy store.  They had so much stuff.

At times it got a little crazy, but I didn't see any fights.  Most people were looking for the castle print skirts and dresses but I didn't see any rudeness.  Just lots of stalking!  The dressing rooms were communal and the lines were ridiculously long so I opted out of trying anything on.  I had my measuring tape handy and I just relied on taking the measurements directly from the garment.  The only thing that was unbearable was the heat!  Because we were in a warehouse with so many people, it got really toasty.  I had a case of makeup meltdown but it was definitely worth it.

I knew I wanted to get either a Jenny dress or skirt, but I had no idea that they would have nearly every print they carry on the website.  It was so hard to decide!  Luckily, I made some friends in line (and met up with one of my favorite Facebook swappers) and we were doing our best to help each other pick the perfect pieces.  Honestly, I think we did more damage to each other than good.  We basically just convinced each other to get everything!

So what did I get?

Pinup Girl Clothing Yard Sale

- Jenny dress in purple and green harlequin
- Jenny dress in red vintage Spanish fan
- Jenny skirt in red and chocolate brown harlequin

Sorry about the photos, I haven't had the chance to steam my goods yet.  The quality of their pieces is absolutely spectacular.  The fabric is so full and heavy that the skirt needs a nice sturdy hanger just to keep it on!  The skirt is maybe a hair too large, but I'm glad I decided to size up.  If it needs altering it's a quick fix.  The dresses have boning in the bodice and the straps are adjustable which is a definite plus.  I can't wait to style them for future outfit posts!

Overall, I spent 160 (way over my original budget!) but I saved 222 dollars.  I would certainly consider these investment pieces.  I've made the decision to purchase less but buy higher quality these days, so I've convinced myself that I made the right decision :).  I will absolutely go to this event every year.  It may be a bit of mayhem but it's worth it!

Did you get the chance to go to the yard sale?  How do you feel about Pinup Girl Clothing?  Let me know in the comments below!

xoxo

Ashley

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