What's On My Radar: Current Loves

I just can't get my mind off of spring!  Doesn't it feel like it's right around the corner?  Spring brings in lots of my favorite things: less layers, fun colors, and gorgeous floral prints.  I'm really excited to see all the new collections from my regular shopping sites (some of them have already debuted) and I've composed a list of few of my favorites so far.  Read about all my picks below!

Hearts and Found

1. Dolly Dress "Up, Up and Away" in Hot Air Balloon Print
2. Lana Dress in “Lovely Lavender” in a Lavender Purple Checkered Gingham Print
3. Madeline Sundress "Rosewall" in Large Blue Rose Print
4. Grace Dress "Livewire" in Dark Red Chainlink Fence Print

Without a doubt, Hearts and Found is one of my favorite online shops.  Not only does Marjorie have a huge selection of prints and styles, she supports a small tailoring shop in Vietnam to make her products.  Everything is custom made and she's such a joy to deal with!  These are my four current favorites and I may or may not have placed an order for a few of them yesterday.

Target

1. Garderobe Belle
2. Beast
3. Belle
4. Lumiere
5. Celebration Belle

Anyone else as obsessed with Beauty and the Beast and Funko Pop as I am?!  I love the new versions of Belle (I want to collect them all) and Target has an exclusive Garderobe Belle that I've obviously already purchased.  As someone who's loved this movie since I was a small child, I'm more than excited about all the new merchandise you can now buy everywhere!

Trashy Diva

1. Psychadelic Ferns Helena Dress
2. Remix Dara Sandal in Black
3. Dogwood Lena Sarong Dress
4. Dogwood Rockabilly Baby Posey Dress
5. Remix Anita Heel in White
6. Venice Nights 1940's Dress
7. Remix Veronica 2 Heel in Red

Trashy Diva will always have my heart and pairing these gorgeous pieces with Remix Vintage Shoes is just perfection!  Here are some of my dream outfits, complete with matching shoes.  I need to get Bianca the Dogwood dress stat!  I feel like it would be perfect for Easter Sunday.

Stephanie Buscema

1. Piccolo The Pygmy Pachyderm
2. Anita Web
3. Deer Sweetheart
4. A Walk Through Wonderland
5. Madame Inferno, The Fire-Eater
6. Black Kitty Queen
7. The Mad Tea Party

As I'm sure you already know, Stephanie Buscema is one of my favorite artists.  I love her style so much and she's also sweet as pie.  While she's currently working on a different venture, Kitschy Witch Designs, you can find her most-loved prints and fun trinkets here at Stephanie Buscema Mart.  I decided to feature my favorite prints above.  I'll be adding an Alice print to Bianca's bedroom art collection very soon!

Sephora

1. Sephora Collection Cream Lip Stain
2. Sephora Collection Double Time Double Ended Brush Set
3. Deborah Lippmann Sweets For My Sweet Pastel Nail Polish Set
4. Show Beauty Divine Thickening Lotion
5. Bésame Cosmetics Boudoir Short Hair Contour Brush
6. Sephora Collection Bounce: Large Round Thermal Ceramic Brush
7. Bésame Cosmetics Cake Mascara

I spend waaaaay too much time adding goodies into my Sephora cart.  I've now learned the importance of proper makeup brushes and I'm obsessed with this Sephora Collection set.  And if you haven't tried cake mascara yet, you have to!  I'll be reviewing it in a beauty post very soon...


What's on your must-have list this month?  Let me know in the comments below!

xoxo

Ashley

Lemon Hepburn

Spring is quickly approaching and I'm ready to dress the part!  The Pretty Dress Company added another adorable print to their fan-favorite Hepburn swing dress.  It's a rich, gorgeous navy with the most perfect lemon print.  Since Unique Vintage is the exclusive US retailer for these gorgeous dresses, so you can now find a large selection of The Pretty Dress Company online or in their Burbank, California store.  If you can't make it into the physical store to try one on, read my review (complete with sizing advice) below!













Dress- c/o The Pretty Dress Company via Unique Vintage
Shoes- c/o Bettie Page Shoes
Petticoat- Malco Modes
Lipstick- Sephora Collection Cream Lip Stain in Always Red

The Hepburn dress is made from quality cotton with a hint of stretch.  It's fully lined, has a full box-pleated skirt, elbow length sleeves, V-neckline in the back, and a full back zippered closure.  I own a few Hepburn dresses (you can read my reviews HERE and HERE) and the sizing is always consistent.  I wear a UK8 (US4) and the fit is flattering yet comfortable.  I find myself drawn to these dresses because the quality is top-notch and they can easily be dressed up or down.  I can't wait to wear a Hepburn dress on Easter Sunday, but the question is: this one or the mint Seville print?

The storms are back in California so I'm keeping dry in the comfort of my home.  On my couch.  In my sweatpants.  Cuddling my four dogs (and a fifth that I'm dog sitting).  Monday tends to have a real effect on me, especially when it rains.  So I'll consider myself lucky that I don't have to leave the house on a dreary day like today.  I'm just conserving my energy for my family Disneyland trip at the end of the week!

xoxo

Ashley

Colvin

This "wiggle" silhouette isn't my usual look but a welcomed change.  When Unique Vintage released their beauty print Colvin top, I knew I wanted to pair it with a curve-hugging skirt.  I love the idea of wearing a modest top with a contrasting bottom.  This Vixen by Micheline Pitt skirt was the perfect finishing touch to my outfit.  To show how much I love the quality of these items, I decided to forgo any kind of shapewear for this post (even my favorite push-up bra lol).  You can read all about these items and how to take them from work to play below!













Top- c/o Unique Vintage
Skirt- c/o Unique Vintage
Shoes- Chelsea Crew
Lipstick- Sephora Collection Cream Lip Stain in Always Red

The Colvin top is a light, work appropriate button-down top with the cutest all-over beauty print.  It also features ties on the sleeve to create the perfect fit for your biceps (or lack thereof, if you're me).  This top is just as cute when you pop off a few buttons after work, but I love the structured look of it here as well.  The Vixen pencil skirt is a fully lined cotton skirt that somehow works magic on my mom bod.  It hugs all my curves without accentuating my insecurities.  As I mentioned above, I felt so confident that I didn't even need to break out my spanx!  I'm usually between an XS and S, and I comfortably took a small in both the top and the skirt.  I get excited just thinking about all the outfit possibilities with these pieces, together or on their own!

These next two weeks are packed to the brim with fun activities for both me and the family.  I get to meet with one of my favorite blogger friends for brunch, celebrate Kevin's birthday, go to Disneyland with the family, have a kid's day with my three closest high school friends, and book a mommy and me photo shoot.  That's not even the full itinerary!  February is always a busy month for this family and I can't wait to enjoy everything that's coming at us right now.  I can always sleep sometime in March!

xoxo

Ashley

Cool Key

Now that my weekends are work-free, family time has finally taken over.  Bianca, much like her parents, loves all kinds of animals.  We love to visit the local lake to take in the sights and feed the ducks and turtles.  As always, I took this opportunity to coordinate our outfits with Trashy Diva's Leopard collection and Restricted Shoes.  Restricted has a great assortment of retro-inspired heels and they now offer a kid's collection to match all your fashionable footwear.  Read all about my Cool Key heels, Bianca's Mickey boots, and find a nice coupon code below!











Top- Vixen by Micheline Pitt
Skirt- Trashy Diva
Shoes- c/o Restricted Shoes

Bianca's dress- Trashy Diva
Bianca's shoes- c/o Restricted Shoes (available through DSW or T.J. MAXX)

The older I get, the less I can tolerate uncomfortable shoes.  I tend to be very picky about my heels!  I'm always impressed with Restricted's options because they are just as comfortable as they are stylish.  These Cool Key heels feature a rounded toe, a cutout detail around the ankle, and a lace tie closure.  I love how you can tie the heel to your personal comfort, rather than having only a few options with a standard buckle closure.  Bianca picked out her Mickey boots and she can't get enough of them!  Even though they're knee high, the full zipper on the side allows you to slip them on and off with ease.  They're nice and padded on the inside and have a rubber traction sole to keep slipping to a minimum.  Restricted has lots of fun toddler and kid's styles which are available through DSW and T.J. Maxx.  Want to try Restricted Shoes for yourself?  Get 25% off your full price purchase with the coupon code SOCALBELLE25!

Tomorrow is Valentine's Day and I am nowhere near prepared for the occasion.  As I mentioned earlier, I wanted to do something fun with Bianca but I hadn't quite figured it out yet.  I think I'm going to take her to a local tea house for some afternoon tea/girl time.  They also have fantastic sandwiches and pastries, I've been craving them for weeks!  She's only three, but I think she would enjoy doing something different with me.  What are your plans for Valentine's Day?

xoxo

Ashley

Disney Day

The skies may be gloomy but it can't stop me from looking cute!  One of my favorite ladies/small businesses, Vintage Inspired by Jackie, released her newest skirt design and I can't get over how perfect it is.  Jackie collaborated with Evie of Show Pigeon Tattoo to create this Kewpie's Disney Day Out border print.  There are so many cute and nostalgic elements to this skirt, it reminds me of my days at Disneyland with my family and the new memories I'm now creating with Bianca.  I can't help but feel like this skirt was destined to live in my closet!











Top- Pinup Girl Clothing
Skirt- c/o Atomic Jax
Shoes- Pinup Girl Clothing (similar)
Petticoat- Malco Modes

This made-to-order garment is made from 100% lightweight cotton and features a full gathered skirt, side zip, and top button closure.  I'm wearing the black and red color way, but it's also available in teal/black, pink/black, and red/black.  Jackie does have distinct sizes, but if yours doesn't match her chart she's more than happy to accommodate your exact measurement.  These skirts do not have pockets, but you can add them in upon request.  I can't wait to wear this to Disneyland, I feel like it's going to be a big hit!

Is anyone ready for Valentine's Day?  I feel like I probably won't do anything because it's on Tuesday, but I want to do something fun for Bianca.  My mom used to take these "holidays" and make them more about her kids.  I definitely want to keep that tradition alive but I just don't know how...  As always, any ideas are appreciated!

xoxo

Ashley

Dogwood

Words cannot express how happy I am about the new Trashy Diva Dogwood print!  While dogwood blooms aren't something you'll find here in Southern California, I'd like to think this dress provides us with some sophisticated southern charm.  I chose to blog the L'Amour dress today, but I actually purchased two dress styles in this collection (the other being the Alexa).  I've had to talk myself out of wearing these dresses every single morning, I seriously can't get enough!











Dress- Trashy Diva
Shoes- Bettie Page Shoes
Bracelet- c/o Touchstone Crystal by Swarovski

The L'Amour is what I'd consider the perfect sundress.  It features an adjustable keyhole bust, lined bodice, adjustable button straps, and a full skirt.  The entire collection is made in a flat rayon, which is lightweight with minimal stretch.  Thankfully, the sides of the bodice have elastic ruching to ensure a tailor-made fit.  I'm usually a size 2 or 4, and I comfortably fit into a 2 in this dress.  If you're unsure about sizing, the size chart is accurate.  I find this style to be a bit long-waisted, but thanks to the adjustable straps, you can make the bodice shorter if need be.  I've been a faithful fan of the L'Amour dress but I'm pretty sure this is my new favorite!

There's going to be lots of rain this entire week so Bianca and I are keeping our adventures to a minimum.  As much as I'd like to do Disney in the rain (aka it will most likely be dead), the long drive tends to be even longer in bad weather.  Do you have any fun indoor activity ideas for a mom and toddler?  I feel like we're going to get a bit stir crazy by the end of the week!

xoxo

Ashley

Subtle Valentine

Who else is obsessed with the Estelle blouse from Heart of Haute?  I've been a fan for years, but I feel like I've fallen in love all over again.  The construction is top-notch, it's universally flattering, and it comes in tons of colors and prints.  I'm especially digging this Subtle Valentine print, it's the perfect way to feel festive and somewhat spooky.  I wore this top last week with some black cigarette pants, but it pairs with all my swing skirts like a dream!









Top- c/o Heart of Haute
Skirt- Pinup Girl Clothing
Shoes- c/o Bettie Page Shoes
Brooch- c/o Erstwilder
Belt- From another dress
Petticoat- Malco Modes
Lipstick- Sephora Collection in Always Red

Erstwilder just released their Ocean Vibes collection and I can't get enough!  I've always been a big fan of their animal brooches and this collection feels like it was made just for me.  I was most excited about this Octavious the Octo-Scribe brooch because of his dapper mustache.  I mean, who wouldn't want to wear him?!

This is my first weekend home with my family since I quit my part-time job.  Normally, Kevin and I would have to compare schedules and carve out time together as a family.  Now that I'm only working a freelance writing job from home, all my weekends are now free!  This is the first time in two and a half years that I can turn off and dedicate my weekends to Kevin and Bianca.  While leaving my job was bittersweet, it was something I needed to do for irreplaceable time with my loved ones.  I can't even explain how happy this makes me!

xoxo

Ashley