Gingham

I can't believe how long it's been since I've worn something from my vintage closet!  I have quite a vast vintage section but I tend to keep them hidden away.  Probably in fear that I'll rip or ruin it.  And let me be brutally honest: I'd gained about 5 pounds so I've been scared to put my valued pretties on.  I took these pictures about a month ago and I've since worked those excess pounds off, but it was quite a journey to get back to my normal self.  Disclaimer: I talk about dieting/weight loss/depression in this post.













Dress- Vintage (from Billy Kitten Vintage)
Shoes- Remix Vintage Shoes
Fascinator- Vintage
Lipstick- Vinyl Cosmetics Thunder Kiss Liquid Lipstick in Miss World

Back in September I lost one of my dogs.  I was destroyed.  I didn't even really know how to get a grip on my everyday life.  So I just stopped caring... about everything.  I didn't want to be around my dogs, my family, my friends.  So I did what I usually do when I'm lonely: I ate my feelings.  Once my heart started to heal I realized the havoc I created on my body.  I was embarrassed it even came to that point.  Now don't get me wrong, I know everyone's health journey is different.  But as someone who has always been conscious of what I put into my body, I had done a lot of damage to myself.  Thankfully, I learned how to deal with my pain in a healthy way and I started feeling motivated again.  I've been using the Lose It! app on my phone and it's been such a great source of motivation for me.  It keeps me accountable and inspires me to make better choices when I eat, no matter how I'm feeling. 

I sat on these pictures for so long because I was ashamed with how I treated myself.  But you know what?  I feel like I just need to own this part of my life.  I was in a dark place and I didn't know how to deal with it or make it any better.  Thanks to some long talks with some of my closest friends, I was able to break through and get my life back on track.  I'm so thankful for those who cared enough to check in and open up my heart, I feel like I'd still be searching for peace without them.  So here's to looking forward and looking up, no matter what happens in my life.

xoxo

Ashley

Haunted Mansion

Who says you can't be in the Halloween spirit all year long?!  As an avid Disney and Halloween fan, this Haunted Mansion inspired dress from Vintage Inspired by Jackie is the perfect addition to my closet.  Perfect for a day at the park (Disneybound, anyone?) but easily workable into your everyday wardrobe, this dress was made to turn a few heads!











Dress- c/o Vintage Inspired by Jackie
Shoes- Amazon
Petticoat- Malco Modes
Hair piece- c/o Niccoco Creations

This spooky frock is made from 100% cotton and features a Peter Pan collar, short sleeves, a fitted bodice, contrast midriff panel, full gathered skirt with a hidden side pocket, and a back zippered closure.  As always, Jackie made this dress specific to my measurements and it was the perfect fit.  The fabric is super light and breathable but maintains that nice, stiff feel.  While I am wearing a petticoat for these pictures, you can easily go without one.  I can't wait to take this one to the park (specifically to The Haunted Mansion) for the first time!

Bianca and I are headed to Disneyland today for a girls day.  We are trying to get in as many Disney days as possible before the spring breakers crowd up the place!  January is usually quite slow so we're hoping to get on as many rides as possible.  And of course, eat lots of treats and enjoy a mint julep in New Orleans square.  Fell free to follow our day of adventure on my Instagram!

xoxo

Ashley

Persephone

We all know Valentine's Day is creeping around the corner and if you're like me, you're pondering what you're going to wear.  Luckily, Wax Poetic Clothing has me covered because their new Persephone dress is perfect for the occasion!  This super comfy but thicker fabric is great for those winter temps but can easily be worn throughout the year.  Did I also mention there's an elastic waist feature?  So you can have that big Valentine's Day meal without wanting to unzip your dress for
comfort.  We've all been there before and thanks to this dress, you won't have to be there again!













Dress- c/o Wax Poetic Clothing
Shoes- c/o Bettie Page Shoes
Lipstick- c/o Anastasia Beverly Hills Matte Lipstick in Ruby

The Persephone dress is made from a stretch poly blend and features a crossover bust, cap sleeves that are delicately gathered at the shoulder, fitted waist, a-line skirt, and a side zippered closure.  I took a size small and it fits like a dream!  Because of the elastic waist, it feels fitted yet comfortable to wear.  The red rose print is so vibrant and eye-catching, I even had a few people stop me to compliment it while I was taking these pictures!  Priced at $88, Wax Poetic Clothing does a fantastic job providing a beautiful dress for a great price.  I'm hoping more prints in this style will be available later this year!

Tomorrow Bianca and I are headed out to Disneyland.  As it's the first trip of 2018, we're going all out and dressing up like our favorite mouse team!  You can catch a glimpse of our fun (and our outfits) on my Instagram!

xoxo

Ashley

Wilder West

Erstwilder just released (like, literally at this exact moment) their newest collection: Wilder West.  Full of fun retro-inspired western designs from Donna Mizzi, these twelve brooches, one set of earrings, and two necklaces are the perfect final touches to your outfit.  I'm showing you my favorite three designs from this collection in today's post, check them out below!

A Shot Through the Heart

Brooch- c/o Erstwilder
Dress- c/o Smak Parlour

A Shot Through the Heart is my favorite piece of this collection.  Although it's really hard to photograph, the inside of the heart is filled with glitter.  I love it so much!  I also love the size of the brooch, it really pops when you're wearing a contrasting color.  I see myself wearing this one a lot!

Billy The Kid

Brooch- c/o Erstwilder
Blouse- Vintage (similar)
Cardigan- Forever 21

How cute is Billy the Kid?!  With that glittery bandana, he's certainly a dapper little fellow!  The Disney kid inside me wants to wear this to Disneyland, specifically on Big Thunder Mountain Railroad.  Something tells me he'd get along well with the goat on that ride...

Montana Belle

Brooch- c/o Erstwilder
Dress- c/o Hearts and Found
Cardigan- MAK Cardigan

Montana Belle is the perfect little portrait brooch.  She has a marbled hat and a a bit of glitter on her outfit too.  She actually looks like my mom so that's probably why I picked her!

Erstwilder is having an amazing 24 hour ‘Double Points’ on every item of the website finishing 11:59pm AEDT 17.1.18, to celebrate the new Loyalty Program just launched. Points can only be collected if you have an account, so make sure to create one and collect our welcome bonus points too!  Also, for every piece purchased from our new Wilder West collection online, you will receive one entry to win our one of a kind resin buffalo wall hanging, only 1 ever made, and an additional 2 entries for every ‘Sacred Ground’ brooch purchased (while stock lasts)! Entries end on 18.1.18 at 11:59pm AEDT with a winner announced on Monday 22nd.

Which are your favorites in the new collection?  Let me know in the comments below!

xoxo

Ashley

Loretta

Are you tired of hearing me gush about one of my favorite small businesses, Hearts and Found?  I sure hope not because I am obsessed with their new Loretta dress.  This peasant style dress can be comfortably worn with the sleeves up or down and they don't dig into your arms.  As someone who's had their fair share of "beauty is pain" moments with peasant tops, I'm over the moon that I can wear this all day without wanting to rip it off and throw it into the deep uncharted depths of my closet.











Dress- c/o Hearts and Found
Shoes- Chelsea Crew
Petticoat- Malco Modes
Lipstick- Sephora Collection Cream Lip Stain in Always Red

The Loretta dress is fully lined and features a shelf bust with peasant-style sleeves, a fitted bodice, full gathered skirt with hidden side pockets, and a back zippered closure.  Since this was a custom order, I gave Marjorie my measurements and my choice of fabric: Crimson and Clover.  This dress arrived absolutely perfect.  I think this is probably my favorite dress from Hearts and Found!  I think that's saying a lot, considering how frequent of a customer I am.  This dress retails at $88 which is a steal, considering you're getting a high-quality custom dress.  I have a feeling the Loretta will be a staple in my closet this year!

I can't be the only one that's relieved the holidays are over, right?  We just celebrated Bianca's 4th birthday, which was amazing, but I'm happy our lives are now back to our normal schedule.  I like to spend most nights on the couch in my pajamas and all these holidays were killing the vibe (I'm joking.... kinda).  February is a big month for celebrations in my family so I'm going to enjoy these three weeks of normalcy until it starts up again.  I'll be keeping it pajama-chic until then!

xoxo

Ashley

Madison

Anyone else feel like this was the longest week ever?  Even though it was technically a four day week, it's had this dragging feeling from the get go.  I've been trying to stay motivated and keep up with my post-holiday schedule but it's nearly impossible!  I decided to take this new Retrolicious skirt out for the first time, which happens to be a Christmas present from my husband.  It's super versatile and perfect for the cooler weather we're finally having.  Coming from someone who lives in perpetual summer, this is actually quite exciting!













Top- c/o Heart of Haute
Skirt- Retrolicious
Shoes- Chelsea Crew
Brooch- c/o Erstwilder
Petticoat- Malco Modes
Belt- From another dress
Lipstick- c/o Anastasia Beverly Hills Liquid Lipstick in Veronica

The Madison is a 100% cotton woven skirt and features delicate pleats, a thick waistband, hidden side pockets, and a back zippered closure.  I'm usually a size small in Retrolicious but this skirt runs a little large.  While I'm wearing a small, I have to belt it in order to fit my waist properly.  I love the vibrant colors in this orange plaid and I think it's perfect for my winter wardrobe!  The Madison also comes in a red plaid and some novelty prints, in case orange isn't your color.  I have lots of different ideas on how to style this skirt, I'm hoping to do a post on it in the near future!

After a month of vet visits (I'm not even joking, 3 of my 4 dogs saw the vet last month) all my dogs are finally on the mend.  There wasn't a tragedy of any kind, it just so happens that when one dog gets sick or injured, it seems like they all follow suit.  While I'm happy to report that everyone is okay, I will have to update my closet Instagram to combat those vet bills.  If you don't follow already, you can get your hands on my very gently used clothing, shoes, and accessories HERE.  Happy shopping!

xoxo

Ashley

Frida

Hello 2018!  I took an unexpected short break from blogging to spend time with my family and really figure out where I wanted to go with my blog.  I played with the idea of retiring, but this hobby has really become a big part of my life (it has been almost seven years, after all).  My time away really helped me gain perspective and I feel more inspired than ever!  I wanted to start 2018 off strong so I had to feature my newest Trashy Diva dress: the Frida.  Perfect for warmer weather but easy to layer for winter, the Frida is a great new style for hopefully a great new year!











Dress- Trashy Diva
Shoes- c/o Restricted Shoes
Belt- From another dress
Lipstick- Sephora Collection Cream Lip Stain in Always Red

The Frida is made from a light cotton voile that's fully lined and features a Peter Pan collar with a removable red necktie, buttons down the bust, full gathered skirt with hidden side pockets, intricate rose embroidery along the border, and a side zip with a hook and eye closure.  I've had quite a weird relationship with the Frida.  Upon release I was instantly in love.  Once I received it, I was kind of on the fence.  A couple of weeks later I tried it on and I was once again head over heels.  There are a few things that kept my love at bay: I feel like the skirt is a little short and I don't like how quickly cotton voile wrinkles.  But I love the style of this dress so much that it's staying with me!  If you remember the Birds of a Feather release from last year, this dress reminds me of the Veronica without the halter feature, which killed me because I hate halter tops but I loved that dress.  The Frida is the perfect style for my personal taste and I hope to see more of them next year (fingers crossed for cotton stretch)!

I feel really hopeful and excited for the new year ahead.  I'm looking forward to working again, continuing to showcase my outfits here and on my Instagram, and doing whatever I can to help animals in need, especially here in Los Angeles.  Here's to nothing but love and good opportunities in 2018!

xoxo

Ashley