Citrus

In my 20's I used to pride myself on my print-mixing skills.  I used to take lots of fun risks and enjoyed creating an interesting outfit.  I'm assuming my life in scrubs really forced me to push myself when I was outside the hospital.  I don't really know when that part of me "died" but the new spring collection from Modcloth had me longing for the good old days!  While these citrus-printed separates are adorable on their own, I couldn't help but bring them together for the ultimate spring ensemble!













Top- c/o Modcloth
Skirt- c/o Modcloth
Shoes- c/o Modcloth
Necklace- c/o Modcloth

This adorable short sleeved sweater boasts a nice weight knit, is incredibly soft and comfortable, and has a good amount of stretch.  I took a size small and I found it to be not too loose but not so fitted either.  I feel like I could have taken an XS but it didn't bother me enough to consider exchanging.  The Stroke of Genial skirt is fully lined and features a light chiffon-like material, structured knife pleats, and is finished with a side zippered closure.  I took a size small and I found this skirt to be a little too big.  I'm pretty sure I'm an XS in the Modcloth label but I haven't realized it until now.  I'm still super happy with this look and look forward to mixing both these pieces into other outfits in the future!

Frantically getting ready for Easter weekend because I haven't even given one thought to Bianca's Easter basket yet.  When I was a child my mom gave us the best baskets filled with fun, personalized goodies.  I don't know why I didn't inherit her crafty side and it never bothered me until I became a mom.  I think I'm going to hit up Target and give it my best shot... Maybe I'll take my mom with me too!  What are you doing this weekend?  Let me know in the comments below!

xoxo

Ashley

Marie

After two whole weeks of cold and rain, spring has finally arrived here in Southern California!  You don't realize how much the rain affects your daily life until it actually becomes part of your daily life.  I was going stir crazy at home!  To celebrate one of the first gorgeous days of the season, I took my Heart of Haute Marie dress for a spin.  Easily my new favorite style from this woman-owned business, the Marie is perfect for a day out on the town and beyond!













Dress- c/o Heart of Haute
Shoes- Remix Vintage Shoes
Brooch- c/o Deer Arrow
Hat- Amazon (similar)
Lipstick- c/o Vinyl Cosmetics Thunder Kiss Liquid Lipstick in Miss World

Like all of Heart of Haute's items, the Marie dress is made right here in the USA.  It features a v-neckline in the front and back, a sleeveless bodice, lightly pleated skirt with hidden side pockets, matching self tie fabric belt, and a back zippered closure.  This dress is made from 100% cotton and has a great stiffness to retain its shape but is soft to the touch.  It's incredibly comfortable to wear!  While you could probably sneak a very small petticoat underneath, I feel like this dress looks beautiful as-is.  I wear a size small in all of Heart of Haute's items and this dress in a small was the perfect fit.  I love that I don't have to worry about sizing issues with them, they're always spot on!  This exact dress is currently available in sizes M-2X (it's quite popular!) but there are eight different prints of the Marie on the site which you can find right HERE!

Due to all the poor weather lately, I'm currently playing catch up on my blogging.  I have so many fun outfits from lots of new, woman-owned small businesses on the horizon and I can't wait to share them with you!  Is there anything you'd like to see from my blog this season?  Let me know in the comments below!

xoxo

Ashley

What's On My Radar: Current Loves

Spring is here and I'm finally ready to dress the part!  I can't help but fall hard for pretty colors, fun prints, and whimsical styles for the new season.  I've dwindled down my favorites for the season (seriously, I legit had to edit my list many times) and I hope you love them as much as I do!

Miss Candyfloss

1. Rufina Sleeveless Swing Dress
2. Antonella Minty Canvas Swing Coat
3. Valery Lee Pleated Denim Shorts
4. Margita Sun Cross Back Swing Dress

Can we talk about how amazing the Miss Candyfloss spring collection is?  I'm not going to lie, I already own the Rufina dress (blog post coming soon!) and I'm dying to add more to my closet.  I'm really loving those Valery Lee pleated denim jumper too.  I own a similar piece from last year's spring line and I need this new jumper version!

Vintage Inspired By Jackie

1. Guitar Border Print Bound Swing Dress
2. Snow White Bed Sheet Dress
3. Hitchhiking Ghosts Ruched Bust Swing Dress
4. Guardians of the Galaxy Shirtwaist Dress

Whether you want to Disneybound as your favorite character, look like the prettiest princess in the park, or just have the best Disney-inspired outfit; Vintage Inspired by Jackie has something for everyone!  I have a closet full (and I mean full) of her designs and I honestly don't see an end to this habit.  She makes all my pieces to my measurements and they're made with the highest quality.  So many imitate but nobody can compare to Jackie!  Bianca is loving the Hitchhiking Ghosts dress so I feel like I'm going to include that in my next order.  No shame over here!

Hello Crumpet

1. Pity The Fool Shakespeare Inspired Jester's Hat Acrylic Brooch
2. Naughtymelon Watermelon Kawaii Glitter Acrylic Brooch
3. Anatomical Heart Glitter Acrylic Heart Brooch
4. Custom Titles and Colors Book Stack Brooch

If you've never heard of Hello Crumpet, be prepared to become obsessed!  Claire is such a talented artist and her brooches are to die for!  If you a bibliophile, you can get a personalized stack of books to match your favorites.  Seriously, how cool is that?  She also has some fun Harry Potter-inspired brooches too.  Basically, there's something for everyone.

Free People

1. Nile River Set
2. One Lissa Maxi Set
3. New Wave Set
4. You and Me Set

I've recently been shopping with Free People for two things: their amazing bow barrettes and their matching sets!  I already have the Nile River set and I love it to pieces and I am dying to get my hands on that One Lissa beauty.  Sometimes matching your separates can be time consuming (which is why I love dresses so much) so I love their vast section of adorable sets.  Plus, the mix and match options are endless!

The Storybook Rabbit

1. Red and Gold Rose Brooch
2. Lop Rosette Bunny Black Pearl with Pink Fairy Dust Rose
3. Rex Rosette Bunny Pale Blue Fairy Dust with Pale Pink Pearlescent Rose
4. Shy Bunny Brooch

Have you ever seen such cute, girly brooches?!  The Storybook Rabbit truly has my heart and I love how they keep most runs of their brooches limited.  I've been wanting a Shy Bunny forever but I have yet to pull the trigger!  They also do custom work so if you have a particular idea, you should contact them for the brooch of your dreams!

Trashy Diva

1. Trixie Top
2. Alexa Tie Top
3. 1940's Skirt
4. High Waist Shorts

Trashy Diva's new Diva Holiday collection is so dreamy, I can't get enough of it!  I already purchased the Hollywood Long dress in this collection but I'm itching for more!  I'm forever regretting not purchasing those shorts when I was in New Orleans earlier this month, especially since they're now out of stock in my size.  Keeping my fingers crossed that I'll get another chance or someone returns them so I can snag them up!


What are you looking forward to wearing this spring season?  Let me know in the comments below!

xoxo

Ashley

Sailor and Skipper

I don't think I'll ever get enough of Trashy Diva's Rockabilly Baby collection.  Made to match with your very own Trashy Diva pieces, Rockabilly Baby provides a high quality and ridiculously cute option for your little ones.  At this moment (like, literally right now) Trashy Diva released this Sailor dress and matching Skipper dress.  If you're a longtime fan, you'll notice that the Sailor dress is a new colorway from their original navy version.  This red hue is a fresh way to resurrect a much loved style and I'm so happy they opted to include a Rockabilly Baby version as well!















Dress- c/o Trashy Diva
Shoes- Swedish Hasbeens (similar)
Petticoat- Malco Modes
Barrette- Free People
Lipstick- Sephora Collection Cream Lip Stain in Always Red

Bianca's dress- c/o Trashy Diva
Bianca's shoes- Oshkosh

The Sailor dress is made from a stiff yet light and comfortable stretch cotton and features a collar with white trim, removable navy sash tie, fitted bodice, lightly gathered circle skirt with hidden side pockets, a cutout back feature, and a side zippered closure.  This dress drapes quite well on its own but I chose to wear a petticoat for that 50's nautical look.  While there is a cutout in the back, you can definitely wear a normal bra with it (as long as it isn't a racer back style).  I'm usually between a 2 and a 4 in Trashy Diva dresses and I tried both sizes on in this style.  The 4 was much too roomy in the bust and waist, so the 2 was the perfect fit!  If you're between sizes like myself, I'd definitely recommend taking your smaller size.

The Rockabilly Baby Skipper dress is made from the same fabric as the Sailor dress and features the same collar with white trim, removable navy sash tie, full gathered skirt with a matching white trim detail, and a side zippered closure.  In typical mommy fashion, I ordered this dress a full size larger for Bianca (she's currently a 5/6 but shes wearing a 7/8 in the Skipper dress) so she can grow into it and wear it for years.  While I do consider it big, it's still wearable as is.  She loves this dress so much, she even pulled it out of her closet to show it off to a friend not too long ago!  I guess the apple doesn't fall too far from the tree...

The Sailor and Skipper dresses are an instant hit for this matching duo and I can't wait to see what my fellow fashionable Divas think of them!

xoxo

Ashley

Tale As Old As Time

Is there anything better than a fun Disneybound?  Anyone who knows me is aware of my Beauty and the Beast obsession (I did name my child after Belle, you know).  It's by far my favorite Disney movie so I'm always looking for fun Disneybound outfits to wear to Disneyland and beyond.  The queen of Disneybound designs, Vintage Inspired by Jackie, came up with this take on Mrs. Potts and I fell head over heels in love with this dress!  A perfect homage to the beloved character but cute and comfy enough to wear on the regular, this dress is a wearable piece of art.











Dress- c/o Vintage Inspired by Jackie
Shoes- Bettie Page Shoes
Belt- From another dress
Petticoat- Malco Modes
Barrette- Free People
Lipstick- c/o Anastasia Beverly Hills Lip Gloss in Peony

The Mrs. Potts dress is made from lush 100% cotton and features a sweetheart neckline, fully lined bodice, adjustable straps, a super full gathered skirt with a hidden side pocket, and a back zippered closure.  This dress is made so intricately, everything from the custom sizing to the ric rac trim.  Jackie made this to my measurements, but I've since lost a few pounds so it's just a tad big in the waist on me now.  But the belt was the perfect touch!  I have yet to wear this to Disneyland, but I have a feeling it will make its debut this spring!  If you're looking for a custom made, high quality Disneybound outfit, I highly recommend contacting Jackie.  If she doesn't have the bound you're looking for, she's more than happy to make your dream come true!  That's what she did for my Loki dress!

Can I just talk about these pictures for a minute?  A few weeks ago I went out to photograph this dress and the results were disastrous.  The lighting was off, my hair was a mess, I hated them so much.  I decided to scrap them and take them again the next time I had a free moment.  Well, I rescheduled and went out to take these photos on a cloudy day, which can be ideal because you don't have to worry about shadows.  Unfortunately, it started raining hard the minute I had finished setting up my camera.  Rain and lots of unprecedented wind.  While it was complicated, I definitely got it done.  I quickly started to break down my gear and guess what happened?  The wind and rain stopped.  Of course by this time, my hair and makeup was a mess and this dress was quite damp.  You best believe I was cursing the clouds at that moment!  Thankfully, I had taken enough photos to get the ones you see here and I'm pretty happy with them (considering the circumstances).  Hopefully this was just a fluke situation, I don't think I can take many more weather sabotages!

xoxo

Ashley

Blush Floral

Hey there, spring.  I see you coming and I am ready.  I need all the short sleeves and pretty colors for this warmer season and this Smak Parlour dress is basically my spring uniform!  This 60's inspired frock is light, twirly, and perfect for layering if spring hasn't graced you just let.  I went for a casual yet playful styling and I'm pretty much obsessed!













Dress- c/o Smak Parlour
Shoes- Modcloth
Brooch- Erstwilder
Barrette- Free People
Lipstick- c/o Besame Cosmetics in Dusty Rose

This gorgeous floral dress features a contrasting Peter Pan collar and sleeve cuffs, princess seams, a lightly pleated skirt with hidden side pockets, and a back zippered closure.  The knit crepe fabric is super stretchy and very comfortable to wear.  I took my usual size small and (as always) it was a great fit.  I find that the bodice is a little short, but only because my torso is so long.  Since it's a 60's inspired cut I don't think it's noticeable or bothersome.  Made in the USA by a woman-owned company and priced at $76, this dress is a fantastic deal!  It's so important to support small businesses with ethical values and Smak Parlour does a wonderful job of making their clothing affordable as well.  I definitely wouldn't hesitate to add this one to your wardrobe, something tells me it's going to be super popular and won't be around for long!

I feel like I've been in a weird funk these last few weeks.  I can't really pinpoint it but something feels... off.  After my whirlwind trip to New Orleans my husband went on a week-long business trip across the country.  Not having him around was harder than I had imagined!  He's now home and things are starting to feel normal again.  I guess this is my way of realizing how much I don't enjoy change.  I have a great husband, child, and fur children and I kind of freak out when someone is missing from our group.  I now have a new appreciation for Kevin though, he really keeps me sane when my patience is spent by the end of the day!

xoxo

Ashley

Foundation: What's The Right Product For You?

Talking about one of my favorite parts of my makeup routine today: foundation.  In my opinion, having a nice, clean face is most important.  I can't build my look without it.  Or if you're me on a lazy day, maybe the only thing you do!  Depending on what your skin is like, some kinds of foundation work better than others.  I've highlighted some of my favorites and categorized them based on how well they'll work with your skin.

Oily skin
Finding a foundation with oil control and a matte finish is ideal for oily skin.


Besame Cashmere Foundation Stick

 (image via Besame Cosmetics)

While my skin isn't oily, I wear this Cashmere Foundation Stick from Besame Cosmetics almost everyday!  I love the full coverage formula and it has a beautiful matte finish.  It only has eight shades so it could be hard (or impossible) to color match, so I'm hoping they expand their shades in the future.


Besame Cashmere Powder Compact

 (image via Besame Cosmetics)

Brand new from Besame Cosmetics, this Cashmere Powder Compact is great for someone who doesn't enjoy wearing foundation but wants to control oil.  I like to use it for touch-ups throughout the day.  This vegan formula has a matte finish with a hint of radiance.  I personally don't think it could take the place of my foundation but it's great for those finishing touches!


Dry Skin
Moisturizing formulas are key!  If you have dry skin I'd keep away from matte finishes, as they tend to make your skin look even more dry.

Laura Mercier Tinted Moisturizer

(image via Sephora)

I've been wearing this tinted moisturizer for years!  Super lightweight and long lasting, this semi-matte formula gives you the coverage you need without feeling cakey.  As I've grown older, I realize I need more of a full coverage formula (those wrinkles aren't going to hide themselves!) but I still work this into my routine.  Especially when my skin is drier than usual.


Combination Skin
As someone with combination skin, finding something that works really well can be difficult.  But I've done my research and I've found something that's moisturizing while controlling oily areas.

Fenty Beauty Pro Filt'r Soft Matte Longwear Foundation

(image via Makeup Alley)

Fenty Beauty is killing it right now!  Their foundation isn't only long lasting, it has a medium to full coverage matte finish.  It feels weightless when you wear it and it comes in 40 different shades.  That's right: forty.  I'm super impressed with their formula and I can't wait to try their lip paint!


Don't Forget the Primer!

Although I've dedicated this post to foundation, we can't skip past a very important product for a flawless face: primer.  I rarely wear foundation without first using a primer, especially when I know I'll be wearing makeup all day or I'm dealing with humid temperatures.  Here are a couple of my favorites:

Juice Beauty PHYTO-PIGMENTS Illuminating Primer

 (image via Juice Beauty)

This has been my go-to primer for the last year.  It's super lightweight, organic, and made with an age-defying serum.  As someone in my thirties, I can use all the help I can get.  It's also vegan!  It can be a little oily, but nothing that would stop me from using it.


Fenty Beauty Pro Filt'r Instant Retouch Primer

 (image via Sephora)

Another great product from Fenty Beauty, this primer smooths pores and absorbs shine without feeling too dry.  This formula is slightly tacky, which is something I personally enjoy but I know could be a deal breaker for some.  It works wonders and it's definitely worth a try!

What are your go-to face products?  I'd love to hear them in the comments below!

xoxo

Ashley

Eyelet in the Sun

I can't decide if this is a more dressed up or dressed down version of myself...  All I know is that I'm feeling it!  I recently teamed up with Modcloth to feature some fun spring-inspired looks and this particular outfit was my favorite.  I love how these separates look when worn together but also function with about 90% of my wardrobe separately.  Paired with a bunch of fun red accessories, I love how a bit of color completely changed this look!













Top- c/o Modcloth
Skirt- c/o Modcloth
Shoes- Swedish Hasbeens (similar)
Sunglasses- c/o Modcloth
Collar pin- c/o Mocloth
Barrette- Free People
Bag- c/o Modcloth
Lipstick- Sephora Collection Cream Lip Stain in Always Red

Probably my favorite part of this ensemble, the Eyelet in the Sun top is the perfect addition to any wardrobe.  Great as-is and even better as a layering piece, this top can be worn throughout the warmer seasons and beyond.  I topped it off with this sugary sweet cherry collar pin and I feel like it was a match made in heaven!  I'm wearing a size small in the top and I feel like it ran a little larger than usual.  I might have been able to fit into an extra small, but I'm totally comfortable sticking with this size.  Since it's been a cooler than usual lately, I'm looking forward to wearing a cute pullover with this top for a structured but feminine outfit.

I'm currently taking it easy because these last few days have been intense!  Last weekend I took a whirlwind 46-hour trip to New Orleans and I had a fun Disneyland day yesterday.  Basically, I need to catch up on all the non-fun things (cleaning, laundry) before I decide on another adventure.  I've also missed being at home with my dogs terribly!  I feel like lots of canine cuddles are on the horizon!

xoxo

Ashley