Out of the Shadows

The day has come: the Erstwilder Out of the Shadows Halloween range is finally here!  As I'm sure you already know, Halloween is my favorite and I look forward to their Halloween brooches every year.  I'm not trying to be dramatic but this year is seriously the best Halloween range they've ever put out.  I love the vintage feel and the dark, deep colors they used.  This range has eleven brooches, three sets of earrings, and two necklaces.  Honestly, I wanted them all but I've highlighted my favorites below!

Lil Boo

Brooch- c/o Erstwilder
Top- c/o Heart of Haute
Skirt- Vixen by Micheline Pitt
Hat- Target
Lipstick- Sephora Collection Cream Lip Stain in Always Red

Lil Boo is just the cutest and he's really big!  He comes in the big box, y'all!  I love his cute little face and his marbled resin.  I know he's technically a Halloween brooch but I will be rocking him all year around.

Itsy Bitsy Spider

Brooch- c/o Erstwilder
Top- c/o Heart of Haute
Skirt- Vixen by Micheline Pitt
Hat- Target
Lipstick- Sephora Collection Cream Lip Stain in Always Red

I can't get over how beautiful and detailed Itsy Bitsy is.  While I might be terrified of spiders in real life, I'm over the moon with this brooch!  I can't get enough of these subtle colors and the wonderful detail in this one.  It's even better in person too!

Raven Mad

Brooch- c/o Erstwilder
Top- c/o Heart of Haute
Skirt- Vixen by Micheline Pitt
Hat- Target
Lipstick- Sephora Collection Cream Lip Stain in Always Red

Give me all the raven brooches!  As someone who has a mild obsession with crows and ravens, I obviously needed Raven Mad.  Again, I'm in love with these colors!  They work so well with the marbled resin.  I know these brooches are supposedly for Halloween but Raven Mad will also get wear all year around.


You can view and shop the entire collection right now on the Erstwilder site.  I would check it out ASAP, I know this range is going to be super popular!

xoxo

Ashley

Deer Arrow

If you're a brooch lover like me, you probably already know about Deer Arrow.  This super popular Australian brand was started by two sisters and still remains a homemade brand.  Everything is made in Australia in small quantities, so you truly have a special piece of jewelry.  Deer Arrow just released a new collection (literally right this minute) and I feel so honored to show you some of them!  Check out my newest additions below:

Frankie the Fox

 

Brooch- c/o Deer Arrow

Top- Trashy Diva
Pants- old (similar)

Frankie is seriously such a cute little fox!  I love her sweet little face and her floral arrangement on her ear.  I feel like she's going to get lots of wear this summer, she matches with pretty much everything!

Raven the Witch

 

Brooch- c/o Deer Arrow

Top- Retrolicious
Dress- Retrolicious (sold out)

As a lover of all things spooky, Raven is right up my alley!  I love her dark eyes, her bright hair, and her all too fashionable hat.  She definitely has that Halloween feel but can easily be worn all year around.

Opal the Unicorn Girl

Brooch- c/o Deer Arrow
Dress- c/o Smak Parlour

Oh man, Opal is such a beauty!  Bianca already claimed her for her own brooch collection but I don't think I can let her go!  I love her majestic hair and (of course) her unicorn horn.  I feel like she might be the most popular of this new collection!

Wild Ruby

Brooch- c/o Deer Arrow
Top- Heart of Haute
Pants- old (similar)

Ruby has certainly won over my heart!  This mushroom capped beauty is so bright and vibrant, I feel like she adds so much to any outfit.  Especially this mushroom shirt I already had in my closet, am I right?


You can shop these brooches (and more!) right now on the Deer Arrow site.  If your favorites are already sold out, there will be a second release in seven hours, at 7pm AEST (aka 2am PST).  Which ones are your favorites?  Let me know in the comments below!

xoxo

Ashley

This Is Halloween

I'm really feeling that Holiday spirit this week and I couldn't wait to break out one of my favorite dresses: the Nightmare Before Christmas dress from Vintage Inspired by Jackie!  Made to my measurements from vintage bed sheets, Jackie takes one of my all-time favorite movies and turns it into wearable art.  While I've been known to wear this dress all year around, it's been getting extra attention this month!











Dress- c/o Vintage Inspired by Jackie
Top- c/o Heart of Haute
Shoes- Steve Madden
Lipstick- Colourpop Cosmetics Ultra Matte Liquid Lipstick in LAX
Petticoat- Malco Modes
Belt- from another dress
Bag- Love Pain & Stitches

The Nightmare Before Christmas dress features a fitted bodice with adjustable spaghetti straps, a full gathered skirt with a hidden side pocket, and a full back zippered closure.  As usual, I gave Jackie my measurements and she made another perfectly fitting dress for my body.  I paired it will my Heart of Haute Estelle top for a bit more modesty and warmth, but I enjoy wearing this dress on its own as well.  Jackie has lots of different bed sheets to choose from, so you can create the dress of your dreams in your favorite fandom!

This weekend is packed full of fun events, which is not like my usual schedule.  I'm working a really fun event today, attending a Halloween market tomorrow, and doing something special with my family on Sunday.  I'm pretty sure I'm going to be spent by Monday but the memories will be worth the lack of sleep!

xoxo

Ashley

Unhappy Hour

Bring on those cooler temps because I'm ready for all the layering!  Retrolicious has wowed me with their Halloween collection this year and I'm quite smitten with this Unhappy Hour dress.  My favorite feature (other than pockets, of course)?  This classic cut is perfect for layering.  If you're spooky year-round like I am, this dress can easily transition into any season.  I'm showing you a "cooler" styling option, but you can wear this alone with ballerina flats and look just as creepy-cute!









Dress- c/o Retrolicious
Top- c/o Heart of Haute
Shoes- Target
Tights- Hue
Belt- from another dress 
Brooch- Erstwilder
Lipstick- Sephora Collection Cream Lip Stain in Pink Souffle
Bag- Betsey Johnson

The Unhappy Hour dress is made here in the USA from 100% cotton and features a scoop neckline, a-line skirt with side pockets, and a back zippered closure.  I took my usual Retrolicious dress size (small) and I found the fit to be spot on.  I love the print of this dress, there are so many fun monsters to find!  Bianca loves identifying them when I wear it, something tells me she's going to steal this dress from me when she gets big enough!  This dress is available from sizes S-XL and is priced at $79.99.  If monsters aren't your thing, their Halloween collection is huge!  Make sure to check out their other selections HERE.

I started my Halloween posts just a few weeks ago and I'm just so excited about it!  I have plenty of goodies to feature these next several weeks but I won't be posting all of them here.  Make sure to follow me on Instagram to catch all the spooky small businesses on my list!  On days when I'm not posting a blog, I'll be posting to my Instagram.  That way you don't miss a thing!

xoxo

Ashley

Strawberry Fields

Is there anything more summery than strawberries?  Keeping my small-business series going, Heart of Haute is a made in the USA company run by Teresa Becker and her daughter, Mandie Bee.  They've recently released a new style, the Sadie dress, in their exclusive strawberry print.  Fun, flirty, and perfectly fitted; the Sadie is perfect for a picnic, a night out on the town, or a casual stroll in a redwood forest.  You can read a full review of this gorgeous dress below!









Dress- c/o Heart of Haute
Shoes- Remix Vintage Shoes
Lipstick- Sephora Collection Cream Lip Stain in Always Red

The Sadie dress is made from 100% cotton and features a squared sweetheart neckline with contrast piping, delicate gathering at the bust, fitted bodice, full skirt with pockets, a self tie belt, and long back zippered closure.  This dress is really light but the fabric is structured.  I've basically sworn off petticoats and this dress certainly doesn't need one!  I love how flattering the neckline is and the hidden side pockets are big enough for my phone.  I wear a size small in all Heart of Haute products and this dress was spot on.  Without a doubt, Heart of Haute is the most consistent in their sizing.  I love that I can order with confidence!  If strawberries aren't your thing, they also offer the Sadie in two different floral prints.  I'm hoping we see more Sadie dresses in the future, I'm dying for some pretty solids too!

This weekend I'm doing something that I haven't done in forever: I'm going out with my girlfriends without my daughter.  As much as I love being a stay-at-home mom, I never get any alone time.  The fact that I'll be celebrating some milestones with a few of my closest friends and not tending to a tiny version of myself is so exciting!  I can't wait to dress up, have a few mocktails, and stay out late!

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

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

Elsa

Is there anything prettier than pastels?  This ever-so-popular Vintage Inspired by Jackie Clock Face skirt (with artwork from John Varvir) was transformed into a winter wonderland color way and I'm in love!  Much like all the items in her shop, this skirt was made impeccably and the quality is top notch.  Would it be weird to own this skirt in all four colors?  Because I feel like I'm headed in that direction anyway!













Top- c/o Heart of Haute
Skirt- c/o Vintage Inspired by Jackie
Shoes- c/o Bettie Page Shoes
Petticoat- Malco Modes
Lipstick- Sephora Collection Cream Lip Stain in Pink Souffle

Perfect for a day in the park (or any other day really), this 100% cotton skirt features a thin fitted waistband, gathered skirt, side pocket, and side zip with a top button closure.  Jackie made this piece to my waist measurement and it was perfect!  Just so you know, this skirt is currently 20% off for Black Friday!  There's no code needed and this sale won't last long so don't hesitate to order one for yourself!

Are you ready for Thankgiving and Black Friday?  I'm loving all these early sales, I feel like it takes some pressure off the Friday madness (plus I'm working that day).  Today I'm going to tackle a pecan pie cheesecake for Thanksgiving and I'm totally nervous about it!  Fingers crossed it turns out to be somewhat edible!

xoxo

Ashley