Love and Sunshine

 

Getting ready for summer the best way I know how: with cute and functional pieces!  As an 80's baby, I grew up with the Care Bears and I'm so happy that Aussie brand Sarsparilly teamed up with them for a clothing collection.  Sarsparilly is well-known for their amazing quality and one of a kind retro styles.  I nearly fell out of my chair when I saw the matching peasant top and shorts, I couldn't handle the cuteness! Scroll down to read more about this nostalgic collection and these beautiful pieces!

Top- c/o Sarsparilly

Shorts- c/o Sarsparilly

Shoes- c/o Charlie Stone Shoes

Hat- Amazon (similar)

The Love and Sunshine top and shorts are made from a soft and cool cotton sateen.  It has a little stretch to it and is perfect for the warmer months.  The top has elastic along the neckline and sleeves and is finished with a cute bow at the neckline and a side zippered closure.  The shorts have side pockets and a back zippered closure.  The print features a classic Cheer Bear frolicking in nature.  Now that I think about it, that's probably why I love the print so much!

As for sizing, I'm almost always an XS in Sarsparilly clothing (I'm usually a small in most other brands).  I'm wearing an XS in the top and a S in the shorts.  I think I *might* have been able to take an XXS in the top but I'm perfectly happy in the XS.  As for the shorts, I was truly in between sizes.  The XS fit but was just a little snug in the thighs so I wore the S, which was just a little large in the waist.  I'd much rather have taco room than be a little uncomfortable so I'm happy with my picks.  That being said, I'm quite hourglass shaped and if you don't have a big waist to hip ratio like me, I would go with your waist measurement.

You can shop the entire Sarsparilly x Care Bears collection HERE!  Just an FYI, the prices are in Australian dollars.  They have a currency converter on their website and they offer AfterPay (my fav!).  When you purchase from Sarsparilly, you're supporting a woman-owned business and you're guaranteed the best quality.  Seriously, I'm always impressed with their pieces!  Keep your eyes peeled here on my blog, I'll be reviewing another piece from this collection soon!

xoxo

Ashley

Clone Trooper

 

If you're a Star Wars fan you love this week more than most!  May the 4th be with you is a fun little pun and a great time to Disneybound as your favorite characters.  As much as I love the Resistance, I've always leaned more towards the Galactic Empire.  As soon as I saw this dress at Unique Vintage, I knew I needed to use it as a Stromtrooper dress!  While I won't get back to Disneyland until June, sporting this retro inspired version of a Stromtrooper is bringing me all the Disney magic right now.

Dress- c/o Unique Vintage

Shoes- c/o Bettie Page (similar)

Hat- c/o Vixen by Micheline Pitt

Lipstick- Anastasia Beverly Hills in Sad Girl

This dress is from the UK-based company Collectif, which I'm quite fond of.  Their quality is top notch and this Enora dress is no different.  It's made from a rayon type of fabric, so it's perfect for the extreme heat I'm used to here in Southern California (and believe me, it was *hot* when I took these photos).  As usual, I wanted to put a retro spin on this Disneybound and I added some fun heels and a wide brim hat.  I can see myself wearing this all summer and transitioning it into a spooky outfit this fall too.  I love it when I can wear a piece over several seasons, don't you?

While Star Wars week is coming to a close, you can always expect to see lots of Star Wars content on my Instagram year round.  Speaking of which, what's your favorite Star Wars movie?  Mine is Empire Strikes Back but Rogue One takes a very close second.  I want to hear your answers in the comments below!

xoxo

Ashley

Spring Witch

 

When you're excited about warm spring weather but you still want to keep to that witch aesthetic...  I feel like I have two very different but very strong loves: sweet and ethereal and dark and witchy.  I know most people like to stick with one but I constantly go back and forth.  You can literally see it in my closet!  I have a massive black dress area and a just as massive frilly, pastel section.  Since I'm in my 30's and pretty confident in my sense of style, I refuse to pigeon-hole myself and pick one.  So before I step off my soapbox, just know that you can dress any way you want and it doesn't matter if you mix and match styles.  Personal style is just that: personal!  Now onto this amazing outfit...

Dress- Amazon

Shoes- Diego's

Hat- Unique Vintage (similar)

Bag- Olli Ella

My BFF Sammi of The Soubrette Brunette sent me a link to this dress because she has an orange-hued version and I was totally smitten.  This dress is from Amazon, which I normally would not advocate for but couldn't resist.  I actually have the Free People original in sky blue, which is obviously much better in quality but is no longer sold online.  This dress was $30 and honestly, a great deal for such a pretty dress.  It comes in my different colors and is available in sizes XS-XL.  I find the sizing pretty generous because the entire bodice has elastic shirring, so if you're not super busty you could easily size down.  While it doesn't have pockets (boo), it's made from a very light cotton, has en empire waist and is fully lined.  I love that I can just throw this on and go about my day!  After over a year at home, I've realized I'm much more happy when I'm comfortable and not when my waist is snatched into oblivion.

This dress is now my spring witch dress because who am I if I'm not trying to live my life as the witch in Hansel and Gretel or (my favorite) the Baba Yaga?  I'm trying to resist getting it in another color but we'll see if I can control those impulses...

xoxo

Ashley

Tulle Cupcake

 

As someone who lives and breathes fashion, I love it when I *feel* a certain way about a piece of clothing.  Sometimes it's about comfort, other times it's purely for the decadence.  As you can probably already tell, this dress has everything to do with the latter.  This Unique Vintage dress was the first thing I wanted to put on after I got my first vaccine yesterday because, for the first time in a long time, I was just so happy and hopeful for the future.  After a year of fear and uncertainty, this frothy cupcake dress was exactly what I needed to brighten my spirits!

Dress- c/o Unique Vintage

Shoes- c/o Charlie Stone Shoes

Hair bow- Free People

The cupcake dress is basically exactly what you'd expect: lots and lots of ruffles, a painted-on bodice, adjustable straps, and a back zippered closure.  As with most 1950's style vintage prom dresses, I love how form fitting it is on top and voluminous it is on the bottom.  Unfortunately, there aren't any pockets but I'll give this one a pass since it would be nearly impossible to add them into this style.  I'm wearing my usual size small and it's pretty much the perfect fit.  I *might* have sized up for bust room if I didn't like a tight fit but I think y'all know I'm more than okay with that!  This dress is perfect for a Sisu Disneybound and is pretty much the reason why I picked it.  If you haven't seen Raya and the Last Dragon yet, I highly recommend you watch it on Disney+!  The whole thing is super cute and the Asian representation in the story and the actors who play them is amazing.

This dress is available in sizes XS-4X and if you're not cool with loads of pastel colors, it's also available in emerald, navy, and a black floral.

xoxo

Ashley

Islands In The Stream

 

The temps are way up here which means it officially feels like spring (although it's technically hot enough to be summer in some areas)!  I can't remember the last time I was excited to peel off the layers and enjoy a sleeveless outfit but this pandemic has me feeling nostalgic for *everything*.  The new Western Collection from Unique Vintage just launched and it has me channeling my inner Dolly.  I gotta say, I'm not mad about it!

Dress- c/o Unique Vintage

Shoes- Chelsea Crew

Belt- c/o Unique Vintage

Hat- c/o Unique Vintage

Lipstick- Too Faced Melted Matte Liquid Lipstick in Pumpkin Spice

This fringe dress is an adorable homage to western style with matching fringe on the bodice and the skirt.  It also features spaghetti straps that are adjustable and removable, as well as a back zippered closure.  I'm wearing a size small and the fit is absolutely perfect.  I love the addition of brown accessories to break up the all black outfit but it honestly looks fabulous on its own.  The only thing I wasn't too jazzed about was the lack of pockets.  As a woman in 2021, I feel like all our dresses should have them!  But like most of their clothing, this dress is available in sizes XS-4X (which is super important).  You can check out the rest of the Western Collection HERE.

I wore this outfit to a park that was the former home of a western movie star.  Until the pandemic, you could even take a tour of his home.  I've taken the tour many times and I'm a huge fan of the fact that he had a bedroom just for his dogs.  They even had their own human sized beds!  Now his property is a landmark and the farm animals that live on his land are taken care of too.  Bianca and I visit all the time and we love to spend time there with the animals.  She even helped me take these photos!  I have to say, seven is a good year (even if I don't want her to grow up... ever).

xoxo

Ashley