QUARANTWINNING: Ashley and Sammi style Butterflies & Begonias

Wow, how has it been so long since I put together a blog post? In all honesty, the last few months have gone by really quickly – which seems odd since quarantine life isn't all that exciting. Still, I'm hanging onto the highlights for dear life... and new dresses are definitely among the highlights!

I sadly wasn't able to visit Ashley in California this spring due to the pandemic. But even if we're way more than 6 feet apart (try 2,500 miles!), we can still feel like we're together when we coordinate what we wear. When Trashy Diva's "Butterflies and Begonias" collection launched, Ashley and I both purchased the Hollywood Circle style dress and decided to wear it together – but apart.

I love this fuller skirt and the shoulder ruffle (which can be worn up or down!) is probably my favorite feature. This vibrant orangey-red is such a beautiful color for summer, as well. I do tend to be particular about floral prints, but I have to say that this one has grown on me quite a bit.

A note about sizing: I wish I had ordered up in this style! Although the Hollywood does have elasticized side panels, the waist here is firm – and it runs a bit smaller than the size chart indicates. I do tend to like my clothes to be on the more fitted side, but I probably wouldn't wear this dress on a day that involved a lot of eating or lounging. But since I have lots of other clothes for those activities, that's fine by me.

Outfit Details:

Butterflies & Begonias Hollywood Circle Dress: Trashy Diva

White dahlia hair flower: similar  ||  Sandals: Naturalizer

You can see more of how Ashley styled this dress and get her outfit details over on her blog today. And as luck would have it, it looks like Trashy Diva will be launching a brand new collection today at 12 noon (central time)... so be sure to check that out and see what they have in store for us.

Have a wonderful weekend!

Sci-Fi Rockets: Twinning With Southern (California) Belle

This Trashy Diva print is one of my all-time favorites and seems totally appropriate for the upcoming Independence Day holiday. I remembered that my BFF Ashley and I both own this dress and yet neither of us has ever worn it on our blogs – so I felt it was high time for a twinning post. Funnily enough, we styled it VERY similarly. It just proves that, even thousands of miles apart, she and I are always in sync. You can see more of Ashley's beautiful photos (and get her outfit details) over on her blog today!

My mom and I spent last weekend in Skaneateles and the surrounding area, which felt like the perfect prelude to this celebration. I have to admit that I'm not exactly looking forward to the 4th this year, although I'm glad to be working a short week. Holidays take some getting used to when you're newly single, especially when this one used to be pretty happy. But I'm trying to make some new traditions – and I'm determined to see some fireworks, at least.

Outfit Details

Sci-Fi Rockets Annette Dress: originally from Trashy Diva (discontinued)

Cardigan: ModCloth  ||  Necklace: similar

Boater hat: similar  ||  Red clogs: ModCloth

Have a great July 4th!

Pirate Treasure

Ashley and I had the best time on our New Orleans trip! It was a total whirlwind and we definitely didn't get to do everything we wanted to. But I'm really glad we got to spend some time in City Park at the New Orleans Botanical Gardens. We wore Trashy Diva almost exclusively during our time there, which meant I got to put some of my favorite frocks to good use. The Hollywood dress is one of my favorites, and I love that we actually got to twin in person!

Ashley shared her post with our pirate pieces yesterday, but I've been so exhausted (I had kind of a crappy week last week) that I didn't get a chance to put a coordinating post together until after hers went live. She captured some really great images -- she's a wonderful photographer as well as a wonderful model! -- and all of the ones of me in this post were taken by Ashley. As much as I like the solitude that blogging provides me, it's so nice to spend time with someone who understands it all so well. Long-distance friendships can be tough sometimes, but I'm so grateful to have met Ashley through blogging and for the connection we have.

My Outfit Details

Hollywood Dress in Pirate Treasure: Trashy Diva

Flats: Jessica Simson  ||  Hair flower: similar

Ashley's Outfit Details

June Blouse and 40's Skirt in Pirate Treasure: Trashy Diva

Shoes: Remix Vintage Shoes

Who else is stoked for the new Trashy Diva print release?? I think the styles in this collection are really fantastic. I can't wait to style my Mime Time piece and see everyone else in theirs!

Have a great day!

Twinning in Dita

This week has been a bit crazy, but I'm excited to share this post because it gave me the chance to twin with my bestie! I keep my circle of close friends pretty small for a reason, but living on the other side of the country from your best friend can be really hard sometimes. Luckily, Ashley and I talk almost constantly, so even though she's on the opposite coast, I always know she's there for me. (I just wish it were in person!) We end up twinning all the time, as we own a lot of the same clothes, but when we both got this Wheels & Dollbaby lavender Dita Von Teese cardigan, I knew we needed to do a post together. We haven't done one of these coordinating posts in a long time – it was definitely overdue!

It's not often that I really splurge on something like a sweater. I'll drop a pretty penny on a dress, but I tend to be a bit of a spendthrift when it comes to separates. But lavender is my favorite color, and I couldn't stop thinking about this cardigan for weeks. So I finally bit the bullet and am now the proud owner of an infamous Dita cardigan. This color is no longer available at Wheels & Dollbaby, but they did just release the newest Dita cardigan in a luxe silver hue. I don't know if I'd buy others (not at full price, at least – I can't afford that kind of habit!), but I will say that this is absolutely one of the most beautiful cardigans you could ever imagine. It's incredibly well-made and soft, and the details are divine. It feels truly special and it's certainly not a purchase I regret. And of course, now my bestie and I can match! You can find all of Ashley's outfit details over on Southern (California) Belle! I love how she styled it (and hot damn, that girl looks good in pants). Even though we're separated by hundreds of miles, being able to do posts like this makes me feel even closer to her.

Outfit Details

Dita Von Teese Cardigan: Wheels & Dollbaby

Black Lola Skirt: c/o Hearts and Found

Heels: ModCloth (similar)

It's my first full weekend off in a while, and I'm so excited. I plan on sleeping in (finally!), getting a massage (yay!), getting a new phone (double yay!), catching up on blogging (something exciting is coming next week!), and having brunch with some of the girls from work (yum!). As much as I love performing, I'm realizing how much I need time to recharge and have real downtime. Isn't it funny how we used to hate being bored as kids, but doing nothing is such a privilege as adults? 

Have a wonderful weekend!

Darling Dames

I never really thought I was much of a "skirt girl." I've always been way more into dresses, and a lot of the time, I'd rather pay a little bit extra to have a full outfit, rather than half of one. But I have to give credit to my blogging besties, especially Ashley, for making me into a skirt convert! I am now very pro-skirt... especially with a skirt as special as this one!

I've added a few skirts to my wardrobe over the past few months, but I think this fetish print skirt has to be my favorite. I love that it's subtly naughty, and the length is great for my 5'7" frame (plus: pockets!). Because Ashley and I both own this awesome Darling Dames skirt (and I think we both qualify as darling dames, ourselves), we decided we'd do a double styling of it today on our blogs! If Ashley and I can't be in the same place, at least we can have matching outfits! ;)

I actually wore this outfit for the press night of a burlesque comedy show, Princess Wendy's Late Nite Tease Room, during the Fringe Festival last month. (I wore my PUG burlesque print dress another night – Fringe gives me the chance to wear my kookiest stuff!) It's a little bit sexy and a little bit spooky, yet totally covered up and approachable, so it was a no-brainer for a weird + wild work event. I've worn this skirt a few times since, which means that it's a surprisingly versatile piece for me. I love how Ashley styled the skirt – it shows how well it can work for a daytime look as well as an evening one. You can see more of Ashley's photos and find her outfit details over at Southern (California) Belle.

Outfit Details

Darling Dames Skirt in Fetish Print: Pinup Girl Clothing

Camisole: similar  // Bolero: similar

Hair flower: c/o Unique Vintage

Opal necklace: gift

Flats: Amazon

Have a great start to your week!