April 2018 - Room 334

Last Things: #1

Sunday, April 29, 2018

While I have the motivation to blog (who knows how long this will last), I want to try to write about all of the things I've always meant to. I've dabbled a bit in lifestyle and pop culture blogging, but it's never really stuck. Seeing as I always enjoy seeing other bloggers' recommendations, I figured I'd at least try to start a series about what I'm into at the moment. If you want to talk pop culture or shopping, shoot me an email or find me on Instagram so we can chat!

Westworld art by Dustin Goebel

Here's the last thing I...

Watched (TV): Westworld. I watched the first season as it aired, and I'd been anxiously the return for the past year. As expected, the new season offers far more questions than answers, but that's half the fun. Watching Westworld kind of reminds me the golden age of watching Lost. While it can be frustrating, it's fun to watch week to week and hypothesize about what the hell is going on. Fingers crossed it all comes together in a much cleaner way than Lost did.

Also: Silicon Valley, finally catching up on the newest season.

Re-watched (TV): Frasier. My obsession is strong. I can't get enough of '90s-early 2000's sitcoms, and for me, Frasier is the gold standard.

Listened to (Podcast): Sandra. I am a huge fan of Gimlet Media podcasts, and seeing as I loved their last fictional one (Homecoming), I was excited to learn that they were releasing a new one. With a voice cast including Alia Shawkat, Kristen Wigg, and Ethan Hawke, this one follows a woman (Shawkat) as she starts working for a virtual assistant company, much like Amazon's Alexa or Google Home. I finished the series already, and while I could make complaints about the plot if I really wanted to, it was a fun listen. I do wish there were more episodes as I feel like it would have been better if they had more time really expand on the world and develop the characters. That said, it still manages to be captivating, and the voice cast is perfect.

Listened to (Music): Dr. Dog, Critical Equation. I just started to listening to Dr. Dog's newest album so I can't speak too much to it just yet, but they're one of my all-time favorite bands so it's safe to say that I'm enjoying it already.

Purchased: I'll Be Gone in the Dark by Michelle McNamara. As I'm sure I've mentioned before, I am obsessed with the podcast My Favorite Murder. I recently purchased tickets to their live show on Halloween (which I'm only slightly freaking out about) with a few Instagram friends, and we started talking about creating a little MFM book club. The most exciting news to happen this past was that police ARRESTED THE GOLDEN STATE KILLER. It's crazy. I've been wanting to read Michelle McNamara's book on the case since it came out, and this book club we're starting gave me a good excuse. I wish I had read it before the news came out, but I'm sure it will only be more satisfying reading it now.

Wanted to Purchase: I honestly haven't found as many Modcloth items that I've wanted lately, but I've been drooling over their collection with Collectif. My must-buy list includes this Gnome dress, cacti cardigan, and t-strap heels.

Dapper Day Recap

Wednesday, April 25, 2018

My feet are still sore, I'm a little sunburned, and I still have a Disney hangover, but I survived Dapper Day! I spent Sunday in Disneyland with my fellow Dapper Day newbie, Erica, and it was a blast. Somehow, this was actually only my second Dapper Day and my first in the park (last year we just went to the Expo). I've always wanted to go, but as I didn't get my pass until this past year, I just never had a chance. Needless to say, I'm making up for it.

Erica bought a ticket since she doesn't have a pass so we just went to one park for the day. We decided to skip the expo for a few reasons, mainly because they started charging to attend. It's not much ($10), but the entire expo experience is essentially a chance to shop. Since Erica spent so much money on a Disneyland ticket, we figured it made more sense to spend our time in the park and spend any extra money on food. Which we did. A lot.

I go to Disneyland pretty often, but there really is something truly more special about going on Dapper Day. I always feel a little overdressed there (and everywhere), so it was seriously wonderful being surrounded by so many people dressed like I was. There certainly were a lot of people who dress like I do on a normal basis (and even more who dress up and dress more often and more seriously than I do), but it's lovely to see some people who don't dress like this unless given an excuse to. As vintage and vintage reproduction has become much more mainstream lately, the clothing has become much more accessible, and I love that Disney has given people an avenue (and the actual clothing through The Dress Shop) to do so.

But, of course, I'm getting to the important part: the dress. This was, well, the fourth dress I bought for the occasion. I know, it's ridiculous. I've been thinking about what to wear for the past few months - because this is a serious decision - and I finally settled on a dress about a month ago. It's a gorgeous white '50s true vintage dress that I'm in love with...but it doesn't fit. When I first tried it on, I was convinced I could make it work, but when I tried it a few days before Dapper Day, I came to terms with the fact that it just wasn't going to. I panicked and bought a dress off of Amazon that I knew would arrive in time, but I had my heart set on something vintage. With a backup dress at home, I went to a local vintage store on Saturday for one last shot at a dream dress. Naturally, I found two. I couldn't decided between this pastel one or a black and red plaid one with a pussy bow, and I ended up going with the red one. It's gorgeous and fit like a glove...but I couldn't stop thinking about how much better it would be for fall and how perfect this one would be for spring. I went back to the store 10 minutes later and got this one too. My bank account does not love me, but I have no regrets. I'll sell the first one that doesn't fit, and I know I'll get plenty of use out of the other two. Besides, this one was much better for the heat. Well, as good as it could have been. No dress was made for that heat.

Etsy Favorites #63: Dapper Day Edition

Sunday, April 22, 2018

I know the last Etsy Favorites I shared was also a Disneyland edition, but what can I say? This is my life now. I'm headed to Dapper day today in a last minute vintage dress (long story), but I wanted to share some of the items I *almost* bought for the occasion. Essentially this is just a collection of every day vintage dresses and Disney accessories, but still. I could have easily worn any of these today!

I've become quite obsessed with Rita Lane Vintage lately, and this was the gingham dress I most regret not buying for Dapper Day. The best part? There's a hidden Mickey on it!

Weekend Wears

Friday, April 20, 2018

Hello again, old friend! I've only been blogging when the mood strikes, and while it hasn't for a while, I'm starting to get the bug again. I miss the writing aspect, and while I share all of my outfits on Instagram now, it sometimes feels like too small of a platform for the amount of effort I put into photos. This might be my only post this month, or maybe it'll motivate me to do it more often, but I'm happy to be here for the time being.

I did already share these outfits on Insta, but I thought it might be fun to do a little roundup of all of the outfits I wore in San Diego with links to the items. I was there for my brother's wedding, and it was the BEST weekend. My whole family was there, including on of my brothers and kids from Illinois, and because my brother married one of my friends from high school, some of my best friends were there as well. It was just so wonderful to see both families get along so well all weekend and see how loved they are, and the night of the actual wedding could not have been better. Everyone was having so much fun that the wedding was over before anyone realized because we were all having too much fun. Jon and I stayed until Monday so that we could spend some extra time with my brother from out of state and my nieces and nephew, which was the best, but the rest of this week has been tough. Going back to work after a weekend of partying and relaxing in San Diego is not easy!

But anyway, the outfits. The last dress in this post is what I wore to the rehearsal lunch (definitely overdressed, but whatever) and the other two were a couple of your typical "getting food with family in San Diego" looks. You know the ones. I was a bridesmaid, and while the dress was really pretty, it felt good to be in my own retro clothes after the wedding. Also, I should stress that this post is in no way sponsored by Unique Vintage. I just happened to place an order that came in right before we left and couldn't help but bring all of my new pieces with me.