Vintage Plaid and Pleats

I can hardly focus on anything at the moment other than my vacation. I'm leaving for Illinois tomorrow, and I'm far more excited than anyone would expect someone to be about a trip to a small town in Illinois. If you've missed me talking about it before, I'm visiting the town where my brother's family lives and where I went to college. I only see my family about once a year, and I haven't been to Illinois or seen most of my friends since I graduated three years ago. I'm also just excited to just have a week off from work. I'm looking forward to a week of family, friends, Midwestern food, drinks, and relaxation. Is it Tuesday yet?

The one thing I can allow myself to think about that's not my trip is this PERFECT vintage button down. I follow a ton of vintage shops on Instagram, but I always get disappointed to find that items I like are either too small, too expensive, or sold to someone else before I've even gotten a chance. I happened to see this top and a dress from Hearts and Hearts Vintage for cheap last week, and I couldn't believe how perfectly this one fit. I rarely find button downs in general that fit well over my bust, let alone vintage ones in great condition. I'm a bit obsessed. Sophia got this to me crazy fast and was super sweet, so I definitely recommend checking out Hearts and Hearts Vintage!

Roller Girl

Say hello to my first Lindy Bop dress. I've long admired Lindy Bop dresses on my favorite retro bloggers and Instagram babes, but I never really looked into the brand for myself. I think I always just assumed that it was out of my price range? I was mostly right for a lot of pieces, however, they had a huge sale last month, and I took it as an opportunity to finally snag a piece. This print was too good to pass up, as was the price. As I've mentioned, I've been sizing up to a large lately (because why not just be honest?), but I decided to take a chance with a medium since it was all that was left. Luckily for me, it happens to fit like a dream! I can't believe how perfect it is. It will definitely not be my last Lindy Bop dress because I totally get the hype now.

Work has been as busy as ever lately, and I'm still watching way too much TV in my free time. I spent all of yesterday evening taking more pictures with my friend Hanna that I can't wait to share with you, but that's about all of the excitement happening in my life. Can it be the end of June yet? My trip to visit friends and family in Illinois cannot come soon enough.

Queso Queen

In case you weren't aware yet, Luella seriously gets me. I've made it no secret that I'm a huge fan of Caroline's work (and I'm lucky enough to have worked with her for two giveaways), but her newest collection really sealed the deal, in case there were any doubts. It's filled with girl power and cheese themed items, and it kind of feels like she read my mind. As I've mentioned, I'm starting to become a T-shirt person, but only because my favorite makers keep creating such cute ones. Case in point, I had to snag this Queso Queen tee the moment I saw it. I put cheese on pretty much everything, and I strongly believe that there is no such thing as too much. It is definitely the item Jon and spend the most money on while grocery shopping, but mostly because we run out of it so quickly and need to buy more every week. Basically what I'm saying is that if your shirt makes me think of cheese, I will buy it. I think it's a good use of my money. 

I hope all of you moms out there had a lovely day yesterday. Jon and I had his mom over for breakfast, and then we went to my family's for dinner. We invited Jon's parents as well, and I think we managed to show them a good time despite the screaming kids and crazy dogs. Those kids are pretty damn adorable, so I can't imagine anyone having a bad time around them. 

The rest of my weekend was spent binging (and finishing) season two of Master of None, grabbing breakfast and going to the Oh Hello Friend warehouse sale with my friend Nataly, and watching more Master of None while eating Italian food with my friend Jeremy. The food in the second season is insane, and I do not recommend watching on an empty stomach. The rest of the show is great too, but the food is really the best part.

Dresses and Giggles

Can you tell how much fun I had taking these photos? This is the second set that I took with my friend Hanna, and she had me laughing and making silly poses the entire time. I will happily trade in awkwardly making the same three poses in all photos for goofy laughing ones any day. 

This plaid dress was sent to me by eShakti in the fall, and it has to be one of my most worn pieces ever. I wear it at least once a week. Picking out this dress is an example of one of the few times in my life I've actually had decent foresight. The dress actually originally had adorable 3/4 length sleeves that were perfect for fall, but I knew that I would only get so much use out of it living in California. I customized the dress to be sleeveless, and I'm so glad I did. It works perfectly for in-between days (like when I took these) where it's unbearably hot during the day and paired with a cardigan when it gets cold at night. Also perfect for every day wear are these dreamy sandals from Lands' End. I can't stop wearing them, they're so comfy. 

Other than talking too much about my clothes, I'm just ready for the weekend. I'll be having breakfast with a friend, taking more pictures, celebrating my mom's birthday, and lounging around the apartment with Jon. Hurry up, weekend!

Schoola Purple Dress + Tan Jacket

I should really just stop checking my email. Every day, there's a promotion from a store I love that's better than the last, and every day, I can't help but browse. I am very weak, and I don't have the self control to pass up a good sale. As I do more email marketing at work, you'd think I'd be able to ignore them as I learn more of the tricks and gimmicks. But no, I am still weak. When Schoola sent an email with a 50% code, and this purple Luck Be a Lady Dress donated by Modcloth showed up in my size, my hand clicked the "buy" button before I had a chance to stop it. Jon and I decided to explore our new city a little bit over the weekend, and this dress was perfect against this mural we stumbled upon. Then again, anything would look awesome in front of this. I still can't believe we found this spot.

Yesterday was filled with vintage goodness, as I met up with Erica at Whurl's Gurl's Night. I always have a blast with Erica, and it was made especially fun by getting to browse through the most beautiful collection of vintage clothes, eat cotton candy, and be surrounded by girls who were way, way cooler than me. It was basically the ideal way to spend a Sunday. Or any day for that matter.

Modcloth Popsicle Dress + BAIT Ida Shoes

Don't let these perfectly polished, happy photos fool you. This is pure acting, my friends. On Saturday night, Jon and I hosted a little housewarming party at our new apartment with a small group of our close friends complete with snacks, good conversation, and of course, drinks. I, unfortunately, am not a big drinker and therefore am a bit of a lightweight. I ended up having one too many rum and cokes and ended up crawling into my room to sleep while the party was still going on. Long story short, there was a little bit of throwing up, a short amount of time trying to fall asleep on the bathroom floor, and ultimately deciding that I needed to sleep on the couch. It was a long night. Jon and I both woke up feeling like crap the next morning and needless to say had a slow start.

The party was Saturday night. These photos were taken on Sunday.

Believe it or not, we had the most productive day two hungover people could possibly have. We even - wait for it - went to IKEA. And ate meatballs. And bought furniture. We did not, however, put the coffee table or kitchen island together. We did walk the entire store, buy items, and carry them inside. It was quite impressive if you ask me. Once we got back, while on my second wind, I insisted that we take a set of outfit photos. I had been planning to take a set in this popsicle dress because it would be cruel not to. I had been waiting to get the straps adjusted, but I ultimately decided that I couldn't wait and safety pinned them. I also finally got rid of my torn up thrifted wingtips and got myself a proper shiny pair from B.A.I.T. Two items are gorgeous as these warranted a photo shoot while on the brink of vomiting, don't you think?

Head to Toe Remix: Dresses

I'm so sad to say that we've reached the end of the Head to Toe Remix series, my weekly remix post with Priya of Perfectly Priya. So far we've styled accessories, outwear, tops, bottoms, and shoes. We've saved the best for last, though, and we're ending on a high note with dresses. 

You'd think that styling a black dress would be easy or perhaps even a cop out. You'd be wrong. I actually tried hard to tackle one of my more difficult dresses that I haven't worn in ages, but I ended up struggling so much with the ones I was considering that I decided to get rid of them. I guess in that sense, this series has truly completed its purpose of helping us make the most of our closets.

But back to this seemingly basic dress that I'm wearing here. Like most pieces from TJ Maxx, it's just slightly...off. The neckline is a little off center and can sometimes be a little too revealing if I don't watch how I'm moving, and the handkerchief hem has never been my favorite. I've actually worn it as a top more than anything (as you'll see below), but I really don't wear it as a dress often. As obvious as a choice as it seems, I'm actually really glad that I used it for this since I truly was considering get rid of it and this post changed my mind. I honestly threw this together quickly before leaving for a friend's house because I spent too long struggling to style of on my other dresses, and I couldn't be happier with how this turned out. I'm starting to think that headbands are really the key to making anything work.

Leah Goren Cat Dress + Mint Headband

You know this dress, don't you? It was designed by Leah Goren, once sold at Anthropologie, was worn by every blogger for a while -- and I found it sitting in a thrift store last week. Ever since this dress came out a few years ago, I couldn't help but dream about it. I know it was everywhere for a while, but I'm a big fan of Leah Goren's illustrations and despite its immense popularity, I needed it in my life. Alas, I could never afford it when it for sale at Anthropologie. Even scouring for it on eBay years later led to results no lower than $85. I eventually lost hope.

Miraculous, I popped into a Salvation Army with my best friend, Whitney, last week and there it was. I have to be honest here. I didn't find it mtyself. I heard Whitney exclaim, "oh my god, I'm getting this" from the other side of the dress rack, and when I looked over to see what she was holding, it was this dress. My eyes widened and I ran over and reached in to look at the tag. I started rambling about what the dress was, how long I had been looking for it, and how much it originally retailed for. I did this until she sighed and handed it to me. A true act of selflessness if I've ever seen one. Still, I was skeptical as it was a size smaller than I normally wear. As luck would have it, it just happens to run a size too large. Miracle dress. It's a miracle dress, and it's mine now.

Pinstriped Collared Dress + Polka Dot Headband

So I'm officially unemployed.

Okay, that's misleading. It's only temporary and not exactly true. I start my new job next week, but my last day at my current job was Tuesday and I'm taking a few days off in between. Actually, with Memorial Day on Monday, I technically have a six day weekend. I'm staying at my parents' house for a couple of days this week just to relax and get away from everything for a bit before I get into full work mode again. Since my parents live in a lake house, it's basically a vacation. A vacation where I should be doing productive things, but a vacation nonetheless. I already miss my co-workers like crazy, so a distraction is much-needed.

This dress is one of my all-time favorites, but it's a reminder that Ruche no longer exists. It's one of those pieces that always makes me feel good in it, and I suppose that's enough to mend the pain of losing my favorite store. I'm also still enjoying my new found love of headbands, even if I can't get them to stay on. Is there a special trick to this that I'm missing? I'm still a newbie to the headband life.

Gingham Headband + Apricity January Dress

There's one problem with perfect weekends: they end. This past weekend was one much-needed, relaxing, and, you guessed it, perfect. Jon and I spent the weekend in San Diego, where we stayed at his aunt and uncle's condo near Little Italy. They live in the Midwest and only spend a few months of the year there, so they were kind enough to let us use it free of charge. Jon and I both have been stressed out with various "adulthood" problems, and our schedules are a little conflicting, so we don't get to spend much time together during the week. We had been trying to plan a little getaway for months, and it turned out to be exactly as wonderful as we were hoping. We went to a farmer's market, got sun burnt walking to the harbor, ate as much brunch as we could, and lounged for hours. And by lounged, I mean we accidentally got more hooked on a teen Chopped marathon than any person should, but still. Worth it.

While we were at the farmer's market, Jon indulged me by getting some $2 flowers to make my pictures cuter. I finally got to break out this Apricity dress, which so unbelievably comfortable. I've also been using every chance possible to wear this coffee pin from Hello Holiday. The woman working at the gelato shop could not get over how much she loved it, which I think means it's a winner. Plus, I've discovered that I like headbands. I borrowed one from my best friend last week just to see how it looked, and it turns out, I think I can pull them off. This is at least what I'm telling myself, but let me have this. I immediately ran to Target to get one for myself, and it was love at first sight when I spotted this gingham one. I guess I'm a headband person now. I barely recognize myself.

Let's Chat With: Salvage & Stone

There are a bunch of things that I love about this post, including, but not limited to: these gorgeous photos that Mary took, this lacy cardigan that she let me borrow (which I might also steal), the fact that this outfit cost me virtually no money (thanks to swaps, giveaways, and gift cards), and most importantly, this headband. When Nic from Salvage & Stone contacted me about styling one of her headbands, I'll admit that it was a little out of my comfort zone. I've always loved headbands like the ones she makes, but I've never thought I could pull them off. However, one of the reasons I love blogging so much is because it challenges me to try new things, so I was delighted at the opportunity to finally try one out. In case you couldn't tell yet, I'm in love with it now, and I'm thinking of adding more headbands to my wardrobe. 

I also spoke with Nic a little bit about Salvage & Stone, her Etsy shop filled with fantastic accessories made mostly out of recycled materials. I jump at the chance to support any Etsy shop, but I'm especially excited to share a shop that's committed to reducing waste. Plus, Nic is also a blogger based out of Los Angeles for the time being, and I love showcasing artisans from Southern California. Read on to learn more about Nic and Salvage & Stone, and make sure to check out her shop to get a headband or piece of jewelry of your own. Nic is offering my readers 15% off until May 12 using the code 15ROOM334 so you really have no excuse not to.