2019 in Review

I was going to say something cliche about how quickly this year went by, but the more I think about it, it actually didn't for me. This year was eventful, to say the least, so many of the things that happened at the beginning of the year feel like they happened ages ago. However, when I say that this year felt long, I mean that in a good way. I had some huge life events and as always, did a lot of personal growth. I did a lot of thinking about what I want out of my career long-term, had a lot of self-awareness regarding some untreated anxiety, and did a lot of learning and growing with Jon as a couple. And of course, throughout all of this, I've been planning a wedding. It's been stressful, for sure, but a lot of my highlights include the planning process. It's been an incredibly exciting time, and I'm even okay with the stressful bits.

So as I do every year, enjoy my favorite outfits of year along with my personal highlights. As always, I also threw in my pop culture highlights. Enjoy!

Personal highlights:

• Got engaged! I started the year with this piece of news (it happened at the end of January), and it goes without saying that this was the biggest thing to happen to me this year.
• Celebrated four years with Jon (and coming up on five now)
• Got a promotion and a raise
• Turned 27
• Went to the Parks and Recreation 10 year reunion
• Was lucky enough to attend the premiere of Toy Story 4 (and saw celebs like Tom Hanks, Keanu Reeves, and more in person!)
• Went to Napa for a business trip
• Made a couple of trips to San Diego
• Went to two Dapper Days
• Had my last Disneyland trips before my pass expired
• Had an amazing engagement party
• Planned (most of) a wedding. Almost there!
• Met Hilary of The Cutie Life in person and did Hello Kitty karaoke
• Started Goddess Directory, a directory of women-owned independently owned shops. Through this, I got to interview a ton of amazing women about their businesses
• Started I'm Dead Inside, a brand full of cute clothes and knick-knacks with dark phrases
• Got to see my best friend Jenn during her first trip to California + take her to all of my favorite spots/introduce her to all my friends
• Okay, more wedding planning. Each thing felt like a huge feat, but one biggest highlights was going wedding dress shopping with most of the important women in my life
• Celebrated 7 years of blogging - even though I only kept it up every so often
• Went to my first Pride parade
• Had lots of adventures with Alyssa, including vintage shopping, photoshoots, and matching our outfits. 
• Went to Vegas for my brother's 40th birthday...and just went back with family
• Started wearing earrings. Yes, this IS a highlight.
• Went to Pop-Up Disney
• Visited the Neon Museum in Vegas this past weekend and got to see the Tim Burton exhibit there

(Almost) 31 Days of Halloween

Happy Halloween! It's been a hot minute since I last wrote a blog post, but I shared nothing but Halloween looks on Instagram all October so I wanted to give a little bit more detail as to how I did it. I've never been the biggest Halloween fan, but the past couple of years I've started to dip my toes into getting excited about the season. This year, my girl Alyssa decided to do 31 days of Halloween outfits, and since we take most of our outfit pictures together, I decided (with her help) to go along with the theme this month as well. I actually found it extremely inspiring to stick to a theme for the month. Even though I still had the question of "what do I wear?", it really narrowed it down. I think I want to start doing more theme months, so I'll be doing all fall looks in November and all Christmas looks in December.

My hesitance toward Halloween looks previously has been that I've found it hard to justify spending money on items that I can only wear for a month. I still bought some new pieces for October, but here's how I did it on a budget:

• Bought fall items that I could easily style for Halloween, but also wear outside of the spooky season (the outfit above is a good example).
• Used anything black, white, orange, green, and purple that I owned. 
• Bought affordable accessories (like earrings and pins) that could make outfits more Halloween-friendly, but wouldn't break the bank. I bought most of these from small, women-owned shops like Femme de Bloom, Em and Sprout, and Mint Julep Maven.
• Borrowed items from Alyssa. I recognize that I'm fortunate to have such a stylish and generous friend who wears the same size as me and has seemingly unlimited Halloween goodies, so this tip isn't for everyone. But still, sharing items with friends can apply to anyone!

You can see all of my Halloween looks on my Instagram, but here's some of my favorites (so...most of them) and details on the outfits.

School Spirit

I'm back with another Karina Dresses piece! As I mentioned last time, I'm obsessed with this brand and how seriously comfortably these dresses are. Karina Dresses just released their new Style Academy collection, and I had such a hard time choosing which dress I wanted. I'm happy that I ended up getting the Ruby in Pep Rally though. As I've talked about before, I have a few of the Ruby sleeveless dresses, which are my absolute favorites. I wanted to try something with sleeves this time, and I loved that this one is the same flattering shape as the sleeveless one, but more suited for fall. 

Granted, it's still 90 degrees in SoCal, but you better believe that I'll be throwing this on all the time once it starts cooling down. Luckily, the fabric is still lightweight and breathable so it's not too much of stretch to wear it in the meantime. As with last time, I sized down from my usual size large and got this dress in a S/M. It's super stretchy so sizing down works great for me. 

Other than trying to survive in the heat I've been...well, that's really what I've doing for the most part. Jon and I have been trying to stay cool as much as possible, which mostly involves sitting by the fan and watching TV (typical). More importantly, though, if you missed it, I launched a new site! Goddess Directory is a directory of women-owned independent shops, which I created as a resource for people to find as many as possible in one place. The site also has a blog, and I've been sharing interviews with some of my favorite women-owned shops. I'm adding new shops and brands to it constantly, and I can't wait to grow it. I hope you'll check it out and follow along!

Brimfield with Karina Dresses

Have you ever found a dress you love so much that you have in not one, not two, but three different prints?

...just me?

Karina Dresses just launched their new Brimfield collection today, and oh man, it's all so cute. I've worn this Ruby faux wrap dress in two different prints prior to this, but I just couldn't resist adding the new Meadow print to my collection. I sincerely love supporting Karina Dresses because, for starters, their dresses are some of the most comfortable I've ever owned (plus they don't wrinkle). But more importantly, it's a small, woman-run business that makes all items in the US. I've been fortunate enough to work with them a few times now, and every time I wear one of their dresses, I just want more. 

Now, let's talk sizing. I'm typically a size large or size 10, and admittedly I've started buying some things in an XL/12 lately (no shame in that - the best wedding diet is the one that doesn't exist). Most of my Karina Dresses are in a size M/L, but when I got my last dress from them, it was sold out in that size so I decided to try a S/M. Surprisingly, I actually love the fit of the smaller size! I've found that necklines of the faux wrap M/L dresses I have tend to roll and need to be adjusted, but this S/M is actually perfect. All of the dresses are extremely stretchy, so there's some wiggle room with sizing. 

Ready for Fall with Mata Traders

We love a brand that does some good. 

I've talked before how much I love Mata Traders, so I was so excited to work with them again to share one of my favorite pieces from their new fall line. In case you're unaware, Mata Traders is a fair trade company that partners with organizations in India and Nepal to create gorgeous handmade clothing and jewelry. The company focuses on gender equality and women empowerment (I highly recommend reading their story here), so it makes sense that all of their pieces are flattering and comfortable, in addition to being cute. 

It's definitely a little too hot to be wearing sleeves right now, but I didn't want to let that stop me from wearing this adorable dress. I'm obviously a sucker for anything rainbow and striped, so I was immediately drawn to this multi-colored dress. It's so comfortable and it has pockets - which I am required by law to mention any time a dress I wear has them. 

Because I wear so so much vintage and reproduction, I'm always trying to find pieces that are a bit more comfortable and easy to throw on for work without sacrificing my personal style. This dress is definitely one of those pieces. I had fun styling it up with some chunky earrings and a straw bag here, but I also know that I can wear it with little no accessories on a day when I'm running late, and I'll still feel good in it. 

Letters Only

When it comes to accessories, I've always been more of a shoe person than a purse person. I've had a habit of re-using the same bag every day for long periods of time, and I usually forget about others that I own. However, something changed recently, and I'm suddenly being drawn to more interesting bags and growing my collection. It helps that there seem to be cute purses everywhere I look lately. 

Because of my new obsession, I was thrilled to get to style a bag from Vendula London - a UK based brand that makes the most darling novelty bags. In addition to being adorable, all of their bags are vegan/animal-friendly, so I love that I carry this without needing to feel bad. 

I was immediately drawn to this post pox satchel because it felt like such a fun, quirky style, but still easy enough to style with a variety of outfits. I actually spend a lot of time at the post office (usually because I'm sending out Poshmark orders, but also because we're mailing out Save the Dates at the moment) so I also think I have a soft spot for it. The bag ended up being even cuter in person, and it's the perfect size. Whenever I'm not carrying my camera, I prefer smaller bags, so I like that this one can hold everything I need without being too large. 

Side note: Is it just me, or does this bag also give you a little big of a Harry Potter vibe? I'm not sure why, considering they use owls instead of post offices, but I still feel like this would be the perfect addition to my outfit whenever I finally get around to going to Wizarding World.

Flowers, Polka Dots, and Bows

I meant to blog this earlier in the week, but I've been slacking! However, Friday was mostly off for me as the day after the 4th of July, and I used it to be productive. Well, I was a little productive while binging all of season 3 of Stranger Things. However, I'm also using the time to catch up on posts I've been meaning to blog, starting with this dress. 

Smak Parlour has quickly become one of my all-time favorite brands, mostly because in addition to cute, retro dresses, they're also all incredibly comfy. I've slowly been collecting dresses from the brand, and this mock bow shirt style of dress is one of my favorites. I was really excited about this new print of it, and it didn't disappoint. Flowers, polka dots, and a bow? You can't go wrong. It's one of those dresses that I know I can easily throw on for the office, and all of the work is already done for me. 

I love that Smak Parlour is a small, women-run company, which makes sense why they would know how to design flattering styles (and with pockets, obviously). I definitely recommend checking out their newest collection! 

Retro Summer Babes

You'd think that I love summer based on how much I love summer clothes. I hate the heat and being outside for too long, but I live for summer dresses, fruit prints, and sandals. So even though I may not be pumped for 90 degree days, I AM excited about this darling Lindy Bop dress and styling it all season long. 

As promised, here's my other matching outfit with Alyssa (scroll down to see!). Our matching in the last outfits was nothing compared to wearing the same exact dress and then going to get coffee and pop into a couple of vintage/consignment stores. Plus, not too many people dress like we do where we were so we didn't exactly blend in. It was a hoot, and people commented on it pretty much everywhere we went. A couple of women even asked if we worked in a diner. Fair. 

When we found out that we both had picked out the exact same dress this time, we thought it would be fun to show how we each style it. The funny thing was, we both expected the other one to accessorize it in the same way. I texted Alyssa the day before to see if she was going to wear a straw hat before I did, and she was convinced that I was also going to show up wearing my dress with saddle shoes too. 

Alas, we managed to style the dress in completely different ways. I love shirt dresses, and the color and arm ties screamed summer to me, so I really liked how it looked with a boater hat and these fun watermelon earrings. I felt ready to go to a BBQ or a picnic...but I was much happier getting coffee and going vintage shopping. 

Coordinating Cuties

It's so awkward when you and your friend show up wearing basically the same outfit. Well, it's less awkward when you plan it. And it's only awkward for other people if you change into the outfits in the backseat of a car...and if you do it twice in one day. 

Alyssa from Little Fantasmic is pretty much my soul sister when it comes to clothes and brands, so it probably shouldn't have been a surprise when we found out that we had chosen almost the same exact items from two different brands. We both love Steady so it really wasn't a shock that we both picked out bow blouses and High Waist Thrill skirts around the same time. Luckily, we're also both believers in collaboration over competition, so our first thought was to coordinate and take pictures together.

I live in these Steady skirts (I have this skirt in 3 other colors) so I was so excited to see that they released it in this gorgeous pink for spring. For my outfit, I paired it with the striped version of the Harlow top and black accessories like this vintage skirt, t-strap flats, and a bow headband. Before you say anything, yes, my bow is wonky in these pictures, but as mentioned, I changed into this outfit in my car so I'd like to think it could have been a lot worse. Wonky bow aside, when tied correctly, this is a great basic and perfect top for work in particular.

1 Dress 3 Ways with May 68

Ya'll know I love a good remix (side note: is it weird that I like typing "ya'll", but I've never said that in real life?). I've been eyeing May 68's dresses for forever, so I jumped at the chance to work with them. May 68 is an independent brand who designs and makes all of their clothing in Los Angeles. Their clothes are sweet retro pieces, and they never shy away from a good Peter Pan collar or bow. That's not even to mention that they created the SSDGM dress that Georgia Hardstark wore. So to recap: locally made, vintage-inspired pieces designed by murderinos. 

And did I mention that this dress has pockets? 

SIGN. ME. UP. 

The moment May 68 released their new spring line, I've had my eye on this Patsie dress with its sweet bow. It's such a versatile piece that I couldn't decide on just one way to style it, so instead, I figured why choose just one? There's nothing I love more than showing how easily an item can be transformed so here are three ways to style this dress. 

Floral Gingham

Look who has been getting the motivation to blog lately! It was a busy weekend celebrating Father's Day, but the most exciting thing to happen was that I got my wedding dress! I went shopping with my bridesmaids and family last weekend, and I went back to one of the stores with just my mom and Jon's mom and Saturday. I ended up going with something completely different than what I expected, but I could not be more excited. I keep staring at pictures of myself in it like some sort of self-absorbed creep. I can't help it. It's just that good. 

In terms of clothes that aren't wedding dresses, I'm also so excited to share this new Steady dress. I've talked before about how Steady is one of my favorite brands for versatile vintage reproduction (not to mention local to me!), and they really stepped it up with their new spring line. I have a couple of other pieces that I can't wait to share soon as well, but this dress was an instant favorite. I've already worn it twice since getting it, and I actually wore it to try on wedding dresses since it was such an easy no-fuss piece to wear while still feeling cute.  

I sized up one size in this dress since the last swing dress I got felt a little tight, and the XL fits perfectly. Side note: can we take a moment to appreciate dresses that have adjustable straps? I always struggle with sleeveless items since straps are usually way too long on me, so I was relieved to find that this dress is adjustable for short people like me. 

3 Summer Outfits

It's been far too long since I've put together an actual outfit post for this blog, but I took some cute photos today and it gave me the motivation. I'm not naive enough to think that I'll write a separate blog post for each outfit, though, so here are three outfits that I'll be wearing all summer.

Side note: strange as it is to say, last week marked 7 years (!!!) of blogging for me. It really does feel like yesterday that I was dragging my sister-in-law outside to help me take my first set of outfit photos, and I couldn't even imagine the community I'd find through doing this. I usually try to do some sort of giveaway to celebrate, but considering I'm not doing a great job of keeping this up, it didn't feel right to make a big deal out of celebrating. Well, that and I got lazy. But also the other thing.

Dapper Day Spring 2019 Recap

Looking through my recent posts, it kind of feels like I only blog about Dapper Day now. Well, Dapper Day and weddings. I'm still only blogging when inspiration hits, which isn't too often these days. So when a big event happens that makes me want to share, it's one of the few times I actually decide to dust off the old blog.

I also don't think I'll ever be tired of talking about Dapper Day. It's such a special event, and I always feel a natural high coming out of it. It's amazing to be surrounded by so many old friends I don't get to see often, Internet friends I've never gotten to meet in person, brands I love all in one place, and overall just a ton of like-minded people with similar interests all dressed to the nines.

Summer to Fall with Steady Clothing

If I had to choose some sort of mission statement for the way I shop it would be this: versatility, versatility, versatility. Living in Southern California - and therefore without real seasons - we only get a couple months of "fall" and winter. Because of that, I find it really hard to justify buying clothes specifically for the seasons and instead like to only buy things that I know I can wear year-round with the help of some crafty styling. That's why I'm so excited to be partnering with Steady Clothing today to show you how to style some of their pieces for both summer and fall. Well, in my case, summer and winter. But if you live in a normal location, my version of winter clothes will undoubtedly be more fitting for your fall. 

Fall Dapper Day Recap

Hello from a Dapper Day Weekend survivor! It's been some time since I've really had the motivation to blog, but I had such a great weekend and loved how my outfits turned that I decided I put together a little recap. If you're unfamiliar, Dapper Day is an event that happens at Disneyland (in my case. It also happens at Disney World) where people visit the parks in their best vintage and vintage-inspired looks. It's a great excuse to dress to the nines with no questions asked and be surrounded by people doing the same. This was only my third Dapper Day, and it was my first time doing both days of the weekend. 

While I went to the Expo last year and just want to the parks one day this spring, I decided to do both this weekend. I went to the Expo at the Disneyland Hotel with my friend Whitney on Saturday, and while it was a struggle to get there after she got a flat tire (she and her car are fine luckily!), we managed to have an amazing time visiting the vendors and running into Internet friends. My favorite part of the Disney community is getting to meet likeminded people, and Dapper Day is the perfect storm of getting to see a bunch of people I love all in one place. As someone very introverted, I get pretty nervous showing up to these things (What if I go up to someone and they don't recognize me? What if I don't know someone's name? How can I not act as awkward as humanly possible?), I love these events because I feel really in my element. The nerves go away once I remember how truly kind the people I've met are, and it's great to bond over a shared love of Disney, vintage styles, and brands.

Keep reading for the rundown of my looks!

Witchy Vibes with Lindy Bop

Who's ready for Halloween? I'll be the first to admit that it's never been my favorite holiday, but this year I've really been getting in the spooky spirit more than usual. Because I've never been too into it, though, I don't have a ton of Halloween theme clothes, so when Lindy Bop (AKA one of my all-time favorite brands) contacted me about this green and black lacy number, I knew this was the perfect chance for a witchy look. It's not something I'd usually gravitate toward, so I wasn't sure how it would look on me, but I ended up LOVING it on. The lace overlay is gorgeous, and I felt incredibly confident in it all day. 

I knew I wanted a location to match for these photos, so my friend Whitney and I went to Rogers Gardens in Newport Beach. Rogers Gardens is an adorable plant nursery, and this year, they have a pop-up Hocus Pocus/Harry Potter shop. The shop was the coolest, but it was pretty small and dark so it ended up not being the best spot for photos like I had hoped. Luckily, they also had plenty of spots with pumpkins for sale, so I was still able to have the Halloween shoot of my dreams. 

That said...this dress would also be perfect for Christmas, wouldn't it? I can't wait to style it for the holidays this winter too!

End of Summer Floral with eShakti

If you've followed me for a while, you'll know that my love for eShakti is nothing new. I did my first ever collab with them, and since then, I've had the pleasure of working with them multiple times and have gotten some of my absolute favorite dresses from their site. 

If you're just reading for the first time, or maybe you've somehow never been introduced to eShakti, you're in for quite a treat. eShakti makes gorgeous clothing that is all customizable, meaning that you make sure that whatever you order, it looks and fits exactly as you'd like. 

As usual, I had a tough time deciding between all of the adorable dresses that they offer, but when I saw this one, I knew it was it. It combines all of my favorite things: a collar (of course), my favorite color yellow, purple flowers, and a shirt dress. I customized the sleeves to make them cap sleeves because not only do I like the style better on myself, but I've also found that they are easier for layering under cardigans. The dress was everything I ever wanted. It even came with a slip, which is SO rare with dresses that tend to be a little sheer. Living in SoCal, I always look for thin dresses so that I can wear them in the heat and also layer them easily. The downside is that they tend to usually be a bit sheer, this getting a slip with this one was such a nice surprise.

I've already worn this dress twice, but I first wore it on Saturday to get coffee with my friend Whiteny at Morning Lavender. I'd been wanting to try this coffee shop for a while since I've been seeing people sharing photos of it, and it was even cuter in person. I did feel a *little* judged when I made a big mess with my croissant, but whatever. I can't be classy ALL the time, right?

Cacti with Karina Dresses

Hello, hello? Is this thing on?

You know, it's been so long since I've blogged, I was worried I'd forgotten how to do it. 

Nice to meet you, blog, I'm Elana.

Okay, FINE. Enough dad jokes! I'm back with a post for the first time in a long time partially because I miss writing about the mundane things in my life, but mostly because I love this dress and felt it needed a proper post. I've been wanting to try Karina Dresses for a while now, and I'm so excited to get the chance to work with them. WOW did this dress live up to the hype! 

If you're unfamiliar, Karina Dresses makes clothes in super flattering shapes in a breathable material that doesn't wrinkle. I know them best for their wrap dresses, and I've been wanting to try one desperately. They just launched their new Western Collection, and I couldn't get over how adorable this cacti print was on the signature Ruby faux wrap dress. 

I cannot stress this enough: this dress is a dream. It's always a relief when an item I'm gifted is something I like, but it's even better when it's something that I then insist on wearing at least once a week. This dress is so comfy and lightweight, and it was the perfect thing to pack when I went to the Midwest last week. I'll be honest and admit that I didn't read the descriptions on the website well enough and thought it was a real wrap dress, and I was slightly disappointed when I realized it wasn't. Honestly, though? It ended up being a blessing in disguise. Because it's a faux wrap dress with a higher neckline, it actually works great for larger busts, which is something I am always on the lookout for. 

As for fit, the dress runs true to size, but because it's so stretchy, there's definitely some room to play. The size chart is a little tricky due to the nature of it, and I found myself in between sizes. The chart indicated that I might be a medium, but since I'm usually a large, I decided to play it safe and order the large. It ended up fitting perfectly, but because of the material, I think I would have been okay with the medium as well. Moral of the story? This is the kind of dress you can eat in, and if you ask me, that's the best kind of dress.

Colorful Summer with Dolly and Dotty

It's hard to believe that it's not actually summer. It's hot as hell most days, and it just feels like summer is in the air. Naturally, I'm already dressing like it is too. The folks at Dolly and Dotty were kind enough to send me this dress and one other recently, and I can honestly say that this dress is spectacular. It's one of those pieces that took me forever to figure out how to style just because there were so many ways I could have done so. It's so versatile and fits perfectly that I can already see myself wearing it to death all year. Not only is it very well made, but it also has pockets - obviously that in itself is reason enough to love a dress. It feels perfect for days at the park (like this one) or days walking around downtown. 

Speaking of perfect, yesterday included both of those things and more for me. Jon and I spent the first half of the day taking pictures (yes, he's an experienced Instagram boyfriend) and walking around both the park by our apartment and the downtown area across the street where a little farmer's market happens every Sunday. In the afternoon, we headed over to my parents' house to celebrate Mother's Day. My brothers, sister-in-law, and nieces and nephew were there, but Jon's parents also joined. We're incredibly lucky that not is Jon's immediate family small, but our parents get along really well so we've be able to do some holidays together in the past year or so. It's really the best to have both sets of parents in one place and see our families like each other so much.

Don't forget to enter my 6 year anniversary giveaway!

SSDGM with The Five15

Welcome to part 2 of my collab with The Five15! In my last post, I mentioned that my virtual friendship with Angie started because of our shared love of pop culture and feminism. Really, though, the thing that started it was My Favorite Murder. This isn't the first time I've mentioned it, but it truly is my favorite podcast. In fact, talk to almost anyone (mostly women) who listen and they'll also tell you that no other podcast compares. It's not just a podcast; it's a community. The bi-weekly show hosted by Georgia Hardstark and Karen Killgariff inspires such passion in its fans that's hard to believe the subject matter is so dire. Yes, the podcast is about murder, and yes, it's extremely funny. Karen and Georgia have a way of taking true crime and making it compassionate, thought-provoking, and, well, funny. It's a way to lighten up the subject for those of us fascinated, but also to learn about protecting ourselves and become educated on real issues and culture. Karen and Georgia are the first to admit that they aren't experts on the subjects they're speaking on, and they willingly take critiques and better themselves from them. 

I'll be honest, I can't say that I was the biggest true crime fan before listening, but I had heard that the podcast was good and decided to give it a try. This was probably two years ago and it since has not only become my favorite listen but also sparked a huge interest in true crime that I didn't realize I had. One of my favorite parts about it, though, is the community. I'm constantly finding more people online who are also fans, and it instantly becomes a conversation. If I know someone is a murderino, it's clear that we'll be good friends. 

I absolutely love everything from The Five15, but her MFM items are the BEST. I also have this shirt in black, and while I didn't think it was possible to love it any more than I already do, I am obsessed with this grey and pink version. The illustrations are all little nods to the show and quotes from Karen and Georgia. If you're into MFM, you seriously need one of these. I also have one of the keychains, and it's so ridiculously perfect. Angie is a sweet baby angle. 

Don't forget to enter my Six Year Anniversary Giveaway!