The 4 Hardest Things About Wedding Planning For Me

If I'm being honest, I wrote most of this post about five or six months ago. I wrote it as an outlet for my frustrations with the hardest parts of wedding planning for me, but I decided not to publish it because, while they're all valid, everything was manageable and I was worried about coming across as whining or complaining about everything. As much as these are all true, the planning has mostly been a joy so I didn't want that to be overshadowed by the things I've struggled with.

That said, reading this back over, I'm still feeling these things so I wanted to share. All of these are things I wasn't really expecting to struggle with, unlike the typical big decisions that come with their own baggage (like setting a budget and choosing a venue). Rather, these are the internal struggles that I've been dealing with that no one warned me about.

We're now two months away from the big day and some of these feelings have subsided a bit, but still, here they are:

(This outfit is unrelated, but I need some sort of photos to accompany my complaints)

Dapper Day Fall 2019

Oh yes, it's that time - another Dapper Day recap! This the fifth Dapper Day I've attended, and while I don't necessarily have a ton to share about this one, I really like that I can look back through my blog and see every one of my Dapper Days (both the experience and the outfit) documented. 

First, let's talk about the outfit for this one. As with every Dapper Day, it was a STRUGGLE. First, I ordered a dress from a vintage seller and it was an ordeal. Long story short, the dress was both damaged and didn't fit, so that was a no-go. Then, I ordered a dress off of Unique Vintage. I absolutely love it, but it didn't fit quite right and was a little baggy. I had every intention of just making it work, but after I put it on in the morning, I just didn't feel good in it. Dapper Day can be a lot of pressure on people, but it was less about impressing anyone and more about just feeling my best. I own a lot of vintage that I don't wear often, so I dug through my closet to see if I could find anything better, and I honestly put this outfit together maybe 20 minutes before my friends got to my apartment. It worked out because I used most of the accessories I had planned for my original outfit so it wasn't TOO last-minute. Both this top and skirt are really special vintage pieces to me, and I ended up being happier that I could break them out for this. 

(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.

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.

Etsy Favorites #65: Spring Dapper Day Edition (Again)

Has it really been so long since I last posted? And is it really time for another Dapper Day? Yes, friends, both are true. I have my outfits planned and I'm very excited about it, but I still wanted to share some of the items I found on Etsy that I wish I had gotten. Of course, every day can be Dapper Day if you want it to be, so nothing's stopping me from just getting these items anyway.

This gorgeous blue dress from Galia Couture is just begging to be worn to Dapper Day

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!

Etsy Favorites #64: Large Vintage

If there's one thing I find frustrating about shopping for vintage, it's that almost every time I find a dress that I love, it ends up being a size small or extra small. Obviously there's nothing wrong with those sizes, but as a size large, it gets pretty difficult to find items I like in my size. That said, they do exist, just hidden among the smaller items in shops. If you're a size large like me, I've scoured Etsy for some of the best vintage in my size. 

Dress from Eliza Moonbeam Vintage

Weekend Wears #2

Considering I take photos of my outfits every weekend, but can barely muster up the motivation to blog them regularly, I figured that sticking to a consolidated format would work great. Going forward, I'm going to be sharing a few outfits at a time, with some exceptions. I have a few of really exciting collaborations coming up, and I'm starting to feel optimistic about keeping this up again!

As for this past weekend, it was the first one in weeks where I had virtually no plans. The last few weeks consisted of my sister-in-law's bachelorette party, my brother's wedding, and Dapper Day, so needless to say it's been a little exhausting (in the best possible way). I wanted to take it easy this week so I slept in, did some cleaning, and caught up on a lot of TV - both myself and with Jon. We watched all of Barry, and I'm so into it. I can't wait to watch more. 

On Sunday, we did some grocery shopping and photo shoots before going to a friend's place for Thai food and even more TV. This first outfit is what I wore on Sunday, and I'm obsessed with this dress. It's a bit different from what I normally wear so I had a little bit of struggle with styling it. I actually wore it out to dinner on its own during the bachelorette weekend in Palm Springs, but I felt much more comfortable wearing it with a cardigan over it. I wouldn't call myself a "modest fashion blogger," because I'm all for others sharing their skin and showing off what they've got, but I always feel a little naked without a sweater. I swear I have some skin under there though!

Dapper Day Recap

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.

Weekend Wears

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.

Top: vintage (similar, similar) | Skirt: Hell Bunny via Unique Vintage | Purse: Thrifted | Shoes: BAIT Footwear (similar)

Top: Voodoo Vixen via Unique Vintage | Skirt: Vintage via Elsewhere Vintage  (similar)| Cardigan: MAK Sweater (similar) | Shoes: BAIT Footwear

Dress: Unique Vintage | Shoes: BAIT Footwear (similar)

Etsy Favorites #61

Have you ever seen a more perfect shirt dress? This chartreuse vintage dress from Loud Mouth Market is pure perfection.

Back At It

Hiya there. Should we talk about the fact that I haven't posted in a month? Nah, you get it. Work, exhaustion, being an adult...the blogging thing has just kind of fallen by the wayside for me, and I've still been questioning if I feel fulfilled by it. So, I took another short break, and I'm glad I did. I'm feeling re-energized lately, though, so I want to get back into it. Before I really do, I thought it made sense to share these outfits that have been sitting on my computer for a while. While I haven't been posting, I've still been taking photos regularly and posting them on Instagram. It's still part of my regular routine, I just haven't been taking the time to edit them and write about them. So please enjoy these Instagram outfits (they're some of my favorites), and look out for some actual outfit posts soon. Hopefully. I think. We'll see. 

Orange Floral

I don't normally post two days in a row (although remember when I actually did have time to post every day on summer breaks during college??), but I took these photos on Sunday and I honestly couldn't wait. In yet another installment of "things I bought while telling myself that I would stop shopping," I scored this vintage dress on Whurl during Melissa Cripe's closet sale. I've been following Melissa on Instagram for a while now and have been such a huge fan of her style, so I was embarrassingly excited when I saw that she was selling some of her vintage collection. I always look forward to the special closet sales that Sam arranges on Whurl, but it was definitely a bummer that I didn't see anything that would fit in the last few. Luckily, I'm relatively the same size as most of the items Melissa was selling and before I knew what I was doing, this beauty was in my cart when I saw how affordable it was. Sure, it's a tad small and I definitely had to unzip it after eating some biscuits and gravy. But hey, it was worth it.

I also picked up this cute little purse while I was in Illinois. One of my favorite parts of going to college in the tiny town I lived in was the second hand shopping. There are a handful of thrift stores there, but there aren't many people who wear the same style I do, meaning there's little to no competition for the items I like. A vintage furniture and accessories store opened up since I had last been there, and I fell in love with this patent bag and the $10 price tag. I originally got it with the intention of selling it, but it's too good to part with. We all know it would end up in a pile in my room that I would never sell anyway. Might as well keep it and use it forever.

Downtown Iowa City

Is there anything worse than vacation being over? I highly doubt it. I got back on Tuesday night, and I still feel exhausted, but it was worth it. As I mentioned, I spent the first half of last week in Illinois, where I stayed with my brother's family. I only get to see them once a year, so I tried to pack as much time with my nieces and nephews into the week. We had a blast going in the pool, watching Disney movies, and playing a ton of Barbies, Battleship, and Hi-Ho Cherry-o. Because I also went to college in the town where my brother lives, I took advantage of the time and forced all of my friends who live in the area to come visit. I say "forced," but I truly am floored with how far some of my friends drove to see me. I got to see one of my closest friends from my major and our old professor, and a big group of friends from the newspaper came in for a little reunion. I've been pretty sad about how difficult it is to make friends after college, so it was amazing getting to be back with a big group of friends again, especially at our old bar. I hadn't seen most of them in three years, but it felt like almost no time had passed.

On Sunday, I left with my best friend out there, Jenn, to stay with her near Iowa City for a few days. Jenn and I talk almost every day and Skype once a week, so it almost doesn't feel possible that I hadn't actually seen her in years. She just got engaged to one of my other close friends, and I am so excited that she asked me to be a bridesmaid when she took me to see the venue. We did a lot of wedding talk, browsed some bridesmaid dresses, and ate a LOT. She knows me well, so I fell in love with every place she took me. On Monday, we met up with Ali, who I've been talking with online for years and who is going to grad school in Iowa City. As you can imagine, Ali was everything I'd hoped she'd be in person, and we ended up spending a bulk of the afternoon with her shopping downtown. They definitely peer pressured me into getting a new vintage dress, but we all know I wasn't that hard of a sell. 

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!

OTS Again

Happy belated Father's Day to all of you dads! Just kidding. I am positive that there are no dads reading this. On that note, though, my family did have a lovely holiday yesterday. I made guacamole, my brother brought beer, and we all made s'mores. My dad seemed super happy, which is really all that matters. I'm very close with my dad, so it's always nice to see him in such a good mood.

As for this outfit, I really don't have much to say about it, but I do love it. I kind of threw it together on a whim, and it turned out better than expecting. I'm still absolutely loving off the shoulder tops, so I'm wearing them as much possible. I can't get enough of the neck scarf trend, and now I just want to wear them with every outfit. Would that be weird? Let's hope not because it's happening.

I'm going to Disneyland again tomorrow night, and I'm crazy excited about going all the time now. It was so much fun being back in the parks last week, and I love that having a pass means that I don't have to try to cram everything in each time. Last week we didn't go on many rides at all and instead just walked around and ate, which was perfect. Because I grew up so close, there's something about Disney that just always like home. 

Ethical Plaid

I'm pretty sure if you could look up "perfect summer dress" in the dictionary, there would be a picture of this dress. It's essentially everything I've ever wanted, and it doesn't hurt that it's from one of my favorite brands, Mata Traders. In addition to creating some of the cutest and most flattering dresses around, Mata Traders also practices fair trade. So as if this dress being absolutely perfect wasn't enough, I can also wear it knowing that it's ethically made. Win-win.

I wanted the dress to stand out on its own, but I paired with some neutral accessories and a red thrifted bag. I'm getting really into wearing ascots and neck scarves lately, and I picked up this darling one at the Dapper Day Expo last weekend. I also scored these Lotta From Stockholm clogs that I've been wanting forever on eBay recently. I may have to buy them in every color because I never want to take them off. 

This weekend was relaxing and filled with good friends. Jon and I went to the beach yesterday morning, but it was a huge mistake. I really wanted to go because my nephew had sent me a Flat Stanley in Illinois that I needed to take a picture of, and I thought it would be cute to take one at the beach. Of course it was ridiculously hot, and Jon was miserable, so we didn't stay for too long. If anyone has any suggestions of where to buy a cheap beach umbrella, let me know, because that's probably the only way we're going back anytime soon.

Dots and Rainbows

You know those outfits that you just feel like yourself in? This is one of those. It just feels so classic "me." It actually has been a while since I've worn polka dots on the blog, which strange for me. Obviously that needed to be fixed. I've actually had quite the struggle to find the perfect polka dot skirt, despite the fact that I've bought plenty. They've all either been to short, too small, or just plain not quite right. It has been much harder than I would have expected to find the right one. Luckily, Kristina of The Eyre Effect recently recommended a brand on Amazon in a blogging Facebook group that we're in, and it turns out that there were perfect A-line skirts for cheap with my name on them this whole time. This one is everything I've been looking for so I may have to buy it in multiple colors and patterns. This outfit also featured my new pastel rainbow wedges that I scored for $10 at the BAIT warehouse sale. Talk about beautiful. I don't think I'll ever take them off.

This week is weirdly busy for me, but that mostly consists of getting dinner with friends. Other than that, it's just my same old watching TV and falling asleep early every day. I did watch all of Girlboss even though I thought it was terrible. Funny how I still ended up binging it all. It was definitely interesting considering I've been following along with Nasty Gal since its birth, but I straight up hated almost every single character. I also didn't appreciate how it made fun of the vintage community. But alas, addicting TV is addicting TV. 

Off The Shoulder

If I said that this is my new favorite outfit, would you believe me? I know I tend to say that about most outfits, but I suppose that's not a bad a thing. I guess it wouldn't really make sense to have a personal style blog if I didn't actually love what I wear. I honestly don't know why I stayed away from off the shoulder tops for so long. I was seriously convinced that I couldn't pull them off, but now I want a million of them. This one is particularly dreamy, and I can't get over how much I love it with this perfect yellow skirt. I kind of feel like a Disney princess in this outfit.

Part of that may just be the pictures my friend Hanna took of me. We went to a big park near my hometown, and it's always ripe for good spots. I've taken pictures a couple of times, and it really never fails. 

Other than taking cute pictures in cute clothes, I've still been getting over being sick and working. I'm so excited that all of my favorite shows are coming back this month (Fargo, Better Call Saul, Brooklyn Nine-Nine, Silicon Valley, Veep, etc.), but I still need something to hold me over in between episodes so I'm rewatching Community. Again. I'm even making my way through the dreaded season 4 again, which, is true commitment. 

Vintage Blooms

This weekend somehow managed to be a good weekend for both my closet AND my wallet. Okay, fine. The things I bought probably did not do my bank account any favors, but I managed to not to have a panic attack. I was lucky enough to hit up the B.A.I.T. warehouse sale in the LA area with my friend Whitney, and it was a huge success. Warehouse sales always sound scary and full aggressive shoppers, but the B.A.I.T. one was small, calm, and just as cute as the brand itself. I picked up about six pairs immediately, and I ended up walking out with three pairs for $40. Considering one pair normally runs for about $60, I'm pretty stoked. We ended up stopping for breakfast in one of our favorite areas and stopped in some vintage and antique stores, where I picked up this dress. It doesn't quite fit my chest, but it was cute and on sale, so I'm making it work. I want to say that it's from the '70s, but it's probably more like '80s. I'm telling myself that it's '70s era though, so just let me have this. 

Really, though, the best part of my weekend was finding out that I don't have to pay nearly as much in taxes as I expected. I've been quietly freaking out about taxes for the past month or so considering I actually have to pay this year, but I went to my dad and brother's accountant and she turned out to be a miracle worker. Phew!