Festive Tiki

Today, I'm delighted to answer the age-old question nobody's been asking: Emily, how do I Christmas-ify a tiki print?

And the Livin' is Easy

Well, it's finally fall, even though it's been ludicrously hot in Chicago for almost a week now. This summer was been super eventful, and it was such a nice change of pace from the first several months of the year! First, my mom came to visit, and after spending one of the nicest weekends I've had all year with her, I had two days of Trashy Diva meetups the very next weekend. I went to Vintage Garage Chicago for the first time and scored some sweet new dresses and an epic suitcase, and Jeff and I had a lovely babymoon around Chicago.

On Haters, Again

Every so often, I see posts on Facebook or Instagram that make me sad. Apparently, some people cannot go out in the world wearing whatever strikes their fancy without being inundated by obnoxious, judgmental, and downright rude comments from coworkers, 'friends'/relatives, and perfect strangers. And it sort of baffles me that so many people apparently never learned that if you don't have anything nice to say, don't say anything at all. It's not exactly rocket science, is it?

Help Me, Trashy Diva Obi!

If you think I'm mildly obsessed with Trashy Diva...well, you're not wrong. They have so many amazing prints and such lovely vintage-inspired styles that I really cannot resist! I've reviewed quite a few of the new releases over the past year, but every once in a while, I like to take an older print out for a spin.

Tiki Tuesday #3: Orange Tiki Renee

The Renee dress from Pinup Girl Clothing is one of those garments that I never thought I'd have the confidence to wear. After being self-conscious about my midriff for what felt like forever, I couldn't quite wrap my mind around a dress with a cutout right over the belly.

One day, though, something happened to change my mind: a Renee in one of my all-time favorite  Pinup Girl prints appeared in the Coming Soon section of the website. Well, by now, you can probably guess how the story ends (spoiler alert: with me in a Renee), and I'm happy to report that things worked out perfectly!

Tiki Tuesday #2: PUG Alfreda Dress

I'm having a major tiki moment right now. Maybe it's the summer heat, which feels almost tropical with all the humidity we've been having, but more likely, it's because I've finally realized that tiki-themed prints have always been perfect. Big bold florals, kitchsy novelty prints, and wearable wooden jewelry? Yes, please! The original tiki-print Jenny skirt was my secondhand-PUG Holy Grail, and it's one of my most-loved articles of clothing.

Tiki Tuesday #1 Review: Retrospec'd Hawaiian Dream

Does anyone else feel like Australia must be a wonderland of retro-styled joy? Case in point: I've been after one of Aussie company Retrospec'd's gorgeous creations ever since the lovely Miss Amy May reviewed the sweetest floral sundress on her blog. However, my dread of international shipping fees and total lack of patience has, until recently, kept this dream from becoming a reality. However, a handful of American shops now stock a limited range of Retrospec'd dresses, and after a blogger friend of mine sent me a photo of the Hawaiian Dream Sundress, I knew I had to have it!