handbag

Sartorial Saturday–Thank the Phoenicians

“Remember how easy it was to learn your ABC’s? Thank the Phoenicians, they invented them.”

Spaceship Earth

This isn’t the first time I’ve shared a fashion based on EPCOT’s Spaceship Earth, but it is the first time since riding it last summer!

Shortly after we got home from our trip, I ran across a kickstarter for a Spaceship Earth-inspired crossbody bag, created by the designer behind Charmed & Cozy. I immediately fell in love, and I was thrilled when the goal was met, and equally happy when it arrived in a very timely fashion! Aren’t the colors pretty?!?

Of course I had to style it with my Spaceship Earth dress!

I went with blue accessories this time, starting with a Yemak cropped cardigan and including a stack of Splendette duchess bangles, my Meteor Jewelry Starlite necklace, and an Erstwilder brooch perfect for the theme…it’s all very mid-century marvelous, don’t you think?

I added my sparkly silver shoes and a sparkly silver belt to complete the look:

I don’t usually wear my crossbody bags across my body (I’m weird that way), but I’m very happy that the strap on this one is long enough that I can if I want to!

It’s a good size bag, too…I can definitely fit all my essentials plus a few extras!

I’m loving that I’ve embraced Disney-inspired fashion!

Sartorial Saturday–Winter Playsuit

The Miss Candyfloss Ramira-Gia floral playsuit isn’t my first playsuit, but it the first I have that is suitable for the colder months!

As soon as I saw this beautiful piece, I fell in love. While Miss Candyfloss makes a lot of one-piece pantsuits, they don’t often make one that isn’t a solid color from top to bottom. My favorite styles, though, are the ones that have a different bodice from the pants. This beautiful floral print contrasted with green pants is outstanding!

My Collectif doctor’s bag handbag is a perfect match!

There is something so elegant about a wide leg pant, yet they’re so easy to wear when the look is all one piece!

I accessorized with blue, green, and cream to go with the outfit, including a stack of Splendette Duchess Bangles and a navy hat:

It’s a great look for winter! (And, speaking from experience, with red accessories, also a great look for Christmastime!)

I’m still waiting on one more Miss Candyfloss playsuit this winter, and that one is the most glamorous yet…stay tuned!

Sartorial Saturday–Inspired by Architecture

I’m not sure that I’ve ever purchased an accessory inspired by architecture before, but this Loungefly Disney Contemporary Resort handbag certainly is!

I love that the bag has the a-line shape of the main building of the resort, plus a whimsical print that combines Mickey and Minnie with mid-century details (the perfect reflection of the resort, which is also celebrating an anniversary this year!). And if you look closely, you’ll notice that the handle is in the shape of the monorail that travels through the building!

Sartorial Saturday–Breeze Blocks

Today I’m taking a look at the new “Breeze Blocks” collection from The Oblong Box Shop. It’s the perfect mid-century modern design in style, color, and pattern!

If you’re unfamiliar with the term “breeze blocks,” it refers to a mid-century architectural style (which is based on older Japanese designs), of patterned concrete blocks which provide privacy, shade, and circulation, and were especially popular in areas with warm climates like Palm Springs. The patterns varied, and they were found on homes as well as larger-scale buildings like department stores. The Oblong Box Shop collection, which features the colors orange and turquoise (great mid-century shades!), includes pieces such as skirts, dresses, sweaters, caftans, and even a cool handbag. I chose the skirt in orange (which has the standard moveable button that I’ve come to love on skirts from The Oblong Box Shop!), as well as the bag, which is well-made, a nice size, and has both a handle and a removable strap:

This was a fun outfit to accessorize, especially since I don’t usually have a lot of reasons to wear a fully orange Splendette stack!

I love how obviously in-your-face the mid-century look of the outfit is!

I know orange can be intimidating to some people, but I really love this shade!

I’m looking forward to styling this in different ways, and trying some bold color pairings!

Mail Call

I love a delivery!

When Erstwilder announced that they were going to be offering a line of handbags, I was excited to see what designs they would include. To my surprise, the handbag and purse I fell in love with are based on a brooch that never really caught my eye. But they’re so beautiful, and whimsical in an elegant way, I knew I had to add them to my wardrobe. They’re also extremely well made, and the vegan leather actually feels like real leather…I have no idea how they do that! Now the only problem is I wish I had bought the Flora Fox Face brooch when it was available, because I really want the full collection!

Sartorial Saturday–Christmas Town

Every year, I think to myself, “I don’t need any more Christmas print skirts.” And every year, I come across another amazing Christmas print skirt to add to my wardrobe. Only this year, it wasn’t just a skirt, it was a skirt with a matching cardigan! The lovely wintry print on the skirt may be called “Christmas Town,” but I can see myself wearing it all winter, especially since the background of the skirt is a fairly neutral navy. And the embroidery on the cardigan isn’t specifically Christmas-y, either, although the red color certainly makes you think Christmas!

I accessorized with a basset hound brooch from Erstwilder, which fits right in with the embroidery on the cardigan, a bow belt which makes me think of Christmas presents, and a green doctor’s bag-style handbag from Collectif, plus a fun Christmas lights scarf (that looks more pink in pictures than it does in person).

This outfit, including the green and white striped top, is from Unique Vintage, although it’s not their store brand. The label says Royal Monk, and I think that’s somehow related to Banned Retro, which is a brand that has had Christmas prints in the past that I’ve regretted not adding to my wardrobe.

I love this festive look!

Have you added any new festive fashion to your wardrobe?

Sartorial Saturday–Christmas Dressing

Time to take a look at this year’s Christmas outfits (which were, admittedly, very similar to last year’s)!

On Christmas Eve, I wore the same black and purple lace dress that I’ve been wearing every Christmas Eve for close to a decade, and of course my best Christmas brooch. I did change it up a bit with some some new Splendette starburst Duchess Bangles, though!

On Christmas Day, I wore my holiday harlequin Genevieve dress from Pinup Girl Clothing, which is the most Christmas-y piece of clothing I own. I added a bow belt from Torrid, which wraps the whole outfit up like a present, plus Splendette Duchess Bangles and the Christmas earrings that arrived the day after Christmas last year, my favorite Christmas brooch (again), and a sparkly Lux de Ville mini hatbox handbag:

Possibly the most notable fact is that I wore heels two days in row for the first time since breaking my ankle last year…and both outfits certainly looked better without the ankle brace I was wearing last Christmas!

“A Beautiful, Leather, Grown-Up Thing”

Ryan bought me a beautiful gift to commemorate Chickadee’s birth.

No, it’s not the Birkin bag that the title of this post pays homage to. But it is my first designer handbag, and the bag that I’ve had my eye on for a while–a Kate Spade. I feel just like Rory Gilmore did when Logan Huntzberger gave her a Birkin bag as a gift:

Oh. Well, it’s beautiful. I mean, it’s snazzy and classy, and oh, smell it. It’s got that great new car smell, except it’s not a car. Oh, I love it Logan. I love it. Thank you so much.