Fall in love with Erstwilder!!

Monday morning!!  Coffee's on and I'm hard at work starting out a fabulous new week, the possibilities are endless!! 

Today, I am going to share with you about my Erstwilder obsession.  Last winter, I discovered the quirky Erstwilder through one of my favorite blogs, Junebugs and Georgia Peaches and I was entirely intrigued.  I kept seeing their glorious outfits perfectly accessorized with a seemingly never-ending cast of adorable characters.  Like any fashion fanatic, I had to seek them out and get myself a brooch!! 

Erstwilder is a Melbourne, Australia based company that design collectable, limited edition layered resin adornments.  Their cast of eclectic characters contains a plethora of creative and colorful friends.  I was lucky enough to win my first Erstwilder brooch in a contest.  My review of the She's so Foxy brooch.  I fell in love with my She's so Foxy brooch but retailers in the US were few and far between until recently when Erstwilder began selling direct, before that, I contacted Erstwilder and they were kind enough to send me a few of their lovely pieces for review and to shoot with.  I had a glorious time shooting my Erstwilder feature photos with Renee Ricket Photography! 

I chose the Oscar Wildenfox and Thomas Taffy Cat brooches; and the Betty and Bo Sparrow Necklace.  I had a tough time choosing from their huge selection.  There are so many conbinations that can be made so I took a look in my closet and the choices I made were to match as much of my wardrobe as possible.  One of the most fab things about Erstwilder is the variety which makes it easy to find just the right accessory!

Erstwilder's pieces come packaged in cute round boxes, each containing a collectable card with a blurb about your new pal.  Each character in the Erstwilder universe has their own story and personality just like the people who wear them!  The quality is obvious.  Each character is fully three dimensional and completely unique.  The resin is bright and lovely however the brooches should be handled with care because they can break, I have had no issues with this myself with normal wear.

Oscar Wildenfox 

You can do a lot worse than follow the wisdow of our Oscar: "Be yourself everyone else is already taken." 

Oscar Wildenfox is a bespectacled Fox with a studious expression.  He has been available in a few different colorways but my favorite is this lovely turquoise floral version.  He looks adorable perched on the shoulder of my dresses or pinned to a shirt with jeans.  I love wearing him when I volunteer at the Lakeview Museum.  In my photos I am frollicking around my Mother-in-law's lovely garden and reclining in a friend's apple orchard, I love how much beauty there is in Michigan!

 Being bespectacled myself Oscar and I have a kinship because of the glasses perched on our face.  He has accompanied me on many adventures and I recieve a slew of compliments whenever I wear any of my Erstwilder pieces, but his glasses always get the most remarks.

Dress: Lindy Bop Lana

 Betty and Bo Sparrow Necklace.

Betty and Bo show us that true love is never narrow.  It's rather alive and free.  How it is meant to be.

Love is in the air with Betty and Bo Sparrow.  Lovebirds smooch midair suspended from your neck.  Adorable with a variety of pinup or rockabilly styles.  I have worn them with my Unique Vintage cherry dress print and with jeans and a tee. This particular Erstwilder piece is sold out but the have several other adorable bird necklaces.  I enjoyed having summertime fun cooling off in the pool wearing my Torrid swimsuit and my Betty and Bo Sparrow Necklace.

Swimsuit: Torrid
Shoes: Bearpaw

Thomas Taffy Cat

Just like the candy he is named for, our Thomas is colourful, light and fluffy.  A bit of a stretch?  Surely not.

Thomas sits with his tail curled looking at you in the typical indifferent cat fashion.  I have always had cats so as a cat lover, Thomas was the perfect addition to my wardrobe and my husband helped me chose him so he's a special friend!  I am wearing him here with my Voodoo Vixen Kitty Dress.  I love the contrast of his bold shiny blue body sitting still, tail curled around him. Thomas seems to watch the black cats on my dress slink by as he calmly contemplates his day.

Dress: Voodoo Vixen Kitty 

Once upon a time, you had to find a retailer for Erstwilder but now thank goodness, there is the new Erstwilder shop so you can find all of their designs in one place and order direct from them.  They are constantly releasing new and interesting collections with something for everyone!  Which Erstwilder design is your favorite??

Wishful Wednesday- Beach Babe edition!

Good day!!  The sun is shining, its hot, humid and summer is in full swing!  Michigan is a beautiful state for summer fun.  The Great Lakes coast is ripe with opportunity, lakeside towns full of shopping, gourmet food and adventure.  Lake Michigan is home to some of the most beautiful beaches, bordered by sand dunes and woods, I can lose myself walking on the beach, soaking up the sun, the peaceful sound of the waves. In Michigan you are never more than 6 miles from a body of water so swimming is a daily part of summertime life.  This week's Wishful Wednesday is vintage perfection for beach babe beauty!

I've been self conscious my entire life.  I've always been bigger and I carry a lot weight in my thighs.  I have cellulite and that for years caused me to believe I should always wear swim skirts, cover ups, shorts or avoid swimsuits altogether.  I've finally come to a place where I realize all bodies are beach bodies!  Enjoying summer is not a size exclusive thing.  I posed in my swimsuit without a cover up, thighs exposed, noone died, noone was cruel and I felt fabulous!  

Swimsuit by Torrid
Photo by Era Exposures

Here are my top swim suit choices for plus pinup style beach beauty and a few must have accessories for protecting yourself from the harsh summer sun.

Pinup Girl Clothing Pinup Couture Marilyn suit in Green
The Marilyn - a gorgeous, gathered, skirted thing of beauty that evokes old Hollywood glamour is designed to hold you in and push you up, for an extremely sexy beach silhouette. The suit is fully lined with power mesh to define your curves, the bust has padded cups that help support and the gathered design hides any imperfections. Two removable rhinestone brooches attach to the straps adding a glamorous finishing touch, the straps are adjustable and sizes XL-4X are also fitted with wider straps for better support.  A beautiful classic suit to flatter any shape, Pinup Girl Clothing always does vintage right!

Unique Vintage Casablanca Halter Top and High Waisted Bottoms in Polka Dots and Red Bows
With its blue and white polka dot print and cute red bows, this swim top has the perfect all-American retro look paired with the matching high-waisted bikini bottoms. I love this style for its undeniably classic retro look!

Torrid Peekaboo One Piece in Leopard
Sexy and stylish this leopard one-piece gives a flattering shape and fit. Front ruching slims and controls while convertible wide straps give support and versatility. I love my Torrid Peekaboo suit, it is flattering and sexy!!  Meow!!

Red Dolly Swimwear Retro Pin-Up Bikini in Black and White Stripe
I love this twist on the classic Barbie suit.  An adorable retro styled high waist bikini with a gathered bust halter top.  Pair this suit with cute Cherry Red Lolita Love Retro Heart Sunglasses and a high ponytail for a Barbie at the beach look sure to get attention!

Mod Cloth Wade A Minute Swimdress in Flamingos
Very cute and versatile, this one piece swimdress features underwire padded bust with bonig at the sides, a tiered swim skirt and removable straps.  I would love to pair this fun flamingo print with these stylish Bearpaw Calla Wedges in Black and a wide brimmed hat like this Black and White Striped Woven Sun Hat with Bow for a casual beach babe look.

Whatever your beach style may be, remember to enjoy yourself because you are worth it!!!

Bearpaw Twill review!!

I'm an unabashed Beatlemaniac!!  I've heard their music my entire life at home, on the radio and on TV. My official love for the Beatles started when I was 16 when the Beatles Anthology was on TV.  I was intrigued with their talent and charisma.  I loved their fun style from the matching suits to full on hippie garb.  My son is named Lennon!  Yup, I'm a Beatles freak!  When I saw the Bearpaw Twill boot it immediately reminded me of a modernized version of the Beatle boots of the 1960s.

Streamlined and stylish but functional.  The Twill are everything I need in a boot.  

Comfortable, versatile and too cute!!  I wear them with everything, jeggings, leggings and dresses.  It is important to me that most of my boots are able to be worn with dresses as I wear dresses most often, these are perfect to dress up or down.  The hidden wedge heel is just the right height and very easy to walk in. I love the funky cut and shape with three silver snap accents on the side.  I'm also very pleased that I have not had to worry about Bearpaws fitting around my calves, they are great, very roomy.  I highly recommend them for plus size women like myself, who have a hard time getting boots that fit their calves!   They are super soft inside too, I just cannot get over how soft the Bearpaws are and warm because while it looks nice outside, it was only 38 degrees here in Michigan!  Here I am having fun in my Twill walking my Pomeranian brothers Smokey and Teddy around the neighborhood.

Leopard babydoll dress and leggings by Torrid (last year). Necklace courtesy of Indie Czar.  Sweater is vintage.

For more pics and fun check out my new Sassy Scarlet Facebook page!!  Tomorrow I will post more pictures and review my Can Do Rosie pendant from Indie Czar, hot new customizable jewelry from down under!!   I'm working on Wishful Wednesday already because I found the perfect dress.  I cannot wait to show you!  Xoxo 