Can you tell from all the smiling that I am really feeling this look? I legit feel like a Disney princess, or at the very least an extra from a 1940s movie musical set at a county fair or something.

This dress is a bit on the tight side, to put it mildly - the bust is about the right size, but the waist is a good 2 inches smaller than my own, and when I first tried to put it on I didn't think I'd be able to get it zipped! With the help of a 1950s bustier, though (which might get it's own post sometime in the future), as well as someone else to zip it up, it fits. Well, it "fits," but let's just say this is not a dress to eat cake in. The voluminous sleeves, full skirt, and square neckline really amplify the effect, and now I think I understand why ladies loved fashions from the 1800s with the huge skirts and leg o'mutton sleeves.

I don't do center parted hair very often, but I thought it would be a nice pairing with this look. I was going for kind of a Hedy LaMarr or Vivian Leigh inspired style, so I put my bangs in standing pincurls (two on each side, rolled down and away from my part), and then the rest of my hair in pincurls rolled away from my face. I'm not the best at doing my hair and often things don't work out quite as I hope they will, so I'm really pleased with how well this turned out.

I wanted kind of a pastoral feel for these photos, so I shot at Clarke House, which is the oldest house in Chicago. Built in 1836, the house, which has been moved twice in its long life, is now located in the Prairie Avenue Historic District, which isn't far from my current neighborhood. In the late 1800s it was where the great and grand of Chicago lived, and several of the homes there have been preserved as national landmarks. It ended up being pretty perfect for what I wanted - isn't it nice when things come together the way you hope they will?

In other news, Brian and I are house hunting! It's an exciting process, but also a really stressful one - there are a couple of things that we don't want to compromise on, and of course our budget is hardly unlimited, so the search has been a little bit difficult so far. I'm really hopeful that we'll find the right place soon, though, and I'm already thinking about how I want to decorate!

Dress: Knee Deep Vintage
Shoes: Seychelles
Purse: Dethrose Vintage
Hat: Penny River