my friend tatyana gershkovich always looks stunning & so authentic at the lawn party!

PHOTO CREDIT: David DeNee

For the first day of the two day weekend event, gal pal Tatyana was good enough to lend me this incredible late 30s/early 40s vintage novelty print dress.  I love it so much I’m having it made for me in more prints!

posing for dave on the outskirts of the event on governor’s island

HAT: Gretchen Fenston | DRESS, HANDBAG & GLOVES: Vintage | SHOES: Poetic License | PHOTO CREDIT: David DeNee

greeting partygoers at gretchen fenston’s millinery booth

HATS: Gretchen Fenston | PHOTO CREDIT: David DeNee

sitting pretty

PHOTO CREDIT: David DeNee

my accessories are ready for their close-up

HANDBAG & GLOVES: Vintage from Pin Up Queens | SHOES: Poetic License | PHOTO CREDIT: David DeNee

For day two, I wore my beloved gramophone print dress from Charlotte Taylor.  It was such a big hit even Elle Magazine took notice!

wistful in wonderland

HAT: Gretchen Fenston | DRESS: Charlotte Taylor | GLOVES, HANDBAG & NECKLACE: Vintage | SHOES: Pink Studio | PHOTO CREDIT: David DeNee

sharing the spotlight by the st. germain truck

PHOTO CREDIT: Mikaila Brown

the fenston models: sarah, gretchen & patricia

HATS: Gretchen Fenston | PHOTO CREDIT: David DeNee

wait! that’s not dave! it’s gramophone aficionado & retro hair stylist to the stars michael haar

PHOTO CREDIT: David DeNee

Gretchen’s booth made a big splash at the event again!  These are just a few of our clients sporting their new Fenstons…

burlesque darling grace gotham loves her gretchen fenston!

HEADPIECE: Gretchen Fenston | PHOTO CREDIT: David DeNee

rebecca kleinberg took home my personal favorite piece of the day! i’m a sucker for cherries…

 HAT: Gretchen Fenston | PHOTO CREDIT: David DeNee

With every exhausted step back to the ferry at the end of the day, Dave and I said our taciturn goodbyes to the summer.  It was a magical whirlwind and all that jazz.

POLAROID CREDITS: David DeNee

While we didn’t have as much play time as usual to pose for the cameras, we not only got some flattering media attention, but we got a few photos in for the blog.  Check it out!

our stylish friends voon and evan picnicking at the lawn party

PHOTO CREDIT: David DeNee

i felt pretty in pink in my first ensemble of the 2-day event

HAT: Gretchen Fenston | DRESS: Vintage from Pin Up Queens | SHOES: Seychelles | GLOVES, HANDBAG, PEARLS: Vintage | PHOTO CREDIT: David DeNee

some of our first happy, dapper customers! isn’t her gretchen fenston headpiece to die for!?

PHOTO CREDIT: David DeNee

i went fruity on day two!

HAT: Gretchen Fenston | DRESS: Vintage from Pin Up Queens | SHOES: Remix | GLOVES & HANDBAG: Vintage | PHOTO CREDIT: David DeNee

gretchen looks striking in this black and white striped frock she fashioned herself!

PHOTO CREDIT: David DeNee

let’s hear it for my dashing dave!

HAT: Goorin Brothers | PHOTO CREDIT: Voon Wai

the whole ensemble

HAT: Gretchen Fenston | DRESS: Vintage | SHOES: Miz Mooz via Zappos | HANDBAG: Borrowed | BROOCH: Vintage via Etsy | GLOVES: Vintage via Etsy | PHOTO CREDIT: David DeNee via Instagram

gretchen looks ravishing in a vintage ivory suit and hat of her own design

PHOTO CREDIT: David DeNee

rear view of pleat & button detail

PHOTO CREDIT: David DeNee

patricia (left), tatyana (right) and i (center) model fenston millinery

PHOTO CREDIT: David DeNee

rear view of gretchen & her glamourous gals

PHOTO CREDIT: David DeNee

checkmate: tatyana (left), gretchen (right), and roddy (Gretchen’s husband, center) come across a darling young dandy

PHOTO CREDIT: David DeNee

i heart tatyana’s stockings & entire ensemble

PHOTO CREDIT: David DeNee

friend amy winn said a big hello when we bumped into each other on fifth ave!

PHOTO CREDIT: David DeNee

Modeling Gretchen’s hats in the New York City Easter Parade every year has been one of the greatest honors of my life, so much so that Easter is now by far my favorite holiday! Tourists and press photographers come from far and wide to capture the spectacle of stylish, inventive people promenading up and down Fifth Avenue in extraordinary headwear.

As I parade with Gretchen and her friends, people from all over the globe gather around me and tell me how beautiful I am. They ask to take their picture with me. The look in their eyes is all admiration and wonder, but the very next day I would be unlikely to turn their heads at all. That’s the power of a Gretchen Fenston hat.

It’s a real ego boost! As Easter Sunday comes to a close, the high begins to wear off, but one driving question remains…

Whatever will I wear next year!?

POLAROID CREDITS: David DeNee

So it comes as no surprise that I had to have the “High Socie-tea” dress from ModCloth as one of my Year of Dresses treasures!  I chose it for the print, but I love it for the casual comfort.  This 100% cotton, lined day dress has become an MVP of my go-to weekend duds. It’s wonderful to have a cozy dress that people actually stop you on the street to compliment.  When I’m traipsing about town in my teacups, I bring smiles wherever I go!

Speaking of novelty, I pulled a novelty on novelty ninja move and paired the dress with my hand crocheted Diana Dreamer Purse!  What do you think?

DRESS: Fervour by ModCloth | HANDBAG: meemanan via Etsy | CARDIGAN: Uniqlo | NECKLACE: Vintage via Pin Up Queens | SHOES: Re-mix Vintage Shoes | EYEWEAR: Warby Parker | PHOTO CREDIT: David DeNee

While the last day of my twenties was a surreal experience, the first day of my thirties holds some exciting new promise.

I don’t have to take shit from anyone anymore, right?

When I get a boatload of last minute work dumped on me that would take all night to complete to my standards?

Um, I don’t know if you guys got the memo, but I’m thirty now.  I’m too old for all-nighters!

When my mother tells me not to “talk like a baby” when I do my silly sleepy voice?

Mum, I’m thirty! I’ll talk how I want!

When Dave wants to do the aerial inverted double dip… again?

Davey Jones, I’m thirty and tired.  I can only do acrobatics once a night now.

And when someone dares try to upstream my cab hail?

Thirty! In your face! Now get outta my cab!

Kidding aside, while I’m sure I’ll have many wonderful adventures in this new decade, I can’t help but fantasize that thirty is going to be some metaphorical magic bullet to making it easier to say “no.”  I am entering this decade a little more established, self-aware, and practical than I did the one before.  Thirty might be just the excuse I need to take better care of myself, so I have more time and energy to devote to the things I’m most passionate about: style, design, storytelling, drama, equality, and love.

To help me make a change, I’ve given myself a labor of love. In honor of my thirty years out of the womb, I’m announcing thirty posts in thirty days!  Starting today and running for the rest of the month, I’m going to post EVERY SINGLE DAY!  We’ll look back on the most stylish events of the year so far, catch up on my ModCloth Year of Dresses, relish in my fun and fancy birthday plans, discover nostalgic inspiration in the wild, and look ahead to my flirty thirties.  I’ll top it all off with a vintage bling giveaway sponsored by Hester Fleming Vintage!

I know what you’re thinking.  If I haven’t been able to post regularly for some months now, how am I going to post every day for 30 days?  How am I going to carve out that much time to do what I love?  What’s different now?

Easy.  I’m thirty!

See you tomorrow.

DRESS: Vintage from Pin Up Queens | HANDBAG: Vintage | EYEWEAR: Warby Parker | Hat: Vintage via Etsy | SHOES: Seychelles via DSW | PHOTO CREDIT: David DeNee