what i wore: shabby apple edition

yes, this is me doing my best Vanna White in a skywalk

Believe it or not, this dress was actually *won* in an amazing giveaway by Amy Day to Day. When I received the news that I was the winner, my day went from average to awesome in about a nanosecond. 

So where's a girl going to wear a fun red dress? On a surprise New Year's Eve date with her husband, that's where! [I was actually forbidden to wear it any day before NYE...the anticipation made it even better.] We went to Hell's Kitchen to enjoy some live jazz music, and while we were probably the snazziest couple there, it was really fun to get dolled up for an evening out.

Shabby Apple was great. After viewing their sizing chart and finding my measurements all over the board, I read the reviews for advice on which direction, larger or smaller, I should order. It was a huge relief when I tried it on [about 5 minutes after finding it on my doorstep] and it fit perfectly! Well, maybe I need to shorten the skirt for absolute perfection, but they can't build all their dresses for 5' 3" women!  

Have you been to their site? Which dress is your favorite?

what i wore: weekend edition

Have you heard of "What I Wore Wednesday"? You probably have. Every Wednesday, the hashtags are buzzing on Twitter, #wiww and #wihww [what I honestly wore Wednesday] abound. My curiosity gets the best of me and I click - what's this? Another cute outfit? And that one! Ooh - I like that headband!

My own Wednesdays, however, are usually pretty bland. Since my days are spent at an office desk, I tend to be pretty tame. The crazy outfits are reserved for the weekends, when I can truly express myself. Ha! Not sure what that means, but I do tend to take more risks on the weekends and hope my neighbors don't notice. Or maybe my church friends won't see me that Sunday. Nothing like a little mustard tights to get my adrenaline pumping! [confession: each time I try to type pumping, it reads pumpking. I think I have an obsession. Moving on.]

how do i wear this? am i drowning in it?

There are fashion rules, right? But then trendsetters break them and establish new rules, contrary to the ones we had before, and suddenly those are the rules. It's all so confusing. At least that's my excuse. So maybe sometimes I get really rebellious, break the rules, and wear leggings as pants...but just once.

And if I could have actually walked in these $7 shoes, they'd be mine.
...we should probably be happy that I couldn't. :-)

These are the shoes that I *can* walk in [this taken after my lunch hour walk], but that doesn't stop me from sporting the stiletto boots. Because you never can have enough stiletto boot. Or maybe that's just me...

It's a little embarrassing sharing my fashion faux pas with the world, but hey, I'm living on the edge. :-) Does this happen to anyone else?

happy friday outfit

I sort of jumped the gun on this one and wore this outfit on Monday. BUT - it's so versatile that I think it could make a great business chic outfit during the day, then, add the sassy make-up and sweet earrings you stowed away in your purse and ta-da! Great outfit for Friday night. Plus I've been loving neutrals lately [maybe it has something to do with the grays of January?], so that aspect of this outfit makes me smile, too.

Even if you just typically watch movies Friday night because you're tired from the week [not that I ever do...], you may as well feel really confident in your great outfit while you much that popcorn. It'll make everything that much better!

So what are your plans tonight?


Image Credits
White Shirt from J. Jill
Corduroy Skirt from Banana Republic
Statement Necklace from theroyalbead
Boots from DSW

outfit: red + black

Seriously. I love this dress. So I hope that you'll forgive me for repeating black in another ensemble (remember the yellow + black outfit?). But I digress.

With temperatures cooling and fall colors arriving, my mind is dreaming about warm colors...like red. So why not spice up a LBD with a pop of that color?

*Please forgive the quickly drawn belt ... at least it gives you the idea

Image Credits
1. Black Off Shoulder Dress by larimeloom
2. Raspberry Resin Bangle by TopazTurtle
3. Red Bitty Drop Earrings by DesignedbyRJ
4. Multicolor Belt by uncommonstuff
5. Flower Shoe Clips by K.Person

summer outfit: yellow + black

Confession: I love shopping.

When I was young, my dream was to go with a group of friends to the mall after it had closed, but the stores stayed open and we tried on everything we possibly could, and left them all in a heap on the floor when we were done (because hanging everything back up on the hanger is my least favorite part).

Now we have the internet. From the convenience of my home, I can find all sorts of treasures! While I may not be able to try them on, at least I don't have to hang them up when I'm done looking at them. :-)

This summer has been all about skirts, so I thought what better to shop for than a new outfit to go with a classic gray pencil skirt. And since yellow + black is all the rage, I couldn't resist basing my new outfit on that palette.

P.S. While I was browsing for these lovely pieces, I came across a whole slew of shrugs with Victorian flair. Most of them are bridal, but don't you just love the way the neck turns up?


Images Credits
Shawl from mucar
Mermaid Ruffle Strapless Shirt from bluethreadsmelody
Classic Pencil Skirt from tasifashion
Obsidian Earrings from JennyMJewels
Bracelet from SpottedFish
Peeptoe Pump from Ann Taylor

reclaimed wood

This year's 4th of July weekend was spent at a small town's centennial celebration. They had a small craft fair there, where one of the vendors was selling wall art featuring handmade wire windmills mounted on reclaimed wood. Unfortunately, I missed the chance to purchase any and don't even know the vendor's name. Even more unfortunately, I can't get them out of my head! So it looks like I'm going to have to try to make one myself. Or look longingly at similar things. Like the ones below. Don't you just love the rustic feel of these pieces?

Reclaimed Rustic Barn Wood Coat Hooks from timelessjourney

Reclaimed Wood with Antique Monarch Burner Shelves from AtomicAttic

Upcycled Salvaged Wood from NATURALBATHTIME

Vintage Cast Iron Cultivator Wheel Mounted on Black Walnut Wood from sixtyfivestudio

folk trending

Recently, I've been eyeballing my rosemaling supplies and considering applications for that art. What timing - evidently it's a trend I didn't even know I was channeling! The Storque, Etsy's blog, just listed this summer's trends. Included on the list was Folk and Bohemian. My family always had elements of their heritage proudly on display, so it always cheers me up to see others keeping those traditions alive.

Blue Holland Earrings set from JaimeNicole

A Peaceful Garden Sampler by Moira Blackburn from ShakespearesPeddler

Country Rose Laisser Faire - Hand Painted Box from ByCoco

Here are some pieces reflecting my heritage - can you guess what it is?