mixing florals

I absolutely love mixing prints, and florals are one of the best prints for mixing and matching. They go perfectly with polka dots and stripes, and sometimes even with other florals. Mixing patterns can be incredibly intimidating for some people, but once you get the hang of it you find the rules that work for you and your style and can mix it up like a pro.

Ruche's print-mixing feature Spring Floral Edit premiered this morning, and it's one of my favorites so far. I love the polka dot top layered over golden floral print. That green daisy print top with the black and white stripes is also fantastic. I just had to share. 

In addition, Ruche is having a Style Steal sale for today and tomorrow only, with many of my Novel Dress feature dresses included in the sale for 50% off! See if you can find the dresses for Wizard of Oz, A Wrinkle in Time, The Lies of Locke Lamora (which I love and am currently wearing), and Anne of Green Gables. My Valentine's Day dress is also included in the sale. 

Happy Friday Eve, friends. The weekend is swiftly approaching!

remixing {frocktober, day 7+8}

Dress: Ruche (similar 1, 2, 3, 4), Star Cardigan: Gifted (similar 1, 2, 3), Button-Up: J. Crew

I decided to wear the same dress two days in a row this week for a chance to do some Frocktober remixing.

This amazing aztec-print dress has been remixed on this blog and beyond many times (see here, here, here, here in italy, and here in italy again). I've actually worn it even more than I realized! I've had it for almost exactly a year. I got it for my birthday last year and have been loving on it ever since. 

I don't normally purchase shift/sheath dresses online (or honestly at all) because I'm pretty self-conscious about a straight fit. I prefer the fit and flare. And especially buying online without trying it on, there's the risk that it'll be too tight - but I totally lucked out on this one! It's the perfect fit. It's comfortable by itself and I can always belt it for that added definition. It's the perfect skirt beneath a cozy sweater and works really well for all seasons of layering. 

When I was in Italy in March I wore it belted with tights and boots, with a thin turtle neck underneath it and a green army jacket over it. I don't think it'll ever get that cold here in AZ but there are always fun options for wearing cute dresses when traveling in colder weather!

  

On a total side note, I really wish I could share this star cardigan with you. I'm a tad obsessed. It was a gift from my friend (the shopaholic, although this time she bought it specifically for me!) from Nordstrom's last chance store up in Phoenix and I'm fairly confident there's no way to find it ever again. Which I kind of love because it's incredibly unique. But I also feel sad for you. So, if you're ever in town and need a fantastic knit cardigan for a night out, stop by and I'll share the wealth.
But you have to promise to give it back.
:)

ace of patterns

This week I was shamelessly envious of an outfit I saw that featured the above-left skirt. It was worn by the lovely Rebecca of The Clothes Horse. 

I love her blog for many reasons. She loves foxes, she's an artist, she met and is now engaged to an Irishman (which means incredible Ireland posts), she has tried every possible hairstyle (including the pixie cut, and coloring it red, blue, blonde, pink...), she is wonderful at remixing, and she is brave. I don't think she would ever worry over the question, what would people think of this outfit? She has a style very true to herself and I always love being surprised by the things she loves. In one post she'll be clad in a denim jacket and knee-high gladiator sandals, the next in a renaissance painting skirt with pink hair and milkmaid braids. She's fascinating and I find myself wishing I could borrow her clothes. 

Thanks to that post, I am now daydreaming about similar items from Chicwish. They know how to do patterns! I was practically drooling yesterday. Their clothes are so fun and unique. I'm putting every single one of these items on my birthday/life wishlist. 

Update: just found a few of these items for even cheaper over at another Clothes Horse inspired discovery, Sheinside! They have the painting skirt and the amazing dress below, as well as a stupid number of swoonworthy $20 dresses like this and this. You're welcome. 

But mostly this dress: 

It's gorgeous. So gorgeous. I could have my own Reign-themed party. And I can just imagine the Fall leaves swirling around me. Even though I live in Arizona. Which is how inspiring this dress is!

But take a gander at the rest of these beauties. 

Which one is your favorite? I absolutely love the London-inspired skirts. I love anything London, really. They're a bit long for my taste, I usually like knee-length skirts a bit better than midi-length. But their wanderlust hems are delightful. They remind me a little of a dress I tried on in Anthropology once - one of those true non-buyers remorse situations.
The floral/galaxy dress above the London skirts reminds me heartily of Guardians of the Galaxy, which I'm totally fine with! I could go on and on. Needless to say, my Chicwish (and Sheinside!) wishlist is steadily filling up.
I think I feel the beginning of a beautiful friendship.

creative layering: stripes and ruffles

One of my favorite things is when an outfit happens on accident.
I absolutely love this dress (I'm a sucker for stripes), but I honestly never wear these types of dresses/necklines. I'm more prone to wear sweetheart or scoop neck, because these dresses tend to fit me strangely and, real talk: they're busty.
I've only worn this dress a few times because I hate having to constantly tug at my camisole underneath, and it's also a bit too short for work.
(Previous remix here: worn with skinny jeans and a scarf).

But the stripes and cute shoulder bows are kind of irresistible.
When I accidently hung this dress and black top beside each other in my closet, it clicked: yo, hey, ruffles combat bustiness.
True story.

Dress: Ruche, Top: Gifted, Pants (similar!): Kohl's (remix, remix)

I've talked about this before, but these Vera Wang pants-leggings-things...jumpin' jehosaphat, they are comfy.

Me, as a jumping jehosaphat.

To not have these pants is a complete crime against your legs, and general bottom region.

Frocktober, day 2, success!

Completely by coincidence, a handful of the bloggers I follow happened to wear some form of maroon and black/grey this week.

Kitsune Kun

A Spoonful of Style

The Caffeinated Closet

M Loves M

I kind of love it! Well played, everyone.

cruisin' downtown

Yesterday, we headed downtown with my mom and some friends to check out the Saturday farmer's market and a few other shops before stopping for brunch at Market at Main. 

Downtown is one of my favorite places, and I love how bustling it is on the weekends! The market is packed with couples and young families strolling through to grab fresh produce and freshly baked bread. 

The market is extended indoors, where people can buy more produce as well as shop the various stands of handmade clothing, ceramics, art, and other goods. There's also the amazing bakery and crepe shop!

I love the unique shops downtown, and how there always seems to be something you've never seen before.
I'm constantly finding shops and restaurants I didn't know existed, and it feels like such a magical, mysterious place.
Old brick buildings waiting to be restored, ivy creeping up and around each window.
Vintage stores and antique shops filled to the brim with treasures, people window shopping and drinking coffee.
We found a new shop yesterday that I had never been in, and I really hope to go back soon! It was called Studio Eleven, and they have a bunch of unique and handmade furniture and decor.

The best part was the very back, where they had a warehouse-like assortment of furniture in need of repair and update. The store sells a special kind of chalk paint that doesn't require sanding or removing the previous paint. You just paint right on, and then seal with their special wax. It's easy to use, dries quickly, and is specifically designed for the perfect one-day paint project!
You can choose a piece of furniture from the back, and buy the paint you want - or they'll paint it for you!
Such a cool concept, especially for all those DIYers out there.

We had so much fun looking through the shop, and dreaming about what we would do with all the various furniture scattered around the back. I think my mom found a kindred spirit in the shop owner, too!

Dress (shop!)/Necklace (shop!) : Ruche, Cardigan: J. Crew, Purse (shop!): Target

In other news, this is the cutest dress ever. 

Covered in a funky vintage car print, with big black buttons, it's the perfect downtown-stroll attire. 

I snatched it up over at Ruche's Labor Day Sale!!

Don't miss out. This dress was $19.50, and they have $10, $20, and $30 bins full of goodies...PLUS 15% off all regularly priced items!

The sale ends tomorrow at midnight, so hurry over!