Forever 21 Floral and a Floppy Hat for Fall

Alliteration much?

Sorry, I just couldn't help it.

Fall in Florida continues, and the weather is flip-flopping from warm to chilly and back again. I want to dress for autumn, but I have to do it strategically to stay cool in the heat.

I wore this outfit to a local gardening event and community showcase on Sunday. I thought the floral print on the dress was appropriate, and the hat covered my messy hair.

That's the great thing about hats, isn't it? They're fashionable and functional. ;)

Outfit details
Dress from Forever 21 (in stores only)
Maddie Ghillie Wedge from Payless
Purse from Payless (old)
Hat from Icing
Leaf Charm on Short Necklace from Art Beads
Long Leaf Necklace from Anthropologie (old)
Earrings from Charming Charlie
Ring from local craft fair (one-of-a-kind)

This post contains Forever 21 and Payless affiliate links, and I will be compensated if you click on them and make a purchase.

What I Wore to the Local Art Festival

The Temple Terrace Arts Festival is a yearly event in which talented artists and crafters come together to show and sell their work.

This weekend is the 41st annual festival, and it's taking place in a new location, which just happens to be within walking distance from my house.

I'm really into burgundy for fall, and I was pretty pumped to wear a couple new accessories when I went to the festival on Saturday.

Who says flower crowns are just for summer? The burgundy one I'm wearing is perfect for the season, and the sales clerk at Icing said they'll even be getting holly-style ones in for winter. This seems to be the year of the flower crown, and I'm all about it.

There's something about puffballs that I think are just so cute, and this purse has plenty of 'em. I'll be wearing it with a lot of outfits this fall.

What are you really into this season? Tell me in the comments!

Outfit details:
Dress from Forever 21 (in stores only)
Tank from Urban Outfitters (old)
Leggings from Forever 21
Socks from Icing (old, similar)
Boots from Payless (old, similar)
Purse from Etsy shop Miyas Ethnic Bags
Flower Crown from Icing
Leaf Charm on Short Necklace from Art Beads
Long Leaf Necklace from Anthropologie (old)
Earrings from Charming Charlie
Ring from Urban Outfitters (old)

This post contains Forever 21, Urban Outfitters and Payless affiliate links, and I will be compensated if you click on them and make a purchase.

Fall in Florida

I have something to admit today: There are moments when I wonder why I picked up everything I owned in 2007 and moved it from Virginia/Maryland all the way down to Florida.

Those moments almost always occur in the middle of summer when The Sunshine State's heat index climbs into the hundreds and the humidity is so thick you feel like you need gills to breathe.

"Were the beaches and less expensive cost of living really worth it?" I ask myself as I step outside to face another frizzy-haired, sweat-drenched day.

And then--s l o w l y--summer begins to fade away. It's never really gone, mind you. But the humidity eases up, and 75 degrees really feels like, well, 75 glorious degrees.

Fall in Florida is an almost magical part of the year when spending time outside is a joy, and--as my temporary tattoo coaxes--there are plenty of opportunities to stop and smell the roses.

It's a time when the answer to my harried question in the summer is a resounding "Yes, Florida, you're worth it!"

What's your favorite thing about fall? Tell me in the comments!

Outfit details:
Goldenrod Ruffled Pullover from Anthropologie
Pants from JC Penney (old, similar)
Maddie Ghillie Wedge from Payless
Purse from H&M (old, similar from Payless)
Fox Earrings, Ring and Necklace from The Alchemy Shop
Letterpress Ring from Etsy shop Headcase Press
Temporary Tattoo from Tattly

This post contains Payless affiliate links, and I will be compensated if you click on them and make a purchase.

April Wish List

1. Vire Necklace from Marimekko, $69
Love the geometric qualities and colors in this necklace from the Finnish design company.

2. Daisy Printed Doll Dress from Simply Be, $79.95
Can't help my desire to relive the my teenage years in this awesome '90s-inspired print.

3. Pining for Summer Sandal from ModCloth, $164.99
Little baby pinecones on a sandal? GIMME! The only thing stopping me from clicking "Check Out" is the price.

4. Women's Crochet Riley Crossbody from Payless ShoeSource, $19.99
The white, lacy effect is calling my name.

5. Winsome Watercolors Flat from ModCloth, $34.99
Floral cutouts on a mint-colored flat. Need I say more?

6. Pine Street Dress in Navy from Anthropologie, $69.95 (on sale)
The little details on this dress are adorable. If you look really closely, you can even see multi-colored specks scattered all over it.

This post contains ModCloth and Payless ShoeSource affiliate links, and I will be compensated if you click on them and make a purchase.

Blurry Bike Blues

Just a quick post today. Partly because that's all I have time for, and partly because I don't have many photos of this outfit.

My fiance, Matt, usually takes my outfit photos because he's the sweetest ever, and we use my Nikon D40. Well, Matt recently found a pretty sweet deal on his own Nikon D3100, so we used that to take these photos.

Apparently though, there's a learning curve because many of the pictures we took ended up blurry. He's been practicing with the camera so we get better shots next time.

Outfit Details:
Ride Here, Right Now Dress from ModCloth
Urban Outfitters (old)
Torrid Belt (old)
Payless Shoes (old)
Target Purse
Fossil Bicycle Charm (old, similar options via The Find)
Argyle Gifts Spoon Ring

Photos by my sweet fiance, Matt

This post contains ModCloth, Urban Outfitters and Payless affiliate links, and I will be compensated if you click on them and make a purchase.

Nautical Downpour

Here are more rainy pictures from my outfit photo day over the weekend.

I wore this nautical-inspired dress to a wedding a couple years ago, and it had since gotten lost in the sea of clothes that is my wardrobe. When my closet exploded recently, this dress was one of the fabulous items I rediscovered. I wore this outfit to work on one of my first days.

Outfit Details:
Jason Wu for Target Dress (old)
Calvin Klein Cardigan via Ross Dress for Less (old)
Charlotte Russe Shoes (old)
Payless Purse (old)
Ring (gift from Matt's mom)
H&M Umbrella (old)

Photos by my sweet fiance, Matt

And just for kicks, here are a couple photos from that wedding in March 2012. Matt was a groomsman, and my hair was its natural color! :)

This post contains Payless affiliate links, and I will be compensated if you click on them and make a purchase.

Indiska Dress and Closet Explosion

Several things to talk about today, you guys, and there's good news and bad news.

Let's start with the good news: I got a job! I'm working for The Tampa Tribune/TBO.com as a web editor. I started Thursday, and although I don't really have a desk/office yet, I'm super pumped to be working full time again. The team I'm working with is awesome, and everyone has been so welcoming. Win!

Now, let's get to the bad news before I move on to talking about my Indiska dress, which is why you're really here and what I promised in the title of this post.

My closet exploded, and I don't mean in a good way. A good way would be that my clothes somehow multiplied and I had double the outfits. No, I mean my closet exploded in a bad, super frustrating, spend-all-of-Sunday-fixing-the-mess way. :'-(

See those two brackets at the top of the photo that are angled downward? Yeah, those are supposed to angle upward. The weight of my clothes was too much for them, and the shelf they were supporting came crashing down at some point on Friday when Matt and I were both at work.

I didn't realize what had happened until Saturday morning when I tried to open the door and couldn't get in. Matt and I had plans that day, so we couldn't work on repairs until Sunday. I had to pull out all of the clothes and purses that had fallen, and then we had to go to the hardware store to get new brackets.

Matt spent the afternoon installing five new brackets and re-positioning the shelf.

Then, I had to put all the stuff back. One of the worst ways to spend a Sunday!

The only positive that came from the closet explosion is that I've rediscovered items that had gotten pushed to the back of my closet. Hashtag bright side.

Matt and I had planned to take a few outfit photos on Sunday, so I could post what I had worn on my first two days of work, but we had to put that on hold. Maybe we'll get to it later this week.

Instead, I'm sharing photos that we took a while back that, for whatever reason, haven't made it on the blog.

If you've read my blog for a while, you might notice that I sometimes reference a 2011 trip to Finland. One of my college roommates is from Finland and still lives there. After college, she came back to the states a couple times to visit, and in the fall of 2011, I decided it was my turn to visit her. We had an amazing time, and I returned to Florida with lots of Nordic trinkets and clothing, including this pink floral dress from Swedish retailer Indiska.

I so wish we had Indiska in the states, or at least that they shipped to the U.S., because I would shop there all the time. The clothes--especially their dresses--are so easy-breezy with a bohemian vibe. The word "Indiska" in Swedish means "Indian," so that gives you an idea of the styles you'd typically find: a perfect blend of Indian and Scandinavian.

Outfit Details:
Indiska Dress (old)
Target Tights
Payless Shoes (old)
Target Purse
Charming Charlie Necklace (in stores only)
The Native Source Ring

Photos by my sweet fiance, Matt

This post contains Payless affiliate links, and I will be compensated if you click on them and make a purchase.

March Wish List

Here are all the cute things I'm wishing for this month.

1. Cutest of the Fruit Dress from ModCloth, $52.99
I love fruit prints for summer, and this one has all my favorites. It also may or may not already be on its way to me. ;)

2. Red Strawberry Dangle Earrings from SheInside, $6.52
The only fave fruit the first dress is missing? Strawberries! These earrings would totally complete the look.

3. Candy Color Messenger Bag in Khaki from Oasap, $29.99 (on sale)
Name one thing this bag wouldn't go with. You can't? Exactly!

4. Women's Tucker 2-Piece Flat Sling from Payless ShoeSource, $24.99 (on sale)
I've been seeing these types of sandals in lots of stores, and I stop to look at them each time. I have a feeling I won't be able to resist the magnetic affect they seem to have on me much longer.

5. Boucle Sailor Collar Dress in Salmon from Lily Boutique, $19 (on sale)
Can you believe I have zero pink dresses? Maybe now's the time to remedy that, especially since this one has a sailor collar!

6. Watercolor Exhibition Dress from ModCloth, $74.99
Beautiful, floral and vintage-y? Gimme, gimme and gimme!! :P

If anyone wants to send me any of these things, my mailbox is open. ;)

What are you wishing for this month? Tell me in the comments!

This post contains ModCloth, SheInside, Oasap, Payless ShoeSource and Lily Boutique affiliate links, and I will be compensated if you click on them and make a purchase.

Thrifting and Twirling

When I first started posting outfit photos, Stefanie, a friend of mine, thought I was holding back.

"It looks like you wanted to twirl in this photo but didn't," she said, pointing to a picture in one of my early blog posts. "I need to see more twirling."

Honestly, I hadn't thought of twirling until she mentioned it. I've considered doing it in outfit photos since, but I haven't been wearing dresses with good twirling potential. Until now.

I bought this dress a couple years ago while thrifting. I had met my friend, Karen (whom you met in yesterday's post: Roses are Red, Stripes are Black and White), for lunch. She lives in Lakeland and was working right across the street from a great vintage/thrift store. I stopped in after we ate and brought this beauty home with me.

So, without further ado: My first twirling photo!

Matt and I took several twirling pictures, and none of them were particularly noteworthy. My feet were in awkward positions, and I was making weird faces. I'll work on my twirling skills and hopefully get some better shots next time. Because, let's be honest: Like Stefanie, I need to see more twirling.

How gorgeous is this ring? I was looking for something that had both Matt's birthstone (opal) and my birthstone (turquoise), and I lucked out on Etsy when I found this unique handmade ring from RRKK.

The necklace is also a find that I absolutely love. I got it from an outdoor market at Oak Creek Vista that Matt and I stopped at on our way to Sedona, AZ, during our vacation last summer. We didn't plan to spend time in Sedona until we were already in Arizona, and Matt just happened to spot this market en route on the driver's side as I was taking pictures from the passenger window of our rental car. We made a split-second decision to pull into the overlook, which was breathtaking! The whole experience was an impromptu success.

The necklace came with a business card-sized certificate of authenticity with a picture of the artist, Debbie Deschene, a Native American enrolled in the Navajo Tribe who creates inlay jewelry. If I lived in Sedona, I would make every excuse to go to this market as often as possible!

Outfit Details:
Thrifted Dress from 360 Unlimited in Lakeland, FL
Belt from the Ride Here, Right Now dress from ModCloth
Target Tights
Payless Shoes (old)
Ring from Etsy shop RRKK
Necklace from an outdoor market at Oak Creek Vista, just north of Sedona, AZ

Photos by my sweet fiance, Matt

This post contains ModCloth and Payless affiliate links, and I will be compensated if you click on them and make a purchase.