Polka dot twist waist dress

Dress: Target - exact here
Necklace: F21 (old - similar here and here)
Shoes: got overseas - similar here and here
Glasses: Relic - no longer available - similar here
Shop these items in my favorites for spring here!

Linking up with Long Distance Loving, Aloha Friday Blog Hop, and Follow Friend Friday

I hope you all have a wonderful weekend and that those that celebrate Easter are surrounded by wonderful food, family and friends. And vodka peeptinis, if you're into that kind of thing.

Thank you for reading! 

Graphic bow top, mint jeans

Graphic top: old - similar here, here, here and here

Mint skinnies: Target - exact here, similar here

Camisole: Old Navy - exact here in beach cruiser green 

Shoes: Cole Haan - exact here, similar here

Sunglasses: Jessica Simpson (no longer available - similar here)

Linking up with Vodka Infused Lemonade, Look What I Got, Bloglovin Blog Hop, and 

Lovely Blog Hop

Honey, have you powdered the pug today?

For those of you who don't know, about a month ago Watson and I adopted the sweetest pug, Charlie.

Charlie has brought countless laughs and so much love into our home. And ....  a pretty gnarly skin condition.  He is still somewhat overweight and has some kind of allergy, which causes places where his skin rubs (armpits & crotch) get super swampy.

A recent conversation between Watson and I went something like this:

W: Babe, can you baby powder the pug this morning? I have a meeting and I'm running late.

Me: Sure sweety- do you think we should try the Monistat chafing gel? (Sidenote - which I originally bought as a makeup primer. It's awesome. Read about it here).

W: Yeah that sounds good. I think it's in my shaving bag. (Sidenote - ???)

Me: Heads to bathroom. Hey, what's this brown streak on the carpet?

W: *Sigh*

Poor Charlie.  We know he has some sort of skin allergy that our vet thought was food related, so we've tried a couple different kinds of high quality food and cortisone shots, but it doesn't seem to be clearing things up completely.  He licks and scratches until he makes himself raw, then rubs his raws bits all over the carpet.

Since our vet seems baffled, I thought I'd engage in the great American pastime of diagnosing a medical condition by surfing the internets.  (So many side notes today - however I'd suggest you never do this for your own conditions. Like Miranda on Sex and the City aptly quipped):

Miranda: I've been trying to diagnosis myself on the Internet....
Charlotte: You can do that?
Miranda: Sure, Just type in your symptoms, hit enter, and wait for the word cancer to appear on the screen. 

That WebMD.com is a scary place.

But when it comes to pug itchiness, the diagnosis is that no one really knows what causes it or how to cure it. So I thought I'd engage in the second greatest American pastime of asking for random advice on the internet.

So friends - any advice as to what else we might try as far as determining the source of dog allergies, and helping with the symptoms?

Charlie the pug sez: I have stinky armpits

Posh'mina wrap and date night dress

The dress

All wrapped up

The arm holes prevent slipping

Belted

Wrap: c/o Posh'mina

Dress: Ruche (from last season - similar here and here) 

Sunglesses: Jessica Simpson (similar here) 

Shoes: Jessica Simpson Calie (exact here) 

Hair: followed this tutorial

Linking up with The Pleated Poppy, Because Shanna Said So, Wardrobe Wednesday, Whatever Works Wednesday, Dress For the Day You Want, Rolled Up Pretty, and I Feel Pretty

Happy hump day, everyone!  The Posh'mina recently sent me this gorgeous wrap to style and I decided to pair it with this gauzy dress that needs an extra layer for warmth at night.  What is so nice about these wraps is that unlike traditional pashmina scarves, these feature two arm holes, so that they stay put without slipping around or requiring bulky knots.  The Posh'minas are available in a variety of prints (I also love the Muse - gorgeous!) They are 100% viscose and are super silky and warm, but still breathe.

Hope you're having a great one!

Black peplum and pearls

Top: Target (exact here) 

Necklace: Target (exact here) 

Pants: H&M (similar here) 

Shoes: Zara (similar here) 

Recreate this outfit: 

I know much of the blogging world is over peplum, but I'm not ready to give it up yet.  Rarely do really "trendy" things flatter me, so I may wear these tops into the next decade.  I do realize that while it's 80 degrees here, it is still snowing in parts of the country - if I didn't live smack dab in the middle of the Sonoran desert, I'd make this outfit a bit more transition friendly by adding a white blazer to the top.

Also, new on the blog is a "Shop" page that you'll see a link to at the top right.  The shop contains both a boutique of looks that I'm loving for spring, and a "shop my closet" section where I'm selling items that I love, but that just don't get enough action in my closet. Swing by and take a look!

I hope you are all having a great week!

STD - a celebration of love

Made you look.

Some of you asked to see the photos that we took for our save-the-dates, and my very private significant other has approved this one for public viewing.  Considering we took it ourselves with a tripod and a pool full of drunk college kids looking on, I think it turned out ok!

I am wearing: 

Dress: ASOS (exact here) 

Necklace: J.Crew Factor (exact here)

Polka dot tights (similar here)

Shoes: Cole Haan (exact here, similar here) 

I hope you are all have a wonderful weekend, and I'll see you soon!

Google reader hates you, goes away July 1

 

In case you've missed the discontent sweeping the blogosphere, Google reader and by extension, Google Friend Connect, are disappearing July 1st.

Luckily, Bloglovin' is a great alternative and has even put together a nifty importer that automatically imports all your blogs from google reader to the Bloglovin' blogroll in just a couple steps.  You can access it here, and it just takes a minute or two.

Thank you all for reading, and I'll see you on the other (Bloglovin') side!

Have a great weekend -

eShakti striped dress

I styled my hair using this tutorial

Dress: c/o eShakti

Sunglasses: Relic (no longer available - similar here)

Sling back heels: got overseas (similar here)

eShakti (Shakti meaning "power" in Sanskrit and eShakti the "power of the internet") recently sent me this gorgeous striped dress and asked that I share a little bit about my experience.  If you haven't come across this women's apparel company in the blogosphere yet, they are an India-based clothing manufacturer with an administrative/customer service office based in the US. What sets eShakti's business model apart from other retailers is that their items are all completely customizable to your measurements and height. 

What sets their clothing apart from some other popular online retailers is the quality. Although my opinion is based on this one dress, I am impressed - the cotton has a great weight to it, and the colors are really vibrant.  It is obviously well made - all the seams are completely straight, and raw edges on the inside are finished with a serger. While I can't comment yet on how colorfast their items are, I was impressed enough that I went online and ordered this skirt just days after getting the dress.  I requested this dress in a standard size without any alterations, so I'm excited to see how the skirt turns out as I customized it to hit right at my knee. 

I know there has been a lot of grumbling on the internets regarding eShakti's customer service and shipping times, although in my case everything went very smoothly.  (Although the dress was provided by eShakti, I placed an order just like anyone else would). The representative that contacted me was responsive to multiple emails that I sent her, and the dress arrived in perfect condition within days of me sending in my measurements.  Assuming that my experience isn't an anomaly, it seems that previous customer service glitches and delivery delays have been resolved. 

My one and only complaint is that items seem to disappear from the website without notice.  While I appreciate that limited quantities of items are sold, it is frustrating to see an eShakti item on someone/via Pinterest/etc. and for no trace of that item to be found on the website later.  (For example, the dress I am wearing no longer appears anywhere on the site). It would be great if items would be marked as "sold out" instead of simply disappearing, and there were the option of perhaps reordering if enough customers were interested. 

That said, me eShakti experience was a great one, and I can't wait for my next package in the mail!  Especially since duct taping the hem shouldn't be necessary. 

***Although the dress featured was provided by eShakti, I was not compensated in any other way for this post and all opinions are mine solely. *** 

Linking up with Follow Friend Friday, the Aloha Friday Blog Hop and the Look What I Got linkup

The jailbird wore poppy

Sometimes I love this striped tee and and feel chic and stylish in it, and other times it makes me feel like I'm one parking ticket away from the slammer.  Today is one of those other times.

Braid hair to the side, wrap in bun and lightly pin

Top: H&M (old - similar here and here) 

Skirt: J.Crew jardin skirt in poppy (out of stock - similar here) 

Belt: Target (available in stores or similar here) 

Shoes: Carlos Santana silver pump (old - super cute option here) 

Recreate this outfit: 

Thank you for reading, everyone! 

Baroque even if you're broke

Skirt: Target (similar here, fun spring version here) 

Blazer: H&M (similar here) 

Top: H&M (similar here and here) 

Shoes: Jessica Simpson Calie (exact here) 

Linking up with Because Shanna Said So, Whatever Works Wednesday, and Wardrobe Wednesday

Recreate this outfit: 

Happy Hump Day, everyone!

ASOS Little Black Dress

Dress: ASOS (exact here) 

Necklace: J.Crew Factor (exact here)

Polka dot tights (similar here)

Shoes: Cole Haan (exact here, similar here) 

Recreate this outfit: 

Linking up with Still Being Molly, DC In Style and Watch out for the Woestmans, and The Pleated Poppy

Watson and I have decided to DIY our STDs (that's Save The Dates - I know - our lives are so boring) in every way possible, and that included parading around this apartment complex like a couple of morons this weekend taking pictures.  Humiliation aside, I think we got a few decent shots which is a good thing, since my very camera shy significant other declared he would "never do that again". 

I hope you had a wonderful weekend filled with corned beef, cabbage and Guinness!

Thank you for reading, friends, and I'll be back in touch ASAP to announce the winner of the group giveaway Visa card!