H54F Archives - A World of Dresses

5 Reasons to miss that summer sundress

09/01/2016 31 Comments

I’m going to miss my summer sundress. As someone who wears dresses basically every day of her life, year round, you go through your phases. Tonight I was invited to an online Lularoe party and opted for a dress with longer sleeves because I was picturing myself getting up in the morning in Spain in like January. I’ll put on my tights, favorite boots, maybe a scarf and definitely a jacket. The sundress days will be gone until next year. And I’ll admit it, there’s just something about sundress season that I long for each year.

Several months ago, my brother was in town and we went out for sushi. I was LOVING everything about my look. On a whim, I had ran my straightener through my super straight hair and created curls (perhaps it was the whole not having washed my hair that day thing). My pink lipstick and green jewelry were color coordinating with one of my favorite sundresses. The ensemble was simply easy and comfortable.

Why I’ll miss that summer sundress

5. I’ll miss the convenience

When you put on a sundress, 90% of your outfit is complete. Except for your shoes, everything else is basically optional. If you don’t feel like wearing earrings or you don’t think you have a necklace that matches, it’s all good.

In the winter, you have to find tights and a sweater. You have to make sure they go with the outfit. While I do enjoy that part of accessorizing, I will at times miss the simplicity of my summer sundress.

4. The accessibility

Okay, so I’m basically an open book when it comes to bodily functions. I mean, we all do it, right? Sundresses make for the easiest bathroom runs ever. You’re in, you’re out and you’re washing your hands maybe a minute later. When I’m out with friends at a restaurant or bar, I’m all for whatever will get me back to my group fast enough.

So basically … urination is my number four reason. Let’s be real here.

3. The breeze

Summer can get quite hot. However each summer I remind myself to be thankful that I’m not a woman in 1832 because those petticoats would have been terrible. I’ll gladly take my sundresses. I really do think they keep you cooler than shorts and a tank top. And depending on the material, you can stay quite cool.

2. They are incredibly easy to dress down

There are some dresses that just sit in my closet. I often feel like I can only wear them if I dress them up. However sundresses are the ultimate casual dress. Those black sandals that you see in these photos have been my go-to sandals all summer. I always like to buy one pair that goes with everything and wear them all summer.

If you want to put some heals with your sundress, you can also do that too. They can be dressed up or dressed down.

1. They can be as boldly colorful as possible … and white!

Sundresses come with no color restrictions. And I mean it’s not really that the other seasons have them, you just wear a lot less bold prints in January.

However in the summer, you can be as bold as you want. So thus … this dress. Enjoy!

Ladies are you going to miss your summer sundresses?

Today I’m linking up here:

Friday

Bright on a Budget, KT Cup of Tea, Della Devoted, The Closet by Christie, Life in Leggings, Style Elixir, Two Thirty-Five Designs, A little Bit of Everything, Liz Adventures, Hello Happiness, Nancy’s Fashion Style, Jeans & a Teacup, Claire Justine, Rachel the Hat, A Poketful of Polka Dots, Forage Fashion, Fashion Should be Fun, Sincerely Paula, Shelbee On the Edge, Birdie Shoots

Monday

Birth of a Fashion Blogger, Sincerely Jenna Marie, More Pieces of Me, Fizz and Frosting, Still Being Molly, Beauty by Miss L, Michelle’s Paige, Not Dressed as Lamb, Mahogany Closet, Color and Grace, and Not Dead Yet Style

Tuesday

Live Randomly Simple, Sandy a la mode, Two Peas in a Blog, I Do deClaire, The Fashion Canvass, Walking in Memphis in High Heels and Elegantly Dressed & Stylish

Wednesday

Jersey Girl Texan Heart, Shopping My Closet, Pumps and Pushups, The Pleated Poppy, Sydney Fashion Hunter, The Mummy Chronicles, Cappuccino and Fashion, Posh Classy Mom, Living on Cloud Nine

Thursday

Elegance and Mommyhood, Doused in Pink, Curly Crafty Mom, Jaymie Ashcraft

H54F, travel

5 Reasons why hostels are better than hotels

08/27/2016 31 Comments

About two weeks ago, I stayed in a hostel in Portland, Oregon with one of my best friends. I’ve always thought that hostels were better than hotels and have even stayed in a few during my trip to Spain last year. However this past week solidified for me that hostels are better than hotels. Now don’t get me wrong, I do love a hotel stay too. I love the comfy bed, the maid service, the little shampoo bottles and everything else that comes along with a good hotel stay. However with this trip, the Portland Hawthorne Hostel was a better option for our wallets. It was between a hostel and airbnb. After looking at this particular hostel’s website, I went with the hostel.

For those of you unaware, a hostel is a place to stay for travelers just like a hotel. However you often share a room with strangers in addition to sharing bathrooms, the kitchen and other communal rooms. The price is often between $20-$40 per night. Depending on the hostel, there are often options for you to have your own room as well. You just pay a bit more for that vs. a dorm room with say six-eight beds.

Hostels are extremely popular in Europe and are sought out by the backpacking community. However in the United States, you’d be surprised to find more hostels than you think. Websites such as hostelworld.com make it very easy to look up hostels all over the world. In fact, that was how I found the Portland Hawthorne Hostel. So we booked two spots in the co-ed six bed dorm. We were ready and excited.

After spending more or less a week in a hostel, I am now a full hostel supporter. So I decided to make this short list for you. Next time when you’re planning a trip, look up the hostels and see if any strike your fancy. It really is a neat way to travel. So without further ado, here are five reasons why hostels a better than hotels.

5. A real kitchen

Traveling can get expensive. One of the biggest ways that travelers burn through money is food. Eating every meal at a restaurant can be expensive, especially when you are traveling for a while. However when you stay in a hostel, you have access to a real kitchen complete with everything you’d need to cook a meal. You are free to go out and buy your own groceries, and store things in the communal refrigerator as long as you label with is yours. We were literally a two-minute walk from a Safeway grocery store. So at the beginning of the week, I picked up an assortment of food to munch on for the week. I bought things like fruit snacks, hummus, bananas and canned soup. It helped us live a bit more economically.

Additionally, each morning the hostel has free breakfast complete with tea and coffee. Also the Wednesday during my stay they hosted a community meal where each person paid $3. Super affordable, if you ask me.

4. Lots of resources

Hostels always seem to have a lot of information about things going on locally. When I’m sure hotels do as well, hostels give you more of the heartbeat of a city. For example, our hostel had flyers up about local festivals and open mic comedy nights. Additionally, there was information about public transit and city tours. Basically, hostels seem to gather up any information that may be helpful to travels and put it out. It makes figuring out plans for the day so much easier. Furthermore everyone on staff was friendly and helpful. They consider helping travelers experience Portland as best as they can to be a very important part of their job.

3. Affordability

I think we paid around $32 a night in Portland. Some hostels are a little as $10-$20 per night. Hostels will always be less expensive than a hotel room. The reason they can charge less is that they host more people for their space than a hotel. So in turn, you exchange a bit of privacy for price. But honestly when you’re out exploring a city all day, all you really need is a bed and a nice shower.

2. Cross-cultural interaction

You end up talking to so many people when staying at a hostel. It’s kind of hard not to start conversations when you all have to eat breakfast at the same dining room table or share the same kitchen. During my stay I met people from South Korea, France, the UK and Australia. You end up talking and swapping stories about your cultures. Meeting people from other cultures is my favorite way to learn about the world. And you can do that by simply staying at a hostel instead of a hotel.

1. Friendship

Hostels encourage social interaction like no one’s business. Our hostel for example had a community dinner night, a pub crawl and an open mic, in addition to breakfast every morning. It’s not at all uncommon to form friendships and go explore the city with people you met at your hostel. I ended up befriending a traveler or two during my stay in Portland. It was great. If you’re looking to do a solo trip, hostels are awesome because you can find people to do stuff with. You can find people to go explore that really neat part of town with or go to the pub with. It’s wonderful.

Have you stayed at a hostel before? What was your experience like? If not, have you considered it?

Today I’m linking up with these bloggers:

Bright on a Budget, KT Cup of Tea, Della Devoted, Life in Leggings, A little Bit of Everything

H54F

My 5 Spain worries and woes

08/11/2016 41 Comments

Oh. my. gosh. Spain is getting nearer and near each day. For those of you who do not know, in September I’m going to move overseas to Spain to teach English. I plan to spend my off time immersing myself in the Spanish culture, blogging and traveling. Expect some travel posts for sure. I also wrote a post about why I’m moving to Spain at age 29 a few months ago. You should click here to go read it!

However as with any big move come with worries. I in fact have some Spain worries of my own. How could I not? I’m sure everyone who has made a move to another country has experienced worries similar to my Spain worries. So I thought I would write a bit about the things on my mind each day as I make my move.

5. How am I going to sell all my clothes, shoes, accessories, etc?

Friends, it’s no secret that I’m basically always drowning in dresses. I mean it’s kind of why I started this blog. However I plan to pack pretty light come September for several reasons. First, 98% of the things I need I can also find in Spain. Except for some medication and a few other things, everything can be found over there. There is no need to pack a lifetime supply of tampons or every over the counter medication I can think of.

In regards to my clothing, I’ve been going through my stuff and putting it on Poshmark. What is Poshmark, you may ask? Poshmark is a website where you can buy second hand clothing directly from everyday people. I always have a Poshmark button over on the righthand sidebar of the blog where you can browse through my stuff. I have 23 listings and counting. Any purchase you make from me on Poshmark funds my trip to Spain. So click here if you feel like it and take a gander.

4. Money

Okay so if anyone moving overseas says they’re not worrying about money … they’re lying or are ridiculously wealthy. I know that it’s completely normal to worry and that is okay. When I start to worry, I just reassure myself that it’s all okay. A. I’m working two jobs and each week add a chunk to my savings and B. There are so many people who will pay decent money to learn English with native speakers. In fact, I’ve already come across several decent opportunities for next year in regards to teaching English on the side and I haven’t even arrived yet!

It will all be fine, I tell myself.

3. Making friends

Again, this is another thing that I think we all worry about a little bit. Then we add in the language barrier and it at times feels a little scary. I’m such a social person … your classic extrovert.

Do you know what reassures me here? I try to think back to a time when I had no friends and could literally not think of one. I’ve always made friends wherever I go and Spain will be no different. Furthermore, I’ve already found my American travel buddy via Facebook and haven’t even arrived yet. She’ll be teaching English too through my same program and we already have a trip to Ibiza planned to attend a bachata festival.

I’m sure six months from now I’ll think back to this post when I’m out at the bar with my friends and just … laugh.

2. Spanish

I absolutely love speaking Spanish but mine is still nowhere near perfect. There are still times where people speak at a rapid fire speed and I’m like “Que?” “Cual es la pregunta?”

I’m sure I’m going to have more moments like that. I’m sure I’ll forget or not know words all the time. And you know what? I’m just going to roll with it. It’ll challenge me and force me to grow in all kinds of new ways.

1. Travel

This is more of an excitement. I’m going to see so many cool new places. I’ll meet new people and try new foods. I feel alive when traveling and I cannot wait to do it. Expect lots of travel posts, friends.

I’ve also decided to start a bi-monthly Spain update newsletter. It’ll be just like any other blog newsletter except with a focus on my life in Spain. I’ll have all kinds of exclusive content and photos about my new adventures. I’d love for you to be a part of it. You can subscribe to it here:

Today I’m linking up here:

Bright on a Budget, KT Cup of Tea, Della Devoted, The Closet by Christie, Life in Leggings, Style Elixir, Two Thirty-Five Designs, A little Bit of Everything, Liz Adventures, Hello Happiness, Nancy’s Fashion Style, Jeans & a Teacup, Claire Justine, Rachel the Hat, A Poketful of Polka Dots, Forage Fashion, Fashion Should be Fun, Sincerely Paula, Shelbee On the Edge, Birdie Shoots

H54F

5 Reasons why you should use Influenster

07/07/2016 15 Comments

I have recently fallen in love. One of my favorite things about being a blogger is my power to influence. Anyone who personally knows me knows that I have opinions. They know that when I feel strongly about something, I tell the world. They also know that I’m not necessarily afraid to hold back. I’m that wholesome-looking girl in a dress who you don’t expect a little spunk and sass from. I know it takes people by surprise at first. But that’s why I love it … I’m the girl with 60 dresses and a whole lot of backbone.

I discovered Influenster several weeks ago when looking for opportunities to grow my blog. The concept seemed simple enough. You basically create a profile and take some surveys. Based on your preliminary input, you can be selected to review and thus influence products. Like they actually put a box together and ship it you you. In exchange, you tell them what you think in various ways (Twitter, Instagram, product reviews on the products’ websites, etc.). Also you don’t have to be a blogger to participate. Although if you are a blogger, there is absolutely no reason whatsoever why you should not have a profile on Infleunster. Like march on over right now and get to influencing!

Anyway, here are 5 reasons you should use Influenster:

5. Your questions will get answered

Have you ever stood in the makeup section at the store and wondered how that foundation would actually work for you? And like you can’t exactly dab some on your face to see (unless you’re at like Sephora). Maybe you have a specific question that the Sephora girl might not be able to answer such as a skin condition or such. Regardless, there are tons of questions we all want to ask when considering buying a product. We often just forego our questions and spend the money. Half of the time, we hate the product for a variety of reasons. It just doesn’t work.

With Influenster, you can ask any question you want. You simply use the search feature to look for the product and ask the question. With over 2 million users, you’re bound to get a few responses. With this feature, there really is no reason to make an uninformed purchase.

4. It expands your world

My first vox box, as they call it, was sent to me last weekend. I got four Estee Lauder products: The Barest Lipcolor, The Flash Illuminator, The Pore Vanishing Stick and The Beam Team Hydrate + Glow cream. Minus the lipstick, I would probably not have bought these products on my own. However it’s fun to explore. I get to see the benefits of a more glowing moisturizer and a pore vanisher. I will admit that it has brightened up my face these past few days. Will I actually buy these products when these ones run out? I’m honestly not sure.

Influenster can expand your world too. As I said before, you don’t necessarily have to be a blogger to participate. They just seem to look for socially-engaged people. So if you’re active on social media, you’re perfect!

reasons use influenster — Myself after using all the products

3. It’s just fun to play around with

There’s an Influenster app you can download right onto your smartphone. We all have free time here and there throughout the day. I often find myself on Instagram during those random moments. Now I can work on my badges on Influenster!

2. It helps you refine your expertise

You can keep adding new things to the list through Influenster. Furthermore, we can all find a few products we’ve already tried to add our opinion to. It’s great.

1. Free stuff!

We all love freebies. With Influenster, I got my box totally complimentary. I’m always down to accept free products that I’d actually use and that I think my readers would enjoy.

So again, Influenster is great and you should try it.

Also here is where I’m linking up today:

Bright on a Budget, KT Cup of Tea, Della Devoted, The Closet by Christie, Life in Leggings, Style Elixir, Two Thirty-Five Designs, A little Bit of Everything, Liz Adventures, Hello Happiness, Nancy’s Fashion Style, Jeans & a Teacup, Claire Justine, Rachel the Hat, A Poketful of Polka Dots, Forage Fashion, Fashion Should be Fun, Sincerely Paula, Shelbee On the Edge, Birdie Shoots

H54F

5 of Sunday’s well-dressed ladies

06/23/2016 9 Comments

I present to you five well-dressed ladies. This Sunday were hosting a little black dress party in collaboration with three businesses: Hillary Cutter Photo, Imbue by J. Russo and L’BAE. All three are women-led and I could not be more excited to work with them. Everyone will be encouraged to wear their favorite little dress. Admission is free and there will be drinks/light snacks. What more could you want?

We want the event to be interactive and so we’ve asked some women to be models. We will have roughly 7-8 women roaming the crowd displaying all the wonderful work of our business partners. These are five of our fabulous models.

1. Jenni McGee

I was introduced to Jenni in the fall by a mutual friend. I was looking to feature someone who loved dresses just as much as I did on the blog, so our friend connected us. Jenni is a teacher and also a salsa dancer. She competes with a team called Salsanati. You’ll have to check out her personal style here: Jenni’s Salsa Dresses + More.

2. Kaci Harrison

I serve as an AmeriCorps member with Kaci. We both work at different organizations in Cincinnati focused on education. Our group gets together for trainings, support and fun. Her placement happens to be at Education Matters. Stella talks all about Education Matters in her Q&A that we posted last week. Kaci has a fun and bubbly personality. I’m excited she’s going to be a part of our team for Sunday!

3. Kendra Pressley

Kendra is a good friend of mine. Back when this blog was just getting started and I had no idea what I was doing, I decided to interview Kendra. I knew I wanted this blog to be about more than just me and she’s always down for whatever. So I asked her and she agreed. You can read the interview here. She’s cute and sassy, as we see here in the picture above. She’s also quite an expert in the realm of makeup/beauty products. I’ve told her she needs to start a blog multiple times.

4. Rebecca Miller

Rebecca is another AmeriCorps friend. She, like Kaci, is also working at Education Matters. She just finished a master’s degree and plans to continue her career in the nonprofit sector after our year with AmeriCorps ends (anyone hiring?). She also has a fun and bubbly personality.

5. Amanda Oaks

Amanda is also an AmeriCorps buddy. Yes, there is a slight theme here. Amanda is an excellent writer. She also blogs and you should check it out here. She blogs about writing and the books she reads. She basically shares her reviews on the books she reads. I hope you check it out!

I’m excited that all of these ladies will be joining us this Sunday. Each one of them will bring their own unique talents and gifts to the event. Added bonus: the party is a fundraiser for Education Matters and Community Matters. Admission is free but if you want to contribute, you’re more than welcome to stop by their table to do so. We just want everyone to have a good time being who they are. For more details, check out the Facebook event here.

Here’s just the rough details:

Sunday, June 26th, 4-7 p.m.
The Sanctuary, 2110 St. Michael St. Cincinnati, Ohio
Explore local brands, take photos, wear a fun dress, drink and do some good!

Today I’m linking up here:

Bright on a Budget, KT Cup of Tea, Della Devoted, The Closet by Christie, Life in Leggings, Style Elixir, Two Thirty-Five Designs, A little Bit of Everything, Liz Adventures, Hello Happiness, Nancy’s Fashion Style, Jeans & a Teacup, Claire Justine, Rachel the Hat, A Poketful of Polka Dots, Forage Fashion, Fashion Should be Fun, Sincerely Paula, Shelbee On the Edge, Birdie Shoots

H54F

5 Highlights from la semana pasada

06/17/2016 11 Comments

Happy Friday! I’m so glad we have made it to the end of the week! I think we all need to pat ourselves on the back. We have made it to the weekend!

A lot has been happening in my world. In a little over a week, I will host a little black dress party along with several other female small business owners. I’m about 85% excited and 15% worried about all the things. I plan to have an informational/interactive table and I’m currently stressing about how that will look. All will turn out okay, I’m sure. Anyway, here are 5 highlights from this past week.

5. My pineapple dress arrived

About a week ago on a whim, I decided to buy a pineapple dress off of Zulily. It’s exactly what you think it is … a dress with a pineapple on it. It arrived a few days ago and I’m so very excited. You’ll have to check it out for yourself here:

Stay tuned for an outfit post featuring this dress in a few weeks.

4. Mexican food with Una

Do you all remember Una from Tea with Una? If you’re new to following my blog, I often feature other women in their favorite dresses on here. First, because I’m really not all that interesting. And second, I love hearing the stories of other women. Una had some cute dresses for sure.

Last night we had a long and enjoyable dinner at Los Potrillos Mexican restaurant. I always end up accidentally speaking Spanish at Mexican restaurants. By that I mean that I never want to be “that person” who’s all like dusting off their shoulder as they say “hola, como estas?” to the waiter. However it usually comes out accidentally at some point throughout the meal and we end up making small talk in Spanish. Then they ONLY talk to me in Spanish the rest of the night. Ooops. Go figure.

3. My Irresistible Me flat iron

Over these next few weeks, I’ll collaborating with Irresistible Me, a company that makes hair extensions, flat irons, hair accessories and the like. My flat iron arrived and I’m so very excited! My hair is pretty naturally straight. However I love creating waves with a flat iron, so I plan to create that sort of look with this awesome hair styling tool. Stay tuned as I’ll be reviewing it in a few weeks.

2. The weather

The weather has been absolutely amazing. I have been loving all the warmth we’ve been having.

1. The Little Black Dress party

Next Sunday, June 26th, I’m hosting a little black dress party with several other amazing women. I simply cannot wait. I met up with Jena from Imbue on Tuesday to hash out all the loose ends. We also had a little photoshoot in her favorite LBD. The full post will appear Sunday. Here are a few teasers:

*This post contains affiliate links. That means that if you make a purchase through some of these product links, I will make a small commission. Additionally, the Irresistible Me flat iron was given in exchange for a product review. All opinions are my own.*

Thanks for reading along! Today I’m linking up with:

Bright on a Budget, KT Cup of Tea, Della Devoted, The Closet by Christie, Life in Leggings, Style Elixir, Two Thirty-Five Designs, A little Bit of Everything, Liz Adventures, Hello Happiness, Nancy’s Fashion Style, Jeans & a Teacup, Claire Justine, Rachel the Hat, A Poketful of Polka Dots, Forage Fashion, Fashion Should be Fun, Sincerely Paula, Shelbee On the Edge, Birdie Shoots

H54F

Top 5 ways to promote a fashion event

06/09/2016 7 Comments

With our modern world, there are so many ways to promote a fashion event. While it’s neat, it can also be overwhelming. I know for me, too many options can sometimes be a bit much. Furthermore, you want to be sure that your methods are actually working. After all, no one wants to have a poorly-attended event.

On Sunday, June 26th, I’m going to host a little black dress party with several other female business owners. You may remember Jena from Imbue by J. Russo and Pamela from L’BAE. Both of these ladies as well as Hillary Cutter who has taken photos for me in the past, are joining me in this endeavor. I’m excited.

The biggest thing to remember in planning an event is that promotion is just as key as the actual event itself. The event will not be successful if no one comes. Your blog or business will not grow without new audiences and an event is a great way to find that new audience.

My top 5 ways to promote a fashion event

Social media. Everyone is on some or multiple forms of social media these days. You simply have to be out there and you have to be out there repeatedly. What did I do before writing this post? Schedule a few posts on my blog’s Facebook page of course. One of those posts is a re-share of the event that I made about a week ago. The key to social media is repeat repeat repeat. Simply creating an event, inviting your friends list and hoping they come is simply not enough. There’s a discussion page on each Facebook event. Use it and use it often. All those “interested” people will get a notification every time you post and thus be reminded of the event. Share tidbits, behind the scenes photos and other details. Give it some variety but always be sharing. The same goes for Twitter and Instagram. Also if you have a budget, boosting your event will bring it to a larger audience. That’s the reason I have 169 people interested vs. like … 60.
Collaborate with other bloggers. The theme of my party is little black dress, so I’ve asked some bloggers to collaborate with me. Each blogger will be posting a photo of themselves in their favorite little black dress in exchange for me featuring them in a post. I’m super excited. Even though a lot of these ladies do not live in Cincinnati, they may have readers who do.
Handing out flyers. While technology is great, some things still need to be done the old fashion way. I just got about 200-300 hand-sized flyers printed. I spent part of my evening dropping them off at few coffeeshops and boutiques. First, you never know who may pick it up. And second, I had two great conversations with people about collaborating while I was out. I suggest you just sit down and make a list of every place you can think of that would allow you to flyer. Then take a few hours and pass them out. It’s amazing what can come from that.
Online calendar listings. Every city has a newspaper and a few news stations. They often have calendars that allow you to submit listings for free. You might as well submit your event to as many as you can. You never know who will stumble upon it and decide to come.
Word of mouth. It is said that people are more likely to come to something if they are personally invited. I like to try to personally invite two people a day until the event. It does not have to be fancy. For me, it’s just a simple hello, how are you text. I’d suggest making a list of all your friends and acquaintances you want to personally invite. Then invite away!

I hope these tips helped! Just remember to promote promote promote!

Linking up with:

Bright on a Budget, KT Cup of Tea, Della Devoted, The Closet by Christie, Life in Leggings, Style Elixir, Two Thirty-Five Designs, A little Bit of Everything, Liz Adventures, Hello Happiness, Nancy’s Fashion Style, Jeans & a Teacup, Claire Justine, Rachel the Hat, A Poketful of Polka Dots, Forage Fashion, Fashion Should be Fun, Sincerely Paula

H54F

The 5 dresses you MUST own

06/02/2016 16 Comments

I present to you the five dresses you must own. I myself am a dress person. However I understand that not every woman is like me with 60+ dresses pouring out of her closet. Heck not every woman even has 10 in her closet. So if nothing else, make sure you have at least one of each of these hanging up.

I will also say that this list was inspired by Pinterest. I have been LOVING Pinterest lately. Furthermore, the A World of Dresses party is BLOWING UP. I mean really. We have grown by over 100 followers in less than a few weeks. If you’re not following along, please do! Click here to join the fun!

5. The maxi dress

A maxi dress is just perfect. It’s always appropriate and also very comfortable. Can you teach children in it? Check! Can you wear it on a date? Check! Can you wear it out with friends? Check! Can you wear it to the grocery store? Check! Can you wear it to the PTA? Check and check! I actually wrote about maxi dresses several weeks ago if you want to check it out. It not only features myself but my good friend Amber. Click here to read it. Also we have a Pinterest board dedicated to only maxi dresses. We are 73 pins and growing! Click here to check it out!

4. The sundress

A sundress is PERFECT for the Spring and Summer. I find that people often get married in these months. A good sundress is the perfect thing to wear to a wedding. Also things like the derby and music festivals. They are easy to dress up or dress down. Click here to see my Pinterest board for sundresses.

3. The little black dress

Did you know we’re having a Little Black Dress Party? Yep! In just a few weeks here. If you live in the Cincinnati area, you HAVE to attend. It will be a blast!

Anyway, back to the actual little black dress. My favorite thing about a little black dress is what you can do with it. It’s perfect for a fancy cocktail event and also super easy to wear casually with some flats. You can wear it to the movies and wear it to the opera! I have a killer board just for LBDs as well. Click here to view the fun and inspiration.

2. The colorful dress

We all need that one dress that just pops. We also need that dress that you can mix with anything. Feeling gold today? It’s got you! Feeling black? That works too! We just started a baby Pinterest board for colorful dresses. Click here to see it.

1. A simple dress in your color

We all have our color. Perhaps it’s our favorite color or the color that looks best on us. For me, it’s either green or blue. There’s nothing like a simple dress that fits nicely, looks great and is comfortable. I actually made a whole Pinerest board about the little blue dress. View it here.

Well thanks for reading along! What kinds of dresses are in your top 5?

Also linking up with these ladies today:

Bright on a Budget, KT Cup of Tea, Della Devoted, The Closet by Christie, Life in Leggings, Style Elixir, Two Thirty-Five Designs, A little Bit of Everything, Liz Adventures, Hello Happiness, Nancy’s Fashion Style, Jeans & a Teacup, Claire Justine, Rachel the Hat, A Poketful of Polka Dots, Forage Fashion, Fashion Should be Fun, Sincerely Paula

H54F

5 Reasons I’ll be fleeing to Spain at 29

05/27/2016 14 Comments

Ah your late 20’s. Your late 20’s are when you’re supposed to be getting married, getting pregnant (random aside … Pinterest keeps having pictures of pregnant women in dresses pop up on my homefeed. What on Earth are they telling me?), going to grad school, making the big bucks and generally feeling confident in where you are in life. I only have one of those five things on that list (no I’m not pregnant and no, I’m not making mounds of $$). Instead I’m fleeing to Spain.

This fall, I’m fitting all my things into two suitcases and moving to Jaén, Spain in the Andalusia region. I’m basically fleeing to Spain. Excited does not even begin to describe what I’m feeling. I’ll be turning 29 in only a few short weeks and could not be more ready to make a big, international move. Now is the time in my life when I can and will do exactly what I want. And there’s nothing more that I want in life right now than to live in Spain, drink wine, eat tapas, speak Spanish every day and spend my off time seeing all the parts of Europe I haven’t seen yet. Also, cobble-stoned streets and old Spanish cathedrals make for great photoshoot locations. I’ll just need a good photographer … know of anyone in Jaén, Spain? Jk but not really. The blogging struggle when moving far far away will be so real.

But enough about my worries because they will keep coming. I’m moving to another country … of course I will not completely stop thinking about all the things I need to make happen. This is intended to help me breathe and also help anyone else out like me. Maybe you too want to take that big adventure, whatever it may be. Do it!

Anyway, here’s why I’m fleeing to Spain at 29 (almost!)

1. To really experience a different culture

One of the best ways to expand your mind is learn about other cultures. There are over 200 countries in this world. America’s way of doing things may not always be the best way. But how would we know unless we really experience how the rest of the world works?

When I move to Spain, I want as much immersion as I can get. I want roommates who speak no English so that I’m forced to communicate in Spanish every day. I want a group of friends where I’m the only English-speaker. I want to befriend my neighborhood barista. Understanding a new culture through relationships with others will give me a unique perspective I’ll carry with me for the rest of my life.

2. To travel

Right now, my heart is to be seeing the world. While backpacking through Europe sounds great, in reality I do not know when I’d actually have a month worth of time to just go or the money. Furthermore, I want to go now.

When you’re already living in Europe, a weekend trip to Portugal, Morocco, France, the UK, etc. is not too shabby. It’s also pretty inexpensive. I’m excited to see where my travels take me. If anyone has any tips or a couch, feel free to let me know!

3. To relax and work less

My job next year only requires me to work 12 hours a week. On top of that, many people teach private English lessons for extra money. All together, I doubt I’ll break a 30-hour work week. I’m so ready. We work too much in the United States. Our culture focuses on careers too much and I often question why.

4. To eat and drink

Spain is a wine country and the food is amazing.

5. To really, truly speak fluent Spanish

You know it’s hilarious, really. At times I do start thinking “oh, maybe I should go to grad school. Maybe I should worry about my future. What job will I get if and when I return?”

Then I stop and think … I’ll be effing bilingual when I return. Like for real. Like right now bilingual appears on my business card and I have a lot of conversations in Spanish. But I mess up grammar tenses, misunderstand things, etc. at times.

However after several years of total immersion in Spain, I’ll be good. I also read that the Spanish-speaking population in the US is predicted to be around 138 million by 2050. Job security? For sure.

So in short go after your dreams. Live in a foreign country and eat the tapas, if that’s what you want!

Today I’m linking up with these fine folks:

Bright on a Budget, KT Cup of Tea, Della Devoted, The Closet by Christie, Life in Leggings, Style Elixir, Two Thirty-Five Designs, A little Bit of Everything, Liz Adventures, Hello Happiness, Nancy’s Fashion Style, Jeans & a Teacup, Claire Justine, Rachel the Hat, A Poketful of Polka Dots, Forage Fashion, Fashion Should be Fun, Sincerely Paula

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5 amazingly fetch favorites that made me jump with joy

05/20/2016 14 Comments

High school. You remember it well. The sound of a slammed locker door, gross cafeteria food, trapper keepers and cliques. It was fun while it lasted, but you would never want to go back. Well … you’d probably physically want to go back …

However you’d watch Lindsey Lohan and Rachel McAdams play high schoolers any day. That right there is where we will kick off my 5 amazingly fetch favorites from the week (fetch … it’s like slang … in … England).

5. It’s like I have ESPN or something …

I seriously think I have lost count on how many times I have seen Mean Girls. I can quote it frontwards and backwards. Yet it also never gets old. So when a friend invited me to a Mean Girls movie night, I of course could not say no. My only regret was that it happened on a Wednesday and I forgot to wear pink.

Watching this movie is also such a flashback for me. It came out April 30, 2004, which was the Spring of my junior year of high school. I literally cannot believe that was 12 years ago! Here are a few of my fashion observations from that time period:

There were LOTS of mini skirts
There was a fair amount of midriff showing
Flared pants were still a thing
Hoop earrings

Also this meme is just great:

4. The long-lost friend catch up

Everyone, this is Kendra. Kendra is a close friend and one of the original ladies I featured on the blog. Back in the fall when I had no idea what I was doing, she volunteered to let me feature her and her amazing dresses. This is one of them and it is adorable! Who doesn’t love a good spring floral (ps: have you seen my floral dresses Pinterest board?)?

Yesterday we caught up after several weeks of not seeing each other. It was good just to catch up.

3. I finally made it to improv

Little known fact: I’m in an improv comedy troupe. I’ve been a part of Highly Improvable, a local Cincinnati improv comedy group, for the past three years now. I love it. It’s especially empowering being a woman up on stage in a world that is often dominated by men.

However when life hits, you sometimes take a step back. My mom passed away in January and I just was not in an “improv” place when it happened. So from January until last week, I did not make it to Monday night practice. And my first Monday back was AWESOME! I enjoyed myself so much. We came up with the most ridiculous stuff and I just enjoyed it. Also, I missed all my troupemates.

2. Rest and relaxation

My weekend was full of lots of rest and downtime. It was great. I tried to use that time wisely and work on my blog.

1. Spain!!!!

I got word last Friday that I will be moving there to teach English somewhere in the province of Andalusia. So now I can go find my Spanish husband. I joke but I’m maybe … serious.

This is me in Andalusia last summer. I was at a beachside restaurant in Malaga, my favorite city in all of Spain.

That was my week. What fetch things happened to you this past week?

Also I’m linking up with these folks today:

Bright on a Budget, KT Cup of Tea, Della Devoted, The Closet by Christie, Life in Leggings, Style Elixir, Two Thirty-Five Designs, A little Bit of Everything, Liz Adventures, Hello Happiness, Nancy’s Fashion Style, Jeans & a Teacup, Claire Justine, Rachel the Hat, A Poketful of Polka Dots, Forage Fashion, Fashion Should be Fun, Sincerely Paula