A World of Dresses

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

Nina's corner

The sunset sundress dress at sunset

05/25/2016 12 Comments

This is my sunset sundress. We all have this dress in our closet. Okay, maybe not this exact dress as I found it at a small, local boutique here in Cincinnati several months ago (shout-out to Pangea, sister store to Kismet, who we wrote about several weeks ago here). But we all have that dress that we wear over and over and over again. That dress that we wear all year round. In the summer, it’s the perfect sundress. In the winter, it pairs awesomely with tights and boots. It’s always there for me.

Also have you seen my Pinterest board for sundresses? If not, you need to go take a look! I pin new ones every day!

Several weeks ago, I took a much-needed vacation with family to a beachfront condo in Indian Rocks Beach, Florida. The wonderful thing about that side of Florida is that you can watch the sun set every night. It is absolutely breath-taking to watch from the beach. I always have my camera, so I thought a few in the sunset light would be fun.

First here are a few shots I took while sitting in the sand.

And now my Sunset Sundress

Thanks for reading along!

Linking up with these ladies today:

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, The Red Closet Diary and Twenties Girl Style

Thursday

Elegance and Mommyhood, Doused in Pink, Curly Crafty Mom

Friday

Two Thirty-Five Designs, 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

Nina's corner

3 adorable LBDs that will rock the party

05/22/2016 22 Comments

Happy Sunday! Today’s post is dedicated to the LBD dress. I’m so very excited to announce that in a little over a month, A World of Dresses is partnering with several local businesses for a little black dress party. It will be Sunday, June 26th (also my birthday!) from 4-7 p.m. I’ll be partnering with Imbue by J. Russo, Hillary Cutter Photo, L’BAE and the Sanctuary. More details and e-vite to come soon. But if you live in the Cincinnati area, mark it on your calendar!

I’m very excited and so to celebrate, I thought I’d do a re-cap of some of my favorite LBD (little black dress) looks I’ve created in the past for the blog. Also, have you had a chance to check out our little black dress Pinterest board? If not, click here to see the magic.

1. One of my favorites

2. The Gwynnie Bee find

This was one of my Gwynnie Bee shipments several months ago. I wore it to work and felt fancy all day.

3. This one!

I remember being particularly pumped about this outfit. You know when you just get the idea for a new outfit in your head and are so excited to try it the next day? Yeah, that was this outfit.

H54F

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

Dress Picks

5 reasons you need a little blue dress

05/17/2016 4 Comments

Everyone talks about the little black dress. Every woman should have one, they say. Confession: I have like six. Perhaps that’ll be a post I create later. But what about your little blue dress? Blue has always been one of my favorite colors. I simply love blue. So here are my reasons why you hands down, absolutely must have a little blue dress in your closet.

*Note that this post contains a few affiliate links. All that means is that if you like and purchase, I get a small commission which goes into more fabulous creation of this blog!*

5. Who does it look bad on?

We all have colors that are just not “us.” Perhaps yellow washes us out or pink just looks too faded. Not blue. The amazing thing about blue is all of the wonderful shades. With light, dark and everything in between, blue is bound to look good on you!

4. What color looks bad with it?

The answer to this question is all of them. They all look AMAZING with blue. The only thing I shy away from is dark blue tops with light blue jeans. That is the exception and I’m sure someone, somewhere has made that work. When styling your little blue dress, here are some color options to consider:

Black
Brown
Nude
Red
Green
Yellow
Pink
Gold

Hot pink shades? Check! Gold earrings? Check! Black, comfy sandals? Check!

3. What accessory struggle will you have?

None! A simple little blue dress provides you with so much canvass, if you will. You can bust out that statement necklace or bold shoes. It’s your “go-for-it” dress!

With this outfit, I opted for my Perry Street statement necklace I kept from a Rocksbox several months ago.

Here’s another example of some accessorizing with another little blue dress of mine. This was from a post I wrote several weeks ago on how to style a navy dress. Click here to read the full post.

2. Why would you not wear it all the time?

You know those pieces we all have in our closet. We thought that one sweater looked cute but never wore it because the print was too bold. Or those earrings we loved but ended up matching with none of our wardrobe? That is simply not the case with our friend the little blue dress. I promise you that it will go with everything and be oh so wonderful. I personally wear both my little blue dresses all the time.

1. Why would you not want another dress?

The number one reason to buy a new dress is to have another one in your closet. Duh. That is always the best reason and probably the reason your significant other will love. Just kidding …

Here are a few little blue dress picks for you:

Linking up with these ladies today:

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, The Red Closet Diary and Twenties Girl Style

Thursday

Elegance and Mommyhood, Doused in Pink, Curly Crafty Mom

Dress Picks

2 maxi dresses worn two ways

05/15/2016 18 Comments

Maxi dresses are one of those things that grew on me. I’ll admit that when they first became popular again, I was hesitant. Perhaps I was unsure of floor-length dresses in everyday life? Perhaps I was worried that as a tall girl, they’d end up far too short on me. Whatever it was, I kept away for close to two years.

Last Spring, I was planning for a move to Nicaragua. What I knew about where I was going was that women don’t wear shorts. When traveling, I always want to do what is culturally appropriate. Nothing says American tourist more than someone who does not do a little Internet research before visiting a new place. You’re in their land and you should always show some respect.

I knew Nicaragua would be very hot with little to no air conditioning. A maxi dress seemed like the perfect thing. You really cannot offend anyone in a floor-length dress. Furthermore a dress would allow for more breeze than some hot, stuffy pair of jeans would. So I stocked up on a few maxi dresses and skirts. This dress was a part of the collection.

Also you should check out my Pinterest board all about maxis. It’s another great place for some maxi dress inspiration.

My maxi

Dress: Target (similar)

Amber’s maxi

This was from a photoshoot we did several months back. Amber bought this dress for Easter Sunday. It really is perfect for that!

I also just love her belted look. She pulled that deep hue right out of the dress with that cardigan. The entire ensemble is complete with her necklace.

Maxi picks

Here are a few maxi dress picks I found perfect for this season. The great thing about a maxi dress is that you can save or splurge.

Under $25

Under $30

Splurge

Thanks for reading along!

Also linking up with these ladies today:

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 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, The Red Closet Diary and Twenties Girl Style

Thursday

Elegance and Mommyhood, Doused in Pink, Curly Crafty Mom

H54F

5 stunning bridal jewelry pieces

05/13/2016 12 Comments

Happy Friday! High fives all around because we have made it! Friday is here which means the weekend is also almost here.

Last week I did a collaboration with my friend Jena at Imbue by J.Russo. She designs beautiful jewelry aimed at brides and bridesmaids. I was recently a bridesmaid in my friend Sara’s wedding (read blog post here) and thus have a beautiful, full-length bridesmaid dress sitting in my closet. I might as well use it for a blog photoshoot, right?

Also are you following A World of Dresses on Pinterest yet? We have a whole board full of bridesmaid inspiration that you should check out here.

Jena just came out with a new line called the Siren Collection. These pieces are from that collection. Her aim in creating jewelry is to make pieces women can wear on their big day and every day. Wearable bridal jewelry … amazing. So today I give you the five pieces both Jena and I are gushing over.

1. The Melusine Earrings

bridal jewelry — Dress: David’s Bridal Versa Dress

I just love these earrings. I have always been an earring girl. You’d be hard-pressed to find me not wearing a set of earrings on any given day.

Also it was just too perfect that the color scheme of her new line matched the color my friend Sara chose last fall. These earrings can be customized several different ways that you can learn about here. Also 5% of the proceeds from this piece and all her creations go to the Sea Shepherd Conservation Society.

2. The Sirenia Earrings

I love a good pair of earrings. What I particularly love about these ones are how unique they are. This design is not something you can necessarily find everywhere. The three points at the bottom remind me of something sort of nautical. It’s fitting because they are inspired by the seductive nature of mermaids, according to the Imbue wesbite. These are made with elegant Swarovski crystals. You can learn more about this product here.

3. The Quartz and Pearl Necklace

This necklace has the right mixture of elegance and flair. It’s just the right amount of edgy for that bride who wants to be unique on her big day.

You can learn more about this necklace here.

4. The Thessa Necklace

This is another very unique piece. It goes perfectly with a dress with a low neckline. The great thing about the Versa dress is that you can create whatever neckline you want!

5. The Sirenia Necklace

This may have been my favorite necklace. It pairs so well with the earrings. You can learn more about it here.

There’s even a little part on your back! This would be perfect for a bride with an elegant up-do for her big day.

But wait, there’s more …

We have a sixth look that is amazing. We’re reserving this look just for our loyal e-mail subscribers. But you can be an e-mail subscriber too!

Click here to get an exclusive look at the sixth look with the Sirenia Harness.

Also today were 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

My Closet

3 easy ways to make a sundress work approp

05/10/2016 11 Comments

Photo cred for this piece is Hillary Cutter. Check her out at hillarycutterphoto.com.

It’s that time of year where the sun is more or less out to stay. We no longer need tights or even leggings when wearing our dresses. We can also unpack those sundresses with bright colors and floral. Spring has arrived.

I don’t know about you, but I have a lot of sundresses. I often want to wear these dresses to my job, which is in an office. It can be perplexing … how do you make something with no sleeves and often no back appropriate for the 9-5.

I mean, you cannot necessarily waltz into corporate America like this …

Hey guys, I’m ready to work. Don’t mind like all the cleavage and my back. Yeah, no big deal.

Not.

So here are three simple things you can add to that sundress to make it so your co-workers don’t have to stare at your back all day.

1. The blazer

When I put on a blazer, I feel powerful. I can do all the things a man can and many things better. Blazers remind me that us women can kick a– in a man’s world.

This blazer has always been a favorite. In addition to it looking powerful, it’s simply comfortable.

While the red necklace does not necessarily hide the cleavage situation, it distracts it for sure.

2. The scarf

The scarf is probably my favorite cleavage fix. You may think that scarves are only for winter. You’ve thought wrong.

A well-placed scarf totally hides any cleavage. It’s an especially great trick if you work with children.

3. The sweater

We all have a cardigan sweater or two in our closets. These are perfect to make any sundress office appropriate. Here I opted for a belt to add a more polished look. You can also just leave the sweater open or button it half up.

What are your tips for dressing appropriately for work?

Also today I’m linking up with these ladies:

Jersey Girl Texan Heart, Shopping My Closet, Pumps and Pushups, The Pleated Poppy, Elegance and Mommyhood, Walking in Memphis in High Heels, Sydney Fashion Hunter, Doused in Pink, Curly Crafty Mom, The Mummy Chronicles, Cappuccino and Fashion, Posh Classy Mom, Beauty by Miss L

Nina's corner

My first Mother’s Day without her

05/08/2016 9 Comments

Today is my first Mother’s Day without mom. I really have no expectations for Mother’s Day this year. In January, I lost my mom to a six-month battle with a brain aneurysm. It was tough but life went on. I have a job that doesn’t necessarily allow much time for grieving. Furthermore, I’m in a role where I’m serving others every single day. In short, at times it was easy to just brush it aside. I’ve gotten used to responding with “oh, that’s okay” when someone first finds out that she only passed a few months back. In short, this can just be how I am. I find that I think I’m being strong by just pushing along.

Right now, however, I’m in Clearwater Beach, Florida in a beachfront condo with my dad and brother. I’m here until Wednesday and I don’t have to do anything. It feels great. It is just how my mom would want me to spend my first Mother’s Day without her.

Social media may be hard to see today. Everyone will be posting photos of their moms, with their moms and about their plans for the day. To say that I’ll be jealous of everyone who gets to physically be with their mom today is an understatement.

So to anyone who has lost their mom, we’re in this together. As one of my friends told me, take this day and enjoy it for us. Today I’m thinking I’ll do these things:

Walk on the beach
Run on the beach
Swim
Drink coffee
Drink a fruity drink
Talk about how great she is
Talk about my favorite things about her
Think about last Mother’s Day
Miss her
Cry
Take photos
Get a lot of sun

Thanks mom for being awesome. I miss you.

Dress Picks, H54F

The 5 most versatile dresses for vacation

05/05/2016 11 Comments

I leave for vacation Saturday and I am excited. I’m headed down to Indian Rocks Beach, Florida for four days/five nights with my family. I think with all that has been going on in my life, it has not hit me yet that I will soon be on vacation. I’ll soon be at a beachfront condo swimming in the ocean.

Packing is always a daunting task, especially as someone who has so many dresses. When I think the beach, I think sundress. When you have maybe 10-15 of them, it can become daunting. So I decided to share with you the five dresses I chose and why.

OH! And have you seen our printable, free guide to packing light and fabulous? I just compiled a few things that help me focus when packing. Get your’s here.

Alright, so back to the dresses …

1. The black floral dress

This has been one of my favorites for a long time. I bought it at Kismet OTR’s sister shop Pangea several years ago for a wedding. I have gotten more use out of it than I ever expected.

I’m bringing this dress because I love it. Also, both of my main sandals go with it and it’s black. It’s incredibly important to bring things that you can match easily. After all on vacation, you don’t have your entire closet with you.

2. The simple navy dress

I have a lot of royal reds in my wardrobe. This navy pairs great with it.

3. The maxi

It’s not a beach trip without a breezy maxi dress.

4. My favorite

Winter, Spring, Summer and fall are when I wear this dress. It is my favorite and I cannot get enough out of it. Several months back I wore it on my How I Style It: First Date Looks post. I’m excited to wear it on the beach.