H&M Archives - A World of Dresses

Gwynnie Bee dress + Liebster Award

03/16/2016 7 Comments

Hello all! Happy Monday! Last Monday was spent having some Vietnamese with my friend Una, who I actually featured on the blog several months ago (Tea with Una). I was loving my dress, so I handed the camera to her to snap a few.

Are you familiar with Gwynnie Bee? It’s a clothing subscription service that I discovered several months ago. You basically create an account and start putting things in your online closet. You have to have at least six items in there for them to send you a package. Once you do, based on what you have, they will send you an amount of items ranging from 1-10 depending on your plan. So it’s simple … only put things in your closet that you think you’d like and you’ll be pleased every time. Also just to note, Gwynnie Bee is only for sizes 10-32. Some of the dresses come in medium, which is how it has been able to work for me. I excitedly signed up and then read that later. I’m normally a size 6-8.

As we all know, I love dresses. So currently my online closet is full of 15 dresses. My next one is in the mail! Here is what last week’s looked like:

Also, I was nominated by Sarah from Bows and Clothes for a Liebster Award. Basically, bloggers nominate each other and you answer questions. I was honored to be picked by Sarah! Here are my answers to her questions:

1. What do you like to do in your free time?

Between working a full-time job, a part-time weekend job and blogging, I’m often not left with much free time. I do like to hang out with friends and practice speaking Spanish. I also dabble in a little improv comedy.

2. What is your dream vacation?

My dream vacation is a year worth of traveling the entire world and visiting as many countries as I can. Yet rather than staying in hotels the entire time, I’d spend a lot of my time staying with natives. Getting to know people from other countries is the best way to learn about the world.

3. What is the worst movie/book you have seen/read?

Birdemic is a pretty classically bad movie that I watched with my improv troupe. It’s ridiculous and if anyone is ever having a bad movie night, it should be at the top of your list. Just go watch that preview I linked above.

4. Why do you blog?

In the fall, one of my friends told me I should blog about all the dresses I wear. I have always been a writer and have dreamt about a more flexible source of income. So here I am.

5. What is your least favorite food?

Granola bars.

6. What is your favorite season?

Oh the summer for sure. I’m a very social person, so I love how everyone is out and about in the summer. And of course I love the warmth.

7. What is your favorite blog?

I do not have one, so I’ll just list a few that I read: obviously Bows and Clothes, Bright on a Budget, Jersey Girl Texan Heart, Tanvii and 26 and Counting

8. If you had a million dollars, what would you do with it and why?

I would invest it in a business that would employ women seamstresses around the world in an ethical way to make dresses. The dresses would be sold online and possibly in boutiques. I’d take the rest of the money and travel.

9. What is your favorite song and why?

This one. Really? There are too many to choose from. I’ve been listening to a lot of Lana Del Ray recently. I find the song Ride to be fascinating.

10. What is your biggest blogging mistake?

Not discovering the blogging community quick enough! It’s funny how Sarah came into my life. I participated in Dressember and was tweeting about it. Sarah started liking and retweeting my stuff. I check out her blog and found out that she was participating in Dressember. I was excited, so I reached out to her.

I noticed that she participated in link-ups and thought “what’s that?” Once I discovered what they were, I was like “why not?” Now I read a lot of other blogs and often get inspiration from my fellow bloggers!

11. What is your favorite kind of cake?

Here in Cincinnati we have a bakery that makes this chocolate and icing layered cake called an Opera Cream cake. It’s amazing.

I’m awarding the Liebster award to these bloggers: Miss Moore Style, The Work Flare and Laimouna’s Memoirs.

The Liebster Award guidelines are as follows:

Thank the blogger who nominated you and link back to them.
Answer the questions given to you by the blogger who nominated you.
Nominate up to 11 bloggers.
Give the nominees 11 questions to answer on their blog.
Let them know you nominated them.

Here are your 11 questions:

What inspired you to blog?
What message do you want your blog to tell the world?
What do you plan to do to stand out and be different?
What makes you laugh the most?
Who shoots your photos?
If you could only have one accessory, what would it be?
Favorite color?
What’s an average day look like for you?
Where do you want to take your blog?
Dogs 0r cats?
What would you do with a million dollars?

Thanks friends!

Dress: Leota, also can be found at Zulily here

Boots: Target

Necklace: vintage jewelry from my grandma

Jacket: H&M similar

Also, this beautiful Catholic Church was on our walk. We of course had to snap a few photos!

Also I’m linking up with: Doused in Pink, Jersey Girl Texan Heart and Elegance and Mommyhood

H54F, Uncategorized

5 ways I honor my mom

03/04/2016 6 Comments

This past Tuesday, I got caught in a downpour. I was walking to lunch with a few friends and the place ended up being farther away than we thought. The original plan was to take photos in this cute cafe we were headed to. Then for a few moments, I decided against that considering that I was soaked. Yet after I checked myself in the mirror, I decided “eh, why not?” My blog is not about myself or anyone else looking perfect. It’s about sharing life with the world around me. Sometimes that means getting caught in a downpour.

How I honor my mom

This dress was found on sale at H & M several months back. I instantly loved how easy of a dress it is. You just put it on with some tights and boots, and you are ready to go. I’ve also always worn it with a good necklace.

As many of you know, my mom passed in January. She was a big fan of the Hunger Games, so my best friend got me two Mockingjay necklaces for Christmas. She was in hospice during that time. She was buried in one of them and I have the other.

I had not yet worn it and I’m not really sure why. Yet on Tuesday, it just seemed to go with the outfit. It was such a neat way to remember my mom throughout the day. Thus it got me thinking of ways that I remember and honor my mom.

1. Jewelry

The Mockingjay necklace is not the only piece of jewelry I have that’s connected to her. Anything she gave me is something that connects me to her. I have this necklace with the letter N on it and several other things. I also have scarves and dresses that she gave me with such love.

2. My dog Toby

Dogs were also one of her favorite things. She loved our dog Toby a lot. She also loved animal rescues and I’m sure would have fostered 20 dogs if she could. So any time that I spend with Toby I know is making her happy.

3. Just doing what I love

My mom was always a big proponent of me chasing my dreams. She was always my biggest supporter and wanted nothing to hold her back. I know she’s looking down proudly.

4. Watching all her favorite shows

We would spend a lot of time watching TV shows with her such as The Middle, The Office, Parks and Recreation and The Big Bang Theory. I can just imagine all the things she’d say.

5. Just being me

Because she never wanted me to be anyone else.

Today I’m linking up with:

Della, Tif, Caitlin and Katie

Liz Adventures, Carolina Charm, Hello! Happiness, The Good Life Blog

Dressember

Christmas party outfit

12/22/2015 2 Comments

Christmas is almost here! Last Friday, I had three Christmas parties to attend in one night. I suppose it’s just that time of year. I also worked a casino gig for the Cincinnati Circus Company (my super fun side gig). So I needed a good outfit that would work for all the things. Friday also marked day 18 of Dressember. So I thought I’d make this an outfit and a story post.

I absolutely LOVE this jacket! When I was last at H&M, they had this jacket in roughly 8-10 colors. Furthermore, the original price was only $39.99. I, however, bought it on a sweet black Friday deal for $26! My hair is pulled back by a piece I bought in Dubai’s Global Village last Spring. This past year, I was so very blessed to have the opportunity to visit four new countries. The United Arab Emirates was one of them. One of my best friends from college is a Dubai native. So when I visited, she took me to the Global Village. Basically for several months out of the year, Dubai invites people from all over the world to set up shops in the village with things from their culture. I found these amazing coasters from the Africa section. I want to say it was from Kenya, but I unfortunately cannot remember the specific African country. This headpiece was from the China section. If you ever have the chance to go to Dubai, go! It’s most definitely worth a week or more of your life. It was on said trip that I decided camels are like the coolest animals ever.

The Christmas dress

I am just obsessed with this dress. I knew it was all over when I went on a Target trip and saw all the dresses. If you need a good and affordable party dress for Christmas or New Year’s, Target is an excellent place to look. I tried on four, texted my best friend pictures of the two I was deciding between and then picked this one. It was her favorite too.

Christmas dress

A positive trafficking story

The story I’m sharing is quite a positive one. India is one of the most populated countries in the world. Thus, it also has a large problem with human trafficking. International Justice Mission, one of the organizations Dressember fundraising efforts go to, has an office in Mumbai. Mumbai has a red light district that is over 200 years old. Many young girls are heartbreakingly trafficked there. The Mumbai IJM office just completed trainings for 10,000 police officers, social workers and prosecutors. Quite a milestone. In this story you can listen to an interview with IJM Mumbai’s Field Office Director Sanjay Macwan. His goal is to rescue every minor girl from trafficking in the red light district. You can read the full story here.

We only have about a week left of Dressember. I really hope you’ll consider contributing towards my goal. You can learn more here.