Little Red Dress

Getting through the rest of summer like the dancing emoji

I really only had one goal this summer, and that was to feel carefree. I wanted the sun shining on my skin, the breeze blowing through my curls and most of all, a #girlgang to do all these carefree things with. A week from August, and so far, I can't say that that has been my experience.

"I'm feeling the responsibility of my twenties far more than the wildness of my twenties, which is not what TV led me to expect would be the case."

I spent most of the past couple of months continuing my job search, and thanks to some magic, I landed a gig at Bustle (see my articles here). I'm pretty darn excited about it, but it did not come without some anxiety. I'm feeling the responsibility of my twenties far more that the wildness of my twenties, which is not what TV led me to expect would be the case. 

But, with this small win under my belt and summer still hanging about, I can still make some wind-in-hair moments happen, starting with this dress. It makes me feel just like the dancing señorita emoji, and if that girl ain't carefree, I don't know what is.

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All My Friends Are Getting Married

And I'm just here enjoying this pretty dress

Weddings are beautiful things. At this point in my life, I've only been to few, but I know a slew of embossed invitations will be arriving very soon. It appears I'm entering the stage where all my friends are deciding that now is a good time to put a ring on it. 

Hey, they get a whole ceremony and gifts and a honeymoon—they'll be okay if I twirl around their reception in a cotton candy pink dress.

And I'm happy for them! Really, I am. What that means for me? Well, I could dive into a pit of despair going on about how it could be/should be me (it couldn't and it shouldn't), or I can look on the side where I get to wear an unnecessarily lavish dress for one night. Like prom, if you will. 

This customized Jacey Dress by Azazie is that one for me. And yes, I'm turning their special day into one about me and my dress. Judge me. Hey, they get a whole ceremony and gifts and  a honeymoon—they'll be okay if I twirl around their reception in a cotton candy pink dress.

Azazie provided the Jacey Bridesmaid Dress for styling. As always, thoughts and opinions are my own.

I'm Wearing A Dress

And other thoughts on clothes & blogging about them

Well, here I am folks, wearing a dress. Don't let my lackluster tone confuse you, though—I really do love this off-shoulder summer shift. It's the perfect dress for shimmying here and shaking there, and what is a summer dress if not something you can shimmy and shake in?

Yes, I, the unabashed lover of wardrobes, accessories and frills can, on occasion, be a little bit over it.

But, and this but is a hard one to type out, sometimes I just want to yell at my computer screen, "it's just a dress!" Yes, I, the unabashed lover of wardrobes, accessories and frills can, on occasion, be a little bit over it. Right now, I'm living a life that's 98% new to me. I'm trying to figure out how all these new pieces fit together, and that includes how I write about the clothes I choose to put on my body.

If it sounds like I'm about to renounce blogging, I'm not. I've always wanted to do this, just in a genuine way. If I say, "this dress is my favorite" one more time, I just might strangle myself with said dress. Wait, that's drastic. Truth be told, I will still be saying things are my favorite because us bloggers love our favorite things. Did I mention that this dress is my favorite, top-five, must-have off-shoulder dress for summer? No? Oh, well, it is.

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Hold Up

A summer dress brought to you by Lemonade

While I would need a whole other post to really get into detail as to why Beyoncé's latest release, the now oft quoted Lemonade, is a masterpiece, what I can go on about is her video for "Hold Up," and how it has completely influenced what my summer of 2016 will look like. Case in point, this dress.

It's the perfect shade of mustardy yellow, has the right amount of ruffle and moves like the wind, which will come in handy when I do finally get to dance through the streets tearing apart the city.

If you haven't seen the video (because you live on the moon), see it here.  All I'm saying is, if I ever have to take a bat to a car, I can only hope to make it look that good. Though she is on a path of revenge fueled destruction, she's twirling in the streets, dancing on top of cars and, quite honestly, looking like she's having a blast. Basically, it's what I want my summer to be.

When I found this Forever 21 dress, I knew I was one step closer to that goal. It's the perfect shade of mustardy yellow, has the right amount of ruffle and moves like the wind, which will come in handy when I do finally get to dance through the streets tearing apart the city. Bat optional.

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Forever 21 provided this dress for review, but as always, opinions are all my own and not influenced by the brand. 

10 Spring Dresses You Need Right Now

Feel fine & fancy free in frills, florals and shoulder baring dresses

Spring is nice because snow melts, flowers bloom and we get to come out of hibernation, but the real reason spring is a winner is because we can start wearing dresses again. Dresses! Without tights! The freedom of wearing a dress and not having to layer is unmatched.

You could say I'm pretty excited about it. Naturally, I've already started bringing my favorite dresses to the front of my closet, including this one I fell in love with last year. And since it's no fun being excited alone, here's a roundup of some beauties to get you excited, too.

'Tis The Season

May it be the merriest, brightest one yet!

I must've fallen into a deep sleep sometime between Thanksgiving and now, because all of a sudden Christmas is only two days way. Despite my total lack of preparedness, I am still excited for the most wonderful day of the year.

"I'm also excited for the twinkling magic that seems to cover the world around this time, including, but not limited to, tinsel, fairy lights and layers of sparkly jewelry."

I'm also excited for the twinkling magic that seems to cover the world around this time, including, but not limited to, tinsel, fairy lights and layers of sparkly jewelry.  Most of all, I just want to wish you, my internet girlfriends, a Merry Christmas. I hope your day will be filled with love, laughter and a bit of that magic. 

Photos by Kaye McCoy

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A Midi

Me and my midis go way back. Back to the days when I was an avid thrifter, combing through racks of vintage and thrown away clothes. I don't thrift nearly as much as I used to, bit midi skirts still hold a place in my heart. 

Whether I dress it up or down is entirely dependent upon my mood, but just knowing that either is an option easily makes this skirt one of my favorites.

Though I have many, this one's rich color and subtle sheen is season appropriate. Topped with a tough moto jacket, though, it isn't too holiday-ish. Whether I dress it up or down is entirely dependent upon my mood, but just knowing that either is an option easily makes this skirt one of my favorites.

Photos by Kaye McCoy

Collared

It may be my admiration of Wednesday Addams' killer style or my underlying desire to be forever young, but for a long time anything with a Peter Pan collar got me all starry-eyed.

"If there's one thing I love about a black dress, it's that, with some intention, you can make it work for any season."

Clearly, the feeling still lingers. I was able to give this dress some much needed wearing before it got too chilly, but I'm sure with some clever layering, I can pull it back out soon.

If there's one thing I love about a black dress, it's that, with some intention, you can make it work for any season. Where there's a will, there's a way, right?

Photos by Kaye McCoy

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The Game Changer

By now we all know that Little Black Dresses are a must have -- nothing new there. But, my dear, sweet girlfriends, I am here to tell you that you need a Little Black Dress with some pizzaz, some panache,  some flair.

"...THE MOMENT I SAW IT I KNEW THIS DRESS WAS GOING TO BE A GAME CHANGER FOR ME."

It could've been the scalloped neckline, the open back or they exaggerated flare, but the moment I saw it I knew this dress was going to be a game changer for me. Mostly because it made me feel like the glamorous socialite I am in my head. 

I think all of us gals should have something that makes us feel that way. I don't even care whether you have an occasion to wear it to. Besides, if you really think about it, isn't life the perfect occasion, anyway? My vote is yes.

photos by Kaye McCoy

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* other very similar styles here & here.