dresses

Wedding Season

June 12, 2013 · By Rachel · 30 Comments

I’m sure many of you have already attended some weddings, but with wedding season in full effect (I attend my first one this weekend) I thought I would put together some wedding looks for the upcoming season. I recently discovered eFoxCity.com and am impressed with their cocktail dresses, evening dresses and their summer dresses online for a very reasonable price. I am always about a good deal! Plus, there is something special about each wedding that makes you want to get something new. If you are like me, you aren’t going to spend too much on a new outfit for a wedding though, which is why these options are perfect!

This adorable dress is only $12.74 at eFoxCity.com, available here. Pair it with this necklace (also from eFoxCity), a pair of heels and a gorgeous bright pink clutch for a fashion-forward, yet classic look. Total look under $120.

What about wearing a gorgeous, comfortable maxi dress?! Try one in a bright color, like this deep blue one, with a crochet detail on the back (only $15). Pair with simple black heels, a detailed black clutch and fun, yet delicate necklace (less than $7) for a perfect wedding ensemble. Total look around $100.

Really play with a feminine look by wearing a light pink chiffon dress (only $10.99!), a classic chain-link clutch, and a Victorian inspired pair of earrings, but toughen up the look with a stylish pair of reptile print heels. Total look around $100.

Linking up with Friday’s Fancies!

Filed Under: Outfits, Shopping · Tagged: affordable dress, affordable dresses, affordable fashion, dresses, summer weddings, wedding, wedding dresses, wedding wear, what to wear, what to wear at a summer wedding

Bridal Shower Fun

June 10, 2013 · By Rachel · 53 Comments

When I was thinking about what to wear for my sister’s bridal shower, I knew exactly which dress I was going to pack. This beautiful eShakti dress has a fun color, pattern and beautiful band that highlights my waist. And it was a hit! Little did I know that the shower my mom planned was going to incorporate my sister’s wedding colors, navy and yellow, so I was unintentionally matching the theme. Of course my family still thinks I did it on purpose, well because normally this would be something I would do on purpose (I LOVE THEMES)! Anyway, this dress is SO comfortable and I am even more impressed by eShakti this time around because I asked to customize the dress (which is a free service by the way). The dress was originally one that went past the knee, but when the length goes past my knees, sometimes it cuts my legs off at a bad spot, so I decided to make it a length that is just above the knee. And it is perfect! Also, this dress and my last dress from eShakti has pockets, how great is that?! Who doesn’t love a dress with pockets. I can only say good things about eShakti, they have such a great variety of clothes, styles, colors, patterns and the clothes are so HIGH QUALITY. Seriously.

It was a lovely shower and so much fun to see relatives, neighbors and some of my sister’s friends. We ate fruit and vegetable kabobs, played trivia to learn more about my sister and her fiance and drank sangria. It was so fun, I wish we could do it all over again. Just makes me look even more excited about her bachelorette party the first weekend of August!

eshakti dress 2

eshakti dress 7

Dress, c/o eShakti (Similar) :: Heels, Steve Madden via DSW (Similar) :: Earrings, JewelMint (Similar) :: Lipstick, Posy – Mirabella (Exact)

The Food

The Fun

Sisters! With the beautiful bride to be in the middle!

After a successful shower, big smiles!

Filed Under: Outfits, Wedding · Tagged: bridal shower, bridal shower ideas, bridal shower planning, dresses, eshakti, eshakti dress, eshakti style, sister's wedding, Steve Madden, summer dress, wedding fun, wedding planning, what to wear to a bridal shower

What I’m Packing for VEISHEA

April 17, 2013 · By Rachel · 27 Comments

Last year I created a set on Polyvore entitled What I’m Packing for VEISHEA because I am a very visual person and wanted to make sure I packed all the right things.

VEISHEA for Iowa Staters is just another holiday…. we prep, we plan and we look forward to it each and every year! It is such a fun event that people from all over Iowa come to check it out, even people from surrounding states. And yes, even people from the University of Iowa get their party pants on and actually enjoy their time in Ames. In fact, for being an Iowa native, I might get just as excited for Veishea as Californians get for Coachella.

It is a time to dress your best and bring out all the colorful, fun items for spring. I typically always buy something new for VEISHEA and there are a few items on my packing list that are newcomers to my closet (will be recapping these new purchases at the end of the month). Unfortunately it is going to be kind of chilly (between 40-55 all weekend), so daytime attire of jeans, flats, boots and a trench coat is a must. I am ensuring that I have plenty of options for my three nights there. Like I said, it is a time where everyone is dressed to impress!

VEISHEA is one of the events I look forward to coming back for as an alum of Iowa State University and this year is even more special because my little sister is a freshman there. It will be fun to catch up with friends who are still in Ames and hang out with her while meeting some of her friends. Mostly, I love coming back to Iowa to reminisce on my own experience at Iowa State. And this weekend, it won’t get much better than sleeping my on sister’s futon. Oh the college life, how I miss you!

Filed Under: Lifestyle, Outfits, Travel · Tagged: 10dollarmall, asos, asos dresses, clothes, dresses, heels, JustFab, justfab bags, justfab heels, packing, shopping, veishea, what to pack, what to wear

Insta Weekend

March 16, 2013 · By Rachel · 6 Comments

Hello! I hope you all had a wonderful week! And if you are celebrating St. Patrick’s Day a day early like me, then have a great time. Decided to share some Instagram photos from my Vegas trip, showing a few more details of the trip. Have a wonderful weekend!

Super comfy travel style: faux leather leggings, striped top, leopard scarf and wedged sneakers.

Our first night wearing a jeweled top and not seen: red patterned skinny jeans.

Our view of the strip from the Hard Rock!

Day 2 outfit: snakeskin scarf, lace peplum, chambray and faux leather leggings.

Night 2: Guess dress via Nordstrom Rack (outfit post earlier this week here).

Anniversary celebrations with some champagne!

Night 3: Wore a little black dress for our 2 year anniversary to go see “O” and explore the strip!

And on that note, I swear this is my last Vegas post… at least regarding this trip!

Filed Under: Fashion, Lifestyle, Travel · Tagged: anniversary, celebrations, champagne, dresses, faux leather leggings, Forever 21, hard rock hotel vegas, justfab tote, lace, lace peplum top, leather leggings, leopard print scarf, leopard scarf, little black dress, little red dress, Nordstrom Rack, outfit of the day, outfits, scarf, striped shirt, tote, travel, travel style, travel to vegas, trips, vegas, wedged sneakers

Little Red Dress

March 13, 2013 · By Rachel · 47 Comments

After wearing this dress on New Year’s and this past weekend in Vegas, it truly is my little red dress. I think red is a great color on everyone, so I figure get your little black dress, little white dress and little red dress, and you are good to go! (sorry about the blurry photos, the camera was really off and on … just wanted to party like us instead of work I guess!)

Affordable Prom & Formal Event Dresses

March 5, 2013 · By Rachel · 19 Comments

Prom was quite awhile ago for me, but if I could go back, I would have MORE fun with it, both in the dress I chose and not feeling so pressured to be perfect. My parents always instilled the idea of budget, even for big events like prom, so finding prom dresses under $300 that are this beautiful from David’s Bridal is seriously amazing. I remember shopping for dresses and seeing some upwards of $600. For one night it just seems like a lot to spend, no matter how gorgeous the dress is.

I am so excited to share my top 5 picks from David Bridal’s prom collection because I have had the honor of taking my little sister prom dress shopping the past two years. Now that she is in college, I don’t have anyone to take shopping! Also, some of these dresses could work just as well for a formal event. I haven’t had any formal events to attend in my “adult life,” but if I did I would be looking for affordable options like these!

How gorgeous is this gown?! Honestly I can just picture something this beautiful on a celebrity for a movie premiere or awards show. The ombre sequin detail covering the dress and the slit at the bottom keep the dress fun and sexy, while still being completely sophisticated. You can find this dress here.

New Year’s Outfits Past

December 28, 2012 · By Rachel · 12 Comments

2009

I decided to stay warm with all the walking I would be doing and wear a white sequin tunic over faux leather leggings with a blazer and some pearls!

2010

I really wanted to make a statement by wearing something bright rather than wearing sequins. This bright pink dress with a J.Crew embellished belt did just the trick!

2012

I really loved my pink dress in 2010 so I decided to get another colorful dress last year in green with some sparkles on it! You can see my New Year’s post from last year here.

You may notice that 2011 is missing and well that’s because we didn’t get a SINGLE picture that night. But it’s okay, it was one FUN night and I’m looking forward to this year! You can see what I’m wearing this year on January 1st! What are you planning on wearing, or do you have any fun plans?

Filed Under: Fashion, Holidays · Tagged: dresses, new years, new years eve, new years eve dresses, outfits, what to wear on new years

Remembering

November 19, 2012 · By Rachel · 35 Comments

This dress was my grandmother’s and although it has been hard to move on from her recent passing, I am thankful for the time I got to spend with her. Wearing her dress helps me feel like a part of her is still around, and nothing makes me feel more proud than to wear this and represent her. As Thanksgiving approaches this week, thinking of her reminds me of how grateful I am for my family and all they do for me. Family means everything.

Snakes on a Jacket

October 10, 2012 · By Rachel · 36 Comments

Okay so there really aren’t snakes on this jacket… just snakeskin print. I don’t know, sometimes I just think I’m clever and I laugh like it’s funny. This happens a lot at home and the bf doesn’t even know where it came from, what I’m thinking or what I mean by it. It comes from my mother because I act the same way my bf does when she says things sometimes and I usually end up saying “Oh Mom” but I love her, she’s the best!

Anyway, enough blabbing… so I never thought 1) that I would ever end up wearing this jacket to the office… I thought it might be a bit too crazy for the environment I work in and 2) I never thought I would wear a denim dress to the office thinking it is just too casual. Well, this outfit just goes to show that you should always push yourself to try more and be more creative with your wardrobe. If it is straight out not appropriate, it just isn’t appropriate, but I think the blend of a plain casual denim dress and the dressy features of my snakeskin jacket magically balance each other out. Let’s just say I couldn’t resist a double dose of snakeskin and added one of my go-to work shoes to this outfit, as well as an edgy necklace, a buckle belt and watch to keep the balance between work appropriate and fun/crazy. I got a compliment from a co-worker so I’m going to call it a success!

Jacket: Nordstrom Rack (Similar here) Dress: Lucky Brand (Similar here) Necklace: Target (Similar here) Watch: Nordstrom Rack- BCBGMaxaxria (Similar here) Shoes: Target (Similar here) Lipstick: YSL Rouge Volupte – Color 17 Red Muse (Buy here)

Filed Under: Outfits · Tagged: army coat, army jacket, BCBG, BCBGMaxazria, blazers, button-up dress, denim, denim dress, denim dresses, detailed jacket, dresses, embellished jacket, fall fashion, fall office style, fall style, heels, how to wear snakeskin at the office, how to wear snakeskin print, jackets, Nordstrom Rack deals, Nordstrom Rack purchases, office, office wear, pumps, reptile, reptile print, snakeskin, snakeskin apparel, snakeskin blazer, snakeskin jacket, snakeskin print, Target, Target fashion, Target finds, tights, watch, watches, work outfit, work style

Moments That Take Your Breath Away

October 4, 2012 · By Rachel · 45 Comments

When I realized I have seen family I don’t see very often including my aunts, uncles, cousins, sisters, mom, dad, grandma and bf’s family all within two weeks. That never happens. How lucky am I?
When the bf and I tore up the dance floor at my friend’s wedding to my favorite Lady Gaga song “Bad Romance” and he picked me up off the floor, twirled me around and dipped me at the end of the song. Man he’s good on the dance floor. Man I love Lady Gaga tunes.
Yesterday morning when I realized (while I was all cuddled up with the bf and the pup) that I have my own little family going on and it rocks.

I have been a little more cheesy the past couple weeks, but in all honesty, it’s what makes life so great. After all, these breath taking moments are what we live for, aren’t they? Simple as they are, they make me happier than any pair of shoes. (And shoes make me REALLY REALLY happy). Happy Friday Eve friends.

Dress: Simply Vera by Vera Wang (Similar here) Earrings: Vintage (Similar here) Purse: Coach Factory (Similar here) Lulu Heels: Lulus (Similar here) Lipstick: MAC Faithfully Yours (Buy here)