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The Perfect Floral Dress for Spring

The Perfect Floral Dress for Spring

Dress | Handbag (on sale!) | Sunnies (similar here)| Heels (under $100!) | Earrings I don’t know about you, but the recent bout of warm weather has me pining away for warm, breezy spring days spent in the sunshine. The promise of springtime also has me craving color. Gimme all the pinks, corals, mint greens, baby blues, and heck, why not even throw some lavenders in there, too! That’s why I’m…

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Trendspotting: Cross-front bell-sleeved blouse

Trendspotting: Cross-front bell-sleeved blouse

Cross-front bell-sleeved blouse (Under $50 & comes in 6 colors!)| High-waisted flared jeans  Heart-shaped sunglasses (under $15!) | Vintage macrame bag (similar here in black and here under $35) | Platform sandals consigned (similar here under $30) Vintage coin bracelet (Kate Spade has a similar piece here) | Vintage earrings (very similar here under $13!) One of Spring 2017’s biggest trends is…

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*This post contains affiliate links. If you click the links and make a purchase, I can make a small commission from your purchases. However, I only link to items that I love.*

ModCloth is having an awesome BOGO 50% off tops sale right now, and it’s the perfect time to stock up on spring shirts!

If you’re in need of a breath of fresh air after the wintry blast we’ve been experiencing over the last week or so, then I cannot recommend ModCloth’s spring collection enough. Below, I’ve listed several of my picks, as well as a few tops I own and reach for over and over again. There’s no coupon code necessary, and the sale ends March 18 at 11:59 pm ET, so make sure you stock up now!

Ruffle-sleeved floral top (comes in 3 color ways!) – I wear this top constantly, and it’s so versatile! The “Enoki” color way is perfect for transitional spring colors! If you’re ready for full-blown spring florals, this sweet floral print ruffle-sleeved top is super similar.

The Future is Still Female t-shirt – So, the shirt I’m wearing is sold out, but the version I’ve linked is really similar. It’s the same message, without the DIY Sharpie! It’s under $30, and you’ll wear it forever (because the future will always be female, duh).

Pretty Pretty Prints

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Top Row: Hot air balloon print top | Feminine floral top | Kitty silhouette top

Bottom Row: Floral front-tie button-down (I just ordered this – it’s available in 6 prints!) | Elephant print peplum | Cactus print button-down

Feminine Frills

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Top Row: Blush pink scallop top (comes in baby blue, too!)| Sleeveless white lace top | Floral lace peplum top

Bottom Row: Blush lace sleeveless top (comes in olive and slate, too!) | Sleeveless white ruffle top (comes in a beautiful coral, as well!) | Lavender lace top

Longer Lengths

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Top Row: Coral floral button-down (also in navy)| Dinosaur print bow blouse (also in black)| Cat with eyeglasses t-shirt (under $30!)

Bottom Row: Striped bell-sleeved top | Rainbow sweater | Striped umbrella sweater

Remember, to take advantage of this BOGO tops sale, you just need to head to ModCloth! No code is necessary, but the sale ends at 11:59pm ET on March 18, so don’t miss out!

Are you loving these picks as much as I am? If not, head to ModCloth’s site for hundreds of other options.

Happy shopping!

  *SALE ALERT* All tops BOGO 50% off at ModCloth! *This post contains affiliate links. If you click the links and make a purchase, I can make a small commission from your purchases.

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At the beginning of February, I made a vow to live purposefully and love life, during a time of year when I usually just “trudge through.”

I spent lots of time with friends and family, followed our high school basketball team all over western PA for playoffs, and took on a few home improvement projects. In the midst of all of this gallivanting, I made a pretty big life decision. After a three-and-a-half year hiatus…

I’m finally going to finish my Masters degree, guys!

I’m so excited to complete a final portfolio project this summer, earn my MS in Mass Media Arts & Journalism, along with a PR certification, and possibly start my own consulting business, using my portfolio project as a baseline.

I knew that in order for me to be able to really get to work, I’d need to declutter my home office/library (and, let’s be honest…cat room). I’m huge on “vibes,” and the vibe in that room just wasn’t conducive to productivity. So, Chris and I decided to repaint, declutter, and turn our home office into a space where I not only could concentrate, but where I could really enjoy spending a large amount of time.

Before

Desk and bookshelves:

The desk and bookshelves served their purpose, but they weren’t exactly “clean” looking. I hadn’t really done much editing; all of my stuff ended up on these shelves for lack of a better place to put it. The shelves begged for reorganization and decluttering.

Gallery walls:

Again, no real rhyme or reason here. Just stuff that I sorta liked, relatively randomly placed on the walls.

Front corners:

Quite of few of these things have sentimental value; I have teacups from various family matriarchs, two framed quotes from To Kill a Mockingbird, and a collection of courting pins, as well as other courting scene antiques. But again, there’s no rhyme or reason to the layout. I had just put things where they fit spatially, with aesthetics as a secondary priority.

The Process

Chris and I knew we wanted to brighten up the room, so we chose paint colors based on a white, mint, and teal color palette. We chose an evening to tape off all of the trim, because we wanted to get all of our painting done within one weekend. I bought samples ahead of time to test the colors. It looked a little something like this:

I knew I wanted mostly white walls so that the room would be brighter. I also knew I wanted an accent wall against the white desk and white bookshelves, so that they’d stand out. I wanted to keep the trim light, as well, but I also wanted it to be in the same color family.

We started early on a Saturday morning and had three walls painted white within about seven or eight hours (btw, our next project is going to be sanding those popcorn ceilings!).

I had a little fun with it, and Mario Lemeow even got in on the action.

It’s important to remember to tape off EVERYTHING, including window trim. I also removed the socket covers and painted them.

We let the walls dry for 24 hours, then we got to work on the accent wall and trim. I’m happy to report that we finished all of the painting in one weekend. The reorganization, however, took me a few more weeks. I have to give a shoutout to my mom, who’s a genius when it comes to organizing, decluttering, and staging bookshelves and gallery walls.

After

Desk and bookshelves

I’ve had this desk since high school, and I love the space, storage, and shelving that it offers. This desk offers similar storage options, and this hutch offers similar shelving. The white bookshelves flanking the desk make the entire wall look like a cohesive unit.

Other pieces:

Desk chair | White fur rug | Cursive “Love” sign (similar; this one is from our wedding!) Prisma Picture Frame | Pear (this one’s gold!) | Organizer trays (similar) | Space-saving LED desk lamp

Desk details

Organizer (similar) | Sharpie pens | Paris Chic pencil set | Plush unicorn | Unicorn ring holder | Business card holder

Cactus (similar)| Silver globe (similar) | Octopus (similar; love these bookends, too!) | The Little Prince pop-up book

(If you hadn’t noticed, I have very eclectic tastes in decor, as well as literature.)

Hanging terrarium kit | Feather sculpture (similar, set of 3) | Shakespeare Celebriduck | Jewelry/Mug Holder (in copper, love this one if you’re looking for silver)

 Gallery walls:

Top photo: Set of 3 mirrors | Content art print by Marcia Furman | Sea urchin wall decor Bottom photo: All cross-stitches were gifts | Pillow (similar) | Teal rug (similar) | Bench (similar, and probably without kitty scratches!)

Corners

Ok, so I’m really proud of my spray painting skills. The pedestal (there are two; they flank the bookshelves) are repurposed from my first wedding. I spray painted them when we first moved into this house! I also spray painted the honeycomb clock. It’s under $15! I just hit it with a can of silver spray paint, and voila!

In the top photo, you can see the other pedestal. These photos also show off my vintage hat box collection. All of those boxes hold vintage hats! The piece of furniture in the bottom photo is actually an old microwave stand from my husband’s old apartment. I used chalk paint on it when we first moved in. We keep our collection of games in there! I’m also pretty obsessed with the curtains I found (these ones are similar – they have a fun pom pom trim!). More of those below!

Other photos

Sidney Clawsby and Mario Lemeow are huge fans of the redecorating!

What do you think? I can’t wait to get to work in this room!

Have a great week!

  A Reason for a Home Office Decor Upgrade At the beginning of February, I made a vow to live purposefully and love life, during a time of year when I usually just "trudge through."

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A Floral Trapeze Dress for Cooler Spring Weather

A Floral Trapeze Dress for Cooler Spring Weather

Dress | Vest (similar-on sale!) | Purse (similar – on sale!) Booties | Sunnies (under $15!) | Earrings Shop the entire look here. Here in Pittsburgh, we’re in that weird part of the year that’s sort of almost spring. It could be 70 degrees one day and 26 degrees the next. In fact, that’s happened multiple times over the last couple of weeks. If this wacky weather is giving you wardrobe whiplash,…

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Little Black Dresses You Can Wear Anywhere

Little Black Dresses You Can Wear Anywhere

With the biggest date-night weekends of the year coming up (I’m looking at you, overpriced lobster), you might just be in the market to add something cute, sexy, or sassy to your closet. But why buy something for Valentine’s Day (or any other occasion, for that matter) if you’re only going to wear it once then let it sit and collect dust? If you’re investing in a new piece or new outfit for an…

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Rich colorful prints with Niki Whittle Designs

Rich colorful prints with Niki Whittle Designs

Blouse | Leather Leggings Bag (similar) | Heels (on sale!) | Watch | Sunnies (similar) | Earrings Silk scarf (on sale!) | Phone case Guys, you know I love a good fashion juxtaposition. Leather and lace? Gimme. Feminine with an edge? Yes, please! Classic vintage paired with chic and modern? You betcha. So when I met Niki Whittle, a fellow (former) Pittsburgh fashion blogger and personal stylist…

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Flip the Script: Five Ways to Love Life, Right Now

Flip the Script: Five Ways to Love Life, Right Now

If you’re anything like me, this is the time of year where you’re just kind of over it all. Blame it on post-holiday/post-resolution blahs, weather, seasonal affective disorder, et cetera et cetera. All of those elements combined make me an absolutely miserable human being, like clockwork, starting right about now. Factor in the current political climate, biting social media posts, and a…

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Have you ever gone to a store and loved the atmosphere so much that you just didn’t want to leave? Like ever? Like you wanted to set up camp in a cute little Target-style teepee, order takeout, and just straight up chill while surrounded by the all the pretty things and awesome employees?

That’s how I feel about WearWoof. If you’re in the Pittsburgh area, you should go there. You’ll feel that way, too.

WearWoof is a resale boutique located in the McIntyre Square shopping plaza in the North Hills, and I love it for oh-so-many reasons:

It’s a nonprofit organization, run mostly by volunteers.

It’s a women’s and junior’s resale clothing boutique, with an amazing selection of stylish clothes.

It combines the thrill of the hunt of thrift shopping with an already curated collection of new and gently used clothing, shoes, accessories, home decor, etc.

Prices are seriously competitive, and sales are plentiful.

Proceeds from sales benefit local animal shelters, spay and neutering programs, adoption events, community outreach and education, and more.

!! THE BEST PART !! There’s a kitty named Dolly who lives at the store, and she’s kind of my favorite (aside from Sidney and Mario, of course!).

So basically, the way it works is that the boutique takes clothing and home decor donations, volunteers help to run the register, prep the clothes,  dress the mannequins, etc., and people like you and me go shop there.

Sounds awesome, right?

Well, you’re in luck. This Monday, January 30, WearWoof is having a private Spring Preview Sale from 6-8PM. I visited for a little sneak peek of everything (and I’ve included some pics below), and guys, I’ve never seen so many cute clothes in one place. There are 115 bins of clothing, shoes, and accessories stacked floor to ceiling. Volunteers are busting their rears (HA! I love when I unintentionally rhyme) to get these clothes ready for the sale on Monday.

Oh! And I’ll be there, along with Christen from The Thrifty Yinzer and Kimberly from Yes, Wear That, so that we can do what we do best: Help style you from head to toe!

Not only do you get first dibs on spring styles, but you’ll also get a discount that the public won’t have access to once the event is over.

Did I mention that this event is FREE? The only thing you need to do is register ahead of time.

Click here to register (for FREE!) for the Spring Preview Sale!

Pro tip: When you come to the sale, you should definitely look for a little black dress to wear to WearWoof’s Little Black Dress party. I seriously can’t wait for this event! It’s February 19 at SoHo on the North Side, and there are going to be all kinds of awesome things happening. Click here to see what I mean and to buy tickets!

Now, on to the pretty pretty Spring Preview pictures:

Obviously, I made a beeline for the shoes. This is probably, like, 1/5837th of the shoes that will be available at the preview sale.

Then, I saw stars (which are EVERYTHING right now!).

I also explored the shop a bit (part of what I love about it is that the store receives hundreds of donations a week, so there’s always something new to look at.). Gold star (and a repost!) to whoever buys the body chain on the right, styles it, snaps a picture of it, and tags the WearWoof account, my account, and your favorite body-chain-wearing celebrity’s account. That last one is just for funsies.

I couldn’t help myself…I had to do a little styling. Top left: Spring break, anyone? (PS…that romper is one of my donated pieces!). Top right: Festival-chic. Bottom: Colorfully business casual.

Last, but certainly not least, Dolly takes a little rest from working hard. Heart eyes.

I can’t wait to see you at the sale!

Wear Woof Spring Preview and Little Black Dress Party Have you ever gone to a store and loved the atmosphere so much that you just didn't want to leave?

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Hope and a Sharpie

Hope and a Sharpie

T-Shirt | Jeans | Boots (Dupes here for under $80!) | Fitbit **This post contains affiliate links. If you click ’em and make a purchase, I’ll receive a small commission. I don’t link to stuff I don’t love, though. Pinky swear. There’s a pretty important speech happening today. But I’m not here to talk about that. I’m here to talk about some pretty important speeches that happened in my classroom…

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A Narwhal of a Tale

A Narwhal of a Tale

Arctic Love Hoodie | Faux Leather Leggings Beanie (similar) | OTK Boots  Glasses (similar, mine are prescription) | Lip in TBT I’ve always loved unicorns, so of course, by association, I’ve always loved narwhals. I’ve also always been extremely sensitive. Chris and I went to see La La Land this past weekend, and I didn’t even make it through the previews before I was ugly-cry sobbing (A Dog’s…

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The Coziest Cowl Neck Sweater

The Coziest Cowl Neck Sweater

Sweater (similar) | Jeans Boots (similar) | Sunnies | Earrings | Bag Lips in TBT Mauve | Nails I’m not a fan of cold weather, like, at ALL. I could freeze (and have frozen!) in 80 degree weather, so when winter hits here in Pittsburgh, I usually spend the next three-four months shriveled in a little ball, ad infinitem. So, when I discovered this gorgeous cashmere Theory sweater at Pittsburgh’s…

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Splurge vs. Steal: Pink fur coats

Splurge vs. Steal: Pink fur coats

Last week, I made a case for why you NEED a pink fur coat. If you’ve been persuaded, I’ve rounded up a few of my favorite styles in today’s splurge vs. steal post. *Just FYI, this post contains affiliate links, so if you click and/or make a purchase, I make a small commission. But obvi I love all of these coats and would wear every last one of them.* While you can buy pink faux fur coats for…

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Why You NEED a Pink Fur Coat

Why You NEED a Pink Fur Coat

Coat (similar) | Sweater (similar) | Jeans Boots (similar) | Sunnies | Earrings | Bag Lips in TBT Mauve | Nails If there’s one item in my closet that absolutely screams “FRIVOLITY!” it’s this pink faux fur coat. But that’s exactly why I love it. This coat was a Christmas gift from my dear aunt in 2009, and – I have to be honest – I didn’t totally embrace it until the last year or so. It wasn’t…

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Trendspotting: Seeing Stars Pt. 2

Trendspotting: Seeing Stars Pt. 2

Sweater (similar) and here (similar) | Leather leggings OTK Boots | Bag (similar) | Earrings (similar) In yesterday’s post, I introduced you to the star print trend. Today, I want to show you some of my favorite pieces so that you can make a stellar addition to your wardrobe, too! Star prints have been everywhere from runway to ready-to-wear, and my eighth-grade self could not be happier. Hedi…

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Trendspotting: Seeing Stars Pt. 1

Trendspotting: Seeing Stars Pt. 1

Sweater (similar) and here (similar) | Leather leggings OTK Boots | Bag (similar) | Earrings (similar) Guys, this trend is stellar. Okay, sorry. I know that was a terrible pun. But you know I can’t resist when puns are just hanging there, ripe for the taking. Anyway, stars. Star prints are EVERYWHERE right now, and I think the trend is going to stick around for at least another season or two…

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Volunteer Match is so cool! I’ll have to sign up. 

Day of Giving!

When my lovely friend Kim of Yes, Wear That! came to me and said she wanted to inspire fellow PGH bloggers to take part in a Day of Giving post I knew I had to get involved. I must admit December hasn’t been my best month of volunteering, outside of working at the food bank at my church, but I knew I had to take this opportunity to talk about the important work that I did in October, which was my most active volunteer month to date! 

It started with volunteering for some wonderful fashion shows that both benefited wonderful causes, the UPMC Cancer Caring Center, UPMC Concussion Research and the American Cancer society. So I know it may sound like working a fashion show shouldn’t count as volunteering, but they can’t find a way to raise the money without help from wonderful people like their volunteers! 

Next up was volunteering at my church’s Oktoberfest which helped to raise money for programs around our parish. My hubby and I worked the Italian food table and had a blast! Another way to show you giving back can be fun and rewarding. 

I closed out the month volunteering at the WearWoof table at the PGH Pet Expo. I’m sure you know as a board member of WearWoof that this company is near and dear to my heart, so it was a natural fit that I give up part of my day to take the time to talk to people about the wonderful work that we do and all about our Dolly campaign! 

So what I hope you learn from my post is that there are kind of ways to volunteer and give back to organizations that you believe in. These are just some of the ways that I do and will continue to expand to more in 2017. 

I love receiving my Volunteer Match emails to find new ways I can be giving back. Have you signed up with them yet?

And please don’t forget during this crazy time in the world there are ways we can also be helping those that may not be right next door. I love this Huffington Post article with organizations that you can work with to help those who feel less than protected and it’s necessary to consider helping Aleppo as often as we can!! This article lists many ways to do so.