Shift Into Stripes

I've recently come to the conclusion that I have a slight obsession with striped shift dresses. Last week I purchased adorable dress number three in black and white (my third striped dress in three months, oops!)...but here's the thing-- I can't get enough! I love the comfort, versatility and fit of these dresses. Tights, boots, flats, belts, big jewelry, even no jewelry, you simply can't lose! Not to mention that they serve as perfect pieces to transition into spring. Okay, I'll stop gushing, but seriously go buy a striped shift. You'll thank me later, I promise!

1 / 2 / 3

Flimsy Lindsey Guest Post

Please give a warm All Things Charming welcome to Lindsey of Flimsy Lindsey! I'm so happy to have Linds as a guest today because as you'll soon learn, we have known one another since childhood. I can't even describe how special it is to have someone that I've had so many amazing life moments with here today! Enjoy, loves! 

Hi ATC readers!! I am so honored that Holly asked me to guest post for her while she is out making this world a better place. Can we raise the roof for Holly and her passions? Whoop whoop!! Holly and I have known each other since we were little. We have cheered and danced together for years, spent I don’t know how many backyard family barbecues together and are now both avid bloggers. And I absolutely adore her. One thing (among many) that Holly and I have in common is the love for the well-placed word. While Holly’s blog is covered in wise quotes and beautiful phrases, I have recently found myself pining over feel-good words in a bit of a different way.

I am longing to wear the word. On a shirt, on some gloves, on a scarf, on a necklace....I really don’t care. I just want to wrap myself in these feel-good quotes. My slight obsessions with this trend may have been jump started when I got the “Eat Cake for Breakfast” handbag from Kate Spade in May. That woman is the queen of happy thoughts, I swear. I smile every I take it out and I think it make others grin as well.

So what do you think? Are you interested in wearing the word?

It was such a pleasure visiting All Things Charming today as a blogger and not just a fan. Feel free to swing by Flimsy Lindsey and visit me some time! I talk about clothes and love and life and clothes and happy things and clothes. Cheers!

The Pumpkin Spot Guest Post

Welcome to Becky from The Pumpkin Spot! 

Hi there! Special thanks to Holly for having me over today on her lovely blog All Things Charming. I'm Becky and I blog over at The Pumpkin Spot about all things fashion with a sarcastic twist from time to time. Today, I want to talk tulle.

Amsale tulle wedding dress (via instagram in Nordstrom bridal)

In the ongoing search for my wedding dress, I have found a new love for tulle. I keep finding myself drawn to anything tulle, trying it on, and twirling around like a child on a sugar high. After trying on tons of these dresses, I found myself looking for everyday tulle (if that exists). Guess what? It does and I can't get enough of these tulle inspired gems...

1 / BCBG tulle trimmed blazer 2 / Frenchie tulle skirt 3 / Anthropologie tulle skirt 4 / Alice + Olivia party dress

The Alice + Olivia dress is my personal favorite but the price would blow my budget to pieces, so I'll stand back and admire from afar (sigh). Thanks again to Holly for hosting me and come stop by my blog and say hi! I'd love to hear what you think about this tulle trend. Would you rock it??

Percentblog Guest Post

I'm so excited to have Katherine here at All Things Charming today! Katherine and I have been friends for many years now and since we both went to the same meeting that I'm attending now in 2009, I though it would be fitting for her to be my first guest post! At percentblog, Katherine does an brilliant job of blending the lines of design, sustainability, and intentional living so be sure to stop by! 

When Holly asked me to guest post while she is in Doha, I jumped at the chance for two reasons. The first is, I adore All Things Charming and the wonderful little corner of the Internet that it resides in. The other, because I adore Holly and had the privileged of attending COP15 in Copenhagen with her. It was one of the most interesting, stressful, exhilarating, disappointing, and unforgettable two weeks of my life, and I wouldn't have made it through without her. I hope she's having an equally unforgettable but non-stressful time in Doha. I'm happy to keep things charming here in her absence. 

During winter I always have on a scarf and know Holly feels the same way, so I decided to share an easy-peasy DIY you can use to spruce up your wardrobe or to make the perfect holiday gift, a polka dot scarf. I love polka dots. Slightly preppy, slightly silly, they always bring a smile to my face. Plus, they are quite on trend this season. 

Here's how to make your own polka dot scarf. I used a pashmina but if you are in a chillier climate you could use a felt scarf instead. Be sure to place paper or cardboard under your scarf. The paint bleed through enough on my pashmina that I didn't have to paint both sides, but with felt you may need to repeat for maximum dots. 

1. Gather your scarf, fabric paint in your color of choice (I went with gold!) and a pencil to make your dots. I used a "jumbo" pencil that I picked up from the art store for 29 cents. 

2. Iron your scarf. You don't want wrinkles ruining your pattern. 

3 & 4. Dip the eraser end of the pencil in the paint and then onto your scarf. You may want to practice on a piece of paper a few times first.  

5. For the first 18" on each side, I spaced my dots 2" apart, alternating between rows. Then I freehanded between the ends to make the middle less concentrated, creating gradient effect. Feel free to experiment with spacing and placement. Let paint dry 1-2 hours. Wash according to directions on your paint.  

6. Congratulations! You are all done.

Thanks for having me, Holly! Y'all can typically find me blogging about design for social change over at percentblog, writing for Rue Magazine (holiday issue out Today!), on Twitter and Instgram as @percentblog. You can find percent jewelry on Etsy. 

Thursday Love List

Happy Thursday, dearies! Here's your weekly dose of a few my favorite things...

What have you all been loving this week?

1. I just love these cream Marc by Marc Jacobs logo disc studs . They're so simple, clean, and cute!

2. With my upcoming trip on my mind, I've had my eyes on this Kate Spade tudor city passport holder. I think it would add the perfect touch to my travels! 

3. I featured this J. Crew cashmere purl-stitch snood in my post on Tuesday and I'm oh-so-in-love with it! Some kind person out there needs to purchase this comfy piece for me!

Cozy Up

One of my hands-down favorite things about the fall season is the opportunity to wrap up in a cozy scarf.  From the texture to the pattern and color to blend, I love scarves! My mild obsession with the oh-so-comfy accessory developed while on a trip to Europe with three of my best friends in high school. It only took about 20 minutes on British soil for me to make my first purchase, and the purchases continued as we traveled around northern Europe for the following three weeks. Since then buying scarves, especially while traveling, has become a bit of a tradition for me...I can't wait to see what I find in Qatar!

1. Chan Luu Ombre cashmere & silk-blend scarf 2. J. Crew cashmere pearl-stich snood 3. Calypso St. Barth cushy cashmere scarf 4. French Connection twinkle me lurex snood 5. Modcloth start with the basics scarf 6. Barneys New York romeo cowl infinity scarf

Color Crush: Burgundy

One of the many reasons that I love fall is for all of the rich hues that it brings. This season I'm crushing on the color burgundy in every way, shape, and form! It's the perfect shade to wrap up in as the temperatures inevitably drop and we head into the sparkly holiday season. So tell me, what's your color crush this fall?

dress / polish / lipstick / sweater / clutch / pants

P.S. Don't forget to enter for your chance to win a print by Amanda Catherine Designs...you only have one more day to enter!

Thursday Love List

Happy Thursday, friends! Here's my list of a three things I've been loving this week...Also, don't forget to enter for your chance to win a print by Amanda Catherine Designs!

1. BaubleBar earrings...gorgeous! PLUS there's currently a 25% off friends and family sale going on! Use code: BBFAMILY

2. I've had my eye on these adorable Tory Burch flats for a while now. I have a black pair and couldn't love them more. If you're looking for a great flat, these shoes are your answer!

3. I treated myself to a Kate Spade purse this summer, so I think that it's high time I have a wallet to match! 

Splendid Sequins

'Tis the season to start wearing sequins! Anything that sparkles is okay in my book, and this season is proving to offer many options. The holidays are the perfect time to add an extra touch of sparkle to your wardrobe, so I've selected a few of my favorites that are currently available. The prices of the items range from steals to splurges...with all of these options, and many more out there, you'll be sure to find a splendid sequin piece(s) for the upcoming holiday season!

Dress / Skirt / Jacket / Top

Tory Burch Holiday 2012

I received the Tory Burch Holiday 2012 lookbook in my inbox this morning, so I thought I'd share my three favorite looks! Seeing these winter hues has me in the mood to sip hot cocoa and hang holiday decorations...

images via

Thursday Love List

Happy Thursday, friends! As I'm sure many of you know, last weekend Tory Burch had a 25% off sale. While browsing the site I ran across my first Love List item, a smart phone wristlet. I fell absolutely in love with the wristlet because it not only has a space for your phone and money, but also has slots for your credit cards as well! How handy is that? Now let me tell you, it took every ounce of strength for me to not break down and purchase that adorable accessory (and then some), but I'm currently on budget lock-down (more about this to come soon!) so alas, I'll have to live without it for now. Maybe I should start drawing up my Christmas list...

Since I haven't been able to take the Tory wristlet off my mind, I thought I'd share my three favorite wristlet finds this week for my Thursday Love List! Have a great day! 

1. Tory Burch Robinson Smart Phone 

2. Coach Leather Legacy Large Wristlet 

3. Marc by Marc Jacobs Classic Q Wingman Wristlet

                                         

Thursday Love List

It has almost been two months since I've shared a Thursday Love List (time goes by so quickly!), so today I've given my list a little twist by sharing three things that I not only love, but have recently purchased! 

1. I shared a very similar "love" bracelet over summer, but this BaubleBar version is a steal compared to my original pick! I can't wait for this adorable little piece to arrive!

2. I purchased this super comfy over-sized sweater at J. Crew last weekend. After trying it on I quickly fell in love with the color and texture...it's perfect for fall, don't you think?

3. The image of the Essie shade (Mink Muff) doesn't do it justice! This rich color is the perfect mauve/brown blend that has made for a wonderful addition to my autumn attire.

Fashion Week Favorites

Happy Friday, friends! As New York Fashion Week comes to a close I thought it would be fitting to give you all a short recap of some of my favorite pieces. From gorgeous textures to lovely colors,I could not get enough of all of the beautiful dresses featured in spring collections! Pouring over images from shows is how I spent much of my free time over the week so I'm curious, what were your favorite pieces of New York Fashion Week?

I'm off to Chicago for the weekend to visit a dear friend, so will undoubtedly have tons of pictures to share with you all on Monday! Have a wonderful weekend!

Jenny Packham

Carolina Herrera

Oscar de la Renta

Christian Siriano

all images via

Rainy Day Wear

Yesterday was the first rainy/gray in forever...so naturally, all I wanted to do was stay in bed all day. IF I had in fact stayed in bed all day (that pesky work thing got in the way) this would be my ideal rainy day wear. Who wouldn't want to lounge around in an oh-so-soft J. Crew cashmere sweatshirt and read Emily Griffin?!

What's your ideal rainy day wear?

Top/ Bottoms/ Flats/ Book

Thursday Love List

It's Thursday...which means it's time for my weekly Thursday Love List! Here are three things that I'm lusting over this week! 

1. This red-orange Essie shade is perfect for these steamy days of summer! 
2. J. Crew + Cashmere + Polka Dots...what's not to love?!  
3. You can't beat these classic Ray-Ban sunnies. I have a pair in black and now I love them in tortoise too! 

Lace...

I've been loving the vast amounts of lace that have been out this season. From the texture to design, I can't get enough! Out of all of the outstanding laces pieces available, I've found myself drawn to these three similar pieces. Gorgeous, right?! So tell me, which color of the lovely dresses below is your favorite?

Ivory/ Green/ Blue

Thursday Love List

Happy Thursday, friends! It's once again my favorite day of the week where I share three things I'm currently lusting over! Despite yesterday being the hottest day of the year, I've found myself starting to be drawn to dark hues and rich golds...this means that cooler temperatures will come soon, right?!

What made your list of favorite finds for the week?

1.  You all know my love for monograms, so I'm obviously in love with this mini monogram necklace from the always reliable BaubleBar! 

2.  I've had my eye on this pave bracelet from J. Crew for a while now. It has such a classic look that would add the perfect touch to any outfit!

3. Who doesn't love a great tote?! This Madewell tote comes in about a million colors, but I really love the classic black and chestnut brown combination...perfect for fall! 

Thursday Love List

Happy Thursday, loves! After a week off I've returned with my Thursday Love List in a new format. What do you think of the new look?!

1. I'm absolutely in love with these Steve Madden loafers. Seriously. These will be mine.

2. You all know that I'm a sucker for prints and quotes, so it should come as no surprise that I adore this print by Fifi du Vie!

3. This BaubleBar necklace is amazing. I can already imagine this piece being a staple in my wardrobe as I transition into fall!

Inspired by Ice Cream

Did you know that July is National Ice Cream Month? An entire month devoted to celebrating ice cream. What could be better, right?? In honor of this spectacular month of ice cream, I pulled together a few dresses inspired by the tasty treat!

Tell me, what's your favorite flavor to indulge on during these hot summer days?

Dresses: Pink, Peach, Yellow, Mint, Turquoise, White

Summer Stripes

Happy Summer! In honor of the first day of this new season I've decided to share one of my favorite classic trends of summer...stripes! The striped items below are the perfect cool pieces for what is sure to be a hot summer. What's your favorite trend of the summer season?

Top/ Tote/ Bracelet/ Dress/ Swimwear/ Shoes/ Skirt