How to Dress Girly (But Not Like a 5-Year-Old)

Anyone who knows me knows that I love girly little details. Bows, lace, cute ruffles... I die. And we've talked about feminine dressing before, but I thought I'd give a little update for this season. Because with all of the cute polka dots and pinks comes completely overdoing the look and ending up looking like a 5-year-old at a birthday party. No good.

As always, the trick with playing with uber-feminine stuff is balance. For every sticky-sweet piece you use, counteract it with something completely different. Then you won't end up looking like a cake topper, but you'll still get to wear adorable clothes. HOORAY!

Here are some general tips.

1. Mix Hard with Soft

Mango lace cocktail dress, $39 / Charlotte Russe peep toe shoes / Forever 21 sequin clutch / A|X Armani Exchange cuff jewelry / Pearl earrings, $24

I love the idea of mixing hard and soft pieces to really balance them out. This dress would probably be a bit much with some pearls and a super girly heel, but with studs and some rope detail? Perfect. I am especially obsessed with the beaded clutch. Must... own....


2. Let One Piece Shiiiine
 

Mango scoop neck sweater / BKE low rise jeans / Ballet shoes / Watch / River Island heart jewelry, $4.71 / Purse Boutique: Light Taupe Large L&S ''Natalia'' Hobo Handbags,...

It's totally fine to have one totally girly detail and then go casual with the rest. 
How adorable would this be for casual fall? It's enough to be different and 
polished, but not so much that you look like a crazy person at the grocery store. 
Look for one girl piece and the rest can go neutral... with a great leopard print flat, natch. 

 3. Let Your Accessories do the Talking 
 

Madewell pocket t shirt / Vanilla Star capri shorts / Charlotte Russe ballerina shoes / Dorothy Perkins white handbag / Wallis flower jewelry / Stella & Dot ivory jewelry / Dorothy Perkins flower jewelry / Forever New stone jewelry, $14 / Tasha flower hair accessory

If you're not really into all of the lace and bows, it's totally fine to use girliness 
in your accessories instead of all of your clothes. Wearing a gray shirt and some 
Bermudas is pretty tomboyish, until you add in some ballet flats, a couple of 
flower pins and a pretty bracelet. How easy is that? '

4. Get a Sexy Shape 

 

Vero Moda pink top, $39 / Crop shirt / Body con skirt, $19 / GUESS peep toe pumps / Liz Palacios anchor ring / Charlotte Russe flower stud earrings / Medium Size Red Satchel

A flowy top with an a-line skirt with girly details can be a bit twee (PS how 
awesome is the word "twee?" Use it in a sentence today) but when you swap the 
A-line for some peplum and the flowy top for a Mad Men cardigan, you're back 
in the game. I love me some florals and how awesome are these shoes? Wear this to 
a 60s ad agency immediately. 

5. Go for Modern Details

 

Dorothy Perkins peplum top / Mango skinny jeans / Flat / Abercrombie & Fitch tote handbag / Nautical jewelry / Stud earrings / Bow belt

There's a time and a place for vintage-y prints and old-school silhouettes, but when 
you're dressing really girly, look for mod colors and shapes. There's nothing old 
about a pair of red skinnies; they take the girly pattern of the top and belt into 2012. 
I can even respect some dot-on-dot pattern mixing, as long as it's done in a 
different color. SO CUTE.



So yeah, definitely dress like a girl. Just an adult one. Leave the princess dresses 
and glass slippers to your daughter.  

What I Wore: Stars and Stripes

SO you guys! I went ziplining on Saturday and it was So. Much. Fun. Me and my sister-in-law went together as a girl's day and went through this company. You head up in a Ranger 4-wheeler and then zip from platform to platform five times to get back down to the camp. Each line was a little different and you go in a group of eight, which mean talking to strangers in a "Hey, we're all in this together!" type way. I can't wait to go do it again.


Me and my SIL showing how to work those harnesses and helmets. Also, it looks like we coordinated our outfits. We did not.

That's me death-dangling in the middle of this picture. Eeeee!

Check that off the bucket list!

In a related note, the first item on my bucket list is to actually make a bucket list.


On to the outfit!

Scarf: Nordstrom (sold out boo)
Cardi: Banana Republic
Skirt: Local (My Sister's Closet)
Sandals: Soda
Cuff: Charlotte Russe
Hair: An old sock

Anyway, this outfit was a little tongue in cheek because I'm not American at all. However, the red and blue combo is my fave so when I saw this scarf, it had to be mine.

Being a Canadian living in America is weird a lot of the time. Besides the fact that the immigration process was almost exactly like this clip from The Proposal, I've been here nine years and some things will never become normal for me. Like, I never know what to do when people say the Pledge of Allegiance. Also, the Olympics are always weird in our house. I'm not a citizen, so there's some awkwardness there. I imagine I'll become one eventually, but for now I'll just be content to be a Canadian in American clothing.

I never ever wear my hair all the way back like this, but I'm hiding some MAJOR roots. Hair appointment this week fo' sho' because now I'm an immigrant Canadian/American and brunette/blonde. But upon seeing it in pictures, I don't mind it that much. This is a sock bun, BTW. Have you ever done the sock bun? It's my fave ever. If you don't know how to do one, leave me a note in the comment and I can do a tutorial for it. And then you'll smack your forehead and wonder why you didn't learn earlier because it's the easiest.

Alright, I'd better get a jump on the day. It's rainy, so it's a prime chance for me to get some laundry done.

Bahahahaha.

Giveaway Winner and Freaky Friday!

OK, first thing's first: Julia Stockton my dear! Check your email because you're our winner. I'll just need your info to get the gift card off to you. YAY!

If you didn't win, don't despair. Another giveaway for something similar is coming up next week. Probably Tuesday. Keep your eyes peeled!

With that being said, on to the freakiness. I've got a packed day ahead of me and tomorrow I'm going ziplining! WOO!


OK, you know I'm not a legging fan on the best of days, but when they show the inner thigh, which could be the most squirm-induing part of the human body... ew.

Plus, the lace/leather combo reminded me of this:

Has anyone else been watching Bachelor Pad? Jamie from Ben's season might be the most awkward creature alive and she insists on wearing fingerless leather gloves. I said "Oh honey no" so many times the other night that my husband was like "OMG Jae shutup."

Not that he watches Bachelor Pad with me or anything....



My dear friend Lola sent these to me. If it weren't for the terrifying skull on top, I would have thought these were Harry Potter's drag queen patronus.

Geek jokes!


I also got this from Lexi, who sent me a whole score of ugly shoes to look through. But putting my foot into a Mrs. Potts lookalike would really take the cake. Plus it looks like it would burn.


I also really liked these, which reminded me of Hercules for some reason. Like, a cool, Fresh Prince of Bel-Air version of Hercules.


Brooke sent me what could be the weirdest pants ever made. My favorite were the comments, which proclaimed these as "dainty."






Ugh this dress hurts my eyes. It's like bad tourist shirts in Hawaii but for $400 and worn with orthopedic sandals.

Also, is it me, or do all models have spaghetti toes?



Oh, THAT'S what I forgot with my pants. Shorts!

Now those are some seriously modest Bermudas.


And this a seriously immodest dress. Wanna add like 16 inches and a chastity belt to that hem?


Megan sent me this onesie, which I thought was appropriate for the Olympics. I think this should be the uniform next time. Those Ralph Lauren outfits were lame.

Also, I get so conflicted during the Olympics because I live here but I'm not American. On the other hand, Canada isn't exactly a dominator at the summer Olympics.

Also all this patriotism reminds me that I just bought this David & Young scarf from Nordstrom the other day. I hummed and hawed over it for like three days. I was like "But I'm not American!"

Finally I used my husband's credit card and ponied up because I think it's just the right amount of kitsch. I cannot wait to show you it in an outfit!

Anyway, I'm checking out for the weekend. Thanks for the awesome giveaway turnout! You guys are my heroes.

Triumphant Return and a Shabby Apple GIVEAWAY!

Hey friends!

So, I headed down to the docs bright and early to get my face back. The good news? I no longer look like there is a spider stuck to my face. The bad news? The results came back positive for basal cell carcinoma, which is a type of skin cancer. As my doc put it, no one dies from this. It's mostly a cosmetic issue. Which is lucky, because it's not like I care about my looks at all.

....crickets.....

Seriously though, the prognosis is good. It looks like it's mostly gone and if it comes back again, then stuff will have to get more invasive. But so far, so good.

But the best news of the day? I have a Shabby Apple giveaway for you guys. Thanks for putting up with a week of non posting guys! Freaky Friday will be in full effect soon.

Heeeeere's how to enter. Up for grabs is a $75 Shabby Apple gift card for U.S. residents only:
a Rafflecopter giveaway

You definitely need to use the widget to enter, because that's how I'll pick the winner. You've got 5 tasks that you can choose from, and only the first 2 are mandatory for entry. The others are just for funsies. If you leave a comment, do so on THIS POST so I can verify you as a winnah.

Giveaway will be doneso on 12am Friday morning so I can announce the winner before Freaky Friday. Got it? Good!

Now, sally forth my friends! (I'm sorry. I've spent my week off reading a biography on the wives of Henry the VIII and picked up obnoxious medieval slang) Check out the new lines over at Shabby Apple and pick something out pretty for yourself.

And, if you just can wait, use this code for 10 percent off: hownottodresslikeamom10off

YAY!

Regularly Scheduled Programming...

Hey guys...

If you've noticed I've been absent this week, I would say "awww, thanks for noticing!" If not, I would say "pshhh."

But really. I must tell you my goings on. I turned 28 a couple weeks ago and apparently my body is falling apart. Last week I went to the doctor's for some antibiotics (stupid strep!) and while I was there I complained about a little bump that had appeared on my nose a couple months before. I thought it was nothing and that my doc would send me to a dermatologist. Instead he took one look at it and told me it was something that concerned him. In fact, the "c" word came up, and I'm not talkin' about chocolate.

So concerned was he that he scheduled a surgical excision right then. On Tuesday I went in to have it done. It sucked hard. HAAAARD. They just used local anesthetic and it was only about 30 to 45 minutes but the nose is ouchie!

When the nurse asked me if I was afraid of needles, I was like "Please, I've had epidurals so I can deal with this."
She said "Yeah, but this one is IN YOUR FACE!" Wow, thanks for that, least-comforting-nurse-of-all-time.

So, after having my "harmless" bump removed, I was all stitched up. You guys, it looks horrific. I was changing the bandage yesterday and my daughter walked in and told me it looked like there was a spider squashed on my face. And I immediately went into soap opera mode, screaming "I'M A MONSTERRRRRRR" at my reflection. My face is swollen and i look like I got in a fight at a closeout sale and lost.

Also, the doc said it'll most likely scar because of the location. I told my husband that's what I get for always being sensitive about my nose -- now I just want my old one back!

So, I'm taking it easy for the next few days. Yesterday I tried to go full-speed into my regular schedule of running ragged and by 3pm and felt like I got hit by a truck. My doctor ordered me to bed with an ice pack to nurse my bandaged-up honker.


Obviously I documented it for posterity. PS My ice pack is an old sock. Luckily, I'm feeling much better today. The cold sock worked!

Anyway, the stitches come out on Wednesday. Until then I plan on hiding from the rest of the human race so as not to scare small children. I'll also receive test results back on Wednesday to see what the dealio is. Did I just say dealio? Ugh, being a shut-in makes me lame. Anyway, it shouldn't be anything too crazy and it was caught early and everything is fine.

Well, except the ick factor.

However, can I make up the lack of posting to you with a couple of giveaways during the next two weeks? They're good ones, I promise!

Until then friends!

Kisses, Jae

What I Wore: Crowd Pleaser

So I wore this dress while hanging out with my family on Saturday and had like 63 people comment on it. We went to the farmer's market and out to dinner, which is pretty normal Saturdayness for us. Even the guy making my salad at Cafe Rio was like "Nice dress," which is one of the weirder things that's happened to me at Cafe Rio. I just got all awkward and asked for black beans.

Anyway, I hereby dub this dress the "crowd pleaser" and intend to wear it as much as humanly possible.

Dress: Chris & Carol (I bought it locally at My Sister's Closet but lots of smaller boutiques carry C&C stuff)
Button down: paper tee
Sandals: Soda
Earrings: Downeast
Sunglasses: Relic

I like this dress way better with a crisp white button down than with the cardi that I wore it with on my bday (I'm wearing this dress in that picture with my wakeboard)

Seriously, it's just happy and awesome and a nice change from the same old sweater over dress combo.

Right?

Even my son agreed.

I believe that is called a "quizzical brow."

Anyway, moral of the story here: Maxi dress + button down = cute summer outfit and compliments from strange men who make salads. Seriously; try it.

Freaky Friday: Etsy Fails

OK, so before I start getting emails about how I'm not supporting starving artists and ruining the world (which has TOTALLY happened before) I will say that there is tons of stuff on Etsy that I love. Since I'm not a "maker" of anything but children and blog posts, I respect artisans who can craft their way to the top. Total aside, but have you ever tried watching Craft Wars on TLC? OMG Tori Spelling makes me want to glue my eyes and ears shut with my mini glue gun. Jewelry, hair accessories and other stuff on Etsy makes me squee. I even love some of the fashion.

This dress needs to get on my body like, now.

But so much of what you find there is so so so so bad. So bad. Cue the hate mail, y'all!



My favorite part about this LOIN CLOTH is the description, which essentially says it's poky and has sharp edges. Why yes, let me put it around the loin area , then!

Also, is it me, or is "steampunk" just mostly used incorrectly to describe something crappy? See also: "rockabilly" and "vintage."


These are listed as upcycled, which always makes me wonder what they were like before. If this is the step up, I'm gonna go ahead and assume they were fished out of the garbage.


Oh good, I was looking for a scarf from Whoville!


I have to admit, I do not "carrot" all for this vest.

Bahahahaha. Puns, amiright?


Let me guess: You make your own toothpaste and reuse toilet paper. Also, you have a "faerie" name that you use during cosplay.



So wait. All I have to do is pay close to $3,000 and I get MAGIC SHOES? Made from WIRE AND TAPE? The Home Depot at which you purchased those materials at must be ENCHANTED!

I love how the description makes Gorilla duct tape sound like something from another realm. These look like my daughter made them in art class.


I didn't know that gold star shorts could be so very sad.


From the "I hope to look as square as humanly possible" collection.


Here's a fun tip: If your piece of clothing could be categorizes as a dress, top, wrap, shawl, poncho, men's t-shirt, it's probably no bueno.


Let me break down the description for you, because it's AWESOME.
This brooch is made of:
Sandpaper
Onion skin
A mysterious red powder from Morocco
Pumpkin skin
A straw

Has this person never heard of composting? That way, you help the planet and don't try to get $50 for someone to throw out your garbage.


This tunic-thingy is pretty much an exact replica from the ROmeo and Juliet scene from the cinematic gem that is "Center Stage." I know all the words to entire movie. I'm not proud of myself, OK?


Finally, something worse than jumpsuits.

Homemade jumpsuits. That make you look like you're smuggling your own popcorn into the movie theater. Awesome.



With that being said, I feel like I'm finally ready to face Friday. I'm taking my daughter bike shopping this afternoon. Steeling myself for excessive amounts of pink and licensed characters. Wish me luck.