red dress

That’s a Wrap

May 21, 2018 by jessica Leave a Comment

Another weekend has gone by and another house project has cropped up! This time it’s a leak in our kitchen ceiling that started during a heavy downpour early Sunday morning. I had gone downstairs to make coffee in the morning and discovered a wet floor, even though we didn’t leave a window open. Once the rain started to pick up again, I realized the trickle was coming out of a light fixture in the room. So, we have to call roofing contractors this morning to sort this mess.

On the upside, we were able to spend Saturday out in Madison. We kicked off the day at the farmers’ market, walked over six miles, checked out a new-to-us place for brunch, popped into the art museum, enjoyed lakeside drinks, and capped off the day with a bike ride. It’s not often that we spend the day as a tourist in our own town.

J.Crew Mercantile dress | Soludos espadrilles (similar here and on sale here) | Sea & Grass tote (similar; love this embroidered version and this shape) | Hermes bracelet (vintage version; similar) | Vrai & Oro earrings | Dolce & Gabbana sunglasses (old; similar)

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Be Mine + A Giveaway from Helen Ficalora

February 2, 2017 by jessica 6 Comments

Happy almost-Valentine’s Day, ladies! Dave and I aren’t big on celebrating on Feb. 14 with anything more than a heart-shaped pizza and the heart-shaped balloon that accompanies it. In fact, today is actually the special occasion for us as we celebrate six years together! Back in 2011, we met online and chatted for a couple of days before we decided to say hello in person on Feb. 2. The Madison area had a blizzard the night before and the city was all but shut down, but there was one restaurant open nearby and we figured that a little snow (ahem, almost two feet of snow) couldn’t get in the way of a budding romance. While it was an adventurous drive, we made it safely and the rest was history!

I absolutely love that we have two days to celebrate each other in February. And in celebration of a month of romance and sweet gestures, I’m thrilled to partner with Helen Ficalora for a giveaway of this adorable “XOX” disk charm necklace! If you’re not already familiar with the designer’s work, think of her collection as a the ideal place to create a sentimental piece for someone special. You can personalize the necklace by mixing and matching charms in various metals to capture your recipient’s personality. While I love the “XOX” charm necklace on its own with this LRD (little red dress), it’s even cuter paired with one of the brand’s initial charm disks.

Alright, I know you’re eager for me to get to the good stuff. Here are the deets: one lucky U.S.-based reader will start her own Helen Ficalora collection this Valentine’s Day with the same charm necklace I’m wearing in this post! You can enter via the giveaway form at the end of the post. Good luck!

BB Dakota dress (available in coral; also love this) | Helen Ficalora necklace (c/o) | Ferragamo flats | Diane von Furstenberg clutch | butter LONDON lipstick in Rebellious (c/o)

ENTER TO WIN!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

This giveaway is for U.S. readers only ages 18 and older and will end on February 14, 2017 at 11:59 P.M. EST. One (1) lucky winner will be randomly chosen and announced on February 15, 2017. Helen Ficalora Press will reach out directly to the winner and fulfill shipment. Winner will have 24 hours to respond and claim their prize, failure to do so will result in another winner being randomly drawn. No P.O. Boxes.

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Thanks to Helen Ficalora for partnering on this post!

The Coveted

January 17, 2017 by jessica 7 Comments

It’s not often that the weekly “The Coveted” post includes a couple of items I already own, but I’m really excited about two pieces I recently snagged that probably won’t make it on the blog soon: this faux leather tote from Old Navy and the red lace dress from BB Dakota.

I had been looking for an inexpensive tote bag that I could use for work. I wanted something that wouldn’t be ruined by precipitation and I wouldn’t need to baby. I basically needed a better version of the free canvas tote from Madewell that I had been throwing my ballet flats and lunch inside. This Old Navy tote fit the bill, and it’s actually nicer in person that I thought it would be.

Now, the red dress is gorgeous and it’s perfect for Valentine’s Day. It has a lovely a-line fit so it skims over hips with ease, but do be aware that the neckline is pretty low if you’re self conscious about showing off the ladies. On the flip side, you can get away with a regular bra thanks to the cap sleeves! I’m going to wear it with a red bra to camouflage the straps in case they peek through the lace a bit. Really, though, it’s just a sexy dress to have in your wardrobe. Plus, it’s only $88!

Lady in Red

February 22, 2016 by jessica 10 Comments

I’ve been looking for an easy travel dress over the last few weeks to bring on our trip to Denmark and Belgium in April. I wanted something that wasn’t fussy, could be worn more than once, and would stay wrinkle-free in a suitcase. Of course, Diane von Furstenberg came through — and it’s awfully appropriate that this dress will be on its way to DVF’s hometown of Brussels in a few weeks. Purchasing this dress was my first experience with MatchesFashion.com. The dress made it from London to Madison, Wis. in just two days and was packed beautifully in a marbleized box (which is now housing scarves after this weekend’s closet clean out). The best part? It wasn’t wrinkled at all. I have high hopes this dress is going to be the hero piece in my vacation wardrobe.

Dress: Diane von Furstenberg (also comes in navy, cobalt, turquoise, black, and a print; go down a size) | Bag: Tory Burch (similar) | Shoes: Ferragamo | Necklaces: c/o Suzanne Kalan, Gorjana (similar) | Bracelets: Hermes, House of Harlow (similar) | Rings: Lulu Frost, Monica Vinader | Sunglasses: Karen Walker c/o Shopbop