Colors and Ruffles and Bows, oh my! Spring Ruffle and Bow Dresses for Any Budget

So, by now most of you probably know that I can’t resist anything with a bow or a ruffle. It’s a weakness. Today, I am honoring that weakness with 12 fun and (for the most part) affordable dresses. Enjoy!

flash cotton dress, $168.00 Mambo Sleeve Open Back Dress, $54.00 otto dress, $168.00

As U Wish Bow Back Dress, $78 Apostrophe Ruffle Wrap Dress, $34.99 As U Wish Strapless Taffeta Dress, $72

Ruby Rox Bow Front Tank Dress, $29.90 Kitten Two Tone Dress, $42.50 As U Wish Bow Dress, $68

Pleated Strapless Dress, $59.00 R&K Originals Crinkle Bubble Gold Bow, $29.99 Esley Debutante Dress, $47.00

Money Tree Monday

Chloé top, Kassandra jeans, Pedro Garcia pumps, Kate Spade clutch, Roberto Coin bangle

Library Love

Please excuse my recent silence… I’ve been spending most of my time in places like this (only not quite so beautiful)…

pictures from curious expeditions

SimplyVera for Kohl’s Spring 2009

Here’s a look at Vera Wang’s spring line for Kohl’s! What do you think? I really love how Vera’s style is reflected in these more causal and definitely more affordable clothes!

What do you think? Like it or leave it?

Hello, H&M Spring!

pictures from fabsugar

Carolina Blue

Well, guess who I’ve slated as the NCAA tournament winner? …UNC, just like a certain President! Go Tarheels!

Not only are we the #1 team in the country, we have pretty darn beautiful school colors, if you ask me!

Coast Bubble dress,TopShop clutch, Maine Cottage chair,
mytheresa dress, Hayden-Harnett swimsuit, Cynthia Vincent sandals

If I were a bride…

Somehow I just accidentally stumbled into the wedding section of J. Crew… and before I could turn my heel and get back to my friend, the Frenchie Slicker, I saw it. The one. MY DRESS!! Someone, somewhere, got my life stages mixed up and designed me a wedding dress. How funny!

What Started the Cupcake Craze

This post is a response to Ana B.’s at on dressing up, which asked the question, “where did this cupcake obsession come from?”

Ana is right, desserts are subject to trends just like anything else. As a matter of fact, the New York Times ran an article today about the newest dessert trend, the whoopie pie, which the NYT describes as “a cake-like sandwich, or perhaps a sandwich-like cake.” Either way, the whoopie pie is rising up in the ranks of desserts, spreading out from its original home in Maine across the country.

So here’s the answer to the cupcake question:

Last fall, they [whoopies] even cracked the lineup at Magnolia Bakery in Manhattan, which helped turn cupcakes into a national craze thanks to the bakery’s exposure on “Sex and the City.”

Although whoopie pies look delicious… I just can’t see them being the next fashionable dessert like cupcakes are!

gold earrings, art print, Juicy Couture necklace, Tiffany & Co. charm

What do you think? Are whoopie pies the next cupcake?

Photos from the NYT, YouTube, flickr, and flickr.

Bed of Flowers

Mrs. B at She’s Star Crossed posted a few days ago about this beautiful bed and breakfast in the Netherlands. What a find! I just had to share some of the pictures.

The Perfect Spring Dress [if I owned a money tree]

See by Chloé dress, Halston clutch, Miu Miu sandals

Happy St. Patrick’s Day!

net-a-porter.com, my-wardrobe.com, swarovski.com, piperlime.com, heavenlyhostess.com, sephora.com, mainecottage.com, adorevintage.com, zappos.com, chanel.com

Ruche Spring Update!

Ruche has finally put up their spring lookbook, and it’s beautiful!

Although it doesn’t really feature any new items, there are a few new beauties, like the sailing stripes button dress,

the blue baguio festival dress,

and, my personal favorite, the pink hostas empire tank top!

Bright and Sunny Spaces

It has been cloudy and rainy here all weekend and shouldn’t let up until tomorrow afternoon. It’s making me wish I was somewhere like this…

Pictures from here, here, here and here.