What’s in my Closet: Embroidered Shiftdress

Guys!  It’s June!!!  How has the time gone by?!  I apologize for being completely off the grid this past week.  I was out of town for a wedding and we made a short trip to NYC after and once I got back home, readjusting to my usual schedule was harder than I thought.  But, I’m back now, so get excited! 🙂  Moving right along…

I really love an easy dress, and this one is probably going to be my favorite dress through the summer.

 It’s always great when you find a dress that you can just throw on and feel comfortable in, but this one takes it a step further with it’s delicate embroidered details and pockets!

It’s very easy to pair this piece with any type of shoe.  While I was in Philly, I went from wearing my Birkenstocks during the day time, to wearing strappy heels with it during the night.
I’m almost always wearing this delicate Gorjana necklace, but this dress doesn’t even need a layering piece because it’s detailed enough to stand alone.

[Shop this look: Madewell Stitchtake Dress, Birkenstocks, Madewell Skinny Bar Double Ring, Gorjana necklace, old, similar here]

Thanks for stopping by,

Lynda

 

 

What’s in My Closet: Prints and Color

Since yesterday was Cinco De Mayo, I decided I wanted to wear some of the more colorful pieces in my closet. When I think of Cinco De Mayo, I think of busy and bold prints, as well as all things colorful.  It was over 80 degrees here yesterday (and it is today too…it feels like summer!), so I wore shorts, and one of my more printed, colorful top options.

(And if this is what May feels like, I’m a bit concerned for what it’s gonna feel like here in the middle of July.)

 

I was off work yesterday, so I wanted to dress comfortably for all the errands I needed to run, but still somewhat reflecting on the festivities of the day!

 

[Shop this post: Collective Concepts top, old, something kinda similar that I really like here.  J. Crew shorts, old, same ones for this year here, in many color options!  Birks here.]

 

Thanks for stopping by!

Lynda

Laundry Care Tips: Viscose

Remember the last time you walked into a store and touched a simple t-shirt and thought, “Wow, this shirt is so soft! But it just look’s like a basic tee.” Well, you’re right. It was just a basic tee, but what you were probably touching was a viscose tee. Viscose is known for it’s silky appearance and texture, but it’s breathability similar to cotton. It also is known to drape very well, so those basic tees you love, lay even better than your cotton ones once you put them on your body.

Well, when it comes time to wash those favorite staples of yours, it can be a pain. The majority of the labels will say dry clean or hand wash only or lay flat to dry. Nothing can be more annoying than feeling like you have to wash your basic knits by hand, however, I’ve been washing all of my viscose pieces (most definitely not by hand), and I thought I’d show you how I do it, without feeling like they will shrink, become deformed, or get ruined. 

Step 1: Place your viscose pieces into a mesh laundry bag. Anytime you wash anything that is made of a delicate fiber, you should place it in a mesh bag to prevent it from getting caught on other laundry pieces or any part of the washing machine. It also helps keep your pieces in a normal shape, as opposed to getting all twisted up.

Step 2: Set your laundry cycle to “Hand wash.” If you don’t have a hand wash cycle, the delicate cycle will be fine.

Step 3: Instead of using your normal laundry detergent, use a delicate wash instead. I prefer the delicate wash made by The Laundress. This ensures there are no harsh chemicals that could potentially break down the more delicate fabrics.

Step 4: After washing, DO NOT PUT YOUR PIECES IN THE DRYER. This is super important. Viscose likes to tense up on itself when placed in heat for longer periods of time, so if you place your viscose tees in the dryer, it might come out looking a lot smaller, or very misshapen. Reshape your shirts by laying on a flat surface and lightly pulling at the edges. If your seams aren’t lining up, don’t worry, they will once the piece is completely dry. Sometimes viscose can feel very stiff when wet, but don’t worry, it will feel as soft as it was originally once completely dry.

Step 5: Store your viscose pieces folded neatly or hung. You can easy steam out any wrinkles before wear.

If you have any questions on the care of viscose, let me know in the comments below!

Thanks for reading,

Lynda

What’s in My Closet: Floral Kimono Blouse

Spring is here and it’s in full swing! With all the stores having spring clothing options out for a while now, I grabbed this top from Anthropologie for only $29.95 (originally $118!) and I couldn’t be happier with it!

It’s easy to pair this top with dressier pants for a night out, or with a light-wash denim for an easy spring day. It even pairs well with a pencil skirt for a simple work wear option.

I wore this outfit for a Saturday full of exploring, errand running, and enjoying brunch our new neighborhood.

[Shop the Look: Blouse: Anthropologie, Sunnies: House of Harlow 1960, Necklace: Gorjana, old, similar here, Ring: David Yurman, Earrings: Kate Spade, Denim: Madewell Skinny Crops, old, similar here, Shoes: Madewell, old, similar here]

Thanks for stopping by,

Lynda

Spring Fashion on a Day That Feels Like Winter

Sometimes the weather just doesn’t match the season.  And when that happens, it’s hard to figure out what to wear, because you want to wear all those new seasonal clothes, but the temperature outside just doesn’t allow for it.

I like pairing my warmer and brighter pieces to match the spring season, while still staying warm when it feels a bit nippy outside.

Wearing my bright scarf, keeps me warm in the less than desirable temperature, but still adds spring color.

Shop this post: [Hat: Kooringal, Necklace: Nordstrom, old, similar here, Scarf: Nordstrom, old, similar here Sweater: Madewell, Jeans: Madewell High Risers, Shoes: MIA, old, similar style, different brand here]

What are some of your favorite spring trends for this year?  Let me know!

Bows and Arrows,

Lynda

 

What’s in my Closet (for the 1st Day of Spring!)

Happy First Day of Spring!  Well, technically spring starts at 6:45pm, but still, it’s the first day of spring, so I’m going to treat it that way (regardless of what the weather is like outside)!I’ve already been wearing my white denim this year, but I thought it was appropriate to wear them today to celebrate our saying goodbye to winter!  I paired them with a classic denim jacket, and my spring sweater with a floral accent at the top.White denim and my denim jacket are definitely staple items in my closet.  I think everyone should have each of these because they are so versatile!

While I wish it wasn’t still sweater weather, spring does sometimes require them, so wearing a lighter sweater is a great way to transition from those bulky winter sweaters to lighter weight spring options.

 

[Shop the post: Madewell denim, old, similar here, Madewell denim jacket, old, similar here, Lauren Conrad Sweater, old, similar here, Kate Spade purse, Madewell shoes]Have a great first day of spring, and a great weekend!

Bows and Arrows,

Lynda

What’s in my Closet: Flares

Yesterday, it was actually warm outside.  Well, warmish.  It was comfortable enough to walk outside without a jacket, so I took full advantage of that.  Unfortunately, today the weather matches the still melting ice/snow outside, so I have to bundle up again. Sigh.  At least it’s less than one month til spring.

I’m so glad flares are back in style.  I’m 5’4″ and flares give me the look of having legs for days, even though I don’t.

It’s definitely a change from the typical skinny jeans everyone is wearing, and I love it.

 

Want to shop this look? [Vest: French Connection, Shirt: French Connection, old, similar here, Necklace: Heather Belle, Denim: Madewell, Watch: Michael Kors, Shoes: Nine West, old, similar here, Bag: Madewell]

Thanks for stopping by!

Bows and Arrows,

Lynda

How to: Wash Silks at Home

So Valentine’s weekend is over. And you wore that cute little red silk top to celebrate. Turns out, you got a small stain on it, and now you’re forced to clean it. But you’re lazy like me, and you really don’t want to make a trip to the dry cleaners. So what do you do? You clean it at home! 

Yes…you can clean your silks at home! I do it all the time. In fact, I’ve never stepped foot in a dry cleaners. If you recall, I do clean all my wool sweaters at home, too!

Silk is actually very quick to release dirt; you just have to know how to do it properly. Hand washing is typically the best method, and if there is a serious stain, you will need to apply some motion to the stained area to get the stain out. 

Washing silks at home is easy, as long as you have a mesh delicates bag, some delicates detergent, a steamer, and a trusty washing machine with a gentle cycle.

 

Step 1: If your shirt has a serious stain, fill up your clean sink with cold water and submerge your shirt. Add a small dab of your delicates wash to the stain and gently rub into the stain with your fingers.

Step 2: (If you didn’t have a stain on your shirt at all, and you just need to wash it, skip Step 1.) Place your silk shirt into your delicates bag, making sure all buttons are buttoned, and all zippers, snaps, etc, have been closed.

Step 3: Add your delicates bag to your washing machine. Run your washing machine on cold water, on the gentle or delicates cycle.  Add the suggested amount of detergent based on what the bottle says.  I use The Laundress Delicates Wash, and it has never let me down! You can do multiple delicates at once, just don’t overload your delicates bag, or use a few delicates bags if you need to. I don’t put more than 6-8 delicates items in to wash at once.

Step 4: When your load is complete, remove immediately and hang your silks. They will be damp and very wrinkled. That’s ok, just make sure to hang them right away so they can fall naturally and dry.

My dried wrinkled silk top!

Step 5: Once your silks are completely dry, use your steamer to get rid of the wrinkles. This process doesn’t take longer than 2 minutes per item, unless there are a lot of pleats, etc..

Step 6: Hang your silk back in your closet to wear again!

If you’re too worried that your washing machine will ruin your silks, hand washing works too! And if you don’t know how to hand wash, I’m about to tell you! It’s really easy, it just requires more effort. Essentially, you just follow step 1, massaging your delicates detergent into the silk and then allow your silks to be submerged in water for approximately 3 minutes. Then you drain your sudsy water and gently rinse your silks with lukewarm water. Once your silks are rinsed, you can proceed with Step 4.

I hope this helped everyone, and if you have any questions, let me know in the comments!

Thanks for reading,

Lynda

What’s in my Closet: Distressed Denim

Last year at this time, it had already snowed once in Raleigh, and we were gearing up for what everyone called the “snowpocalypse” that happened in the second week of February. This year however, we keep going from really cold days, to days where we reach the mid-50s to low-60s. While this isn’t the warmest weather, it’s definitely allowed for me to break out the distressed denim and not feel like my knees are completely frozen.

How are you styling your distressed denim?

[Shop the look: Madewell Denim, Gap Top (similar here), Dolce Cabo Cardigan (similar here), Madewell Necklace (similar here), Nine West Boots (similar here)]

Bows and Arrows,

Lynda

What’s in my Closet: Winter Whites + Blue Florals

If you see me on the regular, you know I’m always wearing one of three colors: black, blue, or gray. Recently, I’ve tried to expand my wardrobe to include white. Gasp. I know. Most people have white as a staple color in their closet. But not me…spending years and years working at a coffee shop pretty much scared me away from anything with a hint of white on it. Not so long ago, I noticed that I barely had any white in my wardrobe, so I decided to change that by adding some winter whites, while still incorporating my go-to color: blue. This is one of my favorite pieces that I’ve recently added to my closet, and inspires me to continue dressing for the winter, while looking forward to spring!

[French Connection Dress, Madewell Tux Leggings, Franco Sarto Booties (similar), Sparklepop Necklace, Veda x Madewell Leather Jacket (similar)]

 

Thanks for reading and following along,

Lynda