modswap!

i was lucky enough to be invited to julia's (from jeeze, julia) modcloth modswap! being a lover of clothing swaps and a member of the SWAPmaine team, this was my very first intimate, at home swap. julia did an amazing job with the decor and set up of the swap, which seemed like it would be easy for her based on how cute and amazing her apartment already was. i attended with my friend, michelle, who runs the goodwill of northern new england blog and one of her own, maine belle. michelle wrote a great recap of the swap over on the swapaholics blog. read her post for all the awesome details cause i am about to get to the clothes!

let's start from the beginning. the day before the swap, i started my pre spring cleaning. i sorted through my clothes and filled an ikea bag with clothes and13 pairs of shoes to take to the swap! dont worry i still have two more ikea bags full of clothes to swap with! i went to the modswap with the idea we like to base SWAPmaine around: give more than you take. and since i was already in the middle of a major closet overhaul, i only wanted to bring home really cool pieces.

after drinks and snacks, we got to shop the swap and label our top 3 choices with super cute tags julia made. luckily for me, and everyone else, i went home with my top three choices. and here they are:

 #1

#2 



#3

other things i scored:

this fab necklace was one of the items donated from modcloth!

and of course you cant leave any good swap with out a little swag..

and check out the beautiful collar made by julia, herself! i cant wait to wear it!

oh, and i hear she is selling her handmade goodies at the merchant co!

i got some cool new things that i cant wait to wear. thank you to julia, modcloth, and swap.com for making my first at home swap super fun!

now i will be dreaming of swaps...

SWAPmaine cant come soon enough.


spring trends a to z: j.

j is for:

jazz age

chanel

ralph lauren

gucci

sonia rykiel

marc jacobs

etro

where to buy:

this is by far one of my favorite trends for spring. if i could have lived at any other time period, the 20s would be one of my top choices. the clothing is so beautiful and so sexy without the slight bit of vulgarness. it is all about drop waists (in a chiffon, flawy fabric can look so flattering), feathers, flapper dresses, feminine fringe, streamlined cuts, luxurious (or luxurious looking) fabrics, art deco beading. they are beautiful, almost romantic looking pieces. and what better a time for the feeling of optimism and hope for the future than right now. 

all runway photos from style.com.

spring trends a to z: i.

i is for:

iridescent

chanel

christopher kane

giles

theysken's theory

where to buy:

all runway images from style.com.

dots, pleats, & a bow.

wearing:

sweater - goodwill

skirt - gap

tights - gap

shoes - urban outfitters

there was no way this was going to be a bad day. i felt cute & girly and just wanted to smile & twirl my skirt around all day. pleats and polka dots are both really great things to find in one's wardrobe, but they are even better things when you put them together. i almost died when i saw this sweater on the rack at goodwill. it looked so much like the madewell one i loved (and my sister could actually afford to buy), just with short sleeves. i don't think i even tried it on. i didn't care. it was coming home with me either way. for my first time wearing it, i wanted it to be a perfect outfit, so pairing with jeans was not going to cut it. it needed to be super special. luckily for me, even when your weight fluctuates a pleated skirt like this will usually look good. it flares out and away from the body, making the waist look small. i kept the short length of the skirt looking fun & flirty and not inappropriate by wearing opaque tights and colorful flats.

so happy together.

spring trends a to z: h.

h is for:

head-to-toe prints

kenzo

dkny

michael williamson

diane von furstenberg

anna sui

preen

where to buy now:

there is no way around it, this is a bold fashion statement. but what a fun way to make one. don't worry about the prints matching or being at all alike. except maybe a similar color in each to tie the look together. if you are new to this, but want to give it a try, start with the same type of print in a smaller size in one piece and a larger version in another.

all runway photos from style.com.