Dress dilemma: cupcake-ification

I bought the Chocolate Dipped Strawberry dress from ModCloth a while ago. And usually when I buy something new, I can barely wait to get it home, rip the tags off and wear it the very next second.



But this. This has just been hanging forlornly in my closet with the tags still attached, like that sad little kid picked last for dodge ball.

It's not that I don't like it. It's a sweet little dress. But that's also it's biggest flaw. It's too sweet. Too literal.

Chocolate-cupcake-with-strawberry-icing literal.

And so, I've been scouting around, trying to find pieces to wear with it that don't make me feel like I should have a candle on top of my head. I think I've found a few pieces that might get this dress out of my closet and onto the dance floor.

Idea 1- Toughen it up
J. Crew solid ripstop field jacket | Unlisted Shelf Help shoes from Zappos | Madewell fringed chain necklace | Deena & Ozzy zip-front moto satchel from Urban Outfitters


Idea 2- Soften it up
Outdoor cafe cardigan from Anthropologie | Anticipation heels from Anthroplogie | Louise upcycled earrings by Erica Leilani Designs | J. Crew Jericho tote

Idea 3- Embrace the cupcake-ification- add some sprinkles!
Glacier necklace by Surf and Sand Jewelry Design
| Satin bow clutch by Mermaid's Dream | J. Crew Starling heels in rose gold

So what do you think? How should I style this dress?

lust list :: nOir animal rings

It all started with Pete the Porcupine. I fell in love with this cute little critter ring, but sadly, I missed out on it since my size is sold out everywhere. But fortunately for me, nOir jewelry makes tons of other super adorable animal and critter rings (I'm sort of partial to Owen the Owl and Goldie the Elephant).


Clockwise from top left: Pete the Porcupine | Goldie the Elephant | Owen the Owl | Lee the Bee | Butch the Bulldog | Penny the Peacock

what I wore and shoes I need

I realize I post these outfit of the day posts rather sporadically and I'm trying to get better at posting them more often, but the truth is, I'm lazy. Yep. When I get home from work and the dogs are jumping around like crazy nutbags, ready to go outside, the last thing I feel like doing is taking pictures (and just forget about getting pics in the morning before I leave for work). But I did manage to take some pics today. So, here I am. Oh, and Lucy Beagle wanted to say hello.

PS- Excuse the photo quality. I'm still trying to mess with the lighting, the external flash and the camera remote. Some Saturday when I have hours of spare time (ha!), I'll work out this little problem.



Floral dress and white ruffled vest- H&M
Black sandals- Target
Jewelry- NY&Co

I must say, I'm not a huge fan of the shoes I wore today and so, I've launched a quest for the perfect edgy black sandals (I have exactly zero pair). Since I'm on the hunt, I thought I'd share some of my main contenders for possible near-future purchasing.


Clockwise from top: Nine West Extremist from Zappos | Sam Edelman Quintessa from Piperlime | Averill Sandals by J. Crew | Dolce Vita Western Buckle Wedge from Urban Outfitters | Pour La Victoire Kiara from Piperlime

Etsy as an incubator

Megan Auman, who authors one of my favorite indie business blogs, Crafting an MBA, recently posted about how to use Etsy as an incubator and why you should eventually move on. It really resonated with me because that is exactly how I view my Etsy experience. I've had a shop there for a while and I've worked on the exact topics Megan mentions, like product development, market research and branding. I also realized that my current shop is not working and I want to go a different direction. And of course, grad school also played a big part in forming my ideas for my future plans, too.



For my new shop, I still plan to use Etsy as an incubator while I finalize business plans (because this one is a much bigger plan). But once I have those plans ready to go, I'll be moving in other directions to become a multi-channel retailer. I never plan to leave Etsy completely. I just love the community there* and wouldn't want to lose touch with it, but I know I will outgrow using just Etsy and brick and mortar consignment eventually. You can check out a little preview of my new designs here and here.

*Speaking of communities, I'm a proud member of the Etsy Beagles Team, and we have a challenge coming up called "Lazy Days of Summer." That picture up there is part of the supplies for my challenge entry, and I'll post the finished piece when it's ready.

Happy weekend!