Tag: Dresses

OOTD: August Brights

by Ashley DeLarge1 Comment on OOTD: August Brights

Good Morning and Happy Monday, everyone!

What a whirlwind weekend I had. Literally. While I was spending time with my mother on Saturday morning, a F1 tornado touched down in her town and caused some pretty significant damage to the Main Street/downtown area and surrounding side streets. Thankfully, there were no deaths or injuries reported- which is a big deal considering we’re not used to (or particularly prepared for) twisters in rural Massachusetts- but quite a few people were displaced in the aftermath.

Saturday’s storm/tornado is the second I’ve narrowly dodged since a F3 swept across a highway I was traveling on back in 2011- and the one thing that still sends a chill up my spine to this day is the sound it made. While taking cover in my mother’s cellar with her and Oliver (who was such a brave little dog throughout the ordeal!)– it sounded like a freight train was speeding by eerily close to where we were sitting. It was the same noise I had heard on that highway back in 2011. It lasted only a few seconds- but it was pretty insane and intense.

My mother’s home wasn’t damaged at all, and I couldn’t be more thankful for that- and yesterday’s weather was clear and sunny- which made it a lot easier for those performing cleanup to the affected areas. It could have been so much worse, but we got really, really lucky.

Yesterday afternoon, after running some errands and taking a much-needed breather following such a close call- I met up with friends for a late lunch/early dinner to decompress and get myself back into a good state of mind. It was pretty hot out- so I opted for this bright aqua sun dress with subtle silver beading along the straps to stay cool and comfortable.

I can’t remember where I got this dress, honestly. I’ve had it for years- but instinct tells me it was probably up at Hampton Beach and more than likely during their annual Seafood Festival. I usually find really cute pieces for amazing prices when I stop by during that time.

I just know I love the color, which was flattering back when I was a redhead but seems to really look lovely and Summery now that I’ve got blonde curls going on. To keep things bright and cheerful, I paired the dress with my pink floral sandals from ModCloth and matched my lipstick shade (Urban Decay!) to the shoes to give my face a flush of color.

I’m hoping to get some more wear out of this dress before the end of Summer- and since it’s pretty versatile- I have a feeling it’s going to be making an appearance in my office within the next week or so. If I need to cover up the beaded straps for any reason- I have a white, short-sleeved cardigan I can pull on over it.

And now with a brand new work-week underway, I’ve got to dive right into my voicemails, e-mails, and caseloads to try and get my schedule clear by Friday and not have to worry about a thing!

Here’s wishing you all a wonderful Monday and a steady, easygoing week ahead!

xx

– Ashley –

OOTD: Breezy Southern Belle

by Ashley DeLargeLeave a Comment on OOTD: Breezy Southern Belle

Good Morning and Happy Monday, everyone! Time to get back to the grind and get some work done!

I hope all the moms and/or moms-to-be out there had a wonderful Mother’s Day! I spent most of the morning and afternoon with my mom- savoring the sunshine, cooking a delicious, homemade brunch together (the recipe for our main course will be up on the blog in a couple of days!) and doing a little bit of shopping for some plants/flowers for her garden- as well as some furniture and decor for a few renovations she has planned for her house this Summer.

My mom is very much the DIY, HGTV-obsessed type- always coming up with new projects to keep her home and lawn looking immaculate and cutting edge- so it was a lot of fun to just watch her in her element and jot down some pointers she had for me as we went about our day together.

Since our plans weren’t anything particularly fancy and I am all about comfort this time of year- I wore this lovely, lightweight gauze maxi dress I picked up a few weeks ago with laid-back weekends in mind. Something about this dress gives me a Southern Belle vibe. Not like Scarlett O’Hara- but I could envision myself strolling through a picturesque town in South Carolina during the Summer in this (it should be mentioned that I also recently watched ‘The Notebook’ for the first time in forever so that scenery is still fresh in my mind…)

The great thing about maxi dresses is that you can wear flats, sandals, wedges or heels with them and it always looks good. Yesterday I opted for these woven strap heels to give me a little boost of height and improve my posture- and topped things off with an over-sized hat I had originally bought a couple of Summers ago for the beach. Add some colorful bracelets and rings with aqua and orange tones and you have a perfect look for a lovely Spring Day!

But now I’ve got to get to work. Monday morning obligations and whatnot- and I haven’t even had my coffee yet!

Here’s hoping you all have an easy and stress-free week!

xx

– Ashley –

OOTD: In Bloom

by Ashley DeLarge2 Comments on OOTD: In Bloom

Good Morning, everyone!

I’m so beyond grateful it’s Friday. It’s been such a busy week- with work, post-office plans nearly every day, trying to find the perfect Mother’s Day gift before this coming Sunday- and squeezing in enough time for the gym and getting enough sleep to function like a relatively normal person. Although tonight is my bi-weekly family dinner with my mom, brothers, sister-in-laws and niece- I have to admit I’m looking forward to just being able to relax and sleep a little late tomorrow morning. I need it!

Earlier this week I had dinner arrangements with friends at The Local in Wellesley (one of my favorite towns in the Greater Boston area!) and thought it was just as good a time as any to break out an oldie but a goody party dress I’ve had since my early-to-mid twenties so that I could match the blossoming trees along Wellesley’s main street/historic district.

This lightweight, cotton dress with detailed embroidery and a floral print is the most beautiful shades of sky blue and pastel pink- and hits a little ways above the knee- making it easy to wear to both my office (with a modest button-up cardigan over it) and out with friends where I can expose some shoulder.

Wearing heels with this dress, however- can make it look entirely too short. Instead, I paired it with my pastel pink flats (which have made an appearance in some past OOTDs!) to stay comfortable and keep from exposing a little too much to those who were enjoying the late Spring afternoon/evening around the town.

And for my makeup- some shimmery pink eye shadow and lip balm was all I needed to keep things in a light, pretty and seasonal state.

I have a similar dress in a different pattern that I feel is more Summery given the colors- so I’m sure that will be making an appearance on the blog at some point after Memorial Day!

But I’m off to finish up some work for the week and get ready to catch up with my family tonight. I’ll be back on Monday- and in the meantime- I hope all the moms out there from all corners of the Earth and all walks of life have a truly beautiful Mother’s Day: filled with your favorite foods, maybe a little wine, some quiet time- and lots of pampering. You earned it!

I’ll be spending Mother’s Day with my own Mama- where we have brunch and some shopping plans in mind- so I’m hoping the nice weather holds up so we can spend more time outdoors.

Have a great weekend, everyone!

xx

– Ashley –

OOTD: Crime Scene Couture

by Ashley DeLargeLeave a Comment on OOTD: Crime Scene Couture

Good Morning and Happy Friday, everyone! With Halloween just a few short days away- this weekend is set to be one of my busiest yet! Filled with party-hopping, haunted houses, pumpkin carving, some treat baking and last minute decorating to prepare for Tuesday night’s festivities- I’m going to be moving non-stop over the next 48 hours- and I couldn’t be more excited for it. Halloween is my favorite holiday for a reason, after all!

I’ve been sporting some of my favorite Halloween & Horror-inspired threads and jewelry in recent weeks- and this past week seemed as good a time as any to break out my blood spatter dress from Black Milk Clothing. I picked up this gory number a couple of years ago and it’s become one of my favorite staples to wear to office Halloween parties or when I’m heading out to catch a midnight horror movie marathon with my friends.

The dress is made mostly of polyester, so it’s very comfortable to move around in- and the fabric has a smooth feel and almost shiny appearance at first glance. What makes this dress so fun (to me, anyway!) is that if you look closely enough, you can see the word “HELP” written and bloodied hand prints scattered around the front and back. It’s morbid, for sure- but it always gets people talking whenever I wear it!

It’s been chilly and rainy out these past few days- so I’ve been layering up as much as possible. With this dress, I kept it pretty simple with a pair of black, fleece-lined tights, a faux-leather jacket and black, buckled biker boots. If it were warmer out or if I was wearing this anywhere that I could show some leg- I’d probably pair it with a pair of blood red heels and call it a night.

Add a cherry red lipstick (I’m wearing NARS’ Satin Lip Pencil in Luxembourg in these photos!) and a swipe of black eye liner and I am pretty much ready to go!

This is one of those ensembles I wish I could wear year-round and have it be appropriate- but alas, Halloween is sadly not a monthly occurrence. Instead, I’ve had a lot of fun getting as much usage out of this dress as I can before I have to tuck it away in a storage bin until next October rolls around.

And so, I’ve got to finish up some work for today. Enjoy your weekend, everyone! I’m looking forward to sharing my costumes (yes, I’ve got more than one to wear this year!), my monthly favorites- and my look back and this positively de-FRIGHT-ful October in my posts next week.

See you all then!

xx

– Ashley –

OOTD: Witchy Woman

by Ashley DeLargeLeave a Comment on OOTD: Witchy Woman

I’ve owned this little black, back-less dress since high school- where I first wore it to a Honor Society dinner and caused quite a commotion when some of the teachers in attendance (and a few of my more conservative peers) thought that the cut of it was a little too risque for a formal event. At the time- I was offered a cardigan to cover up with.

It still fits perfectly, but since then- I typically only wear this out and about around Halloween- since it has a bit of a “witchy” vibe to it. Sure, a lot of it may be because of the way that I dress it up with black leggings/tights, knee-high boots, my go-to wide-brimmed hat and a piece of spooky statement jewelry- but I think the way the fitted bodice transforms into layers of tulle cut at different lengths has something to do with it, too. There’s just something about the silhouette this gives me that makes me feel like I just stepped out of a scene from “The Craft”.

And I always show off my back in it. No more cardigans for me!

For not having usual straps (the ones on this little number wrap around my shoulders at the most peculiar angle and in the oddest way)– this dress is still pretty comfortable. It’s been warm and humid outside in recent weeks- so it was nice to have something so light and breezy to walk around in, like during this past weekend while I was out with some friends and taking some photographs up at my favorite haunt- pun intended- Medfield State Hospital. The eerie scenery had me feeling especially festive.

And for that aforementioned spooky statement jewelry? I knew right away I wanted to wear my blackened steel Edgar Allan Poe pendant necklace from Fable and Fury– a gift from years ago that I still absolutely love and wear all the time throughout the month of October. Paired with a oxblood red lipstick and a smoldering smoky eye? You’ve got a bewitching look that can be pulled off effortlessly during post-office cocktails AND that Halloween party you were invited to and forgot about until the last possible second.

I’m so ready to rock this again this coming weekend- but I’ve got a few more tricks (and treats) in my closet that I’m just DYING to share, too!

Okay, I’ll stop with the bad Halloween puns. I promise.

We’re almost near the weekend, everyone! Hang in there!

xx

– Ashley –