Current Covets

I am not good to my handbags.

My current purse still has the odd mixed smell of old gum and a satchel of lavender potpourri that spilled everywhere. It's musty. Really musty.
Oh and also, I can't use the side zip pocket because there's a wad of melted caramel all over the inside of it.

I use my bags to death. To a literal, quite ceremonial death. I won't buy a new purse until I have to throw my current one in the trash, wiping a tear in farewell. There was nothing we could do, the doctors would say.

For some reason, this sad but cost-worthy habit has been less desirable to me as of late.
I'd like a few clutches. Maybe a smaller purse, for grabbing on the go. A tote for overnighting. Another tote for the farmer's market. Cute luggage. I'd like little zip-up pouches to keep my random things like gum, knick-knacks and lip glosses, so I can just grab my wallet, pouches and phone to quickly transfer to another bag.
I wanna be a bag girl. 

This could be me, with my snooty fresh fruit and veggies.

The truth is, this blog post is purely fiction because
a.) I have no room to keep an absurd collection of bags
b.) this is the kind of thing I like to say I'll do but probably never will (like getting a tan or growing out my nails)
c.) I don't have any money

So. Wishful thinking aside, let's pretend this is real life.

I know those are pretty much the same, but I love green. I think I'm drawn to almost anything if it's green. Maybe that's why I actually like brusselsprouts. 

Man, it's so hard to resist a bright solid color like that. 

But then there are the irresistible patterns...

Now if you like that, look at this. 

Oh my. It has neon accents! And it's on sale. I may have just found my true Current Covet.

Patterns are good. Very good. I like those little shoulder satchels. They make me feel like I'm going to walk to a pastry shop. Wearing a hat. Blowing bubbles.

Other than green, I think stripes would be my "I must have you" trigger.

Okay, now put those hands together. And by "hands" I mean Green + Pattern.
Obviously the result is plaid.

The walking, pastry shop, hat and bubbles can be there too. Only add a field of flowers and a cup of tea once I arrive, because this bag is called "English Countryside".

I also mentioned "cute luggage".
One of my new friends here just found a local gem.
There is a woman located here in Lynchburg that hand-makes adorable bags. "Elle & Anne Handbags".
My friend Hollie had her make this bag for her weekend travels:

How cute is that!
It's the perfect tote for a weekend away. She travels a lot for work, so this is the perfect way for her to travel in style. And it's so cool that she is available locally! Hollie went over to her house, perused her collection of fabrics, and was able to pick exactly what she wanted. Such a great way to shop!

What is your favorite style of handbag?
(Oh and by the way, I've changed from saying "purse" to "handbag". I'm just going through a whole host of changes here!)

I can't really decide. My best friend asked me what kind of purse I'd be looking for, and I seriously had no answers. "Cute? Colorful? Solid? Um..shaped like something?"

What's even in style these days?

I'm gonna keep dreaming and I'll eventually find "my bag", the style I'm searching for.
Or, I'll just keep using this musty one.
We've been together a long time. It's comforting. Although I daren't open that pocket again, in case the caramel has...festered...

Until next time :)
Cait

Frocktober: Week 3!

Whew!
It seems as though Frocktober has taken over October. :)
I haven't posted much, other than than Frocktober posts! But it has been a great few weeks.

Last week I decided I would try to incorporate some of my "fancy" dresses into everyday wear.
Sometimes us ladies have a collection of dresses we bought for a specific event or purpose and once we wear it, we have trouble wearing it again. Either because the event was significant enough that we can't remove that event from the dress (like a bridesmaid dress) or because we just don't have that many "fancy" events to go to anymore.

Frocktober: Week 3!

Day 1: The Graduation Dress

I had bought this silky dress from Ann Taylor Loft, and it ended up being the perfect choice for graduation.

But I haven't worn it since.
So this is how I wore it this week!

Dress: Loft
Top: J. Crew
Jacket: Loft
Shoes: Gifted
Earrings: Thrifted

Day 2: Wedding Guest Dress

I've actually gotten a lot of use out of this dress.
It has been my go-to, easy to style dress for nice occasions. It's a classic wrap dress, with an optional waist tie. The material is soft and comfortable.
But I've had it so long, it has been hanging in my closet without much use lately.
In a last "should I keep you?" effort, I decided to put it to the remix test. How can I freshen up this dress in my wardrobe?

We also had to take these pictures in the dark, since we had such a busy day! But we made it work.

Dress: ? (It's been too long!)
Sweater: Loft
Necklace: Gifted (via Etsy)
Watch: Fossil
Shoes: Gifted (via Zulily)
Headband: Target

This was a customized birthday gift from my best friend - my home state, Arizona. 

Day 3: Anniversary Dress

I got this dress at a great bargain, I think at Forever 21? But I'm not sure!
But it was the perfect January dress for our 1 year anniversary while we were home in Arizona.

I haven't worn it since, so I was excited to experiment!
Since it was chilly, I decided on layers.

Dress: Forever 21 (?)
Jacket: Loft
Skirt: Gifted
Shoes: Gifted (via Zulily)
Bracelet: Cookie Lee
Earrings: Noon (shop here)

Day 4: Short Dress Cover-Up!

Once again, this is a chapter out of the "This Dress is Too Short For Work" saga.
This party dress is great with tights, and I've only gotten one chance it wear it. It was a hand-me-down gift from my friend who also only wore it once.
So here we go! Giving this dress another chance to be great for everyday wear.

Dress: Gifted
Cardigan: ?
Skirt: Gifted
Shoes: Target
Jewelry: New York & Company

Day 5: Lace Dress and Bright Colors!

I was so excited last week, because I actually won a giveaway on one of the blogs I follow!
Delightfully Tacky, which was become one of my new favorites, posted a giveaway from Minuet Crochet, a sweet little Etsy shop.
A few days later, I got an email. I had actually won!
Mindy from Minuet Crochet quickly made my items and sent them to me. I couldn't believe how quickly they arrived!

We went travelling this weekend, so these pictures were taken on the road! We pulled over when the sun started to set.

For some reason, as soon as I brought my new crochet items upstairs, my eye was immediately drawn to this bright turquoise dress hanging in my closet. Wine and teal! Yes!

Dress: Ruche (shop here!)
Cardigan: Bought in Ireland
Boots: DSW
Tights: Target
Boot Cuffs, Mug Cozy, Infinity Scarf, Finger-less Gloves: Minuet Crochet! (shop here!)
Necklace: Lux (boutique in Riverside, CA)

In love with these boot cuffs.

Showing off all of Minuet Crochet's goodies!

Day 6: State Fair!

This was one of the trickiest days.
We went out of town over the weekend, travelling into North Carolina to go to the State Fair!
My husband had never been to a state fair. So obviously, we had to fix that immediately and introduce him to one!
We had a list of all of the classic to-do's. Ferris wheel, fried foods, winning stuffed animals...
That being said, I wanted something comfortable. But it's still Frocktober! So it had to be a dress.
Pictures were also tough, but we managed to get a few and include some of the wild life around the park. :)

Dress: Gifted (via Zulily)
Top: J. Crew
Belt: ?
Shoes: Marshall's
Sunglasses: Ruche (shop here!)

We had to ride the high swings!

 Such a fun day!

Day 7: Ruche!

I have been coveting a very specific outfit from one of Ruche's lookbooks for quite some time.
Namely, this one:

It's absolutely lovely. Pride & Prejudice lovely.
Finally, the floral top went on sale and I couldn't stand it any longer. Then, as fate would have it, my in-laws bought the lace dress to match!
So Sunday night, my husband and I went on a date and I got to wear my little Ruchette outfit for the first time.

Dress: Ruche
Top: Ruche
Tights: Target
Shoes: Poetic License (shop here!)

I love the little peek-a-boo back with the tie!

On our way to our date, we drove to the end of our street which opens up into our favorite line of golden trees in the Fall. It was our favorite spot last year, and so we decided to stop for a minute and take some more pictures while the sun was setting!
I also wanted to show the lace dress as is, since the detail is so lovely!

Many thanks to my wonderful husband who has been such a great sport in helping me in my Frocktober challenge.
It's been a lot of fun. :)
Right, honey?

Stay tuned, this week is the LAST full week of Frocktober!
I think I'm going to be experimenting with pattern combinations. What are the do's and don't's of mixing prints?
Is it personal preference, or is there a code?
Because my first outfit of this week may be testing the waters a bit. :)

In love,
Cait

P.S. What was your favorite outfit from this week??