Rag Curls and Plaid

Whenever I think of rag curls, I think of sitting on my mom's bed at night as she tiredly tied up my hair. My hair was thick, as it still is, and stick straight (it has a big more texture these days). It never held a curl for long.

A few days ago, I decided to give them another try. The results were much better than those early efforts. The only problem? I put them in the night before a rainy day. They held up a bit better than I was expecting, though. The last picture is of my curls at the end of a drizzly day running errands around the city. The curls have definitely fallen out some, but they aren't stick straight like I would have expected.

I followed Solanah's tutorial here for a refresher on how to do rag curls. 

Outfit Details

Dress: LL Bean Signature Collection
Handkerchief: Borrowed from the hubby
Jacket: LL Bean
Rain Hat: LL Bean

Outfit Post: Denim and Lace

I don't normally do outfit posts. To be honest, I feel a little silly doing them. But I know I enjoy the occasional outfit post from the bloggers I follow, so here goes! 

I wore this last Saturday when we took a trip to the Taipei Fabric Market and explored the sights at Beimen Station. 

Outfit Details:

Vest: Dollhouse Brand, Thrifted, Similar here

Dress: Fleet Collection (purchased during going out of business sale)

Shoes: Birkenstock

Purse: Cambridge Satchel

Necklace: Vintage, gift from my grandma

Sunglasses: Uniqlo

Earrings: Gifted

Teacher's Day Off (A Chicwish Review)

I made the decision recently to finally start blogging more frequently. Alas, my best intentions gang aft agley. To make a long story short, over the course of the last few months, our cameras and phones have been biting the dust one at a time. Up until this evening, we were down to the camera on our iPad.

Despite that, I soldiered on and put together this Chicwish review.

I discovered Chicwish from Rebecca over at The Clothes Horse. I was a bit wary of trying a new company after a very bad online retail experience recently; however, their good reviews, a 30% introductory coupon, and their (get this) free international shipping sealed the deal for me.

I ordered two skirts from them. Today, I'll be reviewing this cute little jean number. It's the "high-rise, a-line denim skirt" (no longer available). I didn't used to be much of a a-line skirt girl, but I've fallen in love with the look recently. Perhaps it's Tilly's adorable Delphine pattern that started it. Honestly, it probably is. I can't wait till I have a sewing machine again and can make it. Until then, I'll have to content myself with this skirt!

It's an easy skirt to content myself with. I love it. In fact I'm wearing it right now as I type up this blogpost. It did arrive with one little quirk. The buttonholes weren't cut out. This took only a minute for me to deal with; however, it was a bit strange!

Besides that, my ordering experience was great. They were quick to respond to questions, went above and beyond when I contacted them with a concern, and kept in contact during the delivery of my order.

The skirt in question is perfect for my days off from teaching: cute and comfy.

Many of the Chicwish styles aren't quite my personal cup of tea. They also use a lot of synthetic fibers. I prefer natural fibers. (Thankfully this skirt is cotton.) For those two reasons, I can't see myself ordering too frequently from them, but I'm definitely considering another order at some point!

Outfit Details:

Sweater: LL Bean Signature Collection

Tee: Net Fashion, Taiwan

Skirt: Chicwish

This post contains affiliate links.

My New Specs: A Rivet & Sway Review

I'm not usually one for wearing glasses as an everyday thing. My vision is bad enough that I need some sort of eye correction, but I usually go the contacts route. That, however, has now changed.

Earlier this month, after a prolonged search for new glasses (mine were old, unflattering, and scratched up), I discovered Rivet & Sway, a great new online startup company offering specs tailor made for women.

I  loved ordering from Rivet & Sway. Their customer service was excellent. For example, I contacted them several times throughout my order with questions. They were always quick to respond and provided helpful solutions, even going the extra mile to help me work through some pricing concerns.

Like many online eyeglass companies, Rivet & Sway offers free home try-ons to help you decide which frames to order. They allow 3 frames for 3 days. Mine arrived within a couple days of my order by free two-day Fedex shipping. To return, you simply repack the frames in their original box, stick on the provided return label, and ship them out. Return shipping is also free.

When you place an order, the frames are shipped out in small, cute, brown boxes. Inside is yet another small, cute brown box. And inside of that, in a soft glasses pouch, are your glasses. All glasses cost $199 for both the frames and lenses. If you decide the glasses don't work for you, Rivet & Sway even offers a 60-day, no questions asked return policy.

I had a very specific idea in mind for my new glasses. I wanted round, tortoise shell frames. Everything I found, though, was either too big for my thin face or looked like a toddler's frames. Enter Rivet & Sway's Poetic License. They were an obvious choice for me. The Poetic License frames were made for narrow faces and therefore don't drown out my small features. Plus, because Rivet and Sway designs specifically for women, all the glasses are delicate and feminine without being fragile.

I love my new specs. They're designer quality and design without the designer price tag. As I mentioned at the beginning of this post, I'm typically more of a contacts girl. Since I got my new glasses a week ago, though, I've worn them everyday. I'm definitely a new longterm customer of Rivet & Sway.

After having such a great experience with this company, I'm ecstatic to announce Rivet & Sway as my first blog sponsor! I'm proud to promote this awesome company, and I hope other bespectacled women have just as a great an experience as I did!

Disclaimer: This post was written in partnership with Rivet & Sway. All opinions, however, are my own.

Roller Coasters Rides and Circle Skirts

Days so quickly turn into weeks and weeks into months! It's hard to believe that I accidentally took a a 5-week hiatus from this blog. Sometimes, life is like a country drive. You control the direction and speed as you travel leisurely down the road. Other times, it's like a roller coaster. You hang on for dear life and try to remember that someone else whom you can trust is in control. While I may enjoy country drives more, I always learn more on the roller coaster ride.

Life lately, has been the roller coaster.

When things finally slowed down, I heard my sewing machine beckon me. I had a few complicated projects half finished but decided to procrastinate on those and soothe my tired mind with something fun. A circle skirt!



I've always wanted to draft a circle skirt but never felt up to the task. After doing a little research, however, I realized it was easier than my current project of drafting my own pencil skirt pattern. It seemed like the perfect way to get back into sewing!

[caption id="attachment_377" align="aligncenter" width="560"] Every time I see this, all I can think is, "When did my hair get that long?![/caption]

Another thing I discovered while researching is how many confusing tutorials are out there. I had to draft my pattern several times before coming up with one that worked. And the one I used still had some hiccups I need to work out before making another skirt. This inspired me. A circle skirt pattern should be fairly simple to make. But you need understandable directions. Maybe I should write my own tutorial? Something even the beginning seamstress can understand?

Outfit Details

Shirt: Reny's (Liz Clairborne Brand)

Skirt: Handmade by me

Tights: Urban Outfitters

Boots: Thrifted, Nine West

Purse: The Cambridge Satchel

*All photos courtesy of Marybeth Hoover

Sometimes Bare Feet are the Best Accessory

While planning my wedding two years ago, I hunted high and low for the perfect pair of shoes to match my vintage-style, outdoor wedding. I hunted in vain. So, instead, I went with the flow and decided to sport the footwear I feel most comfortable in. Bare feet.

Two years later, on our anniversary. We went to the ocean. Once again, I ran around barefoot.

What can I say? I love the feel of the ground underneath me, and barefeet really are my favorite accessory.

Although, hats aren't half-bad either.

What I'm Loving Now: The Fingerless Glove

My latest style obsession? Fingerless gloves. A friend recently gave me this handmade pair. They're perfect with everything, especially in this light jacket weather we've been having up until today's snow storm. I've barely stopped wearing them since I got them!

[caption id="attachment_81" align="aligncenter" width="560"] The Gloves[/caption]

[caption id="attachment_494" align="aligncenter" width="560"] With paisley and boots[/caption]

[caption id="attachment_75" align="aligncenter" width="400"] With a blazer[/caption]