Trying new trends w/ sex appeal

As much as I love my staple wardrobe pieces, sometimes  a girl just needs to be on trend. Ya feel? Those are the days I turn to tobi.com.

Usually my style is really, muted. I tend to wear what I call "uniforms," and they cover about 95% of my skin. Ha! Today, I decided to challenge myself and share three currently trending outfits with, dare I say it, SEX APPEAL. Read on :D

EDGE OF NIGHT CAMI

WHOOP THERE IT IS. This cami is everything. I realized camis were trending again after reading cool-girl Aimee Rancer's post about it a few weeks ago. Mixing and matching soft, feminine pieces with hi rise denim was a perfect way for me to be completely out of my comfort zone on top (I couldn't wear a bra with this shirt, ah!!!) but still wear my regular, skin covering bottoms. 

I do love this cami, tho. It's a wonderful color for spring and though I didn't take any pictures of the back, the sex appeal is real. Trust me. Shop the entire look via the photos below.

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ALLEY LACE UP RIBBED BODY SUIT

GUYS. I wore a body suit. WTF? I never, ever, ever thought I would be able to pull off a body suit. & I guess I didn't allllllllll the way. I probably shouldn't have worn a bra with this lace up beauty, but that just seemed like way to much exposure for me. So I donned a bralett. 

Long ago I read on a blog that body suits are great to wear as an outfit "base." They don't ride up and they look like a shirt. I wanted to test out the theory.

This look is 10,000% outside of my comfort zone but I can tell you right now, people loved it. People like my fiancé. Paired with some hi rise vintage denim, I felt like I could take on the world in this ensemble. Shop the look in the photos below.

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CURRENT AFFAIRS COCOON DRESS

Okay... so, short dress + deep v.

I cannot pull this off.

It looks like I'm wearing a tiny night gown. Or a t-shirt. Which in retrospect is probably how I should have styled this piece......

However. If you are a little bit shorter than me, or can pose in a short dress without looking like you're the most uncomfortable person in the world...... give it a try. The look is below. 

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What am I missing? What kinds of trends are you guys rocking these days? In other news, it's my bachelorette weekend! As I am writing to you, my friends and sisters are flying across the country to spend the weekend in Sonoma with me. I cannot wait. 

Miss you guys. Hope you're good. Sending love. xox

Photos: Jake Heath
Lip: Lipsense in Pink Champagne
TOBI clothes provided c/o. All thoughts are my own.

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Spring Loungewear Wish List

Yesterday I walked into Nordstrom Rack for the first time in a loooooong time. &, while I am still on that no-frills budget, it didn't  stop me from trying on every piece of the OG adidas loungewear line 😜

Anyway, once I got home (empty handed),  I started researching all the spring loungewear. I'm all about the bold retro feel out there this season, and I thought you might like to take a look at some of my faves. All images are hyperlinks. 

ANNIE'S TOP PICKS: SPRING LOUNGEWEAR EDITION

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Mimalist Style & Max Comfort: A Review of Grana

My style has changed a lot over the lifetime of this blog. Maybe it's something about getting older, or – like we talked about last week – wanting to live a more minimalist lifestyle, but these days I've been trying to invest in staples. 

Before I purchase any piece of clothing, I ask myself one question: will I still want to wear this in 5 years? If the answer is yes, I consider it a staple. If not, it's probably fast fashion, and not worth my hard earned cash.

Today, I wanted to investigate Grana, a clothing company with "timeless" at the core of design. As you'll see from the link I hyperlinked above, Grana searches for the best quality fabrics, in comfort and durability. But anyone can say that. Are the pieces really timeless? Comfortable? Durable? Cute? I checked it out.....

SILK CASHMERE BOYFRIEND CREW NECK

The silk cashmere boyfriend crew is my favorite Grana piece. Per the name, it's a mix of silk and cashmere, but let me just put that in terms that are easier to feel... HOLY SHIT THIS SHIRT IS SOFT. The length of the shirt is perfect for high waisted pants, and the loose fit doesn't hang on any food baby bellies. The sleeves are surprisingly tight, but not uncomfortable. I think the sleeves actually make this shirt super unique, adding a tiny bit of form to an otherwise modern box shape. 

Would I suggest it to you? Hell yes. You could sleep in it.  But don't. Wear it to work, instead. Like me. Shop for the outfit in the photos below.

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CASHMERE BOYFRIEND SWEATER DRESS

TBH, I was afraid of this dress. The midi length made me nervous and I wasn't sure what kind of shoes to wear with it...  Then I started asking other questions. Is it *too* loose? Do I look like a box? HERESY!

There is no such thing as too loose! Just check what super-cool-girl Kendall Chase says on that topic. 

Like the crew neck, this dress is one of the softest things I've ever put on my body. I'm not usually a dress-wearer, but when the weather is about to swing from 40 to 75 in a single day, I think this is the piece I'll grab for. 

In the saddest news of all time, Grana temporarily stopped making this dress. Maybe we can all write in and request it come back?

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CHUNKY RIB KNIT MERINO BOYFRIEND CARDIGAN

I wear this cardigan every single week. Actually, this outfit pretty much is my uniform for work. V-neck tee, comfy Grana cardigan, high waisted jeans, modern loafers. It makes mornings very easy when you have a go-to look to grab. 

What I love about the cardigan is the warmth. It's all wool, and all cool. Rhymes. It is my most practical Grana piece. Pick yourself up one in the photo links below.

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MERINO RIB BOYFRIEND CARDIGAN 

Last but not least, we have the ribbed open cardigan. TBH, I don't wear it that much. Usually when I'm looking for a cardigan, it's so I can stay warm in a frigid office. But this one, well it's super duper thin. And, conservative? I don't know, but I feel like I need to be teaching the ABC's when I wear it. 

Don't get me wrong, this cardigan is soft as can be. There is absolutely nothing wrong with it. Just a wee bit girly for my taste. If you're only buying one cardigan, I'd steer you to the chunky rib knit merino in the photos from above. Still though, this cardigan is worth linking. Check out the whole outfit in the photos below.

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So what's the consensus? HOW DID THEY DO IT?!?!? Did Grana capture the world's softest small animals, treat them to bonbons and ice cream, or you know, pet food, until they admitted the secret to creating a perfect, cuddly, soft? I have no idea. But in the search for comfort and modern minimalist style, Grana takes the cake.

Now, speaking of cake....... 

Photography: Jake Heath
Lips: Lipsense in Carmel Latte
Grana clothes provided c/o. All thoughts and opinions are my own. 

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STOP! Before you buy your wedding dress online, read this....

I'm an online shopper. I prefer it to in-store shopping, actually. Clothes, beauty products, trash bags, plants, tools... anything I can buy online, I will. I've never really had a problem with it, either! Sure, sometimes the clothes I buy don't fit, but returning has always been a breeze.

Naturally, when it came time to buy a wedding dress... I turned first to the internet.

Call me naive, but I have a pretty "off-the-rack" body. I was embarrassed to strip down to my skivvies in front of my sisters, in-laws and mom. (That wedding bod is still a work-in-progress, guys!) And, since online shopping had been so good to me in the past, it seemed like the perfect solution.

I totally got scammed. 

On Thanksgiving, with a little wine in my system and a belly full of mac n' cheese, I ordered a dress I had been stalking on Pinterest from a site called Amy's Bridal Shop. The site was... not the greatest. There was only a single picture of the dress (you can see it above), and it was very pixelated. But,"They're a small little boutique," I said to myself. "Probably don't have someone to build them a real site."

Ugh.

I checked out through Shopify. Four weeks passed. I sent a message to the email address that had sent my confirmation. A few days later, I received a reply. "Hi Annie, It will be there soon."

The dress arrived a few days before the holidays. I plopped it in my suitcase to bring to Ohio, and, over mimosas with my sisters and mom, we unpacked it.

Guys. It sucked. First and foremost, it was NOT the dress in the picture. There was a red permanent marker line down the side, about thirty layers of tulle and HOLY was it unflattering.

I scoured the website for a contact number. Nothing. I checked the links to their social channels, hoping to send a message through FB. Nope. All the icons, from Pinterest through Twitter and beyond, linked to nothing. I sent a nice note to the email address from before. Nothing. Weeks passed. I sent another, more angry one. Nothing. Another week passed. I sent a scathing email. Nothing. 

Eventually, I had to contact Shopify, and they told me to report fraud to my bank. It's been three months. I still haven't gotten a refund and the not-dress is hanging in my room in Ohio as a huge poofy reminder of my mistake. 

Guys, online shopping is great, and some people have had success with it even for their wedding dress, but I didn't. 
So here's my advice: if you decide you want to buy your wedding dress online, read these tips first:

• Make sure the site is connected to a legitimate store. 
• Find a clear contact number on the page. Call it to be sure it connects somewhere.
• If at all possible, try the dress on at a physical store before you purchase. 
• Confirm that all the social media icons connect to a real social media account.
• Look for clear refund and return policies listed prominently on the site.
• Find positive reviews for the store and product before you hand over your credit card.

Planning a wedding brings a lot of emotions with it. It's easy to get swept up in it, and order a dress from a clearly scraped site. Don't make my mistake. 

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In the end, I found myself at a BHLDN Show Room. BHLDN is owned by Anthropologie and the show rooms are connected to a few select stores around the country. It was wonderful. I found a beautiful dress & there's no tulle in sight ;) 

Introducing: Jake

So I've been keeping a secret, albeit not very well.
I've been seeing someone. A really awesome someone. For the past three-ish years. 

It's been hard to keep it from you! Jake is a huge and wonderful part of my life. & he even works behind the scenes of Ida Street quite a bit – with the code, the photos, the concepts, the editing, and the projects. 

But a really long time ago, I made a rule that I wouldn't introduce any love interests to this blog until they were a permanent part of my life. So I guess thats a nice tee up to what I wanted to tell you today:

We're engaged!

This summer was very busy, we bounced from one wedding to another, and from work event to work event. In October, I moved into a new apartment! & funny story, my uHaul caught on fire! It was the worst! Trying to figure out that fiasco, and then making the plans for this new place have pretty much taken up all my time. Not to worry though, some new DIY projects coming your way soon!

Later that month, during a hike along the Pacific Ocean, Jake proposed. My family secretly flew in to help us celebrate & literally that night, I lost my voice and started a week long illness!  

Stuck on the couch in sweats with laryngitis, I pressed publish on the first episode of Scenic Route – a storytelling podcast I co-host with my future sister-in-law. It's so fun, and pretty funny, so take a listen ;)

The next two weekends brought our first visitors in this new apartment, including my bestie Natalie who took these amazing engagement photos for Jake and me! Seriously, couldn't you die?! So romantic!  

The work front has been in full swing, too! Part of my job is planning events for our sellers, and Holidays sure are a popular social time. So all that is to say, I'm sorry! It's been a little busy and I've been neglecting you. But I hope you're excited to finally, finally meet Jake. It's been a long time coming. 

You guys are gonna like him. 

Annie wearing: dress / shoes / engagement ring.

Wanna know a little more?

Wellllllll... Jake and I met in 2013 in Cincinnati, which is where we will be returning for our wedding this May. He's a computer engineer, a kind soul, a strong back massuist, a super smarty pants, a builder, a bicyclist & and a great cuddler. He's also pretty easy on the eyes ;)

Jake wearing: shoes / pants / shirt

It's been so fun planning our wedding, and I'm so glad I finally get to share it with you! So I guess that's it! The cat's outta the bag! Send all your wedding tips this way! xox

Photos by Natalie Folchi / Location Marin Headlands, Black Sands Beach / Annie's dress / Annie's shoes / Jake's pants / Jake's shirt / Jake's shoes. 

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