dotty wishes verie a happy birthday

happy big deal birthday to my sister today! 

dash of pinkspiration

please do.

three dots: blog design lovelies

over the summer, i've been slowly updating my blog layout to coordinate with my re-worked header, (if you read in google reader, click on over sometime) so i thought i'd share some of my favorite style blog designs:

[left to right]

the weekend file: mustard yellow graphic elements and gorgeous photos.

little tin soldier: awesome style paired with matching illustrations. 

snappy casual: logo and background integration at its best. 

i should warn you though, all of their archives are super addictive, so prepare for a pinterest-style loss of time.

dotty and saturday morning

[wearing]

shorts: j.crew (same cut)

chambray: gap (similar)

jacket: forever21 (similar)

sandals: forever21

sunnies: ray-ban

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we ventured out early on saturday morning for pancakes and farmers market-ing, both of which our new neighborhood is perfect for.  

i had never seen these before.  they're called teddy bear sunflowers.

dotty and a hoodie

[wearing]

hoodie: forever21 (similar)

skirt: club monaco (similar)

flats: cole haan (similar)

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given the super-casual nature of my new office, i decided that this super soft hoodie could make a weekday appearance. and the pocket is super handy for carrying around a highlighter when my hands are full. bonus!

[previously on] great white skirt

(all from spring 2011)

announcement from dotty

interested in partnering with dash dot dotty? 

well, some square plots have opened up over there on the right sidebar, so shoot me an e-bird (dashdotdotty@gmail.com) for a media kit with more information.

p.s. 

i'm also open to some sort of ad exchange with other style bloggers, who's in?

dotty at the end of the day

[wearing]

top: forever21 (similar)

skirt: thrifted (similar)

orange: forever21 (similar)

flats: cole haan (similar)

sunnies: vintage

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post-3pm bun: check

sitting all day skirt wrinkles: check

smiles caused by being done with work for the day: check

dotty at home

[wearing]

top: robin k (similar)

shorts: j.crew (similar)

flats: cole haan (similar)

necklace: forever21 (similar)

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oh, hi!  welcome to our tiny, big city apartment.  you know that "living in 457s.f." display at ikea?  yup, we live in it.  

except that we have doors.  

and windows.

and a maximum of two copies of each book title.

dash of niceness

dotty updates

[left to right]

1. 

thanks to everyone who weighed in on my dress decision last week.  i was in agreement with the majority and wore the gray dress to the event.  i paired it with my most comfortable four-inch heels and some gin drinks for a delightful evening of meeting scores of the boy's coworkers.  

2.

on saturday we went back to the racetrack for the big race of the season with the boy's parents.  i wore a perfect giant hat and will do a proper post about my rainy day outfit later this week.

3.

i follow a couple bloggers that mix anthropologie pieces into their wardrobes really well (like caffeinerd and eekachinski), but have never been smitten with anything i try on there.  i always like it in theory, but seem to try on pieces that fit weird or are ridiculously expensive.  that all changed this weekend when i saw these super wide-leg silk pants that fit like a dream and have some sort movie-star quality to them.  the only question is how long until i crack and go buy them.  my guess is within two weeks i will make the ten minute walk over there. 

dotty and the crew

[wearing]

sequin sweater: j.crew (similar)

pants: j.crew (exactly)

sandals: forever21

headband: h&m (similar)

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it's a sweater. 
and it's got sequins. 
i thought it was fairly unique and then i went to the mall for the first time in months and its cousins were all over the place.  i still heart it though. 

dotty straightens things out

i have a soft spot for makeover movies, so when i received this hana straightener from misikko, i thought i would give it a shot.  the before shot has the two most important features for being an awkward teenager: frizzy hair and nerd glasses.  i think overalls and being arty are involved too, but I seem to be lacking in denim clothing with shoulder straps and paint palettes these days. 

moving on, let’s talk about the machine in the middle.  it arrived in the mail super quickly and was packed very carefully with lots of bubble wrap and bows.  my current solia straightener is similar ­in that it has blue ceramic plates, but this shiny new one outpaced it in warm-up time, not getting my hair caught in it, and the number of passes needed to get out kinks.  to preserve the scientific method, i used my usual product routine of moroccan oil and chi iron guard to protect my hair. as an added bonus i haven’t straightened my hair in about six weeks, so it’s exceptionally healthy, but still this straightener was pretty awesome.

so, if you are in the market for new hair appliances, check out misikko’s flat irons, chi straighteners, babyliss flatirons, or hana products.  

*

frizzy hair care of midwest summer humidity and blow-drying without using a round brush.  glasses are from the 

boy’s warby parker trial box. 

dotty on a weekday

[wearing]
dress: joie (similar)
moto: forever21(similar)
boots: vintage (similar)
watch: forever21(similar)
bracelet: h&m
sunnies: ray-ban (similar)

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my office has no dress code.  it's jeans day every day, so i can basically wear whatever i want.  as such, i have decided that this hemline is office-appropriate.
oh, and welcome to my building's alley. 

dotty floats a poll

?

quick question for all my fellow bloggers:

i'm going to a work function for the firm the boy works at this weekend and it's cocktail attire at a museum. i'm thinking i should avoid anything too evening-ish since it's a work event, so which of these dresses should be the top pick? obviously there wouldn't be tights or boots involved, but these are my top three choices (okay, only three choices) that are in my little chicago closet.

anyway, leave a comment to weigh in. thanks!

dotty's back!

[wearing]

tee: forever21

shorts: j.crew (similar)

big scarf: souvenir (similar)

flats: cole haan (similar)

sunnies: ray-ban

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yup, yup, i made it through my grown-up week and now i wake up really early, act all professional-like all day, and come home to an adorable, tiny apartment.  if only i could master grocery shopping i would be all set.  anywho, i wore this yesterday on a peanut butter run (obviously to avoid the carts, lines, and exploding champagne bottles of urban grocery stores for a little while longer). 

sidewalk grates, the construction site-visiting aspect of my job, and a whole lot more walking have all combined to pretty much eliminate heels from my everyday outfits.  that's where these suckers come in: they have nike soles, cute studs, and i picked them out at nordstrom rack in about two minutes.  win, win, and win.

dash of the red line

p.s. it's my favorite stop.

dotty and a busy week

[wearing]

dress: forever21 (similar)

belt: thrifted (similar)

flats: target

earrings: forever21

sunnies: rayban wayfarer (exactly)

+

i've been sticking to simple summer dresses on the weekends lately since summer is in full swing. 

p.s.

this is big week for grownup dotty, so i'll be a little sparse until everything settles. 

new job, new apartment, new couch.  all good things.  all this week. 

so yeah, see ya on the flip side.