Nov 15, 2013 | Score!
Hello lovely readers! Today I am partnering with the Vintage Clothing boutique Shabby Apple to bring you a great giveaway: for this super-cute Guinea a Minute Dress!
It comes in three colors: Black & White Striped Top with Teal Skirt, Black & White Striped Top with Mustard Skirt [the one I’m wearing!], and Black & Green Striped Top with Black Skirt. 
Made of a stretchy medium-weight cotton, it really enhances your curves and is super-cute! (I plan to wear under a longer, poufier skirt too when I just want the striped top showing, or under a swingy sweater to play off the mustard skirt). 
This dress has two functional pockets in the skirt waist adorned with two little buttons on each side – and there are 2 buttons on each of the sleeves near the cuffs. I love the longer length of this dress – it’s totally appropriate for work, but can be dressed up for some nautical-inspired style or a vintage pinup look. One thing to keep in mind with this dress is that the skirt is much more clingy than the top – so if you’d rather keep everything under wraps I’d advise shapewear underneath!;-) Based on the reviews of the dress I sized 1 size up from my usual size 6…and upon wearing it without shapewear underneath I wished I had gone yet another size larger! If you are pear-shaped, hippy, or have full thighs definitely size for your bottom half:-)
So, who would like to win her choice of color of the Guinea a Minute Dress? Complete the steps below!!
Edit 11/23: Giveaway is now closed and winner has been chosen. Thanks for entering!
a Rafflecopter giveaway
Good luck!!
And come back tomorrow for full outfit details and more photos! 😉
xo
Carly
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Nov 13, 2013 | Media
My dear friend Lex Casciato, AKA Little Warrior, is an amazing musician and up-and-coming tour de force in the world of music. She is a regular contributor to Chic Steals, curating monthly original playlists for your to stream on Spotify, add some background music to your space, mellow out to, listen to while working on your latest DIY project, and add a little music into your life.
Here’s what she says about this month’s playlist:
This month, I am inspired by the beautiful sound waves of piano and orchestral music. Since I was young, I have always found instrumental music to be incredibly inspiring. Without words, no one can fill in the music for me and tell me how to feel. Instead, the instrumentation, melodies and rhythm cascade together to tell a story. From there, I can interpret the music however I choose.The winter is one of my favorite times of the year to be productive. I love to watch informative documentaries, cult classic films, and find inspiration for new art projects. The film composition that accompanies such films excites my composer soul and motivates me to expand my work into more complex realms. It is my hope with this month’s playlist that you find inspiration in the quiet, wordless moments, and you get ideas to explore your wildest dreams!
<3 Little Warrior
Listen and enjoy!
What do you guys think of the playlists? We’d love your feedback in the comments!!
If you missed last month’s playlist, check it out here:
xo
Carly
Described as Portishead and Oh Land meet David Bowie and the Chemical Brothers around a campfire with a drum machine,
Little Warrior‘s music advocates peaceful revolution and equality for all. Active on social media, she posts inspirational quotes and upbeat ideas, spreading positivity through images and music.Find her on:
Bandcamp / CD Baby / Facebook / Twitter / Instagram / Tumblr
Nov 11, 2013 | Fashion
Originating in the Pacific Northwest, Sticks & Stones was founded on the principle that re-purposed natural materials could be utilized in the construction of sustainable jewelry and accessories. Using materials such as reclaimed exotic wood, elk antler sheds, prehistoric ivories, fine metals, seashells, and gemstones, the in-house manufacturing team uses an intricate process of technology and skilled craftsmanship to produce these limited-edition and often one-of-a-kind pieces.
The construction of Sticks & Stones Accessories is done in various stages, including preparation, sanding, and dipping in a custom oil blend. The oil not only cures and protects the wood but also enhances the luster of the wood used. The strength and durability of these products are a testament to the quality of the
material and craftsmanship that is invested in each piece. Completely handcrafted in Portland, OR, pieces from Sticks & Stones have been featured in Lucky Magazine, Nylon, WWD, and Marie Claire, as well as DailyCandy and TrendHunter. Check out their latest collection below and leave your thoughts in the comments!
xo
Carly
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Nov 10, 2013 | Blogging
On Wednesday, October 16 I had the pleasure of attending the Portland Bloggers‘ Holiday Mingle with PR Professionals event (yes, my recap is a little overdue!;-) Let me just say: what a fabulous event! Being able to hear from some truly experienced and business-savvy PR ladies was so worthwhile, and I jotted down notes furiously (in-between Tweeting out all the great info!)
Organized by Portland Blogger organizer Bee from The Spicy Bee, the Holiday Mingle event brought together local PR company Little Green Pickle and a number of bloggers raring to hear their advice. In addition, Little Green Pickle’s office was filled with local Portland vendors supplying us with fantastic bite-sized treats and tastes of their wares. From homemade salmon chips by The Bent Brick ($6 at the NW Marshall St location) to Olympic Provisions’ flavored salamis (available for order online here and I recommend all of them but especially the Cacciatore!) to Double Dragon‘s variety of Banh Mi (available at the SE Division location) and deviled eggs.
After noshing on all the deliciousness we sat down to hear a presentation from PR mavens such as Carrie Welch from Little Green Pickle, Meaghan Burns from Broussard Communications, Lisa Hill from Lisa Hill PR, Heather Jones from Heather Jones Consulting, and Vicky Hastings from Maxwell PR. They touched on a variety of topics including how big of a following a blogger should have before reaching out to a PR company (1000 readers is a good rule of thumb, they agreed, but often reader engagement through comments, retweets, shares etc. is more important than just numbers), what kind of bloggers are a good fit for what kind of brands, and as a blogger, how to work with a brand and make it into a relationship. Here are a few things I Tweeted out during the event:
(And if you’re not able to make it to any of the Portland Bloggers events – or don’t live in the area- you should Follow me on Twitter if you’re not already because when I’m at an event I’ll post tons of great tips and advice from the pros about blogging, social media, etc!)
During the evening, due to the sheer volume of Tweets all the bloggers and vendors and PR reps were putting out there tagged #holidaymingle, it actually trended on Twitter in the Pacific Northwest region! How cool is that?
If you are a local blogger looking to attend some of our upcoming events, definitely check out the Portland Bloggers site to connect with us! Likewise, if you are a vendor, PR professional, website dev company, social media marketer…or anything that might be of interest to our large group of bloggers (over 300 now!!), drop us a line to see how we can connect you and your services to our network.
You can also read the official Portland Bloggers recap of the event here.
xo
Carly
Photos by Macey Snelson & Chloe from Little Green Pickle – thank you!!
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Nov 6, 2013 | DIY, Fashion
Seen all over the runways for Fall 2013, this sophisticated take on a monochrome check pattern is too good to miss out on this season. I love the graphic boldness of this windowpane grid pattern – and how great it looks paired with other solid colors (in a Mondrian-esque fashion). It seems to me that this would be a pretty simple DIY…which I’ll be sharing with all of you shortly (once the supplies I ordered more than a week ago arrive!!)
xo
Carly
Photo credits: here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here
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