Are You Daring? Are You Designing?

This is just a friendly mid-week reminder that the Dare to Design contest is well underway and the deadline is fast approaching. You only have until October 15th (how is it almost October?!?) to wow us with your design talent.

So please, wow us!

Here is a run-down of the rules, in case you have forgotten.

1. Design a dress. You definitely DO NOT have to be a professional designer, or an artist, or a seamstress or anything like that. Just think of what you would want to wear and put it down on paper the best you can.

2. Put up a sketch, computer drawing or photograph of your design on your own personal blog, with a post that includes the words "dress design for Shabby Apple dresses." The words "Shabby Apple dresses" should be a link back to our site. Don't forget this step! Posts without a link back to our site will not be considered.

3. Also include some ideas for fabrics and colors in your post, and tell us about your design inspiration.

4. Once your post is up and running and just the way you like it, send an e-mail to daretodesign@shabbyapple.com with the direct link to your entry post.

5. Remember that the dress you design should adhere to Shabby Apple standards. That means it should have sleeves and a hemline to the knee, and let's leave the cleavage out of it, shall we? (I mean, come on, your grandma could be reading this!)

6. Dresses should also be appropriate for the Spring season.

7. If your dress is chosen, it will become part of Shabby Apple's next spring line! Fame! Fortune! You will be responsible for getting a sample made, but not to worry if you can't make one yourself. We'll hook you up with the resources you need.

Now, the rules. And you know how cranky I get when you don't follow the rules, so read carefully. If you please.

1. The contest is underway RIGHT NOW and entries can be submitted up to 11:59 EST on October 15, 2010. I will stay up that late and watch the entries come in, so don't even think of sneaking one by me.

2. Our favorite 15 entries will be posted on this here blog by October 22, 2010.

3. Then you, dear readers, will have a chance to vote on your favorite. Whoever has the most votes by November 15, 2010 will be the big winner! And that big winner will be announced November 22nd. (It takes me that long to count all the votes, you see.)

You know the drill. Fame and fortune are yours, all yours!

We can't wait to see what you come up with, so don't let the chance pass you by!

Go ahead! Dare.

East Side Story, West Side Story

I bet I know what you were thinking when you woke up this morning. You were thinking, "You know what they haven't had a lot of over at Shabby Apple these days? Contests!"

Well, do I have some good news for you! We are having a contest! Right now this very minute, over on our Facebook page. It goes like this.

We want to know what you think is better: East or West.



Are you into clam bakes or barbecues? Leaf peeping or Lake Powell? Manhattan Beach or Cape Cod? Mission style stucco or Red brick colonial? The Hiltons or the Kennedys?

With our newest lines, The Berkshires and Yosemite, Shabby Apple is now bi-coastal and we want to know what coast is your favorite. So, head over to the Facebook page and let us know whether you are an East Coast Girl or a West Coast Girl. The coast with the most votes (rhyme!) gets free shipping on its corresponding line. So there's a win-win.

But, it doesn't end there!

Because I know that the second thing you thought this morning was, "You know what I need? A new fall wardrobe!" Well, check it.

Whoever can get the most of their friends to "Like" Shabby Apple, Facebook style, between now and October 5th will win three FREE dresses and three FREE accessories! Holla! Have all your friends become fans of us, and then make sure they send an e-mail with YOUR NAME as the subject line to contests@shabbyapple.com.

And you know how cranky I get about contest cheaters, so please. Only friends who have "Liked" Shabby Apple for the first time between now and October 5th will be counted. No retroactive friend-counting allowed. Because you don't want to make me cranky, right?

Right.

So, the East Coast, West Coast, friend coast battle is on!

Best of luck!

Exercise Your Right To Accessorize

We all know that the only thing that can make the perfect ensemble even more delicious is the ultimate accessory. And adding some new accessories to your collection is the perfect way to update your wardrobe for a new season without breaking the bank.

As usual, we here at Shabby Apple have you covered in this particular department. There are a bunch of new, totally quirky and cool accessories on the site right now that are perfect for sprucing up your fall essentials. I have spent the last few days drooling over them, and I would not be surprised if some of you have done the same. Here are a few of my favorites:

I could pretty much gobble up any one of these beauties. How about you? Take a look for yourself and tell us, which new fall accessories are your favorite?

Smooth as the Silk Road

Who else had an impossible time getting out of bed this morning? There is just something about a Monday morning that is always a bummer, no matter what. Who's with me?

So, to help take the edge off the Beginning Of The Week Blues, I have a little surprise for you! It's called the Silk Road and it's the newest line of dresses from Shabby Apple! I know the mind reels that there could be more after two such fabulous collections, The Berkshires and Yosemite but start gearing up for more gorgeousness because come mid-October, these beauties will be up for grabs.

The week just started looking up now, didn't it?

falling slowly

It is slowly but surely becoming Fall around here, which is slowly but surely making me really, really happy. It is also putting me in the mood for some serious back-to-school shopping. Never mind that I haven't been in school for, well, awhile. Something about the Fall always makes me want to stock up on new favorite things.

If you're feeling the same way, check out this list of Fall Essentials from The Washingtonian.

I am totally into this adventure chic safari jacket:

These totally bold and fun and flirty stripes:

And these classy, office-to-evening tie-front blouses:

Other Fall essentials I am looking forward to: boots, boots and more boots and scarves, scarves and more scarves. And this new tweed skirt I totally splurged on:

I have my eye on this one, too:

And, all right fine, I'll confess that I am drooling over these boots as well:

What's that? Why, yes! My birthday is coming up! How sweet of you to ask.

For now, I am going to settle for pulling my sweaters and other Fall treasures out of the basement and rediscovering them as if they are brand new.

What Fall Favorite can't you wait to see again?

climb every mountain

A few years ago my friend Sarah started a tradition called Summit September, wherein she climbed to the top of a mountain every week in the month of September. If you are wondering whether my friend Sarah is completely amazing, the answer is yes.

And, just to add a little spice to the adventure, Sarah climbed mountains in a skirt. Because the West was won by women in skirts, after all.




Now, I prefer to scale my mountains in shorts and sensible shoes, but I am all about adding spice to adventure, and Shabby Apple's line of new fall dresses, Yosemite, is basically perfect for that. And anything can be won in a Shabby Apple dress, after all.

I think I could win a race to scramble up a boulder just in time to watch the sunset in these romantic, flirty ruffles.




And I think I could win at building (and then cuddling) by a cabin fire in this autumn-ready plaid.



And I think I could win at reeling in a delicious fish for dinner in these scallops.



And I think I could win at pretty much anything in life in this flattering peplum waist.



And, speaking of wins, right now if you enter the word 'yosemite' at check out, you'll get free shipping through September 15th.

Let the winning adventures begin!