Shabby On The Go: Packing It In

Our intrepid traveling contributor, Erin, is checking in today with some tips on how to pack for, well, anything! 

I'm the kind of gal who loves a challenge: whether it is negotiating with a difficult client, finding a use for the fiddlehead ferns I received in my CSA share, or figuring out the fastest way to bike through rush hour traffic, I thrive on tricky situations. So when I decided to quit my job and travel for six months, putting together an itinerary on a serious budget that covered three continents, nine countries, two goat farms and a Ukrainian wedding was more of a joy than a hassle.  

The one challenge I did not anticipate as I was drumming up a plan to hike in Iceland in May and Nepal in August, traipse through London and Paris with art collectors and culture bloggers, milk goats and make cheese in Brittany and photograph a wedding in Kiev (in which I am also somehow supposed to be a bridesmaid…), was how I was going to pack for all of that—in one trekking backpack. 

My friends, it has not been easy—things go into the bag, and then come out again.  My favorite pair of Kron Krons didn't make the cut (I was so hoping to wear them in their homeland—Iceland—but really, I'm going to want hiking boots and not four inch heels there). After a test run of packability, the dress I was intending on wearing to the wedding turned out to be irreparably wrinkled after two hours in the backpack.  I've had to pare down my wardrobe into a few highly versatile, easy-to-care-for, durable and fashionable staples. And, after zipping the last outer pocket of my carry-on and pronouncing it DONE, I realized that I ought to share the wisdom, since these are the kinds of things every gal needs in her closet. 

So here's the top 5 things that make for versatile packing—and everyday dressing:

1. What I affectionately call "Dinner Denim."  These are the dark jeans that fit you like a glove, and are comfortable enough to wear on an airplane with a schlubby sweater, but easy to transform into an evening look with a pair of heels and a stand-out top.  I find that the thicker the denim, the better… My go-to pair of BCBG jeans have taken me from the back roads of Bosnia to West Village bistros, and made thousands of every day looks in between. Plus, dark denim is less likely to show a few spills or stains than lighter pants. 

2. A Maxi Skirt.  When you're traveling, comfort is key, and in my world there is nothing comfier than a long skirt.  Breezy, but not chilly, easy to move around in, and, let's face it, one less reason to shave your legs, Maxi skirts, like the Jabberwocky skirt are a packing go-to for me.  Added bonus: When I was getting ready for this trip, I realized I would be visiting plenty of Holy sites, where custom dictates that women should be in skirts longer than their knees to enter.  What better way to kill many, many sartorial birds with one stone than packing a skirt that could work for dinner in London, wedding promenades, and Hindu temples? 

3. A packable dress.  Need I say more?  A dress that folds up, and unfolds into a readily wearable, no-think outfit is basically all I want when I'm living out of a suitcase.  I'll tell you a little secret: the New Caledonia dress is probably one of the most packable dresses I own.  It made the cut…

 4. A tissue-weight turtleneck. Base layer for hiking in Iceland? Check.  Perfect top for chilly Brittany weather (whether milking goats or going to dinner)? Check.  Throw it on under a packable dress when it is really cold and you need to look nice? Check.  Takes up less than six cubic inches when packed?  Double check.  Done.

5. A beautiful scarf.  The number of times that I have been grateful for having a lovely scarf with me is innumerable. I have a large, lightweight silk scarf that a friend gave me several years back that has served as a pillow, blanket, makeshift hat on a freezing ferry ride in Maine, devotional head-covering in Kazakhstan, clothesline, picnic blanket, camera protector, and, well, lovely scarf.  Worth its weight in gold, you'll never be sorry to have a good light scarf on hand. 

How about you? What must-have items are making your summer packing lists? 

Sunday Best: Skirting The Issue

Sometimes what you need on a Sunday is an outfit that is both dressy and comfortable. As opposed to dressy and stuffy, which some Sunday outfits can be. You know, the kind of Sunday outfit that's good for church and a picnic, or Grandma's and a city jaunt.

Well, I found myself in need of just such a Sunday outfit this weekend and I decided that a nice spring skirt would do the trick perfectly. Namely, this floral pleated skirt, the JubJub Skirt.

Also, this skirt has pockets. What could be better?

This skirt is the perfect example of a wardrobe piece that can be dressed up or down, all in the same outfit! For my church meeting followed by a day of exploring downtown Austin, TX, I went for a purple striped shirt, though this blue-striped shirt would probably do nicely as well, and a pair of on-the-dressy-side gladiator sandals, with an embellished cardigan for when things got a little chilly.

And did I mention this skirt has pockets? Which makes it perfect for just about anything.

How would you style the JubJub skirt for a day of city exploring? 

Curtain Call

I have heard rumors that there are people who can move into a new space and, in the blink of an eye, transform it into a cozy nest that perfectly reflects their impeccable taste.

I am not one of those people. (If you are, where did you come from? How do you do it?)

After two years of living in my house, and after eight months of living there with my groom), I am still piecing things together and getting them just right. Or at least, not piled on the floor.

The living room/dining room area has come together the most quickly, and I think the last step is curtains. And, because I like to be both cost-conscious and crafty, I have decided to sew the curtains myself.

Do you need to sit down for a minute? I think I can do it! Especially with these two excellent tutorials from the ever-life-saving Design Sponge.

First up is a basic curtain panel.

Seems easy enough. You just need a sewing machine (with needle), some fabric and matching thread, some scissors, a measuring tape, straight pins and an iron and ironing board.

Simple, right?

Figuring out how much fabric I need has been one of my big stumbling blocks to this project, but Design Sponge guest poster Brett Bara has a great tip for that, too. You'll want to measure from where your curtain rod will be to the spot where you want your curtains to end, and then add 18 inches. For the width, keep in mind that most fabric is sold in widths of 43 or 60 inches. For a full or gathered curtain you'll want one-and-a-half to three-times that width.

If this all sounds too simple, you can tackle the pleated and lined curtain instead. This is definitely a more intense undertaking (I mean, do you just have drapery weights lying around? Do you even know what a drapery weight is? Will you tell me?), but the result is rather lovely.

For fabric, I am loving the simple, bold prints over at Premier Prints Fabric. I think the husband and I were finally able to agree on this green-on-white dandelion pattern to start.

But I am hoping he warms up to these sweet little birdies eventually, too. I think they would be delightful in our dining room, which is next on the make-over list.

Have you ever tackled a curtain sewing project before? Any tips for the uninitiated?

Lettuce Go Green

While we're on a health kick, getting ready for one of these darling swimsuits, here's Hannah Stewart to tell us a little more about green smoothies. Think she can convince us to actually try one?

Give your stomach a green makeover!  

Let’s be honest, we could all use more veggies and fruits in our daily diet, I mean unless of course you’re a health nut times ten, but I’m not so here we go!

So what is a green smoothie exactly?

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Well, it’s a smoothie colored green of course! But really- it’s a smoothie consisting of power green foods such as spinach, avocadoes, kale and red leaf lettuce, mixed in with various fruits.

Green smoothies have numerous health benefits including healthier skin, natural weight loss, increased energy and reduced cravings.         

These are so easy to make for breakfast, or any other meal, and they make a killer healthy snack as well.  

All I’m saying is who doesn’t want to be healthier and have these great health benefits?  Try them out, the taste of the vegetables are barely there and they actually taste really good!

You can find various recipes on websites like this one: http://www.rawfamily.com/recipes.

Drink up!

She almost has me convinced! How about you? Any favorite green smoothie recipes out there? 

Sunday Best: Do The Polka Dot

I love me a Shabby Apple dress on a Sunday, don't you? 

I figured you might, so I thought I'd start sharing some of my favorite Sunday outfits. Wanna play along? I'd love that, too.

This Sunday I went a little dotty with this spearmint chiffon polka dot dress from our new line, Twin Palms.

The color is so soft and lovely, the pleats so dainty and the perfect peter pan collar so darling, how could I resist? This dress is so flattering and floaty, it's a perfect spring and summer staple.

And I'm not the only one who thinks so! Our blogging friend Stephanie Nielson of the NieNie Dialogues will be wearing this dress for a special occasion of her own!

I paired my One For My Baby dress with these striped pumps (because is anything cuter than dots and stripes?) and a pair of oversized pearl earrings, though I think these dainty rosebud earrings would be a grand choice as well.

And it was all a hit, if I do say so myself!

How would you wear the One For My Baby dress?

Water Aerobics

All of this traveling I've been doing as of late has really thrown me off my already incredible fragile exercise routine.

That thing is basically toast. (Mmm... toast...)

And to be perfectly honest, I've been lacking the motivation to really get back on the bandwagon. I mean, as long as I can still button my pants... right?

But then I saw the adorable (ADORABLE) new swimsuits from the new (ADORABLE) Stardust Inn line, and I am feeling the urge to get back on track. I mean, who would not want to rock a sassy suit that looks like this?

Or this?

Or this? (My favorite, hands-down.)

So yeah, color me motivated.

Another one of my tricks for gearing up for swimsuit season is to eat better, which usually means not having cookies for breakfast, and this time around also means eating less meat. I know some people get really hard core about this kind of thing, but I prefer to be more medium core. And besides, hamburgers are too delicious to swear off. In my opinion.

But we have been trying some new meat-free recipes and we've come up with a couple winners! For those of you looking for some lighter summer fare, here you go.

First up, these corn cakes with goat cheese, via Cook Like A Champion. A word to the wise: the recipe says the corn from two ears of corn, but that was more than the 1 and 1/2 cups of kernels the recipe calls for. At least it was for us. No biggie; just add some extra egg so it will all stick together like a cake. Ours came out more like a sort of a corn pile with goat cheese. But, it was still delicious.

And, while I was poking around Cook Like A Champion, I came across this recipe for black bean burgers. Sounds like the perfect thing to eat on your deck on a warm summer's evening, no? We haven't tried the recipe yet, but panko was not nearly as hard to find as I thought it would be, so I have a good feeling about this one.

We've also had good success with this shrimp and artichoke pasta dish. It still tastes a little bland to me, but I am getting better at making it. And the man of the house said it had plenty of flavor for him. So, there you go.

I feel fitter and thinner and more ready for a smokin' swimsuit already. You?

Super Summer Cuts

When I got engaged last spring I immediately started growing out my hair. I've never been a long-haired girl, but I wanted at least enough hair to wrap around a hot curler.

And I succeeded! But I also spent the hot summer sporting sort of shaggy, growing-out hair. Which I did not love. So this spring I did it up right and got my summer cut last week. It's an easy, flirty, stacked bob-type situation and I am pretty happy with it. In fact, now that my locks have been liberated, I've been browsing all kinds of darling summer cuts thinking, Why did I stop there? There is a lot of cute summer-short hair to be had.

In case you are looking for some trimming inspiration yourself, here are a few of my favorites.

For starters, could Carey Mulligan's pixie cut be any cuter? I thought Michelle Williams might have had the pixie market cornered, but this style is officially my favorite in the genre.

For an even edgier look, Anne Hathaway's Les Mis cut is a good way to go. I don't think she's quite comfortable with it yet, but I also think it suits her well. She could totally work this with some punky accessories and a little attitude. And so could you!

Word on the street (People Magazine Street) is that Cameron Diaz cried when she saw this haircut (a miscommunication with the stylist, apparently), but I think it makes her look more like a serious grown-up and I like the swoopy feel. That can be hard to get with short hair, but this seems to nail it.

I usually opt for shorter-in-the-back, longer-in-the-front short haircuts because I am worried about getting a mullet. And I just don't love hair on my neck. But this longer-in-the-back cut on Sienna Miller is playful and graceful. I like it.

My hair has none of this natural body and curl but, if yours does, I think you should go out and get this haircut right away! I am pretty sure Katie Holmes isn't sporting this 'do anymore, which is a same. I think it's much more glamorous and fun than her plain old boring hang down straight long look. But, maybe it's just me?

What do you think of summer short hair? And do you have a look in mind for the impending warm months?

Pack It In

I have been on the road pretty much non-stop lately, and some Shabby Apple dresses have been my real traveling MVPs. Without those and a lot of candy to eat on planes and buses, I really might not have made it.

First up is the cayenne-colored v-neck jersey dress, El Dorado. For one important thing, this dress packs like a champ. You can fold it, wad it, roll it, stuff it and not a wrinkle appears. And the ruching and built-in belt, plus a subtle drop-waist are super flattering even if you are not at your most svelte thanks to road food.

This dress is also a champ when it comes to versatility. When I needed an emergency dressy outfit for an important meeting, I just threw on a sharp blazer and some wedges and I was good to go.

For a more casual outfit on a slightly cooler day, I paired it with some patterned tights, metallic flats and a statement necklace and it looked just as good.

Next up is Primavera, a floral poplin dress in the perfect spring colors. This was just the thing for a wedding reception with a garden party dress code. The high waist gives this dress a sleek silhouette that everyone will love, especially you!

You can dress is up with some contrasting heels, or keep it flirty and fun with some bright flats and bold jewelry.

I won't say I upstaged the bride, but this dress was definitely a hit.

And then, for wandering around the city in perfect summer weather, I couldn't get any better than the purple knit top and silk skirt combination of the Giverny dress. This dress is the perfect combination of dressy and casual, and it hangs just right. Plus, pockets!

Throw on some stylish-but-comfy walking shoes, a cardigan for the breeze and load your camera and guide book into a cross-body bag and you'll be good to go!

So, that's what's been in my suitcase lately. If you were hitting the road, what favorite Shabby Apple dresses would you take with you? 

Shady Lady

Give a big Tuesday hello to Shabby Apple intern Hannah Stewart, here to tell us how to stay cool in our shades! 

Now that the summer times are rolling in and the sun is beating down on your swimsuit clad body, it’s time to don some killer hot shades.

Sometimes it can be hard to decide what shape of sunglasses you want.  Fear not!  For Shabby Apple contains all the answers to your summer shade questions!

The solution to your shady woes is quite simple, really: the shape of your face will determine which type of sunglasses you should choose.

If you have a square face shape:

Try oval and round frames to balance your dramatic features.

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If you have an oval face shape:

You are the lucky one!  Most frames look great on your face shape, but you can also try square and rectangular frames that add to your beautiful facial curves.

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If you have an oblong face shape:

Experiment with tall frames, those will create the illusion of a shorter face.

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If you have a round face shape:

Go with more square and angular shapes as well; those will make your face look longer and thinner.

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If you have a diamond face shape:

Cat eye frames look marvelous on you, because they emphasize your cheekbones.  You can also wear oval frames.

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If you have a heart face shape:

Avoid larger frames and try more narrow frames that soften you forehead.

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If you have a triangle face shape:

Accessorize with a top heavy frame that will soften your jaw.

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There you have it!  Be gone sunglass woes, hello world!

Splash Zone

Give it up for Shabby Apple Hannah Stewart, here to give us a hand with pesky oil stains. We don't want those mucking up our beautiful dresses now, do we?

You know that really annoying moment when you are cooking or eating foods with oils and you get a spot on your shirt?  I hate that.  In fact I really don’t know of any person that particularly likes getting splashed by oil.  This has happened to me a few times over the past few months.  Perhaps it’s the universe telling me to stay away from such cooking substances and eat healthier.  Whatever it is, I became determined to find out how to treat such stains on articles of clothing.

So I got online and found this easy way to treat oil stains.

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Simply get a bottle of baby powder and immediately sprinkle it on the stain.  The baby powder will absorb most of the oil for a few minutes and then you can throw it in the laundry.  Easy peasy!  

Now you can continue to keep you clothes looking fabulous and clean!

Shopping Polyvores

Because you can never have enough online shopping sites in your bookmarks list, here is another one to add. Have you heard about Polyvore?

It's more than just a place to shop, it's an online style community. What more could we need? Or want?

Nothing, I say!

You can make your own style collage, get red carpet recaps and, of course, do some browsing and buying. A lot of the items skew a little spendy, I should warn you, but it never hurt a girl to dream, right? And you can find some gems at a better price point as well.

Like this sweet as candy lace dress from TopShop.

Or these Beyonce-bold aztec striped leggings from Miss Selfridge.

And for a little splurge, not to mention a pop of (bright!) color, how about this lime green blazer from Romwe.

Did you have a chance to look around Polyvore? What's on your wish list? 

Once The Sun Goes Down

Can I get a hey-yo for our very own Kristen Larson, here to help us get ready for summer? Hey-yo!


Is it just me, or are you craving summer too? I literally have dreams of me at the beach, learning to surf, and just plain ol' being in the sun. But these dreams keep pushing me to check airline tickets to Hawaii, and my friends, I am proud to tell you that I am going... but not until 2013, gotta save the moola first. 

But since it is on my mind I have been thinking of what I would pack. Of course I would mainly be wearing my swimming suit all day, but what about after the sun goes down? 

Dresses are an excellent way to keep cool during hot temperatures and my suitcase is bound to have room for one or two dresses that will work for going out to dinner or walking along the beach. 

A button-up shirt dress would do the trick. I love how versatile it could be worn, heels for fancy nights, strappy sandals, flats or converse sneakers for a day time excursion.  

I love the blue and yellow color blocked dress, Block Party, because for every exciting vacation you should have some effortlessly fun outfits. 

Where are your vacations taking you? Which dress would take with you?