FEBRUARY INSTAGRAM ROUNDUP

Here's a peek into our lives this past month:

(from top, left to right)

Hot yoga has been a great way to stay (really) warm with all the snow.

Pho BC = the best Vietnamese food (pho real).

Paige took a little birthday trip to Nashville and visited Barista Parlor, a really cool
 coffee shop.

Pomegranate tea in a long lost Anthropologie mug.

Cheap little bouquets from Trader Joe's brighten up dreary winter days.

Just a typical Friday night with the crew.

Laine posted the #tbt of all #tbt's (fashion icon in the making).

Nutella-filled homemade poptarts were so delicious and easy to make.

A lot of hazelnut macchiatos were consumed in the making of this blog.

WHAT WE WEAR: MIXING NEUTRALS

Usually people stand firmly on one side of the "Do not mix brown and black together. Ever" Argument. You either love it or hate it. I happen to love it, especially with rich leather bags. Honestly, you can wear a nice brown bag with anything.

Your best bet is to keep things simple, not too much pattern and color, but just enough to keep it interesting. I love this floral Target dress because it's super easy and comfortable and has a muted color palette that pairs great with neutrals. 

I got this Fossil bag for graduation and I carry it every single day. I love that it has both a cross-body strap and tote handles. While I won't delve into the tornado of receipts and gum wrappers that is the inside of my purse, the outside always looks put together.

Dress&Tights/Target, Belt/H&M, Necklace/Urban Outfitters,Bag/Fossil, Shoes/Plato's Closet

How do you feel about pairing brown and black in your outfits? Coming up next is our February Instagram Round-up! Follow us in the "About Us" Page!

XO, Laine

WHAT WE LOVE: IS IT SPRING YET?

1/Library of Flowers Hand Cream

2/Seychelles Unlock the Door Booties in Whiskey

3/Beyonce Inspirational Quote Mug

4/Madewell Tracecraft Bangle

5/Wild Belle - Isles

6/Crosley Floral Record Player

7/Asos Skater Dress

8/Rifle Paper Co. iPhone Case

9/Anthropologie Fitness Leggings

Here are some things we've been loving lately! We are obviously in the midst of spring fever with a need for all things bright and floral. (Let's be honest though, that's all the time.) 

Happy Shopping!

What's on your wishlist for early spring?

WHAT WE WEAR: BIRTHDAY STYLE

So I turned 23 yesterday. I once read a Buzzfeed list that ranked all the years of your 20's from best to worst, and 23 was ranked as the worst! Luckily, I've been asking around and I've heard that it actually isn't so bad. (I guess everything you read on the Internet isn't true? Crazy.) And after a wonderful day of coffee, friends, and lobster mac and cheese, I have pretty good feelings for 23!

This dress has been deemed the "Kelly Kapowski" dress at work (Saved By the Bell, anyone?) and I instantly fell in love with its retro floral pattern. I decided to style it like a modern day Kelly with a cropped denim jacket and my favorite d'Orsay flats. 

Dress/Anthropologie (on sale!), Denim Jacket/Anthropologie (similar here), Flats/ModCloth

Also, I have a love for unconventional birthday banners. My inspiration for our "feelin' fresh" banner was these party banners from Urban Outfitters.

Thanks so much for stopping by! Here's to celebrating birthdays in outfits that make you feel Kelly Kapowski cool.

XO, Paige

DIY: POM POM PILLOW

For our second DIY we wanted to do something bright and happy-just in time for this 50 degree heatwave in the bluegrass! This pom pom pillow instantly adds a pop of color to your couch, bed or chair and can be completed in about an hour.

Supplies: 

Pillow (We found ours at Target on clearance!)

Yarn (We chose four colors but choose as many or few as you'd like)

Wooden Fork

Plastic Yarn Needle (Not Pictured)

Scissors

Making the pom-poms is the easiest part! 

-Wrap your choice of yarn around the fork until you get your desired thickness. We wrapped ours about 40 times.

-Once finished cut a small piece of yarn and tie it around the middle of the wrapped bundle.

-Remove the bundle from the fork and make sure the knot is secure.

-After that you are ready to cut the loops and fluff your pom-poms to life!

Repeat until you have as many as you need. We made sixteen so we could have four rows of four.

Once all your pom-poms are made you are ready to sew them on!

Just thread a small piece of yarn through your needle, attach them to your pillow, tie a knot and cut the ends to pom-pom length.

We love how it added so much fun and texture to the couch. We may just pom pom every pillow we come across now!

Come back later this week for more outfit posts and birthday fun!

WHAT WE WEAR: HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY!

 

Valentine's day is a fun excuse to wear polka dots, florals, and bright red! Here's a little outfit inspiration for your day. Hope everyone is enjoying pretty flowers and a lot of chocolate today! 

 

Laine is wearing: Cardigan/Gap, Dress/Forever21, Tights/Target, Bracelet/Forever 21 Suede Wedges/Target

Paige is wearing: Dress/Urban Outfitters (here), Sweater/Old Navy, Tights/Anthropologie, Boots/Madden Girl, Necklace/Forever 21, Headband/Ban.do (similar here)

STRAWBERRY DONUTS WITH NUTELLA GLAZE

You all were probably wondering when the donut portion of this blog was going to happen. Well it's officially happening... and we're here to bring you the perfect donut recipe for your valentine! Strawberry and Nutella go so well together (but what doesn't Nutella go well with?) and this baked donut recipe is super easy.

For the donuts:

1 cup flour

1/3 cup sugar

1 tsp baking powder

1/4 tsp cinnamon

1/2 tsp salt

1/3 cup milk

1 egg

1 tbsp melted butter

10  medium to large strawberries, pureed with 2 tsp seedless strawberry jam

For the glaze:

1 cup powdered sugar

2 1/2 tbsp Nutella

4 - 6 tsp milk

1/2 tsp vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Grease a 6-donut pan with cooking spray. Combine dry ingredients in a large bowl and whisk together.  Create a well in the center of the dry ingredients and add in the egg, milk and butter. Stir until well combined. Add in strawberry mixture until the batter is wet, but not runny.  Put the dough in a plastic bag (or pastry bag) and cut off the tip to fill the pan, it makes the process a little less messy. We used the remaining batter to fill a mini donut pan for more variety, but the dough makes about 10 normal sized donuts. Bake for 7-9 minutes until donuts spring back when touched. Let cool five minutes and move onto a cooling rack to cool completely.

In a small mixing bowl, whisk together the glaze ingredients until smooth. Dip the donuts in the glaze once they have cooled. It may take more than one layer to glaze completely, and we added an extra drizzle after the first two layers set!
 
Donut recipe adapted from Mary Quite Contrary Bakes
Glaze recipe from Cooking Classy 

Happy Baking!

WHAT WE WEAR: CLOSET STAPLES

I live in dresses and cardigans. Especially this dress and cardigan. I love having a few staples in my closet that I can always wear when what I actually want to wear is too wrinkled and I should have left my house ten minutes ago.

This key print dress from Old Navy is everything I need. Good color, small print, and flattering cut. Plus, it's basic enough that I can mix it with other patterns, like florals or stripes, without feeling too overwhelmed. I like to throw on this neutral, long cardigan to pull the outfit together and add an extra visual layer.

This floral scarf from H&M has been in my closet for years. It's lightweight enough for spring/summer, but adds just enough pop in the winter. (Although, I wouldn't recommend it for warmth. The sub zero temps during these pics taught me a thing or two about that.)

Dress/Old Navy, Cardigan&Scarf/H&M, Tights&Shoes/Target, Necklace/Urban Outfitters

What are some of your favorite closet staples? We'd love to hear about them! 

Later this week we'll be throwing some Valentine's Day goodies your way. Come check them out!

XO, Laine

DIY: NAIL POLISH HOLDER

For our first DIY post we chose to do a super easy project using a thrifted spice rack. For all those nail polish addicts out there, sometimes it can be tricky to find a place to store them. A spice rack is a perfect solution and can hold most if not all of your collection. (depending on how much of an addict you might be...) 

 

This project requires only two supplies - an old spice rack (we found ours at Goodwill for $2) and a can of spray paint. We chose a pretty shade of mint green (Catalina Mist by Krylon) and sprayed two coats for even coverage.

We love how it turned out, and it looks so cute hanging on the wall. Can you tell we have a weakness for Essie polishes? They have so many fun, amazing shades.

Hope you all have a lovely weekend! Come and see us next week for some style and Valentine's day themed posts! 

WHAT WE WEAR: WINTER LAYERS

As a Georgia native, I had NO idea how to dress for Kentucky winters when I came here for school. I could be seen walking across campus in layers and layers of sweatpants and sweatshirts. I mean I don't think I owned a real coat. Thankfully, five years later, I've learned a thing or two about dressing for warmth without looking like a bum. Tights and socks are a great way to keep feet warm, and sweaters over dresses can style a dress from any season for winter.

This outfit features two of my favorite winter items: a Madewell leather bag and an Old Navy military coat. Ever since I got this bag over the holidays I'm not sure how I ever lived without it. It holds everything I need and the tiny gold monogram is the cutest. I had been searching for a while for the perfect army trench, and I was so happy to find such an affordable and versatile one at Old Navy! For really cold days I wear it under a heavier coat, but it's also light enough to take into spring.

Coat/Old Navy (similar here and here), Sweater/Old Navy, Dress/Anthropologie, Tights/Calypso Boutique, Scarf/Anthropologie, Socks/Target, Boots/Old Navy, Bag/Madewell (found here)

Thanks so much for stopping by! Check back later this week for our first DIY post.

XO, Paige

THREE WAYS TO WEAR IT: SWING TOP

Puella Swing Top/Anthropologie 

Welcome to our first "Three Ways to Wear It" post! Here we will feature one of our favorite items and style it three different ways for many different occasions! Our first pick is this super cozy swing top from Anthropologie. (Disclaimer: We both happen to be employed by Anthroplogie, however our obsession with their product goes far beyond our paychecks.)

Scarf & Leggings/Calypso Boutique, Sneakers/ModCloth, Socks/Target

I don't know about you, but this winter has given us too many days and nights to binge watch Netflix.(Scandal, anyone?) But eventually you might have to leave the house for food... or toilet paper. Here's the perfect ultra casual way to style this top for when that needs to happen!

Sweater/Blossom Boutique, Jeans & Necklace/Anthropologie, Shoes/ModCloth

Trivia Night is a twenty-somethings week night staple, but when your team starts losing because you don't know the Queen of England's favorite breakfast food, at least you'll know your outfit looks great! 

Skirt, Tights & Booties/Target, Necklace/Anthropologie

Sometimes you have to sacrifice comfort for a night out, but with this top there's no need. We added a little lace and heeled booties to bump it up a notch. Who isn't a fan of being comfy and cute?

WELCOME!

We are so excited to introduce Dresses and Donuts, our new blog baby. This is a place where we will share all the pretty things in our lives. We craft, shop, style… and eat a lot of donuts. We hope you enjoy what we have to share!

Paige is wearing: Sweater/Anthropologie, Dress/Urban Outfitters, Necklace/Anthropologie, Tights/Calypso Boutique, Boots/Madden Girl
Laine is wearing: Dress/Forever 21, Sweater/Gap, Necklace/Urban Outfitters, Belt/H&M, Tights/H&M, Oxfords/Altar'd State

Thanks for stopping by! We can't wait to see you again!