the sezane asianne dress styled two ways

the first floral print of the season!

option 1 // casually styled under a bright blue fisherman sweater (hello texture & COLOR!) with white sneakers

seriously pinching myself writing this blog post in collaboration with no other than @Sézane! Sézane is one of those brands where you just say OUI OUI (french for yes) as you check out all the items on their site. the parisian brand makes the most fabulous pieces (quality over quantity based on the number of pieces on their site) so you can imagine how long it took me to pick an item! life decisions i tell ya. it’s impossible not to add everything to your cart and ponder another trip to paris at the same time. i miss paris so much!

this post kicks off a three part series with Sézane, all featuring pieces from their spring collection. and spring is such a fun season, despite the allergies, flowers start blossoming, temperatures are ideal/perfect, and it’s when we start bringing out those spring dresses, floral prints, shorts, etc. the Asianne dress in cara print was such a pretty blue that i needed in my life and the floral print justified it even more. the TX weather is still fluctuating so i saw this dress as an opportunity to style it under a sweater and by itself for date night/brunch! i’ve seen the sweater over a dress styling hack and instead of going with a neutral cream color… i decided on a bold pairing — a bright blue! i loved how it turned out. no need to invent the wheel, so here’s a great video by @merricksart on how to style a sweater over a dress! she did a great job and i just tucked the sweater under the wrap of the dress.

currently reading: beach read by Emily Henry

currently on my playlist: easy lover by Ellie Goulding

option 2 // dressed up with some neutral colored high heel pointed toe booties! #datenightready

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dress c/o | Sézane asianne dress in cara print (wearing size US 4) — avail in a slip dress // button down // midi skirt // mini skirt // tie front dress with short sleeves // shoulder tie tank (yes, i did get this too #comingsoon!)
sweater | Quince 100% organic cotton fisherman crew sweater in blue (wearing size XS) — similar by J.Crew
shoes | Keds ace sneakers in white leather // Ann Taylor kody suede heeled booties in modern taupe (old) — similar
earrings | Mejuri charlotte bold hoops in gold vermeil — similar for $49 by Quince // also available as huggies!!
bag | J.Crew bucket bag (old) — similar
watch | Michele 29 mm deco diamond watch in gold and silver
rings | gorjana diamond row ring in 14K gold // gorjana diamond stacking ring in 14K gold

cheers to floral print season!,
JD

photo credit: @janeyunphoto

the best petite maxi dresses

hellooo july!

well, i totally skipped may… and june… on JDC… i was reminded by a few people about how my last post was in april, whoops.. so here we go! getting back in the swing of things and talking about one of my favorite places to buy maxi dresses for #shortgirlproblems. go to the tailor? ain’t nobody got time for that. enter @bananarepublic! they are my go-to for maxi dresses because they offer a great selection of petite maxi dresses! i picked this one due to the faux wrap and the ruffles (of course, you know ya girl is ruffle obsessed). it also a features a flattering high-low hem which i am totally a fan of. kinda gives some leg action, more movement in the dress, and by golly how about some ventilation in this TX heat? oh nelly. it’s gonna be a long hot summer and ya girl is not looking forward to it!! #grumypants

side happenings: REAL TALK after the jump but let’s see… here is what most people would be interested in — Vegas was a whirlwind. let’s just leave it at that. ;) i met with the team at @phlur and was amazed by the company and the people. i can’t wait to show you what we’ve collaborated on! i’ve sampled all their fragrances and my fave is Ameline, it is DIVINE! PS — they’re ATX-based so they are automatically get extra points on brand-coolness. @thecandlebar.co opened at the @domainnorthside and they invited me in to experience their candle pouring class. y’all, i was a kid in a candy store. haha, i can’t wait to gift this experience to my gals! @kendrascott sent me way too many goodies from their summer 2019 collection but these are my fave. saving the best for last — but @tatcha sent me the biggest PR package i’ve received in a long time. it reminded me of what a true partnership should feel like and how lucky i am go get to work with a company that realizes my value. #grateful

currently on my playlist: ME! by Taylor Swift ft. Brandon Urie

gotta love that @pearlsnap_photography direction :D

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LIFE UPDATE: i’ve been absent for so many reasons. but mainly because i was beginning to feel that the time i was pouring into IG trying to grow my business was not going anywhere. instead of getting ahead i was actually falling more and more behind. don’t get me wrong, i love supporting all my boss babes… but something about spending hours and hours everyday scrolling, liking, commenting was adding up to almost two hours a day based on my IG insights. that’s about 14 hours a week… UM… that was eye opening. DO YOU KNOW WHAT I CAN DO WITH 14 HOURS?!! oh, let me tell you: watch re-runs of my favorite old show (The Office) & laughed hysterically; watch a ton of movies; i saw Always be my Maybe haha, soooo cheesy; watch Ellen Degeneres & Ali Wong’s stand up comedies (thanks bro for the Netflix haha); read a book (The Untethered Soul: the journey beyond yourself by Michael A. Singer) a must read; re-arrange my office; crossed some things off the never-ending-home-to-do-list aka: daddy-can-you-help-me list haha jk; cleaned & conditioned my hardwood floors (ps my dad literally told me, “sometimes you just gotta get on your knees and put some elbow grease into it haha, gotta love the man); went to Vegas; worked a ton; quality time with friends & fam; oh, and how can i forget… SLEEP (which was really the most important thing i needed). it was all glorious but it feels good to write this post and be back & find my own rhythm again. plus, i have a backlog of old photos at this point (yikes) and i have a few brands i can’t wait to work with again.

lastly, my grandpa has been ill for quite some time now and was recently hospitalized for an infection. he’s suffers from dementia and it always breaks my heart to see him. can you imagine a life where you don’t even remember who you are or who anyone else is? i think he’s taking a turn for the worse and it’s so sad to see. speaking of health issues (less severe), i also went through some major abdominal pain. think, sharp, stabbing-like pain (luckily i haven’t actually been stabbed before but you get me). yea, it sucks. but could be worse. trust me, a CT scan isn’t really high on my to-do list but that’s life right?! on the flip side, perhaps my body isn’t digesting #punintended stress well as it used to so it’s coming out in the form of knife stabbing-like pain?! IDK. oh well, still trying to figure out the cause but one thing is for certain — i gotta take it easy.

so here’s to all the ebbs & flows and finding more balance in this crazy life.

and… if you’ve read this far you should give yourself a pat on the back or treat yourself to a scoop of ice cream for being a caring person to read the endless ramblings of my life. :D

behind every good photo shoot is a kid running around with his mom chasing after him :D

dress | Banana Republic floral ruffle wrap maxi dress in navy blue (also available in soft blue & of course the petite is sold out at this point) — love this pleated red one & colorblocked
bag | J.Crew Factory rattan clutch in natural pale gold (really old) — similar at J.Crew
shoes | Sam Edelman gigi sandal in saddle leather — similar from Target for $16
earrings | Kendra Scott sky earrings in white pearl (old) — larger version // similar
sunglasses | Celine marta sunglasses in havana (my fave sunnies!) — newer design // love these for $99
necklace | Anthropologie monogram pendant necklace
rings | Gorjana amara ring set // Amanda Deer c/o CZ solitaire ring // Amanda Deer c/o CZ accents midi ring
watch | Michael Kors darci watch in gold

thanks for stopping by!,
JD

photo credit: Steven Gunter

floral on floral

can it be fall already?!

well, it's almost september but we're still in the triple digits in TX, #halp. fall fashion is in full swing on every retail site and it's really dreadful to look at sweaters right now... there is no secret that fall fashion is my JAM, can't wait. but until then i'll settle for this floral print strapless dress (with pockets!). this is actually my second RED dress. it's a tad nuts actually. i never wear red dresses because i find them to be too dressy. the floral print toned down the red and i'm a sucker for all tie-front-anything! 

side ramblings: shout out to my friend Jane // @atasteofkoko who launched her retail shop shop.atasteofkoko.com, of course she celebrated by putting together the #museumofdonuts this past weekend full of instagram-able moments! #donutgetmestarted. so young and such a freaking BOSS i love it! the @sephora appreciation sale is going on right now and the BEST time to stock up on some favorites or try something new! i'm all about saving money so RARELY do i ever buy any skincare products at regular price. #protip: always wait for a sale/coupon code and stock up on items you love because every little bit counts! here are some new skincare products i'm looking to try for the first time: Drunken Elephant virgin marula luxury facial oil and the BIOSSANCE squalane + phyto-retinol serum (curious about this plant-based retinol, i've never used retinol before but this would be a good start since it seems to be WAY less harsh). things i'm re-stocking on are: SK-II facial treatment lotion (used in conjunction with my HG SK-II facial treatment essence), and my fave dry shampoo Bumble & Bumble dry spun (not labeled as a dry shampoo but does the exact job as one without an overpowering smell!). 

currently on my playlist: moving on by Mat Kearney

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fall florals

or is it winter florals?

i do love me a good floral print, however, i don't own much of it and the pieces that i do own are all spring/summer colors.  so when i saw this i thought, why not?! it's black (my favorite color to wear) and it's floral. i thought i'd give it a whirl. #norhymeintended. plus, this dress has pockets, comes in petite sizing (ain't nobody got time for alterations), and it's work appropriate. my dilemma was really the shoes. normally, i wear floral print with flat thong sandals but that wasn't gonna cut it even for fall in texas! so the next best thing was my new leather pointed toe booties that i've lusted over for a while now. so glad i got them because they're such a great alternative to all my suede ones i own -- comfy/almost flat heel and perfect with this maxi, or jeans/skirts/dresses for a touch of edgy street style. trust me, you can rock em! 

i can't believe this is my last post for 2017. something about the new year always brings good vibes, new goals/hopes/dreams/beginnings. it's a good feeling isn't it? whatever change it is that you're seeking in your life, or whatever it is that you want to achieve... NOW is the time to make it happen. it definitely won't be easy but oh boy it’s going to be worth it in the end. sending you my mantra/hashtag #cantstopwontstop

SEE YA NEXT YEAR! xx

currently on my playlist: sunrise by Kygo ft. Jason Walker

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the floral maxi dress

another floral dress makes its way to my closet.

howdy y'all! currently sitting at a Starbucks trying out #thepinkdrink = strawberry acai refresher with coconut milk instead of water. it's interesting. you should try it. it has been raining NON-STOP in texas for weeks which has really forced me to take a blogging break. but i ain't complaining. i ate a lot, slept a lot, and finally read that book i told you about -- me before you by Jojo Moves. when i mean read i started and finished it in one day. it's been so long since i've come across a book that i couldn't put down. have you read it? #cryfest it's so sad but that's exactly what made it SO GOOD. i don't think i can see the movie without a towel. 

about this post -- i don't own many maxi dresses or floral print = #purchasejustified. my life is about #shortgirlproblems (5' 2", i get asked this a lot) so that has always deterred me from buying maxi dresses. i always have to get them hemmed and ain't nobody got time for that. so thank goodness for @BananaRepublic petite sizes. the fit and length on this dress was perfect for me, not to mention that is also has pockets which is rare for this kind of material. lastly, i finally purchased my first straw/rattan bag!! when i saw my blogger babes Jen // @mrsjenfrick and Jenna // @bostonchicparty sport them, i knew i had to have one too! it's very tiny but fits your essentials. 

lastly, i mentioned being featured in the Banana Republic #YourLifeStyled campaign in my last post. my blogging bestie, Ela // @Wunderbliss sent me a snapchat of one of my photos on a BR storefront in Vancouver!!! i am still so shocked and on a mission to find a storefront with either of my photos on them because i have nothing else to do. LOL, and i have hit up the only two BRs in Austin. LOL. 

currently on my playlist: gravity by Sara Bareilles

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the floral ruffled dress & denim jacket

slowin' it down with some floral boho vibes.

y'all, it is getting HOT in TEXAS!!! summer isn't even in full swing yet and i'm a sweaty betty. not sure how i will be taking photos during the summer again, early shoots are such a pain. i wish i lived up north, when it's cold, you can layer. but when it's hot, there is only so much you can take off.... like they say... you always want what you can't have. and when you have it you want more. #WORD

this floral dress c/o The Mint Julep Boutique is a great choice for those hot summer days. check out their instagram @shopthemint for bright, boho style spring/summer dresses! this one in particular is strappy, v-neck and v-back, loose (i'm all about the loosey-goosey), a ruffled hem (yep, i twirled in it), and it's a floral print. check x 6. i choose to give this outfit some more springtime love with a denim jacket; my FIRST, whattt? i know. it's insane how i live in TX and went so long without one. it makes a good layer for the cold indoor coffee shops/restaurants. the long necklace (borrowed from mama bear; she's so stylish) also added a little something and the cognac leather accessories fit right in. 

side note: if you haven't seen The Jungle Book, you need to!
"look for the bare necessities, the simple bare necessities, forget about your worries and your strife...." i mean who remembers watching this on... VHS?!!!!

currently on my playlist: it's just a little crush by Jennifer Paige 

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dress c/o | The Mint Julep Boutique drawn together dress 
jacket | Old Navy denim jacket -- similar / similar but darker wash / similar
bag | Coach station bag in cognac (vintage find) -- similar
shoes | Sam Edelman gigi sandals in saddle leather (favorite summer sandals!) -- similar / gladiator lace ups 
sunglasses | Coach casey sunglasses in dark turquoise -- similar / loving these
earrings | Kendra Scott tessa studs in clear
necklace | Kendra Scott rayne necklace in ivory mother of pearl (borrowed from mama!)
watch | Michael Kors darci watch in gold -- check out this one with a MINT face!
bracelet | BaubleBar elephant chain bracelet in gold (old) -- similar
rings | BaubleBar tri bar ring (sold out) / BaubleBar diana midi ring / BaubleBar ice chevron midi ring / Etsy stacking & midi rings
lips | MAC amplified creme lipstick in brick-o-la

rock the floral dress... and twirl in it,
JD

A post done in collaboration with The Mint Julep Boutique.