Orla Outfits of the Year

Here's all the outfits that I created for this blog in 2015 (in the second row, you can clearly see my obsession with midi skirts). A few of these outfits I actually never wrote full OOOTD posts for because I just never got around to them. See if you can spot them :)

What a fun year it's been blogging about Orla Kiely! So many exciting things happened for fans this year, which started with the debut of Orla Kiely's baby line for Target. A few months after that, Orla Kiely released her first ever stroller with Maclaren (at this point, I felt like these were all signs that I should have another baby. My friends and family know that it has been my DREAM to have a baby girl one day, and if I ever do, you better believe that she will have this stroller).

In addition to Orla Kiely's baby line, she also continued to release travel bags and accessories at Target, much to the delight of fans. And collectors were BEYOND excited when she created a line of bedding, pillows, and curtains for Target (so now your entire home can be covered in her patterns J).  But probably my favorite release this year was her collection of gorgeous watches, aptly named Orla Kiey Time.

There were also a few surprising places that began to sell Orla Kiely, including Ulta, Kohls, and even British Airways (I'm actually traveling to Europe this year and hope to get this bag if it's still available!) And of course, let's not forget Burlington, where I was able to get my biggest Orla Kiely haul ever!

Leith Clark, style director for Harper's Bazaar, helped create L'Orla, a capsule resort collection filled with beautiful retro pieces. And this year, we were able to see presentations for both the AW15 and SS16 collections. Orla Kiely's collaboration with Clarks was just as cute as ever, but I guess all good things must come to an end as the Fall/Winter line was her last for the shoe brand. But there were still other amazing collaborations including her stationery line with Studio Oh! and of course the retro trash bins with Brabantia. Orla Kiely also worked with a couple charities to create beautiful pieces of art that were auctioned off. 

It was also so much fun connecting with so many lovely Orla Kiely fans from around the world through Instagram. Above, you will see my top nine posts of 2015. Thank you ladies for all the tips and for sharing my love of all things Orla Kiely :)

This year, I set a goal for myself to blog at least once a day. That ended up proving to be quite challenging, so I altered my goal to at least have one blog post for every day of the year. So here we are on New Year's Eve and this is my 365th post! I made it and I am SO happy that I was able to accomplish what I set out to do! I now have some new goals for this blog going into 2016, which include writing OOOTDs and Thursday Purseday posts more consistently and starting a We Love Orla Kiely: Buying/Selling/Trading community here on this blog. I fear these might be slightly overly ambitious goals for me considering I do work full time as a high school math teacher and when I'm not doing that, I'm spending time with my husband and my three-year-old son who is becoming more and more of a handful each day. But this blog is my favorite hobby and I will do my best to post as consistently as possible and come up with new ways to connect even more with all the Orla Kiely lovers out there :) Here's to an exciting 2016, and I wish everyone a HAPPY new year!

Orla Outfit of the Day: New Year's Eve Eve

OOOTD:

Orla Kiely Giant Wildflower Print Organza Boat Neck Dress

Orla Kiely for Clarks Dotty Shoes in Ox Blood (previously worn here)

Lavish by TJM Sterling Silver Scalloped Hoop Earrings

This dress has so many lovely details including this sheer neckline.

And pleated edges along the waistline and sleeves.

I have always thought this print was one of the most gorgeous dresses Orla Kiely has ever designed.

Happy New Year's Eve...eve! Hope everyone is making plans to do something fun tomorrow night :)

Haul + Review: Orla Kiely OK4000 Watch

Orla Kiely OK4000 Watch

Approximately $250

Here's one of two watches I got for Christmas from my parents this year :) Sometimes I think my Mom knows me better than I know myself because, while this style is one I had initially overlooked, I realize now that it is in fact one of my favorites from the entire collection. The quatrefoil design is one of my absolute favorite patterns, and I also love the classic gold finish and think it will pair well with both casual and dressy outfits.

First, here are a few shots of the box the watch came in. As always, the packaging is just as cute as what's inside :)

Here's everything that comes with the watch. It has a small tag attached and a little booklet with instructions.

The face is printed with a silver Stem pattern and has three cream-colored Abacus sub-dials.

The strap is made with quatrefoil-shaped links in alternating shiny and matte finishes.

I did have to remove about four rows of links in order for this watch to fit properly on my wrist. I took it to a local jewelry repair shop and it cost about $17.

The clasp has an Orla Kiely logo.

They style number is printed underneath the face.

"Stainless Steel" is engraved on the underside of the clasp.

I am beyond thrilled to have my first Orla Kiely watch. I had been swooning over these since their impending release was first announced. The quality is impeccable and the design is exactly what any Orla Kiely collector would love.

Orla Outfit of the Day: Green Part 2

OOOTD:

Postmark Matana Tunic

Mossimo cardigan (previously worn here, here, and here)

Madewell Denim Boyshorts: Rip and Repair Edition (purchased in store for only $7!)

Gap leather belt

Birkenstock Arizona Black Oiled Leather Sandals (previously worn here, here, here, here, here, and here)

Orla Kiely Lucy Watch

Orla Kiely Tall Flower Stem Print Midi Sling Bag

Only in the Sunshine State can you wear shorts and sandals in December :)

One of my favorite necklaces to wear - a total bargain purchase at only $1 from Urban Outfitters a couple Black Fridays ago.

I love distressed denim shorts so I was super excited to find these at Madewell for only $7! They were marked down to $9.99 (originally $74.50) and they were having an additional 30% off sale.

I decided to wear this Tall Flower Stem bag in Ink to play off the navy blue flowers on my blouse.

Haul + Review post coming soon on this watch :)

Hope everyone is having a wonderful Tuesday :)

Orla Outfit of the Day: Green

OOOTD:

Forever 21 crop top

Orla Kiely Scribble Sunflower Gathered Skirt (previously worn here)

Miss Albright Lupe Heels (previously worn here)

J. Crew Factory scallop necklace

Orla Kiely Lucy Watch

My current favorite skirt!

I love this necklace (for obvious reasons).

This print just makes me so happy.

Wearing my new Orla Kiely watch that I got for Christmas! Haul + Review post coming soon :)

Hope everyone is having a good start to their week!

On My Wish List: Threshold Windham Tall Cabinet

Threshold Windham Tall Cabinet with Drawers in Yellow

$249.99

For years, I'd been searching for the perfect display cabinet for my collection of Orla Kiely handbags and I think I may have just found the one. Pictured above is the Tall Cabinet from the Windham collection at Target. It comes in six different colors, but I think this yellow color is my favorite.

I currently don't have a great way to organize my bags. I just have them stored in these hanging shelves in this Hemnes wardrobe I got from Ikea. I always store my purses in their dust bags if they came with one.

And the rest I have stored in this open suitcase. It is quite an eyesore in my opinion because I do like things to be neatly tucked away. But I do change out my purses often so I decided to keep this suitcase open so I can switch out my purses easily.

Now I know I just said I like things neatly tucked away and out of sight, BUT I would make an exception if my purses were displayed in a neat fashion (and not just stuffed into a suitcase). So that's  why I like these glass doors so much - even though a lot of my purses are stored in their dust bags, I think a few displayed on the shelves would look great.

With the New Year approaching, I'm itching to get things organized so I can ring in 2016 with everything neat and tidy. My purses have always been a challenge for me to organize because I simply hadn't found a cabinet that I really liked until I discovered this one at Target. Hopefully, I can pick up this piece soon and I'll write an updated "How I Organize my Bags" post :)

Orla Outfit of the Day: Turtleneck

OOOTD:

Orla Kiely for Uniqlo Heattech Turtleneck

LC Lauren Conrad skirt

Orla Kiely for Clarks Dotty Shoes in Ox Blood

I used to hate turtlenecks, but they're slowly growing on me and I'm realizing that they are quite chic. I just don't like how they feel - I'm constantly pulling them so they at least sit a little bit away from my neck. Despite that, I still found I could make an exception just for this Orla Kiely turtleneck :)

These Heattech pieces are super form-fitting so they easily tuck into skirts.

Hope everyone is have a nice relaxing Sunday.

Haul + Review: Orla Kiely for Target Wild Meadow Cosmetic Bags

I picked up these Orla Kiely Wild Meadow cosmetic cases a few weeks back during their beauty sale, where almost everything was 10% off and then an additional 25% off on top of that, so I got these for a really great deal. This particular print and colorway are probably one of my absolute favorites that Orla Kiely has ever released for Target. I've always loved that dusty pale blue color, and I like the way it's paired with the olive green and bright orange zipper pulls.

Orla Kiely Wild Meadow Train Case

$24.99

The print is pretty inconsistent from case to case, so I would recommend purchasing these bags in stores so you can compare how the pattern lines up or if there are any imperfections in the print (which you can just see slightly in the third flower on the top row below. It doesn't bother me too much, but I thought I'd make note of it here just in case).

The top has a cotton webbing handle.

The zipper pulls are a shiny bright orange.

It has an Orla Kiely Etc logo tag on the top.

The inside has a navy blue polyester lining that'll be easy to clean up if there are any makeup spills (but I actually plan on using mine to store stationery).

There's one zippered mesh pocket on the top and one elasticized pocket on the side.

Orla Kiely Wild Meadow 3pc Purse Kit Set

$16.99

These pouches are probably my favorite from the Orla Kiely cosmetic bag collection. I've gotten them in every print they've been released in because I find that they have so many uses. Not only do I store makeup in them, but I've used them to pack diapers and wipes to keep in my purse, small toys for my son to take on-the-go, nail art tools, miscellaneous plugs and chargers, receipts, pens and markers, and I even keep one in my car with loose change for tolls.

The larger and smaller pouches have the same print, while the medium-sized one has the same print as the train case above. Each one has an Orla Kiely Etc logo tag on the side.

They have the same orange pulls and a small d-ring in case you want to attach them to anything (perhaps if you have a large Orla Kiely tote, you could attach it to the key ring so you have easy access to them in case they get lost in your purse).

They also have the same navy blue polyester lining.