Plaid? For Spring? Groundbreaking.

Coat: LC Lauren Conrad, Kohl's; Shoes: Jessica Simpson Collection, DSW

Sweater: Forever and Ever, Kohl's

Skirt: Dickie's, Dolls Kill

Bag: Kate Spade New York for Target

Top: So, Kohl's

Bag: Amazon

Orange Blossom and Bow Necklace

Pants: Almost Famous: Macy's

Sunglasses and flower clips: Wild Fable, Target

Shoes: Jessica Simpson Collection, Amazon

Skirt: Vanilla Star, Macy's; Shoes: Jessica Simpson Collection, Amazon

Bag: Olivia Miller, Amazon

Tee: GAP

Coat: BCX, Macy's

Sometimes I don’t know what gets into me.  I complain about winter, then when it’s finally spring, I pull out, not florals, but plaids.  I guess like Mary, I’m quite contrary. 

So all hail spring fashion in its many forms.  And gardens that grow the way you do.

Marooned but Not Doomed: Hello, Snowstorm

Top: INC, Macy's; Skirt (a dress!): JCPenney

Bubblegum Beauty Necklace

Shoes: Jessica Simpson, DSW

Bow: Kohl's

Bag: Kelly & Katie, DSW

Dress: LC Lauren Conrad, Kohl's

I like big baubles and I cannot lie.

Looking forward to florals.

Bag: Madden Girl, Kohl's

When your coat's doppelganger is a duvet.  Coat: Madden Girl, Macy's

Tiers for cheers.

Giant Dancer Necklace

Sometimes I think I need to make smaller necklaces.  And then I say nah and make something like this.

Skirt: Wild Fable, Target

Boots: Nine West, Kohl's

Sweatshirt: City Streets, JCPenney; Boots: Olivia Miller, Kohl's

Not Your Average Diamond Necklace

Bag: Liz Claiborne, JCPenney

Poodle, bow, and ornament: Michaels; Fragrance: Too Faced, Target

Bag: LC Lauren Conrad, Kohl's

Bow: Art Class, Target

Chances are, you got snowed in last weekend.  As you (may) know, I don't like snow.  It's cold and wet and, above all, dangerous.  So when the flakes fell, I was happy to stay inside and (while Charlotte napped) play dress-up.  The theme?  Maroon!  Because 1) I'd worn a maroon dress for my birthday and wanted to do a trifecta and 2) maroon makes an ideal backdrop for my new necklaces.

Being marooned in maroon was a bonus.

That said, I hope you stayed cozy doing something you love -- even if the only ice in your life was clinking in your Coca-Cola. 

On the Brink of Pink and Valentine's Day

Coat: So, Kohl's

Bag: Betsey Johnson, Amazon

Sweater: Madden Girl, Macy's

Shoes: Jessica Simpson, DSW

Sweater: Candie's, Kohl's

Bag: Betsey Johnson

Tutu art: Michaels; Makeup: Too Faced, Target; Heart pouch: Madden Girl, Macy's

Boots: Impo, DSW

Skirt: Wild Fable, Target

Top: Madden Girl, Kohl's

Bubblegum Bubbly Necklace

Bag: LC Lauren Conrad, Kohl's

Hair clip: Wild Fable, Target

"Brink" might be pushing it, as I'll surely post something very un-Valentiney between now and February 14.  But I can't resist a rhyme, so here we are.

Appropriating Char Bar's shopping cart, corralling my bric-a-brac into a collage, and pretending that my closet's a parlor are all acts of love anyway.

Because love's always a little bit crazy -- and best expressed through an excess of trinkets.   

Mad for Max: Kitsch at Capacity

Skirt: Wild Fable, Target; Shoes: Jessica Simpson Collection, DSW

Pink Petals Necklace

Bag: ModCloth; Sunglasses: Wild Fable, Target

Bow: Art Class, Target

Armed with charm(s).  

Dress: LC Lauren Conrad, Kohl's

Crafty Confection Necklace

Bag: LC Lauren Conrad, Kohl's

Cherry clip: Wild Fable, Target; Sunglasses: Kohl's

Nature's emeralds. 

Shoes: LC Lauren Conrad, Kohl's

Dress: LC Lauren Conrad, Kohl's

Bag: Betsey Johnson

Puff Piece Necklace

Yellow necklace: So, Kohl's; Belt: Belt is Cool, Amazon

Bunched up buttercup.

Shoes: Sugar, Kohl's

Sunglasses: Amazon; My Little Pony clips: Dolls Kill

When it comes to super-sized style, maxi dresses and excessive accessories make for a kitsch-tastic combo.  I'm talking about maximalism, the aesthetic that flouts the old-school edict of taking one thing off before leaving the house and instead adding five more.  I remember being excited when I found out that it was a thing.  Deep down, I'd always known it was okay to look like a try-hard Christmas tree.  So, it's with unabashed enthusiasm that I share these fits.  Stacking the flair is not only fun but functional because I like to have things to look at throughout the day.  It's why the idea of a uniform -- by which I mean anything from a school-issued skirt and blouse to a pants suit -- sends me into, to quote Anne of Green Gables, "the depths of despair."

That said, Anne, with her love of whimsy and pretty things, would've been a maximalist of the first order.