So Many Tartans, So Little Time: Scotch Rocks

Cardigan: Delia's, Dolls Kill

Square Dance Chance Necklace

Shoes: Mix No. 6, DSW

Skirt: Rewind, Kohl's

Red bangle: B Fabulous; Ring: Wet Seal; Headband: So, Kohl's; Colorful bangle: a now-defunct mall store; Mustard bracelet: Cloud Nine, Ocean City

Red Rose Moon Necklace

Skirt: Vanilla Star, Macy's

Primary Color Crescents Necklace

Sweatshirt: Macy's

Barrettes: SHEIN

Blue bracelet: Cloud Nine, Ocean City; Yellow bracelets: B Fabulous

Cardigan: So, Kohl's

Bangle: Mixit, JCPenney; Headband: Candie's, Kohl's; Ring: Making Waves, Ocean City

Boots: Jessica Simpson Collection, DSW

Skirt: Dickies Girl, Dolls Kill

Lucky Lemon Necklace

Sweatshirt: Crave Fame, Macy's

Bag: Sleepyville Critters, Zulily; Black and white bracelet: Mixit, JCPenney; Red bangle: B Fabulous; Hair tie: Marshalls

The Scotts know how to live life right, and I'm not even talking about Outlander or the preppy prints popping in these outfits.  (Okay, yes, as always, I am talking about the outfits.  But this time they're the strong, silent character that gives gravitas to the wonkily painted trees in the background while the louder if seemingly more insignificant characters shout and dodge each other's tossed apples.  Did I mention that those trees were apple trees and that this is a middle school play?).  I'm talking about Scotch tape, or as it's more officially called by the good people at 3M, Magic Tape.  

And it is indeed magic, as much so as the unicorn on my wristlet.  I should know; I recently used quite a bit of it wrapping birthday gifts for my mom and nephew (their b-days are one day apart; Mom calls them "birthday buds").  And no, this isn't a paid plug for 3M, although as I always say in such situations, I wouldn't turn down some green or even a case of these craft room must-haves.  Because if you've ever used any other kind of adhesive, then you know that it barely works and runs out long before you've finished wrapping Aunt Aggie's argyle compression socks.  

So, yeah.  I love Scotch tape.  That's my story, and I'm sticking to it.

Next stop on the Scottish Express (i.e., the train that runs through the apple orchard): handbags that look like bagpipes.

McNear and Far, Just Drive the Car . . . of Your Imagination

I first became acquainted with Mary McNear years ago when my sister gave me one of her books for Christmas.  Although I'd never heard of the author, I dove right in.  And I found myself in idyllic Butternut Lake, Minnesota, one of those rustic small towns with one stoplight.  Now, the only thing I'd ever yearned to see in the Land of Ten Thousand Lakes was the Mall of America.  But McNear's heartfelt descriptions of this magical place inspired by her childhood summers made me want to pull up a chair at Pearl's coffee shop and then walk to (but not jump in!) the lake.  Better still, McNear's characters were complex and sympathetic, with rich emotional landscapes that rivalled Butternut Lake itself.  So, when I started reading McNear's latest, The Secrets We Carried, I settled in for a darn good yarn.  And got one.  

Journalist Quinn LaPointe hasn't been back to Butternut in ten years.  Not since her high school sweetheart Jake died in an accident that rocked the whole town.  But when she receives an anonymous note about a dedication for Jake, she packs her bags.  Going home again hurts even more than she anticipated, especially as she talks to the locals and learns more about what happened that night.  Her editor back in Chicago wants her to dig deep and write a personal essay.  Quinn isn't sure how she feels about that but begins journaling her memories.  Her entries are flashbacks full of all the bittersweet excitement and angst of being a teen, helping us -- and her -- work through the pain of her present.  Because more than truth seeking or romance, The Secrets We Carried is about personal growth and the transformative power of writing:

". . . she wanted to write, needed to write, must write in order to feel complete . . ." (11)    

So here's to you, Quinn, and Butternut too, the most beautiful place where the saddest things happen.  

Because somehow, despite your sorrow, you're still more therapeutic than a mega mall.

Velour in Store

Boots: Penny Loves Kenny, Amazon

Barrette: SHEIN; Country Charm Corsage Necklace: The Tote Trove

Sweat suit: Love Fire, Macy's

Bag: LC Lauren Conrad, Kohl's

Tops and joggers: LC Lauren Conard, Kohl's

Bag: Candie's, Kohl's

Boots: Penny Loves Kenny, Amazon

Headband: Colors, JCPenney; Necklace: Mixit, JCPenney

Last week, I vamped in velvet.  This week, I'm cocooned in its casual cousin.  Call it velvet unplugged if you will, or better yet, call it velour.  Yes, this luxurious loungewear is made for the style-conscious sloth, what with its pretty prints and ruffle-trimmed shoulders.  It's clothing that boldly says you sleep the weekend away, but damn it, you do it with flair.    

Speaking of sloths, this garb also conjures George Costanza, who once declared that he wanted to drape himself in velvet.  And then made it happen.

His velvet didn't have ruffles, though.  Those were reserved for Jerry and his puffy shirt. 

The Cat's Me-Wow: Doll Face Head Space

Sneaking that princess figure into my last post made me want to show you more of my dolls.  And no, not the creepy, lace-covered, porcelain kind, although I've got those in my parents' attic.  Just the candy-colored, normal kind that every kid -- and forty-year-old -- has stashed in her playroom-slash-craft room.  

Having Barbie on the brain means prime time to gab about the Hulu original comedy Dollface, which recently debuted Season 2.  For the uninitiated, LA transplant Jules (Kat Dennings) is dumped by her long-term boyfriend, a clueless cad who patronizingly calls her, yes, doll face.  On her own for the first time in years, Jules decides to reconnect with her college besties Madison (Brenda Song) and Stella (Shay Mitchell).  But being a girls' girl instead of a boyfriend girl is more difficult than she anticipates.  As is her dubious gig as a web designer for a lifestyle brand run by you-know-what-on-wheels Celeste (Malin Akerman).  Surrounded by the Allisons at the office -- a trio of mean girl yes women who all go by the same name -- Jules retreats further into her self-effacing shell, her dry wit unappreciated.  That is, until one of the Allisons (Esther Povitsky) breaks away and admits that being in the in crowd isn't all it's cracked up to be.  Suddenly at the center of a hybrid friend group, Jules reevaluates her career and juggles new romantic prospects (Criminal Minds's Matthew Gray Gubler and Katy Keene's Luke Cook), making her feel alive again, far from the plastic doll of her past.  

What's more, she has her cat.  And no, I'm not referring to cozy couch cuddles where Jules pours out her soul to some tabby who'd rather lick itself.  Jules has dream sequences in which her cat morphs into a walking, talking advisor, dropping harsh truths in the voice of the secretary from The Mindy Project (Beth Grant).  This cat lady gone loco, coupled with a beachy, retro theme song and Jules's apathetic-rather-than-perky persona make Dollface more than just another show about a twentysomething trying to figure it out.  It's refreshing to see a heroine who's the antithesis of a go-getter in a world overstuffed with suck-up pick-me's.  Not that Jules doesn't have plenty to learn.  But she grows in her own way, to the beat of her own spirit animal, one well-timed wisecrack at a time.

That said, I look forward to Season 3.  Maybe its feline fever dreams will feature a glitter box of crap decisions.  Or, at the very least, a high stakes hairball brawl.  

Renaissance Wear, Scarborough Flair: A Tried and True Trend for All Thymes

Skirt: ELLE, Kohl's

Eclectic Collective Necklace

Bag: JCPenney

Top: So, Kohl's

Bracelets, top row, from left to right: Apt. 9, Kohl's; Amazon; Worthington, JCPenney; Wet Seal; Amazon. Bracelets (and ring), bottom row, left to right: Worthington, JCPenney; Zulily; ROSS

Shoes: Betsey Johnson, DSW

Top: So, Kohl's

Headbands: INC, Macy's

Unicorn Garden Necklace

Shoes: Mix No. 6, DSW

Bag: Target; Rhinestone bracelet: Zulily; Rings: Mixit, JCPenney; Rose bracelet: Francesca's; Belt: Belt is Cool, Amazon

Tights: Xhilaration, Target

Club Cupcake Necklace

Top: TJ Maxx

Bag: LC Lauren Conrad, Kohl's

Dress: Candie's, Kohl's

Scarf: Echo, Macy's

Top: ELLE, Kohl's

Rhinestone Rose Necklace

Skirt: ELLE, Kohl's

Butterfly and flower bracelets: Mixit, JCPenney; Fish and deco bracelets: Target: Ring: Bloomingsales Florist, Brigantine

Socks: Xhilaration, Target; Shoes: Jessica Simpson Collection, ROSS; Shoe clips: Burlington Coat Factory

Bag: Betsey Johnson, Macy's; Princess figure: A.C. Moore

When I hear "velvet," many things come to mind: National Velvet, Velvet Revolver, and red velvet cupcakes.  Also, fashion from the Renaissance, the '60s, the '90s, . . . and now.  Because everything old becomes new again.  Especially stuff to wear while listening to Simon & Garfunkel and/or watching a joust.  Not that I was doing either when wearing these plush pieces.  But if Carrie Bradshaw can wear couture while eating popcorn (hashtag And Just Like That . . .), then I can wear off the rack on my porch. 

Maybe next time I'll bring cupcakes.