Cranberry, lace & fall weddings

Cranberry dresses, fall leaves and a Kansas breeze. I traveled to Lawrence, Kansas this past weekend to attend the wedding of my wonderful Cottey College suitemate Kamay. Didn't she look beautiful? She was a gorgeous bride and couldn't keep that smile off her face. I wore this pretty and flattering rich red find from Forever 21. The dress was less than $25 and features a great cut and perfect cute sleeves. The bodice has see through lace panels so I wore a black cami underneath. Side note: believe the label when it says not to put the dress in the dryer.  I was in a hurry packing and threw the dress in the dryer for a few minutes and unfortunately, it did make the fabric ripple. I just didn't have the time to let it hang dry, whoops. The dress is still totally wearable, but it doesn't look as nice. I bought the dress within the last couple of months, but I can't find it online. It might still be available at your local Forever 21. Also, I tried the high waisted black tights from ASSETS by Sara Blakely, which you can purchase at Target for $18. They are definitely not as nice as the actual Spanx version, but they are still high quality and do the job at a more affordable price. The Spanx version come up higher on the waist and the material seemed of a slightly higher quality. Everything else in the look is from past seasons. Happy fall lovelies! Stay awesome and follow me on instagram @melissamchee for makeup closeups and details.

• Cranberry dress - Forever 21
• Black tights - ASSETS by Sara Blakely
• Boots - Ziera 
• Beige purse - Calvin Klein
• Ring - House of Harlow

Follow

Bauman's Harvest Festival

A big thanks to The Wolf for tickets to Bauman's Harvest Festival. This place is AMAZING. I had no idea. Giant pumpkins dropping from cranes, the biggest pumpkins in Oregon, corn mazes galore, sweet treats and cider...AND it's all just a short drive from Portland, OR. I would highly recommend going to the Pumpkin Weigh Off. It already happened for 2015 on Oct. 3, but make plans for next year. I got to see the new record holder for Oregon, honestly--it was so fascinating. I could definitely become a giant pumpkin groupie.  Someone even grew one in their backyard! And you can still see some giant pumpkins, at least a few will be on display at Bauman's. And we're talking BIG pumpkins weighing more than 1,000 pounds. Plus, Bauman's has plenty of other activities: petting zoo, hayride, apple tasting, farm store and more. Plan to spend all day or at least half a day. Let me know if you visit Bauman's and how you like it!

Now for the outfit, my favorite item is the pleated crepe skirt from Torrid. It's already sold out online, but I would check for the skirt at your local Torrid. It's incredibly flattering. It's a fun full skirt that is still slimming. The back is a little bit longer than the front. It's simply awesome! Go try it on. I also love the fun Halloween theme gloves, an easy way to add a bit of festivity. They were on sale for $1.49 at Fred Meyer. For makeup closeups and details, visit me on instagram @melissamchee. Also, photo credit to Warren, check out his blog.

• Top - Miss Tina (past season)
• Pleated Crepe Skirt - Torrid
• Cable Knit Over-the-Knee Tights - Spanx
• Boots - Ziera
• 'Riley' Quilted Leather Tote - Vince Camuto 
• Kitty Halloween Gloves - Fred Meyer

Follow

Wonderball Gala

I finally got to wear this sparkly jacket from Lane Bryant that I picked up for quite the steal. I was waiting for a special occasion and the Wonderball Gala, which raised money for the Children's Cancer Association (CCA), was it. I paired the jacket with a simple white cami from Forever 21 and a full length navy skirt, also a clearance rack deal from K-mart. The gala's theme was the CCA's 20th birthday party and you were highly encouraged to wear a party hat. I went with a tiny tiara. The mini tiara from Michaels came in a package of four for $1.99.  Anyone need a tiara for their halloween costume or little girl's birthday party? Check Michaels. The Wonderball Gala was a fun night and I learned a lot more about JoyRX and one of their programs that pairs chemo buddies with children fighting cancer. Caring adult volunteers build relationships with the children, give parents a short break and help distract the kids from their treatment with toy time. You can learn more about JoyRX here. Also, for makeup details and to find out where I got those long lashes--please visit my instagram @melissamchee.

• Mini Tiara - Michaels
• Black sparkly jacket - Lane Bryant
• White cami - Forever 21
• Navy skirt - K-mart
• Sandals - Ziera
• 'Riley' Quilted Leather Tote - Vince Camuto 

Follow

A little black & white prep for fall

I love this dress! It's comfy, cute and quite the deal at less than $23. It's still available online from Forever 21+ or you could also check out your local store. The dress is just like wearing a soft lightweight sweater--longer than you favorite sweater but plenty short if you're on the taller end like me. You could definitely add some colored tights as the weather gets cooler.

• Varsity-Striped Sweater Dress - Forever 21
• Faux rock ring - Charming Charlie
• Small red purse - Forever 21 
• Black mary janes - Soft Spots

Follow

What a doll! Plus, Torrid Model Search.

Torrid just released a new Barbie fashion collection! It's available exclusively online. I'm a little Barbie-obsessed so I purchased several items from the collection. This outfit includes two of the items: a flattering below the knee pencil skirt and comfy lipstick sweatshirt. The skirt actually doesn't include the Barbie logo anywhere on the outside of the skirt, but it's amazing! Great cut, comfortable and a length of skirt that is perfect, but sometimes hard to find. The skirt has a bit of give and zips up the back. Also, the lips and white dot print is fun and different from your average black skirt. The Barbie sweatshirt is another one of my favorites from the collection. Comfy and cute? Yes! I can definitely see pairing it with black leggings, yoga pants or jeans for a stylish and simple weekend look. I'm sure I will be living in my Barbie sweatshirt this fall. It's a great length--the end hits below the hip. It's nice and loose, but in a good way. And I just love the lipstick and Barbie graphic. The purse is a Nordstrom Anniversary Sale find.  The sale is over, but you can still purchase the bag on their website. I was looking for a quilted black leather purse and I love the unique stitching on this purse. The leather is buttery soft and lovely! I chanced it by ordering this purse online without seeing it, but am extremely happy with it. It's high quality and big enough for all your essentials - plus some! It's very luxurious.

• Barbie sweatshirt - Torrid
• Barbie pencil skirt - Torrid
• Vince Camuto 'Riley' Quilted Leather Tote - Nordstrom
• Wedges - Earthies

Also, if you haven't already heard Torrid is searching for the Face of Torrid 2016. I submitted my application using a couple of the photos above. The application was straightforward. You'll need a headshot, full length shot and short video answering why you'd like to be the next face of Torrid. You can still apply on their website through August 26.

Photos: Warren, who blogs at Blog To Taste

Hair: Yen with Yenno2u

Follow