Swoon-Worthy Shabby Apple

At 5'8", I sometimes have trouble finding dresses. Cocktail dresses may look adorable on the rack or in the window of a Melrose boutique, but trying them on is a bit of a joke - everything winds up being unbelievably short on me. Perhaps that's why I like Anthropologie so much; dresses there almost always come to right above my knees, which is perfect for me. I've learned that stores like Bebe or Guess are pretty much never going to work - I prefer NOT to show my butt when I bend over, thanks. While we're at it, let me mention that it's also sometimes hard to find something that isn't too low cut. I'm busty, and there's a time and a place for cleavage, but it's definitely not ALL the time.

So enter Shabby Apple, a site I learned about through the Anthro blogs. Their dresses are all modest - no exposed shoulders, no cleavage, no high hemlines. Yet somehow, they are all fashion-forward and flattering; no frumpy baggy styles!

I won a contest through Shabby Apple a while ago and got some awesome artwork out of it in exchange for a pie recipe, but I still haven't gotten around to ordering a dress from them. Their new Academia collection has me swooning:

I looove those sleeves!! This one is my favorite, and the model is wearing amazing tights - she's styled SO well with a chunky necklace and marigold heels. Unfortunately, I can't find the tights on the Shabby Apple site. These are kinda similar (over at ModCloth).

That color is pretty amazing, and the cut is really classic. And how gorgeous is this model and her amazing hair??

This one is from the Sidesaddle collection... I love, love, love the Tiffany blue and brown combo, and the color blocking here is super flattering.

Since I haven't tried on any Shabby Apple dresses, I can't really vouch for their quality, but I've read lots of positive things about them. For now, I'll keep lusting after them, and maybe one day I'll pull the trigger and buy one! Follow Shabby Apple's blog for interesting insights and fun contests.

NOM NOM!

My parents have always been into Skinny Cow products, but I was never a huge fan of their ice cream sandwiches. However, when I saw that they had come out with a new line of candy, I decided to give it a try; I'm always looking for low-cal treats. I'm a HUGE sweets person, and I absolutely love dessert, so instead of denying myself, I try to find less "naughty" versions of things that I love. I'm a fan of the Jello chocolate mousse cups that weigh in at like, 60 calories each.

Anyway, I picked up a box of Heavenly Crisps the other day and found them quite good, particularly for only 110 calories. The milk chocolate is smooth, and the filling is sweet but not cloyingly so. They satisfied my sweet tooth, and I'm going to try the peanut butter variety soon.

But a few weeks ago, our supermarket got in Dreamy Clusters in both milk and dark chocolate. They're caramel clusters with crispy rice, coated in chocolate. They're packed in little bags, each of which contains about 5-6 candies, for 120 calories.

You guys, these things are amazing. They're chewy but not take-out-your-molars chewy, and the chocolate tastes rich and decadent. There's no hint of the chalky flavors you sometimes get with low-cal chocolate. Again, one package was enough to satisfying my cravings for chocolate. If I tried these alongside full-fat chocolates, I don't think I'd be able to tell the difference. And bonus, they have fiber!

These things get a 9 out of 10 on the Awesome Meter. Good stuff - thanks, Skinny Cow!

You can find 'em at most grocery and drug stores. Target and Wal-Mart also carry them.

Oh, and I just found a coupon for Buy One, Get One Free - click here!