Spring Dresses for Easter & Mother's Day

If you've been around here for long, you know I am a big dress fan! I would wear a dress everyday of the year if I could. They're so easy to throw on and look complete. They're also very comfortable and breathable! Today I've rounded up some pretty dresses for spring. They'd be great for Easter or Mother's Day coming up! I love that you can wear dresses with sneakers or sandals-- dress it up or down. It will be especially nice when it's hot but raining outside (always a conundrum for me in Michigan!) Tennis shoes it is ;) I've been eyeing this pair of white sneakers for about a year now. Probably time to say yes to them!

Top Row: polka dot knee length, pink eyelet midi, striped headband, floral knee length, navy jumpsuitSecond Row: bow sleeve blue gingham, coral eyelet knee lengthThird Row: peasant floral midi, woven cross body purse, blue smocked ruffle midi Las Row: peach jumpsuit, light blue knee length, purple nail polish, coral nail polish, white sneakers

Below are some more cute options!

Happy Thursday, friends! Hopefully spring is on its way soon :)
xoxo




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Spring Fashion: Lightweight Ice Cream Sweater

I shared on Instagram last week that one of my potentially "unpopular opinions" is that I prefer Spring over Fall. I know, I know...I'm crazy ;) But there's something about everything coming back to life that is just so good for my soul. My favorite season of all is Summer, but Spring is a close second and I'm so glad it's here. 

It's finally in the 50's and 60's here in Michigan, which means it's time to switch out our wardrobes again. I love light sweaters for this time of year and I recently found the cutest one, which really catches the vibe of spring and summer. See it?! They're little ice creams! I'm in love ;) 

I love a front tuck, and this slightly shorter sweater cut is made for it.

Are you all on the mules bandwagon yet? This is my first pair and I really like them! These are from Target and they're surprisingly comfortable and easy to walk in.

Photos: Ashley Slater Photography

DETAILS | ice cream sweater / jeans / mules / similar purse (major sale!)
Here are some other favorites:

What's your go-to Spring look?!

Have a great week!
Michaela
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Spring Wardrobe Favorites

It finally feels like Spring around here! Although I know as soon as I take my snow tires off, it'll inevitably snow one more time ;) Yesterday was 60 degrees and it was GLORIOUS. It got me inspired to round up some of my spring favorites for you! I'm all about feminine details like ruffles, florals, bows / ties, and lace trim, but I also think the overall trend is SO cute-- especially paired with basic tees for an every day look, or dressed up with a white ruffle blouse and wedges.

DETAILS | ruffle back top / overalls / converse / booties / floral shirt / wedge sandal / white blouse / gingham dress / floral jumpsuit / earrings / pink blouse w/ flowers / green jumpsuit / lace sleeve tee / sandal
I'm completely obsessed with that ruffle back t-shirt. It comes in a couple colors, but I'm diggin' the army green right now! Anything with florals on it pretty much has my heart, so this blouse is on my wishlist. This pair of block heel wedge / booties have had my attention for a few months but it's been snowing up until a couple weeks ago, so now that it makes sense to actually wear them soon maybe I'll grab them. They are SO cute and versatile! I love that the heel isn't too high. 
Spring also means it's time to pull out my denim jacket. I wear it so often because it's easy to throw on, looks great with tons of outfits and in Michigan, you really do need a jacket because you never know what the weather might do ;) Here are some of my favorites:

What are some of your Spring must-haves?! Happy Friday!

You might want to hop over to my Instagram today for a fun announcement!

xoxo
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Spring Touches in our Home

Happy Monday! What'd you do this weekend? We enjoyed an amazing sunny day here in Michigan on Saturday, so we took advantage and went to the dog park, then did some chores around the house, my husband went golfing (his new summer hobby:)) and after we made dinner, we took Lincoln to the lake to walk around a little and we got ice cream at our favorite place!
This past week I also added some spring decor to our house; one of my favorite things to do after a long (I mean seriously long!) winter. I got a new plant for the ledge up our stairs, a pretty greenery print, and a few faux flowers to liven things up. Take a look around!

Got these faux (sounds so much better than "fake" ha!) hydrangeas from Hobby Lobby on sale for only $4 each. Perfect thing to fill out my vase!

This leaf print came from Target and was also a great deal for a 16x20. It's SO much prettier in person than it is online.

Our bookshelf just got a touch of spring with my birdcage and little nest inside.

I picked up a few Magnolia blooms to fill a hole on our dresser and I really like them! I made them stand up by stuffing some paper towel down in the vase ;)

Oh! And we also refreshed our porch with two new patio chairs. Our old ones were awful and the table was off-kilter, so we decided to get comfortable chairs with pads instead of a table and chair set. You can find these here. (If you're wondering what Lincoln is wearing, it's his citronella bark collar that helps him not bark by puffing out citronella any time he does. It's a miracle worker!)

The last Spring touch will be a new wreath from Graced Designs! I can't wait to hang it up once it arrives. 
Have you decorated for Spring? 
Hope you enjoy your week! I'm in Nashville teaching The Bloom Workshop! If you'd like to follow along, we'd love to have you.
xoxo
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The Best Beach Bags

If you guys missed my first two Spring Break posts, you can catch my spring break swimsuit favorites here + my beach makeup essentials here. Today is all about beach bags. I have the stripe one down below and it is SO GREAT. It's also one of the cheapest bags I'm sharing! It has 3 consoles with a bunch of zipper pouches and I literally could fit every single thing I needed for the day in the bag on our honeymoon to Maui and last summer at the beach. It's like a Mary Poppins bag and I love that!

I got mine from Nordstrom, but it's sold out so I found my coverup romper at Walmart here  and in black here / this one is similar and super cute
I scoured the web and found some adorable beach tote options for you below. I even adore the backpack! If you're a mama, I think this might be a more practical option!

SHOP:

If you're looking for the best beach towel of all time, look no further than my friend's towel company, Beach Bum Towel Co. My mom has the mint towel and I have the pink / coral one. I will be packing it for Hawaii and taking up precious space in my suitcase for it, that's how much I love it. It's so big that even my 6'3" husband fits on it. It's also thick, so it really gets you dry. The tassels at the end are an added bonus ;) (PS. genuinely sharing my opinion, this isn't sponsored!!)

If you have an awesome beach tote I need to know about, tell me!!
Happy middle-of-the-week! xoxo interior design website / services / portfolio

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Spring Break Makeup Essentials

I clearly have my upcoming vacation on the brain this week! I know some Spring Break's are sooner than others, so I wanted to share my makeup essentials for our tropical vacay coming up. If you missed my swimsuit round up, find it here. 

scrub / cream blusher / shimmer lip gloss / peony lip gloss / sunscreen stick / dew skin tinted moisturizer / bronzer / blush / shimmer oil

Above are a few things to pack in your beach bag for simple, dewy and beachy makeup looks. I'm planning to go very minimal with makeup! I'll be wearing the Dew Skin Tinted Moisturizer and giving myself a break from foundation, of course use sunscreen, a little blush (love the bright flamingo color-- just got it in the mail. A little goes a long way!), a swipe of gloss and maybe some bronzer. Did you sunscreen is one of the products that have the most harmful chemicals? A safe sunscreen that works and has good consistency is hard to come by, but this one is great! It comes in a face stick or all-over sunscreen.

 

PSSST!

If you struggle with razor burn or sensitive skin when shaving (like me!), here are some tips for you as I have extremely sensitive skin:

- Before shaving, use a scrub to exfoliate. This one is great!

- I use Trader Joe's shaving cream which has been really good for me. I make sure to run hot water through my razor before shaving, too.

- Putting coconut oil on my legs after shaving is the only thing that doesn't burn my sensitive skin! This is also super nourishing. 

My skin is so sensitive that after shaving and then going into ocean water with salt, it burns! These steps help cut down on that. Hopefully it helps someone else, too!

If you're local to West Michigan, I'd love to meet you TONIGHT in Hudsonville where I'll have lots of Beautycounter products at our PopUp event, along with lots of other local boutiques! Stop by my table and enter to win a $25 credit to BC :) RSVP HERE. 

Have a great day!

xoxo

** After switching over to safe makeup and skincare, I joined Beautycounter's team as a consultant! If you're interested in learning more about my decision to use non-toxic products, click here. If you want to sign up for my safer beauty tribe newsletter (just one email per month with helpful facts and promotions!), click here. If you are interested in trying a few samples or need help color matching, I'd be happy to help! Just email me: hello (at) michaelanoelledesigns(dot)com **

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How to Set Your Spring & Easter Table

Easter is only two Sunday's away and the first day of Spring was yesterday! I can't believe it. I know a lot of you will be hosting Easter this year, so I found some really inspiring tablescapes (to me at least!) and thought I'd share them with you here. Under each image is how you can get the look yourself! If you want to go really simple, just fill bud vases with tulips spanning the whole width of your table. It'll have a big impact, but not break the bank, since tulips are everywhere right now :)

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If you're making name place cards and want them to look more elegant/handmade, check out this tutorial to make your own DIY Deckled Edge paper.

And if you like to dye Easter eggs, here are a few of my favorite tutorials for unique ones! This one is for watercolor floral eggs. I tried it a few years ago and absolutely loved!! I might do it again this year :) Here's how mine turned out:

If you're a black and white kinda girl, this one is cute! It's just sharpie.

This blue one is calling my name (my love affair with blue and white continues!) It says it's decopauged (with egg whites), but it almost looks painted. I love these! Now to find a pretty blue floral napkin...

This gold leaf technique is so beautiful!

Hopefully this gets you excited for the holiday coming up in just about 10 days! 
Happy (or should I say "hoppy"...ha!) Wednesday! xoxo interior design website / services / portfolio

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Spring Break Inspo: Swimwear

The countdown is on for our Hawaii trip! Just about 3 weeks until we leave for California to meet up with my parents, before taking off for Kauai. My parents sent me videos of some hikes we're going to do while there, and let's just say I need to continue my gym workouts if I'm going to survive. I asked if we're going to have any relaxing days by the pool and I was assured that, yes, we will! So then I started searching for swimsuits. I have a couple I will take but am thinking about getting one more before the trip. I love my two Target suits, which are just plain black and pink bottoms (the bottoms with seams down the middle of the bootie always look best on me for some reason!) and bandeau tops. I like those best for tanning purposes, too.

I'm completely in love with the top left suit, but I'm not sure the size will fit me and it's a little pricey. I'm thinking about it!! Here are a bunch of my favorite suits. Putting this together has me so excited for the beach and WARMTH! 

If you've found any cute floral one shoulder suits, let me know!! That's what I'm really keeping an eye out for. Enjoy your Monday!
xoxo interior design website / services / portfolio

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Early Spring Favorites

We keep getting glimpses of Spring here in Michigan, but so far they are just a tease! A few days here and there will be in the 50's and 60's and then the next week will be in the 30's (or 20's...sheesh!) So needless to say, I'm VERY ready for the 60's to be a consistent thing around here! With warmer temps on the brain, I couldn't help but pull together some of my favorite early spring looks for you:

blush eyelash scarf / wildflower scarf / leopard scarf /
kimono / v-neck stripe tee / long cardi
cold shoulder / frayed jeans (under $60!) / floral maxi
peep toe bootie suede / ballet flats (come in many colors!) / peep toe with holes

I'm realizing I'm being more drawn to basic pieces-- like that stripe tee. It would be so cute with jeans (with flats or wedges!) and even look great tucked into a simple skirt. Cardi's and kimonos are also a new obsession. I just can't wait to wear JUST a sweater outside, instead of my humongous puffer jacket that zips down to my knees. No disrespect to my winter coats -- not sure what I'd do without them -- but I'm over them for now!

I'm also in the market for new flats come spring. The sweet flat with ties around the ankle...oh my heart. I want. #sorryhusband. And those suede booties?! Love. Give me ALL the peep toe booties ;)

I mentioned in yesterday's post that I'm not spending money on clothes, shoes, or home decor for Lent (more on this in the coming weeks) but after Easter, I plan to add a few new things to my wardrobe for Spring. Here's the short list:

- A cold shoulder top. I love this one and this one, and of course the one above in the graphic.
- New ballet flats
- New pair of jeans (either with slight distressing or white denim). AG brand is my go to brand. They are a little pricey, but I've had the pairs of AG jeans that I do have for at LEAST 4-5 years!
- A ruffle sleeve tee. Simple, but with something a little feminine. Love this one. This one is a bit more fancy. And this is a cute cold shoulder simple stripe dress!

Hopefully this gives you a bit of inspiration for the coming season!
xoxo

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How to Transition Your Home to Spring

With it being the first week of Spring and all, it's a great time to talk about transitioning your home for the new season! Here are my tips...

pillows

1. Brighten with pops of color.
You can do this with pillows, rugs, vases, new art, or dishes!

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2. Introduce different textures.
Maybe you've had chunky, woven throw blankets out all winter. It's time to change up the textures and introduce more sleek, simple looks!

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3. Spring cleaning!
Perhaps the best advice on how to transition into Spring is getting organized. To do that, I go through my clothes closet and my other closets to either throw out or give away anything I didn't wear or use in the last year. It's so relieving! Sometimes creating 3 piles (keep, trash and give away/donate) is the best way to do that.

Once you get rid of anything you don't absolutely need, I suggest getting nice storage baskets to keep your closets in order! Don't overwhelm yourself by doing too much at once. Focus on one room for one week, and another the next week.

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4. Pick up Spring flowers and plants for your home.
Here are some of the prettiest spring flowers!
Agapanthus
Amaryllis
Anemone
Birds of Paradise
Cherry blossom
Dahlia
Freesia
Heather
Hyacinth
Orchids
Peony
Rose
Sweet pea
Tulip
Zinnia

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5. Outdoor furniture and accessories.
 It's time to embrace the outdoors again! I can't wait to set up my patio furniture again soon, complete with pillows, chairs, and some fun plants and lanterns!

How are you embracing Spring and transitioning YOUR home?
xoxo

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