cupcaked asked: hey! i'm not sure if you've mentioned it in the past (i searched but came up empty handed) but i was wondering if you had read The Art of Racing in the Rain? a follower tipped me off about the book and i picked it up by its description. based on how you talk about your own dogs, i think you'd love it! it's a really quick, easy read as well.

I have read it! It was such a beautiful book. Certainly one of the best books I’ve read this year. Here’s my review of it.

(Also, bonus points go to any book about a dog that makes me cry in a happy, good way instead of a Marley & Me deep depression, want to curl up in a ball way.)

michmaybenot asked: I like the hat you're wearing in the picture your mom posted today, where's it from?

I think you were talking about this picture!

Guess what? The hat was from Wal-Mart. I think it was around $7.

meepmeep asked: Hi there,
I like the ASOS brand you use in your outfit mockups. Have you ordered from them, and do you find the size conversion to be true? They have tons of cute things! Thanks!

I have not ordered from them (not for lack of want, but I’m an H&M devotee), but if you’ve ever shopped at H&M, you should be more comfortable with the size conversion.

The trick with UK size conversion is to leave your vanity at the door. H&M has gotten better about sizing more true to US size standards, but it’s still tricky.

A good rule of thumb is to go up two dress sizes. Like I said, check the vanity at the door. If you are a US size two, you’ll probably need a UK size 6—or even 8. Be careful with dresses that zip up the side or back—they’ll run even smaller.

Go for it! From what I’ve heard, ASOS clothing is really fantastic and their prices are equally awesome.

mclarecolette asked: Hi Jackie! I'm starting my first out-of-college job and would like to buy affordable work clothes. I'm a size 6 and tall (5'10") with really long arms/torso. I can never find blouses or suit jackets that fit properly! At regular stores, they're too short in both the sleeves and the torso. When I ordered a Tall-sized suit from JC Penney's online, the smallest size they carried was 10T. The suit was long enough but I swam in it.

I know you're tall as well -- where would you suggest I look for blouses and jackets that will fit well but won't break the bank? Thank you!

Ahh, yes, I do have the exact same problem!

Here are my suggestions:

• H&M tops and jackets tend to be cut for taller women. I usually have to go up a size for sleeve length in jackets, but it doesn’t sacrifice fit too badly anywhere else. 
• New York & Company has a fabulous selection of suits for tall women. I tend to like their jackets better than their pants, which I sometimes find have a slightly dated fit. 
• I’ve also had great luck with Banana Republic and the GAP’s selection for tall women. Banana has better full suits, but the GAP has quality trousers for a much more affordable price. Don’t bother checking in the stores—most of their items for tall women are online only.

I hope this helps! Us tall women have to stick together!

britface asked: Hi Jaclyn - Just wanted to say I really love your blog!

I was just wondering if you had any advice for any of your readers who (like me) are a little/a lot on the pale side and don't feel comfortable wearing all the dresses and skirts you post, even though most of them are ridiculously gorgeous. I don't fake tan except on special occassions, because I have the tendency to go a certain shade of orange unless I use super super expensive self-tanners. I often have trouble finding something to wear during summer, especially on those days it's just physically impossible to wears pants and it doesn't help that there is much less selection of clothing where I live (little ol' New Zealand)! :(

Any advice would be appreciated!

Now this is just silly!

First of all, being on the pale side is NOT a bad thing. I know it can be hard to stay true to the pale instead of fake tanning/real tanning all over the place (especially if you have tanorexic friends), but trust me. Embracing the non-tan is a good thing.

Please see below for examples:

(P.S. Like how I wormed Robert Pattinson in there too?)

Anyway, my point is that you don’t need a tan to be beautiful. Celebrity culture pushed tanning and fake tanning on us in the mid-2000’s pretty hard, but there’s nothing more elegant and pretty than looking natural. And orange is never, ever natural—no matter what Paris Hilton would like you to think.

If you feel better about yourself with a bit of a glow, try a gradual tanning lotion like Dove’s Energy Glow (my fav) or Jergens Natural Glow. Instead of making you look tan, these just add a bit of color—as if you fell asleep outside for 30 minutes in the sun (something I don’t recommend you do, by the way).

Whichever way you feel comfortable—embrace it. But, know that super pale or with a bit of a lotion-assisted glow…either way, you’ll look great.

aliceintumblerland asked: Hey Jaclyn! I have a very similiar bow ring listed in my etsy shop here for just $9: http://www.etsy.com/listing/50624948/silver-bow-ring

I love it! (This is referring to the bow ring I used in this post yesterday.)

See a photo below: