Wishlisting... A.K.A. emptying out the contents of my wallet

Some of these are some recent acquisitions and on their way to my little apartment here in Chicago... well,hello two gorgeous dresses that make me think spring! A few others are pretties I've seen and been dreaming about. I love both pairs of shoes, but can't find the flats in my size, and the heels, well I'm just trying to show some restraint :)

PS... Thanks to the lovely blogger Goldenmean's OOTD today, I went immediately and bought the Eiffel print dress from Modcloth. Oy, for being a e-retailer, and one with an amazing offering of gorgeous items updated daily, why can't shipping prices and times be a little better? They have so many pieces I adore and then buckle and buy, but never once have I seen a coupon code. Boo.

Wishlisting....

It's a snowday here in Chicago, and while I've been busy on calls (in my world, snowday means work from home, not no work/watch a toddlers and tiara's marathon), I've also had a few minutes to peruse JC's new arrivals. There are a few tops and cardi's (god, I love cardigans) that are going to have to be mine - thank goodness I have my Spring Rewards card burning a whole in my pocket.


JC, you had me a "smoldering brick" and "button-back"!

Eye Candy: Boots Galore!

Gilt Groupe is having an exciting Faryl Robin shoe sale today. I have been holding these booties in my cart all morning, not sure it's the right time to buy yet another pair of shoes, what with Xmas coming up, but they are so adorable. And minty!



I recently picked up some cute military-chic boots off ebay to wear with skirts/skinny jeans... I heart ebay and how I can find fab deals on Anthro/JC items I may have missed out on.




What do you think? Would they be too much with my new Anthro D'Armee Dress? I'd soften the outfit up with some sparkly jewelry.

Do you use ebay to subsidize your closets?

'Tis the Season

I don't know where 2010 has gone. I'm super bummed that I feel like I worked/stressed/hurried myself through summer. But before I get too down about time passing and me growing older (and colder with the upcoming Chicago weather about a day and half away I'm sure!), I do have a couple of things to keep me smiling. Ladies (and gent/husband), it's time for.... Friends & Family discounts! Woot woot! I am a sucker for the F&F sales every year, but since they're so perfectly tied to the holiday season, I at least use them to buy things for people other than just greedy little me.

I received my first F&F email notification/invite and thought I'd spread the joy:



Oh, how I love Kate Spade. I mean, literally, I love love love her. Her style at least. She mixes feminine and quirky in a perfectly harmonious way. I'm not huge into the handbags, but her clothes have ,r drooling. But with amazing style, comes the price tag. I mean this coat is to die for. But the price? Husband would kill me. And I'd kill my adorable little dog if she ever got hair on it or snagged it while jumping on me (she's cute -- and I'm not just saying that because she's mine, I swear -- but she is a giant FAIL in the manners department. Or wait, does that make me the fail?).

Anyhow, so the Studio Mona Coat is never going to make it's way to me greedy, itchy little hands, but check out the typewriter bag. I definitely don't have one of those, so Husband can't say I'm being a spendaholic.


And I still want one of those book clutches. Since I still want something months after posting about it, does that mean it's worth the splurge?


I don't know. Weigh in... will you be getting anything with this 25% off deal from Ms. Spade?

Help me decide...

My yellow leather sandals are donzo. I get a lot of wear out of my yellow sandals because I love pairing yellow shoes with blues, greens, even reds. But they have gotten their use and are ready for retirement (read: a little beat-up from all of the good wears I got out of them). I've been on the prowl for something new to fill this horrid gap in my wardrobe (gasp! how can I live without some yellow shoes?!), and just haven't been blown away with anything I've seen. I've been waffling over the Kate Spade Bow Peep Toe flats for several months, and if they weren't peeps, they'd be in my closet now (I like peeps, just don't feel like I wear them AS much because of the Chicago weather realities).

So today I did a good scour of endless.com (ah, how I love endless), and came across two pairs I'm digging. Oddly enough, they two I'm deciding between are made by Pour La Victoire and Kelsi Dagger, which are sister companies. There is a decent price gap (about 90 bucks), and I love the style of the cheaper one (like the PVTs too!) but love the color as pictured of the Pour La Victoures. I could obviously order both, but then I worry I wont be able to make myself send one back. So... help me, readers. Which do you love more?

Option 1 (love the brighter yellow hue):





Option 2 (isn't this style fabs??):

What's in my shopping bag?

With the J. Crew 20% discount expiring tonight, I have to decide on whether to be a good girl and save my money, or fall victim to their tempting offer. Right now, I have 4 items I'm considering:





First, this lovely scarf, that has me befuddled. The En Plein Air Scarf is desrcibed as an exquisite linen blend scarf covered in impressionist-inspired florals. I dig it. I thought it looked a little hippie-tie-dye at first glance, but I was into the colors. But what on earth about those lovely colors led JCrew to name it pale lilac? And secondly, there are really that many folks out there buying a 55$ Linen scarf that resulted in the delayed ship date? Hm, maybe it is worth it!





Next, I am considering this pair of espadrilles. They are a super cute combo of raffia and metallic, and hopefully a comfy summer shoe that's a bit more dressy than my standard Havaianas.






The Everyday Cardigans are way under-appreciated if you ask me. I've yet to see them on anyone else, but love the two I already own and wouldn't feel bad about adding the light pink "blossom" color to my wardrobe.






And last, I'm going out on a limb to try another burnt orange (excuse me, Moroccan Spice) tank. I love how the color and the ruffles of this tank in theory, but I also thought I'd love the Tissue Garland Tank, which ended up being a disaster on me. I'm hoping this tank will layer better than its predecessor, but we shall see.

I'm a cheater...

Yes, folks, I admit it: I cheated. But I had to. I fell for the beautiful words, the romanticism of the french. I hope someday I'll be worthy of forgiveness... but for now, I'll just have to find some way to soldier on.

See, I cheated on Anthropologie. I love Anthro, I really do, but seriously, how can a shower curtain or cookie jar cost so much? Who buys said shower curtains or cookie jars? Or who pops online and says "yes I need this 70 DOLLAR BUTTER DISH. I mean seriously, who? I want to know you. I want to watch you, examine your life, understand what it's like to be you.

I'll tell you what kind of person I am... I'm the kind of person that falls head over heels for a $400 set of bedroom curtains. Yea, I am. I'm the kind of girl who can literally visualize how her updated bedroom will look with said curtains, starts scavenging for complimentary accessories, and daydreams about how freakishly soothed and at peace she'll feel in this new perfectly-curtained bedroom. Yea, I am. But I am not the kind of person that buys zillion dollar curtains. I'm the kind of person who pouts for a moment, then scours for something so close no one else would know the difference. I'm the kind of gal who scores them for less than half the price and custom made for her bedroom! Yea, I may be a cheater, but I'm proud of it. Meet my lover, ahem, curtains:




When they arrive, I'll hopefully be a blubbering fool and share bedroom re-do photo's, but in the meantime, please check out Jolie Marche, this amazing etsy seller I discovered recently. Her work is gorgeous and her feedback makes me certain I'll be pleased as punch when I hang these pups up :) Stay tuned.

I have a purse disorder

Though the trend has been out there for some time, I still love bows, ruffles, and unique/multi textiles. And any one thing that manages to pull these off in a combo is squeal-inducing.

While reading this month's InStyle magazine, I came across an oh-so-adorable grosgrain bag that is just so me, I had to do a little more searching online about the designer and the bag. The designer Anya Hindmarch, is HQ'ed in London, but has a speckling of stores in the US (unfortunately for me, none in Chicago). The website is fantastic with easy usability and great photos of the items, including scale images.

The particular purse I am coveting, is a beige colored Grosgrain shoulder bag with a tan leather and gold-toned hardwear strap. I can't seem to find that particular color online (boo), but found an almost-equally cute bright purple version of it. The bag style is Gracie, and the size looks perfect for both day-shopping and evenings-out. The bag aesthetic is timeless and classic but with the sophisticated pleating and lovely strap design, it doesn't bore you to tears.





For the price, I'd opt for the neutral beigey-taupe color, but again, I haven't been able to find it beyond the pages of InStyle. I'm also not familiar with this designer and their quality or durability, and let's face it, we're all a little tough on our purses from time to time, so would love anyone's reactions who may have been to a store or own one of their purses.

Another cute Hindmarch purse is this Grosgrain Corsage bag. I'm always a fan of the X-body style, and the color is divine.

Happy Monday...

Beginning today and going through ??? Bloomingdale's is offering shoppers 20% off via it's Friends & Family promo. There are some great dresses/skirts that everyone should check out, including some from my favorite designers: Nanette Lepore, Leifsdottir (I mean, 20% off helps, but still, Leifsdottir, your prices kill me!), and the lovely Kate Spade. I mean how friggin' adorable is this top???







Here's the scoop:
Use code FRIENDS to take 20% off most regular-priced and sale merchandise.
Also, thanks to a heads up from Chloe, you can also take 10% off any purchase, and you can stack this on the 20% off! Use code HARPERS.
Lastly, if you spend enough, they'll ship it to you for free (aw, thanks). Get free shipping on all orders $300+, no code necessary.

Peach is the new Pink...

Many of my favorite bloggers have weekly features like "Wednesday's Wishlist", "Thursday Thrills", or "Titillating Tuesday" (well maybe I haven't seen that last one, but it could work), and really all it means is here are some amazing (beauty is in the eye) things that person covets, needs, WANTS.

Anyone who knows me would attest that I have a constantly growing wishlist, and perhaps, instead of buying everything on said wishlist, if I blogged about the items, I would satiate my hunger for 75 peach colored shirts without shelling out hideous amounts of cash. Problem is, 1. I don't have a catchy tag-line, and 2. I am not blogging consistently yet... so I can't promise it will happen weekly, but here is my go at my inaugural insert-catch-phrase shopping list. And just bring this post full circle, enjoy the parade of peach tops that I think are quite fab:

JCrew, you're killing me with all of your gorgeous springy tops:

Vintage canvas bow tank in Light Ginger

Adriana silk rows tank in Paris Pink

And lastly, the Featherweight cashmere rolled-sleeve cardigan in Light Shell, which I don't think is getting near the love it should. It is pricey, yes, but a perfect little cover-up that can go from casual to dressy if need be. I don't own it in this color, but bought the dusty copper, which I love and am getting quite a bit of use out of, and am waiting on the dusty shale to make its way into my grubby little hands...

Next. F21, you will forever be in my wardrobe if you keep offering me such cuties at such primo prices.

I'm not sure about the peasant look (feels rather 2005), but I'm definitely digging this top. Rosettes, peach, and what looks to be a super comfy fit for summer... I'm thinking it could be worth the whopping $24 price tag.

If I didn't already own a few lace pieces, I would easily find some hanger space in my closet for this little gal. Peach lace, exposed back zipper. Cute!

And while this is NOT a top, it is peach, and uber cute. I don't often even try F21 bottoms because their hemlines are too short for my taste (and age), but if you can rock it...

And LOFT, or ATL as I like to call you because you're still part of Ann Taylor in my mind... you also have some lovely peach tops that my mouse keeps lingering over.

Split Neck Shell with Floral Collar is totally adorable, but how does it fit?

The Pleated Square Neck Top. I love you delicate pleats! ATL is calling the peachy color Vanilla - definitely looks more like a blush or peach hue to me.

Ok, and while this is NOT peach, I wanted to share another WTF, someone's lost their mind item... seriously, 700 bucks for a sleeveless top? Jcrew, I love you, I spend way too much money on your cardi's, T's and jewelery, but seriously, this is absurd. Even the model can't hide her "this-stinks" expression. Meet the Deco Scallop Shell. Undoubtedly someone will see the value of this top, just not me.



And that's a wrap.

Some people have lost their minds

Dear Anthropologie,
You know I love you immensely, but WTF is this?
And to each their own, but seriously 5-stars from more than one reviewer?

On the other hand, I'm so annoyed that so many other people like this same JCrew sweater in the lovely dusty shale color, thus making it literally impossible to find. I've even tried a "we find it", with zero luck. If anyone sees it in a size medium, please put it on hold for me! I must have this little lovely.

UPDATE!!! I just checked Jcrew.com and the shale sweater was there, in a medium! Eeks! Why am I so excited for an over-priced sweater? I don't know, but I sure am...!! Seriously, they just declined my 'find it for me' yesterday... and now it's right there. Online. Watch me get an email saying it was all a prank on poor old me.


Lastly, I will defend my Ohio roots always, but seriously, they are making it hard... Being a marketer myself, I'm torn between shaking my head and applauding the ingenuity.

I've got the blues... the minty kind

I've always been partial to the color mint, even though not so long ago people would have said it was a color best suited for women in the 80's. That's fine. I mean, I saw how it could make you look rather Boca-Ratonish. But still, still I was drawn to things with that lively, whimsical minty hue. So I allowed myself to splurge on a few things here and there, just making sure to held myself to moderation. Well, as of recent it's come to my attention that I wont have to check my fetish, or worry I'm looking like a senior, because as it appears, mint is back in style for even those who don't qualify for an AARP membership! How do I know? Because they are being hocked at many on-trend retailers, including JCrew, and Banana Republic... sure, they are calling the shade, "pistacio" and "seafoam", but hell, it's mint.

Here are a couple of new pieces I've picked up:
First, this pretty draped, piece, which I'm hoping is one long enough for my tastes, and two not too susceptible to wrinkles or snags (for some reason the way the fabric is pictured, it has me a little worried). I'll take a look when it arrives, and see if it's a keeper.



And this pretty puppy, which sold out in .02 seconds in seafoam, but not before I snagged on in my size (M).



Best part, well one of the other nice perks of this purchase, is BR is currently offer 25% of all full-priced items when you use your BR card! Take advantage with the code BRSPRING25.

Here are a few other adorable-at-least-in-my-biased-opinion mint pieces I've made a part of my wardrobe over the years:

A gorge necklace from one of my favorite Etsy designers, The Bean and Sprout:



A cashmere sweater I picked up on major sale from JCrew. I know, mint AND a bow, it almost made me have a seizure!



And lastly, the ever-popular Fulmar Sweater Skirt made by Moth and sold at Anthropolgie a few years back. I'm not exaggerating when I saw that EVERY time I wear this skirt, I get told how cute I look:



I personally love pairing my mint clothes/accessories with things that are rust/pumpkin colored, a color-palette that is also worn and loved by one of my favorite fellow bloggers, Kim from Anthroholic. Beyond the mint-rust combo though, what other options are out there? Ideas on how to make this color more neutral or usable?

I'm in need of a Top 10...

I'm having a rough Thursday. It started with a stranger on the El tripping on me and damaging my nearly-new RM purse. Lovely. The day has continued with back-to-back meetings, handling urgent requests while trying to eat breakfast, and now lunch, at my desk. I'd much rather be outside as it's 74 degrees and fantastically gorgeous, but I have a zillionnnn things to do before I leave the office so not going to happen. What is my remedy for this sad state I'm in? While I eat my quickie lunch I'm going to remind myself of some of my favorite things:

1.) My engagement ring. It's amazing. Stunning, perfect and so freaking sentimental in a variety of ways.
2.) Crystal Light On-the-Go... I know, polar opposite of my diamond, but I swear I consume at least 3 of these a day. The chemicals or faux sugar are probably not the best for me, but it's a means to an end for getting me to drink a ton more water than I would without it.
3.) Sample Sales. I have had the most luck (or spent the most..?..??) on Gilt Groupe, but I've also picked up some great finds on Hautelook and Ideeli. I have to say I've been rather disappointed with Rue La La lately. I haven't cancelled my membership though. I love the thrill of getting that coveted item both in my 'cart' and then later on my front step. These sites have opened up a whole new world for those of us that crave fashion-at-a-deal but don't live in NYC.
4.) Etsy. Because of my jewelry-designing/crafting aspirations I was introduced to etsy.com a while back. I haven't been able to make much of my own creations, but that's entirely due my laziness. I have, however, discovered some amazing handcrafted and one-of-a-kind items... I heart accessories, and especially those that other's can't find.
5.) Sleeping in. But Dunkin Donuts Hazelnut Coffee when you can't.
6.) Sushi, especially at Blu Coral on Milwaukee Avenue (http://www.blucoralchicago.com/chicago/home.php). If you haven't been there you need to go. Now. IMO, it truly is the best sushi in town. I am a giant fan of all their specialty rolls, but definitely try the Urban Heat, and save room for the Exotic Bomba dessert!
7.) Luscious Lashes... I'm a believer in Revitalash (http://www.revitalash.com/)! No lie, my lashes are visibly longer after using this for the past month. I recommend buying it off Amazon for a better deal, but I'm a convert.
8.)Havaianas. I realize these are so similar-looking to those you can get at Old Navy for a smidge of the price, but they last so much longer and feel so much better. http://www.havaianasus.com... I have multiple pairs of the metallic beige Havi's, my latest I found at The Gap --- so bizarre they sell Havaianas, but fantastic because I can use my BR gift cards there!
9.) Pedicures. Ladies, we all need to give some attention to our feet. Everyone should carve out some tootsie-time -- it will relax you, and feet are just plain grody sans pedicure.
10.) Working late. Just kidding. But I do like sarcasm. Ok, back to the grind!