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Thursday, February 28, 2013

Shop it to Me scores: Purple and glitter

I've told you guys about the Slice app. Have you heard of Shop it to Me? If you haven't, proceed at your own risk. (read: it could be dangerous to your wallet) I've been using it now for about 5 years or so, maybe more? Basically, you create an account, input all of your sizing info, and select all the brands you love. Then every morning (or less often if you prefer), you get a personalized email showing you what's on sale. It's like a virtual personal shopper, and is much of the reason why I've said before that the majority of my purchases happen online.

It's just amazing how convenient it is to shop, no matter where you are or what you are doing. I happened to be on a plane using wifi. I didn't check my email until we were just about to start our descent, but as I was scrolling down, I saw this Marc by Marc Jacobs Classic Q Natasha bag.

I originally really wanted this bag in cobalt, but the Kate Spade crossbody seen here satisfied that need. When it popped up in my Shop It to Me email this morning, I gasped a little. The color is so rich and saturated, it's beautiful. I took a mental note of wanting to order this bag, then kept scrolling through the rest of the email. That's when I saw these Kate Spade "Corinne" glitter pumps. My heart stopped. 



I had seen them before, but they were never cheap enough for me to take the plunge. When they came up as 60% off through Saks, I immediately clicked the link to purchase them. But then the flight attendants told us to turn our electronics off. Ugggh! That was the longest landing ever! Literally, the second we touched down, I powered on my phone, added the shoes to my cart, and completed the purchase before we even got to the gate. What's even sweeter is that when I went back to the link to pin the image into Pinterest, they came up as out of stock. Which means I snagged the last pair, and they were in my size. Gosh I love shopping fate. If you like these, they're on sale here, although not quite as cheap as I got them and sizes are limited.

Once I deplaned, I pulled aside to order the MbMJ purse. I regretted not buying the cobalt one when I saw it on sale, because it vanished forever. It all worked out since I found the Kate Spade version that I love, but I didn't want to lose out on another one of these. I figured I would add this to my rainbow of crossbody bags. Family photo to be posted soon, I'm sure.

I know, I know. I make shopping sound so dramatic and monumental. But hey, if it didn't feel like that to me, do you really think I'd have a fashion blog?
READ MORE... "Shop it to Me scores: Purple and glitter"

Wednesday, February 27, 2013

Dressing up

The Oscars are long gone now, and I'm a bit late talking about it, however, seeing everyone on the red carpet gave me a craving to dress up. Usually by now, there are lots of weddings lined up in the year or other occasions that call for a fancy dress, but as of right now - nada. Since I have nothing to look forward to just yet, I thought I'd post about one of my favorite evening outfits to date.


I tend to buy cocktail dresses if I see one I love that is on sale -- even if at that moment I have nothing to wear it for. Chances are, something will come up, and rather than scramble at the last minute trying to find something new, it's nice to already have base options in my closet room. That's what happened with this BCBG dress. It was on ridiculous sale, and my friend told me I needed to try it on. I remember her telling me she couldn't let me not buy the dress. I had to agree. I loved it, and it fit me perfectly. It's so simple and easy, but there's just something so fairy-tale-princess-like about the chiffon pleats in the skirt. Simply put, it made me feel pretty.

The shoes are Enzo Angiolini. They are one of those pairs that my shoe BFF at Nordstrom knew I would like. You can't really tell from the photo, but it's a leather snakeskin printed shoe covered with clear sequins. Sequins AND snakeskin? Don't mind if I do! What a perfect complement to such a neutral colored dress.

The event was an awards dinner for work. We were at the Gaylord National Resort and Convention Center just outside of Washington, DC. I created my offset chignon updo that I posted about here. And, dressing up calls for fake lashes to help glam up my face.

I would absolutely love to wear this dress again. Do you have any special occasion dresses that are itching to be worn again?

BCBG Dress
Dillard's necklace
Borrowed clutch
Enzo Angiolini pumps
READ MORE... "Dressing up"

Tuesday, February 26, 2013

Shoesday: Chardonnay and Merlot





"Shoes and wine make everything fine." My sister in law put that on a wine glass for me a couple of Christmases ago, and it couldn't be more true. For this Shoesday post, I decided to make it a double feature, so to speak. I originally got these Michael by Michael Kors heels in the taupe color. Yes, the heel height is a bit intimidating, but I can honestly say these are some of the most comfortable heels I own. You can see that I've added some Foot Petals "Tip Toes" ball of foot cushions to them. I do this to a lot of my heels. Not only do they help keep your foot in place so as to prevent "toe-verhang" but they also help your feet last a bit longer. Those cushions were all these babies needed. I liked the taupe so much, that when I was at the Michael Kors store at the Mall of America and saw them on sale for $80, it was an easy buy. Unfortunately, it doesn't look like they are available in any color anymore EXCEPT cheetah print. Ok, so confession, I tried to get them in cheetah, too, but the fit was off. I ended up getting these instead which are super similar, except have a buckle instead of the back zip.

JCrew sequin dot top
JCrew Factory chambray shirt
Topshop dress, worn as a skirt
Two layers of DKNY tights
Michael by Michael Kors Elena pumps

Cynthia Steffe dress
Express faux leather cuff
Michael by Michael Kors Elena pumps


So, what do you prefer, chardonnay or merlot? Yes, we are still talking about shoes. Or are we?
READ MORE... "Shoesday: Chardonnay and Merlot"

Monday, February 25, 2013

Missing my heels





 Forever 21 Cardigan
Simply Vera Vera Wang chiffon top
Express Cuff and Anne Klein Charm Bracelet
Gap Always Skinny black jeans
JCrew skinny zebra belt
Franco Sarto Boots (similar here and here)

February has been such a crazy travel month for me. I don't normally wear heels at the airport because I'm a fast walker and heels just slow me down when I'm in a hurry. On top of that, I'm traveling to places like Toronto, Detroit, and Milwaukee where there's snow and possibly ice on the ground. Needless to say, I've been skipping heels on my latest work trips. And it's starting to make me really sad!



These Franco Sarto boots are the basic of basics. No hardware, easy to slip on and off. Functional, but not even close to the same ahhh effect that a shiny pair of heels give me. And it's true what they say, you do carry yourself differently when wearing heels. I do think you can still be feminine and sexy and put together with flat shoes on... but I would still rather be wearing heels right now. Sigh.
READ MORE... "Missing my heels"

Sunday, February 24, 2013

Daytona 500 Sunday





Old Navy sweater and dot chambray
JCrew skinny belt and earrings
NY&Co necklace and bracelet
Express "Stella" skinnies
Kate Spade bag and sunglasses
Pour la Victoire flats

The car club rented out a local, historic theater where they played the Daytona 500 on the big screen. I'll admit, I like NASCAR, so this was pretty fun for me. But what does one wear to a NASCAR viewing party? Meh, I threw in a little bit of everything. Monogram, chunky jewelry, dots, glitter, bows, patent, cobalt. Boogity, boogity, boogity!
READ MORE... "Daytona 500 Sunday"

Saturday, February 23, 2013

My current slices


First of all, if you haven't checked out the Slice app, you need to. Especially if you do as much online shopping as I do. I'd say 70% of my purchases are online. It's similar to the Trip It app for organizing travel, but it takes it one step further by automatically syncing to your email address (more than one if you'd prefer), and consolidates all your purchases into your app. It then sends you notifications once your item has shipped, and finally when it is delivered. But it doesn't stop there. If there is a price drop on one of your recent purchases, it notifies you again so that you can pursue a price adjustment with the merchant. I just saved $30 without even trying! 

For those of you who like to track your spending trends, it categorizes your purchases so that you can see your spending in the form of a pie chart. Surprisingly enough, my "shoes" slice was not the biggest wedge! The app is free and so is this endorsement. I have no affiliation with the company, I'm just extremely happy with what it can do. As if I needed more tools to make shopping more convenient. :)

So, what slices am I currently I'm tracking?

1. Silver and Rose Gold Sequin Jacket from The Limited. I've actually already received this, but wanted to include it in this post because it's exceptionally fabulous. Unfortunately, this one is sold out. I just bought it on clearance, but this one is great, or this one for more of a blazer cut.  I had been wanting a sequin jacket after seeing ideas about how it could be styled. It's not just a holiday piece, folks.

2. M.A.C. Tinted Lipglass in Girl About Town, purchased here. Yes, this is a fuchsia lipgloss. I have been obsessed with bright lip color lately. I've been wearing M.A.C. longwear lip color in Lasting Lust, which is a shade of red. It brightens up my face instantly. I decided to try the fuchsia, which was recommended by a friend based on my skintone. This also arrived on my doorstep this week, and I'm in love with it.

Nicole Scherzinger | Source
3. M.A.C Clear Lipglass, purchased here. I bought this as a top coat for any of my glosses. I hate shine on my face, but I love high shine on my lips. This feels pretty heavy when applied, so a little goes a long way. It definitely lives up to its name as lipglass - high shine and a protective top coat to your favorite lip color.

4. Kate Spade Ostrich Bridge Bow Bracelet, purchased here. I was so torn about what color to get, this blue or this one, which is closer to the infamous "Kate Spade green" color. I've already spoken at length about my current cobalt blue obsession, I could easily write a whole post about my Kate Spade green obsession. In the end, I chose the blue because I have a ton of her stuff in green already (it's a disease, really.) But, I'm not promising I won't eventually buy the green one, too, if it's still there later...

5. Kate Spade "Dominick" colorblock skirt, purchased here. This skirt is a no brainer for me. It's the shape that flatters me the most, in bright colors that make me happy. Well played, Kate Spade, well played. Very excited to wear this now and later.

6. Forever 21 Tiered Bow Belts, purchased here. I may or may not have purchased all 3 colors available. I originally wanted a black belt with a gold bow, but when I saw the red, I was torn. I decided it was silly to pay for shipping on one $4.80 item, so I added both the black and red to my cart, but then thought, "well, may as well just get all three!" I definitely have use for all three colors. Hopefully they work out. I love the simple, but girlie design. The bow is such a nice detail to an otherwise simple belt.

7. C. Wonder Stretch Cotton Leopard print pant, purchased here. I didn't actually find this for myself. A friend of mine sent me a link to these asking if I thought these would be appropriate for work. My response was that the print was subtle enough and they were adorable, so yes, definitely work friendly! They ended up being out of stock in her size, but she was able to live vicariously through me since I ended up ordering them instead. Since I'm short (5'-2"), I anticipate these being the length of regular pants to me, which I actually like better anyway - makes them more versatile for year-round wear!

Whew! Guess I've had a pretty busy spending week! If you're interested in how any of these items worked out, let me know, and I'm happy to post a proper review. Otherwise, you can expect to see these in a future outfit of the day!
READ MORE... "My current slices"

Friday, February 22, 2013

Pinspiration of the week: Rachel Bilson



I was looking through photo after photo trying to find my Pinspiration for today. I really wanted to wear my desert booties. One problem with having so many pairs of shoes is that you have to intentionally dress around them every once in awhile, or else they could go unworn for quite some time. I did a search for "desert booties" but really wasn't seeing anything that captured my interest. So, I changed my search to "wedge booties." As a result, there were so many images of Rachel Bilson, that finally, I narrowed my search even further to "Rachel Bilson wedge booties." There were a few other looks that I liked a lot.

Source
Source
Taken from here
(Original Source Unknown)

I love her style a lot. The above looks are all pretty casual, but she is naturally beautiful, laid back, but can also be quite classic, glam, and girlie for her more dressed up occasions. Plus we have a lot in common - you know, we're both petite brunettes. :) But anyway, the reason I chose the outfit I did was simply because I had very similar pieces to easily replicate it - simple black blazer, moss green tee, printed scarf.


Paw prints courtesy of Annie the Beagle

Frenchi brand blazer from Nordstrom (similar here)
Gifted scarf
Ruched tee from NY&Co (old)
Express Stella skinnies
Nine West Outlet "Naomi" Booties
Kate Spade watch (available here)
Chanel Istanbul tote

As you can see, we got quite a bit of snow since my photos yesterday. What you don't see is that the snow is a bit crunchy on top because of the ice. This ended up being a work from home day, but since I was already almost completely ready, I figured I'd go all the way and take the photos. Especially with as long as it took me to find my Pinspiration last night!! Hope you're warm wherever you are!
READ MORE... "Pinspiration of the week: Rachel Bilson"

Thursday, February 21, 2013

Furr-reezing!






Dena Products Faux Chinchilla Vest | Nordstrom
(sold out) (similar here, love this one)
Express striped tunic and ponte knit leggings
Frye "Jane Stitch" boots in Redwood
Chanel Istanbul Tote
TOMS Aviator sunglasses
If you saw my post from last night, you saw that a winter storm was headed our way. I figured, there is no better day to bust out my new faux fur vest than on a potential snow day! Sure enough, it started coming down around 10 o'clock this morning, and still going pretty strong. Luckily, the ice didn't seem too bad during our commute, but it did take us about an hour to get home. I'm pleased that this vest got proper photos before the storm. It makes me so happy!

And yeah, yeah, (pertaining to the title) if I'm so freezing, why am I not wearing a coat? I did end up putting one on, but this vest needed a little attention on its own. <3
READ MORE... "Furr-reezing!"

Wednesday, February 20, 2013

Waiting for snow




H&M Dress (from 2007)
DKNY tights
Me Too Boots
It's the last week of February and we're supposed to get our biggest snow of the season tomorrow. I'm kind of over the cold to be honest with you! Well, I'm still ok with working my boots in my shoe rotation still, but I'm yearning for a beach vacation. So anyway, don't let my photos fool you, I was freezing my butt off outside without a coat. This sweater dress is one of my first ever purchases from H&M, but I still love it. And it was perfect for a travel day. Hope you guys are staying warm wherever you are!!

Remember - you can always see what I'm wearing by clicking on the "Outfits of the Day" tab up top!
READ MORE... "Waiting for snow"

Tuesday, February 19, 2013

Shoesday: Isabel Marant "Bobby"



Remember in "My Style" post I said that I hate being called trendy? Well, I just want to remind you that this does not mean I don't own trendy pieces. This Shoesday pair definitely falls into the trendy category. 


To be quite honest, I was intrigued by these shoes after seeing a thread on The Purse Forum. The great thing about TPF is that there are girls all around the world who participate. This particular thread was all about the Isabel Marant hidden wedge sneakers. It was originally started in 2006, and there are currently over 3200 replies spanning 218 pages. I tell you this because that's how long these shoes have been talked about, but the fad is just now catching on in the US. So many designers are trying to emulate this shoe (Steve Madden, Skechers, I even saw them at Target), and I believe it all stems from the original Isabel Marant design. The reason why there are so many replies to this thread is because the Isabel Marants are super hard to find, and they sell out immediately. When I saw them pop up in red online at Barney's, I snagged them.


So, what would possess me to covet these shoes? I have no idea. They're totally different than my typical high heel. I like to think that it's because I never jumped on the Uggs bandwagon, so I am now reserving my right to wear ugly shoes. Except to me, these are beautiful. And so fun!! And I really love that the wedge is completely concealed. They're easy to walk in. I wore them to a Cardinals game once, and that's at least a 15 minute walk each way to the stadium from the parking garage. I love that the hidden wedge not only gives you height, but it also lifts your heel so that the thinnest part of your ankle is exposed - this helps keeping you from looking stubby. And what's not to love about the rich color and the buttery soft suede? I definitely feel a little hip hop when I wear these, but in a good way. I think sometimes dressing down is just as sexy, if not sexier than dressing up. Especially when people are so used to seeing you dressed up.
Athleta sweatshirt
Stem tank tunic
Vince faux leather panel leggings
Kate Spade crossbody

Express blazer
Old Navy tank
Arden B skinnies

I'd be lying if I said I wasn't a bit disappointed when this phenomena blew up literally as soon as I bought my pair. Because I didn't buy them just to be a follower or partake in the latest trend. I truly just loved them and thought they'd be an awesome addition to my collection. 


Etoile Isabel Marant "Bobby" hidden wedge sneaker via Barney's

The consensus about these shoes is you either love them or hate them. It's definitely an acquired taste to some. What is your guilty pleasure? Something you own that you love and wear proudly even though they would be considered ugly to the vast majority?
READ MORE... "Shoesday: Isabel Marant "Bobby""