Weekender Woes!

Last week while I was packing for a quick weekend work retreat, my trusty weekend bag busted. (insert sad face here). It was not a timely failure, but I had been thinking I needed a replacement/upgrade for a while now so it was not a complete surprise. My bag criteria is fairly simple: classic shape, large but carry-on friendly, and does not cost a million dollars. Unfortunately, my favorites satisfy all but the last criterion:

Proenza Schouler PS1 Large Travel Bag. Love the large armholes and the included shoulder strap.

L'Wren Scott Lula Weekend Bag. I love the construction of this one! Tres chic.

Mark Cross Madison Weekender Satchel. This one combines statement color with awesome capacity.

Now that I am done drooling, where should I look for a weekend bag that is not $2K? My last bag (RIP) was from Urban Outfitters and far from luxurious, but it was a simple design and got the job done. The current Urban weekend bag offering is cow-print, which is just not that exciting to me...no offense to cows! If anyone has any suggestion for where to look, I would appreciate it. Do you think I should look in stores, or stick to online browsing for the best options?

I hope everyone has a great weekend! I am excited for time to be lazy, celebrate a birthday and wrap my head around the fact that it will be October next week!!!

Tons of Tweedy Goodness for Under $100!

I am having a tweed moment! I am specifically obsessing over getting a tweed blazer this fall and I am delighted that they are back en vogue-- not that they are ever really out, but there is such a variety available this fall. A tweed blazer is a great item to own because it pairs with your LBD, with a weekend jeans outfit and any ensemble in between. And if you change your look to be lady-like or edgy, (or if you dress like I do, whatever you're feeling when you get dressed on a given morning), the tweed blazer can easily accommodate your whims.

Soooo we've established that I want to partake in the tweed situation going on, and you'd think it would be as easy as just buying one. And I'm done. Not so. This whole getting-married-and-budgeting-and-being-a-vaguely-responsible-adult-in-general thing means I cannot run out and pick up the $1,500 tweedy confection that I have been eyeing, so I have been looking for budget options. Normally the term "budget options" conjures up terrible connotations and visuals, or at least the impression that items will be depressingly poor in quality and fit, but do not fear! I have found quite an assortment of styles and colors of tweed blazers for under $100! Behold the nubby-chic gorgeousness:

Glass Tweed Jacket at Ann Taylor. Love the neutral color + minimal, moto style.

Modern Tweed Jacket at Ann Taylor. The bright color and cropped length would be perfect for
topping a cute dress for going out or with a casual brunch ensemble.

Tweed Biker Jacket from ASOS. Don't mind the model's expression,
I'd be psyched to wear this fitted number with frayed detailing!

Pleat-Trim Tweed Jacket at Last Call Neiman's.
The satin and fringe trim is simultaneously luxe and fun.

Boxy Tweed Jacket from Newport News. I love that this is totally office appropriate
and yet I would wear it out on the town in a heartbeat!

The Captain Jacket from Rachel Rachel Roy. The neutral + navy colors are a
welcome departure from the typical black -based tweed.

Linen Blend Tweed Jacket at Coldwater Creek. I would not have expected to love a clothing item at CCreek  (at least for another 30 years, hehe) but I suppose this is just a testament to how timeless and appealing tweed jackets really are!

What do you think about tweed blazers? Perfect or passe? And am I crazy for pining for one of these when it is barely September? If you have any other salivation-inducing-finds, please share! I hope everyone has a great holiday weekend-- soak up the last bit of summer while you can!!

Happy In Helmut

Helmut Lang is one of my favorite labels. Minimalist but sculptural and the colors are always wonderfully neutral backdrops for my crazy-bright accessories and jewelry. But HL is cost-prohibitive at regular retail price, so I sadly own only one piece of that brand. (It is a grey silk top that is perfectly draped and body-conscious-but-not-remotely-tight so I want to wear it ALL THE TIME but don't want to look like a crazy person so I take a break from it now and again...AKA-- when it is at the dry cleaners... hehe)

Having subjected you to my ode-to-Helmut-Lang, you can imagine my excitement when I saw an email this morning from Shopbop announcing the new, more affordable HELMUT line from Helmut Lang! If you are in to drapey minimalism or just need some great basics to use as a foundation for more flashy pieces, check the collection out online.

Here are a few of my fav's:

Kinetic Jersey Racerback Dress

Overdye Skinny Jeans

Kinetic Jersey Racerback Maxi Dress

Kinetic Side Slit Maxi Dress

Are you a Helmut Lang fan or does the line get boring with season after season of muted colors and simple silhouettes? Any other new diffusion lines you are excited about?

Wednesday Whining and Online Finds!

The Midwest is trying to kill me. Kidding, it only hates me. "Whoa, lady," you say, "why would you say something like that?" I am sick again! I love making new friends, but I think I will pass on getting any more familiar with germs. I am sure I haven't been a good roommate to the fiancee (he's a brave soul to step foot in this house-of-illness after work everyday) and I have been slacking on doing anything creative or productive (ie, find a job! or spring cleaning!) but there are positives to being sick... umm.... I can't think of any except for being justified to waste time online all day (ahem, Pinterest and Bloglovin!), so let's go with that.

Here's a (germ-free) taste of what I've been ogling from my perch on the couch:

Summer haircuts are popping up all over the place and most of them involve sumptuous, Gisele-esque waves, but I am still a sucker for a short bob.Think choppier and funkier than Anna Wintour for a more modern look, like the one above...

I spotted this wedding dress and was ecstatic because it is a fun and funky take on lace and around $500, but they carry a very limited size range?! Is it worth looking into special ordering?

I want to live here. I don't know where this is, but I don't care. Gardens and glass doors = gorgeous!

I love these coiled pots at Anthro and now they are on sale! I got the little teal one and don't even care if I put a plant in it because it looks so cute. I was thinking these could be a great DIY project, too.


(I got the majority of these photos from my Pinterest boards, but you know I am big on crediting original sources, so you can get to the original sources from Pinterest quite easily... I might be spending too much time on there, perhaps?)

Today I'll be looking for gardening tips (I want a veggie and herb garden this summer-- wish me luck!) and searching craigslist for the perfect bar cart and maybe a bicycle! What have you been looking for online? Any gardening tips you'd like to share? Feel free to send me vitamins as well ;)
Happy Wednesday!

Soft Sands

I normally skip over my Shopbop email of the day, but today, they hooked me! The "Soft Sands" shoot was on a sandy beach (natch) with clothing that would certainly be appropriate for urban living, but looked effortless in the wind and surf. Here are some of the looks:






The above dress is my favorite! Needless to say, I was plotting an immediate beach-escape while eating my breakfast, but decided that it was better to go to work...for now at least ;)
Does anyone else get lots of shopping emails and rarely look at them?

Not So Perfect Timing....

I didn't join in on the Black Friday madness with the rest of the churning, surging masses, so I thought I might get in on some of the Cyber Monday deals. I woke up early to check out the sales, and write a blog post about my favs, natch, but.....
.......the internet was down.
(Yes, I could check my email on my phone, but it doesn't facilitate browsing websites with the intention to look at colors and textures). Anyway, all of the sudden, the wind was out of my sails. It felt like I was back in the Dark Ages....or at least the 80's.... and couldn't communicate with the rest of the world anymore. I am painting an over-dramatic picture, but you can relate, I'm sure ;)

Instead of scowling at my laptop, I decided to re-draft my Christmas list of what to get for my loved ones, begin to read a new book, and brainstorm color combos for scarf-making. I can knit- well, as long as you want a scarf and only a scarf- and I want to make cozy somethings for myself and for friends. For some reason today, probably the sharp temp drop, I am channeling the vibe of a certain scarf-making-maven on etsy.com. My friend (her chic blog here) sent me a link to the Ozetta boutique on etsy.com and I was immediately hooked on the pure coziness of her designs!

How comfy and warm does this look?! And the texture! Sigh.

As you might have guessed, the internet is back up but I have little desire to resume the cyber Monday hunt. I guess that, for today at least, being cozy is much more appealing. How did you spend your Monday?

Black Friday.... All hype?

I get it. The lure of getting a crazy digital KitchenAid toaster for pennies at your local Macy's is powerful. But is it SO powerful that you really want to get out of bed at 3:30am to get there for the store opening at 4am?

Not for me!

In my experience, unless you are one of the first 20 people in line at Best Buy for that plasma TV you want...why bother? Especially with clothing- it's not worth it! Take it from a gal with a lot of retail experience- most stores did their markdowns on Wednesday and will only have a few new "special purchase" items to bring out on Friday morning. Besides, there are so many sites like Gilt Groupe, Hautelook, and Rue La La to provide the rush of a good deal... from the comfort of your home and your jammies. My favorite of those is ShopItToMe. If you don't already subscribe, you should! I get emails twice a week that show me everything from my favorite stores (and in my sizes) that has gone on sale. I don't have to check my favorite sites individually, so it saves time- which is great if you are a slightly lazy procrastinator...(who me?)

Here are some of my favorites from my ShopItToMe email:

I am in love with the turtle brooch!

If you don't have a shopittome profile set up, leave your email in a comment and I will invite you. I get a gift card or something good for referrals, so it will encourage my already bad shopping habits ;)

Hope you had a great Thanksgiving yesterday and Happy Shopping!

Free $20 credit at Rue La La!

I am pretty sure everyone and their mom (literally) has a Rue La La account, but in case you don't, click here because through the 25th of this month (10/25/2010), when I invite friends, they get an automatic $20 credit to their account! (Don't worry, I get a $10 credit when a friend I invited places an order, so I won't be left out of the fun!). Today's boutiques include a specially curated collection that will benefit The Breast Cancer Research Foundation- there is a cute pink dress I am debating on and a Philosophy bath set amongst other goodies.

Hope everyone has a great weekend! Happy shopping!

'Net Savvy- New Store!

Have you ever been in a store that is just ridiculously cool-- a store that seems to know exactly what you've been looking for? Like you had picked everything you like to be in a store, but much, much cooler? When I discovered this internet collaborative boutique, it made me want to hang out with the owners-- I bet they are way beyond my chic-level! Magpie and Rye is based out of San Francisco and it is very evident that the owners carefully curate their collection of offerings. A well-edited display of accessories for person and home greets you on the mainpage and it gets even better as you delve into each category. I love the hand-made, high-quality pieces--here are my fav's:


From left:
Desert bag, Hexagon ring, Fragment Light No. 2

I am in love!

'Net Savvy

I am not much of an online shopper. Maybe I am not with the times, but I like to interact with an item (what does the fabric feel like? does it drape? what is the "real" color?) before I buy it. There are some online shops with fun inventory that have inspired me to consider the internet as a viable mall/boutique alternative. And online shopping from smaller stores also ensures that I will not be wearing the exact same thing as everyone else! This week, the Spotted Moth caught my attention. Look at some of the cute items they have in stock (reasonably priced, too!):

From left:
Pick of the Vine dress, Tundra blouse, Salem cropped jacket, Sea Twig earrings