Rain booooots!

I'm so excited: I just ordered my first pair of rain boots! New York, which actually has weather and seasons, necessitated it. :) And of course, I was only so happy to oblige.
I decided on a pair of black ones from DSW, using a free shipping code and birthday gift certificate to help alleviate the cost. $39.95 boots became $20 boots! Best part is, they look just like riding boots. :)

Long time no post!

So I'm bad at posting regularly, I apologize. In the past month, I've since moved to NYC to attend graduate school. I'm already loving the fashion I see on the streets here. People aren't afraid to take risks. They wear whatever they feel like, even if it appears straight off the runway.
I also love that depending on where in Manhattan you are, the style is different. If you're on the south end, near Wall Street and Battery Park, office attire reigns, for obvious reason. At Union Square and East Village, it's all indie free spirit attire. Upper east side, brand names. I live on the UWS, and I've yet to see an actual style here ... maybe as the weeks go by, I'll see something more definitive.
Today, I went to go run errands and shop a bit. I scored these Ray-Ban G-15 aviators for $40. They go for $130 everywhere else.
Ray-Ban G-15 gold aviator sunglasses, $129 (photo courtesy ray-ban.com)

Also got a coat for the winter time (have been looking for a cute and warm one for awhile, so I was happy to finally find one!) from Miss Sixty, and a birthday present for a friend. And on the way home, I stopped by Crumbs for a vanilla cupcake with chocolate cream cheese filling, topped with cream cheese frosting and chocolate ganache. Delish.

The Uniform Project

So, so sorry for the posting hiatus! I've been swamped with trips to Hawaii, new jobs, graduation and all that fun stuff.
Here's my latest find:
www.theuniformproject.com
This girl is wearing the same black dress every day for 365 days and mixing it up by wearing different accessories.

The nicest thing

This little video is so mushy and gushy and lovey and dovey and drippy and droppy, but it's also pretty cute.

JT + SNL = always a good time

I love it when I find something expensive that I paid significantly less for

...such as this cardigan.
(photo courtesy madisonlosangeles.com)

This Vince sweater is currently on sale for $235. When I first saw the picture, I had to do a double take because it's almost completely identical to my Limited cardigan I got a couple months ago for, oh, $20 was it?

:)

Anna Sui at Target!

Anna Sui, known for her crazy out-there looks that have a tinge of au natural and boho to them, is coming to Target on Sept. 13! It just sucks that by Sept. 13, I'll be living in a state that doesn't have Target :(.

Read the full article here:
http://www.stylelist.com/blog/2009/05/07/anna-sui-for-target-its-like-she-read-our-minds/

I have two items from Anna Sui, both of which are kind of craaaaazy -- one is an orange and purple silk blouse that wildly besmatters orange floral prints with purple stripes. It's kind of an insane shirt, and not one that I've dared wear in public yet. The other is a coin purse made of a kind of grey taffeta fabric, pretty but still loud. It'll be interesting to see how she tones down her work for the mass markets, i.e. Target consumers.

Success!

So I found the perfect dress for my morning graduation. It's Fumblin Foe, and I found it on sale at Dillard's today. Here's the front:


(Photo courtesy of dillards.com)

And here's the back (except in white, obviously):

I'm thinking I'll spice it up with my black wide belt with the gold buckle that I got about a month ago from Banana Republic, and wear it with black heels.

Now, just have to find dress No. 3 :)

Graduation dresses

So, I'm graduating from my university in a week and a half. I will be participating in three graduation ceremonies. You know what that means...
I need three graduation dresses! :)

I still have a BCBG satin and tulle dress that I bought a while back and never wore, so I'm thinking that may go to one of the night graduation ceremonies. The second ceremony is in the morning and the third is at night.

Here are some options that I found:

Summer surplice dress, Anthropologie, $98 (photo courtesy anthropologie.com)

Bungalow Gables dress, Anthropologie, $138 (photo courtesy of anthropologie.com)

Silk lattice dress, Banana Republic, $175 (photo courtesy of bananarepublic.com)

Neanthe Bella Sheath dress, Anthropologie, $398 (photo courtesy of anthropologie.com)

Silk pleated faux-wrap dress, Banana Republic, $130 (photo courtesy of bananrepublic.com)


The Grand Holiday dress, Anthropologie, $118 (photo courtesy of anthropologie.com)

:)

http://gizmodo.com/5231112/best-video-ive-seen-today-will-make-you-smile

Spotted: Project Runway dress

While reading Project Rungay today, one of the hilarious blogs that follows Project Runway, I came across this post. It involves a wedding, a Project Runway dress and candy. :)

Pictures are worth a thousand words

Check out this photo story on A Cup of Jo ...

Hilarity

I love The Office.

Coming clean

So, it appears that French Elle has gone without makeup/Photoshop for the newest issue. Very interesting. It would be refreshing to see what these celebrities look like without all the retouching and photo manipulation. Who knows, maybe they actually look like regular people ...

Read the article here.

New sandals :)

So my mom's black patent leather sandals from the '80s broke the other day. :( The buckle strap must've gotten caught on something, and the whole thing just ripped. Scotch tape was my savior that day.

So, to replace the beloved pair of sandals, I got these new Dolce Vita ones, except in a greyish color.

Dolce Vita, "Inca," $118 (photo courtesy dolcevita.com)

(Except here's a secret: The price I paid was more than 50 percent off the original)

Love these photos!

http://snippetandink.blogspot.com/2009/04/sunday-edition-29.html

Love this cover

Muse - Can't Take My Eyes Off You (Frankie Vali Cover)

:)

I'm not a brave person.

Bargain hunting

I live in Phoenix, a city that, despite its size, has for the past 10 years been nearly completely devoid of discount designer boutiques or consignment shops. That is... until now. Yesterday, me and the girls went bargain hunting at Last Chance, which is where items that didn't get sold from Nordstrom Rack, go to for their "last chance," and My Sister's Closet, a consignment shop in Gilbert. At Last Chance, I found a mint-condition black leather Charles David bag with gold metal detailing. It was buried beneath Longchamp bags with broken zippers, Marc Jacobs totes with ripped corners and stained Juicy Couture carry-alls. And it was a steal for $40 (originally $250)! At the consignment shop, I found some J Brand jeans ($17) that I altered to create some short shorts, as well as a vintage Fendi bag for $25.

John Galliano show

Breathtaking.

Reward

I finished my undergraduate thesis paper last night (3 am! Ack!), and in celebration of writing that 30-page (60 pages double spaced!) paper, I awoke to a doorbell this morning! My Aldo suede Eberts boots had arrived!
It's almost like UPS was rewarding me for finally finishing my paper. :)

MAC Hello Kitty commercial

Cheesecake and new shoes

What a wonderful day so far. A friend and I went to Wildflower Bread Co. for a late lunch/dessert, and I ordered the homemade ginger-biscotti cheesecake. It's no wonder this is one of my favorite restaurants.
After was a bit of shopping, where I purchased a long navy blue cardigan, with sleeves that roll up and button, perfect for when it's hot outside but cold in classrooms and offices. I also purchased a pair of Steve Madden nude-color slingback peep-toe pumps, perfect for dresses and outfits that aren't all black (granted, most of my outfits are black or have a hint of black, but I figure I can wear these with black as well). I love how they make my legs look miles long, though I'm not sure how everyone will feel about the shoes adding an extra 3 inches to my already-5-foot-8-inch body. Oops.

To ruffle or not to ruffle?

Smitten, one of the many blogs that I read, had an entry on ruffles the other day. It was asking guys about whether they liked ruffles on girls. To my dismay, an overwhelming amount said it was either reminiscent of a Seinfeld episode, clowns, or old English people. I asked a guy friend the next day, who reiterated the Seinfeld comment. How sad! It's common knowledge that I'm a sucker for a good, well-placed ruffle or bow, but this finding just goes to prove my opinion that girls really do just dress for other girls.

So in celebration of ruffles (who honestly cares what the opposite sex thinks about fashion, anyway?), here are my favorite ruffled looks out in stores right now:

Banana republic striped ruffled shirt, $49.99 (photo courtesy of bananarepublic.com)

American Eagle party top with ruffle, $29.50 (photo courtesy of aeo.com)

White House Black Market ruffled poplin shirt, $78 (photo courtesy of whitehouseblackmarket.com)

BCBG Max Azria ruffle-front shift dress, $218 (photo courtesy nordstrom.com)

Elizabeth and James chiffon Eva dress, $385 (photo courtesy neimanmarcus.com)

And my favorite one of all...
Elizabeth and James cascade dress, $385 (photo courtesy neimanmarcus.com)

Wrist envy

I go through phases.
About three years ago, it was all about the earrings. The more outrageous, the better. I had anything ranging from peacock feathers, to 6" dangling glass beads, to pearls, to plastic hearts.
But then my ears got tired. It happens.
So I moved on to necklaces. Long necklaces with elephant tooth pendants, short silver necklaces with shell flowers, chains that hit right at my breastbone.
But now, I must admit, it's all about the wrists. Recently, I've been especially enamored with the more "natural" looking hand decor. Here are some of my current favorites:


Coach mirrored linked enamel bracelet, $198 (photo courtesy coach.com)

Coach wood snap bangle, $178 (photo courtesy of coach.com)


Coach heart leather bracelet, $88 (photo courtesy of coach.com)

American Eagle statement bracelet, $12.50 (photo courtesy ae.com)
Banana Republic braided enamel bangle, $49 (photo courtesy bananarepublic.com)

Bye bye Ben

(Ben the betta, pictured here last summer)

My pet fish died yesterday. I received him as a gift on April 12, 2008. 10 1/2 months of life isn't too shabby for a betta, I think.

A lovely plum wedding

Check out this lovely plum-themed wedding, found on one of my favorite blogs, Snippet & Ink.

Also: Am I the only one who thinks that the Brooklyn Bridge is one of the most romantic locations for a proposal? Think: Miranda and Steve in the Sex and the City movie.

New York Times

http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2009/02/20 /fashion/20090221-street-feature/index.html.

I would just like to say that I called this gray trend long, long ago.

Kate Spade adorableness

I stumbled across this cute Valentine's Day promotion from Kate Spade.

http://www.katespade.info/?section=bmine

Irony

Irony is funny sometimes.

Also, Sephora has free shipping all weekend in celebration of the Super Bowl! Order online at sephora.com.

Want.

Victoria's Secret flirty little cross-back dress, jersey, on sale now for $65. (photo courtesy victoriassecret.com)

Victoria's Secret retro triangle top swimsuit, $38/$40. (photo courtesy victoriassecret.com)

Unfortunately, I'm on a mandatory shopping hiatus until Feb. 13, which fittingly is the theater release date for "Confessions of a Shopaholic. " I can do it! I can hold off three weeks!

leloveimage.blogspot.com

(photos courtesy leloveimage.blogspot.com)

Seriously, go check it out.

Beyonce's rendition of Etta James' "At Last" at the 2009 Inaugural Neighborhood Ball.

I am ...

http://www.pbs.org/independentlens/helvetica/quiz.html
Take this quiz on pbs.com, a promo for the movie "Helvetica. "
I am...
"Edwardian Script- A true romantic at heart, nothing gets your juices flowing more than the promise of flowery, fluttery love. Can you hear the violins playing? They're playing just for you, baby."

So true.

Basics: A white shirt.

So I've been wanting to blog for awhile now on the basics every woman should own. The first in my installment is a basic white button-up shirt. I own several; my favorites come from J. Crew, mainly because the fabrics they use are so light and give the impression of an effortless chic.

When purchasing the perfect button-up shirt, there are a few rules to abide by:
-Avoid shirts that are too heavy or crisp. Shy away from polyester blends and go more toward cotton shirts, that breathe more and don't require an excess amount of ironing. The idea is not to look like you are about to go be a waitress at a restaurant or walk into a business meeting.
-Pockets are good, but don't load on too many. One or two near the bust area is just fine, but make sure they're not too big or don't have any distracting metal buttons on them.
-Opt for darts. Darts differentiate your shirt from your boyfriend's or husband's, since they actually acknowledge that it was made for a woman.
-Roll up your sleeves for an effortless feel.
-Don't get shirts with too many frou-frou elements. Anyone who knows me knows I'm a sucker for a big ribbon or obnoxious ruffle, but save that for your cardigan that you can layer over your shirt, or for your shoes or headband. Keep this white shirt minimal and basic, and you can wear it for many more occasions.
-Don't wear your shirt with any sort of black pant. Whether it's black jeans, slacks or tights, avoid pairing these two clothing staples because chances are, you'll probably end up looking like a waitress. And no one wants that. Instead, pair the shirt with shorts, a skirt or washed-out blue jeans.
-Don't buy too tight. The shirt shouldn't cling to your body; it should be airy and light, and how can it be those two things if you're suffocating from the fabric clinging to your skin? Keep it a little bit loose-- just not too loose, or else it'll look like you bought the wrong size.

These are some of my current favorites:

1. J. Crew tissue roll-up camp shirt, cotton, $59.50. (Photo from jcrew.com)
2. GAP Dobby striped tie-sleeve shirt, cotton, $48.00. (Photo from gap.com)
3. BCBG textured stripe top, rayon and cotton, $110.60. (Photo from bcbg.com)
   

I'm a writer.

So I should have a blog, right? This is where I'll share with you things I find interesting, people I meet, food I taste, clothes I buy and photographs that inspire me.

Welcome.