Long weekend sale steals

Or, in other words, why Laura is banned until at least 2013. But, lets get to fun stuff - what I picked up during the Thanksgiving sales.

From J Crew... Oh J Crew. I really should contemplate changing the title of this blog to I really should work at J Crew but I have a desk job. Or, J Crew gets my whole paycheck. Ahh, I digress. I placed an order Wednesday night and then on Sunday stopped in store because the 30% off was just too good. 
J Crew website order:
Lady jacket in spicy gold - the mustard is definitely not as bright as it appears online. I might have to try styling this with a few items in my wardrobe before I decide if I can pull it off or not but it was a steal at 69.99.
Saturday pant - love. These might become my new comfy plane travel pants. I'll definitely get these in another color the next time they go on sale.
iPhone case in anchor print - am I the only one who doesn't think this fits the iPhone 4S right? Most likely going back.

Sunday in store:
Polka dot sequin top - This is a little out of my comfort zone because its flashy. But I tried it on in store over a white blouse with jeans and really like how it looked. I just may have to push myself to wear this one a bit more as its a little out of my comfort zone.
Merino turtleneck in stripe - Elbow pads. Enough said. Cozy and comfy and stripes. Adore this. 
Orly genger rope necklace - I think I waited for this to go on sale for several months. Finally nabbed this in blue. 
Ballet flats in poppy - This is my first pair of J Crew ballet flats and I just adore the color. I think this will be the perfect shoe addition to my wardrobe for this season.

Anthropologie:
Window pane blazer - Okay. So I could also probably rename this blog I'm addicted to blazers too. Saw this in store and wasn't sure. Tried it on for MIL & SIL and they loved it. So it shall stay.
Ilume spring eden candle in mango - I love the way this candle smelled - it reminds me of vacation. I probably should've grabbed another.
Leather notebooks - Another thing I've always enjoyed are notebooks. I saw these and thought they were adorable with the pencil that comes with it. 

Loft:
These were my first purchases from the Loft and I'm excited for these.
Sequin striped top - I saw this making the rounds on a few blogs and I tried it on in store and loved it.
Kitten sweater - Kitten print. Sweater. No more is needed on this. ;)

Banana Republic:
Striped knit skirt - I know I blogged about this skirt before. And I finally nabbed it in store for 11.00. Sweet!
Plaid button down - Blue plaid. Adore. Can't find this online but it should be in stores.

Whew! And that's about it!

DH and I are off to NY for a few days on Thursday and I'm a little afraid of how cold its going to be. But I'm also really looking forward to good food, visiting with some coworkers in my NY office and maybe hopefully hitting up the J Crew sample sale. Shhh. I swear I'm done.

Did you get anything during the holiday sale?

PS. Does anyone know how to do add a reply to comment? I still haven't figured that out.
PPS. I will seriously pay someone to redo my blog. Doesn't have to be crazy complex but I really suck at this html thing.

Birthday wishlist

So the end of August is approaching us and that means one thing (besides labor day..) my birthday! As I inch one more year closer to 30 I figured I'd compile a little list of things that I wouldn't mind unwrapping on August 30.

Banana republic stripe point skirt. I love stripes. And I adore skirts. I saw this in store when it was just released and I made a beeline for it. I've also seen it in a white/blue stripe and I tend to lean more toward that, but there's nothing wrong with green!

J Crew shrunked blazer in embroided plaid. It's no secret that I kinda have a blazer problem. And well, plaid - what negative things can I say about plaid? Actually, to be honest, I'd go gaga for this entire outfit. But lets just say for the sake of someone's wallet that I'd really dig the jacket.

Jon Josef cat loafers. If you haven't already taken note, I'm kinda a crazy cat lady. Even though we only have one, she's my BFF. And when a friend sent me these, well, my little crazy cat lady heart almost exploded over the sheer cuteness of these. Total want. And if you want the luxury version, go here

Lands end striped blazer. See, I mentioned I had a think for blazers. And this has stripes. And it's 25% off using code Devotion & pin 5580 on their website right now. I think it's a great alternative to the J Crew striped maritime blazer that I missed out on in this colorway.

Well... a short list for this year but that's about it. :) I'm trying to still stash some cash for something special on our honeymoon in... 5.5 weeks.

What's on your wish list for this summer (or birthday)?

Living in color

After looking at some of my recent work clothing selections I decided it was time to liven things up a bit. I'm a bit tired of looking like a nun or someone who is twice my age. So I took it upon myself to purchase a few items to brighten up my wardrobe.

I got this yellow checkered shirt from the Gap during their big 50% off sale a few weekends ago. I think the final price came to about 11.00 so I didn't feel so bad buying it. Plus who doesn't love checkered print?

I picked up this awesome royal blue skirt from Target this past weekend. I'm really digging skirts lately, and tights make everything more bearable with the rain and cold we've been having lately. I think it's a great item for me to start wearing to work as I branch out of greys and blacks. Target, 18.00.

Another skirt (can you tell I have a problem?) from Banana during their 50% off promo a few weekends back. I love the pattern on this - and it also comes in blue, too! I love that I can make this dressy enough for work but I can even dress it down - perhaps for one of my bridal showers?

Photo via BananaRepublic.com

Another colorful find were these Abby ballet flats from Banana. With the sale they came to just under 40 so I figured why not? And let me tell you - they are so comfy! I don't have very many pairs of flats in colors other than ... well... some form of black. I love how these instantly bring a bit of color to even the most mundane of outfits. Abby flats in store and bananarepublic.com

Photo via gap.com

I also decided that I wanted a pair of blue colored jeans. And I swear it took me forever to find a pair. I got these from the Gap and love the color. Plus they are so, so soft! Another buy that I got from the friends and family sale. Gotta love discounts! Gap jegging jeans, in stores and online.

Photo via wetseal.com

And the last bright item that I bought was a pair of red jeans. For some reason it took me a few weekends and multiple websites to find them. And low and behold I found them at wet seal (of all places). Of course, a belt is mandatory since they are a bit more low cut but the color is PERFECT. I love them and am definitely going to get a lot of wear out of them. And the best part? The price! Only 19.50. Online and in stores.

Whew! What have you gotten lately that's brightening up your wardrobe?

Also, while I might not be posting as much due to things being hectic, I am still reading/commenting. I'm hoping to find a better blogging/work/life balance soon  :)

Lust list - April 2011

Dear checkbook, I am so so sorry for the following list. Of course, if it was up to me, all of these items (and then some)  would be coming home with me. Alas, I don't currently have the budget for it, so pouring over these pretty pictures shall do instead.

Skirts:
In case you haven't noticed, I'm kinda obsessed with Anthropologie. Their ruffles and soft colors make the little girl in me squeal.
Anthro's convergence skirt with its stripes and little pleats just make me smile. Plus the colors are a great neutral to go with a variety of tops and shoes, too!

Next up in Anthro's sugar work skirt. What's better for spring than a sunshiney yellow skrit with white ribbons swirling around it?

Anthro's drawing parallels skirt is something that I think would be fantastic for Easter, if not the rest of spring and summer and even fall. I adore the color on this, and I think it would be a fantastic addition to my wardrobe.

Shoes:

There is one pair that I've seen similar styles pop up over several blogs. Alas, my local Urban Outfitters is outo of these and I would have to order them online. I really like the nude color because it's a fantastic neutral, and honestly I don't have any shoes that already look like this. And the price point isn't that bad, either!

Bag:

I haven't lusted after a bag in awhile, quite frankly, probably more than 6 months. The last one I bought got sent back because it wasn't the right size. But this one has me drooling, especially in the chai color. JCrew's lockwood hobo is spot on with everything that I want in a bag - plus there's 4 colors to choose from. And if you order by the end of today, you can get an additional 20% off orders of 150.00 or more.

Well friends that's about it for now - at least on my end. What's currently on your spring wishlist?

Ode to the J Crew wool pencil skirt

I don't think I've ever known love for a skirt until now. Holy cow.

 

Sweater, buttondown - gap; belt, skirt - j crew, pearls - gift, tights - urban outfitters, shoes - tory burch

 

I apologize for the bathroom setting but I came to the realization today that the bathroom's full length mirror makes for a nice prop. I may have to work on different lighting.

I also apologize for the wrinkled shirt but it was toward the end of the day.

And I would like to make a big shout out to Kendi over at Kendi Everyday for giving me the inspiration and guts to try out the belt over the top of the skirt trick.

The new job is going quite well. It's amazing what a change of scenery and about 40 new people in an office can do to a girl. I'm really enjoying it (especially since I am off at 5. And I can walk to work again. Oh yeah, and the specialty's cafe next door). It's the little things that I realized I really missed - being able to walk to work with the BF, being able to walk to work in general, and having a bunch of people around. It's also different (but really fun) working in a huge building too. I kinda feel important.

And now, to be lazy until tomorrow.... ahhh.