UniqueSF Roundup

This afternoon FH and I had the chance to go to the UniqueSF Craft and art show and we had so much fun! They had free drinks, massages, crafts, and booths upon booths of jewelry, soap, clothing, stationary, and other hand crafted goods.

Here's what I came home with (and boy was it hard to narrow it down to these...)

From Honey my Heart - I got this gorgeous blue drop necklace. I've really been wanting to change up some of my necklaces and move toward a more simple and classic look. Part of me really wants to wear this on my wedding day.... but I still have my heart set on wearing my grandma's pearls. The shop owners and creators are just the sweetest - it was so great to meet both of you!

From Solstice LTD I picked up this organic sterling silver stacker ring. I had been tossing around the idea of putting a small silver band in between my future wedding band and engagement ring but didn't want to swallow the price of what I've been seeing online. So when I saddled up to Linda's shop and saw these I had to have it. I'll have to snap some pics of what my stacked bands look like together, but for now this will have to do. :)

I've started to see necklaces like this pop up around various places, and I had been lusting after one. Kyle Chan Design had just what I was looking for - and I adore the sparkly sapphires with the gold of the necklace. His shop was huge - and to be quite honest I have to keep myself from going back and buying more of his awesome goodies!

I met the two lovely ladies of Frolick Jewelry and they were so kind. They only sell at craft shows but I will make sure to hunt them down the next time they are here in SF. I wore this out tonight with a simple button down and can tell this is going to be a favorite of mine!

And of course, this is hilarious and I couldn't pass it up. Filthy farm girl is actually a soap maker out of Hawaii, and I got a bar of their rose mint soap in the "Filthy Kitty" design in December. I have to tell you - the bar (which is still sealed) has an amazing scent that I can smell whenever I go near my jewelry area. So I got this for my sister, partly because it smells amazing, and partly because it's an excuse for me to call her dirty.

So that's how I spent my Saturday... what have been some of your past picks from art and craft shows?

Casual Thursday

I have to admit that today I just wasn't in the mood. Perhaps its been the few hours of sleep I've been missing the past few nights by laying awake contemplating everything from work to the wedding, or maybe its the fact that when I check the weather at night before bed it says one thing and then drastically changes when I wake up in the morning.

Jeans: Banana Republic; Blazer: Frenchie; Blouse: JCrew; Necklace: Franchesca's Collection; Scarf: Gift

Regardless, today I just decided to err on the casual side, especially since I have a meeting at our wedding venue after work (and I have to put up with air conditioning blaring down on me for 9 hours a day at the office so layers are always nice).

I have to tell you that I'm really excited over this scarf. It was a gift and I had ordered something just like it a few months ago and then bam. It was lost in the mail. So imagine how thrilled I was when this popped up!

I also feel as though I took a bit of a chance on the beaded necklace. It was on uber sale for 9.00 and I don't normally gravitate toward orange but I really like this combo. It's the first of a big chunky necklace kind that I've purchased and I really like it. I'm hoping to branch out a bit more with statement necklaces/chunkier pieces to add a bit of pizazz to my outfits. That way, I can mix and match and feel as thought I can turn an old favorite outfit into something new.

This weekend is my bridal shower... I'm so excited! I can't believe that it's almost July. We've started to get more and more little pieces of things in the mail for the wedding and the RSVP's are still trickling in.

So... talk to me about accessories. What's your current favorite piece and why? I do have a necklace coming in the mail from etsy that I'm so excited to have come and that might be my new favorite piece. :)

The statement jacket

For several months now I've been on the hunt for a statement jacket - or something very Chanel-esque. I long for tweed, for something with herringbone, something that I could pair with numerous things and would always be timeless. I searched Nordstroms, thought I saw one I liked at H&M, and had my eye on a few at Zara and Mango (which, if they ever go on sale, I might nab too because hey, who doesn't like variety?).

I had seen this particular jacket in plain navy as well as the pink tweed. And of course, last Thursday with some extra cash in my pocket I was told that this was recently marked down. And an extra 30% off. So I said wrap it up.

Presenting my statement jacket... the J Crew Plaid Boucle Tweed Jacket. I took a size 10 because the size 8 I tried on was a little tight in the arms - the SA's said that these ran a bit small. (I also apologize for the not so great pics - today was hectic at work and I couldn't get any good pics until I got home, hence the odd cropping). Buy online here - check in stores for a much cheaper price.

I have to admit that this is going to take me a bit of getting used to - i feel as if its so bright - but I got a bunch of compliments on it today at work (and from a stranger, too).

I'm happy to say that I'm coming out of my grey shell and loving color.

Skirtaganza

With today being the first official day of summer and the sun actually being out on my lunch breaks I've been in a very skirt kind of mood lately. Couple that with JCrew's 30% off sale and my wardrobe is now home to several new colorful skirts.

Shirt: H&M, Skirt: JCrew (buy here), Shoes: BG

I wore this yesterday and the second I walked out the door a neighbor told me she loved it on me. So I'm glad I snapped this one up - I believe it came to about 35.00 with the discounts in store. I want to get a more bold and try pairing a green shirt with it, but I just don't know which shade would work best. I hesitated when I first tried it on in store but my sister uged me to go for it and I'm glad I did.

Silk blouse: Zara, Skirt: JCrew (different color here)

And here's today's outfit - I LOVE this skirt and I'm so glad I added it to my wardrobe (thanks mom!). I almost paired it with a plaid shirt this morning but I'm not to sure I'm that brave yet. ;)  And way at the bottom I'm wearing my spiked flats. Love these too! It gives me a little bit of edge with this outfit.

And a few other skirts that I picked up... Gondola stripe and the raj paisley pencil skirt.  I'm happy with my skirt choices but shaking my fist at Jcrew.. their sale is just too good!

Have you picked anything up at the JCrew sale lately?

48 hours in Philadelphia

11 hours in flight ..5042 .. and 48 hours later we've returned from a foodie wedding filled weekend... and here's my wrap up.

Friday night we landed in Philly an hour late (boo) and we were taken out to dinner at one of Stephen Starr's restaurants (think of him as the Michael Minna of Philly). We dined on an array of family style dishes with the highlights being the foie gras muscles, lobster fried rice, and beef short ribs. We topped it off with cocktails (try the white peach sangria) and the chocolate bento box for dessert.

Cherry water ice

After that, FH decided that he wanted a cheesesteak so off to South Philly we went. We tried Gino's and its definitely different (i have come to learn the difference between chopped vs not chopped, and I'm a chopped fan).Make sure you know whether you want it "wid" or "widout" prior to ordering - with or without onions for us out of towners. Another seemingly Philly thing was water ice. I'd NEVER had it before and I tried cherry. It was so good, especially with the humidity.

Independence Hall

Saturday morning we slept in a bit because of the time change and then we wandered about old town Philly. I have to be honest with you - I'd never been to Philly before so I had no idea what to expect - but the old part of town is just gorgeous. It reminded me of Boston. It's truly a town rich in US history - the brick buildings, cobblestone streets, and frequent history sights of interest we came upon just led to the charm of this town. Independence hall was just gorgeous, despite the work being done to the outside.

And just across the street is the liberty bell. Not going to lie - I didn't wait in the line that was about 400 people deep.. but did snap this photo at one of the windows. See? Liberty bell without the line.

After all this walking FH and I were parched, so we decided to try a local brewing company and headed over to Triumph Brewing Co, which was like a brewpub. Huge amount of beers on tap and you can see where they actuall brew the beer upstairs. Try the avocado fries with a cold beer and life is good.

We followed the Delaware River walk back home and decided to try another cheese steak place on the way back to the house... and Shank's delivered. So yummy, definitely try this if you love a good cheesey gooey cheese steak.

Mandatory outfit shot - top: Zara, jeans: target. IT'S CATS. I mean come on. If this was longsleeved I'd buy it too..

Saturday night we headed over to an old estate called Andalusia. It was simply stunning. The weather, the location, the vibe of the wedding, cocktails in an english garden, dinning on the banks of the river - it was just perfect. The bride was simply gorgeous and if our wedding is even half as gorgeous as theirs then we definitely did something right. We danced until 12:30 before getting on a bus to go back to downtown Philly and had a sing a long with the others on the bus.

Yesterday before our long flight home we had brunch at a little cafe before walking back toward downtown. We rested and then had dinner at Philly's newly opened Shake Shack. Yes - the one in NY is now in Philly (please come to SF next!). We had gelato, a drink on the square, and then before we knew it we had to head to the airport.

Coconut gelato

And that wraps up an amazing weekend! I'm exhausted today due to all the flight delays and the time change but so happy for our friends who got married, and even mroe happy to have discovered a new city. Until next time, Philly, keep it real.

Where to eat:
Buddhakan, 325 Chestnut St, Philadelphia.
Gino's Steaks, 1219 South 9th Street  Philadelphia,
John's Water Ice, 701 Christian Street
Triumph Brewing Company, 117 Chestnut Street
Shank's Steak's, 901 South Delware Ave at Pier 40
Shake Shack, 2000 Sansom St
Capogiro Gelato, 117 South 20th Street
Rouge, 205 South 18th Street,



Things to see:
Independence Hall & Liberty Bell, 41 N 6th Street  Philadelphia
Delaware river walk
Andalusia
Rittenhouse Square
Avenue of the Arts
Little Italy

Modern red

Modern red must also be code name for orange, because I swear this sweater is orange. It's even more orange when you join coworkers for a Euro Cup game at a German restaurant... (doh, it wasn't planned).

JCrew Factory: Vneck in modern flame; Blouse: H&M, Skinnies: Banana Republic; Necklace: Tiffanys (gfit)

Apologies for the frazzled hair and wrinkles as it was the end of the day. I own a normal JCrew version of the vneck and the factory version is just a bit thinner but I still love it. If it ever goes on sale again I'll prolly snap up another color or two just because they are so great to layer.

This weekend FH and I are off for our last wedding before ours - we're headed to Philly for the weekend. I'm especially excited as I've never been to Philly before and am fully prepared to eat a cheese steak (or 2) and see the liberty bell. Aside from that and the wedding, I'm hoping to explore a bit of a new city before hopping on a plane and coming home.

Speaking of weddings, we are now under TWO MONTHS! Can't believe how fast time is flying but to be honest I'm so excited. RSVP's have been rolling in and the responses/notes that people have been writing in make opening the mail that much more exciting. By far has been the best from my future brother in law which made me laugh for quite a bit.

The weather here in SF has been nice, albeit windy so I've been trying to soak up time outside on lunch breaks. This little guy was my buddy the other day and made me smile.

Hope your weekend is great... any big plans on your agenda?

What I wore to meet the President

On a Thursday back in May I was given a day off work to attend an event and have the amazing opportunity to travel to Seattle and to actually meet the President of the United States. So I grabbed my tiny carry on and filled it with clean pressed blouses, skirts, tights, and heels. After standing outside waiting to be let in, having lunch on the floor of the Paramount Theater, and then being whisked backstage I got to meet the President.

And here's what I wore...

Blazer: H&M. Skirt: JCrew. Blouse and Cardigan: Banana Republic. Heels: Cole Haan

And here's some other random pics from my 24 hours in Seattle:

Dave Matthews on stage before the President came out

  

Blue trees downtown

The Paramount!

Sun setting over SeaTac before heading home

And in case you were wondering, he is the nicest guy ever. ;) Even though I got completely tongue tied, it was just an amazing experience. Again, a big thank you to my MIL and to my boss for giving me the day off. ;)

Who is the coolest person you've ever met... and what did you do/say?



June Challenge

So, my whole idea of a shopping ban for May didn't go so well. I finally got fed up with my color lacking wardrobe and set out to purchase some items that would brighten things up a bit.

And bright my wardrobe has become. The May roundup:

JCrew: Biennial Satchel in red. Striped bow flats. Red eyelet pencil skirt. Mint green tippi sweater and modern red vneck (coming Monday, eep!). I really can't wait to pair the stripes with the red eyelet pencil skirt. And I have to say, of course, all the items were on sale. Huzzah!

Nordstrom: Frenchi blazer in cobalt (for 28.90!), polka dot blouse, and my much lusted after Sam Edelman spiked flats.

Gap outlet: Mint green tank, cobalt sweater, kelly green skinny jeans. (linked to similar items).

Via polyvore

Target: White cropped jeans (!), pink tunic, and The Webster patterned tank (never would've thought to get this, but its adorable).

Photo via polyvore

And perhaps the big finale, from Neimans, the Tory Burch natalya wedge in black.

Which friends, leads me to a shopping hiatus for the month of June. And perhaps July. I used the word banned for May and that just seemed to spurn my need to shop. And with two weekends away this month, I'm hoping I can reign it in.

So far, the responses to my new clothing items have all been positive. I've gotten a lot of compliments from coworkers and it makes me feel more confident in myself and what I'm wearing.

Outstanding items to get at some point: Tweed jacket.

That's it for now.... have a fantastic weekend!