Currently Craving

It's Sunday night, there's a chill in the air, and before I go to bed with a book here's what I'm currently lusting after.

These Zara loafers are pretty. And burgundy. And even though I need another pair of shoes like a hole in my head, I still might have to try them.

Its a bunny. On a top. An adorable bunny whose nose looks like a heart. Need I say more? Anthro, you make my animal lover heart go pitter patter.

I love this Madewell necklace. The only problem? Deciding which color to get. I think it would look great layered with a chunky sweater or plaid top.

And speaking of plaid, this Orvis plaid shirt has polka dots hiding on the inside. Totally smitten over this for our adventures to the Carolinas for Thanksgiving.

Is there anything that has caught your eye lately? Share below!

February Budget

February... where did you go! I can't believe it's time to wrap up yet another month. Here's what I added to my wardrobe throughout February:

Fitted boyfriend cat print shirt, striped blazer, plaid shirt, green and blue bracelets - Gap, 32.97, 51.53, 4.27 1.69 ea
Red cashmere v neck sweater - Nordstrom, 51.90
Cece ballet flats in boulevard green - J Crew, 49.99 (not too sure if i should keep these... can green be a neutral?)
Gold bracelet - Banana Republic, 10.19
Plaid pullover - Old Navy (similar colors at link), 19.99

Would love to hear your thoughts on some of these items. I'm still a bit torn on the blazer and the green shoes. :)


Linking up with Franish!

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)?

J Crew/Old Navy/Banana Republic Sale wrap up

I thought that I was going to be a bit better in August, with the wedding this weekend and all. But for some reason I think it just led me to shop more. ;)

Rounding out the summer sales here's what i picked up ....

Old Navy:

I have to say that I was really impressed by the stuff that Old Navy churned out (hence half my outfit today is from there). The white buttondown was about 12 and the polka dot sweater was 16. In addition to this sweater I also got the one in navy with the heart (awesome cheaper alternative to the J Crew heart tippi) and white with black polka dots. My Old Navy still has these in stock so check stores. Otherwise, similar colors online here. I also picked up the chambray dotted blouse and a dotted tank top in store.

J Crew:
Oh Crew. How I love you. But I love your sale prices even more. I went in store to try some items online and I'm really glad I did. Lesson 1: sequins on a tank top don't do anything for me. Lesson 2: I'm seriously starting to love green.
My picks:
Perfect shirt in anchors & horseshoes - I took a size 6 in this, one size down. I adore the color. It's supposed to arrive tomorrow and if the weather is nice I'll wear it out with a blazer and white jeans tomorrow.
Optic-dot boatneck t - I was half expecting to hate this, but when I put it on I went OOOOH. So this came home with me, too.
Anchors aweigh t - what's not to love about little anchors on a white t? I'm so glad I nabbed this - I had been eying it in store.
Sperry topsides in cerise - Sperrys are really cute. And I couldn't resist on this color. On weekends I always have this dilemma where I feel as though I don't have any basic shoes that aren't dress flats to wear to the office or beat up tennis shoes, so I'm hoping that the sperrys can give me something new to wear.
Factory critter necklace in giraffe - It's a giraffe, and it's adorable. Enough said. ;)

Banana Republic:
I was wooed in by your 40% off until 1PM on Saturday. I'm glad I did.
Bow sweater - can I just say how cute this is? And the price was cheaper in store PLUS an additional 40% off. Nope, no feeling guilty on this one! I nabbed the cocoon color because I figured it'd be a great neutral to pair with any skirt or pants.
Navy sateen one button blazer - another item whose price was much cheaper in store. Have you noticed that I kinda have a blazer addiction? Well, I do. But I've been needing a new navy one so voila. Came to about 52.00.

Banana republic scotty cap toe flats - check stores. I think I paid 19 for these total. Best score of the whole day.

Wowza! And that's a lot of clothes. I've been trying to weed out my wardrobe as well from items that just don't fit anymore to things I never reach for.

And since wedding week is upon us I'll try and snap some photos as the week progresses and update on Friday before the big day. :)

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!

Prep school graduation

Okay, not really. I did go to a prep high school, complete with uniforms (a la Britney Spears in her baby one more time video. trust me, it wasn't that cool). And for some reason, despite the not so flattering uniforms there's a part of me that's always been a die-hard prep deep down inside. Plaid? Love it! Blazers? I'll throw that in too. And elbow patches? Some of my favorite things to go on shirts. I love some of the looks from Tommy Hillfiger and Ralph Lauren (but can't stomach the prices).

To beat the impending rain storm coming our way I decided to brighten things up -I found my red blazer! And my first chambray shirt, too! (I feel like I'm making progress..).

See? Elbow pads!

 Blazer, shirt, and scarf: H&M. Jeans: Urban Outfitters. Necklace: Tiffanys (gift). Shoes: from Morocco! (gift)

I also have to delve a bit into this scarf I spotted at H&M last night and decided I had to have. Someone in the office commented it looks a lot more expensive than the 9.95 price tag it had on it - and I have to agree. Plus whats not to love about cheetahs and irises? I mean, genius to put both those things together.

I'm also trying my hand at instagram - for anyone who is on there find me at makeupandpearls. There's a lot of my cat. But she's cute so I guess its okay.

Thursday morning FH and I are off to Hawaii for the wedding of two of our dear friends. It's a short trip, but look for my post on how I'm packing lightly (with the exception of the party goods I need to bring for the bridal shower).

Black Friday/Why i cannot shop anymore

I got up early, I braved the lines, I conquered Anthropologie's Black Friday sale. In 32 minutes. And got everything I wanted. So here's a roundup of everything that I got this past Black Friday/Bargain shopping weekend.

From Anthro:

the item that I wanted the most was the Ihrin shirtdress. While everyone was mobbing over shoes (i have never seen anything like it in my life) I nabbed two sizes of this to try on. I did have to size up since the 8 seemed a little tight in the bust area but grabbed this is a gorgeous purple hue. Love! Sale price: 49.99 on Black Friday, item 22806756 (check stores).

i'm fairly sure this is the instant class tee in stripes, but i may be wrong. saw this on my last browse through the sale room and nabbed it like it was going out of style. purchased in a size M for 14.95, item 22519847.

tried this on and grabbed it without thinking twice... so i'm not sure if this will stay or not but i think the pattern is adorable and something a bit out of my comfort range. also unsure of the name of this but purchased in a size small for 19.95.

accessories:

looksmart ipad case and passport holder (19.99 and 9.99), raccoon ring holder (3.99), and grove new york goats milk lotion (4.99). I have to tell you... the raccoon ring holder was the second item on my list. i was so happy when i saw an abundance of them at my local store. i also love the pattern on the ipad and passport case... i love matching items. and the smell of the grove lotion is amazing! 

Plus look at how adorable he is close up!

After I finished up at Anthro I made my way back home and straight to bed. Gap was a madhouse and I couldn't stomach  much more than a few minutes there.

Macys.

I had seen this out with my mom in law, sister in law, and best friend. Alas, none in my size. Until I saw this at Macys. For 50% off. And I had an additional 20% off coupon. MINE! Michael Kors toggle front cardigan. 60.00 at Macys, check stores.

Later on that day I headed over to Nordies..

Once I saw this and then tried it on I really had a hard time taking it off to ring it up. I've been searching for something similar to replace some of my older end of life items in my wardrobe and this warm wrap totally fits the bill. I was torn between the grey and the cream but ultimately the grey won out. Bobeau asymmetrical wrap cardigan - 39.90, nordstrom.com or check in stores.

In case you haven't heard, I adore sweaters. I kinda live in them. Especially because I'm normally one of those people who are constantly cold. I saw this and when I first tried it on I wasn't thrilled. Until I paired it with the long sleeved shirt I was wearing and then I loved it. Kensie cowl neck fair isle sweater, 49.90, in stores and nordstrom.com

I kinda have a thing with shoes. I tend to wear the same few pairs over and over again. I had tried these on with a friend and passed. Then I saw them marked down more this weekend and pounced. I love that I can wear these to work as well as with jeans on the weekend. Corso Como Vineland flat in pewter (the black is also a great color!), 72.90 in store and nordstrom.com.

After seeing this pair on a friend I decided that I needed these. Once I saw them marked down I knew I really needed them. Plus a nude patent flat - who doesn't need that in their wardrobe? Very excited to break these in..... Vera Wang Lavendar Lillian patent ballet flats. 96.90, in stores and nordstrom.com (also in black!).  *Thanks Mom!

Black pumps... not something that I really own. I mean, I have two similar pairs in patent peep toes, but nothing plain... nothing I can depend on. Then I saw these. Love. Now here's to hoping that I get over my fear of wearing heels and make these a staple. Cole Haan Air Talia mid pump in black leather, 129.90, in stores and nordstrom.com (and in brown leather, too!)

And another fun pair of black pumps. Mom saw the price on these and since they fit couldn't resist. Love the detailing on the front and the thicker heel. So excited to wear these out! Miz Mooz Felicity pump in black. 59.90, in stores and nordstrom.com (also in purple and grey!)

Major congrats if you've gotten this far. And now, I am banned until sometime next year and desperately praying for a holiday bonus. Or a money tree. Yanno, whatever comes first. Feel free to share your black friday/cyber monday goodies!

Shoes galore! Reveal(s)!

After what seemed like ages (okay, it was really 6 days..) I got my jcrew shoes in the mail. Modeling photos below. I think once I break in the toe box area that they will fit great. I love them and am so glad I not only waited to get them on sale but that they are going to work out!

Oxford flats, Jcrew. Selected sizes online, check stores.

And my long awaited reveal of my perfect leopard print flats! I've already worn these and while they are just a smidge big I think its something that a heel guard will fix. These are seriously so comfy - I feel like I'm walking on air with these on.  So glad I got them.. and almost wishing that I got these sooner! Plus I LOVE the bow detailing on these!

Denise bow flat, Banana Republic. Online for 98.00; in stores check for promos.

And the biggest reveal of all... my wedding shoes! I've hemmed and hawwed over whether to keep the pretty heels that I bought... but once I saw these my mom and sister and I shouted a YES in the middle of the BP shoe salon. I cannot wait to wear these under my dress... Presenting the Steve Madden I-Dreemy ballet flat. (And now available in other colors, too!)

Available at Nordies for 99.00, online and in stores.

And of course, my furry best friend who kept wanting to get in the photos (or just play with shoes, cause she's a shoe queen..) Rosie.