Win $250 to spend at The Waterfront!

Leave a reply

Okay, so I’ll be the first to admit that I’m all about going tra-la-la-ing with a “one for you, one for me,” mentality when it comes to Christmas shopping.

So naturally, I was swooning when The Waterfront asked me to peruse the shops and cobble together my very own #WaterfrontWishlist.

Spend a few hours shopping at my leisure? Uh, wait, please twist my arm a few times while I think about it…

But here’s where it gets really good. This can be even more fun for you because you can win $250 to spend at The Waterfront by creating your very own!

Here’s the deal:

Craft a handwritten note or list a minimum of five items from a Waterfront shop or restaurant.

Then, snap a pic of your letter to put on Instagram. Tag @waterfrontpgh and @seventhandstyle. You MUST use the tag #WaterfrontWishlist in your post.

A winner will be picked to win $250 in gift cards to the stores posted in your #WaterfrontWishlist. Contest is open November 30 – December 18, 2015.

Good luck!

And just in case Santa is reading this, here’s what I feel my angelic behavior has earned me this year:

WaterfrontBlog_Web version

Fujifilm – Instax Mini 8 Instant Film $69.99 – Best buy

I have absolutely no idea why the Polaroid ever went out of vogue. I mean, come on – how many glorious minutes did we all spend waving that film around, trying not to smudge the picture with our grubby little fingers? Thank God for Fujifilm, who clearly has brought the best of the 80’s back to life again. And let’s face it – when are we ever going to actually print out the photos currently clogging up our iPhones? I know I’m not. So it’s nice to know there is still plenty of room for instant gratification in this overly digitized world. Plus, I adore the size of this little guy – he’s portable and fun. Granted, the developed photos are smaller than the originals we were used to, but hey – size doesn’t really matter, does it?

Cotton Fit and Flare Shirt Dress – Express $79.90

I am obsessed with this dress. Little. Black. Perfect. It is so Jackie-O I can barely stand it. The tailored fit is right up my alley, and I’m already imagining how it will look with a fabulous strand of pearls. Normally, I’m not a fan of the high-lo hem line, but there’s something about this little number that just works.

Too Faced 16-Hour Blush – $26.00 – Ulta

I usually roll my eyes when it comes to promises of makeup sticking with me through thick and thin. 16 hours? Fiddle dee dee. But these sweet hearts from Too Faced have an amazing level of staying power and color payoff. A few swipes and voila! The perfect flush of a gal in love. Which is what I am. Swooning, actually. The packaging is so dear, and the rabbit and flower embossing on the blush itself is just beyond darling. The shade I have my eye on is Love Hangover, a rich, warm pink. Consider my heart stolen.

Anne Klein Wool-Cashmere Walker Coat – $325.00 – Macy’s

There’s only one word to describe how I feel about this Wool-Cashmere coat from Anne Klein: L.O.V.E. I adore white coats, and alas, the one hanging in my closet has seen some better days. And it’s hard to find winter wear that doesn’t make you look as though you’re wearing an insulated tent. They’re usually big, bulky, and formless. The tailoring on this is beautiful, and it’s such a classic cut that there’s no reason not to consider this an investment piece that you’ll be able to wear year after year.

Sorel Joan of Arc boot – $169.95 – DSW

There is little I enjoy about winter. In fact, there’s a lot that I don’t enjoy about winter. But although I fully expect to not see the sun again until July, I can at least take solace knowing I’m shoving my polished toes into these furry little beasts from Sorel. I’m loving the detailing – the stitching, brass accents, and of course, the faux fur on the Joan of Arc boot. And, okay, the function aspect of these aren’t too shabby either – seam-sealed waterproof suede, felt frost plug, waterproof rubber shell, and able to stand up to -25 degrees. If I’m going to freeze to death, God knows I want to go out with the perfect sole.

Let’s Kiss and Makeup – Top 5 Holiday Gift Sets at Sephora and Ulta

1 Reply

As soon as I saw this on Instagram, I knew I had found my mantra.

Maybe it’s all the color and packaging and knowledge that hope springs eternal from a new tube of lipstick, but I could be having the worst day of my life and one trip to either Sephora or Ulta and suddenly…it’s like I received a visit from the arch angel.

So you can imagine what it was like when I saw the 2015 Holiday Makeup Palettes begin to roll out. Trumpets. Cherubs.

Oh. My. Lord.

Love them!

The packaging alone is to die for. It’s as though everyone is trying to outdo each other – Stila, Too Faced, Benefit, Nars, Laura Geller, Lipstick Queen, Tarte, Smashbox, BECCA, bare minerals…I could go on forever.

These make the best Christmas gifts. I mean, come on – who wouldn’t pop open one of these sweet peas and just swoon all over themselves? I know I would. Plus, the prices are amazing – seriously, they are steals.

Okay, I’ll stop slobbering on myself long enough to give you my top five. Eeeeee! So excited!!

Let me know which of these, or any others, you have your eye on in the comments!

Here goes:

Party Poppers 12 Days Of Gorgeous Set from Benefit Cosmetics – $45.00 (a $93 value!) **You can also get it at Ulta or Sephora Remember those chocolate Advent calendars? Where you’d pop open the little door each day and get a piece of candy? This set is just like that…except you get to play with makeup samples of their top selling products instead of watching your thighs expand from excessive chocolate consumption. Well played, Benefit! Here’s what you get:
The POREfessional Pore Minimizing Face Primer mini (0.25 oz)

BADgal Lash Volumizing Mascara mini (0.14 oz)

Lollitint Cheek & Lip Stain mini (candy orchid) (0.08 oz)

Ooh La Lift Instant Under-Eye Brightening Boost mini (0.08 oz)

They’re Real! Lengthening Mascara mini (0.01 oz)

They’re Real! Remover mini (0.25 oz)

Rockateur mini (rose gold blush) (0.1 oz)

High Beam Highlighter mini (0.08 oz)

Total Moisture Facial Cream mini (0.3 oz)

Ultra Plush Lip Gloss mini in Hoola (0.22 oz)

Ultra Plush Lip Gloss mini in Sugarbomb (0.22 oz)

Watt’s Up! Highlighter mini (0.08 oz)

2. A Whole Lot of Love Gift Set – Stila – $59.00 (a $225 value…da-yam!)

Stila should get a gold medal for this packaging. It is so pretty and just…oh, lovely. The best part is that you don’t even have to bother with wrapping it. It’s a beaut as is.

And check out what you get: 20 matte, pearl and shimmer eye shadows, 4 shades of blush in the most scrumptious colors, and a deluxe sample of their HUGE Extreme Lash Mascara. Ridiculous.

Eye Shadow Shades:

White Sparkle
Pale Peach
Nude Shimmer
Metallic Peach
Rose Gold
Rose Pewter
Seaweed
Metallic Taupe
Warm Honey
Warm Taupe
Cool Taupe
Chocolate
Rose
Deep Plum
Lapis
Denim
Frosted Lavender
Eggplant
Black Pearl
Coal

Blush Shades:

Light Pink
Dusty Rose
Peach Shimmer
Berry Shimmer

You can also grab it at Ulta (online only) or Sephora

3. BECCA Afterglow Palette – Limited Edition – $39.50

Good God. BECCA. As if they didn’t have me in a perpetual state of afterglow already. Lest you are not familiar with this brand, consider this your proper introduction. Because you need BECCA in your life. Their highlighters are to-die for. I am completely smitten with my Shimmering Skin Perfector in the shade Moonstone. At $38.00, it’s a pricey one, I know – but totally worth it. It gives you the most illuminating glow, without any of the glitter sparkle that are found in so many highlighters. (Side note: if you are addicted to watching YouTube makeup vids like I am, you probably know of Jaclyn Hill. She partnered with BECCA to do a Shimmering Skin Perfector in the shade Champagne Pop. It’s gorgeous. But too dark for my skin. Worth swatching to see if it works for you though…)

Anyway, when I saw this Afterglow Palette come out as a Limited Edition, I knew I had to get my dirty little hands on it. It’s also available at Ulta.

Anywho, here’s what you get:

Shimmering Skin Perfector Pressed in Moonstone
Shimmering Skin Perfector Pressed in Rose Gold
Shimmering Skin Perfector Pressed in Topaz
Mineral Blush in Wild Honey
Mineral Blush in Flowerchild

4. Zoya 4 Piece Mini Gift Set in Nude or Berry – $18.00

One of the perks about Zoya is that is it Big 5 Free – meaning no formaldehyde, dibutyl phthalate (DBP), toluene, formaldehyde resin or camphor. It is one of the only brands that I use. And I’ve noticed a huge difference on my nails – no more splitting or breaking as easily – since using their Naked Manicure Starter Set. So when I saw these two mini gift sets, I was sold. The nudes are the perfect whisper shades of pink while the berries are a great range for fall/winter. Honestly, I’ve never tried their lipstick, so I’m interested in seeing how they swatch and feel on the lips.

5. Too Faced – French Kisses Melted – $25.00 ($40 value!)

Okay, so we all know that everyone went cocoa-crazy over these liquified lipsticks when they first rolled out. Full disclosure: I snagged the Melted Strawberry shade which was gorgeous but dried my lips out like crazy. But every time I see the Melted display, I want to give them another go. And could this packaging be any cuter? Let’s just say that I consider this gift set to be a sign.

Here’s what you get:

4 deluxe sizes of Melted Metallic Peony, Melted Chihuahua, Melted Metallic Macaroon, and Melted Berry

You can also get it at Ulta

So there you have it. Like I said, gift yourself, gift someone, or do a little bit of both. While you’re deciding, I’ll be swooning my way through the makeup aisles.

xoxoxoxoxo

Target: home of the best sweater ever. For under $20!

Leave a reply

I am not a cold weather person.

Although born and raised in balmy Pittsburgh, I am convinced that my real parents are from some tropic island, hence my body’s refusal to adopt to it’s surroundings.

Anyways, my interest in sitting around shivering all day is about, uh, zero. So, I have to layer. And layer. And layer.

And one of my key layering pieces has been this sweater from Target. Yes, Target. I kid you not – it is THE BEST SWEATER of all time.

target sweater 4

Here is why.

First of all, it is not big and bulky and constricting like a lot of sweaters are.

Secondly, it’s not see-through and thin as paper like a lot of sweaters are.

Third, it is so soft it is ridiculous.

Fourth, it lays beautifully without a hint of unnecessary bulk

Fifth, it is under twenty bucks. (Bonus: Black Friday sales galore. This sucker is like twelve bucks right now. Plus, for a limited time they have free shipping).

Um, sold.

I bought three last year and oh my, I will be stocking up again.

I’m telling you – I don’t even bother looking anywhere else for sweaters that will protect me from pitifully depressing and cold Pittsburgh winter. Running around trying to find one that compares is a waste of time. And if I’m not going to see the sun again until July, well, I might as well wrap myself in something that is going to make my happy.

As far as sizing, they run true.

So, yeah – run! Take thyself to Target. Worship at the altar of Tar-jay. You won’t regret it.

xoxoxoxoxox

Move over, monochrome

1 Reply

I am, quite frankly, O-V-E-R the boring, uninspiring, have-I-gone-colorblind? hues of winter.

This is said with one caveat: I find myself defaulting to my funereal chic palate of grays and blacks of Pittsburgh when under a self-inflicted, weather-dependent house arrest. Perfect for mourning the loss of temperatures that rose beyond a single digit.

Punching something into my wardrobe is typically reserved for nights out on the town.

I love this polka dotted gal I ordered online from Sheinside. I don’t know how anyone can be in a dour mood when wearing polka dots, and the versatility of it is what makes it so scrumptious. OH, and the fact that it’s poofy enough to hide an entire tribe under there.

I thought I’d try it out with this (admittedly horrible) denim button down I got from Target awhile back. Full disclosure: I hate this shirt. It’s too tight in the shoulders, the material is oppressively thick and it fits like a strait-jacket. So, yes, I am in the market for a replacement. But I love its pretty fade.

The clutch is one of my faves – a python embossed newbie from Gigi New York. They have a larger version of this, which, to me, looks like you’re lugging around a manilla envelope of a bag. I like my clutches to be something I clutch, not something that swallows half of my body. The ability to stamp your initials on their purses is also appealing, so much so that I plan on getting this clutch in, oh, I don’t know – EVERY COLOR OF THE RAINBOW.

Just a side note: I have never been one for purses. They just weren’t my thing. They still aren’t an obsession, but they are starting to woo me. As long as they have personality.

My desire for something more than monochromatic has also translated over into my cosmetics – namely, my lip sticks, stains, glosses, and glazes. I have been stockpiling them in shades of fiery oranges, hot pinks, and juicy melons.

So, on this day, I decided to bring a little bit of MAC’s Lady Danger into my life.

I ADORE the smack-you-in-the-face orange of this MAC cult classic. It is just to-die. For those of you who are unawares, it’s a matte finish, holds beautifully, and is a must-have – especially for my brunette sisters out there.

So, yeah – here’s to trying to add a little ray of wardrobe-inspired sunshine into our lives. For those of you living in warmer climes, I DON’T KNOW HOW YOU SLEEP AT NIGHT.

By the way, can I come over?

xoxoxoxox

Photos by the one and only J. Altdorfer Photography. Follow him on Insta @j_altdorfer.

Tuelling around Pittsburgh

Leave a reply

I know there’s a lot of withering looks regarding the interests of princesses these days. To those people I say, “Let them eat cake.”

This is largely due to the fact that I am convinced that hanging in every royal’s closet is an endless sea of tulle, of which I am obsessed. Not to mention, I’m one of those people who could run errands in my tulle-d out wedding dress and not think anything of it.

Because as far as I’m concerned, there is always time for tulle. Tulle time: all the time.

So, imagine my delight when I stumbled upon a handful of online boutiques who make, cue the heavenly trumpets – tulle skirts for people over the age of five!!

This one in particular came from Space 46 Boutique – and their mantra is, “Any day is a good day for a tulle skirt.”

I concur!

This particular style is “The Wendy” in the color “Ivory.” It comes in 22″, 25″ and 30″ – I snagged the 25″.

It sits higher on the waist, which I love, and is just super floaty and flirty and fun – like, let me run through a field fun!

After I bought it, the hunt was on for the perfect top. I knew what I had in mind, having seen this blouse at The Limited way back when. I snagged the last one on clearance, but the original cut was way too boxy and big for it to work. So, I took it to a tailor for some major surgery.

She split the back so that it zips from top to bottom and also brought it in considerably to give it more shape. Because you know by now that I hate when blouses bunch and gather and move and groove all the live long day, I had her sew little buttons into both the skirt and the blouse so I literally just snap it into place.

The blue kicks are from Aldo – and I have to admit, I hate them. They are so uncomfortable – ugh, horrible. Four inches of torture.

My go-to heels are the Martina’s from Nine West, which clock in at 3 1/2 inches, and it wasn’t until recently that they restocked their blue suede that everyone went nutso crazy over a few months back.

By the time this photo shoot was done, my feet were KILLING me. They shall be nothing more than prop shoes.

But in any event, I look forward to filling my closet with more of these poofy little numbers, swimming happily in a sea of tulle.

xoxoxoxox

Photos by the one and only John Altdorfer, a mighty fine and superbly talented shutterbug. Check him out on Insta @j_altdorfer

Suit up!

3 Replies

I have become absolutely OB-SESSED with bodysuits lately.

Yes! Bodysuits! All hail 1984!

Here’s the main reason: I have no idea why, but for some reason, items I have diligently tucked in tend to come tucked out in five seconds flat. I swear, I lift a finger and all of a sudden, my shirt has shifted so much that it looks like I just got done huffing through a triathlon.

And when things start shifting, I start getting fidgety. And, oh Lord, when that starts happening, just take me back home and let me sulk it out alone.

This is the “Mila” bodysuit from New York & Company’s Eva Mendes collection. And I swear, I am going to buy one IN EVERY COLOR. They are so gorgeous, it’s ridiculous. Look at that baby!

I find them to be absolutely perfect for pairing with my favorite Mad Men-esque skirts – of which (as you know) reign supreme in my world.

What I love most about these bodysuits is that they stay in place. They don’t bunch up, or shift, or take on some kind of life of their own that makes you look unkempt. Another bonus is the fact that the back and sides are knit, while the front and sleeves are chiffon. So, you get the extra coverage and structural support where you need it, and the rest is all pretty. And that’s hard to find – usually it’s one or the other. And ain’t no one got time for making HARD, GUT-WRENCHING CHOICES like that.

The skirt is from Chicwish, one of my fave online retailers. There, I can peruse pages upon pages of happy 1950’s housewife numbers like this one. I got it on Black Friday for a song, and it is just lovely. Admittedly, red is not a color that I often find lurking in my wardrobe, but I love this little lady.

The shoes are my usual nude Martina kicks from Nine West, an absolute staple in my wardrobe.

I’m still on my skirt kick because I just love the endless options that a skirt/blouse combo present. Dresses are lovely and all, but what you see is what you get. There are so many ways I could wear either one of the items in this picture, creating whatever look I’m in the mood for.

And being in a good mood and feeling confident is always a good thing…because you never know who you might just oh-so-casually bump into.

How about you? Are you open to the idea of suiting up this season?

xoxoxox

Details:

Eva Mendes “Mila” bodysuit from New York & Company

Clutch: Coach

Skirt: Chicwish

Shoes: Nine West

Photos by the one and only John Altdorfer, a mighty fine and superbly talented shutterbug. Check him out on Insta @j_altdorfer

Survival of the fittest

1 Reply

Welp, I made it.

Yep, I made it through No Spend Decem(ber) with nary a need for tranquilizers.

I think I spent maybe $16.95 on unnecessary products during the entire month. The twitching stopped after about five days, in case you were wondering. And lately, I’ve been pretty good about keeping my money in my bank account rather than on a hanger. There’s really not much out there right now that turns my wheel. Even with all the crazy sales going on. I’ve bought two pieces of clothing this month that were so discounted they might as well given them to me for free.

Anyways, this ensemble consists of absolutely nothing new. Actually, I lie – the scarf is new. Everything else is not.

The cashmere sweater from – of all places – Steinmart – has become one of my favorites. I can count the number of times I’ve been in Steinmart on one hand. Once to buy this sweater and once a year later to see if it came in a candy apple red. Which, by the way – is a lot harder to find than you would think. It’s like when you go to the paint store and see fifty thousands shades of white. I just want white. Not whisper white or polar bear white or hallucination white. Just white. But, I digress.

Anyways, back to layering…

Cashmere, while a lovely idea, isn’t exactly hearty enough to keep me warm. Maybe I’m the only one here, but on days when it’s warmer in Anchorage than it is here at home, the idea of waltzing around the house with a solo layer isn’t exactly my cup of tea.

Which is why I stock up on cover sweaters. I say cover because I HATE cardigans. Someday, we’ll talk about that, but for now, I’ll spare you.

This black number was a snag I got at Banana Republic a few years ago on clearance. I literally got this for like, I don’t know, fifteen dollars or something ridiculous. I love it because I can wear it as a cape or buttoned up and proper. And it has one of those Jackie O collars, which you can’t see because of the scarf, but it just folds out and lays beautifully on the collarbone.

Very Mad Men.

Shocking that it ended up in my closet, I know.

Back to the aforementioned scarf: I snagged it during the Black Friday sales at Forever 21 for $5.99. It’s super warm and cozy and I just ADORE it. It’s like a very stylish neck brace. Sometimes I wear it when I sleep. Honestly.

Although, every time I do that, I hear my mother’s voice in my head warning about strangulation by scarf or something similar she saw on 20/20 at one time. So far, so good. I’ll let you know when it goes awry.

That clutch is about 10,000 years old. Seriously, it is. Not even gonna lie – it’s a total prop for this look. If I’d open it up, you’d all run away screaming. Either I had a piece of gum that melted in there or some alien birthed a baby inside, but regardless – it is dees-gus-ting.

So, I suppose for now I’m pretty committed to remaining on hiatus as it pertains to stimulating the local retail economy. How about you?

xoxoxoxox

Details:

Scarf: Forever 21, Wrap: Banana Republic, Gloves: Burlington, Clutch: God only knows, Jeans: Uh, same goes, shoes: Nine West (duh!)

Photos by the super talented John Altdorfer. Check him out online and on Insta @J_Altdorfer

When I’m cut, I bleed maple syrup

Leave a reply

I was making a new Spotify playlist this morning comprised entirely of love songs from the 1980’s when it suddenly dawned on me:

I. Am. A. Sap.

In high school, college, my roaring twenties, and probably even up until about a year ago, I liked to fancy myself as some kind of cool, steely Betty Draper sort of gal. And then I woke up one day and slapped myself. “Girl, come owne….”

I am a sap because I can pretty much romanticize anything. And everything.

The Wild West? Romantic!

Being blacklisted? Very romantic!

Road trips on blue highways with no cell reception? So very romantic!

Bob Geldof in “The Wall”? Oh, heaven help me because I just slid out of my chair…Swoon!

He’s so tortured!!

I’m also very romantically inclined about places.

Case in point: I avoid my hometown like the plague. This is primarily because when I see that the sites of my most cherished childhood memories have been completely obliterated to make way for one more highway, one more strip mall, and one more Walmart, my head hurts. And I feel like crying. And sometimes, I do. Okay, actually, I cry a lot about that.

I hate my old hometown.

Most of the people I meet don’t seem particularly concerned about this. Let alone, categorize it as a problem. “It’s progress,” they insist. Yay, progress.

I find it to be a problem.

It’s a problem because when you tell someone that a new strip mall gives you hives and makes you want to cry, they look at you funny.

And when you tell them that it really upsets you when you begin to wonder about the old abandoned farmhouse had to be torn down in order for that strip mall to be built, they look at you quite funny.

And when you go on and explain that it kills you to think of a lifetime of beloved moments that unfolded in that old abandoned farmhouse that are now forever buried under the aisle for denture cleansers at CVS, they tend to look at you as if you need immediate psychiatric attention.

But that’s how I feel. And it’s because I want everything in life, even the final days of an old abandoned farmhouse, to mimic the ending to “An Officer and a Gentleman.”

(If you have not seen this movie, go. Now. Hurry. Run.)

This is why I loathe watching the news, or reading the news, or talking about the news. Because it seems like nothing in the news ends up like the final scene in “An Officer and a Gentleman” these days. And I find that to be quite inconvenient.

“That’s not very re-al-istic,” I imagine people are already saying as they read this, rolling their eyes.

Those people are correct. It isn’t realistic. And that’s why I prefer to spend all day at home talking to my dog rather than going outside and talking to people who enjoy disillusioning me even more.

Because I will never understand why said people are more interested in standing outside during a two-week long vigil to get the latest iPhone that will be obsolete in four months anyways, why sex tapes guarantee a person’s celebrity status, and why – OH WHY? – writing love letters to each other seems totally absurd but sending along a string of undecipherable, cryptic jibber via text message is a reasonable way to express our romantic notions towards each other.

I < 3 U lolololoz #soulm8

What can I say? My head is planted firmly in the clouds. And in those clouds, I’m romanticizing about the days of lone rangers, dreamers, telegrams, paper maps, and – most importantly -when lifetimes of beloved moments weren’t forever buried under the aisle for denture cleansers at CVS.

xoxoxoxox

Ps – for all my fellow maple syrupers, here’s what landed on that Spotify list:

“How Can I Fall?” – Breathe

“Sara” – Fleetwood Mac

“Hard to Say I’m Sorry” – Chicago

“Waiting for a Girl Like You” – Foreigner

“Even the Nights Are Better” – Air Supply

“Up Where We Belong – An Officer and a Gentleman” (DUH!) – Joe Cocker, Jennifer Warnes

“True” – Spandau Ballet

“I Want to Know What Love Is” – Foreigner

“Take On Me” – a ha

“Never Surrender” – Corey Hart

“The Search is Over” – Survivor

“When I See You Smile” – Bad English

“(I Just) Died In Your Arms” – Cutting Crew

“Don’t Dream It’s Over” – Crowded House

“Oh Sherrie” – Steve Perry

‘I’ll Be Over You” – Toto

“Can’t We Try” – Dan Hill & Vonda Shepard

“It Might Be You (The Theme from Tootsie)” – Dave Grusin

Go ahead, label me

5 Replies

I have to admit: I am completely oblivious when it comes to labels.

Chanel, Forever 21, Dior, Tar-jay – whatever. If I like it, I like it.

Don’t get me wrong, if you’re feeling the Christmas spirit and want to stack my closet with some Carolina Herrera, why, come right in!

But when it comes to my own dime, I guess I pay more attention to whether or not I bond with something rather than where it comes from. (This also may or may not have to do with the fact that I am a cheap bas… Oh dang. My mom will read this and yell at me again if I swear. Uh, I am a cheap…person).

I don’t care if I do have a champagne budget – I want to pay beer prices. Like, not even Pabst Blue Ribbon prices – Natty Light prices.

Yes. During a 50% off sale, I’m the fool scrolling through my Retail Me Not app to see if there’s one of those “take an additional 10% off” coupons lurking about.

This blanket scarf is a case study in my psychology.

Yasss, that one.

My Insta-buddies continuously fuel my plaid habit by showing off the latest additions to their family. This guy was one of them.

I forget whom I saw it on first, but as soon as I locked eyes with it: Swoon!

Had to have it.

As you probably already know, Zara has been carrying the mother load of plaid blanket scarves this season. We don’t have a Zara around these parts, but (obviously), thanks to the World Wide Web, all retailing is possible.

So, yeah, Zara. Great selection. But $35, $45, $55 for a blanket scarf? Come owne!

So, as I am wont to do, thus began my internet stalking.

Very quickly, I tapped into what I have come to refer to as my “Plaid connection” (i.e. Ebay vendor). There, in front of my little eyes, was every single plaid scarf I had ever coveted.

For like $11.99 a pop.

I hesitated momentarily with regards to quality, but at the end of the day I figured that it worth the risk. Because I am a risk taker (as long as the risk is $15.99 and under including shipping and handling).

Can I just tell you that when it arrived, guess what tag was attached?

Yup.

Zara.

As soon as No Spend Decem(ber) is over, you can bet to which website my little fingers will be taking me. (No.’s 8&9 – just in case you were wondering).

xoxoxoxox

Details:

Plaid Blanket Scarf in No. 11

Jeans: Gap “Skimmers”

Shoes: Andrew Geller “Glorify” booty from DSW (also superrrr comfortable, just in case you were wondering)

Snood: Clare’s Boutique

Shades: Forever 21

Sweater: J. Crew Factory

Cardigan: Tar-jay

Photos by the one and only J. Altdorfer Photography. He’s also on Insta @J_Altdorfer

Sometimes, things really are just black and white

4 Replies

So, lately I’ve had this thing with black and white. Every morning when I wake up, it’s like…hmm…what to wear, what to wear. Oh, how about black? And white!

Hooray for amazing displays of creativity!

As I’ve mentioned in the past, going all crazy wild with pattern and color mixing is not my calling card. On other people I love it. On me, uh, no. I feel as though I look like I got dressed in the dark. Besides the fact that too many things going on in an ensemble make me nervous and fidgety and may or may not have caused me to turn the car around to go home and change.

Anyways! The point I’m trying to make is that what I do love, my happy place, is popping an outfit with one major focal point.

Like, say, a pink skirt…that used to be…a dress!

So unlike me, I know!

Yes, this was another dress-to-skirt conversion by the lovely and talented Rebekah Joy of Honey Show Studios. It’s by Calvin Klein and I literally bought it in pink, green, and blue. It had thick straps, a little thicker than a tank top would have. So, yeah, naturally, those HAD TO GO.

So, we just lopped off the top. The existing band created a natural high waist, which I adore, because low waisted anything looks completely ridiculous on me.

One thing I will say that has been lovely about becoming older and wiser is that I am so much more comfortable knowing what does and does not work for my body type, and what I do and do not feel comfortable wearing.

How about you? Are there things hanging in your closet that you’re trying to convince yourself you like, or look good in?

I know people will say, “Oh! You’re crazy! You look great!” and that they may or may not be lying. But the point is that it’s all about what YOU feel comfortable in. I don’t care how perfect my hair is curling that day, or if my cat eye liner is spot on – if what I’m wearing makes me feel off, I’m better off just staying at home and talking to the dog all night long.

And yes, she is an EXCELLENT conversationalist.

xoxoxoxoxo

Details:

Shoes: Nine West

Top: The Gap

Skirt: Macy’s (Calvin Klein)

Pearls: Henne Jewelers

Purse: Coach

Photos by the amazing J. Altdorfer Photography. Check him out on Insta @J_Altdorfer

It's like having the fashion soul of Jackie Kennedy while living in a Kim Kardashian world.

Let's look at pretty things and forget to pay the bills.

Win $250 to spend at The Waterfront!

Let’s Kiss and Makeup – Top 5 Holiday Gift Sets at Sephora and Ulta

Target: home of the best sweater ever. For under $20!

Move over, monochrome

Tuelling around Pittsburgh

Suit up!

Survival of the fittest

When I’m cut, I bleed maple syrup

Go ahead, label me

Sometimes, things really are just black and white