The start of spring shopping

March 13, 2011 by 7 Comments

I’m so excited spring is just about here!  Today I went shopping for the warm weather that will hopefully be coming soon.  My plan was to go to Loehmann’s, the only location here in MA.  After a 30 minute drive, I found out that there is no longer a Loehmann’s in MA!  I remember hearing about them going bankrupt, but then I thought it had been bought out and was saved.  I just thought they would have sent me some kind of goodbye letter or something after all the other mailings I got from them, but understandable that’s not on their priority list!

So anyway, I was disappointed, but made the best of it and went to DSW, Marshall’s, Nordstrom Rack and Urban Outfitters.  I didn’t have any luck with clothes, but bought these 2 pairs of shoes for a total of $94.90!  Do you like them?

Black wedge Seychelles shoes.  Seychelles is a brand I’ve been wearing for awhile because all their shoes have the two qualities I look for – style and comfort.  I’ll probably wear these shoes to work a lot.  I’m a big fan of a low heel, especially when it’s a wedge shoe.

I was looking for a casual neutral flat and am really happy I found these BCBG Paris shoes.  They are a very pale pink and comfortable.  I can’t wait to wear them!

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LA girl spring/summer 2011 from Allison Wonderland

March 11, 2011 by 1 Comment

Looking at the spring/summer collection from Allison Wonderland makes me really excited about spring – and wishing I lived on the west coast! The designer Allison Smith’s inspiration for this collection was the LA glamour girl. In bold prints and vibrant solid colors in everything from shorts to blouses to dresses makes this collection perfect for anywhere you live. Shop Allison Wonderland now in the online shop or various boutiques in Canada.

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Is swapping a trend or here to stay?

March 8, 2011 by 4 Comments

Have you heard of “swapping?”  Swapping has become really popular around the country in the past couple years with the recession, primarily around swapping clothes, but also extending out to furniture and even motorcycles!  The logistics of each swap meet event varies, but for a small entrance fee or sometimes no fee at all, you bring clothes that are in good condition but that you don’t want anymore.  Other people do the same, and you get to swap the clothes people brought in by “shopping” and taking them home with you!  The Swapaholics, founded here in Boston by two friends who love fashion, have been very busy the past couple years hosting events now all around the country.  You can watch some great interviews with them here about what happens at a clothes swap.

theswapaholics.com

Swap events are the ultimate in sustainable fashion.  So it’s clear how swap meets made a lot of sense when the recession hit and people needed to cut back.  These events have been a great way to still get that “retail therapy” fix we all need, but for little to no cost.  It’s become more accepted over these penny-pinching years to shop at consignment stores, repeat wearing your clothes more often, and attend these swap events.  But, as the economy starts to pick-up again and people’s discretionary income comes back, will people go back to the mall and skip over wearing other people’s clothes?  Or have these events introduced a brand new way of responsible shopping that is here to stay?

I think even if the recession is going away, people are still struggling to get by and it will take years to get back to where we were before it all went downhill.  With gas prices going up now due to the protests in North Africa, the cost of clothes and food are the next things to rise, so cutting back on the excesses of shopping will be here for awhile.  I do think for those people who are not so passionate about the consignment store way of shopping, they will be the first to go back to the traditional way of buying new clothes as soon as they have the money to spend.  But for people who have always been interested in sustainability, but just found out about responsible clothes shopping, swap events will be here despite the economy.

PS – What do you want to see more of on this blog? Let me know by voting here - thanks!

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What to wear to SXSW

March 7, 2011 by Leave a Comment

Packing your bags deciding what to wear to SXSW?  Lucky you!  You get to spend days away with great music, film and informative panels in what looks like perfect weather of high 70’s and sunny!  To figure out what to wear, first decide what your main goal for the festival is.  No matter what you are doing, the keys are comfortable shoes for the standing and walking you’ll be doing and layers for the warmer days and cooler nights.  Here are some potential outfit ideas for the event based on what you’re doing:

You’re all about the music

You’re there to watch some good films

You want to  hear from panelists about the latest in media


PS – What do you want to see more of on this blog? Let me know by voting here - thanks!

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What’s in your bag?

March 4, 2011 by 6 Comments

So maybe it’s because yesterday was Thursday Purseday, but I realized that I came across a few posts on my favorite blogs yesterday about purses.  UK publication, The Independent, wrote an article about the history of luxury handbags, including what was once found in Janis Joplin’s bag, which was a lot! (Everything from an antique cigarette holder to an alarm clock.)  And the Free People blog posted some pictures about what people in their office have in their bag.

I know it’s not a new concept, but I do think it’s interesting, especially with the huge bags that a lot of us carry around everyday, to find out what people are carrying.  I am definitely someone who has a lot in my big bag that my boyfriend calls a suitcase.  When I go out at night, I’ll try to bring a smaller bag with only the essentials, but deciding what makes the cut is always a challenge.  So what’s in my bag?

What’s in yours?  If you send me a picture, I’ll add it to this post!

PS – What do you want to see more of on this blog?  Let me know by voting here - thanks!

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What I read: wintertime books

March 3, 2011 by 4 Comments

For the past couple months, I’ve been on a reading frenzy! This cold weather makes me want to read since it’s too cold to do anything outside. And a beach vacation with 5 hours of flying each way provided me with some good reading time too. Have you been reading? Anything you recommend? Here’s what I’ve been reading:


Little Women by Louisa May Alcott – I’ve seen the movie, but had never read the book. And this type of story is exactly what I like reading – coming of age books, stories about family and relationships, historical fiction. It was as good as I had hoped. The one thing I thought was so amazing is how timeless this book is. It came out in 1868 And I felt like I could still relate to the story. I loved getting a peek into what life was like back then. The book is broken up into two sections. I learned from  the book that Louisa May Alcott originally just wrote the first section and then when that was published and so well received, she wrote the second part in only 3 months! I will say I liked the first section a lot better, but it was good to find out what happens to each sister in the second part.


All We Ever Wanted Was Everything by Janelle Brown – The book cover says “a killer summer read” and that’s totally true. I read this on my beach vacation and it was perfect. It’s easy to follow and suspenseful, so it’s easy to get engaged even when you get distracted every once in awhile by the kite boarder or swimmers in the ocean. It’s about two sisters and a mother who are all going through not-so-positive changes in their lives at the same time and how they come together. It was a light read, but at the same time, it had something behind it in people’s interactions and emotions.


The History of Love by Nicole Krauss – I have picked this book up so many times at the bookstore, but hadn’t ever bought it. But then one day I was at my parent’s and my mom had the book, so I decided to give it a try. I started reading it the day before Valentine’s Day so I figured that was the perfect time to be reading it. I have to say, this wasn’t my favorite book. The chapters are written from different people’s perspectives, so it took me a little bit to follow what was going on. There was one character that I liked and understood and then when it switched over to the next character, I would get lost until about mid-way through the book. I read it in a week, so it was a quick read, but I’d have a hard time explaining to you what I read!

PS – Let me know what kind of posts you like on my blog by voting here - thanks!

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Help me out! What do you want to see on this blog?

March 2, 2011 by Leave a Comment

A couple months ago I restarted this blog with a goal to put more of my personality into it and get to know you more!  Since then this blog’s posts have been a little different from in the past, but I want to know what you like and want to see more of.  It would be great if you can take this quick little poll to let me know.  And feel free to pass this post and blog around to your friends! :)  Thank you!

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Totally unique jewelry made from vintage car clock parts

February 25, 2011 by 3 Comments

As you’ve probably seen, the 70′s are coming back this spring with wide-leg pants, blousy shirts, and platform shoes.  The jewelry from independent company, LYKY Design, is the perfect complement to the 70′s fall trends.  And they are completely unique; the earrings and necklaces are made out of American car clock parts and other found objects from the 1930′s to the 1980′s.  How cool is that?  Shop online to get your one-of-a-kind piece.  And watch this short film from LYKY Design to get inspired:

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My Favorite Things: Winter 2010/2011 Edition

February 22, 2011 by 3 Comments

If Oprah can do it, why can’t I!  I’ve decided to share with you this year some of my favorite things from my closet, starting with what I’ve been wearing this fall/winter.  It was actually an interesting exercise pulling out what my favorite clothes are.  I’ve never really taken a step back to look at what my favorite pieces are and how they go together.  I think when I look at it all together it shows that I have a casual stylish wardrobe.  Try it for yourself.  What are your favorite things from your closet?  What does it say about your style?

And now, here are my favorite things to wear this winter:

1- A black tunic/dress from H&M.  It’s hard to see here, but it has a cowl neck and gathers at the waist and then flows out to an A-line.  I bought this probably 4 years ago now when I lived in New York and it’s still a favorite.  I usually wear it with leggings and boots.

2- A gray turtleneck dress from Urban Outfitters.  Since it’s 3/4 length, I usually wear some kind of cardigan over it.  And since it’s pretty plain, I usually layer a scarf or necklace over it to jazz the outfit up a little.

3- I bought this American Rag jacket from Macy’s last year as an impulse buy.  I went back and forth on buying it because I didn’t really need it, but I’m glad I got it.  I like the different patterns on it.

4- A gray sweater coat thing from H&M from last year.  In the fall, I’ll wear this as a coat.  In the winter, I usually wear it on the weekends to keep warm.

5- I’ve received a lot of compliments on this sweater from Asos.  I bought it at the beginning of the winter as my new staple sweater.  It’s a very drapey sweater at the front and I like that the colors are neutral so I can wear it with anything.

6- I love this tunic from Free People.  It fits my body so well and is great for the weekend days.

7- I wanted a basic neutral color tunic to wear as a layering piece and got this one from C&C California.  I’ll wear it with jeans and heels and jewelry for dinner or with jeans and sneakers for a casual day.

8- This mini skirt from H&M is very bright for my usual wardrobe, but I liked it.  I usually end up wearing this with a black long-sleeve top and boots to work.

9- My favorite Citizens of Humanity jeans ripped this year, so now these James jeans are my favorite.  They’re my “going-out” jeans.  They are hemmed to wear with heels, so I only wear them going out on the weekends or to work on a casual day.

10- Converse Chuck Taylor’s.  I bought these when I lived in New York.  I don’t like wearing running shoes with a casual outfit, so I bought these instead.

11- I love these black suede knee-high Chinese Laundry boots and wear them with jeans, leggings, skirts, and dresses.  The only problem is they aren’t great for winter weather  - the bottom has no grip, so I slip and I don’t want to get them wet.

12- These wedge booties from Blowfish are the only new shoes I bought this winter (I’m not a shoe girl).  I don’t like wearing heels because they are annoying to walk in.  But wedge shoes are perfect because they are so comfortable.  I wear these with my James jeans or various dresses/skirts.

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Edelweiss by Sarah 1940′s inspired spring collection

February 18, 2011 by Leave a Comment

As a fan of anything vintage and Great Gatsby and Mad Men, I love this spring collection from Edelweiss by Sarah inspired by 1940′s summer camp.  The clothes elegantly balance nostalgia and modernness.  To get to the summer camp look, some of the pieces have strip detailing to resemble wearing a backpack and the clothes are made of fabric in earth tones.  Aren’t they lovely?  Visit here to buy the clothes, which will be on sale in the next couple weeks!

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