Making a list...

As the shopping days until Christmas tick on by, I've started tallying some specific items for my wish list in anticipation of upcoming black Friday trips.  Along with a few gadgets (Apple tv, maybe a Kindle - although I'm one of those "paper book" people), the one thing I can't wait to acquire right now is a well-tailored tweedy blazer.  This past weekend at a homecoming tailgate with some of my best girlfriends from college, I admired a blazer my friend Mackie had purchased before she returned to the States from London.  Of course, nothing beats British tweed, but I've found a few options available in the US at a couple of different price points. 

Love these choices:

British Velvet Trimmed Blazer, $248
(also in Charcoal)

Kensie Faded Tweed Blazer, $128, Available on Amazon

Hive & Honey Velvet Trim Riding Jacket, $69, Available on Piperlime (also in Navy)

Hive & Honey Suede Trim Blazer, $69, Available on Piperlime (also in Brown Herringbone)

Boden Club House Blazer, $179 (also in Charcoal and Olive)


 

Above the Diet with Doris

I just found out today that Doris, one of my besties here in Nola, has also started a blog about eating and dieting.  She is one of my favorite people here, and what she writes on her blog is definitely something I'm not strong enough to post about myself, although I often do and thing almost everything she writes about on a weekly basis.  I'm so proud of her for starting this blog, and I hope you all will read it!!  You can find her at www.abovethedietwithdoris.blogspot.com.

In other news, I did pass the Mississippi Bar...yay!  After that, I took a long weekend to Boston and spent some time with my mom and brother hanging out in the city, and my brother flew back down with me and we both went to Jackson for my Mississippi admissions ceremony.  Sadly, I do not have any exciting shopping news to report.  I did not shop at all in Boston (what is wrong with me???) and have only bought a couple of boring things to wear for work this fall.  But,  I promise I will get back on the horse with more amazing deals leading up to Black Friday.  I can't believe its less than 2 months away!

Ahhh, Herve

I remember being a freshman in college, going through sorority rush and then pledging and trying to figure out the "sorority uniform."  What where these jeans with the squiggly "S" on the pocket? (Seven for All Mankind)  What were those loafer looking shoes everyone had? (Top-siders)  Where do you find this brand with the brightly colored prints of animals and balloons and other things? (Lilly, of course) What color is your next Denali fleece going to be?  Where do they sell those quilted floral print tote bags? (Vera)  I eventually figured these things out, having come from an ultra-small rural NC town.  Abercrombie & Fitch for day to day wear and Cache for prom was like couture to me back then.  I think my style has matured just a bit since then, but I spent a lot of time in those days trying to figure out what to wear to fit in with the Greek crowd.  It took me the longest time, though, to figure out the brand of the colorful canvas bags with the black handles the girls used to carry their books/computers to class, and the much smaller ones everyone had for going out on Franklin.  Once I figured out that it was Herve Chapelier, I was on a quest to find out where a girl might acquire one of these wildly popular little tote bags.  I had kind of gotten over my Vera Bradley phase, so I thought I'd go for the small tote with the teeny tiny handles just big enough to fit your hand through.  I walked from Granville Towers to Uniquities on Franklin Street and made the purchase...a lovely little blue & blue tote (gotta represent UNC and KKG) that set me back quite a bit for such a little canvas purse.  It served me well all through college and on into law school.  I didn't toss it until just last year because it was finally just too dirty to be seen in public.  It was a sad day.  Since 2004 I have purchased two more, only the larger versions.  Both have hauled law books, novels and beach towels, overnight clothes, and countless other items.  Anyhow, the purpose of reminiscing over past purse purchases is to let you guys know that tomorrow Rue La La is have an Herve Chapelier sale!!  Yay! 

 

Labor Day weekend also means great sales!!  Hope everyone has a great time picking up some new pieces for fall!

Blue Light Special

I'm a sucker for cheap magazine subscriptions.  Usually, Slickdeals will have some coupon codes for discount subscriptions at Discount Mags.  This is where I usually get Shape, Self, Marie Claire, Redbook, Harpers Bazaar, Vogue, etc.  If you have a Citi credit card, see if you are eligible for their Extra Cash program.  That is were I found my beloved subscription to US Weekly for $3 for an entire year.  Yes, $3.  I also get Star, but that subscription is running out soon. If I bought a couple of magazines every time I flew, I'd spend a fortune, so this works out well.  Anyway, I was flipping through last week's Star, and lo and behold, on page 61, was a dress I scored at KMart a couple of weeks ago for a mere $18.  Who knew KMart actually made decent looking clothes?  I can't find the dress on their website, but its part of their Attention brand.  This picture is from the page in Star:

Also, if you're a fan of Rue La La, they have a new shipping policy.  If you order something, you pay a $9.95 flat fee for shipping and anything else you purchase for the next 30 days ships free!  I think that is pretty awesome.  Now if we can just get ideeli to do the same thing.  On second thought, that could be really dangerous.

Jeans Fiend

If you're in the market for a new pair of jeans for fall, go sign up for HauteLook today or tomorrow and check out their Paige Premium Denim sale.  This is great if you already own some Paige Jeans and know your size. They have a pretty large selection and the jeans range from $59 to $69, which is a steal for Paige since they usually retail for $150+.  I CANNOT buy any more jeans until I give some up.  The jeans armoire can't hold anymore!  I'm also not sure if you can buy online or not for those of you not in Nola, but Jean Therapy, a great little New Orleans jeans boutique, was having a killer sale on EVERYTHING in the store, anywhere from 30%-75% off.  I'll never forget Mackie Barham making the trip down from Oxford, taking a short shopping trip, and Mackie nearly clearing out the clearance jeans rack!!  Of course, I had nothing to do with her multiple jeans purchases that day.

There are some other great finds on HauteLook today as well...awesome leather jackets by Muubaa from $113 - $190, Jessica Simpson dresses, and lots of other things...even clip in hair extensions made with real hair!!  Ok, maybe don't buy those, but the rest of the stuff is pretty good.

I've got a few weekend trips coming up -- Boston at the end of September, Chapel Hill for UNC Homecoming (5 year reunion...eeek!!), Thanksgiving in NC, Raleigh the first weekend of December, and Christmas.  But, sadly, not going to get the real vacation I've longed for since the summer of 2009.  Sigh.  Whats a girl to do??  Buy a new bag, I guess.  Goodbye plane tickets and a week in some exotic locale....Hello, Louis Vuitton!!  Only Louis could make a girl ok with not getting a vacay.  I think a pair of Christian  Louboutin Pigalle pumps might have the same effect, but I wouldn't know about that.

For Fall: Bags, Boots, and Bracelets!

I've been on an accessories kick lately, and I'm just itching to bring the boot collection down from the storage closet.  It will probably be a couple more months before I will be able to wear them in New Orleans, but I'll just dream until then.  In the meantime, I thought I'd share some deals on cute bags, boots, and bracelets for fall.

Boots

There are so many styles to choose from!  Ankle, combat, over the knee, riding (one of my faves), high heel, low heel, wedge, pull on, zip up, etc.  I generally prefer at least a partial zip, easier to get them on over jeans.  Of course, if you have skinnier calves than me, this is probably not an issue for you.  Also, I will either tuck my jeans into my socks to keep them from riding up when I pull my boots on, or I will take an elastic hair tie and slip it over my foot and around my ankle to keep them in place.  Don't want to have a bunch of bunchy denim around your knees!  I've been seeing a ton of lace-up and vintage inspired boots for fall online and in catalogs for this season.  I love a good solid leather boot, but struggle to find well made leather boots than won't break the bank.  The choices below are all less than $150 and have full leather uppers.  Swoon!

Sam Edelman Naharra Boot, On Sale for $149.90 at Nordstrom

B.P. Ginger Boot, also in black and cognac, $129.95 at Nordstrom

Frye Jane Tall Cuff boot...$177 at 6pm.com.  Breaks the $150 rule, but anything less than $200 is a killer price for Frye boots!

Frye Julia Grommet Lace Boot, $149 at 6pm.com

Steven by Steve Madden Maryn Boot, On Sale at Nordstrom for $119.90, was $270

Report Waldron Boot, at Nordstrom for $99.95!!  Also in black.

Bracelets

Bangles and cuffs.  I'm not really a bracelet person, but have gotten more into them lately.  I also LOVE spoon bracelets and rings. My favorite is an 1896 antique silverplate spoon cuff.  I have added some of my favorite spoon bracelets from Etsy.com at the bottom. Here are a few of my favorite recent finds, all for under $20:

Forever21.com

Forever21.com

Forever21.com

Francescas.com

WorldMarket.com

WorldMarket.com

Forever21.com

Etsy.com...this is almost exactly like the bracelet I have.

Etsy.com.  Queen Bess 1946.

Etsy.com

Bags

 Believe it or not, this is a tough category to find stuff for online.  Most of the great deals I've found on designer handbags are when I just stumble across them at an outlet, Marshalls/TJMaxx, or eBay.  I found a few online I really like, but I just have a few tips for finding other great bags.  Keep an eye on ideeli, Rue La La, HauteLook, Saks FashionFix, MyHabit, etc for good deals on bags. Ideeli I find usually has the best deals, but shipping is $10, which is kind of a downer.  Check handbag clearance aisles at Marshalls/TjMaxx...I've found some great deals here are super nice leather bags, usually $100 or less.  If you see something you like in a store, search for it on ebay.  The few times I've done that, I've gotten pretty lucky and found the item I was looking for in either brand new with tags condition or very gently used, and usually saved 50% or more over the price I would have paid.  Its worth a shot!

Matt and Nat Hobo on Rue La La...$65.  Pebbled Leather.  Like the orangish color, but also comes in black and green.

ASOS.com.  Not real leather, but looks like decent synthetic.  LOVE the satchel style with the little handles and the long handle so you can wear it as a crossbody.

Deals on Dresses from ASOS

My roommate Laura purchased several dresses from this site for a couple of upcoming weddings, and they have some cute things on sale for super cheap right now.  Best thing is that shipping is free both ways!!  I think these dresses would all look really cute with a cardigan/belt or a fitted blazer or jacket and some boots.  Best thing is, they are all less than $50!!  Check out the clearance section of ASOS.com.

ASOS.com, $26

ASOS.com, $33

ASOS.com, $43

ASOS.com, $48

Free at last!!

Done with the MS bar exam!!  Now I can shop online without feeling extra guilty!!  Some exciting things have found their way into my closet since my last post.  Picture time!!  I also saw this on FB today, and can't wait to see what Michaela Idhammar continues to do.  Please go to Stella and Dot by Michaela Idhammar to check it out!

Since I discovered Ideeli, I check out their sales probably every day.  I ordered several things a couple of weeks ago, and picked up a couple things off ebay.   My mom also treated me to a few cute things while I was in NC.  A few of the items I bought to resell, and some I will keep.  They have a couple of sales coming up tomorrow I am looking forward to, in particular W118 by Walter Baker and shoes by Ash.  Pictures are below!

Cute sandals...$15!

First J.Crew purchases in about 2 years...white jeans, patterned shorts, and a comfy grey cardi, all for $45!

I typically don't buy a ton of accessories, but have been trying to do better at that lately.  Picked up a couple of bracelets, the green cabochon ring, and a couple of long statement necklaces to pair with some flowy tops.

The Roxanne is probably one of my favorite cuts by Seven for all Mankind...skinny enough to wear with boots, but not so skinny that your legs look like sausages.  These were a great eBay purchase!!  Thats the pair on the left.  The pairon the right are Paige Blue Heights 14" Lowrise Skinnies, from ideeli.

LOVE this leather jacket.  I've looked at faux leather jackets several times, but just couldn't bring myself to buy one.
 I actually bought this one on sale at Marshall's in the spring, and it has been patiently waiting in my closet for cooler weather ever since.  I can't wait to wear it!!  By Bagatelle.

Another steal from Ideeli.  Chloe Sally I sunglasses.  I plan to keep the pair on the left, and will put the pair on the right on eBay or take them to Swap, a designer consignment shop here in Nola.

Not clothes, but still cool.  I have a lot of pictures I've taken on trips and with my girlfriends, and I have been looking for interesting picture frames to make a gallery wall.  Picked these up at KMart.  Hardly ever go in KMart except when I've run out of places to shop, but I really liked these mercury glass frames.  They have a very Pottery Barn/Restoration Hardware look to them.

Fun little dress I found at TJMaxx.  It is kind of a semi-shimmery slate bluish grey.  I looks more blue in the picture than it is in person.  I really like the shoulder cut outs for some reason.

I think this will probably be the end of my purchases for a while, unless I can snag a cute pair of J. Brand skinnies a la Kate Middleton off eBay.

Aves-vous un Roat?

I managed to stumble upon this hilarious website this morning, and literally spent almost an hour scrolling through on my iPhone and laughing out loud.  The site is www.engrish.com and it features a bunch of pictures of the misuse of English by various Asian countries.  Now, I love Asians, especially preppy ones, and Fasians (Staci Griner), so I'm not knocking them, but this is just laugh out loud funny.  I've posted a few of my favorites here.



All my bags are sneaks...no wonder my money disappears!

Try Sorry, this register is closed?

Room Service, yes, can you please send up a samurai sword so I can defend the mattress that fall down?  Thanks.

Not sure what is going on in this bathroom, but it sounds like fun.

What do happen?

 Also, brilliant responses to signs in actual English:

Wow, spelling is free??  Sign me up!!  I'll take some drit while you're at it!

Where can I find one of these bacon dispensers??

If you're shopping today, J. Crew is having an additional 40% off sale items and factory items, and free shipping on any order (not just those over $150) with the code LOVEIT.  I haven't loved it recently, but I did pick up a cute pair of shorts, a cardigan for work, and some white jeans for $48 shipped.  Not bad, J.Crew.   I feel like I've returned a bunch of stuff lately which is probably a good thing.  Both Old Navy dresses I bought a couple weeks ago are a no go....I probably won't order online from them again.  Stuff just looks so different when you see it in person.  I also took the Elizabeth and James shoes back to Saks.  I decided they would get incredibly dirty because they are a woven material, and it just wasn't worth spending that much on them if I'd be paranoid about wearing them outside.

I'm headed to Jackson, MS on Sunday to take the MS bar.  After that three-days-of-my-life-that-I'll-never-get-back is over, I'm headed to NC for the weekend for a couple days at the beach with my mom and sister.  My sister, who graduated this past year with her degree in elementary education, is on the job hunt as well, and she has an interview in Raleigh next week.  Keeping my fingers crossed for her!!   We are also stopping at the semi-new outlet mall in Mebane on our way back...Saks Off 5th, here I come!  I am sure I will have cute things and great deals to blog about when I get back.