best day

although today saw a huge snowstorm, which made me wanna cry, the day quickly turned good.

my bus was re-routed due to a closed street, so instead of going to the very back of campus where it usually goes, went right in front of my school. I pulled the chord on a whim because my bus line doesn't stop there...but he stopped!! It was amazing. It saved me a 15 minute walk in the blizzard!

Yesterday we turned in our hugely important 20-page paper. Today feels so good by comparison.

I stopped in this little boutique that is on my walk home because they had the cutest dress in the window. I thought it might be perfect for the Barrister's Ball (and my b-day) this Saturday and wanted to check it out. It was a one of a kind, it fit me, and it is now mine! A little pricey at $70 but I just got Papa's birthday check in the mail :)
This boutique sells a lot of re-worked vintage pieces. The one I bought came from taxiCDC. I just checked their website and they have some similar pieces, I'll take pics of mine later. There were quite a few of taxi's pieces in the store and they were all amazing. Although made with vintage pieces, the fabrics are in great condition and they are cut extremely well.

When I got to my porch, TWO packages were waiting! Birthday package from mom, plus my new Etsy boots! I found a great pair at Gina Michele Vintage for only $15.


Now I am going to make quesadillas and watch Lost....great day indeed.

answer to the previous post: neither.

So, I ventured out in search of the boots. I went to a new F21 since the one nearest to me sucks. It just opened and oh man, it was insane bananas. They took an out of business department store and turned it into a F21. 2 floors. 5+ dressing rooms. 2 escalators. only one small section of men's; the rest was packed with women's. It was ridiculously overwhelming. I think that it was my first & last trip...gave me a headache and they didn't even have the boots. They had a similar-silhouette boot minus the studs, and oh man did I come to the realization that my legs canNOT pull off that height of boot. The top hits right where my calf muscle sticks out and completely stumps my leg. As mesmerizing as studs are, I just can't handle these.
Instead, I'm trying to find a more affordable boot for the quality on Etsy. Here are my top picks so far:

here.


here.


here.


here.

My new ultimate goal: to build a boot collection as awesome as Betty's.

brown or black?

Buying that jacket at Target seems to have set off a spending binge. I am filling up internet wishlists with reckless abandon. I have become completely obsessed with these boots and don't know if I can resist. I am very torn between the brown & the black...I have 2 pairs of black boots...over-the-knee and ankle boots...so these would fit in the middle. On the other hand, I have no brown boots (or shoes, really) and even though I own a ton of black, I actually like the look of brown boots with black clothes. Hmm. What to do.

Since SPRING BREAK (!) just started I might try and head to my local F21 and try to scope these in person before I make a commitment.

boots, $36.80 at F21.

best boots

These boots were my Christmas present to myself.

Just like every other Gossip Girl fan, they've been on my radar since Serena wore them in the first season. I finally found them at a good price and in black leather, and I've been wearing them an almost inappropriate amount since they landed on my doorstep. I was hesitant to buy them since they are pull-on, over-the-knee, but my sister (who bought Serena's exact pair last year) assured me they were easy to wear and so worth it. I agree and highly recommend these to anyone-- but watch out, they have no traction on the bottom. No traction + snowy ground + walking in the bus aisle when the bus starts moving = I think I may have broken my tailbone.

Someday I will remember to take pictures again! Happy Superbowl Sunday! None of the teams I like made it this year, but it is an excuse to have friends over and eat junk food!

I love loeffler

So, I got those boots. My local Target had them in stock, so I didn't have to order online and fret about the quality after I had already parted with my precious, precious $34.99 (+tax). The quality isn't top-notch, duh, but they really don't look bad in person. I tried them on, looked in the mirror, and chanted "Until I can afford Loeffler...until I can afford Loeffler..."

Yes, they look kinda like a poor man's (woman's) version of Loeffler Randall's gorgey half-wedge boots. I'm sure Jessie Randall wouldn't mind, right? She did a collabo with Target earlier this year. For now I'm a Target girl, but my eye's on the prize...

Just swooning:






All can be found here at Shopbop.

shoe of the day

Today's beauties come to us from the Prada F/W 08 collection. If you remember the runway collection, the shoes were real showstoppers.





I haven't seen real-life versions of these runway shoes yet, but the ruffle peep-toes from Neiman Marcus are more wearable while still keeping that extra-large-ruffle-flair. Both the real life and the runway versions are definitely fantasy shoes...only wearable in my dream life in which I sit by the pool in heels sipping bellinis all day. The new Linda Evangelista ads only add to their whimsical appeal.




pictures from Style.com and foto_decadent.

it happens every time.

After a long, unseasonably cold day that took Florida by surprise, I returned home to take a steamy shower and settle in with a Lean Cuisine spinach-and-mushroom pizza to check my emails.
Law school, Law School, WaMu, Law School, Sephora, Shopbop...
And there it was.
This happens every time.
Every single time I make a long-debated, serious clothing/accessory purchase, the item goes on sale or clearance not long after I have already parted ways with the cash. This time, my ill timed purchase consisted of some beautiful hidden-platform subtly-pointed pumps to coordinate with my new for-law-school pencil skirt/peplum jacket suit.
Not twenty-four hours after their arrival, Shopbop sent the email announcing their Tax Breaks sale. If you want the same pumps, you can get them for only $140, saving you the exact amount it costs to get another one of my wishlist items, the L L.A.M.B. fragrance roll-on perfume. It is also a good time to justify that pricey springtime blouse or handbag.

It goes in reverse too- if I wait out an item until it goes on sale, it will inevitably go out of stock. I can't win!

fired up!

Today I got fired for the first time in my life, from the worst job I've ever had. I was planning on quitting within the next 2 weeks, but I got fired and now lose my benefits and paid time off. Again I stress to everyone-- do not work retail for a big company! I know this may sounds vindictive, but I was completely set up. It's a long story, but basically I got fired for losing keys (to the store) that were never actually lost...the manager had my keys the whole time and hid them from me (really). To say I am angry would be an understatement.

The lemonade? I now have lots of free time this week to finish law school applications/personal statements. My transcripts are in, letters of recommendation are submitted, and after looking through all of it, you know what? I am smart. My professors said wonderful things about me. I made the dean's list every semester of college and was too smart to work in that crappy job anyway. (self-affirmation is good...right?)

The lemons? my benefits are gone, and I lost all my added up paid time off. I was so railroaded that I didn't even have time or the bearings to defend myself or speak my mind. I am thinking of calling them up soon to give her a piece of my mind...

Another bummer is that I had just spent money on myself in the form of a cozy hooded sweater and a pair of Joe's cigarette jeans from Bluefly. Hooray debt.

hooded cashmere = yum

After putting on my velvet pants and going out for some therapeutic grilled cheese & ice cream, all is fine. Ooh, I just thought of some more "lemonade": I get to throw out all the stupid, ugly shoes that I have been wearing to that job out of necessity! hooray!


everyone should boycott old navy. for life.

pre-christmas bits

I'm getting very excited for Christmas Eve --in my family, it is our "big night" with a king crab-leg feast, lots of homemade drinks & treats, and opening presents (except Santa's, of course).

I started getting in the real holiday spirit during my final mall trip, where I picked up these little pre-christmas goodies:


I got 2 of the little French penguin mug/plate sets from Anthropologie, where they were 1/2 off. While there I also picked up this little papier-mache box, which is perfect for keeping my stray jewelry from being strewn all over my dresser (also 1/2 off).



These silver brocade shoes are from Forever 21 -- I know! -- for only $20. I just had to have them, though. My Nana had shoes exactly like these from the 50s. The only problem with hers is their AAA narrow width. My slightly-wider-than-average feet can't handle that, so I'm glad I found these shoes that give me fond memories of dressing up in Nana's fabulous vintage party clothes.

I wore them out last night to see Sweeney Todd. It was incredibly enjoyable. I loved the songs, they had a lot of very subtle humor. There was a couple sitting in front of us who obviously weren't expecting a full-blown musical, and walked out after about the first 10 minutes of solid singing. I think it's the kind of movie that you really have to see in the theater- the dark, convincing atmosphere is best experienced when larger-than-life. If you go see it, be sure to watch for Mrs. Lovett's "By the Sea" montage. Hilarious.

I of course have to work tomorrow (dreading it), but hopefully you don't. Have a great Christmas Eve, everyone.

to the dogs.

Do you know what phrase I really hate? "My dogs are barking". Though right now, suddenly I understand what it means. My retail job, the one with the raw concrete cement floor, is fricking killing my feet, not to mention my poor ankles that need about 30 minutes of stretching after each shift in order to feel slightly better. The floor is negatively affecting my running and sadly, my love of/ability to wear heels. Even usually-friendly wedges make my toes shrivel and die. I can currently make it through my 9-hour shifts in only one pair of shoes: patent mary-jane flats with a Dr. Scholl's gel arch support. But alas, they are falling apart after a month of continuous abuse (maybe because they're from payless). I have been on a constant quest for comfy flats with these qualities: round toe, neutral color, substantial sole and some padding/arch support. Well my friends, such a shoe does not exist (in stores near me, at least). Looking online is easy, but you never know exactly how cushiony a shoe will be (since not ever style has customer reviews).

Here are some I'm willing to try:

I want these Jeffrey Campbell ones in yellow, $59 at BarefootTess


DKNY, $135 at shopbop



Charlotte Ronson, $125 at shopbop


French Sole, $99 at Zappos


These Michael Kors flats look cozy, like a cross between a ballet flat & a driving moc, $99 at zappos


Don't know how comfy these Two Lips shoes would be, but they are super cute, $73 at zappos


These are a little pricier than I usually am willing to spend on flats, but my wellbeing is at stake. Good quality really makes the difference in comfort and endurance. For me, the worst comfort brands (in order from worse to WORST are: Payless, Nine West, Steve Madden, Target). You don't need to spend $300 for good flats, but around $100 will usually ensure some good craftsmanship. In the next few days, I need to narrow down these choices and order a couple pairs. Because if I have no success, I will be driven to buy out all the Ugg boots in the Orlando metro. But no matter how bad things get, no matter how much pain my feet endure, I will never look at nor touch a (barf)croc.

At the moment, it is time to celebrate that holiest of holy holidays, one of my favorite nights of the year: fall daylight savings. One glorious extra hour of sleep, and I'm going to celebrate by taking a steamy shower, slathering myself in coconut body butter, and nibbling on my first Christmas Tree Cake of the season. Happy daylight savings everyone.

FOUND!

So a few months back I was completely obsessing over the shoes in this post. Today, in my search for comfortable yet cute shoes for my retail job, what did I find?

EXACT.REPLICAS.



I can't even tell a difference, except for of course the $350 difference in price. At about $90, they still aren't cheap enough for me to click "Add to cart" right this very second, but I am so excited that the option is there. I wish I could try them on first...Does anyone have Dolce Vita shoes? I am hoping they're comfy!

faux-mertime*

Wait, what? What's that you say? It's October? Sorry, the 90+ degree weather, blazing sun and 100% humidity are throwing me off. So how do Florida girls satisfy the craving for new, yummy fall clothes without sweating to death? You just have to mix it in where you can. And ladies, please, try to accept the loss of your tan. It has taken me about 3 years to become comfortable in any skin other than warm olive-colored skin, but it is so much healthier to your skin (& wallet) to stay away from habitual tanning bed-ing. In these here parts, it seems an absolute must for girls under 35 to have a year-round tan, I don't know, to prove that we live in Florida. But, let it go. Your future skin will thank you, and a little bronzer can fix everything.

Anyway, to me nothing screams "fall" more than chunky knits, schoolgirl-inspired choices, and a color palate of grays/reds/blacks. I tend to wear a lot of black, smoke up my eyeshadow choices (this in choco-latte plus this in black coffee are my everyday favorites), and pray for that day sometime in December when I'll finally feel a crispness in the air. But, even though we might not be able to stand wearing knee-high boots yet, there are tons of shoes that give you that cool October feeling.

MICHAEL Michael Kors, $129 at Nordstrom



Steven, $129 at Nordstrom



Calvin Klein, $110 at Nordstrom

Although these dresses would look fabulous with opaque tights and the above mary-janes, they also work with bare legs for now:

$78 at Nordstrom

$56 at Nordstrom



$58 at Nordstrom

Yes, I have been pretty much living on the Nordstrom website for the last couple days. I am trying to justify buying $95 worth of beauty/fragrance to get their new gift-with-purchase. It's probably not going to happen; that's more than I spend on beauty in a few months put together. But shoes, shoes I can always justify!

* say it fast. it almost rhymes with summertime, right?

whose shoes?

Who is wearing the beautiful heels?










Shoe-loving Carrie Bradshaw, of course. Although I think the flower-pin-to-one-up-all-other-SATC-inspired-flower-pins is a little much, the shoes are great.

photo borrowed from A Socialite's Life.

oh no!

A girl's worst shopping nightmare, and it happens to me all the time. You plan, and save money, and arrange your current wardrobe to make a special purchase, only to find that your coveted item has been sold out! I went to buy the yellow boots at anthropologie, and yep, all gone. Can I stress again that This Happens To Me all. the. time. Maybe I am too reasonable; this is sign that I need more impulse buys, no?

Here is one purchase, however, that I have (sadly) talked myself out of.


the alice + olivia sequin dress. I have wanted it so badly, but I have to think- for $440, will it even be in style and wearable next year? Since I don't live near an H&M (to get a Madonna sequin dress) and they don't sell online, I haven't found a cheaper version yet. Forever21, I'm waiting!