clickity clickity clack!

i love a good shopping jaunt.  i cannot lie.  but with life the way it is these days, who doesn't appreciate a good internet shopsies?  nothing quite compares to having the goods in hand, but there is something equally satisfying (slightly terrifying from the financial standpoint) about the possibility of instant gratification with a click click click "GOT IT!"...

there are some shops that are actually MORE satisfying online. they have "online only" merch that is usually pretty fab, and they always have some sort of sale selection. one such is JCrew.  i'm a bit obsessed with their website - i admit it.  and now, FINALLY, their "little sister" shop Madewell is up and running on the old interwebs.  hence, i hurl my joy right into the winds and say HAZZAH!!  i would like to offer up the case that i may have finally found my perfect shirtdress - the one that has been eluding me for months.  as further evidence in my case (i'm feeling very detective-y) i would like to present this super fantastic sheer vest that is beyond perfection for summer evenings, and this ridiculously adorbs ruffled linen top that will probably be heartbroken if i do not give it a home.  i am a giver.  and finally i offer up to you these happy little espadrilles.  how "i just came back from the south of france" would you feel bopping around in them?!  LOVE. 

so dolls, get your fingers warmed up and start perusing!! 

ode to a spring scarf

as it IS an accessory, it will probably come as no surprise to anyone that i am OBSESSED with scarves.  i wear a scarf every day - through every season.  in the winter, as i despise cold, and i like to shake it up, i wear two.  and then comes spring - beautiful spring.  it's warmer - but it can get chilly.  a girl needs a scarf!  i'm most hooked on the linen version - because it somehow keeps you warm and cool all at the same time.  it's some sort of weird scarf voodoo magic that i don't question, i just blissfully indulge.  hands down my favorite is the Love Quotes version, they are HUGE and infinitely cozy, they look fantastic, and they come in almost every conceivable color.  if that's above the realistic spend-y range --  H&M has a pretty rock solid collection of similar scarves - one of my faves is a cream to red ombre scarf that i got there 2 years ago.  loves it.  and as they do, the Gap and Banana Republic are well in on the action.  they both have some really nice scarves at a totes decent price point.  as does the ever beloved JCrew....  aside from the practical solution -- it's pretty genius for adding a pop of color or pattern to an otherwise simple outfit.  add a gorgeous scarf to a t-shirt and jeans or some dull work attire, and it takes it to the next level. 

sunny side of the street?  hot.  shady side?  cold.  solution - scarf.
outside?  hot.  inside with AC?  freezing.  solution - scarf.
boring but totally comfortable outfit?  solution - scarf.
see where i'm going with this?  it's pretty much the solution to all your problems.  next i will put my mind to world peace and ending all bad things.  until then - wrap up dolls!!

on a bling bender

i seem to have jewelry on the brain lately...i guess i always do, but it's popping up quite a bit these past days...

i like the pretty sparkly real jewels.  don't we all?  they are life-long friends in the realm of accessories.  a nice, simple (or not so simple if you are bling-ier) collection of fine jewelry can carry you all the way through.  and then there's the fun stuff.  costume jewelry lets you  play dress-up in a much more bold way.  a fun piece, a cuff, ring, necklace, can take an outfit from zero to hot in no time at all.  you can go mild or you can go wild.  the sky's the limit - and because it's costume you can afford to play around with a lot more looks to spruce up your existing wardrobe.  a tee-shirt and jeans can be transformed into as many different looks as you have costume pieces.  it's a bit genius really.

J Crew has always been a good place to go for the fun and good quality costume jewelry.  i am a big fan.  in the past 5 years they've been a bonanza of good finds.  (including one of my favorite and most complimented necklaces of all time).  right now, they have a super fantastic bunch of pieces in - including this ridiculously adorbs ring.  LOVE.  and then - my little ears did hear that in April they will be launching a jewelry collection in collaboration with Fenton/Fallon.  my heart did a little dance upon hearing this.  Fenton/Fallon is fun, modern, chic rocker AMAZING -- add this to the goodness already going on at J Crew and we've got ourselves a goldmine kids.  thank you Easter bunny!

again with the grey love!

let us all tip our hats to the stylist who did the new JCrew lookbook for spring - notably the JCrew Collection (their limited edition line). it's adorable. big ups to the designers as well - a lot of the pieces are well gorge, and make me a bit lusty. it's the putting together of said items that gets my motor running though. (makes sense, tis why i myself am a stylist. i like putting things with other things to make a glorious whole picture) the spring collection is well worth a lookie-loo and a purchase or two...

and might i just mention that this grey suede jacket is making my head spin. right round baby right round.

there's no place like... the beach

if i put on my ruby red platform pumps and click my heels three times - will i end up at the beach? a remote island somewhere, perhaps? with a seaside cabana, and nice people to bring me things like iced tea? and the sky is perfectly blue, and the sun is sparkling on the bright blue water... and i'm wearing this ridiculously adorable JCrew bikini...(in blue) it's perfect here.

i will not open my eyes and look outside at the snow. i will not let winter beat me. i am keeping my eyes firmly shut, red shoes on, and i am clicking. i am on mental holiday from the winter blahs. feel free to stop by my cabana if you'd like to join me!

screw black friday, try grey wednesday!

once upon a time, in a galaxy far, far, away, i worked at a Mall. it was right after i had moved back from living in Paris. i hated it. not my cup of tea. i would rather have pulled out my eyelashes. however, that is not the point here. the point is that that particular period in my life was when i discovered the earth-bound version of hell that is "black friday". i vaguely recall hiding in a dressing room at one point to get away from the madness.

i don't know what evil genius came up with this idea. but they should be a villain in a super-hero movie. 98.4% of america runs screaming to any available shopping area near their homes and loses any sense of sanity they may have been gripping on to. i see images of it now on tv and it gives me shivers. all this for maybe, $5 off some item that will without a shadow of a doubt go ON SALE AGAIN. it's beyond insane and i just do not understand it.

now, this year, it will certainly boost the droopy economy if we all do shop - and we do all know i love to shop - and so i say: "SHOP! DO IT!" but you don't need to get an arm ripped off in the process.

i'm coming up with my own plan. i'm going to celebrate grey wednesday. i am going - wait for it.... to the MALL to meet my mum tomorrow. i love a good mall. nothin' like it. and on grey wednesday, i shall be free to peruse things at my leisure, and without fear. and i do know for a fact that Neiman Marcus has a load of things marked down, as does Anthropologie, Saks, Barneys, and JCrew. and i imagine that the other shops will follow suit. and for any of thee who are locked to the computer - chickdowntown and amazon.com are doing an "early" black friday deal, and i can only imagine that other sites will be following any moment now - so CRUISE the shops, or the web and find your early deals.

take that black friday! hazzah!

ode to a jumper

once upon a time i sat in a pub at Poole quay with my aunt. we were waiting for my uncle to do some sort of errands or something boring, and so we drank a few pints of hard cider. and got rather saucy. it's a major port, so when we stepped out of the dimly lit pub into the bright sunlight, there were loads of boats and upon them loads of sailors. one of said sailors, of the French variety, passed us and said lasciviously "bonjour madamoiselle". he was friendly looking, and also sporting the good ol' tried and true French matelot striped shirt, so it made me giggle. all just standard fare in the quayside pub afternoon way of things...

i have now a fixation on strip-ed tops. i suppose i like them because they remind me of France. every time i see a striped jumper i think "ooh i love that" and then i have to remind myself of how many of these items i own. some of the time, that stops me. this time, it will not. because i DO NOT have this little delight. when i was flipping through the new JCrew catalog, i actually said "OOOH!" out loud. (to just myself. and the catalog) you see, not only is this a lovely strip-ed item, it also has this ridiculously cute button detail on the sleeves. and the back! it actually makes me a little giddy, which i realize is rather ridiculous, so for today i blame it on the flu that i am currently enjoying.

i fully plan on owning this little lover, and i will prance proudly through the streets, and on occasion, just for old time's sake, i'll say to myself, or some passer by, "bonjour! mademoiselle!"

well lookie here....

ye olde JCrew, purveyor of fine basic goods since ... well since a long time ago, gives good sweater. it's true. they do. they are excellent quality, they have an amazing color range and they are not over priced.

i decided today at some point that i was desperately in need of a LONG cardigan. now, i must say here that i have (and have always had) a lot of cardigans. my friend kim makes fun of me and calls me cardigan lady. i have always worn them regardless of whether they were in or out of "style" at the moment. what i do NOT necessarily have is a nice long cardigan. the craving kicked in today. i guess the ac made me chilly. to add to this - i got the new JCrew catalogue in the mail. and inside.... the perfect perfect perfect long cardigan. i would style it completely differently than in this pic - i'll be puttin this bad boy over tees and leggings and jeans; belting it - wide, skinny, you name it; chunkin on the jewelry. i love it. i might have to get a couple of them...

seek and ye shall find my friends. the force is strong!

ps -also some super cute bags and jewelry going on in the JCrew right now! check it out!!!

ok, i give in...

i tried so hard not to - but i guess i have to admit that summer is in fact winding down... to comfort my sad summer soul, i seek solace in sweaters. pictures of them - dear GOD not the real thing. not until i MUST... but the pictures are ok.

for some reason i am a bit obsessed with grey sweaters. i honestly don't have any clue why or from whence it came. but it's there my dears, it's there. i seem to spend a large part of my search for warmth in the color grey... i scored a DOOZER of one last year, when Bendels (i know, i can't stop!) had the major yahoo of all sweater sales. every year, i get at least one sweater there for 80% off. it makes me tingle. so - last years sweater... big giant chunky irish fisherman cable knit cardigan - with big wooden buttons in gorgeous grey cashmere. LOVE, LOVE, LOVE. it is the most wonderful thing.

and not that i would ever put it in a secondary place in my heart.... but i just happened to see this little number here... and i just can't help but think that maybe it might need a home... you know, like a puppy that wants me to be its mom... right?

and not to go all sweater nuts or anything - but MAN do they have some perfect perfect perfect sweaters and cardigans at JCrew right now. it's a bit of the holy grail for basics - and what is more basic than a cute cardigan? that you can then completely UN basic by belting it over leggings, adding boots and putting on chunks and layers of bracelets or necklaces?

ok, maybe fall's not so bad...