The Wristlet

It just occurred to me that in my last post, I failed to post a picture of the Marc by Marc Jacobs Wristlet. Silly me. I posted a picture of the Marc by Marc Jacobs bag with the wristlet inside, but unless you had X-ray vision, you couldn't see it. So, here it is:

Isn't it so fun? The inside has tons of room and pockets for things, too. I heart Marc Jacobs.

J.Crew Style on a Target Budget

I absolutely love J.Crew. I've loved it since I was in high school--back when I was into wool sweaters. About a year ago, J.Crew turned all upscale and the prices reflected this. I still drool over the catalog, but really can't afford a $230 pair of flats made of Italy leather or $195 cute as hell blazer. Until now. I was at Target the other day, looking at the clearance shoes, when I found the above flats. They look exactly like the J.Crew ones, but they were only $4.98! What a steal! I am ok with the fact that they're not made out of Italian satin. In fact, that's probably a good thing. I could just see myself ruining an pair of Italian satin in about five seconds. I'm so excited. They're so pretty. And very J. Crewish. And they won't break my bank.

Vampire Weekend and Sunglasses

The other day I finally bought the Vampire Weekend CD, Vampire Weekend. It is my new favorite CD. I love the happy and poppy sound of all the songs. It's the perfect spring/ summer CD. Especially here in Minnesota, where spring seems like months away. Vampire Weekend sort of reminds me of Bloc Party, with a slightly retro 60's feel. They are amazing. It is one of the few CDs that I've bought recently where I actually like the entire CD. The best part is Vampire Weekend ended my month long Radiohead Fest. I had Ok Computer and The Bends on autorepeat with a bit of In Rainbows thrown in for good measure. That's way too much Radiohead for one person. Trust me. Shockingly, my mood is better now.

I finally bought myself a pair of prescription sunglasses. Part of it was the cost and part of it was my general laziness. Plus, I didn't realize that you could actually get fun, trendy, cute frames. I recall when I was little and my parents wanted me to have prescription sunglasses and they had an old pair of my glasses turned into sunglasses with the old prescription in them. Looking back, I applaud my parents' frugalness, but for a teen, that's the kiss of death. I hated the frames and wearing an old prescription gave me a headache. I went to the Target Optical center in my neighborhood Super Target. I was so surprised at the selection of frames for glasses and sunglasses. Very fashion forward. Plus, the employees let you browse. I was shocked. I hate how at the Big Box Optical Centers, they pounce on you and won't let go. I usually have an idea of what I want and don't need someone else forcing their opinions on me. I ended up with a fun pair of Nicole Miller frames that are very 80s. Plus, they have a classic quality about them. I didn't want to buy a pair of uber trendy Olsen twin sunglasses that would be ugly next year. In the world of eyeglasses, it is impossible to find frames and lens for under $300. Not the case at Target. So excited.

Shoes That Won't Break The Bank

I found the best deal EVER today at DSW. These shoes were only $14.98 I couldn't pass them up. I saw these shoes a couple of months ago and I loved them, but couldn't justify spending $50 on them. I love the vintage quality and the fun gold trim. Plus, they sort of remind me of tap shoes (I've always wanted to be a tap dancer). I heart patent leather, too. I plan on wearing them to my cousin's wedding next month. I'm wearing a black and white sheath dress and the shoes will work perfectly. Very Jackie-O. The shoes are super comfortable, so I'll actually be able to wear them for the entire time and not have to bring a pair of flats as back up.

Dress Hunt '08

I've got two weddings to attend this summer. That means I need to find dresses to wear to them. I do have some cute sun dresses that I could wear, but I am just tired of them. Dresses are such a pain to shop for. I admit, I am a bit particular. I want something unique and something I might actually wear again. It just seems like all the dresses out there fit into two categories: super skanky teeny bopper or old lady. Since I fit into neither category, it makes it more challenging. Over the weekend, I thought I had found the perfect dress. I was shopping with the relatives at Kohl's when I stumbled upon the cutest Simply Vera dress. I loved the slightly retro style and the color combo is perfect for my hair and complexion. I could actually see myself wearing this again. Plus, if the weather was unpredictable, I could throw a blazer or sweater over it. The best part was the dress was on sale and I had a 15% off coupon. I tried the dress on and it fit me like a mumu. I had plenty of room for a mom pouch. Perfect for playing crabby old lady. All I needed was a pair of terry cloth slippers. I was so mad. The kicker: I tried on the XS. I am small, but I am not Olsen twin small. I just assumed that the dress would be cut on the small side, since it was Vera Wang. I forgot I was at Kohl's. It's just so strange. I can usually fit into misses sized clothes. Sigh. It looks like dress hunt '08 continues.

I Love a Good Deal

The other day I got my eyes checked. My perscription changed sightly, so I got to pick out new glasses. Hooray! I heart glasses. I've been wearing them for more than half of my life. Although, I hated them as a kid, as an adult they are pretty cool. Plus, there's the minor detail that I could never, ever put a contact in my eye. Not even if someone tied me down and put them in my eyes for me. I have eye issues. I ran into a tree when I was three (don't ask; long story) and got seven stitches right above my eye. I haven't been the same about my eyes since.

Anyways, back to the new glasses. I looked at a major national big box glasses emporium and was shocked at the prices. They used to have a really nice selection of moderately priced frames. Not anymore. It's all high-end designer frames. Seriously, who needs Versace, D&G or Burberry frames? I don't. Ralph Lauren? Enticing, but no. The frames alone ranged from $200-$300. Just for the frames. YIKES! By the time you've tacked on the anti glare coating, scratch resistant coating, etc. the purchase would be around $500 dollars. They did have two rows of "cheap" frames, but they looked really cheap. I politely exited. I went to JCP optical. I found two super cute frames for less than the price of one pair of glasses at the big box retailer. I love a good deal. I would much rather have two pairs than one pair of Burberry glasses. I saved over $300 on two pairs of glasses. Woo hoo! The lesson learned here is to shop around. Check out JCP and Target, they have much better deals.

The Hunt for New Shoes

The other day I had some time to kill before work, so I decided to go look for some new shoes at DSW. I really, really, really need new shoes. Most of my flats have seen better days. Especially my black patent leather flats. I don't know why I ended up at DSW, of all places. I really hate that store. It's not so much the merch that they sell, it's the horrible warehouse arrangement of the store. I really have to be in the right mood to wander aimlessly down the aisles. I also think it's better to not have a specific shoe that you're looking for. Well, Sunday was not the day for the DSW wander. After going down three aisles, I'd had it. I was crabby at the selection of shoes. The white trash customers were really getting on my nerves and the sales people were equally annoying. I went to look at the sales shoes. I found the Steve Madden flats that I'd been wanting: cute grey ballet flats with purple polka dots. And they were only $23.00. I talked myself out of them. Seriously, I don't need another crazy pair of shoes. I have plenty of those. I really wanted something unique and I knew I wouldn't find it in DSW. I left in a really crabby mood.

I went into Urban Outfitters to do a little comp shopping. I wandered back to the shoes section. I started digging through the pile of the Urban Renewal Shoes (these are vintage one of a kind shoes sold at not quite vintage prices). I tried on a pair of brown boots that were just ok. As I was putting the boots back, I found just what I had wanted for two years: cowboy boots! And they fit me perfectly. So meant to be. They were exactly what I wanted. I didn't want too country cowboy boots, because that's not me. I didn't want them to be too flashy or cheesy, either. I think that's why it took me two years to find them. And they are one of a kind. Yay! So excited to wear them. They'll be perfect with jeans or skirts or dresses. Hooray for Urban Outfitters!

So Over Summer

Where the heck is fall? I am sooooo sick of this humid weather! Seriously, I've had enough of the heat and the humidity. Ugh. I was so looking forward to a nice, crisp, fall. Not to mention, we're back to the lovely weather where you can't cook anything. This annoys me because I stocked up on soup the other day at Rainbow--they had Progresso soup 10 for 10 dollars. I think the sale is still going on today, too. Oh well, soup keeps well and I can save it for winter, I guess.