What I Want: Madewell

Madewell by desertgirls on Polyvore

Daywalk Shirtdress in Albion Plaid / Daywalk Shirtdress in Farmstand Plaid

I'm loving these two dresses from Madewell; don't they just scream fall? I can see pairing them with bare legs and booties now and leggings and boots when the weather finally cools down. I hope you are enjoying your Monday. Happy Labor Day to those of you who get to celebrate!

Spring is in the Air

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1/3/4 Orla Kiely
2/5 Madewell 6 House of Fraser

I don't know about you, but I am ready for spring. It has been unseasonably warm here lately (not that I am complaining), and that has really been making me long for truly warmer days. I want to get out there and work on my yard, plant some flowers, and buy some pretty new spring dresses! Who's with me?!

Currently Craving: Tartan Scarf

It has been cold here in the desert lately.  I have been more interested in dressing warmly than *gasp* dressing fashionably.  I know that both can be done at the same time, but my problem is that I don't really have any good winter shoes that are also comfortable and that go with everything.
Anyway.  This cold weather has caused me to want to invest in a really good, warm scarf.  And I want it to be a beautiful green tartan.  I'm on the lookout for one- any suggestions?

Plaid Scarf by desertgirls featuring a cashmere shawl

 

This set includes a couple of different price points, with the two scarves on the left coming in at $58 and the one on the right a steal at $325. It's almost the weekend! Any plans? Lori

Ready for the Weekend

Ready for the Weekend

Navy striped dress / Sugarhill Boutique / Sleeveless blouse / Cotton t shirt / Madewell / Weekend Max Mara , $215 / Madewell sandals / Pumps / Kate Spade

Today I am linking up with Alison of Long Distance Loving for Friday's Fancies. This week's theme is "Weekend Wear." I love me a good chambray shirt, some black cigarette pants, and a leopard heel. It is such an easy weekend outfit, but looks pulled together. I usually pair it with a tank, printed or solid, underneath the chambray and just leave it unbuttoned. The kitten heel pumps featured are shoes I actually own and finally, recently, got around to wearing. I love them. I had debated over whether I should take them back, but I am glad I kept them.
On to the other pieces that I don't actually own...  I love that flamingo top; I want to sport that little balancing bird (any of you Love Actually fans out there think I should re-word that?!) Anyhow. I hope you have a fantastic Friday. Right after work I am heading down to Ikea to check out (and hopefully purchase! a butcher block counter top for my island. Fingers crossed!) Cheers to the weekend.

Inspiration: Peter Pan Collars

What do you get when you type "Peter Pan" into etsy's search engine?  You get all kinds of adorableness, that's what.  You get Peter Pan items and you get Peter Pan collars.  Both of these are things I LOVE.

from etsy shop Coline Design

This fun Peter Pan collar boasts a pretty city design, reminiscent of a London scene, so it kind of combines both the story and the accessory into one pretty little item.  I think this collar could add a lot of fun to an outfit; it would definitely give a little bit of quirkiness to an otherwise simple sweater.

Netty's Girl Vintage

This coat is probably pretty fabulous in person- orange plaid, peter pan collar, belted, and a cape/coat combination?  Gorgeous.

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Day 15~ I am thankful for Netflix.  I know, not very deep, but I love being able sit down and watch marathons with the Cat. 

~Lori

Minor Obsession: Leopard Print

I have been not-so-secretively obsessing over leopard print ever since I bought a pair of leopard print loafers/flats for my trip to Chicago.  I wear them with so much stuff, they've really become a staple in my wardrobe.  I think you can definitely overdo it with this print, but just a hit of it can add spark to an outfit.  I love the blouse featured below because even though it is a leopard print, it doesn't scream at you; it isn't over the top.  I'm loving each of the pieces featured here.  I need want a pair of leopard print heels like Rebecca has (here).  On top of my list is a leopard print clutch.  I think those sandals are to die for, and that belt would add interest to any number of outfits.  And since I've also been obsessed with scarves lately too, I would love to add a scarf like the one pictured here to my ever growing collection.

Minor Obsession: Leopard by desertgirls featuring strappy wedges

Class Roberto Cavalli leopard print top / Madewell leopard print flat / Vince Camuto high heel pumps / Matiko strappy wedge / Lauren Merkin clutch handbag / Leopard earrings, $8.34 / Givenchy red shawl / Dolce&Gabbana leopard print belt, $225

~Lori

Packing Light

Before our trip to Chicago, I planned out everything I was going to bring.  I only wanted to bring one suitcase for both the Cat and me, so I knew I had to make each outfit work at least double duty.  Our trip was for about 7 days. I started by writing down the main pieces that I wanted to bring.  I then took a look at my list and started editing.  What would go with what?  What pieces could I mix and match?  Right around the time I was doing this, I received an issue of Lucky in the mail.  They had one of their features on key pieces and how to mix and match them for a month's worth of outfits. 

from Lucky

It was very inspiring.  Some of the pieces were already in my closet, like the chambray shirt, the black skinnies, the black tank, the striped tee... the list goes on.  So I looked at my list with fresh eyes and was able to do some more editing.  I listed all the bottoms in one column, tops in another, and extras in a third.   It looked something like this:

But with lines all over it, connecting everything that would go together.  I did have a versatile, light weight cardigan and a black and white striped sweater that I brought on the plane, too.  I was pretty happy with the list, because it meant that I could pack lightly.  I wore the jeans, the heaviest piece, on the way there.  I wanted to cut down on the amount of shoes I would bring, too- I wanted to bring a pair of flip flops and just one other pair of shoes.  I knew the other would have to be versatile since I was mixing in navy with black and grey.  The shoes that kept coming into my mind as perfection were leopard print ballet flats.  I got that stuck in my head, and I began my search.  Madewell had some beautiful skimmers that looked like utter perfection, but they were sold out at the time and not expected back in  time for my trip.  I searched high and low, but couldn't find what I had already decided in my mind's eye to be perfect.  They would need to be comfortable- Chicago requires a lot of walking.  I wanted pony or calf hair, or a synthetic of one of those, but none of this printed onto regular fabric business or any of those patent leather print jobs.  No embellishments.  A rounded toe.  The ones I eventually found happened to be at our local Dillard's, not Nordstrom like I had been banking on.  They have a little bit of a loafer quality to them, and I LOVE them.  I treat them as a neutral and wear them with everything.  

Buy them here.

On the dock.

Because I had saved so much room in my suitcase, I was able to bring two bags- my new striped Kate Spade and a vintage navy.  I really did stick to a VERY neutral pallette- almost all blues, blacks, whites, and greys, which I know can be boring, but the leopard print on the shoes and the stacked gold on my arm kept my neutral outfits from being blah.  It ended up being so damn hot there the whole time that I never did wear my black skinnies or jeans, except for on the plane.  And all this extra room in the suitcase allowed me to bring back a couple of dresses I picked up while there.  I have gone on trips before where I bought so many clothes and shoes that I had to leave a pair of shoes behind (!) AND I had to ship clothes home.  It was a little ridiculous, but pretty fabulous too.  What can I say?  It was my first time ever visiting Zara, Topshop, Monsoon, Accessorize, and other shops that were at the time only located in Europe.  Except for maybe Zara.  That might have been in the states already.  Whatever!  The point is, this time I packed smart.  And it was pretty simple to do.  So what can you take away from this?  If you are planning a trip and have to pack lightly, make a list of the clothes you would like to/need to bring.  Go through with a careful eye and take out anything that is not absolutely necessary.  Do you really need two pairs of skinny jeans?  Originally I wanted to bring a really dark wash and a lighter wash.  I decided which was more practical for my trip (in this case, the lighter wash, but if I were planning on doing more adult activities, like dinners and drinks, I would have gone with the darker wash, since you can so easily dress them up for nighttime).  After you have chosen your items, see what will work together.  Can you pair the black top with the jeans and the shorts?  If you bring printed shorts, will you only be able to get by with wearing them once?  I wore my black shorts and grey tank one day, and then on another I wore the chambray shirt thrown over it for a new look.  Scarves added into the mix add even more variety.  I've got a couple more little vacations and getaways planned before the summer is over, and now that I have packing down, I can focus on the fun!

~Lori

Shoes!

I'm always on the lookout for new shoes.  I tend to buy the same styles over and over.  I guess I know what I like, and I like the following.  They are all similar, but that would not stop me from adding all of them to my shoe wardrobe!

Love these two tone flats- the colors are classic and because there is both brown and black, you could pair them with so much!  They come in another color, too.
The Patent Speedway from Madewell

I adore a good loafer.  I have a pair of Cole Haan loafers in my favorite shade of brown leather, and I  wear them all the time.  I got them at Marshall's sometime last year- they are about a size too big for me, but that is all they had left, and I wanted them so badly that I bought them despite the size!
Urban Outfitters Cooperative Canvas Loafer

Here are the same shoes in black and brown.  Again, the color blocking opens them up to all sorts of outfit  combinations.
Cooperative Loafer in black

Mmmm... I'm a sucker for navy blue and prep/nautical.  These look so comfy and perfect to throw on in the summertime!
Fred Perry Larks Linen Canvas Flat Shoes at Asos

Hope you've found a little bit of shoe inspiration here- I know I have!

~Lori

Madewell

Oh. My. Goodness.  I got the new Madewell spring catalog in the mail today.  It is a gorgeous little catalog, full of gorgeous things that I could really use RIGHT. NOW.  Like this outfit.  Sorry for the poor picture quality; I couldn't find the outfit on their website, so I snapped a picture of it with my phone.  They have all the individual pieces (the jeans are even on sale!); I just couldn't find the outfit, put together like this.  

Just look how perfect it is.  Perfection, I tell you.  Perfection.  I want the entire thing, right down to the nautical inspired belt with the anchor belt buckle.  Sigh.  There's even a $25 gift card in the catalog, courtesy of Madewell.  Very clever, Madewell Marketers, very clever indeed.  The whole outfit is around $300.  I have reservations about buying pants online without ever having tried them on*, because the last pants I bought from Zara (or was it ASOS?) ran small, and I didn't send them back, and now I'm stuck with the perfect red cigarette pants that I can't wear until I stop eating In-N-Out for dinner.  I did join a gym this past week, so maybe I'll be fitting into those pants sooner rather than later.  I figured if I'm going to keep spending money on clothes, I might as well try to look as good as possible in them.  And even though my past exercise routine (read- shaking my right foot back and forth at a rapid pace while I'm sitting down, usually snacking) has been working out for me, I know that at some point my metabolism is going to run out on me and then I will really be in a jam.  But, I digress.  And now to get back on track, here are some pictures of the individual pieces.  

Get it here.

Get it here.

Here it is.

Get these here.

*I don't need to worry too much about the jeans-fitting issue for two reasons:
a) We went to Madewell today and I tried them on and they fit like a DREAM and
b) Even if I wasn't able to try them on in store, Madewell's brilliant online policy lets you return jeans free and I think even ship the new size free until you find your correct size.  Genius.

~Lori