Wide-leg jeans!

Gap's ho-hum wide leg trouser jeans.

A lot of bloggers I read have been raving about the new Gap wide-leg jeans, but I found them to be pretty damn boring.  Yes, they are cheaper than designer wide-leg jeans, but when the fit ONLY looks good on a woman who is 5'10" and the fit does NOT look good when hemmed, that's a problem.  Also, they don't even look great on the model above!

My solution: Madewell's Widelegger jean!  They fit amazingly, and the denim they use is super lightweight (unlike the heavy, heavy denim used by Gap) so it's comfy. I am probably only going to wear them with wedges (whoops, doesn't really fit with my "wide-legs for the short women" idea), but damn, they are flattering.  I am only 5'5" (5'9" with wedges), but the Widelegger looks as it does on the model on me.  I am NOT skinny.

Jackpot!

Just hit my own personal fashion jackpot.

Someone on eBay was selling a NIB... size 10... DV by Dolce Vita TED BOOT!

IN BLACK!!!

Exactly what I've been searching for since I love the Ted in brown.

This makes my hellishly stressful weekend a tiny bit better :)

Recent purchases (not in my possession yet!)

So.... I'm always "on" a shopping ban, but I never stick with it.

Someone please, wipe my credit card # from my memory!  Online shopping will be the death of me..

Item #1: Coach "Natale" boot in black (Nordstrom) - currently sold out at Nordstrom.

If this one happens to NOT work out, I have my eye on the Chinese Laundry "Trust Me" OTK boot.  Really, really cute!  I tried it on in Cognac but thought the color made the boots stand out way too much.  BUT, in black, it would be perfection.

Item #2: Demeter maxi dress from ModCloth!

You all should remember that from one of my recent posts.  I hope it fits!

Item #3: Evi mini dress by Velvet.

So, the reasoning behind this one (because it's even more out of season than the maxi, haha) is that I bought one EXACTLY like this from Forever 21, but it fell apart after ONE wear.  I've been sad because I absolutely loved it as a summer cover-up/comfy dress and it was sold out by the time mine fell apart.  

After a long search for a replacement, this one totally fits the bill, and I know it won't fall apart after one wear!  Damn you, cheap F21 clothes.

Nude.

I have a very matronly-looking pair of nude pumps for "work" but I've been wanting a cute pair for fun outfits and for dressing up.

Seychelles - Wild Card pump in Vacchetta.

I just so happened to come across this pair of Seychelles pumps while engaging in an online shopping marathon--the only marathon I can handle.

I found it on Endless with free shipping/returns and no taxes, but now it's sold out.  Hopefully I love the look and the fit when it arrives, because now I can't even get the smaller size!

...Ooh and I just thought of this now, but they would be the perfect bridal shoes!  Speaking of bridal shoes...  my friends just got engaged this past Friday. They're such a great couple, and I know they're going to have a beautiful, fun wedding next fall :)

We got coups.

Shopbop is having a friends & family sale: 20% off! (INTHEFAMILY20)

I was about to do some major credit card damage, but ended up deleting multiple items from my shopping cart.

These two will be arriving to me some time within the next week...

Cheap Monday - Lia Tube Scarf, $40 w/ coupon.

 Patterson J. Kincaid - Harlow Long Sleeve Blouse, $78 with coupon.

....And these two WERE in my cart, hehe...

I desperately want a nice black clutch, but this is still too expensive @ $250 ($200 w/ coupon.)

Marc by Marc Jacobs - Perf Perfect Linda Clutch.

I dress up every once in a while, but also at $222 ($180ish with coupon), this is too expensive!  They also ran out of my size within the last hour or so.

Elizabeth & James - Lila dress.

Blazing saddles

I've always had the most difficult time finding a blazer that I like, and I finally found one that fit me well!

I guess my issues were always my broad shoulders and small chest, haha.  Either my shoulders felt like they were going to bust out of the size that fit my small chest and waist, or my boobs and waist were too small for the size that fit my broad shoulders!  Since this one is not your typical blazer, it worked well with my body type.

Gap "Band blazer" - Navy, $98.

I would have preferred the gray-ish herringbone color better, but they were sold out online AND in my local store.  Despite that, navy is still a very versatile color.

Although this won't go great over a girly dress (... or will it?), I have a preppy-equestrian style in mind after buying a $12 khaki skirt from Nordstrom.  It involves a nautical or plain creamy shirt, boots or black flats, a high waisted, A-line khaki skirt and my blazer.

Longsleeve Tops by Lands' End Canvas
Boots by Dolce Vita

Or... I'd use my new khaki skirt, my chambray top, and a woven Nordstrom belt I have to re-recreate this look from http://kendieveryday.blogspot.com/:

I don't get how these ladies with "What I Wore"-type blogs look cute EVERY DAY!  I look like a bum 4 out of 7 days a week--typically on UCLA football game days, days that I'm late to class, or days in which I don't have class, thus I stay in my pajamas.

Early birthday present...

Since my boyfriend already kind of told me he isn't getting me a watch, I decided to spoil myself early.  I had to get the watch before it sells out, right?  ....That's what I keep telling myself since I broke my "no shopping" rule.  I have nothing better to do than shop when I visit his apartment (while he's at work)!

 Michael Kors MK5160 watch + the boyfriend's entertainment center in the background...

Close up!

It isn't one of my wish list watches, but it is cheaper than the gold ones and I really liked it when I tried it on.  I like the purely round shape (unlike the other gold one), and a navy blue face might not go with everything.

Done!

Today was my last final for the summer.  I can't believe I'll be taking my first grad. school class in a few weeks!  It's been a fun journey getting here with the rest of my COMD cohort :)

Fall quarter is going to be hell, but at least I'll be able to commiserate with others.  One thing that I know will make school a bit easier is a new laptop.  After the first couple lectures this summer, I knew I needed a laptop so that I could take faster notes during class.  I was able to find a SUPER good deal on Amazon.com for an Apple MacBook (Apple MacBook MC516LL/A 13.3-Inch Laptop), though.

I was going to get it through the Apple store originally, but on Amazon I was able to get the student discount automatically, free shipping with an Amazon Prime for students account, and NO TAXES!  So basically I saved like $100.  It's still expensive, but it'll help when I have to take copious amounts of notes in the graduate classes.  And it'll get me through boring breaks between classes :)

Can't wait for my upcoming vacations!  Seriously, people, comment with recommendations for places to eat and go to while I'm in SF, Napa, and Palm Springs!  I will appreciate it so much!

Chambray, sashay.

So I finally jumped on the chambray button-up bandwagon and bought this surprisingly adorable shirt from Old Navy today.  For something that I'll probably hate in a year, I didn't want to spend $100 on the J.Crew version.

I was going to get it online, but it's kind of a need-to-see-in-person thing.  It was cute in person, but the darker colors were not as cute.  Also, the Stripe Chambray is made of a thicker material than the other two colors.

Old Navy Western Chambray Shirt in Stripe Chambray, $24.50

I'll probably alternate wearing it with black skinny jeans and colorful shorts and skirts.  I just bought a bright pink bandage skirt from H&M for $12.95 that would look amazing with this.  I've been wanting a coral-colored bandage skirt, but alas, I cannot find one ANYWHERE!

Also, get 25% off with the Old Navy coupon code: ONSAVE25.  Not sure when it expires, but it was working last night.

Lovely knock offs.

I've been wanting to buy the Dolce Vita Cajun gladiator heels since they debuted a few years ago, but they were just too expensive for a girl who wears heels maybe once every two months.

As luck would have it, Target decided to knock them off, and DAMN did they do a good job!

Target's Mossimo Black "Palani" gladiator sandals in natural, $24.99

I forgot about the Dolce Vitas for a while, but KCav is always wearing them around so she renewed my love of them.  She looks a bit like a high class hooker here (I still love her <3), but if my legs looked that good I'd be wearing booty shorts every day of the week, too.

After trying on some other Mossimo shoes at Target, I decided I'm a 9.5, so I bit the bullet and ordered the knock offs!  Let's hope they work out :)

"The Flowers"

 Photo courtesy of V and Co. (and Allison of Cluck. Cluck. Sew.)

How adorable is this pillow?  I found the tutorial for how to make this (Yes, make it!) on the blog V and Co.

If I were more crafty and had a sewing machine I would totally do this.  I think the most fun part would be mixing and matching colors and patterns for the flower and the actual pillowcase.

I went out "window shopping" today and came back with two $10 shirts from Gap.  I have a ton of stuff on my wish list, but I absolutely cannot spend any more money.  UGH.  I especially loved a jacket and shorts from Lululemon, but the prices are ridiculous.  I was surprised that J.Crew had absolutely NOTHING I wanted.  I'm bothered that they don't have a better shoe selection in store.

While I was shopping I got a ton of compliments on my new scarf from ModCloth.com!  I look like shit today so I don't have a current picture of the scarf, but I took a picture of myself wearing it when I got in the mail.  I'm a fucking cheeseball...

"Sweet Disposition"

So I think I'm gonna be cheesy and pick random song titles as the titles of my posts.  Most will probably not have any special meaning, so don't read too much into things.

I'm so glad that this "week" is over!  Well, I still have to meet with my research group to discuss the Introduction section of our paper, but that's nothing.  Definitely made a couple mistakes on my midterm, and maybe one on my quiz--nothing dreadful.  I really want to impress this professor since he's the Chief of Audiology/Speech-Language Pathology at one of the Veterans Administration hospitals.  I would love to work in the hospitals my first few years out of grad. school, and the VA system would be an amazing place to learn more and be challenged!

To "reward" myself I decided to do some online shopping of the Nordstrom anniversary sale.  I honestly didn't see too much I wanted, and what I did want was too expensive.  I settled on a few items, but spent $200 to get free shipping haha.  I plan on returning most of it...

I've been golfing a lot lately (at night), so my uniform is Hard Tail yoga pants + a comfy shirt and jacket to ward off bug bites.  Since I only have one pair, I decided to splurge on another since they were on sale.

 Hard Tail Roll Waist Pants - $44.90

I can probably find cheaper yoga pants elsewhere, but lately I've been reminded that you really get what you pay for since my Target and F21 clothes are falling apart as we speak.  I've had my one pair of Hard Tail pants since 2006 and they're still going strong!

Ella Moss "Sedona" shorts - $98

These shorts were just way too adorable to pass up, but I don't really tuck my shirts in.  I love that it can be dressed up, and it would be cute with tights and boots when cold weather strikes.  If I try it with a bunch of tops tucked in and none work, it's going back.  We'll see if it's worth the price when it comes!

Tarnish stripe scarf - $23.90

I'm a big scarf fan, but I surprisingly do not have a scarf with grey tones in it.  I'm a big fan of the brights :)  This is probably gonna be one of the two things I keep since it can be worn during the summer or winter with almost anything.

DV by Dolce Vita "Ontario" sandal - $29.90

This sandal came in so many different colors, it was difficult to pick one!  I've been wanting some crazy-colored sandals (hot pink or turquoise), but the rational side of me decided that white was a good choice.  I've been wanting the Steve Madden "Sanfrann" sandals in white, but I'm pretty sure they've been sold out since last year.  These are my consolation prize!

Excellent week for shopping

Despite being pretty loyal to my shopping ban for like 2-3 months, Anthropologie just had to entice me with a 15% off birthday coupon. Madewell also enticed me, but that was just because I love Madewell!

So on the day before Halloween I went to the Anthro store in Pasadena to see what they had. They definitely have a smaller selection than the Glendale Anthro, but I still came away with three great deals. All were on sale, and all were 15% off on top of that. I got an Ella Moss dress (Shareen), a gorgeous Deletta top, and a Bordeaux top. The picture of the Bordeaux top does not do it justice, and I also got it in charcoal, not teal. It's such a simply sophisticated top for school, work, or going out for dinner. Best Anthro trip ever!

Deletta blouse


Bordeaux top

Ella Moss "Shareen" dress (Anthro says "Mena" but that's wrong)

At Madewell, I got two boyfriend V-necks for $15 each (Originally $24 and $29 each!), a great pair of skinny jeans, and stirrup leggings. I bought black tights like an idiot from Urban, and since you can't wear that alone I decided that I needed to find some thick, comfy leggings. The fact that they're stirrup leggings added like a billion+ points to its amazingness factor, so I had to buy them. Also, Madewell's skinny jeans are the ONLY skinny jeans I like. I've tried everything: Hudson, Seven for All Mankind, Rich & Skinny, J Brand, Forever 21, Express, etc. Everyone elses are usually too tight, too low-rise, or just unflattering. Madewell makes even a normal sized girl like me look good (or so I think) in skinny jeans. Oh, and they give college students (with ID) a 15% discount. Woot.

I heart Shopbop!

One of my favorite online stores is having daily giveaways, and I won today! I'm super excited, and I think I'm going to get these three things when I get the gift card:



1. Madewell Rail Straight Jeans: I already have a pair of these from the actual Madewell store and I absolutely love them! They are so flattering and comfortable I could live in them all day. I was actually going to get another pair from Madewell today but I decided not to since I'm on a shopping ban haha. Good thing I waited!

I'm not sure about the earrings yet since I get such bad metal allergies, but I figure they're free...

2. Gorjana Orchid Gem Hoops: I've been looking for a gorgeous pair of simple turquoise earrings.

3. Kenneth Jay Lane Coral Chip Hoops: I've also been looking for a pair of coral hoops, but hoops tend to sit funny on my ears... I must have gotten my ears pierced in the wrong spots haha.

EDIT: So, after researching "gold-plated" jewelry, I decided that it was not worth my money to get those earrings. Apparently gold-plated jewelry has such a thin layer of gold on it that it wears off extremely fast. Like taking a shower once with gold-plated earrings on will probably cause the coating to come off. Also, daily wear and skin cells eat away at the plating. Not worth $50!

I decided to get the jeans and an awesome LeSportsac Large Weekender bag in zebra print haha. I've had my eye on a new travel bag for a while and figured that this was the right time to get one. I've been waiting to retire my old, red Nike duffel bag!

Lodis - Arno Large Lux Ballet Wallet

Saw this on Hautelook.com's sample sale site today and decided to buy it! With shipping and tax it ended up being around $53. Not too bad! The website said it was originally $170, but sometimes SS sites lie...

I loooove lilac, so once I saw this I knew I wanted it. It also appears to have tons of space, so let's hope this one holds up for longer than a few months! Stupid Macy*s Charter Club wallet....

Perfection.

I've been looking for the perfect cardigan/sweater for the LONGEST time! I bought one 6 months ago from Urban Outfitters but returned it because it wasn't "perfect." Well, my search has finally ended with J.Crew's Soft Tee Cardigan. I discovered it a week ago at the Old Town Pasadena J.Crew for $39.50 (orig. $49.50) and fell in love. I wanted it in every color, but settled for one in heather graphite (gray.)

If you want the perfect soft, comfy, not too hot, not too cold, machine-washable sweater, this is it!

Please ignore her face... Why do models always look so disgusted with the world? They must be mad they can't eat.

Totally tubular

Recently I acquired $45 worth in gift cards to Bloomingdale's, so I decided to check out what the Century City one had in stock. I prefer the South Coast Plaza Bloomies, but at 2 p.m., traffic would be horrendous going and coming.

I found a ton of stuff I really liked, but I decided that the ivory jacket with HUGE gold buttons was too blingy, and that the James Perse shirt was not worth the money (eBay!!) However, I found a really cute Theory dress (Tubular Tyran in Urchin) on sale for $136 that was "one size fits all." It really means "one size fits most," but after debating whether or not I should buy it, I reasoned with myself that it would be perfect for casual events, weddings, and for when I get fatter, skinnier, or pregnant. It is fuschia (eek,) but I think I pull off bright pink fairly well...

Here it is! I think it looks better on me, but you can be the judge when I put a picture of myself up ...

Bye Bye Mint Nikki! AND Nautical Blue Devote!

It was a unique and colorful bag, but it just wasn't the right one for me. I'm shipping it back to Shopbop tomorrow morning.

I saw this Nautical Blue Devote (also by Rebecca Minkoff) at the Nordstrom in Brea and thought it was soooo beautiful. When I got home, I still loved it, but once I put my stuff in it and carried it, it just did NOT hang nicely. One side looked like it stuck out too much, and it just was too large. Sigh... when will I find my perfect purse???

This little baby is going back to the Nordstrom in Santa Anita in the morning.

Love it or leave it?

Here's my new Mint Nikki! I'm only like 60% sure I'm keeping it, but it's such a unique color I feel like I'll never find anything like it again. What do you guys think??

Also, my last day went okay. One kid kept acting up, but I'm thinking he's realizing why he gets into so much trouble. I had the kids do a writing exercise about kindness and being nice to others and he knew why. He kept making fun of one of the other kids (who is supposedly his friend) because he says "untinue" instead of "until." It's not his fault he's ESL! Actually most of these kids are ESL, but they sure as hell know how to spell violent words. It's amazing how much these kids learn from TV and cartoons, yet they learn NOTHING from teachers.

One more session of tutoring my math girls on Friday, and then it's time for an awesome weekend!!

New Coat

So, like I said, I am on a shopping ban unless it is for a winter coat. Now I'm completely on a ban because I got really lucky and scored a beautiful royal blue coat at Nordstrom for $44 (orig. $89!) The tag actually said $58.90, which is what it is on their website, so the extra discount only showed when she rang it up on the register.

It's really comfortable, it has pockets (I neeed pockets!), and it's not itchy at all because it has a satiny lining. The only qualm I have with it is that it is hoodless, but I rarely use hoods anyway. Dark purples and blues are the new black for me! :)