Looking hot in a paper bag...

Even though I only see 5'10" skinny girls looking good in this trend, I'm loving the high-waist cropped trouser trend.

I especially love this paperbag trouser from Urban Outfitters!

Kimchi Blue Paperbag Trouser, $59.  Available in yellow and black.

I'm on a boat..

Even though my style tends to lean towards "preppy" casual, I dislike the typical polo shirt, pearls, and loafer look.

Well, these perforated leather boat shoes by Jeffrey Campbell have changed my mind about overly preppy shoes!

 On sale at Freepeople.com!

Although I'm not sure how they would go with my usual outfits, I'm intrigued by them.  Do any of you wear boat shoes, and if so, what brand?  I really do not like any of the Sperry Top-Siders I've seen...

Funny greeting cards.

I love humorous greeting cards.  For almost every anniversary/holiday/birthday I've bought some kind of dumb card, and I'm sure Darryl is the only one who appreciates them (other than myself.)

Here's one that reminds me of something I'd do (the "SCREW YOU!" response), and also of my driving behavior.  I have massive amounts of road rage...

via: http://www.threadsence.com/screw-you-happy-birthday-card-by-fomato-p-1314.html

Lovely lace.

I'm obsessed with lace details, but sadly I do not own many items of clothing that actually HAVE lace details.  This must change!

Some items that have been on my mind are...

 "Seeing Spots" tank from Nasty Gal, $32 (only 1 Large in stock, sad face...)

 

 "Chantilly Lace" shirt by Michael Stars, $98 (one size fits all)

"Savannah" lace dress from Nasty Gal, $32

 "Bridget" lace dress from Nasty Gal, $44.80

Tempted...

I've only shopped on Modcloth's website once before, and I bought a scarf that I was pretty pleased with.  The quality wasn't amazing, but it was an inexpensive scarf so it's allowable.

I was reminded of Modcloth again today by a classmate and decided to browse...

 Demeter maxi dress, $59.99.

I think this maxi dress needs to be added to my collection!  I have one other one that I wore the shit out of these past two summers, and I think it's time for a new one.  I don't know how the quality of it will be, but the reviews are great.

Also, I was Facebook stalking (as usual) and came across this really, really cute maxi dress on someone's girlfriend.  I'm jealous!  I've been searching for one like it online, and I've come up empty handed.

Anyone recognize it?

Wishlist

Things I've had bookmarked and REALLY want!

Maybe after my birthday I'll have the extra funds to purchase one or two :)

 "Lady's Choice" Cardigan, Anthropologie, $49.95.

Dotted woven top, Gap, $54.50.

Diversey long solid enamel paisley necklace in White, Jess LC, $86.

"Annie" top in White Arrow, Yumi Kim, $138.

"Blue light"

As you know (or SHOULD know), I love Madewell.  Yes, it is expensive, but the clothes are just too perfect.  Great basic tees, cardigans, and jeans for those casual days, and lovely dresses, skirts, and blouses to dress up in.  They also offer a student discount!

I'm really into this royal blue dress that just showed up in the new arrivals.  I've been looking for a flowy royal blue racerback tank to tuck into high waisted shorts and skirts, but I've yet to find one I like.  This dress, on the other hand, is perfect all by itself--no skirt or shorts required!

Madewell "Floaty Cami Mini Dress" ($138)

For those on a budget or who want a more modest dress:

Forever 21 ($22.80 - Product Code: 2079766386)

Modcloth (Steamboat Springs dress, $49.99)

 Old Navy ($25.99 - Product #772370)

"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...

"Tie the Rope"

Inspired by the cute tops from Anthropologie (and a classmate who wears the most adorably delicate bow ring--Hi if you're reading!), I'm really feelin' stuff with ribbon bows and the like.  Although it may seem overtly girly and in-your-face, I love the silky oversized bows that I've been seeing lately.

On the left is the "Presently Perfect" top ($68), and on the right is the "Blushing Bow" top ($68).  Both are made for lounging around the house, but as most women dress on the casual side, I'm sure these will work outside of the house with some cropped skinny jeans and cute flats.

On the left is the "Ring of Bows" tank ($68) and on the right is the "Pearly Glow" tank ($68).  Anthro definitely loves pricing things at $68!  That's too expensive for me, but they also always have GREAT sales.  I'm hoping that one of these goes on sale since all of them are adorable.

Lastly, we have the most casual item out of the bunch (Bow Print Vest from Topshop, $50).  Also much too expensive, especially considering it is a cotton tank (!) but it's the prettiest shade of pale pink.  It's definitely more young and fun than the others, like what you'd wear with your bikini and denim cutoffs to the beach.

"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!

J. Crew love.

I swear, J. Crew and Madewell will cause me to go bankrupt!

I haven't bought anything, but I do want everything... in particular, these gladiator sandals.  I have cute sandals in gold and another in silver, but I don't have any black or brown sandals (unless you count Rainbow flip flops as my brown "sandals").

These would be a perfect addition to my sandal collection:

"Reese" studded back-zip gladiator sandals, $138. 

Definitely out of my price range, but I scored my gold sandals at J. Crew for $30, originally $90!  Maybe if I scout out J. Crew stores long enough, I can find these on sale.  Thank goodness I have huge feet, because 10s are always left behind.

Also, I'm pretty set on having my future bridesmaids wear dresses by J. Crew, and this is a favorite:

Linen-silk "Milla" dress, $198.

The dress only comes in this color ("neon peach") and black, but I did want peach and/or pale aqua (Tiffany blue) to be my wedding colors!

I'm getting way ahead of myself with the wedding ideas, but I was also never one of those little girls planning my dream wedding at age 10 (I'm behind in the game!)  Now is my planning time, at a much more realistic age :)

June Gloom

Lately the weather has been kind of weird.  Morning gloom, afternoon heat, freezing nights (a perk and a burden of getting out of class at 9:30 pm!)  But I do love gray skies, and I'm especially loving gray skirts!

I've also been on a big neon kick, and I love this J.Crew tee I just got in neon pink.  Sadly it's not available online, but I've been wearing the crap out of this AMAZING neon lime shirt from Nordstrom that is now $9.90!!!  Buy it, you won't regret it.  Super soft, comfy, and versatile!

I'm glad that my love of neon goes with my love of gray, so here are a few gray skirts I've been eye-ing.  Madewell, please put the Mariposa skirt on sale?  Pretty please?

 Adorable "Rah-rah-rumba" skirt from Anthropologie for $78.

My beloved "Mariposa" skirt from Madewell for $88.

 On a more budget friendly note, this mixed media dress by ELLE from Kohl's fits SO well ($37.99).  Sadly I still do not believe in spending more than $30 on something from Kohl's so I refuse to buy it until I get a coupon!

 

 On a sexier note, this body-con mini skirt from Express is budget friendly ($59.50, compared to Pleasure Doing Business and Herve Leger) and great for a night out with the girls!

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!

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! :)

Shopping ban FOR REAL!

Okay, so I've seriously ignored my shopping ban that I set for myself a month ago. This may have been caused by the fact that my parents agreed to pay one quarter of tuition (their first ever, and the cheapest, btw,) but I also blame it on my weak shopping will power.

My expenses for the rest of the year (minus two upcoming vacations) will be Netflix, food, books, toiletries, family/Darryl gifts, and tuition. No clothes or accessories!

I have reached a low point, especially after buying the RM purse I mentioned a few days ago.... -_-

I never shopped this much in HS or as an undergrad. I swear it's due to all of my downtime. I can never be a housewife, or at least not a housewife who isn't taking care of kids all day.

This will be my last shopping post until I need a winter coat (One of the few things I don't have.)

Gap coupon!

I used to hate the Gap, but their clothes have become more stylish. I'm not sure when it started, but the fact that they got Phillip Lim and others to design classic white shirts a while back must have helped. I can't get enough of the bright, saturated hues they use for their cardigans, and now they're only $34.99! I got these colors, but they have a ton more.

Right now they're having a 30% off sale until Jan. 25. Sadly, it's only on clothes in the "New Arrivals"category, but it's good at Gap.com, Bananarepublic.com, and Oldnavy.com. Use the code SPRING when you checkout (and it also gives you free shipping if you spend >$150.)

Here are my picks from the New Arrivals at Gap. I already own the striped shirt, and I'm so tempted to buy the skirt! The muted gradient of grays would look amazing with a bright sweater and a white tank for Spring. Now all I need are some tanned legs...

Scarves and WinkNYC, Tobi discounts

An accessory that I've started to incorporate into my wardrobe is the scarf, but now that LA temperatures are reaching the 80s (ridiculous!) I have no use for them. Despite this, I've been on the lookout for cheap Love Quotes scarves.

I recently bought one in Solar from Tobi.com with a 25% discount, and one in Merlot at WinkNYC.com with a 30% discount! Although Tobi's 25% discount is gone, they've replaced it with a 30% discount in honor of Obama :) How much did you guys love the clips of him dancing at the different balls on Tuesday night?? Tuesday was pretty exciting!

WinkNYC.com - CSS8 for 30% off if it's your FIRST purchase with them. Luckybreaks13 for 25% off all other purchases. (free shipping!)
Tobi.com - INAUG30 for 30% off everything until 1/22/09 11:59 pst. (free shipping!)

One thing that influenced my purchases is the fact that I always wear low-cut v-necks from American Apparel. Any time I'm in an air-conditioned room, there's a chance that my neck/décolletage are freezing. Another influence is the fact that I have almost the exact same purse as Vanessa Hudgens (we both have Rebecca Minkoff bags in Wine, as pictured) and that rich shade of burgandy looks so cozy and wintry. Another (I'm trying to make good reasons for why I purchased two scarves hahaha) is the fact that pale yellow is my FAVORITE color. Sadly, pale yellow shirts tend to be see-through so I rarely buy anything in pale yellow...



This post also means I have already failed at my shopping ban. Whoops.... I swear I'll start the ban after this!

Yay!

Finally, I feel well!

To celebrate my newfound wellness... I went shopping hehe. I got multiple items from Gap and a pair of shorts from Express. I was going to wait for the Gap sale on Thursday, but there weren't too many items in the size and colors I wanted and I didn't want to risk not getting them at all.

Here are some of the items I bought today:



1. Gap pants. I've never worn white pants before but I've always wanted a pair. I finally found one that looks good on me so I figured, why not? We'll see how much bravery it takes to wear it around town....

2. Gap shirt: I absolutely LOVED this shirt!! I want more of them in every color. It's comfy, soft, and it has a nice shape. The color looks really washed out on the model, but it looked a lot better in person. I got it in a medium because the larger size gives it more of a casual menswear look.

I also bought a cardigan that wasn't on the Gap website. Here's a color similar to it:



I bought another cardigan at Nordstroms with a gift card, but after trying it on at home, it doesn't look as good as in the store. I hate when that happens!! Now I must return it some time soon...