Monday's Most Wanted

The top five things I've convinced myself I just canNOT live without this week.

     1. Mansur Gavriel Bucket Tote in Black with Flamma

          This up and coming brand has recently be featured by Elle, Zoe Report, Who What Wear, and NET-A-PORTER, and it's easy to see why.  Just take a peek at their website!

     2. Black Orchid Lipstick by Tom Ford

           Perfect color for Fall!  Now if only it weren't cray cray expensive.

     3. T3 Single Pass Flatiron

          After 5 years of faithful service, my T3 finally gave out (which is pretty remarkable given how many times I dropped it onto every type of counter and floor imaginable).  And this item I seriously cannot live without--so I ordered a new one!  It's even in an absolutely adorable limited edition lace print.  AND it was on sale on Gilt.  The universe totally has my back. :)

     4. Tanda Clear Plus

          According to an article on XOVain, which I read kind of religiously, a tool very similar to this is basically a modern day miracle.  For half the price and similar ratings, I think I just might have to snag it!

     5. Silk Black Jumpsuit

          Part of me feels like jumpsuits are for children and convicts, but recent red carpet sightings by the likes of Diane Kruger make them seem a WHOLE lot more legit.  I'm thinking played-up makeup and black heels...

Happy Birthday to Me!

Target has just released images of the full Phillip Lim collaboration, and I'm pretty pumped. 

Launching September 15th (my birthday), the collection is full of shift dresses, trench coats and sweaters that look--dare I say it--wearable.  LE GASP!  

Not convinced?  Take a look at my top five picks.

I Think I'm Officially Domesticated

As per usual, my face lit up when I found out a package had arrived.  It was here!  

I raced home and ripped it open like a kid on Christmas the instant I reached my apartment.  (I was actually really proud of myself for not opening it in the elevator, even though the only reason I didn't open it is because my hands were full of wine).

Upon pushing aside the packaging I squealed with glee and, for lack of a better analogy, started playing with my new toy.

But, what is it you ask?  

Home supplies from The Laundress!

For those of you who are not familiar, The Laundress is a line of "highly effective, toxin-free line of laundry and home cleaning products."  While researching a way to decrease their dry cleaning bills, the ladies behind The Laundress discovered that most items labeled 'Dry Clean Only' aren't. Designed to put the luxe back in laundering, this line has become a cult classic.

I was first exposed to the line at J.Crew, who has a permanent (at least as permanent as anything in fashion is) collaboration with the line.  But, I wasn't 100% convinced, so I passed.  Then, Daily Candy had a deal: $50 for $75 Worth of Laundry Products.  Decent enough, but not fantastic.  However, a partnership with Outlook.com sweetened the deal to $50 for $100 Worth of Laundry Products plus a Wash & Stain Bar.  I figured it was worth a try.  So I set up my Outlook.com account (required for the deal) and dove in.  

I may have gone a little nuts, but seriously, $100 goes a longggg way there.  I snagged a Sweater Comb, Wool & Cashmere Shampoo, Fabric Fresh, two bottles of Delicate Spray, Static Solution, Wool & Cashmere Spray, and a bottle of Sport Spray for the boy.  Plus, let's not forget my complimentary Wash & Stain Bar!

I haven't gotten the chance to actually use any of it yet, but I look forward to becoming quite the Domestic Goddess (Roseanne throwback FTW!).  

And don't worry, I'll be sure to post an update when I do.

(I know you were totally concerned)

Signed, Sealed, Delivered: Perfect Summer Sandals (and a diatribe about my love of online shopping)

So, I may or may not be a little bit moderately hugely addicted to online shopping.  It's not so much the purchase, as it is the hunt.  IMHO, online shopping is a skill, and while I may be naturally gifted (my father would be so disappointed to hear that), I also work very hard at it (by this point in the sentence he'd be hanging his head in shame--sorry, Daddy!).  I quest for the perfect piece at an even more perfect price, all from the comfort of my couch. 

Best. Thing. Ever.

But, I digress.  Shoes.  More specifically, sandals.

I had basically given up all hope of finding a pair I'd like.  I LOATHE my feet and hide them as much as possible.  Seriously.  I don't even own flip flops (which is dreadfully obnoxious every time I go swimming).

So, while I'd love to say I remained vigilant and all my hard work (bahaha) paid off, it didn't.  Instead, something far more wonderful happened--

I got lucky.

I was doing my usual patrol when I noticed that MyHabit was featuring Jil Sander Navy.

Be still my heart!

And there they were.

Beautiful, right?

Right.

And to make it even better, they were marked down from $330 to $69.  

I clicked 'Add to Cart' so fast my head spun.

Then I waited, tempering my excitement because Ihatemyfeetandthiscouldn'tpossiblyworkout.

Except that it DID!

And they lived happily ever after...

oh, and just in case you were wondering, the dress is Rag & Bone <3

Pardon me while I soapbox for a minute

Jimmy Eat World is amAzing.

Recognize.

That is all.  :)

 

Signed, Sealed, Delivered: Book Clutch!

I love hideaway books--secret keepers of my choicest treasures.  While the 'treasures' in my first book may have mostly consisted of chalky calcium pills and Polly Pocket characters, the concept is the same and my fixation remains.  So, naturally, I was entranced when I first spotted Olympia Le-Tan's book clutches.  Beautiful renderings of the Classics embroidered on canvas with brass finishings--perfection.  Sadly, I don't have the budget to spend 2k on a purse (which, might I add, is a CRIME). 

That's where my hero, Kate, comes in.  

Ta Dah!  Kate Spade saves the day...again!

Her book clutches retail for $325, but I was able to snag mine for only $99 at a flash sale.  Huzzah!  The colorful covers printed on canvas are super cute.  

The only thing I thought of as a negative is that they're covered in plastic like grandma's couch, but then I realized--it's probably for the best.  I'm kind of a huge klutz (my family actually used to take bets on when I'd spill and what it would be..oops!).  

Gotta love the melding of form and function--Grandma always did know best! 

Also, I love Love LOVE Dickens, so I plan on picking up "A Tale of Two Cities next."  :)
If you're interested in building your library, check out my Lyst collection of hideaway clutches!

follow me / make your ownLYST

Crazy for Capsule Collections

So, after the disappointment of Maison Martin Margiela For H&M and the MASSIVE letdown that was the Target + Neiman Marcus collaboration, I thought that maybe my love affair with capsule collections had come to an end.  Womp womp.

Then, like a light at the end of the tunnel, Prabal Gurung for Target appeared!

  Dropping February 10th, the collection is full of fabulous color and lazily beautiful silhouettes--all of which are very true to Prabal's form.  But...still...I was hesitant to embrace it.  Maybe the construction sucks.  Maybe Target will forget (again) to beef up their servers for the big day.  Maybe Blah blah blah blah BLAH.  And just when my skepticism was hitting critical mass....

Then BAM!

Celia Birtwell for Uniqlo.

So. Freaking. Pretty.
swoon
Celia's known for her beautiful and oh-so-60's textiles (LOVE)!    Check out her site (linked above) to see for yourself.  These elements translate into the collection (at least what's been released) in a very timely, easy, wearable way--a must for capsule collections.

Long a fan of Japan born Uniqlo (I even did an entire project on why they should come to the US in college) I was ecstatic when they launched their e-commerce site for the States.  
March can't arrive soon enough!  
Now I'm just praying that this isn't an in store exclusive...*fingers crossed*

UPDATE from UNIQLO USA via Facebook: "Yes!  We will post details on how you can shop the collection when it arrives in March"

SCORE!