Fashion flix, take one

So, given my love of dresses and addiction to Netflix (it's just so EASY), a friend of mine alerted me to this new site, courtesy of the NYT.

I am not one of those people that has 15+ weddings each year, nor do I balk at spending (read: investing) in special occasion dresses. HOWEVER, C and my credit card do. Hence, the interest in this site - obviously there are a thousand things that might go awry (wrong size, late delivery, snow storm, etc) but the idea of "renting" a dress for an event for $50 and looking like $1,000,000 is pretty enticing.

Ladies, I hope you succeed. And, invite me.

Target Pop-up Store

Being in the world of retail marketing as well as LOVING to shop, I find these sorts of things super fun!

Target does a lot for me - it was where my friends and I would go in college, nearly every weekend (where else can you get slippers, develop film, buy snacks, find a cute pair of earrings, and bring home some new music?) I love their advertising, I love their alignment with designers to bring chic to cheap, I just enjoy being there and purchasing (good for Target, bad for paycheck). Either way, I had to check out the pop-up store and was not disappointed.

There were racks and racks of clothes, shoes, bags, sunglasses, lip gloss, lotion. Fresh flowers, real lemons, fake cabbages (note: I saw a woman pick two up and compare them - weird), lamps, chairs, pillows - gorgeous pillows- and bedding. Pretty much all that you love at Target, minus the "boring" stuff.

Definitely worth checking out - but be prepared to roam the 3 floors with about 200 other people.

Favorite Things Right Now...

- Bright swimsuits a la Juicy or JCrew - loving yellow this year!

- Cheap maxi dresses, thanks to Old Navy, American Eagle, and Benetton.

- Punky, tailored separates like these or these or this one.

- Fun, geometric prints...I'm such a sucker for a) loud prints and b) dresses.

- White jeans - which will look infinitely better on me once I'm tan, but still loving them now!

Why is it that simply shopping for spring/summer clothes just makes me HAPPIER?

Oak Tree - 900 Michigan

Shopping causes hunger and therefore knowing a good place to eat while shopping is key to any Saturday or Sunday afternoon. Personally, I find the options limited on North Michigan Avenue and I'm sure there are some of you who will disagree with me...let me rephrase. I find the options limited when it's freezing cold outside and you want to sit down for lunch and not wait 3 hours (thanks, Cheesecake Factory, but no thanks).

C thought that we should splurge on lunch last weekend since it was Valentine's Day and steered me towards the 6th floor at 900 N Michigan and to Oak Tree. We were hemming and hawing about whether to sit or not to sit and we finally sat in the dining room. The menu is long, lots of sandwiches and salads and brunch items. I finally settled on two salad options and C decided on a sandwich and we would split some fries.

After bringing back our $3.75 iced teas, the waiter answered a few questions for me about the menu - basically confirming that everything I asked him about was not what I thought it was and that I was basically making up my own salad. Great, bring me the Special then, dude. I ended up ordering a side salad with a scoop of tarragon chicken salad with it. C ordered a grilled veggie and goat cheese sandwich, plus a side of fries. At this juncture, the waiter left our table. I want to make this point because he had the opportunity to say something to us and didn't.

When he brought my salad, I was excited, it was delicious and I ate every bite of it. The chicken salad is not loaded with mayo, it's light and herbal and there's lots of chicken. The salad itself it a mix of baby lettuces and crunch romaine, tomatoes, and carrots. I opted for dijon vinaigrette on the side and barely used it with the chicken salad...so good. C's sandwich was huge - thick Texas-style toast with gobs of creamy chevre, thinly sliced veggies and toasted to perfection. Although overwhelmed at first, he was totally into it and polished it off. Also on the plate (and here's the kicker) was a small pile of crispy French fries...what? Where was this comment when we were ordering? Like "do you want an additional side of fries?" Or even "the sandwich comes with fries" because on the menu it doesn't designate that that is the case...either way, it was odd and we sorta just didn't really understand the guy at all ANYWAY, but the whole fry thing was strange.

So, the food was quite decent and the room has recently been redone - it's light and airy and modern in there, but totally comfortable. It seemed like there might've been a lot of Four Seasons guests and locals, but I would definitely go back for a shopping break again. You gotta patronize these places so that hopefully they keep popping up :)

Random, but successful shopping

So, the other day I wandered into Anthropologie post-beach and bikini-clad...I wanted anything but to go to Verizon w/ C and so I found myself strolling the racks at Anthro. I was super excited to find a LOT of stuff that I liked. Don't get me wrong, it's a great store and usually I like their stuff, but this time I really liked their stuff. And, it looked good on me. So, I bought it. It = a swiss dot sleeveless shirt in buttercup yellow - check it out here,

I guess why this is blog-worthy is that Anthropologie generally fits a certain figure, a certain style and certain tastes that don't always mesh with mine. My friend Heather, however, wears a lot of their brands and does it well...it's like almost old-fashioned, but with modern elements and fabrics. I can't figure it out, but I did see this adorable sweater shirtdress thing that I already have planned into my summer-to-fall wardrobe. Seriously, how cute is this? With super dark jeans, black heels and a chunky black bangle? Love it.

Ah, the joys of new discoveries.

Newport News

Spent a few days in Newport this weekend, drove down on July 4th to America's "first resort". While we weren't totally psyched for the forecast (gray, rainy, humid), we wanted to walk around, be by the sea, eat al fresco, and watch a great fireworks show. Check, check, check, and check.

We found a room at the Jailhouse Inn - a perfect location for wandering Thames Street. We started our day out with a lucky find (a parking meter w/ 45 minutes already in it, score) and wandered down to the water. The sun was breaking through the clouds, people were out and holiday happy, we found two seats at the bar and ordered a beer. Ah, summer. 20 minutes later we were slurping chowder (my family's favorite) at the Black Pearl and sunning ourselves, another beer down.

After an envious walk along the harbor, we window shopped our way up and down Thames street, scouting for our next meal. There are quite a few really cute boutiques there - more than I remember. Not just bikini's and sweatshirts anymore. I also found myself nostalgic and remembering all the summer's I've spent in Newport...between trips with my mother and my father's mother, I have really seen and enjoyed it all. Having this be our last summer living w/in driving distance to Newport, it was just sad to think I might not be there again for a while.

Anyway, if you haven't been, I would strongly suggest it. It's not overpriced, it's family and couple friendly, there are great bars with live music and pubs if you want something more low-key - the restaurants are random. My favorites for solid food options and consistency are below:
- The Black Pearl
- 22 Bowen's
- The Red Parrot
- The Brick Alley Pub
- Christie's
- The Chanler at Cliff Walk
I've also heard great things about: Flo's Clamshack, Cafe Zelda, and Castle Hill Inn. A quick plug for the most lovely, efficient Starbucks, too.

Hope you had a lovely 4th of July!

27 Dresses...

Okay, more like 3, but still. I work for a WOM marketing and media company and I'm always pleasantly surprised when I find my own real world examples of WOM. This just happened to me and so I'm going to share.

I have these really cute silk dresses from Calypso that are the quintessential summer dress. They pack easily (ie wrinkles are truly your friend), are very light-weight, and are silk, so they're dressy OR casual depending upon your shoe. I wore a wrap dress to work about 5 weeks ago and it was commented on quite frequently. One person in particular, who was familiar with the brand, really probed me for information. (What other colors? Which size is right for me? How hard is it to wash?) I love to talk about fashion and I think it's a great brand, so we chatted it up for a while.

Today, I am wearing a different dress from Calypso, identifiable because it's silk and in their Newbury Street display right now. This sparked a conversation with the aforementioned co-worker and she said she liked my other dress so much, that she went and bought it in three colors. She also bought another style and a few other things while shopping.

Now, I didn't make her go to Calypso or convince her that this dress is the BEST DRESS IN THE WORLD, but I shared my opinion, the facts that I was aware of from personal experience, as well as an insider information that empowered her to not only look into the dress further, but to actually purchase (and in multiples).

I think that is 3 points for honest, real-world WOM - influencing purchase decisions of fashionistas everywhere.

What's your stance?

In case you've ever wondered why some shirts make you more Fabio than others...here's an interesting article on men's fashion...C is def a more "risque" button guy - he sports his male-cleavage quite nicely.

Shoe boutique sound-off

I am desperate for some new shoe boutiques...honestly, I am SO tired of local boutiques only carrying the high-end brands that the department stores do...if I wanted that, I would go to Sak's or Neimans (and I do). I expect a lot from boutique owners and here is why:

1. You get to personally select your merchandise. Yes, you are catering to your clients, but you don't need 18 colors of TB Riva's...we can get them elsewhere. What you need to do is find something to set you apart (like mid-priced brands or high-end shoes with distinct flourishes that you can't find anywhere)

2. You can edit other people's collections...again w/ the Riva comment...pick the 5 colors that complement the season. Say, metallics, whites, brights...you can let the black/brown pumps wait in the back for a few more months. Why think you have to put them ALL out? Having an edited selection is tighter and more exclusive...plus you'll sell out of your inventory if you price them right.


We want to shop from you, it's personal, it's fun, it's a neighborhood atmosphere - so let us enjoy the experience, namely by carrying a range of styles, designers, and prices. I'm a person that invests in shoes, but when I want a shoe to walk to work in, I'd rather spend $65 than $265 so keep some shoes in every price range for Pete's sake. Or mine.

SoWa Open Market

Was in NYC this weekend and all the sidewalk merchants and vendors made me excited for the SoWa Open Market...even though I'm not a huge buyer of homemade goods, I still like perusing and especially the fresh produce. I still have dreams about these HUGE donut size blueberries. Amazing. Anyway, details below, start saving cash:
SoWa Open Market
5/17-5/18 Opening weekend
10am-4pm, every weekend (except holidays)
540 Harrison Avenue

See you there!

Shopping Alibi?

Hey ladies, check out this hot lil' number happening this week at Alibi at the Liberty Hotel:
What: Boston's hottest collections from Stil, Gretta Luxe, Portabello Road and more at up to 50-70% off retail
When: Tomorrow 11-8pm & Friday 11-4pm

Ooh, la, la shopping and drinks...quoting my auntie "I love drunk purchases"...

To reiterate it is 50-70% off!! check it out.

They call me Mellow Yellow

When I was little, yellow was my absolute favorite color. I elected to get an entire bedroom set in yellow when I was 6. Who lets their kid pick out Ethan Allen furniture and then agree to the color? My lovely parents. It was a canopy to boot - tres cool.

Anyway, I have retained that sense of joy when I see yellow popping up on runways and on shelves and people at the mall. It is such a happy color and makes you look tan - what's better than happy and tan?

Anyway, my lust after collection has to be from Ms Tory Burch...I want all of her yellow tops! They actually inspired me to break out this ruffled/layered yellow tank I have and pair it with some wide-leg gray pants. C thinks I'm predictable because I gravitate towards all things yellow these days...last year it was orange.

Another great yellow collection is from JCrew which I have been increasingly impressed with...thier yellow is much more green infused, like a grassy chartreuse-y yellow. Love, love, love the satin, button-up skirt. It will be mine...

My advice: buy up all the yellow you can get.