TBMD

The end of November also means the start of holiday sales. Oh my god, I already did serious damage and Black Friday/Cyber Monday haven't even arrived yet. It just so happened that a bunch of items I had wishlisted went on sale, so I didn't bother waiting to see if a better deal would come along. See the right side bar for all stores and their respective sale promos. To highlight a few:

1) Ann Taylor - 50% off everything with code ANNTHANKS
I ordered: tweed clutch ($64) / sheer dot peplum top ($49)

2) Sole Society - 8 days of deals
I ordered: Shay textured vegan satchel ($46.87 - shape and color is more like the Chloe Gemma I've been coveting and will replace my H&M bag)
Other picks: love my Desirae almond toe pump (see review, outfits) / Anneke mid heel pump is a nice lookalike for the Rockstud pumps at rock bottom prices

3) Express - 50% off everything (prices as marked)
I ordered: sleeveless one button jacket ($44 - absolutely love Elle's theory vest and hoping this one drapes as nicely) / studio stretch barely boot Editor pant ($34.95 - need a replacement for my existing too-tight camel pants) / studio stretch slim leg Columnist pant ($34.95 - figured I'd give this style a try to meet free shipping minimum)

4) J.Crew - 30% off your purchase with code HOLIDAY
I ordered: Etta tweed and glitter pumps ($208.60 - a bit over-the-top, but so gorgeous!) / pajama pant in end-on-end cotton stripe ($34.65 - love stripes, don't have enough PJs in my rotation)

5) Shopbop - 15% off $250+ or 20% off $500+ or 25% off $1000+ with code BIGEVENT13
I ordered: Tibi Simona Jacquard top ($206.50 - loved it on Wendy) / theory Rodiona G stay tee ($52.50 - uhh, had a lapse of judgement and wanted to meet the discount code minimum. Spending money to save money, C? Not my smartest moment) / Blank NYC vegan leather skinny pants ($98 - actually ordered from Bloomingdale's because I had rewards to use)

Forget emerald (Pantone's 2013 pick), red is the color of the year in my eyes. All of a sudden I find myself with a bunch of red items in my wardrobe. I feel like if an item is offered in red, then that's an automatic choice. Hmm... perhaps it's time to diversify. In the meantime, it's a good thing I have plenty of neutrals in my wardrobe to pair with this bold color.

I'm off to spend time with family where we'll be skipping the traditional fare for Chinese take-out. Easy, no fuss, no stress. I can't complain. Happy Thanksgiving to everyone in the US!

Today I'm teaming up with Macy's and ShopStyle to feature a fun shopping guide for their Holiday Spotlight page. My theme is Cocktail Party Sparkle.

I immediately envisioned sequins, metallics, and diamonds when the word "sparkle" comes to mind. If there's one time out of the year to wear a sequined dress without standing out like a sore thumb, the holidays are it. It makes such a statement that I'd keep accessories to a minimum and/or toned down. If a sequined dress is too flashy, choosing the right accessories would certainly transform an outfit into one that is suitable for holiday festivities. A simple dress can be dressed up with a sparkly clutch and/or metallic heels and jewelry. For an even more subtle, but still sparkly look, I like options such as metallic lace and threading, "shiny" fabrics like satin, or colorful gemstones.

For me personally, I find that as I'm getting older, I'm preferring more of an understated look. I'm drawn to feminine lace, sparkly statement necklaces, trendy metallic heels, and also all-things in jewel tone colors. Below are my 10 favorite "sparkle" picks from Macy's for a cocktail party:

1. Charter Club crystal drama necklace ($54) / 2. Adrianna Papell sleeveless lace sheath dress ($179) / 3. Style&co. gold-tone green stone textured teardrop earrings ($16) / 4. Material Girl Vamm sandals $49.99) / 5. Michael Kors Collection limited edition nail gift set ($36) / 6. Tahari by ASL sleeveless beaded jacquard cutout dress ($148) / 7. Style&co. Gabriella sequins minaudiere clutch ($26.98) / 8. Material Girl tri-tone bangle bracelet set ($5.99) / 9. Ivanka Trump Blair shoulder clutch ($125) / 10. Adrienne Vittadini Canby pumps ($69.99)

Head on over to Macy's holiday spotlight page to see the rest of the items I picked out for my Cocktail Party Sparkle guide. Also, be sure to check out all the other holiday guides here!


Disclosure: This post is sponsored by Macy's and ShopStyle. All opinions are my own.

With my coat buttoned up [below left], I look like the blueberry girl from Willy Wonka & The Chocolate Factory. HAHA. Oh god. I knew I should've went with a pair of lighter-colored jeans this morning. An all-black outfit is chic, but blue? Not so much.

I'm blaming my frozen brain cells for the morning photos because it didn't occur to me until later in the day that my outfit is visually more appealing with the coat unbuttoned. Instead of wishing I had grabbed a different pair of jeans, I already had the color contrast I wanted -- in the chambray shirt! I'm glad to have caught the second batch of photos just as the sun set.

On perhaps the final warm day of the year (60s in November? I'll take it!), I couldn't resist going bare-legged for the last time.

Happy Monday, everyone!

It's only the middle of fall and I'm already missing spring (wtf is wrong with me?!) So for today's outfit, I pulled out a couple colorful accessories to tide me over until next year.

Have a great weekend!

Another day, another outfit post with perhaps a bit too much sun glare in the photos. I really like the soft, glowy feel, but do need to remember that some things are best used in moderation.

Have a good Wednesday, everyone!

I pretty much stand in front of the "blazers + lightweight jackets" section of my closet every morning and just go down the line. Wore that jacket yesterday, so today will be a blazer day. The weather is perfect right now where I don't have to worry about how bulky they'll feel under outerwear, so I'm determined to wear them as much as I can. I'm thinking... at least two full rotations through before winter hits.

Sale alert: Through 11/19, use code MERRY and take 35% off at Banana Republic, Old Navy, and Gap + 30% off at Piperlime.

Some recent buys and fast favorites include:
- Old Navy military-style jacket - $25.96 with code (I sized up to a S for a looser fit / outfit below)
- Gap cowlneck sweater - $38.97 with code (TTS - I'm wearing XS in both gray and black / outfits: here, here, here)
- Gap printed poplin PJ set - $38.97 with code (TTS - I'm wearing XS / outfit: here)
- Gap broken-in straight khakis - $32.47 with code (TTS I'm wearing sz 00 / outfits: here, here, here)

My love affair with white bottoms continue with a wool skirt for winter (because I have a feeling I may have to retire my white jeans until spring since the fabric is on the thin side). Unfortunately the skirt wrinkles like crazy! It's especially noticeable after a day in the office, so I cheat by taking outfit photos in the morning with the sun behind me. Also, pretending to be moving around instead of standing still for photos make the wrinkles look more "natural."

Sale alert: Take 40% off everything at J.Crew Factory (prices as marked). Also, take an extra 10% off on 2+ items or extra 20% 3+ items with code EARLYBIRD through 11/24.

Current season buys include:
- Double serge mini - $44.50 (TTS - I'm wearing sz 00 / outfit: here)
- Stripe racerback cami - $32.50 (TTS - I'm wearing sz 00 / outfits: here, here, here)

Old favorites include:
- Tissue turtleneck tee - $17.50 (wearing XS in yellow, XXS in red - prefer XS / outfits: here, here, here)
- Skimmer pant in wool - $53.50 (TTS - I'm wearing sz 00 / outfits: here, here)

Items previously sold at the retail store but brought back to Factory include:
- Classic button-down shirt in suckered plaid - $38.50 (I'm wearing sz 0 / outfits: here, here, here)
- Pleated mini - $44.50 (I'm wearing sz 0 / outfits: here, here)

Happy shopping and have a great weekend!

I decided earlier this year that I was going to upgrade my long wool coat with the tiered hem to one that is more befitting my slowly maturing self. Truly frigid winters are a rarity in DC (knock on wood), so I don't really have a need for more than one long coat in my wardrobe. I did feel a pang of nostalgia when I sold my camel coat, but I'm glad it's found a better home.

I had a few general requirements for the new coat in mind: a neutral color, wool (or mixture of), and classic in style. I window shopped at the stores I typically frequent but didn't see any that made my heart pitter-patter. That is, until Bloomingdale's Friends & Family event a few weeks ago (now back until 11/17 with code FRIENDS!) It's funny how when there's a promotional sale, I scrutinize every available item much more closely. That's when I saw the Burberry Brit Daylesmoore Coat in trench, size 2 (sold at Nordstrom - camel, black, grey / Saks / NM / Luisa Via Roma - camel, red). Love. At. First. Sight. It actually looks very similar to Anh's gray trench from last year that I loved and hadn't forgotten. The only noticeable difference is the addition of side zipped pockets with tabs on this season's version (see photo below).

I feel ridiculously proud of myself whenever I manage to come up with a cool post title, be it a great pun, rhyming, or catchy phrase. I've already used bows on my toes in another post, but it's also appropriate for today's outfit that I figured it's worth recycling... with a spin. What other elements of this outfit could I turn into a phrase? Fur on my chest came to mind but that just evoked a rather gross image (sorry! had to share because my immature self is still laughing about this one). I settled for sparkles on my wrist -- not a pun, no rhyme, but safe. I give myself an A for effort, but C for execution.

*** Update on 11/13/2013: If you're still interested in the Valentino Rockstud pumps even after my experience below, I've updated the top of this page with several styles and colors at a 20% discount ***

I knew when I bought my Rockstud pumps that I was mostly paying for the Valentino name, as the quality wasn't 10x nicer to justify the price tag. What I didn't expect was for one of the buckles to fall apart on me after only a handful of wears! I'm guessing I was tugging really hard on the strap because the next thing I knew, the prong fell off the bar and onto my hands. Who knew there was an inner Hulk in me (and what horrible timing for that discovery)? Luckily I managed to hook the prong back onto the bar by studying the inner-workings of the other buckles, so a trip to the cobblers was not needed. Whew!

As much as I love summer, fall is simply a beautiful season to enjoy and to capture photos of. Don't the colorful leaves look absolutely glowing with sunlight filtering through?

Have a great weekend, everyone!

Sales galore all over the place!
- Nordstrom half-yearly sale has begun (for women & kids)
- Take up to 40% off at Saks through 11/8
- Take up to 60% off first cut / spree sale at Neiman Marcus through 11/8

A few specific items to note:

1a) Tory Burch Ludlow driver - I'm wearing sz 6 - TTS (runs a bit narrow but leather will stretch) / outfit below, also: here / buy at:
- $192.50 at ToryBurch.com - in navy, red, brown (limited sizes)
- $184.00 at Neiman Marcus - in red (sz 8.5)
- $184.25 at Nordstrom - in red (limited sizes)
- $220.00 at Shopbop - in brown (limited sizes)

1b) Tory Burch flat riding boots (see current season's styles) - Mine is the Nadine from last year / outfits here, here, here / the same style isn't brought back this year, but similar ones have been discounted:
- Bristol has a small TB logo by the ankle: $346.50 at Bloomingdale's and Saks / $373.50 at Cusp
- Brita has a small TB logo by the ankle with criss-crossing ankle straps: $331.65 at Nordstrom
- Jess has metal details behind the ankle: $367.50 at Bloomingdale's
- Calista is from last year and most similar to my Nadine: $495.00 at Jildor (not on sale)

2) Blank NYC spray-on jeans - I'm wearing sz 26 - sized up / outfit below; also: here / buy at:
- $61.60 at Neiman Marcus and Cusp - limited sizes
- $43.97 at Piperlime - sz 31 only
- $70.00 at Shoptiques - limited sizes
- $88.00 (not on sale) at Blank NYC, thehipchick, Designs by Stephene, pink Mascara - most sizes still available

3) Sperry Top-Sider shoes - review here / outfits here / buy at:
- Lots of styles for 33% off at Nordstrom


J.Crew piqued my interest when they released the vintage pajama set last season (I believe). I was a fan of the style, but wasn't really interested in the two colors they offered (light blue, white).

I was happy to stumble across Gap's version of the pajama set recently in a wider range of colors and patterns (buy for $41.97 w/code GAPFRIENDS through 11/11).

The fabric and sizing for both J.Crew and Gap's pajama sets are comparable. For reference, I tried on sz XXS in J.Crew and own the XS in Gap. J.Crew's top is longer in length, which I liked. I think Gap's shrunk when I put it in the dryer without thinking. It's too bad because Gap's was already shorter than J.Crew's to begin with. The inseam is roughly the same for both, ~32". They're also both made of thin cotton that may be see-through in lighter colors.

I didn't play it safe and chose the eye-popping orange-red set. DH complained that I was blinding him with the bright color, so I've been mostly wearing the pieces as separates instead as a full set. Take today's outfit with the pajama top for example. I literally stumbled out of bed, pulled on a sweater and jeans, then marched right out the door to start my day. Gotta love multi-purpose (for home and in public) items! Though I can't take the credit as I stole the styling idea from a J.Crew mannequin awhile back.

How long is too long to be standing around waiting for the wind to die down? I was the oddball twiddling my thumbs (aka pretending to fiddle with the camera) for... half a minute before I finally gave up. There was no wind stoppage, so the whole time I was just hoping the camera doesn't topple over. I'd take a few steps, pause, turn my head back, think to myself whew, camera is still standing, scurries over to pose, click, click, click, then rush back to hold the camera steady. My heart could only take so much. So, the best photo I'm sharing today is the one with the least amount of hair in my face.

Both outfits in today's post are inspired by fall foliage. Browns, reds, yellows, greens... all beautiful colors that are currently everywhere. I can't get enough of this time of year <3

I'm pretty good about shopping at a variety of stores (albeit the same handful of mall chains), so I don't usually end up as a walking advertisement for any one in particular. Not today though. You know where to find me if you ever need another model, Gap ;)

Have a good weekend, everyone!