why do i have so many posts about shoes?

i've been obsessed with tory burch's julianne wedges since i came across the brown ones a loooong time ago. well, i saw this morning that the they're currently on sale on toryburch.com. they come in black, gold and anthracite - as i type, they have all of the gold sizes but they're running low on the black and anthracite sizes. i haven't seen the gold in person but i think they're pretty awesome from what i've seen online!

originally $295, they're on sale for $177 - but with code SALE25 they're only $135! that's better pricing than i saw at the tory sample sale a few weeks ago! i am officially banned from buying any shoes for at least a few weeks and don't think i can put into words how hard it is to keep my puny little finger away from the "buy" button on the checkout page. if they had brown ones on sale there'd be no stopping me.

now, bubbly is even better

last week i received a bottle of st. germain as a thank you gift (thanks natalie!!), and i could not have been more excited. i've seen the gorgeous advertising in mags and posters around the city (check them out here) and have been so curious to know if the liquor itself could live up to the hype. well, it does! it's made in france from hand-picked blossoms of elderflower and the subtle, fruity flavor is THE perfect addition to a glass of dry white wine...or even better, prosecco. i mean, i thought bubbly was already top notch, but a few drops of st. germain and it's a million times more delicious. there are a bunch of recipe ideas on the st. germain website.

i'm always on the lookout for original thank you or hostess gifts and this is the best i've seen in a long time. natalie, i'm officially stealing your idea and i'm not shy about it. i might owe you a thank you gift for your thank you gift.

its summer...FINALLY!

what a gorgeous weekend - finally! my favorite summer weekend activities include sleeping, eating, drinking and sitting by the pool/beach. lucky for me, i got to do it all with my sister this past weekend. while we were lounging by the pool on saturday, my mind kept drifting back to - of course - a halter maxi dress i had seen in the victoria's secret clearance catalog that i think would look so cute on her. i didn't mention it, though, because i wasn't sure what the floral print would look like in person.

i decided to let it go. that is, until this morning on the subway. because guess what walks onto my car? that's right, the dress (on a woman...dresses can't walk). and i loved it! it's a really nice combo of floral fabric and a flirty, flowy cut - perfect for a summer weekend strolling the park, heading to the beach, dinner with friends, beer garden in the afternoon, etc etc. and with a cami tank underneath it's probably a good outfit for work, too, if your office is casual. the clearance price is $38.99 from $78.

there are ALWAYS promo codes for vicky's so be sure to google for one/some before you make any purchase. the only one i have right now is 20% off $50 with promo code 20off50.

rented apartment = no paint for you!

i've mentioned before that nick and i have a self-inflicted-no-painting-the-walls rule due to the fact that we rent our apartment. i painted an apartment a few years ago and have never had such an emotionally and physically painful experience as when i had to paint it back amidst all of the other moving chores i had to complete (thanks, mom, for holding my hand through such a life-changing/scarring painting effort).

so anyway, its sorta a challenge for me to make a room feel put together and warm when i am staring at bright white walls...until i came across these nifty removable blik wall decals. you can probably tell from some other posts that i adore monochromatic or two-color graphic prints, and they are the absolute perfect perfect perfect complement to our crate and barrel bedspread. the package comes with 11 decals for $65 - worth every penny to not have to 1) buy paint, 2) paint, 3) clean up from painting, 4) watch paint dry, 5) buy new paint to paint it back...i think you get the gist.

a little piece of my heart will always belong to australia

after studying abroad in australia waaaaaay back in 1999, a little piece of me will always belong to that wonderful country. so when i came across jimeale when looking for a travel cosmetic bag, i HAD to get one (or a few, oops). jimeale jorgensen is an australian designer and entrepreneur and it seems as though her style is the true embodiment of what i like to think i represent too. as written on jimeale.com, the "designs are innovative, modern and sensibly priced...[and]...15% of net profits from the SoHo collection to boarding for breast cancer (www.b4bc.org), a non-profit, youth-focused educational charity organization." plus, when i made my purchase last year, jimeale personally wrote me an email to thank me. i'm forever a fan! i love the diaper bags too...oh wait, i don't have a baby. maybe i'll turn it into a gym bag...oh wait, i don't go to the gym. *sigh*

thomas paul knows how to spice up a pillow

i've been a big fan of thomas paul since i purchased my first pillow a few years ago. i can't get enough of the graphic fabrics and color choices. how excited was i when i went onto gilt this morning and saw a thomas paul sale!? between the pillows ($28 from $55), tote bags ($46 from $95) and plates ($35 from $70 for a set of 8), i didn't know what to look at first. the green pillow above is just like the one i bought a few years ago and its the perfect punch of color for my overly tan and white living room (which i blame in part on a husband who won't let me paint our rented apartment...even though i know he's right).

the sale on gilt ends friday at midnight! email me for an invitation.

what an awesome gift idea

as i wrote about last week, my best friend katie got married over the weekend. and as a bridesmaid in the wedding, i was lucky enough to be the recipient of an awesome thank you gift from her - this gorgeous danielle stevens monogrammed necklace. it is so pretty and i've gotten tons of compliments on it - and all of the other bridesmaids love theirs as well. some of her pieces are on sale on bluefly.com (and you can go through MyLuckyRewards!) or you can buy from one of many stores that carry her line - or of course direct from her website. don't forget to google for a coupon code if you decide to buy!

Holy Cash Back Batman!

i don't know why i didn't pay attention to this sooner. i've been getting lucky magazine for like 4 years and at that time also signed up for MyLuckyRewards. unfortunately, i didn't pay attention to what in the world it is until my friend jenni in chicago reminded me last week. basically, you sign in to your MyLuckyRewards account, click on the merchant you plan to buy from, complete your purchase and you earn cash back. they have thousands of merchants, all with varying percentages of cash back, and they also list that merchant's current promos. so for example, if you were to buy shoes online from steve madden, MyLuckyRewards tells you about their current 25% off promo AND gives you 6% cash back. they send you a gift card every few months with your cash on it! jenni says she's earned (or saved?) about $400 in about two years.

i also just signed up for bank of america's add it up cash back program. similar to MyLuckyRewards, you get cash back on purchases you make online through their merchant page with your bank of america check card. pretty cool!!!

a little bit of barbie never hurt anyone

i just saw this photo of blake lively from last week's us weekly and i'm kind of obsessed with the pink dress/nude heels combo. some might say its a little barbie-esque but what's wrong with a little barbie in our lives? i think without the orange-day-glow tan it's a really nice look for a summer wedding or engagement party. the one blake's wearing is michael kors (i found it online at saks.com retailing for $1,595 - whoa) but this coral forever 21 version is also super cute and goes for only $13.50! i've seen it a few times in the store here in soho and with the right accessories i think it'd do the job for sure. if you're scared of the pink (don't be scurrrrrred, pink is hot!) it also comes in royal blue, black and a darker pink.

i can't live without this cami

i go into express for one reason and one reason alone: their stretch bra top camisole. i have about 600 of them in white and black and wear them under evvvvvvvverything (i'm wearing a white one under my somewhat see-through shirt as i type!). i've tried so many others but these really take the cake - they're really stretchy, the bra top holds the girls properly and they're extra long. plus they're always on sale for buy one get one half off! i get tons of coupons, too, since i gave them my address. hey, an extra $10 off never hurts.

katie's getting mawwied! = great shoes

my bestest and oldest friend of all time, katie, is getting married to the man of her dreams on saturday! i'm so so so excited and can't wait. and one of the reasons i can't wait is because i finally get to wear my bridesmaid shoes! katie found these nine west rusty heels in light gold for us to wear with our bridesmaid dresses - gorgeous blue and white printed maxi dresses from prairie ny, which i'll blog about when i return from the wedding - and they've been torturing me from my closet for the past two months. they're the perfect height for shorties like me and they are so unbelievably comfortable (well, they were comfortable when i put them on to wear around the house). all of us bridesmaids ordered a half size down because they felt a little big.

they're on sale from $89 for a limited time on the nine west website for $55 - and they're offering free shipping too! final price isn't reflected til you start the checkout process.

a top, a dress or a cover-up? yes.

saw this strapless drop-waist dress in the window of gap body and went in to check it out. although its on sale on the website for $29.99, the price in-store was $20.99 and they still had all the sizes. it could work as a top, a dress or a cover-up. three for the price of one! oh, they had bathing suits to match, too - also on sale! oh, while i was in there i saw a sign for "10% tuesdays" - special for gapcard holders through september 1.

happy birthday to me!

whoa, i can't believe i'm 30.

i'll be celebrating on vacation with nick until monday 6/22 so posts will be in short supply until i get back. sorry, i hate to disappoint my "public," but maybe you'll see some papparazzi photos from a day in napa or a yosemite hike.

holler!

if it ever gets sunny...

as much as i love the ruffle and polka dot bikini i ordered a few weeks ago, i'm not brazen enough to walk to/from my lounge chair without a cover-up. i've already mentioned my "secret" vice and here's further proof - this silk tunic from victoria's secret is the perfect complement to my other beach and pool gear.

on clearance right now for $34.99, its also cute with a pair of leggings or skinny jeans. they're offering free shipping on orders of $50 or more (offer code VS50SHP) but it ends today - maybe the perfect excuse to get the ruffle bikini at the same time?! now if only it'd stop raining long enough to take it out of my drawer...

seriously, WHAT is with this rain?

every new yorker understands how traumatic it can be to walk down a sidewalk during rush hour on a rainy day. the odds of being impaled by an oversized golf umbrella carried by mister-wall-street-executive-commuting-from-greenwich-and-i-haven't-played-golf-in-ten-years-but-my-company-gave-this-to-me-for-free are at least 2:1. or even worse, the odds of your own measly $5 umbrella from the vendor on the sidewalk instantly turning inside out are at least 10:1. for a long time now i've been of the mindset that i'd rather get soaking wet than open my umbrella. that is, until i came across this dome-shaped one from laila rowe!

i love that it's more rounded than a normal umbrella - so not only are the odds of it flipping inside out lower, but the smaller width is also way more conducive to squeezing between those golfers. at a price tag of only $18.75, i'd say its worth the investment.

plus, it reminds me of the child-size clear plastic umbrella that came with the strawberry shortcake slicker/golashes set i had as a kid!

prairie ny knows how to have a sample sale

i've gotten a few questions about the dress i'm wearing in my "appearance" on the today show (see post below). it's by one of my favorites, prairie ny. called the rosette dress in mojito, i found it at praire ny's last sample sale for a mere $40 - $200 less than retail price!

i love prairie ny for so many reasons...everything is made in the U.S., their custom fabrics are so flattering for different shapes and sizes, the beading and beautiful hand detailing, and the designs are so different and chic. the best part is that they have killer sample sales! follow them on facebook so you know when their sample sales are coming up...i'll be sure to post when i hear about them, too.

p.s. this is a GREAT article about prairie ny - http://www.newyorkshoppingdiary.com/article/49

me at a swap party - on nbc's today show

risa and i had the pleasure of going to bobbie thomas' swap party a few weekends ago -- and it was featured on this morning's today show! i took some bad screenshots but you can see us on tv by clicking this link to see the video:

http://today.msnbc.msn.com/id/26184891/vp/31238969#31238969

so what is a swap party, you ask (and don't feel like watching video)? the concept is to be a recessionista and amp up your style without spending any money. everyone brings as many shirts, pants, shoes, accessories, bags, etc. as they would like across different price categories (something like up to $50, $50-150, $150+). you get a category-color-coded ticket for each item, write your name on it and throw it in a bowl. your name is pulled at random and you get to choose something from that category. so in essence, you leave with the exact number of items you brought within each price category. anything leftover gets donated to charity.

it's not a "clean out your closet" kind of thing. its more for if you have something that's in great shape but you don't wear it and you think others would appreciate it, or if you have something you don't wear but you paid too much for it to give it to goodwill.

worried about sizing? no big whoop - since everything is "free", you'll have money for tailoring. plus, accessories and bags are one size fits all!

the trick to club monaco

i could drop about a million dollars every time i go into club monaco. i'm a huge fan of their clean lines, staples with a little bit of flair and, of course, their overzealous use of white. the only issue i have is their similarly overzealous prices. my rule for club monaco is to never ever ever buy anything full price. so since they sent me an email this morning that the june line is here (duh - #1 clue that the may line would be on sale), i beelined over during lunch. it was fate - the pair of white milla cotton shorts i've been drooling over for three weeks are $20 off. plenty of other colors and patterns, too.

p.s. the store on 5th ave and 21st is where all the others send their inventory that goes on sale.

p.p.s. i also love their new line of sunglasses (the first ones in the photo above; they're not on the CM website) but my head is too small, as usual. wuuuh-wuuuuuuh.

disposable jewelry

my office is conveniently located across the street from the soho forever 21. since it can get so crazy and messy in there in the evenings and weekends i like to stop in during my lunch break while everything is still neat and tidy from the clean up the night before. my husband does a fantab job with the nice-jewelry-buying (I voted him #1 husband of the year this year) so i don't mind perusing the baubles at forever 21 for a few "disposable" accent pieces. a few weeks ago i picked up these earrings for THREE DOLLARS AND FIFTY CENTS. the design looks really intricate and expensive (ha!), and they're really light and comfortable too!

i forgot about delia's. maybe because i'm too old for it?

anyone who knows me knows that my summer weekend uniform consists of a maxi dress and flat sandals. i've worn my maxis from last summer to death (particularly the black one from target you're all probably familiar with) so decided to pick up a new one. remember delia's? remember shopping there in 9th grade? remember shopping there when you're turning 30 in four days? yeah, me too. i'm a fan of the summery yet bold print on this one...haven't seen it in person yet so fingers crossed i don't look like our beloved deceased dorothy from golden girls. not to mention its only 40 bucks after using the 20% coupon code june20.

"secret" vice

it probably doesn't help that i signed up for their promo emails, but i find myself gravitating to the victoria's secret website on a regular basis to check out their dresses and bathing suits. this white ruffle bikini with yellow polka dot bottom is my new most favorite thing in the entire world (thanks risa!!)...and it's only $18 for the top and $14.50 for the bottom. i thought it MUST be see-through or made of newspaper - nope, its awesome, comfortable and fits really well. i luuuuuv it and so does stephanie pratt of the esteemed true-to-life documentary called the hills (she's wearing the peach color in the hot tub in the "lets surprise the boys in hawaii" episode).

ps. they're having a massive dress sale through thursday and there are some cute maxis - enter dress20 at checkout.

i'm not preggers but some of you are!

being the equal opportunity blogger that i am and since everyone in my life seems to be getting knocked up, i can't stop thinking about this new maternity line, More of Me Maternity, that i saw with some prego friends on saturday (thanks emma and dani). yes, the price tags are pretty steep but i really appreciate the styles. and since the designer just had a baby, they're offering 10% off online orders (offer code OVB). the cupcake tank is $48 and would make a nice shower gift or maybe a good staple (cute with some leggings or thanksgiving pants/stretchy jeans) to buy at the start of your pregnancy. note how i said YOUR pregnancy, not MY pregnancy. sorry mom and saundra, not yet!

Me: "They're from JCPenney" You: "WHAT?"

i figure there's no reason my blog has to be devoted solely to clothing. when nick and i moved to our new apartment a few weeks ago, we decided to buy some new grown-up furniture. that is, until we realized how expensive it can be. i've been obsessed with the wilshire lamps at restoration hardware for years but couldn't bring myself to pull the trigger...when suddenly i came across these very similar lamps at...drumroll...jcpenney! called the "crystal ball table lamp by studio," they were on sale for $79 marked down from $160, plus i used a 15% off coupon (they're in the paper all the time). they look fab in our bedroom, they each hold two 60 watt bulbs (= perfect for those whose apartments are overhead-lighting-challenged) and they're really great quality. real glass and everything.

andrea is my first contributing editor

thanks, andrea, for the tip on these awesome tops and dresses by yumi kim! i haven't been to the store in (or is it "on"?) the lower east side yet, but word on the street is that the prints are even more gorgeous in person. i'm loving this marien top. and the devon dress might be the perfect rehearsal dinner dress for katie and warren's wedding in tahoe (whoa, less than two weeks!?!?). they're a little more than i'd typically pay for one piece but thanks to andrea's generosity with her promo code - iheartyk - the 25% off online purchases makes it easier to swallow.

j.crew extra 20% off

whyyyyyyyyy!?!? i swear, every time i buy something at j.crew it goes on super sale like three days later. anyway, thought i'd share. who doesn't like an extra 20% off? that would make the rosette sweater (see last night's post) $32. that's a $116 savings! enter promo code "extra20" at checkout.

five hours later...a bach ache, sunburn and a tory tunic

gasp! i almost forgot to post about my new tory tunic. kate, christy and i decided to hit up the tory burch sample sale last sunday. not even thinking, we got there half an hour before it opened only to find we were "late" and at the end of the line to get in -- AN AVENUE away from the entrance. after the first hour we thought we were almost there. after the second hour we were still hopeful. 3 hours later we could still barely see the entrance but we COULD NOT let the line beat us. natch, the sale was pretty picked over by the time we got in after 4.5 hours and it totally wasn't worth the waste of a beautiful pool day...but i did get a navy and white tory tunic for $85 marked down from $275. kate and christy both got one too, so i guess the sale wasn't a TOTAL waste.

if you're interested in sample sales, this place hosts them often for brands like j.crew and theory.

maiden blog voyage

being my "maiden blog voyage," today's posts are dedicated to my obsession with summer...and the corresponding obsession with summer clothes. since june is the best month of the year (not only is it the official start of summer but it is also my birthday month), i like to spend it replenishing my wardrobe.

these are some favorites from my shopping efforts over the past few weeks...

as seen on project runway

nick and i always talk about our "ultimates" - celebrities who we'd drop each other for. one of my ultimates is heidi klum. when i heard about her jewelry line i thought it'd be cheesy and overpriced. turns out i really like some of her stuff! being the recessionista i am, i've been spending way too much time on one of my favorite luxury-for-less websites, hautelook.com, and her line was recently featured with deep discounts. these silver clover hoop earrings were $40 marked down from [i think] $125. i've been waiting and waiting for them to arrive...any day now...hautelook is the slowest. shipper. ever.

great deal on an awesome cardi

j.crew's current summer sale is pretty kick ass. this "rosette-ruffle cardigan" arrived in the mail on tuesday and i've already worn it three times. lightweight, great length and i love that the sleeves are a little bit long. the rosette detail dresses up the most casual outfit.

i mean, $39.99 marked down from $148? are they serious? holy shit, i wish they had more colors so i could buy another one.

speaking of payless

i admit it - i pop in to payless near my office every once in a while when i need something specific for a wedding or other function, but haven't been in a few months. i spent this weekend with one of my favorite deal-finder friends, kate, who wore these "lovely dot pumps" to emma's baby shower this morning (woohoo can't wait to meet baby boy brown!). great find. unfortch, they're not on the website anymore - maybe the $19.99 price tag caused them to sell out!

buy one get one half off at steve madden

not sure if the promo's still going on, but these cute steve madden motif sandals were on sale when i found them a few weeks ago - for $19.99 each. i ended up with a pair in black and a pair in gold. they look super cute with jeans, a mini or shorts.

handmade earrings that pack a punch

i came across these handmade earrings by sincear jewelry on another blog (thanks true and wesson!) and loved how different they are. bold colors, three different size options and totally unique from anything else i own. yellow earrings + a white sundress + a good tan = my dream come true. plus, they're only 7 bucks and the artist sends them for free. steph got a pair in the peacock pattern. gotta love etsy!