first ever madewell online sale

the first ever madewell online sale starts today. there's some great stuff on sale - check it out before all the good stuff is gone!

skirting the issues

my friend lani just brought this stunner home from a big anthropologie sale. the high waist is fashionable and the length is great for work. plus the elastic waist is super comf! pick it up here for $49.95 (on sale from $98).

outfit in action: panama sunshine

my new(ish) gap boyfriend jeans are by far my latest wardrobe staple. so comfortable and versatile - and only $25. i rocked my j.crew panama hat for a little while, too...this is my best michael jackson pose.

gap boyfriend jeans, vince tank, dolce vita able sandals, banana republic necklace, j.crew panama hat

btw, so long to indoor-only photos soon...we're inching closer and closer to closing on the house and i can't wait to take outfit photos out and about our new abode.

30% off banana republic ends today

banana republic has sales ALL. THE. TIME. and i normally don't pay attention. except when it comes to this silk geometric beaded tunic. nick and i popped in to banana this past weekend to grab him a pair of shorts and i fell in love with this top. i love the white beading on the neckline and i'm picturing myself wearing it with skinny white jeans and my j.crew panama hat. debating whether or not to take advantage of code "SAVE30" to bring the $79.50 price tag down to $55.65...the sale ends today, btw!

craving some down time

the past few weeks have been AB.SO.LUTE.LY insane in the doyle household. since the end of june i've been to maryland, chicago, charleston, houston -- we took a break to buy a house -- new york, back to houston and back to new york again. add real life on to that and you have one exhausted blogger. these are just a few things i'm dying for on this lovely monday morning...i promise i'll stop whining and get back to your regularly scheduled programming as soon as possible.

what do you crave when you need some down time???

a vase full of fresh hydrangea. reminds me of the bush in my yard growing up.

a supersoft hoodie right off the streets of ny (yes, i'm an ex-resident turned tourist now)

a stack of us weekly magazines

a ben and jerry's phish food sundae in one of these mugs from anthropologie ($6)

fleabags and club monaco - a match made in my heaven

i've written before about my obsession with club monaco. i also have an obsession with fleabags' bags. and NOW i have an obsession with the fact that fleabags is creating an exclusive line for club monaco. SWOON!! no details on styles or pricing yet, but i might have to make a big decision in the near future - new couch or new fleabag?

(thanks martha!)

military chic for cool summer nights

can you believe shops are having their end of season sales already? so not ok with my mental health that retailers are already considering the summer coming to an end. not here, my friends! either way, i've been coveting this cotton poplin military-inspired jacket by loft for a few weeks now. lucky for me it's already on sale - $79 down to $39.99. get it while they still have them.

piperlime tag sale: two more days

i love it when piperlime has their tag sales - use code "extra20" for an extra 20% off already-reduced items. these are in my shopping cart...

below: free people embellished desert voile top, $98.00 marked down to $58.99 plus an extra 20% off with code "extra20"

below: marc by marc jacobs nylon Q mabel, $258 marked down to $157.99 plus an extra 20% off with code "extra20"

below: sam edelman katrice, $159 marked down to $129.99 plus an extra 20% off with code "extra20"

look for less: dual-tone necklace

i've built my jewelry collection around a few pricier, classic pieces and i add in a few trendier statement pieces every season. my go-tos for inexpensive jewelry are forever 21 and charlotte russe. they have an ever-changing rotation of inventory and it's also a great way to find the look for less. i just came across charlotte russe's version of anthropologie's double torsade necklace. it's less than half the price and every little bit helps...especially when you're about to buy a house.

below: anthropologie's double torsade necklace, $28

below: charlotte russe's half and half necklace, $10.50

recipes: sausage and peppers

this one of the easiest and simplest things in my dinner repertoire. i don't even think (similar to a lot of the others in my repertoire) i can call it a recipe...it's that simple. all you need is a package of italian sausages, a green pepper, a jar of sauce and a box of pasta.

step 1: put a pot of water on to boil.
step 2: remove sausage from their casings and rip into small, bite sized pieces. wash and cut the green pepper into bite sized pieces. heat together on medium-low, stirring often.

step 3: at this point, the water should be boiling. add the pasta to cook while you complete step 4.
step 4: once the sausage is cooked through and the peppers are soft, drain excess oil and place back on low heat. add jar of sauce, stir and cover. stir regularly while pasta is cooking.

step 5: drain the pasta and serve with the sausage, peppers and sauce. top with fresh parsley and parmesan cheese. enjoy!

outfit in action: floral and cargos

i got this shirt last year at a friend's consignment shop in new jersey. i love the floral bib and i don't wear it often enough. too bad it's wrinkled. oops. cynthia steffe tank on consignment, banana republic cargos, ralph lauren wedges.

local austinite - elizabeth baird jewelry

below: orange folded earrings, $60

below: pattern ring, $180

a friend of mine (thanks jessie!) recently passed on elizabeth baird's website, commenting on how much she loves the "architectural details that she adds to each piece that make it so unique." and i couldn't agree more. elizabeth baird, a fellow austinite, has turned her education in architecture into a gorgeous handmade jewelry line. if you live in austin, you can find her pieces at local favorite eliza page - or order online here.

forever 21 does maternity

above: chiffon flowered maternity tunic, $19.80

above: knit maternity leggings, $12.80

i'm not pregnant but i have a lot of friends who are baby mamas. one of the things they tell me most often is that the expense of maternity clothes is a little overwhelming. who wants to spend an arm and a leg on something you can only wear for a few months? in comes forever 21 with their love 21 maternity collection...inexpensive and cute options for expecting mothers. the line isn't very extensive yet but i have the feeling there will be more on the horizon.

maybe one day i'll be the one wearing them...one day! we need some babies to fill up that house, ha ha!

gap's jeans do it again

gap has done it again with another great pair of jeans. i saw these in an ad in this month's lucky mag and immediately went online to get the story. they don't seem to be available online for purchase yet, but i have the feeling they're out there somewhere. the gap 1969 website says they became available july 6, and i fully intend to keep my eyes open for where and when i can buy. let me know if you see them anywhere!

j.crew, you're genius

this is a photo taken in the dressing room at j.crew. genius. if you can't read the small photo, it says "a bright idea: flip the switch to see yourself in day or night lighting."

thanks for passing it on, martha!

we are buying a house!

i was hesitant to write this since you never know what can happen between today and closing - but who cares... nick and i are in the process of buying a house! we were planning to wait a few more months but we fell in love with this beauty in east austin so couldn't resist biting the bullet.

once we move into it in mid august, you can look forward to lots of posts about decorating, bargain hunting for new furniture and finding the perfect-too-good-to-be-true accessories.

in the meantime, if any of my austin readers know anyone looking for an apartment, i'm trying to get rid of mine...here. pass it on!

inspired by the amazon

i mentioned yesterday that i just finished reading the lost city of z by david grann. the story is about an explorer trying to map the unchartered territories of the amazon in the early 1900s and the stories were fascinating and left my wondering when i could get to the amazon for a little exploration msyelf...and i quickly realized the answer is probably never.

rather, i decided to buy myself this panama hat from j.crew. if you can't explore in the amazon, bring the adventure to you. $58, available in natural and white.

ps. when i first got it home, nick asked me when my part in the michael jackson video would start filming. now every time i put it on i sing "smooth criminal" to myself. thanks, nick.

recent reads

one of my favorite vacation activities is sticking my nose in a book for hours on end. here's the rundown of the books i plowed through while in charleston last week. these are just my humble opinions so please feel free to voice your own if you've ready any of these books. what are your recent reads?

below: the wedding girl by madeleine wickham (also known as sophie kinsella). easy, fast chick lit perfect for lazy days on the beach. it was over before i knew it and i only hated the main character a tiny bit (a huge feat for chick lit, i my opinion).

one thumb up, one thumb down.

below: are you there, vodka? it's me, chelsea by chelsea handler. this had me laughing out loud with every turn of the page. no great literary feat but definitely good for a few hours of entertainment. chelsea is incredibly witty and says a lot of things outloud that some of us would never dare.

two thumbs up.

below: my horizontal life by chelsea handler. this one made me giggle a few times but i didn't find it nearly as entertaining as "vodka." not to mention her stories started to overlap and [i swear i'm not a prude] i got a little grossed out now and then.

one thumb sideways, one thumb down.

below: the girl with the dragon tattoo by stieg larsson. the first 150 pages were BRUTAL but once i got used to the incredible level of detail and the pacing i started to get really into it. the second half was spellbinding to the point where i thought about it when i wasn't reading it.

two thumbs up, although that first 150 pages almost took it down a thumb.

below: the lost city of z by david grann. i love a book that teaches me something i never knew about history while fascinating me at the same time. an incredible story that's impeccably written by a journalist and makes you long for walkabouts in the amazon rain forest.

two thumbs up.