Someone's Got a Little Problem

Don't judge. It's just that good. I might have to go again tomorrow, too!

Wedding Woes

My cousin Emma is getting married in two weeks and between a hectic work schedule and all the excitement surrounding my Chicago trip, I may have totally put off looking for a dress. Ooops! It's a late afternoon wedding and semi-formal, so I've narrowed it down to a few favorites. Ideally, I'd like to have a dress that I'll wear again for other nice occasions (or even a fun date night).


This Alice + Olivia number is my first choice. I actually bought it earlier today to ensure my size didn't sell out. I think this would be really versatile and I'd absolutely get multiple uses out of it. The only downside is that it's really plain (even for me). I'd pair it with some neon accessories and a bright mani to jazz it up a little (neons and neutrals are a great look right now).

I think these shoes would be a really fun pop of color:

Jessica Simpson Landy

And I could use a little help from Tom Binns in the accessories department, starting with these:


The other option would be wearing a bright, punchy dress with nude sandals or heels. These two strapless styles are my favorite (so far). I really wish I could find a pretty sea foam green dress, but apparently that's a tall order this season. Bold colors are much more prevalent.


J. Crew Alannah dress


Donna Morgan belted chiffon dress

What would you do (other than not procrastinate like I did)?
Any help is great!

Eye on the Prize

You know what's really fun to do after a particularly bad Monday? Come home and start planning your summer vacation! I cannot wait for warm weather, hot dogs, Wrigley Field, Millennium Park, and everything else Chicago has to offer! This Luxe guide is a good place to start, but I need your help! I'm open to any and all suggestions for places to see/eat/play/drink/shop and generally have a good time.

Spill! What should be at the top of my Chicago to-do list?

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This afternoon I ran out to the grocery store to pick up a couple things for dinner. Totally normal, not anything out of the ordinary. When I came back, I walked into a semi-intervention, staged by my lovely boyfriend. He took the liberty of stacking every magazine I own on the dining room table, separated by issue and type. It was astonishing, even for me. Now I know exactly how those addicts on Intervention feel when they walk into the room and realize they're not really there to give their 'final interview'. Ouch. I took a picture of the entire table (by standing on a dining room chair) that I'm too mortified to post here.

I subscribe to a (generous) handful of magazines, which I really enjoy reading, especially while at the gym. The problem I have is getting rid of them (obviously). There's always a recipe, an exercise routine, or a pair of shoes that makes me dog ear the corner and hold on to it for later. Much later. Like years. Scary. Well, today I faced my hoarder-like tendencies and purged a huge chunk of my magazine stockpile. They went out with the recycling. I neatly organized and stacked the issues I allowed myself to keep and now I feel a lot better. I guess sometimes you just have to get ambushed! Talk about a productive Sunday.

Tomorrow's Project

I can't believe I'm even posting this picture. It makes me cringe!

I'm planning on tackling the tornado that's hit my room over the past week. It's giving me anxiety and I don't want to end up on an episode of Hoarders. The local Salvation Army can expect a truckload of clothes, old purses, and general odds and ends sometime tomorrow afternoon (after copious amounts of coffee and no less than three phone calls to my mom for moral support). Out with the old means more room for the new, right?

Wish me luck!

Shoes or Stilts?

I have to admit that I'm having a little shoe crisis here. I've had me eye on these Dany platforms by Jessica Simpson for a while now and when they went on sale last week, I snatched them up in my size before they vanished (again). I've admired them on Rumi at fashiontoast and more recently on Mara (her entire outfit is gorgeous). I took the plunge, but now I'm having second thoughts. Is the platform too much? Will it make me look like an Amazon woman with its 5 inch heel and 2+ inch platform (pushing me close to 5'10")? The upside is they're surprisingly comfy thanks to the platform. I think they're kinda fun and unique and perfect for a date night or drinks with the girls. Plus, they make my legs seem to go on forever.

What would you do?

Shopaphobia

I have to preface this by saying it's a strange post. I've been thinking about this more and more and I've come to the conclusion that I'm shopaphobic. Yes, I have a paralyzing fear of shopping. I know it sounds strange, especially considering the amount of time I spend perusing the internet at sites like Nordstrom, Bloomingdale's, and the Outnet (just to name a few). You see, I love to find things that I lust after and talk about them on my blog, but the reality is, I end up buying fewer than one percent of what I write about. I can blame it on the teacher's salary or the lack of time I have to actually spend shopping, but I think I have some anxiety about actually pulling the trigger on a purchase. Even when I go to a store with something specific in mind, I still overanalyze the purchase and put it off indefinitely (or until it's sold out, which happens more than I'd like to think about). I would never buy something that I couldn't afford, and I don't have any credit card debt. Seriously, I don't know what my problem is, but it's getting worse as I get older and it's starting to freak me out. I'm trying my sister's approach of thinking about an item in a cost-per-wear context instead of the lump sum of what it costs, but I still make excuses as to why I don't need an something.

Help! Does anyone else have this problem? Side note-sisters need not comment; I know you're both professional shoppers.

Maybe I should adopt this as my mantra (although I'm not in therapy, I swear):

Aidez-Moi

I'm super excited about my upcoming trip to Montreal in August! It'll be the first time in several years that my mom and both of my sisters take a vacation together. We're staying at the W hotel, but as of right now, we don't have any very specific plans. I'm wondering if anyone has any recommendations of places to go and things to see/do in Montreal. I know my younger sister has some shopping destinations in mind and my mom wants to see the older parts of the city, but other than that we're open to ideas! I know the city has lots of great architecture to see and I'm hoping to do a lot of walking and exploring on foot (and brush up on my very rusty high school French). Any ideas would be great, especially places that are off the beaten path.

Merci beaucoup!

Help! Need New Tunes

Since I've been spending so much time at the gym lately, I've really been getting a lot of use out of my ipod. The problem is, I seldom stray from the few playlists I have with upbeat tempos (perfect for working out). In other words, I'm in a total music rut. It's boring, blah, and just plain lame. I need your help! What are your favorite motivational workout tunes? I'm not overly picky, just looking for fast-paced songs to keep me going. Feel free to suggest more than one song (or album).

I'm looking forward to hearing your recommendations!

Beach Beauty

There's nothing better than sun kissed skin and effortless wavy hair after a day spent at the beach. Fortunately, there are a lot of products out there nowadays to help you fake the look. Last summer I invested in a bottle of Bumble & Bumble's surf spray, but wasn't completely satisfied. The spray smelled good, but was made my hair sticky like hairspray instead of flowy and wavy. This year, I'd like to be able to jump out of bed and have gorgeous waves like the model above. That's not too much to ask, right?! I'm thinking of trying the Fekkai line of summer products. Have any of you used them before? What did you think? I need your opinions!

Do you know of a product that works better?

Run, Forrest

I'm not the type of person who needs to know all of the features of a running shoe, such as the sole has compressed air that helps cushion the foot or gel beads massage the arch and achilles. That's all nonsense to me. I can tell whether or not I want a shoe within the first minute of putting it on. Enter Nike's Air Max+ 2009. It is seriously like walking on a cloud (or what I imagine that would feel like). I know a lot of people are not big Nike fans, but I've always had luck with their running shoes and cross trainers. The minute I slipped this on, I felt like I was wearing a cushiony, supportive slipper. I was ready to go! I just have to decide on a. the color and b. if the $160 price tag is justifiable. I'm partial to the neon orange. Surprising, no?!

Thoughts?

About Time: One for One

I've always admired Toms Shoes and their mission (they donate a pair of shoes to someone in need for every pair sold), but I've never owned any myself (shame on me). Well, friends, that is going to change this weekend for sure. It's time for me to invest in a cute pair of classic Toms for work and running around in this summer. I'm partial to the yellow or red canvas ones because they're so versatile (and because white would get destroyed in 3 days flat).

Buuuuut, I also stumbled across these adorable wedges on the Toms site. Of course, they're sold out of the (perfect) yellow ones in my size, but the red and white striped are a close second (and still available). Aren't they so cute?! I could totally see myself wearing them on 4th of July with a white tank and some navy blue shorts (how patriotic)! So I still want to get some slip ons for work but these nautical wedges are calling my name! What color is your fav?

Do you love your Toms? Tell me about it!

Summer Reading

Tis the season for summer reading! No, I'm not referring to that dreadful list that was passed out at the end of the school year that everyone put off until the end of August. I'm talking about trashy beach reads (and decent books, too) that are read leisurely by the pool, in a hammock, or anywhere relaxing (preferably near the ocean). I always feel like I read ten times more during the summer than in the cold months, possibly because it's more relaxing and I'm usually on vacation.


This year, I'm in need of your help. Do you have a favorite book that you'd recommend? It doesn't have to be something recent or award-winning, just entertaining and nothing too upsetting. I just finished reading The Art of Racing in the Rain, which was good, but somewhat depressing. I picked up L.A. Candy last week and it's been a nice, light read. Definitely nothing serious. I usually gravitate towards memoirs, interesting novels, and anything fashion-related. I'm not overly, picky though.

Go ahead, suggest away-I'm looking forward to new ideas!

Helping Haiti

Just spotted this tee over at Crewcuts and fell in love. Even better, all proceeds go to the Clinton Bush Haiti Fund. I love that the design incorporates Creole phrases. A perfect spring buy (that you can feel good about) for your little one!