Wednesday, September 28, 2011

The Life of a Type Nerd

Is it wrong to be this excited over something as silly as wall decals? Yesterday we decided to spruce up our office area to give it more of a studio feel. We started with some great typography wall decals and I have to say they look amazing. Every time I walk by, I can't help but smile. I have had my eye on these decals for quite some time and they definitely lived up to expectations.



I pretty much love all things related to typography and just like all things Pantone, I want to advertise it for all to see. I already own some type sweatshirts, t-shirts and the kern track jacket below. And I must admit, I sort of love the look of confusion on people's faces when they see me wearing these items.

Below are some of my picks for the type nerd in your life. Click on photos for additional details.











Monday, September 19, 2011

Sunday Best - Wedding Edition

My friends Meagan and Travis are an amazing couple and their wedding this past weekend was a true reflection of who they are. From their conversation starter name tags to paper fortune tellers (also known as a cootie catcher) to Meagan's bright orange converse sneakers during the ceremony, every detail screamed them. Despite crazy strong wind and rain all day, the wedding turned out perfectly. Now on to the clothes.


Rehearsal Dinner
Bright Young Things Dress by Esley - Modcloth
Gray Wedges - Target


Wedding
Yellow Strapless Dress - The Limited
Blue Wrap - Filene's Basement
Red Peep Toe Pumps - Baker's


Friday, September 16, 2011

Things That Give me Rage

J.Crew Shipping
Earlier this week I received an email from Urban Outfitters announcing free shipping on purchases of $50 or more. Within the last year or so almost every major retailer has lowered their minimums on free shipping. Nordstrom is even offering free shipping and returns on all purchases, no minimum! While most retailers are trying to retain or get new customers, J.Crew is taking steps to further alienate us. Not only are their prices outrageous, but their shipping rates are crazy. Earlier this summer J.Crew announced a flat rate of $8.95 per order or free shipping on $175 or more. They previously had a sliding scale which was also pretty unreasonable. I'm not sure about others, but there is no way I am going to pay almost $9 on shipping, especially if an item costs less than $50, not that anything ever costs that little at J.Crew. And expecting people to spend $175 before they can earn free shipping is insane this day and age when so many other places, including high end retailers, have a much lower minimum. Congratulations J.Crew, I pretty much will not be buying anything online from you ever.

Missoni for Target Launch
I had been waiting anxiously for the Missoni for Target launch for weeks. I woke up early on the morning of September 13 and placed a quick order before I left for work. I thought, ok I'll place another right when I get into the office. Wrong. As soon as I logged on I discovered that the site had crashed. When it finally did come back up at 11 am, I quickly placed another order. In the afternoon when I went to check my order status, surprise, the site was down again and pretty much stayed this way for the rest of the day. Since then, my orders have completely disappeared, reappeared, and now have been delayed. And knowing Target I know the delay email is just one step away from the cancellation email. Target is claiming they had no idea the response to the launch was going to be so high. I don't believe it for one second. They marketed the hell out of it and Missoni is a highly regarded, well-known brand, much more so than most of their previous collaborations. I just can't understand how a corporation so big could allow their site to be down for an entire day. It gives me rage. Target, I pretty much hate you right now.

Thursday, September 8, 2011

From the Fitting Room: H&M Fall 2011

With the exception of H&M's recycled collections, I haven't found anything worth buying there in years. A couple of weeks ago, I happened to be downtown with some time to kill and thought that I might as well check it out. Imagine my surprise when my arms began to fill up with pieces I wanted to try on. I was shocked. Below are the items I decided to purchase. One word of warning though, many of the price points are higher than usual H&M pieces, but I really feel like the quality seems much better on most of these items as well.

Printed Shift Dress in Size 2: I love the print on this little shift dress and it looks and feels a lot more expensive than it it. The size 2 is still a little roomy, but it looks great with the orange swing jacket below. Price: $39.95.

Orange Swing Jacket in Size 2: I love everything about this jacket! The elbow length sleeves, the gorgeous color and the great fit. I love all things orange for the fall and am sure to get tons of wear out of this. Price: $59.95, paid $48 with a 20% off coupon.

Printed Bateau Top in Size 2: I don't usually buy two of anything, especially not in the same print, but I love this top. I broke my own rule because I love this style of top and usually have a very hard time finding ones that fit. I think this item would be best for petite girls or someone with a fairly short torso. Price: $24.95.

Knit Striped Skirt in size small: My usual XS fit at the waist, but was super tight around my hips so I decided to size up to a small which provided some extra length as well. Price: $5.95.


Poncho Sweater in size XS: I wasn't sure about this poncho, but when I belted it I thought it had great potential. I was thinking of pairing it with jeans or the orange skirt below. Price: $19.95.

Orange Knit Skirt in size XS: No matter how hard I tried I couldn't get this skirt to photograph well. Must be the dressing room lighting. Again, I love the color, perfect for fall and it definitely fit true to size, maybe even a bit snug.

I also picked up a couple of skinny belts and these pants in a size 4. I also plan to head back to the store later this week to see if either this jacket, which I also featured here, or this coat have come in yet. I'll post reviews as soon as I can.

Tuesday, September 6, 2011

Sunday Best

I bought this dress during Modcloth's amazing cabin fever sale this past winter. I was immediately drawn to the print and vintagey vibe. I am just getting around to wearing it now because I was lazy about getting the straps taken up to fit my shorso (short torso). After trying on every pair of shoes I own, I decided to go with the navy wedges. Although they work, I think red shoes would have been even better. They will have to go on my must-buy list.

Well-Wrought Dress by Burlapp - Modcloth
Navy Wedges - Payless

Thursday, September 1, 2011

Dead Ringer?

As I've mentioned before, I am really loving stripes right now. Hence my infatuation with the Kate Spade Clemonce skirt. I wasn't having much luck finding a similar, more budget-friendly version until I made a trip to H&M to check out their fall collection (post and pictures to come soon). Now don't get me wrong, the H&M version definitely doesn't come close in terms of quality, but the style and look are quite similar. Priced at just $5.95, this skirt is a major steal and a significant savings from the $325 Kate Spade version.

Kate Spade Clemonce Skirt

H&M Striped Knit Skirt