Magic Wallet

J. Crew has had these little patent leather magic wallets for quite some time. And each time I go in there I must stop and obsess over them, making their $20 price tag flip from one side to the other.

Normally I carry around a extra large wallet, but I found this to be a bit of an issue the last time I wanted to use one of my itty-bitty evening bags, and try as I might, could not get half my wallet to fit within its confines.

I love carrying a big wallet so much that I even got this amazing one with its form of magic, a secret strap that pulls out to transform the wallet into a wristlet. It's a wallwrist. But it's bright and colorful, blues and greens and magenta in a big floral - not something that goes effortlessly from day to evening, casual to formal. It also leaves all the miniscule bags home in the closet.

So I went to J. Crew, but even at its newly reduced price, I still couldn't buy it. It just seemed to frivilous. So I went to ebay, and found just what I wanted, pink patent, for $8 shipped.

It arrived yesterday and my clutches and wristlets are all very extcited for tomorrow night.

Cleaning out your closet makes the whole room look bigger

Today it is 80° out, marking the first truly hot and beautiful day of the year -- the day when I must pull out my 'other season' clothes bin and switch the contents.

While it is a possibility that next weekend it will be back in the fifties (as these things do happen in New England) I don't care - I am ready for the warm weather.

Clothes switching day is also clean out the closet day, and one must assess, critically, what things must go.

I'm sure you've heard it before, but always ask:

Did I wear it at least once this past season?
Does it still fit?
If there were any damages (lost button, fallen hem, stains) can I, and will I fix them?
If it is something trendy, will I want to wear it next year?

I ended up taking out a ton of too short camisoles, super mini skirts (what was I thinking?), blazers and button down shirts with buttons looking like they might burst at any moment, and with much lament, a black top from Forever 21 with a glittery geisha.

It feels good to have reclaimed some space, and best of all, to be able to clear off my over-the-door hooks, which were piled five garments deep.

Do we like peacock?



I was reading about this exorbitant peacock feather wedding gown the other day, and wondered "Do I like peacock?" It is not something I've ever tried, or even considered. Lately I feel as though I've been seeing it quite frequently.

H&M's new designer line features this blue dress printed with peacock feathers, going for 70 dollars, or is that euros? Either way, I don't think I'm ready for that much peacock.

I did however, find this bangle at Aldo for $12, and it is decidedly 'just enough'.

Gray H&M Bomber


Lovely light spring jacket for $30 from H&M. It's cropped, and has a ton of snaps, which I like. It also comes in a bunch of colors, black, purple, and seafoam green (which I suggest you avoid at all costs).

I went with the gray - even though I really liked how the black looked, and the purple was half off (tempting) - ultimately because I think it will transition the best into summer, over a simple jersey dress, with some necklaces, or perhaps a belt, and strappy sandals.

Shoes In Full Bloom


It would seem that this spring every shoe you see is sprouting some flora, not floral prints, but actual three dimensional flowers, and there are enough variations of style, material, and price to please everyone.

From the top:
Nine West Hotdots $15 Payless Lovely Dot Pump $20 Bandolino Shari Pump $48 B.O.C. Savina $60 Poetic License Mint Julep $94 (20% off at shoebuy today) Target Mittie Flat $25 Rocket Dog Lover Girl $55 Anne Klein Happy Pump $60 Pelle Moda Utopia $42 Guess Arivica Sandal $35 Steve Madden Rossey $60 Unisa Rubi $60 Madden Girl Adaline $51

I ended up splurging on the Poetic License sandals, I saw them in person, and I had to have them.

Super Shoe Finder

Yes, that's me!

Last night I encountered a sandal I instantly fell in love with. Another spawn of the ruffled shoe trend, these wedges had layers and layers of metallic ruffle goodness. While I asked the wearer where the shoes had come from, my question fell of deaf ears. Perhaps she truly didn't hear me, or perhaps she was too embarrassed to admit that they came from Target!

Please compare:









These are quite a good deal, only $29.99, and also come in black. The metallic makes them versatile, the wedge makes them comfortable, the ruffles make them trendy, the price makes them appear in your closet. My only lament is that they aren't leather, something I typically consider to be important when it comes to shoes.

My Cheetah Skirt!

So the ebay skirt went over my $20 limit, which was a shame, since it stayed at three $3 for so long, then the last half hour of the auction people started to get anxious and bidding - so that was lost. I probably could have won it for under $30, but I feel it is important to set strong limits on ebay. It is too easy to get caught up in the idea of winning and to hell with what it costs.

But I decided to check out Forever 21 in the mall, and while they did not have any of the skirts shown on their web site, they did have one cheetah print pencil skirt, and they had two size x-small, and one size large. Fortunately one of those sizes fit me.

So the skirt is somewhat long, hitting me just at my knee, and a bit high waisted as well, sitting just below the belly button. The sides have some rouching, and two deep pockets, which I like. I think pockets in skirts and dresses are fantastic, for your hands.

The skirt is also more of a beige and black, rather than the traditional brownish yellow cat coloring. I've since decided I much prefer the beige, so it is fortunate that was the only color option available.

Now as far as what to actually pair with this skirt, I've only come up with two ideas thus far, the first, an abundance of color and pattern, the second with a far more minimal pallet.

Part 1: Heels. With my tiny height of 5' 1" the higher the better. Since the skirt is so long on me, without a good high heel I'd look like a midget.

Part 2: Belt. Once again my short and curvy figure requires special attention. I added a wide cinch belt to my waist to make sure I look like I actually have one.


Part 3: Top. So for the first look I opted for a vibrant green faux wrap top, and then paired it with my floral printed honey bee pumps. This might be too much, I'm just not sure.

For the second look, I went for a beige top with a studded collar. Not too fussy, with a bit of a hard edge. I paired it with my ivory and bronze t-straps.

So, what look do you like, and any other thoughts of what I might pair this skirt with?