If I had a million dollars... I'd spend it on a really expensive belt that does not cost a million dollars (and maybe a headband)

Jennifer Behr is an amazing accessories designer. Predominantly, she designs hair accessories- but she has a few belts available that are amazing (see second photo, it's gorgeous, but around $600 dollars breaking my budget and my heart into itsy bitsy pieces).

All photos come from www.jenniferbehr.com:


Someday... Someday... I hope.

A perfect wedding dress...

If I could have things my way, I'd get married every few years (much like Heidi Klum and Seal) Since the wedding, I've really tried to stop focusing on wedding stuff, I can't seem to help myself sometimes. Every so often I find a dress that screams, "You should have worn me you buffoon!!!!"

I'd like to introduce Elsa, the eco-goddess dress ($1,100):

http://www.shopflick.com/stores/mr-larkin/Elsa-Dress

I am utterly and completely in love with Elsa. However, if I were to wear her (since my father hates too much cleavage) I'd probably have a seamstress add a little more neckline with some sheer fabric and wear the dress so it was wider (by pulling the shoulder straps more away from my body, securing them with double sided table).

Grrr@ Elsa only comes in sizes 0-6. Size 8, 10, 12 and +'s should be able to look fabulous too Mr. Larkin!

Review: J. Crew Piqué pavilion shift

Piqué pavilion shift:

www.jcrew.com

First, I have to say this was a bit of an impulse buy. I saw the pavilion shift dress when it first came out, loved it, but didn't love it enough to pay full price for it. A few weeks ago it hit the final sale and is currently discounted to $39.99 from $68.00 (I also used the extra 20 percent off promotion :) I ordered a size medium in navy blue. When the dress arrived I was slightly disappointed. It was not flattering, and the cotton material was REALLY thin. It reminded me of polo shirt fabric. Since the pique dresses arrival it's sat in my closet for about a month now, waiting for me to give it a second chance. This morning, I threw it on without thinking and secured a belt around my waist. It made all the difference! I love the dress now, and feel good in it. I'm still not fond of the material (I feel j.crew's quality has been slipping a bit), and the neckline is a bit low- but for the price and after a little tweaking I would recommend this dress.

My rating: 3/5 stars. The reason I took off two stars was the fabric and overall quality (not sure if this piece will last until next summer, and that bothers me. I own j.crew pieces from five years ago I wear on a regular basis and are still in great condition! Certain items I've purchased in the last year don't measure up to previous seasons. What happened j.crew? If it takes raising prices to keep overall quality- DO IT!)

::OBSESSION:: d a c e Clothing

Dace is a Canadian clothing brand- it's simple, modern, and the quality is outstanding. I love the website, and am totally obsessed with this line. My rant: A lot of sizes are currently sold out. :( It's still awesome though!

All images come from www.dace.ca:



So.. what do you think?

Obsession: Gray Jersey Dresses (and jersey in general)

I was flipping through a fashion magazine when I found a picture of an actress in a gray jersey dress. I wish I had the picture to show you, but I can't find the magazine. Anyway, this inspired me to do my own search of gray jersey dresses in hopes I too could look like a hollywood diva.

Here are a few of my favorites:

Isabella Oliver- $135

http://www.isabellaoliver.com/

I loove this dress, and actually purchased it. It is listed for $180, but if you pre-order is 15 percent off. Downside: it won't arrive until late August.

Moschino Cheap and Chic- $695

http://www.net-a-porter.com/

I like the dress, but I'm not sure if I would pay almost $700 for jersey (unless I won the lottery, then I definitley would).

Diesel Drafic Grey Jersey: $120

http://www.ssense.com/

This dress is great, but it's not purchase worthy for me personally. It's a bit short, and the back is open. It would be a great going out dress, but since I'm a social recluse, not for me.

Not gray, but I still love it. Isabella Oliver Convertible Dress: $325

http://www.isabellaoliver.com/

This dress is a IO's version of the convertible Butter by Nadia dress. I also think it's slightlybetter done. They use a liquid jersey that appears to have a sheen to it. Also Butter by nadia is one size fits all. IO sizes their dresses for a more custom fit.

If I could do it again...

I wish Adam and I would have known he wasn't actually leaving for the Air Force in December 08'. We rushed down the aisle in August due to this- throwing together our wedding without a lot of time to digest it. I'm not saying it wasn't a great wedding, it was, and we were very fortunate to have an event that spectacular. Not only did my parents pay for almost the entire event, they were kind enough to host it at their home/farm (my childhood home). I couldn't have found a more perfect venue.

Here are some of my favorite pictures- well, favorite pictures that give you a feel of our wedding aesthetic. Our pictures come from Bella Photography- and were taken by the amazing Angie Baan:

Wedding Tent:

Our Attire:

Yep, that's us and that's the wedding we had. It was an unbelievable event, I'll leave the details to your imagination.

Anywho- what would I have done differently?

I would have worn this:

Diane Von Furstenberg- $650

www.dvf.com

That's basically it, our color scheme would have changed as well. Crisp white linens, white poppies, etc.. A bit more romantic. I would base my entire wedding off of this gorgeous dress. Why? Why couldn't this have come out last year?

If I were the Ginger what necklace would I pick?

BOH tells me her new boyfriend, the Ginger, may purchase a necklace for her birthday.
Lets face it, most men don't know jewelery. They walk into a mall and over pay for something that's poorly made, and usually generic (not that there's anything wrong with generic). It got me thinking, if I were TG (the ginger), what would I buy Boh?

Vintage Locket- $224

http://www.etsy.com/

Although BOH is not a huge fan of gold: A. She looks great in it B. This piece is vintage, which she adores and C. It is already engraved with an "H."

Sage Necklance- $45

http://www.tigerlillyjewelry.com/necklaces/sage_necklace.html

Ok. Maybe it's not totally her style, but it's pretty- and she's pretty.

For Fun: Wild Life Necklace- 34.00

http://www.blogger.com/www.etsy.com

If a man gifted me this, I'd give it up.

Blue Nile Build Your Own Pendant- $300 to unlimited (you choose the size/shape of the diamond)

http://www.blogger.com/www.bluenile.com
She would love this.

MJM White Topaz and Moonstone Necklace- $100

http://www.blogger.com/www.melissajoymanning.com

Two stones, two people- draw your own conclusions. Very organic looking.

Regina B. Necklace- $175

www.reginab.com

It reminds me a vintage reproduction, and I think Hills would go for it. She likes her bling bling.

Personally, I like all of these choices- but I'm partial to the locket. There's just something about old things, it could be an heirloom passed down from generation to generation. My next pick would be the antlers... I'm thinking about buying them for myself.

A very special post for my Big Ol' Hilary (BOH)

Boh is my younger sister who has recently grown up and developed a style (I'm so proud). Just a few years ago she was shopping the Victoria Secret college line, wearing neon green sweat pants with the word "pink" on her butt.

So what's the problem?

She still occasionally buys items I know she will not appreciate in a few years (when she finds something she likes, she buys one in EVERY color and two sizes.). Boh is a notorious bargain shopper, and I feel sometimes compromises quality for quantity. My most prized piece of clothing (a wrap sweater) was bought on sale over 5 years ago- and I still wear it in the winter on a weekly basis. On sale it cost around 90 dollars- it was money well spent. I've bought other sweaters on sale for 20-30 dollars and they aren't around anymore. Clothing is an investment.

I'm dedicating a series of posts to dressing BOH. My first post: Ball buster outfit (for work)

Diane VonFurtenberg Dress

http://www.net-a-porter.com/

+

Black Pumps

+

ABS Pearl Cluster Necklace

www.neimanmarcus.com

Coupon Codes

While I'm not a fan of www.thenest.com, they do have a wonderful community board called Coupon Codes. This is where people post sales and coupons they've found while wandering around cyber space.

While patrolling the boards I came across a 30 percent off coupon for SAKS. June 10th-16th

http://f.chtah.com/i/21/682906452/06092009_coupon_URL.HTML

Enjoy!

More daily obsessions:

1. First item is VeraMeat Rose Bud necklace, 78$-

http://www.shopflick.com/stores/VeraMeat-Jewelry/VeraMeat-Rose-Bud-Necklace

2. The Laundress detergents. They are a bit more expensive than grocery store products, but are so worth it! 16 oz. $18 I especially like their sweater stone that removes pilling from sweaters.

http://store.thelaundress.com

3. Ann Sack's tile collection, specifically metro crisp. One word: AMAZING

http://www.annsacks.com

4. J. Crew collection Falling Petals Jacket, $240.00 I love this Jacket oh so much!

www.jcrew.com

New interview dress..

Have you ever noticed how difficult it is to find appropriate women's office attire? Here I am at 1 a.m. looking for that perfect first interview dress. Why is it so hard? I am in between sizes. I don't want to spend a lot of money on a piece that may only fit me for a few months. I've already dropped around 40 lbs- after the wedding I went through a transitional period and packed on the pounds. I've come out of that bad place and am back on track. Go me.

Here are my requirements for the dress:

A. A basic color. Black, Navy, Charcoal- Boring? Perhaps. But since I've broke down and am looking for a job in the human resources sector while I wait for a leave date, boring is better (at least for the interview).

B. Knee length.

C. Flattering.

D. Somewhere between 0-100 dollars.

Here's what I've considered:

I found her at www.chickdowntown.com- she is called Grey Working Girl Dress by Plastic Island. I love her (Yes, I assigned a gender to her). At $142 I considered purchasing Working Girl- Alas, I had to pass her up. She's too short. It appears the dress falls a bit above the knee. Sorry, Working Girl.

Maggie London- Matte Jersey Dress

www.nordstrom.com

I really love the color and the cut. I'm slightly concerned, I am not a size zero and this dress may be a little too much va va VOOM. At 98 dollars- I'm warming up to this option.

If I were back down to my usual size 10 (I'm no toothpick)- I would so purchase this dress:

www.nordstrom.com

At 198.00, I can't justify it. The cut, color, and shape is perfect. This dress is swoon worthy.

This Suzi Chin dress is nice, and for 98 dollars in my price range:

www.nordstrom.com

I am not a fan of the shiny silk for a first interview- though the color and cut are gorgeous.

Lastly, a BCBG dress:

www.nordstrom.com

A little short, but a great cut- and interesting color. Neutral, yet very appealing. The price tag is 178- once again, out of my range.

I'm not sure what I'm going to do. I haven't been called back for an interview yet *crossing fingers*- but want to be ready when the moment arrives. I guess I should be happy I have a job, I just wish it was related to the education I spent thousands of dollars acquiring.

Daily Obsession

I'm a website stalker. I can't help it. I love me some designer clothing, and I love sales even more.

Here's what I love today:

LOEFFLER RANDALL- Eloise Black Flat Boots 501.00

http://www.chickdowntown.com/viewproduct.asp?ID=139319

I won't lie, they are waaay out of my price range. I have a hard time justifying 500 dollars boots. I can't help but love them though. I'll see you ladies in my dreams.

PLASTIC ISLAND- Knit Cardigan with Chiffon Slip- 176.00

http://www.chickdowntown.com/viewproduct.asp?ID=135419

I think it's whimsical. I wish the sweater part was a bit longer so I could pull off the dress look- but I'd love to wear this with skinny jeans or a form fitting (opaque) dress underneath.

J. Crew's Jayne Dress- 180.00

http://www.jcrew.com/AST/Browse/WomenBrowse/Women_Shop_By_Category/suiting/super120s/PRDOVR~12304/12304.jsp

*swoon* I love this cut, I love the fabric. This is a ball buster dress.

I have all the luck

Today I had a semi-rotten day, and am in the process of procrastinating something important I should do, but likely will put off until tomorrow evening. Knowing my luck, this action will tempt fate and fate will kick me in the butt.

Hello, I'm Maureen, and I am a procrastinator. I made this space to keep track of all my thoughts, and yes, my clothing obsessions. I'm a 20 something college grad married to a 20 something man. He's great, and we have a pretty fantastic life together. Thanks for stopping by

- Maureen