Catholic Wedding Attire

One of the best things about attending a wedding is playing dress up. Well, no so much with the most recent wedding I went to. It was a catholic wedding with a strict dress code reminiscent of the Royal Wedding -- no bare shoulders, nothing above the knee, no tight fitting, etc. I was of course not about to invest in a new dress to fit into those guidelines so I has to get creative. Luckily, I had kept around a full skirt from Banana Republic that was slightly too big for me that happened to be below the knee. From there the outfit came together. However, I also became clear to me why nearly every other skirt or dress I own is above the knee. I simply don't have the long legs to look good in a below the knee skirt. At least the guidelines didn't dictate what kind of shoes we couldn't wear so I was able to elongate my legs with a pair of strappy heels.

The guidelines came with the wedding invitation.

Lace short sleeve top in blush ($50, Aritzia), black skirt (Banana Republic), wide belt (Betsy Johnson), floral necklace (Forever 21).

Colored Denim for Summer

My general rule on trends is the following -- if I was around the first time the trend was popular then I'm not allowed to wear the trend when it comes back. However, there just has to be some exceptions to any rule. Such is the case with the colored denim trend. I remember when I was around 13 or 14 (when colored denim was trendy last time) I think I owned a green denim jacket (ewww). But I just couldn't resist all the delicious colors that I'm seeing everywhere now -- coral, turquoise, sea foam... I broke down and bought a pair of Joe's jeans in "cobalt". At first I wasn't sure if I was able to pull them off (they're bright!) but now I see that they're actually quite fun and versatile for work and weekends.

Here are some totally fun colors from the store window at Mario's downtown.

Here's my Joe's jeans ($99 from Nordstrom), black light blazer ($50 Nordstrom Rack), white v-neck t-shirt ($28 Caslon) and Kooba bag.  You can't see in this picture but I'm wearing Cole Haan black strappy espadrille wedges ($119).  The only piece that's new this season is the jeans, everything else is recycled from previous seasons.

Last minute pre-vacay shopping

My vacation to LA is just 3 days away so I had to make a mad dash for summer clothes even though Seattle is still in full June Gloom mode here. I picked up a few items from American Eagle Outfitters during my lunch break (yay for working downtown).

This lovely lace back tank top is buy one get one 50% off.  So I picked up one in orange and one in turquoise.  I had to strip the last size S in turquoise off the mannequin (I think you dear can afford to wear an XS).

When it came to shorts, it was slightly trickier.  I ended up getting these "shortie" shorts in denim and white.  I contemplated getting the "midi" length but those were only available in cut-offs.  So the sensibility in me went for the non-cut off short shorts as a comprise.  The shorts were buy one get one $10.  So I walked out of the store in less than 30 minutes with 3 tops (an additional white racer back top for layering) and 2 pair of shorts for $80.  Not too shabby.

...and we're back!

I took this blog to Tumblr for a while then went on a year long or so hiatus.  Now, I'm back on blogger will look to revive this blog.  So much shopping, not enough blogging.

What I Want Now - Nude Pumps

Christian Louboutin New Simple Pump 90 - $735 at Barneys. I've been lusting after these pumps for weeks now. They have them at Nordstrom's too and I haven't even tried them on because I'm afraid I would like them too much. I love the nude colour that is so versatile and flattering because they will make your legs look longer. They would be perfect with just about any outfit. I figured that if I spend nothing on clothes for 2 months and beg someone who works at Nordstrom to buy them for me, then I may be able to justify spending that much on a pair of shoes.

Stuart Weiztman 'Swoon' pumps - $325 at Endless.com. These ares similar to the Louboutin's except the colour is not nude, but rather this sort of pinkish nude looking colour. I like the patent leather on these but for over $325, I wouldn't settle for what I really want.

Cole Haan 'Carma' Air Almond Pump - $199 at colehaan.com. I love Cole Haan pumps for their comfort and these are on sale! But the colour is just not close enough to what I want. If these were in nude I would so buy them.

Nordstrom Last Chance

Last weekend, my BFF and I took a mini break in Phoenix, Arizona. While we were there, we decided to check out Nordstrom Last Chance as one of our shopping stops. I had heard that this is where they send all of the stuff from the various Nordstrom Racks and you can get great deals here. I thought, why not, I love Nordstrom Rack. Anyway, when we walked in, we already sensed something was off. It was more cluttered and crazy than a regular Rack. We went straight to the shoes and you can find all of them in pairs to try on. I spotted a pair of those classic Tory Burch flats for $69. I was suspicious. I flip them over and saw they had totally been worn! I mean, the heels had been literally worn down by 1/2 an inch. I found another pair of Tory Burch where the bottoms were scuffed up and the leather was scratched up. It dawned on me that this must be where Nordstrom sends all of their returns by customers who decided it was perfectly OK to return shoes you've worn all season. I was more shocked by the fact that people do actually return shoes that are so obviously worn than the fact that Nordstrom actually takes them back. After scouring through all of the shoes available in my size, I did find a pair of Stuart Wietzman patent leather black pumps in mint condition for $50. Alas, they ran narrow and my feet were squished in them. I will say that if you're not particular about brands, you can find decent shoes for $18 that are new. Still, my BFF and I wanted to get the heck out of there because that place gave an erie feeling of a graveyard. It's where designer shoes and clothes go to die.

Nordstrom's Half Yearly Sale

The Half Yearly sale is not as good as the Anniversary sale in July but this year, I was happy with my finds. I also picked up some really cute stuff for my son, and guilty free too since I used my birthday money.

Tory Burch 'Daniela' metallic sandal - $129 at Nordstrom's. These are originally $250. I was unsure about these at first because the sole is so flat that I was worried there'd be zero support. But once I put them on I knew that they would be comfortable. I liked the straps around the ankle which give more support than your typical flip flops.

Stuart Weitzman 'Stoned' Sandal - $99 at Nordstrom's. I was looking for a thong with a sole that has a bit of support. This cork bottom adds a little height and a cushy feel. And of course I can't resist the bling!