Lookbook: In the Air and On the Ground

What a whirlwind.  Four o'clock yesterday afternoon, I gathered my things from JZ's place in East Village and headed to the airport.  About 8 hours later and with little time to waste, here I am in Madrid soaking up the light breeze and sun, with my two best friends Ashley and Anita.  It's a bit of a friendship anniversary, as this year marks the 15-year anniversary of when I met Anita and the 10-year anniversary of when we both met Ashley.  In any case, it made for a good excuse for all of us to meet up in another country, since we all   live up and down the East Coast.  I'll probably write more on the sights and sounds of Day 1 a little later tonight/tomorrow morning.

With little time to spare, we all dressed for the plane ride as close as we could to what we'd be wearing for the day in Spain.  I put on an incredibly comfortable Banana Republic pleated skirt with a Club Monaco t-shirt on top, which made for easy sleeping and comfortable day-trip wearing (or as JZ called it, a nicer version of sweats).  Almost twelve hours later, I have no discomfort or complaints.

Banana Republic Accordion Pleated Skirt; Club Monaco Sunny Tee; Madewell Contrast Mini Mailbag (similar, similar)

Left:  In the garden of the Museo Reina Sofia; Right:  Swell Caroline Bracelet, Coach Watch (old), Madewell Indego Africa Bracelet

Click next to read more and a little sneak peek at the actual travelogue version of Day 1.  Slash, you totally should because we look absolutely adorable.  Read more!

Weekend Deals & Steals 8/23 to the end of my vacation

Consider this the last post before I leave stateside.  Don't fret darlings, I've found lots of goodies to keep you held over until I come back.  Apparently Sample Sale season is starting up again with end of the summer goodies from fancy brands like Barney's, DKNY, and Hermes in New York.  Atlanta is finally opening their first C. Wonder, which I like to call the Forever 21 of Tory Burch related goods (you should read about the creator Chris Burch, and that will explain why).  As always, online is a repository extra deals.  I'm in love with this Lilly Pulitzer dress shown below, which is an absolute STEAL.  A brand name white lace dress for under $50?  Now that's crazy.

Lilly Pulitzer Franco Dress ($49); J. Crew No. 2 Pencil Skirt in Double Serge Cotton ($49.99 without extra 30% off); Banana Republic Melana Braided Sandal ($89.99 without extra 25% off)

Online

• Bloomingdales - Fashionable Fundraiser, save 25-40% on a selection of items, ends 8/24.
• Banana Republic - Extra 25% off purchase with code BRLIKEYOU, ends 8/26.
• J. Crew - Extra 30% off sale items with code LOVEIT, ends midnight 8/23.
• Gap - Extra 25% off purchase with code GAPLIST, ends midnight 8/23
• Lilly Pulitzer - End of Summer Sale, ends 4 p.m. 8/25.
• Shopbop - Extra 20% off sale items already marked down at 50% and 70%., ends midnight 8/23

In-Store

• Bloomingdales - Fashionable Fundraiser, save 25-40% on a selection of items, ends 8/24.

Sales - Atlanta

• C. Wonder -  Grand Opening at Lenox Mall in Buckhead, Gift cards for the first 100 customers, free tote with a purchase of $25 or more, on 8/24.

Sales - New York City

• Barney's Warehouse Sale - up to 75% off retail, at 255 W. 17th St., ends 8/3.
• Bird NYC Warehouse Sale - up to 80% off designer items from Thakoon and Philip Lim, at 316 Fifth Ave between 2nd and 3rd St. in Brooklyn, ends 8/26.
• DKNY Sample Sale - Items as low as $20 (swimwear), at 260 Fifth Ave between 28th and 29th St., ends 8/25.
• Hermes Sample Sale - location to be determined, starts on 9/5.
• Proenza Shouler Sample Sale - 82 Mercer Street, starts on 8/28.
• Scoop Closet Sale - Up to 85% off designer items from Philip Lim, DVF, Alice + Olivia, and more, at 430 W. 14th St. between Washington St. and 9th Ave, from 8/27 to 9/15.

Travelogue: Packing in for the Road Ahead

In two days, I will officially be on vacation.  A real, honest to God vacation... none of these "let's-break-away-from-blogging-for-actual-work" vacations, but a trip to a far away land with beaches, sangria and exotic foods.  While the actual trip portion of it is a tour through Spain, actually getting there is proving to be a journey in and of itself.  The itinerary is admittedly a mess given that I'm going from Portsmouth to Boston to New York City to Madrid.  Not to mention, packing has been quite the challenge given that I was coming straight from work.  Since it's getting rather late and I still need to finish packing, I'll probably just let the pictures do most of the talking.

ACCESSORIZE, ACCESSORIZE, ACCESSORIZE
Since I'm coming from a work trip, I needed some way to take a few clothes and make it last 2-3 weeks.  As such, I packed a bunch of statement necklaces to help differentiate looks from looks.  These of course range from the casual like the Crafts and Love necklace to the detailed J. Crew Factory statement necklace. It makes packing a whole lot easier if you also keep any small felt/fabric jewelry bags they might provide you  at the store.  That way, you don't have to fuss around with boxes or plastic bags.

Crafts and Love Fringe Diamond Charm Necklace; Madewell Necklaces (similar); J.Crew Factory Statement Necklace (similar)

SOMETHING OLD, SOMETHING NEW, SOMETHING BLING & SOMETHING BLUE
Along with basics like a white t-shirt or a black tank top, I also packed some stand-out pieces with bling and pattern to them to make things a little more stylish for the trip.  Since I don't have all of the money in the world, I'm mixing some old items like the Sanctuary Tank top with some newer ones like the Banana Republic pleated skirt.  Then of course, there's the wild card Jaguar belt which I finally will let loose in Barcelona!

Sanctuary Beaded Tank Top (old), Banana Republic Accordian Pleated Skirt (on sale), Moss Mills Jaguar Belt (similar)

FROM WALK ABILITY TO FIERCE ABILITY

I will admit that I learned my lesson about packing walkable shoes from falling down a New York subway staircase in heels.  Hence, this time around I focused on bringing more terrain-friendly shoes like Sperrys or Toms.  Then again, since I can't avoid the heels, I had to throw in something huge and gaudy.

Sperrys Blue Fin 2-Eye Boat Shoes (similar), Toms Metallic Mint Classics, Katie and Kelly Sandals, Sam Edelman Heels

If you are curious where I'm going and what's on the itinerary, click the next page.  Don't hesitate to leave a comment.  I need suggestions for places to go visit or things to eat!  

Travelogue: Mr. Mumford and His Gentlemen of the Road

This weekend will be a rollicking one, I tell you.  For this weekend, my face will have a hot date with my pillow and my bed.  As I've probably reiterated a million times, I need a break!  As such, I am perfectly satisfied with lounging on my couch in my pajamas and watching "Say Yes to the Dress," attempting to catch up on some more work tonight (key word here is "attempting").  This, of course, comes at a complete contrast from last weekend (a.k.a Mystery Weekend Event).  A couple months ago, some friends Joe, Kaydie and I snagged passes to Mumford and Sons' "Gentlemen of the Road" tour stop on the Tennessee-Virginia border.

At the Tennessee-Virginia borderline in Bristol; J. Crew Factory Two-Pocket Chambray, Club Monaco Irene Shorts, Madewell Contrast Mini Mail Bag

The festival literally shut down the small Southern town for two days, with the population literally doubling just for the concert.  Bars, restaurants and shops were decked themselves in top hats and mustaches to fit the theme of the weekend.  Surprisingly, Bristol turned out to be a hot bed of culinary goodness, with amazing drinks like the Peach Moonshine (served in an actual mason jar).  Joe and Kaydie, being ever the social butterflies, managed to befriend the bartender at K.P. who gifted us with an adorable mustache on a stick.  This in turn made us incredibly popular because about 15 people approached us to get pictures with the mustache stick, which both proved a little sad and a little hilarious.

Kaydie, Joe and I modeling mustache-wear at K.P. in Bristol, TN.  As an obligation to my dear friends, I am required -- no honored -- to say that they are complete bad asses in every awesome connotation of the term.

At around sundown, we staked out some excellent spots about 25-feet out to the right of the stage.  It was insane the sheer amount of people that we met waiting out for a spot.  Mike, the military man from Virginia who flew out his friend Stephanie from Connecticut and cried at "Awake My Soul"; Hunter and Emma, the two college freshmen who shared water with us; and Carrie Ann who shared stories of growing up in Tennessee and was a distant relative of June Carter Cash (Johnny Cash's wife and Reese Witherspoon's character in "Walk the Line").

By the time the sun went down and after performances by Haim and Dawes, Mumford finally stepped up to play.  Now, I'm going to leave you all out on a limb because I'm going to force you to click the next page to see a pretty sweet picture from the concert.  I know, it's mean to leave you on a cliff-hanger, but they are some gorgeous pictures.  Click away!

Weekend Deals & Steals 8/10 - 8/12

Apologies for the rough introduction last night.  I was tired, and just looking for a break at way too late at night.  Blame the two hour delay of my flight.  In any case, I may be taking a little break from JET.SET.GO.  Things are really ramping up in other parts of my life, and I need some time to focus on them before I start thinking about shopping and traveling.  Don't fret, I'll be back and maybe even posting a little if time permits.  But, we'll just call it a vacation for a week or two.

In any case before I dip out, here are this week's sales, not to mention a little picture of what I will be doing this weekend, which I may write about if I have some time in between work and that thing this weekend.  If you can guess what it is, I'll be incredibly impressed.  Otherwise, from the sale front, there aren't terribly many sales going on since stores are shifting to fall merchandise.  However, if you look closely, there are some additional 30% off all purchases in a variety of places.  Check them out.  Let me know how they are.

Left:  Gap 1969 Always Skinny Jeans ($69.95, not including extra 30% off); Top-Right:  J. Crew Factory Crystal Triangle Pendant Necklace ($32.50); Bottom-Right:  Mystery Weekend Item

Online

• ASOS - Extra 30% off select "party looks", ends 8/11.
• Barney's New York - Online Warehouse Sale, up to 75% off all sale items, access with email sign-up.  
• Gap - Extra 30% off of purchase with code GAPFRIENDS, ends 8/12.
• J. Crew Factory - Extra 30% off all dresses, ends 8/12.

Sales - Atlanta

• Fabrik - Scoutmoub 50% off of purchase.

Sales - Philadelphia

• Adresse - Additional 20% off of designer apparel on sale, includes Stella McCartney, Proenza Schouler, and Chloe, Rittenhouse Square, ends 8/15.
• Midtown Village Sidewalk Sale - Various vendors and boutiques, at S. 13th St. between Chestnut and Sansom.  8/10 from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m.

Sales - New York City

• Delicate Raymond Jewelry Bar - Moving Sale, 50% off everything (vintage necklaces as low as $20, other pieces as low as $2), 179 Orchard St., Lower East Side, ends 8/12.

As always, well wishes are always welcome down below.  Until next time, lovelies.

Travelogue: Inside Designer Carol Hannah's Studio

Carol Hannah Showroom and Studio at 39th St. and 9th Ave. in the Garment District

My amazing cousin is getting married in October.  The dress has been purchased, the venue has been booked, and all was left -- other than a lot of other details that for the sake of simplification we are going to ignore right now and I'm not really in any position to talk about it anyway -- was to find some bling for the bride-to-be.  Thus, Saturday was a jammed packed morning of familial bonding between my cousin, my sister, and me through bridal stores up and down Manhattan.  After my falling down the subway stairs, an obligatory trip to Club Monaco, and browsing through accessories at Saja Bridal and Kleinfeld's, we wandered our way through Midtown over to 39th and 9th to Carol Hannah Whitfield's studio.  If the name sounds familiar, that's probably because Carol Hannah placed 3rd in season 6 of "Project Runway."  If it didn't, well, now you know.

Left:  Collection of previous season gowns and party dresses; Right:  Carol Hannah and I (forgive me, I have no make-up on and was on little sleep).

If we didn't have the address on hand, it would have be hard to distinguish where the studio was from the outside, other than by a little "Sample Sale" banner poking through the window.  However, inside was a veritable treasure trove of all things pretty, with the walls decorated with torn pages from old books and plants and lights strewn like garlands from the ceiling.  We buzzed in from the outside, and imagine our surprise when the door opened and there was Carol Hannah herself.  Of course, this in turn yielded a five-second "Project Runway" freak-out.

To see more pictures of pretty dresses and to read more about the visit, click the next page.

Eats & Treats: Brunch at Prune & Other Injuries at Large

The sheer volatility of travel can drive me a bit mad sometimes.  I'm of course, write this as I'm stuck at La Guardia Airport in New York because my 4:00 p.m. flight was cancelled, due to the crew not showing up.  Then again, the fact that this job is so dynamic is probably half the reason why I love it.  This weekend was proof by example that even the second, third, fourth, or millionth time you've ever done something, life has a habit of kicking your butt sometimes nonetheless.  Case in point:

• Don't wear strappy heels when riding a subway in New York.  No matter how fabulous and poised you may think you are, there's still a high chance that you're probably going to fall on your butt down a flight of stairs when rushing to catch a train.
• Don't wear a tight sundress because while it is cute and might accentuate you in all the right places, the strap might break while you're sliding out of a taxi and thus causing you cup your top to prevent a further wardrobe malfunction for the rest of the morning.
• Don't mix drinks.  Just don't.  It's a bad idea overall and you'll regret it in the morning.

Fortunately, with good friends and family, a sale at Club Monaco, and some incredibly good brunch food can fix all of the above (more on the first two in a later blog post).  Being an ever-so-wonderful sir, boy/man/JZ took me to brunch this morning at Prune as a lovely little pick-me-up.

Prune at 54 East 1st St. in East VIllage

Located on the corner of 1st and 1st, Prune is a must in the NYC brunch scene (according to Foursquare, the Food Network, and JZ who said he had been trying to get in via walk-in for a year now).  After waiting for 15 minutes, luck behold, we got a cozy little table right next to the kitchen.  The food reminded me a little of provincial France mixed in with a little East Village hipster with options from the "Youth Hostel Breakfast" to "Lamb Sausage and Oysters."  JZ and I opted for the Dutch Style Pancakes and Soft-Scrambled Eggs.

For pictures of the actual food, click the next page.  Trust me, it's delicious, and the pictures further prove it. Note:  Click for deliciousness.

Travel 101: 5 On the Road Beauty Basics

As mentioned a thousand other times before, I'm a busy gal.  I travel, I work, and I make time to go to New York on weekends to see silly individuals that I care deeply about.  To prep for seeing that silly person and for looking fabulously while working, a girl's got to have the right tools to do it.  Not to mention, being practically a nomad comes with the added challenge of keeping everything under 300 milligrams.  What's girl to do?  I try to stick with basics (nothing too elaborate) when I travel for work and pleasure.  That way, you can save that $25 luggage check-in fee to buy something more useful... like clothes.  Packing the essential gels and liquids might be a hard battle to fight especially against your make up.  Each week, I try to prioritize and pack the essentials as to not clutter up my bag too much.

Left to Right:  Clinique Butter Shine Lipstick, Benefit They're Real! Mascara, Sephora Retractable Waterproof Eyeliner, Make-Up Forever HD Foundation, Chloe Eau de Parfum Rollerball (Pictures courtesy of Sephora)

To read actual descriptions, click below.  You know I don't like clutter.  Just do it to amuse me.   Click away!

Weekend Deals & Steals 8/3 to 8/5

It's Wednesday night, and I realize it's a bit early for this.  However, I will be on a plane and allowed to use electronics for a grand total of 30 minutes in between take-off and landing in the lovely land of New York City tomorrow.  Hence, the normal let's-talk-about-sales-while-sleep-deprived time won't be available.  This week proves that blow-out summer sales are a bit few and lacking, but appropriately enough, you can probably find some amazing Olympic themed gear from website to website.

Also, tricky Barney's New York decided to announce their first ever online warehouse sale in email form this (Thursday) afternoon, even despite having their reps announce yesterday that this was not the case.  Guess I called the shotgun too soon?  In any case, go to, shoppers!  Go to!

Left:  ASOS Glamorous Sequin Dress for $39.77; Right:  Club Monaco Vivi Cross-body Bag for $59.00

Online

• ASOS - Game On! Sale, 20% off of bronze merchandise, 25% off of silver merchandise, 30% off of gold merchandise, ends 8/9.
• Athleta - Semi Annual Sale, extra 20% off all sale items with the code SUMMERFUN, ends 8/3.
• Barney's New York - Online Warehouse Sale, up to 75% off all sale items, access with email sign-up. 
• Club Monaco - Summer Sale, up to 60% off of sale items.
• Michael Stars - End of Season Sale, up to 60% off sale items.
• Neiman Marcus - Up to 40% of CUSP and Contemporary dresses.
• Shopbop.com - Up to 70% off sale items.
• Talbot's - Shoe Blow-Out Sale, shoes up to 80% off.
• Topshop - Final Clearance

In-Store

• Ann Taylor - Friends & Family sale, extra 30% off of your entire purchase, ends 8/5.
• Athleta -  Semi Annual Sale, extra 20% off all sale item, ends 8/3.
• Calypso St. Barth - Extra 40% off sale items.
• Club Monaco - Summer Sale, up to 60% off of sale items.
• Nordstrom - Anniversary Sale, ends 8/6.
• Michael Stars -  End of Season Sale, up to 60% off sale items.
• Topshop - Final Clearance

Sales - Atlanta

• Lily Kai Vintage - ends 8/27.

Sales - New York City

• Opening Ceremony - up to 70% off of retail prices at all New York locations, ends 8/5.
• Soho Sample Sale - Multi-brand designer sample sale (Dolce Vita, Oscar by Oscar de la Renta, and Custo Barcelona) for up to 80% off, 201 Mulberry St. between Houston and Prince, ends 8/15.
• Velita Sample Sale -70% off of retail prices, 211 Mott St. at Spring St., ends 8/5.

Got a sale to share?  Shoot me a message!