The Cutest Wedding and a New Dress!

I love going to weddings. Celebrating friends and family and dressing up for a day? What's not to love? With a few weddings coming up this year, I was on the hunt for a few new dresses. A few weeks ago, I found another gorgeous Tracy Reese dress on eBay and after some more hemming and hawing, I bought it. Totally fell for the mixed media print, beading and pocket detail. I didn't realize it had tulle underneath for added fullness in the skirt, but that just made it an added bonus for me!

When my friends Scott and Kim got engaged and Kim started pinning her ideas online, I knew it was going to be a fun and beautiful wedding! Not only was the setting (an historic farm in central Pennsylvania) amazing, but the attention to detail was meticulous, right down to barrels with complimentary water and beer for the outdoor ceremony and the surprise arrival of a food truck for treats well into the reception. Their wedding was absolutely adorably perfect - and a true representation of them as a couple. I couldn't be happier for them! 

Kino Sandals

Last year, my sister moved from California to Florida. Almost immediately, she noticed people wearing pretty and colorful sandals that looked like they were made by the same manufacturer. Finally, she stopped and asked a woman what they were. Kino sandals. The riddle was solved and my sister went online and purchased a pair for herself and my mom. Last night, when I went home to visit my family, these were waiting for me: 

Cute, right? The shoes, not my feet. Anyway, Kino Sandals are handmade in Key West and are crazy affordable. Like $14-$18. For leather sandals! Visit http://www.kinosandals.com. I know, you want a pair, too.  They have so many cute styles in great colors. I'll definitely be buying some for myself this summer. 

$12 Nine West Peep Toe Wedges

I mentioned these never worn leather peep toe Nine West wedges in yesterday's post. I picked them up today and LOVE them. The are such a good online yard sale score. 

I can't wait to wear them to work! 

Sunburst Mirror and Gap Sale!

Whenever I go to HomeGoods or Marshall's (or any other discount store that sells home furnishings) I look for sunburst mirrors. They're always gorgeous and somewhere in the $100 price range. If you know me, you know that price isn't even an option. Nevertheless, I  look. On Wednesday, a gorgeous vintage sunburst mirror popped up on my online yard sale. The price? A cool $5! I picked it up on Thursday and it fits perfect above the small book case in my living room. Love it!

Next up, the annual spring closet switch out is always a daunting task. Winter coats are so bulky and difficult to store. Plus, putting boots and sweaters away is an exercise in creative space manipulation (because that's a real thing).  This year, I also had the painful realization (painful in that my budget is tight) that I desperately need new spring/summer shirts. I always buy great skirts and dresses, then struggle when I need a basic tee. Enter the latest Gap sale. Already reduced prices are an additional 30% off (when you buy four items) and 35% off (when you buy five items). I was able to get four basic spring/summer tops for just $13.93! Happy me! Saving money and freshening up my wardrobe! 

Midi Skirt for Less - Review of Sammy Dress

It's not a huge secret that I prefer skirts and dresses to pants for work. That means I'm thrilled that midi skirts are everywhere right now! After obsessing over Tibi's gorgeous full midis on Atlantic Pacific, I went straight to my new go-to for all things trendy and affordable, Sammy Dress.

You may remember my Sammy Dress cape from a few months ago. The site is super cheap and although you have to really sift through their products to find your personal taste (and wait a few weeks for shipping), they have a lot of adorable clothes...including midi skirts in a few style and color options. After carefully converting centimeters to inches and hemming and hawing over a few options, I decided to go with basic black ($11) in a medium for my test skirt. When the skirt arrived, the fabric was the first thing that made me really happy. It's that great scuba material that is being used by everybody. This also means no wrinkles and great structure. There is a short slip underneath, but it's not necessary for any functional purpose - the skirt is substantial enough on its own, yet not so heavy that it can't be worn year round. The skirt can sit lower, but I prefer it to sit higher on my waist to give it more fullness.

Vintage Pugs and Books

More than a year ago, my friend Laura picked up a box of vintage pug items for me from a yard sale. I finally met up with my friend Suzanne last weekend to get the items, and she had an amazing surprise for me - vintage Alfred Hitchcock books that she inherited. Pugs, vintage and Hitchcock, just a few of my favorite things. Here's what I did with everything: 

What a perfect use of my vintage American Tourister luggage? Who says dogs don't appreciate art? Here's a better look at the framed art:

Next up, an adorable pug figurine that found its way to an end table in my living room. Goes perfectly with my mid-century motif!

I'm so in love with and happy to have these Hitchcock books. My mom and I watched a lot of Hitchcock together and he's one of my all time favorites! 

So happy to have such wonderful friends and thrilled with how well everything works in my space!

Tracy Reese Dress for Less

A few weeks ago, when I was invited to a wedding (as a plus one), I excitedly said yes. I have always loved to dress up. When I was in elementary school, I actually made my mom make my clothes (maybe "made" is a stretch) and picked out dress patterns with her. So I basically live for being invited to occasions that involve formalwear. Also, I love a challenge, especially when it comes to finding a great clothing item at a great price. Enter eBay!

Although I have a lot of dresses, many of them are older and have seen better days. Also, an April wedding is tricky. It could be a gorgeous day or it could snow. I began my eBay search by looking at a few different brands that have worked for me in the past. I couldn't find any dresses that I absolutely loved. While conducting random searches, I found the most perfect Tracy Reese wool dress for $44.99. Crazy for a Tracy Reese dress. Surely this was a mistake. I added it to my watch list and stalked the auction like it was my job. Finally, I placed a bid in the last 30 seconds and it was mine! Super excited that it fits so well, as I gambled on the size (and there is no size tag in the dress). Can't wait to wear it next weekend! 

Also, I'm at my mom and dad's house this weekend. My mom asked me what I wanted to do with all of my old perfume. What? Apparently, I have a problem tossing perfume bottles. All of these have only a few days worth of spritzes in them.  Does anybody else have that problem?