bargain hunting {for lazy girls}

i always say there's nothing like a good bargain. as a seasoned bargain hunter, i love that rush of adrenaline i get when digging through the sale room at anthropologie or dismantling every rack at affordable stores like forever 21 - the weight of my barely-emptied wallet is quite comparable to nirvana!

a few months ago, in an inadvertent attempt to transform me into an even crazier bargain-hunting freak, one of my friends showed me the website www.hautelook.com. i now check it every day.

okay... several times a day.

you'll understand when you join. it's an online store that holds daily sales for big name designers, and by sale i really mean give-away. sometimes you can get stuff for up to 60% off! and the website sends out an e-mail reminder every day as if to say we know you haven't succumbed to your shopping addiction yet today...

i've placed several orders on things like patterned minkpink tanks, bright oversized shirts from wildfox, and mineral-washed tees from romeo & juliet coutoure. shipping takes a little bit longer than most websites (because haute look has to import the clothes to their warehouse), but it's totally worth the wait. this week's menu includes c&c california, paige premium denim jeans, and even penguin for men (so you can get something for your main squeeze while you're at it!) all you have to do is sign up with your e-mail and get shopping.

$$$ save on!

-emily

bootie-licious

on days like these when the temperature averages in the mid-90s and all hope of a good hair day is completely lost, i become positively giddy at the idea of fall being just around the corner. the latest urban outfitters catalogue is partially to blame for my excitement, and i've been scanning their website like an addict trying to decide what essentials are needed for my cold-weather look.

i came across several little booties and decided i have to get a pair. or two. it's a very, very weird thing for me to say. you see, i've never been a booties fan - i always thought they looked weird on my feet and have always preferred tall leather boots. and i also have a soft spot for uggs (sorry i'm not sorry) - nothing is better when you're trudging through a snow drift and are dangerously close to slipping on your bum, desperately thinking i'm just trying to be a good student and go to class...

this year i feel different about booties though. maybe i've changed, maybe the silhouettes have improved. but i'm excitedly thinking about these tiny, adorable little shoes with tights and shorts, or skinny jeans rolled at the ankle, maybe with patterned socks, or with little wool skirts and baggy sweaters, and possibly wearing my oversize ray-ban eyeglasses just because they would be so perfect....

there really are endless possibilities!

{From left: Deena & Ozzy Suede Scalloped Lace-Up Boot, Ecote Studded Leather Moto Boot, Deena & Ozzy Foldover Boot,Ecote Studded Triple Strap Boot, Ecote Engineer Boot, BDG Two-Tone Lace up Boot}

lolla land

haven't posted in so long!

we've been in chicago for the lollapalooza music festival, so clearly we were nowhere near a computer. actually, our entire weekend mostly consisted of lots and lots of people crowded in a (actually very large) space, accompanied by tons and tons of music. and literally not much else. it feels kind of nice to be back in the civilized world where you don't spend 12 hours in grant park dancing until your legs hurt, eating $8 hot dogs, and forgetting the rest of the universe is still existing, but the insanity is always worth it for me.

we saw dozens of shows, and even missed a few after catching the wrong train or waking up a littttle too late from sheer exhaustion - but it was all part of the adventure. some of our favorites included phoenix, the strokes, matt & kim, grizzly bear, dragonette, the walkmen, ana sia, the big pink, chromeo, and the xx.

here's a video of phoenix's opening track, "lisztomania." it felt surreal to see this band live; i've been a huge fan for several years and was so happy to hear them play older classics like "long distance call," "rally" and "if i ever feel better." however, the best part had to be when they went all-out in their encore performance of "1901" - absolutely the highlight of the weekend.

matt & kim were amazing live - somehow i wasn't expecting it. silly me, right? they had so much energy you couldn't help but fall in love with both of them, incessant cursing and ridiculous stories and all! in between their own songs, they added in shortened covers of classics, like "just a friend" by biz markie and this "better off alone" cover. it was insanely fun, as every single person recognized the classics and broke out in a huge, slaphappy dance party:

to end the post, here's a picture of me and liz at the dragonette show! it was the beginning of the day, so we were still miraculously non-sweaty and only partially exhausted.

>> it was nearly impossible to look your best in the scorching heat, and we definitely saw some interesting outfits (namely girls wearing bandeaus with nothing layered on top + tiny denim shorts, guys in speedos, and even one girl who just wore her bra and hot pink panties that said "yes please" on the back - too far.) me and liz stuck to cool, breezy pieces like lightweight dresses, loose cutoff shorts, and floaty tops. i'm wearing my favorite ray-ban cats 5000 shades with a patterned crop top from a local boutique, and liz is wearing this great top we got at the nordstrom bp section for $28. it's super-sheer and looks so on-trend with a lacy black bra or bandeau underneath, or paired with distressed denim and heavy jewelry. i'm pretty sure liz got those aviators at bp too - we've been shopping there a lot lately, so happy with their incredible clothes and shockingly low prices.

prepare for lolla '11!

-emily

welcome to the jungle

i credit j.crew as being insanely fashion-forward, relatively affordable, effortlessly chic, and incredibly wearable. i love this fall's collection to death, despite the sticker shock i felt when looking at one particularly fabulous skirt online (see here - feel my pain?)

yet my loyalties remain true. when photos of safari jackets bathed every. single. magazine in army green, i thought to myself "aha! j.crew wins once again." because what was my most coveted piece from their fall 2009 collection last year?! none other than a green safari jacket.

to my dismay, i didn't buy the jacket as it didn't fit me right at all - way too boxy for my flat-chested frame (sigh). but now they have multiple styles to choose from, all of which are around $100. for something i can see myself wearing every single day, rain or shine, it's totally worth it.

love.

away we go

its been a while since my family took a vacation all together, but this weekend we hit the road and drove up to northern michigan for some much-needed relaxation.

the house we're staying in is a little cottage right on the rocky shore, with windows and glass doors everywhere so you can listen to the waves all day long. i have tons of pictures of the beach, the house, and all the places we've gone so far, but i haven't posted any outfits in a while so i thought i'd share with you one of our bikinis from yesterday.

there's a sun deck right outside the room liz & i share (which also happens to be painted hot pink!! love it) so we decided to catch some rays. liz opted for an eternally classic brown-and-black two-piece; now i know you might be against that "forbidden" color combination, but trust me, i used to be right there with you. that is, until tim gunn told marie claire "I find that few looks are quite as chic as brown and black together." he is a god. (he also added that when mixing the two neutrals, the brown must be a deep chocolate color, as shown.) when done just right, it does look very posh:

{liz's suit: strapless top - j.crew ; ruffled bottoms - target}

try brown and black together this fall and pile on the accessories for a chic, minimalist look. black leggings + brown leather riding boots would be perfect!

style on,

emily

jewel box, continued

i have a tragic problem in the way that i always think the grass is greener on the other side. for example, in the lagging winter month of february, i can't imagine anything better than wearing a sundress on a humid summer day -- but once august rolls around, i suddenly long for baggy sweaters, leggings, furry ugg boots, and cozy winter hats. once this actually becomes a reality, i kick myself for actually wanting snow and sleet and dried-out hair and all that comes with bloomington winters.

one major advantage to cold weather that i really won't regret is the addition of heavier jewelry. i love the idea of wearing a super chunky necklace (like the chain one from j.crew in my last post) with a slouchy sweater and leather boots, or an oversize cluster ring with a striped cardigan and dark denim. you just can't wear those things in the summer!

this all made me realize that in my last post about our jewelry fetish i didn't share any lovely links! slacking on the job. here are some of the pieces i'm hoping will get me through the worst of the colder months, and hopefully you too:

Forever 21 Floral Garden Necklace

Anthropologie Hidden Framework Bracelet

J.Crew Carsisi Ring

J.Crew Crystal-and-Pearl Symphony Bracelet

pile it on!

-emily

jewel box

it's quite the understatement to say liz & i love jewelry.... we actually feel naked without at least five pieces on. my ears are so lonely without at least some whimsical studs, and a day never goes by where i don't have a bracelet or two (or seven) on my wrists. liz is especially vocal about her jewelry fetish, and will go to almost any length to get her hands on a beautiful statement piece.

this is what our collection currently looks like (not including the random pieces we have haphazardly lying around our house...):

and here are a few standout pieces - liz recently scored this unbelievably heavy necklace at j.crew for about 50% off. she was obsessed with it forever but never brought herself to buy it. it literally weighs a few pounds, i almost get a neck-ache when i wear it !!!

and this anthropologie necklace was a bargain, and its just so pretty :) i love wearing it with a simple white tee, distressed jeans, and a sharp black blazer.

unfortunately our stock doesn't end there... here is liz's heaping jewelry box that sits in between some of those giant necklace/bracelet stands:

{do you see that little dark green bangle hanging off the front edge of the box? that's my absolute favorite piece of all time - it's an hermès enamel bracelet my mom bought in paris in the eighties. she and my dad went to europe just a few years after they got married and he bought it for her! she kind of passed it on to me and liz, and its a daily battle over who gets to wear it. i love that it has a cute story behind it, and it feels so classic!}

-emily