i hate shopping for denim.  there, i said it.  i’d rather shop for swimsuits, even in january when my legs are pasty and utterly unattractive.  finding the right cut, the right rise, the right waist, the right wash, stripping 15 times in the dressing room and doing power squats to check for stretch…talk about cardio!  and so, lately, i’ve stopped looking and relied on my old standbys, my paige hidden hills jeans.  and i do love my paiges.  but recently, i decided it was time to look for a new love…after all, i can only own so many pairs of the exact same jeans (ahem, four…but who’s counting).

and so, when DL1961 offered to let me give their jeans a spin, i couldn’t resist.  if you haven’t heard of them, you’re not alone…they’re new to the scene.  but i’ve been seeing celebs wearing them right and left, and who am i to argue with professional stylists?

i tried a straight leg and a boot cut, both in their “high rise” (yes, i know it sounds like a mom jean, but i am just not a fan of the 7-inch rise on most premium denim). it’s a very respectable 8.5-inch rise, which is perfect for my high-waisted torso.  they still sit well below my bellybutton, but with very little chance of showing off my granny panties when i bend over. (by the way, higher rises also dramatically reduce muffin top risk.  just sayin’.)

as i said, i’m annoyingly picky about my denim – i am the queen of “buy and return” because i get irritated with nearly every pair i buy after one or two wears (thank god for nordstrom).  but these DL1961s have seriously impressed me…in fact, they’re the first brand i’ve tried in ages that i would actually recommend.  the fit is simply perfect, both on the straight and boot cut styles.  and they’re using some sort of magic voodoo blend of cotton and stretch (they call it x-fit 360) that does something amazing:  total butt sag prevention.  seriously.  after four wears of the straight-leg style, these jeans still have zero butt sag.  compared to, say, my j.crew matchsticks or my citizen elsons, which are completely stretched out after 1-2 wears, that’s downright miraculous.  ultimately, that means i can wear them more between washes, and therefore they’ll last longer.  sweet!  plus, all that stretch makes these really flattering and nearly as comfy as yoga pants.

pricing is right in line with all of my other (hideously expensive) premium denim…they run about $158/pair.  (does anyone remember when $65 guess jeans were a total extravagance? anyway…)   you can buy these at nordstrom, bloomingdales, or direct from DL1961 – though i wasn’t able to find the high rise styles anywhere other than DL1961′s website.

one little note about sizing:  their boot-cut denim runs very true to size, but the straight-leg is a little on the trim side, so if you’re worried, try going up one size.

ever since these arrived, i’ve noticed my paige jeans migrating to the bottom of my denim drawer…because, well, these DL1961s are just so freaking good.  if you’re in the market for a new love, these are definitely worth a try!

i am so excited to introduce our latest sponsor.  i’ve been a fan of hlaska since they first launched (you might remember that stunning orange clutch i coveted for some time), and now they’re sponsoring shoppingsmycardio.  so if it’s possible, i love them even more….don’t you?

hlaska has totally revamped their brand, and added to their flawless collection of leather goods with some seriously stylish menswear and accessories.  you can bet i’ll be revisiting this topic in a few weeks, when it’s time to talk about father’s day, but for now, i have to at least show you these new watches, because they’re amazing:

love!  i’m seriously considering buying one “for the hubs,” so that i can then shamelessly borrow it…

and i’m still a huge fan of hlaska’s briefcases and wallets, for men and women alike.  they’re beautifully made, and possibly the perfect mix of substance and style, especially for those of us who don’t like feminine frills on our work gear.

i am head over heels for that zip travel wallet, by the way.  just sayin’.  and that blue astronomy billfold?  those perforations are actually constellations!  yeah, i’m smitten.

with father’s day looming, this is a great time to show hlaska some love and appreciation for helping us keep the lights on here at SMC, don’t you think?

a person who is smack dab in the middle of decorating a brand new house should not, as a rule, click over to websites that she knows to be potentially dangerous to her mental wellbeing (not to mention her credit rating).  and yet, i did click.  and lo, the temptation was mighty.

i’m relatively confident the hubs would have my body parts sold at auction if i came home with a $4,700 chair.  but i can still dream.

as long as i’m torturing you, i might as well show off a few of the amazing linens from les indiennes too.  to wit:

one of these days, i’m either going to win the lottery or les indiennes is going to have a sample sale.  and either way, that’s going to be a pretty awesome day for me.  because as god as my witness, i will have one of those quilts on my bed someday (i admit, owning the chair is much less likely).

today is a little crazy (i’m moving next week…agh!), but i couldn’t resist taking a second to share a few of the steals that came my way via my ‘shop it to me’ newsletter this morning.  if you don’t already know about ‘shop it to me’, it’s an e-newsletter that comes out daily, letting you know when something by a brand or store you love goes on sale in your size.  dangerous!

anyway, today was an especially good day for markdowns, apparently.  a few of my faves:

i’ve been looking for new trouser jeans everywhere, and haven’t been able to find a single pair.  but i really like this version from tory burch, and they’re down to $136.

this is such a great skirt from DVF, and it’s marked down to $171.  i love that it’s a slightly girly alternative to all of the military khaki out this season.  it would be perfect paired with a print top for some contrast, or even just a simple tee to keep it classic.

as you’ve heard me whine, i’ve been hunting for a summer dress with a respectable hemline, and this super-flattering DKNY version is now just $70 at bloomingdales, so i’m thinking it’s a must-buy.

this little kate spade shoulder bag just feels like the perfect effortless summer tote.  i love the nautical stripe, and i love even more that it’s nylon (not stain-happy cotton), which also keeps it lightweight.  and it has the look of those tiny bags everyone’s sporting now, but you’ll actually be able to pack more than you think.  it’s by kate spade, and down to $197 at amazon.

i’ve been wanting a little something in druzy agate for months now, and $24.99 for these sweet stud earrings is just too good to pass up.

have a great weekend, everyone!  i’ll be spending mine packing and cleaning out my closets…pray for me.

(incidentally, for those of you keeping score, i switched around the order of pictures & text. what do you think? better, worse or indifferent?)

for years, shu uemura ruled the world when it came to eyelash curlers (remember that mocking scene in ‘the devil wears prada,’ when anne hathaway is shamed for not knowing a shu?).  you simply couldn’t find anything else that got so close to the roots of your lashes and provided a serious, lasting curl, all without painfully pinching your eyelid in the process.

so, when shu announced last month it was pulling all of its merchandise from stores in the US, i panicked!  what if my curler broke?  what would i do?  i mean, you know, oil spills and flash floods and all that, but…my eyelash curler!

luckily, the lovely folks at tweezerman came to the rescue, assuring me their pro curl curler would be an excellent stand-in.  and they were right!  in fact, i’ve been doing some side-by-side tests (much to the hubs’ confusion), and i might even say the tweezerman pro curl gives a stronger curl than my trusty old shu.  plus, you know i’m a sucker for rose gold, so how could i resist this one on looks alone?

so, the tweezerman curler is now living a very nice life in the front of my makeup drawer…and my shu has, sadly, been pushed to the netherlands (right behind that old coral blush from 1995).  in truth, i haven’t even looked back.

pick up the tweezerman pro curl here for $20…and bonus, it comes with enough replacement tips to last for years!

the spring sample sale is on at inhabit!  70% off…need i say more?

actually, i probably should say a bit more.  i should tell you that i got the chance to test out their 100% cotton line recently, and believe me when i tell you they’re every bit as wonderful as the inhabit cashmere i can’t get enough of.  the cotton is so delicate and finely woven, it was hard for me to believe that it really was just cotton…in fact, i checked the label twice.  it’s divine…particularly when marked down to $40-50 from $200+.

buy fast…styles are limited, and the sale only lasts until tomorrow night.  spring might not feel like the right time to buy sweaters, but trust me…take the plunge now.  you’ll be kicking yourself for missing this one when their cashmere goes back up to its regular, splurge-tastic price.

i’ve spent the last hour browsing shopbop, in the vain hope that i’d be able to find a little something to splurge on to make myself get excited about the impeding warm weather.  but as usual, i’m having a really hard time getting excited about spring & summer fashions.  must everything for warm weather be either crotch-grazingly short or unbearably frumpy?  sigh.

my warm-weather whining aside, i’ve said before that i think maxi-dresses are on the way out, and wouldn’t generally advise them as an investment buy these days.  but even so, i’m seriously wishing i had a great gatsby party (how fun would that be?!) or maybe just an outdoor wedding on the agenda to justify buying this beautiful jersey frock:

i’m in love with the sheer elegance of this A.L.C. nadine dress, and it would just be oh-so-easy to wear to any summer festivities.  it’s not a maxi-dress in anything other than length – it’s utterly flattering, perfectly figure-skimming, and the cut of the bodice is just the right degree of sexy to balance out this floor-length style.

if it were $100, i wouldn’t even care that i had nowhere to wear it…but at $473, it would have to be a “necessary” buy, i fear.  anyone have summer plans that could justify buying this beauty?

happy mother’s day to all of the moms out there…especially my beautiful, brilliant mom.

i came across this old photo in a pile a few months ago – i have no idea where it came from, but i just love it.  my mom used to be a model when she was young, and her style has always been enviable – look at that awesome scarf draping!  i have a habit of going through my baby pictures and coveting my mom’s wardrobe from my early years…though it devastates me that she didn’t save it all!

hard to believe i’m lucky enough to even have half of those genes.  love you, mom!

(i’m taking monday off to hang with my mom, but i’ll see you all back here later in the week!)

ah, spring.  i’m so not a fan of warm-weather attire, but the shoes?  they’re another story entirely.  i get absolutely giddy when my favorite shops start to break out the sandals in january, and i start counting the days until i get to wear my peep toes for the first time each spring.  truth be told, i end up a little overwhelmed by my choices…in the best possible way, of course.

but i think i’ve finally narrowed it down to my favorites of the season.  i’ve tried (so very hard) to minimize the splurge factor, so most of these are under $100, and each and every one will bring some serious spring style to your closet.  this list is far from exhaustive (it’s a great year for sandals), but there isn’t a pair here that wouldn’t be extremely welcome at my house.

if you’re the type to pick one classic shoe to get you through the season, this cole haan ($108) is it.  sleek and simple, these will blend with any style you’ve got going.  but look closely, and you’ll see just a touch of inspiration from those oxford brogues we’ve been seeing everywhere.  add the nike air technology, and your long summer strolls will be utterly effortless.

these sweet mini-wedge espadrilles from marais ($92) just remind me of childhood…in the best possible way.  i’d love to see these paired with skirts and dresses, sure, but they’d be equally cute with cutoff denim.

for something a little edgier, i fell hard for these bright blue gladiators from aldo ($60) when i first spotted them.  i got the chance to test them out (yes, my job is awesome), and i can tell you they’re one of the most comfy sandals i own, and the construction is really impressive for the price.  i’ve developed a whole new affection for aldos after trying these.  rock them with your spring shorts, and release your inner badass.

i hardly know where to start with these studded snakeskin flat gladiators from modern vintage ($225).  they’re a bit of a splurge, i know, but look at them!  the snakeskin straps, the studded vamp…it was too much for me to resist.  these might just top my list this year.  (you can, incidentally, get a similar look for less here…not as wonderful, but under $100 is always nice.)

sigh…these rachel comey margot sandals had me at hello.  again with the mini-wedge and the bright, cheery color…i have a feeling these wouldn’t leave my feet all summer!  i’m sorry to tell you they’re a definite spluge at $275, but nab 20% off with code SPRING10 for the time being.

and last but not least, we all need a little something to kick around in when our pedicure’s lagging.  these striped yellow cordones from TOMS ($69) are an adorable alternative to those little leather oxfords we’re seeing everywhere, and a nice change from the keds of yore.  plus, you get do-gooder bonus points, as TOMS still buys a pair of shoes for someone in need for every pair they sell.  (update: the powers that be just emailed to let me know they’re discontinuing this color, so act fast if you love the yellow. if you miss out, the red version is sticking around, and it’s just as cute!)

happy friday, everyone…i hope there’s some shoe shopping in your future this weekend!

when it rains, it pours.  score 15% off sitewide at shopbop through tomorrow night (may 5) with code INTHEFAMILY15.  and yep, it’s even good on sale items!

time for me to splurge on some denim, i’m thinking.  and maybe i could at least *look* at some floral skirts for spring.  whatever you’re after, happy hunting!