It’s August! The official month of vacations and sunbathing…or, more realistically, grinding your teeth at work while you pretend to be productive. In celebration, I thought I’d share a few of my favorite time-wasting goodies guaranteed to get your summer mojo flowin’. Just add sunscreen! Read on
Lately, I’ve been really feeling the weight of having “too much” in my life. (Yes, I realize this is one of those “first world” problems. Bear with me.) Despite the fact that my closet is bursting at the seams, I never like my options when I get dressed in the morning these days, and despite the fact that my bank account demands a respite, I can’t pry my eyes from the daily deluge of sample sales and Shopbop markdowns, of always looking for something new to add to my already-overflowing closet, of never being quite perfectly happy with what I already have.
Don’t worry, I’m not going all cold-turkey bonkers on you. But I do think there’s some value in maybe culling the noise a bit. Some value in not worrying so much about the “next big thing”, and just buying what feels exactly right, what you genuinely love and can’t wait to wear, not just own. And so, I’ve started making a real effort, friends, to look for…well, if not “perfection”, then at least simplicity, timelessness and either elegance or utility in what I buy. Read on
Well, I had plans to be productive this week, but honestly, how much attention are any of us paying when there’s a glorious four-day weekend on the horizon? But, I do have a few fun things to share before I start working on next week’s post about the Nordstrom Anniversary Sale head to the pool… Read on
Portland and San Francisco friends (well, Austin and Seattle too), brace yourselves: you are about to love me. (Wait. You didn’t already?) Not that the rest of you should tune out…this brainstorm is sure to sweep the nation.
Am I right that the most annoying, let-down quality of online shopping is delayed gratification? You spend two hours a few minutes scrolling through Shopbop, buy a couple of things, and then you have to wait three whole days (first-world problems, I know) for that beautiful brown box to grace your doorstep. And if you went with Nordstrom or one of my other standbys, it’ll be even longer. (Don’t even get me started on how long it takes Banana Republic to deliver a box. Are they using carrier pigeons?)
Plus, in your heart, online shopping wasn’t even what you wanted. What you wanted was to pop out to a few boutiques in town – shopping local is always nice, of course, and you get to take your goodies home right then. But…ugh. Parking, conspicuously leaving work (and returning with shopping bags), all that driving around…and, of course, there’s the let-down when you’re on a spending spree and you walk out of a store empty-handed. (Damn it, I cam here to spend!)
But, can you see the clouds parting? Can you see that sunbeam shooting down? It’s Boutiika – a new site that just launched in Portland, and is already a hit in San Francisco. Read on
That’s right, I have a pair of eye candy goodies this week. Because two is almost always better than one. Also, how could I possibly choose between these lovelies? It’s like a Twix bar of retail delights – and you get both pieces, my friends. Dig in!
A gauzy pile of new Épice scarves for spring has appeared at Una, one of my all-time favorite Portland haunts. If you’re not local, you can call the shop and they’ll happily ship one (sales tax-free, I might add) right to your door. There’s no need to tell you how much temptation is going on in my head right now.
And then, there’s the matter of these beautiful, impossibly delicate new baubles from jewelry designer Blanca Monros Gomez, which just arrived at Steven Alan. Consider my pennies being counted, friends.
Happy Friday, friends! I’m feeling kind of thoughtfully, intentionally slow this spring morning, so I hope you’ll forgive a little brain wandering in today’s FF.
First things first: let’s talk deals. I happen to know that Kate Spade, Vince and Cole Haan are all having their Friends & Family promos this weekend, and they’re doozies. I have all the details up on my Facebook and Twitter feeds…so much easier to keep you updated on all the best steals in real time. Read on
Friends, my love for a great ballet flat is well-documented in these pages. And I think you all know by now that my love for London Sole ballets in particular is right up there near “adoring fan” status. So when their San Francisco store invited me over to browse the shop and learn a little more about the brand, there was basically no chance I was going to turn them down. Read on
I have a bit of a love/hate with Friday Finds, which is why you haven’t seen it lately. I always want it to be packed to the gills with impossibly perfect picks, but that’s a tall order, isn’t it? But this week, so many covetable chestnuts crossed my path, I couldn’t resist the gravitational pull to show each and every one to you right.this.minute. Read on