OOTD: Playing dress-up

Given that it is almost NYE and we are embarking on a new year, I thought my outfits should reflect that. While I really only wore this around the house today (don't make fun.), I did actually wear this for my husband's 32nd birthday at a cute little Parisian bistro down the street from us.

(p.s., saying my husband just turned 32 makes me feel a little old, especially when I was casually told by a peer at school that 30s are "actually middle-aged." Vom.)

 Dress: F21/Twelve by Twelve (maybe still in stores)

Blazer: Remain Paul strong shoulder jacket (here)

Belt: F21 bow belt

Shoes: Sam Edelman Niland (here-- the most comfy heels ever!)

Bracelet: Tom Binns Alice in Wonderland bracelet (here!)

Aaaannnywho. About the outfit. The dress was a great find at F21, especially because I have struck out with them lately. Nothing has really caught my eye, save for this little dress. I have been into lace recently and really like the chic and uber-feminine style of this. The jacket was a great purchase because I was dying for a new black blazer (I think I had a blazer in every color except for black, until now). How cute are the tuxedo-esque details? My bow belt is sort of my bow tie replacement, methinks. :)  Re: the bracelet-- I'll show it in more detail in another outfit soon because it's just the coolest thing ever, but this is all ya get right now. (it was my Christmas present from hubs!)

Holiday break, good shopping does that make.

Hope all my lovely readers had a great Christmas holiday... and hopefully you're still enjoying it. I have this whole week off from work before I go back on the 3rd, so I am trying to live it up while I can. It seems like most of Dallas has the same perk too-- the malls and restaurants were packed today. No matter-- I had a great day nonetheless.

It was especially nice to wake up to a Shopbop promo: 20% off all sale items (code 20MORE)! I didn't get to take advantage of the last promo they had so I was pleased to take advantage of it... twice... today. :)  Here were my purchases-- both of which sold out in my size after I bought them (that always seems to make me more glad I pulled the trigger when I did!). Did you get anything from the sale?

Twelfth St. By Cynthia Vincent Lace Hem Slip dress (I've been wanting this for a while and finally caved!)

Rory Beca Claudia Ruffle dress (perfect for my casual NYE plans and a wedding rehearsal this winter.)

Since I have the week off, I totally plan on taking some outfit photos. It's been rather rainy, so I'm hoping the lighting cooperates enough for a few nice pics. I can't wait to share some of my new additions from this holiday. I think I need to take a little shopping hiatus, so while I may not be on an official ban, I'm pretty much cutting myself off. Does anyone else ever feel like they've filled their closet to the brim after the holiday season? I sure do... but I guess I'm not complaining, either. :)

From the Archives... Merry Christmas!

Merry Christmas eve (and Christmas, for thoe reading several hours from now)! I hope everyone is relaxing and having a grand ole' time this weekend. Hubs and I are in New Jersey and are spending quality time with family. Unfortunately for me, I came down with a cold (boo), but nothing will dampen my holiday spirit!

While I have nothing new to share with you for outfits, I figured I would pick one of my faves from the archives. While there are many outfits from the past I love and hate, I remember feeling rather clever when I put this one together. A little pop of lace goes a long way with a hot pink cashmere sweater dress... :)

There's also something fun about looking back at old pictures. It's hard to believe, but I've had this little ole' bloggie-blog for over a year now, and it's just fun to see where my sense of fashion has moved. I'd say since this picture, I've gotten a little more muted in my color palatte and a little less feminine. Nonetheless, I still like this outfit and might just pull it out again for old times sake. (Cue reminiscent music.)

Merry Christmas again, bloggie-loves!!

(Outfit deets-- Dress: Express; Skirt: Forever 21; Necklace: Bakers; Belt: Forever 21; Shoes: Chinese Laundry)

FF's Christmas Sale Picks!

Merry Christmas all! Finals are finished, grades are in, and it looks like little ole' Justiney has lived to tell the tale. Whew. We've been on a non-stop rollercoaster this month, finishing up business at home, traveling and seeing family, so I've been super busy. But what with all these amazing sales, I couldn't stay away too long. :) Here are my top 4 sale picks from retailers... what are YOU spending your Christmas cash on?? :)

1. Shopbop: up to 70% off on winter styles! So many great things to choose from....

Twelfth St. by Cynthia Vincent Lace Slip Dress (sale, $124)-- I am SO grabbing this as a Christmas gift to moi. :)

Other picks: Nanette Lepore Blushing lace blouse; Tucker Smocked Collar Dress in Elodie's Grand Mere; and Boutique 9 Olita Suede Booties! all so perfectly pretty.  

2. Neiman Marcus: Lots of goodies on super-sale. Like:

Nanette Lepore Dr. No Jacket (sale, $298). More like yes, yes YES jacket. Heh. (*Crickets*)

Other wants: Rebecca Taylor Jeweled Habutai dress (this runs big so size down!); LaRok assymetric chiffon tank; and Madison Marcus velvet blazer!

3. Express: 30% off today! And as you may know, they often to sales, so you can almost always find something cute and versatile for a great price.

Glitter open toed platform shoes (around $80 after sale). Shoes! Who'da thunk Express would come out with shoes. Nonetheless, cute!

Also: the Tiered-Bottom wool trench coat; and the Military silk shirt (which I love and have in army green; size up for a loose-fit).

4. Piperlime Tag Sale: Gotta love the tag sales! And Piperlime's shipping (free and quick. Done and done.).

Anlo Claire henley (on sale for $97). I love love love this (and snagging this) in Secret Garden. Valentine's Day, anyone? :)

Plus: Tinley Road Sergeant Jacket; Beyond Vintage lace cardi; and Rachel Pally Chiara Mini dress!

AG Jeans... for sale!

Hey ladies! A quick post to see if anyone is interested in a pair of AG jeans, size 27, worn only once. Never altered. I love this brand tons and tons and hate to part with them, but they've been sitting in my closet, unworn... so I would like to find them a loving home. :)

Description: These jeans are AG Stilt skinnies in 2Y Wash. They originally retailed at $210 and I would like to sell them for $75 (Price is negotiable!!). As I said, never altered, so the inseam is still appx. 31 inches. The rise is low but not very low- it's probably 8.5" or so. A great, classic pair.

The picture above is the exact pair, from the actual retailer, too. They're sold out online, so you can't check 'em out on teh site. If you'd like to see real pictures or are interested in purchasing, email me at JUSTINELISE84@GMAIL.COM

:)

Fetching Fashions Fancies: December 9, 2010

Eeeeppp! Sorry I haven't checked in in a few days.... finals are next week and this week has been cahh-rayy-zee getting all that together. So I'll leave you with a pretty to oggle until I can get my butt into gear again. :)

Club Monaco (for Shopbop) Portia Shirt

So pretty, so perfect. I heart!

OOTD: A holiday folly.

It's no secret that Groupon had a fantastic deal last week for $25 for $50 at Nordstrom Rack. "Great!", I thought. "Perfect for holiday shopping!" Ummm... yeah... about that.

I tried, readers. I really tried to find those holiday gifts. But none were to be found that would be good enough for my gift-recipients. I thought all was lost for said gift-certificate, until I spotted this little pretty in the racks. The Nanette Lepore Maddalena jacket seems to be sold out almost everywhere (might be from Fall '09?), and I remember this on Nordie's site a while back. Unfortunately, $500 is out of my budget for a blazer, but when it's on sale for $199 + $50 off? Yes, please. And I'm pleased (and a little shocked) to announce that this is my first ever Nanette purchase. I say shocked because I really don't know why I haven't bought something sooner...

Jacket: Nanette Lepore Maddelena Jacket

Top: Robbi + Nikki silk tank

Jeans: J Brand Lovestory jeans

Belt: Anthropologie Tea Rose belt

Shoes: Go Jane faux suede bow peeps

I took off the grosgrain belt that came with it and opted for something more fun, like this big rosebud belt. It just seemed to work better, and I'm just thinking about getting rid of the belt that came with it. And check out the back of this thing... I'm a bit in love! 

Now to finish that holiday shopping...

OOTD: the warm before the cold.

Here in Dallas, weather is... strange. Come October, a chill begins to set in, crispness fills the air. But then, some sort of warm front inevitably comes in... and out, and in and out. Until around January, when the air is just cold, cold, cold. Most people don't think Dallas can get cold. But let me tell you-- it can. Trust me. It's funny to hear the northerners who move here for school or work and tell me, "I had no idea it could get this cold!" Yep. It does.

Anyway, right now is one of those warms before the cold. Before I must wear tights (to my chagrin). So I'm takin' advantage, people! It's skirt-sans-tight time!

Sweater/blazer: Bloomingdale's Aqua cashmere sweater (also very similar here)

Top: Anthro (Corey Lynn Calter) Snowscape tank, last winter 

Skirt: F21 bubble hem skirt (similar here)

Shoes: Steve Madden Tristano

Earrings: Francesca's Boutique

Review: ROSEGOLD Sandra convertible boots

A while back, I posted about how I would like a shorter boot with a wedge. I was lucky to have scored the last pair of ROSEGOLD Sandra convertible boots when Shopbop did their huge winter markdowns. Rockin'. Overall, I love them and will keep them, but here are some notes (especially since it doesn't seem there are any reviews of these out there...) :

The Good:
-They fit great. I have a hard time with shoes because my size seems to fluctuate anywhere between an 8 and a 9. This makes online shoe shopping hell. But, these are 8.5s and are perfect. I believe that to be my true size; therefore, I'll call these TTS.
-They are comfortable! I bet I could walk through the mall with minimal discomfort.

The Bad:
- They are really tough to get on and off. The zipper is stiff and doesn't like to move around. Which is good in one sense, because it means it won't move around when I have them zipped up or down. But to get these on, you MUST roll them all the way up, unzip, zip half way, then roll back down. Sheesh.
-There is some weird black crap that gets all over my hands when I touch the zipper. Its not the leather-- it's something that is obviously coating the zipper to make it the dark metallic color it is. I could have done without that, thanks.

The Inbetween:
-I like platform for ultimate comfort, and these are not platform. Therefore, while comfy, I do expect a little arch and ankle discomfort as the day wears on. Que sera sera.
-They look pretty bad uncuffed (on me). The calf width is too much for my small calf and they hit at a weird place at the bottom of my knee. This isn't too much of a problem for me since I bought them with the intention of wearing them mainly cuffed. That was the style I was going for.

OVERALL: I recommend, as long as you're looking for a cuffed, wedge boot that is sleek and classic. Buy on sale, since I think there might be at least comparable cuffed wedge boots in the full price range ($275). I'm sure with wear, these will just get better. Yippee!

OOTD: New venue.

Woah, woah. Is Justine doing two -- count 'em, TWO -- OOTDs in one week? It must be that Christmas magic in the air.

I thought I would try a new venue-- my front porch. If there's one thing I've learned about my point-and-shoot digital camera it's that it takes shoddy indoor photos. Its true abilities come out only in natural, bright light. Since I had a few minutes to spare this morning (skipping classes will do that for ya. Ooops.) I thought I'd try it on for size. Personally... me likey.

Top: Tucker blouse

Sweater: Nordstrom (kinda similar here)

Pants: BLANK denim skinny cargos (get 'em here)

Necklace: F21

Belt: F21 (here)

Shoes: Zinc (from a local boutique a long time ago)

And yes, my hair is now brown. I didn't feel like paying for keeping it up, so this is box hair color. I know... not good for hair health, yadda yadda. But c'mon, people. This is cheap and easy. :)

Pick(s) of the Day! (12.1.10)

While I haven't done this in a while, I just couldn't resist posting these gorgeous holiday shoes. Since I have two weddings coming up this winter, I've been on the lookout. And these might just do the trick, yes'siree...

J. Renee Erica Pump

Badgley Mischka Keeper Pump (love in the nude!)



Both avaiable from Nordstrom, both equally amazing. While I've never tried a pair of J.Renee shoes, I do own two pairs of Badgley Mischkas, and I must say-- they are even prettier in person! Which would you wear to your holiday soiree??

OOTD: Let's do this.

I know, it's rather ridiculous how long it's been since I have actually done a real life OOTD. With a real camera. It's pretty simple here today, lovies, mostly because today is going to be spent with studying and a little break for some Pier 1 decorations. Here's to getting back in to a rhythm, hmm?  :)

Tee: H&M, courtesy the lovely Rosa! (<3)

Jacket: Juicy Couture Capelet (get it here!)

Jeans: J Brand Lovestory (get them here!)

Shoes: Steve Madden Tristano

Necklace: Francesca's Boutique

Hat: Banana Republic

I've had this capelet for some years now and have loved it since; but now that capes are actually "in style," I'm pretty excited (p.s., it's still available on Bluefly!). I managed to snag the Anthropologie Sunner Cape before it sold out in my size but will have to wait until post-Christmas to model it or review it. That's because I bought it so that my husband could wrap it up and put it under the tree for me... from him. Gotta love marriage. And capes. Capes are good. :)

Thanks(giving) for sales...

Hope everyone had a great holiday filled with good food, friends and family! I know I did and I'm pooped today... we cooked the full spread and ended up having lots of guests to eat it. I'm still a little shocked we cooked, considering cooking isn't really my "thing." But it was great! **pats on back**

The sales are raging and although I'm trying so so hard to be good, I just had to snag a little somethin-somethin from Shopbop. I'm not sure what I'm going to do on Monday, what with all the online sales, but my will is strong. I think. Here's my latest purchase-- practical and much-needed boots.

ROSEGOLD Sandra Convertible boot (sold out on sale at Shopbop, but still available here and here!)

What did y'all get? Waiting for Cyber Monday to spend your dough? Christmas shopping in full force?? :)

Huge Shopbop sale!

Just a quickie post, y'all. My fave online boutique, Shopbop, is having a massive sale today! Not only is a ton of stuff on sale, but you can get up to $500 off when you spend $1500. But let's be honest, I'm not spending $1500. However, you can take $50 off $250, or $100 off $500! Nice. Here are some of my picks from the sale...

Bird by Juicy Couture Long Sleeve shirt

Dolce Vita Melita Dress 

Alice + Olivia Ombre Cashmere cardigan

Holiday 2010 manicures

Happy almost-Thanksgiving! What is everyone doing this year? I'll be frying two turkeys... no, scratch that. Husband will be frying two turkeys. I'm pretty excited. But there are pressing matters before all this jazz.

Holiday nail polish.

I've never been one for beauty products, but when it comes to nail polishes, I'm a bit of a freak. I never get professional manicures because after a few days, I'm ready to try something else. This holiday season, I'm trying to find the perfect sparkly manicure that doesn't look like I just stepped out of a stripper bar. So, I could take a few opinions. Here are my sparkly, holiday options:

Left to right: ULTA Twilight (shimmery without specks of glitter); Sephora by OPI Looks Like Rain Dear (shimmer and glitter specks); Essie Hot Coco (opaque brown/taupe color); and Sephora by OPI Already Famous (taupey, shimmery goodness)

Of course, to get the perfect manicure, I layered. Below are the outcomes... which do you like best? (Granted, they look quite similar... but they are all different.)

1: Looks Like Rain Dear, by itself
2. Hot Coco layered under Looks Like Rain Dear
3. Twilight with one layer of Already Famous
4. Twilight with one layer of Looks Like Rain Dear

Personally, I think #3 is best because it's shimmery without being too overwhelming. Opinions? Suggestions? Thoughts that I've gone mad because clearly these are all basically the same thing? Hmmmm...

Bathroom outfit photos!

Sooooo, since I don't have any nice, well-lit photos on my digital camera re: recent outfits, I must resort to iPhone pics of some outfits I've worn and liked. Quality sucks, so I apologize, but hey. It's a step in the right direction, yes? :)  I'll be working on getting some good pics this weekend since it should be relatively slow, and I do have some fun, new pieces I'd love to play around with. Weird thing I've noticed: putting together outfits when you have little to no intention to put them out in cyberspace is a bit easier. It's strange, really, since you'd think the motivation would be decreased, therefore the outfits less thought out. But it's been the opposite: since I'm not worried about creating the "perfect" outfit for my blog, I'm less critical of every detail and a bit more free-flowing. I think I ought to try not trying so hard... if that makes sense.

Also. Please excuse obvious toilet in background. Gross. 

Dress: LaROK Call of the Wild Dress

Necklace: Anthropologie

Shoes (not shown): Steve Madden Tristano pumps (similar to these)

 (This was my take on a tuxedo for Fashions Night Out this year!)

Top: Patterson J Kincaid Harlow blouse

Pants: Express ponte leggings

Bracelet: Shop the Look cuff

Necklace: Nordstrom (forget the designer...)

Shoes: I dunno. This was taken way too long ago to remember.

Blazer: UO strong shouldered blazer (sorta similar here)

Sweater: BR leopard print sweater (and oldie but goodie)

Skirt: F21 Trumpet A-Line maxi skirt

Belt: F21 rhinestone belt

Necklace: handmade by Codename Ivy

Shoes (not shown): Steve Madden

It's a shame you can't see the full outfit in the last pic because I just loved it. The skirt is possibly the best thing ever. I even wore it today for a presentation in class and it got lots of compliments. The material looks a lot nicer than it is and it surprisingly works with a lot-lot-lot of things. Love! Might be my fave inexpensive item in my current rotation.

What are you loving more than anything in your closet right now?? And are you wearing the maxi skirt, too??

The readers have spoken.

Helloooo, my little lovies. Who's ready for Thanksgiving? (Sad, because the media and radio seem to think there is nothing in between Halloween and Christmas. There used to be another holiday called Thanksgiving in there somewhere... oh well.)

Thanks for the comments re: my recent posting (or lack thereof). I agree-- the OOTDs must be reinstated to some degree. I may have to baby-step my way back in-- AKA iPhone pictures for now. I do have a few already stored on my phoney-phone so I'll upload those in an effort to show y'all what I've been wearing. Let's face it-- that's what most of us come to fashion blogs for, no?

(Oh, and to my disgruntled reader:  Really, I can't blame you for thinking I've been boring. You're totally right. This blog has gotten boooorrrring and I apologize. But I'm not ready to quit... not yet, anyway. So really, it's cool. Were still friends. Or whatever.)

So more OOTDs! I promise!! But since I have about 10 minutes until class today, I'll leave you with some (boring or not so boring, depending on your opinion) holiday-party-ready eye candy.

Aidan Mattox Sequin dress

Pretty bling-a-bling-ahhh. Holiday party, anyone??

Buying/Debating/Wishing...

Hi readers! With the decrease in my posting has come some confusion in what I should post when I do. I personally like reading other's picks to buy, wishlists and recent purchases, so I hope you'll be interested in that, too. Let me know if there are things you'd rather me talk about, because I'm open to suggestions! I'd love to start doing some OOTDs again but time has been the main issue-- if you'd really like more of that, let me know and I'll try to work on it. K? K.  :)

Recently Acquired:

With Bloomie's 20% off for F&F time (through November 14th), I decided it was due time to make an order. Even though I actually bought these Blank Denim cargos a long time ago, a sad mishap with bleach rendered them unwearable. Ugh. Fortunately, I re-purchased them at a discount, which makes life a little easier, no?

And I couldn't resist this... a blardigan (by Aqua, Bloomie's contemporary/cheap house brand)! Perfect in cashmere, plus it will look super cute with a maxi skirt like this one (which I purchased and totally love!).

Debating:

I have been wanting a new, comfortable day dress recently, and I love that this Free People dress could go either day or night. But, is it that cute? Not sure... any thoughts on what I should do? Buy or don't buy?

Wishing:

I heart this Steve Madden Berllinn boot. It looks comfortable and chic.. I love how the cuff is not scrunched like lots of other cuffed boots are right now. I'll be waiting on a sale for these, though... or maybe Santa will bring them? Hmm?

Umm, woah.

Where in the heck did October go? Seems like I closed my eyes and here's November already! I won't apologize for the break, not because I don't care about my readers but because it's just par for the course at the moment. It's weird moving from being a daily blogger to a when-I-get-a-second blogger, and I hope you will all bear with me! I've definitely had moments of just calling it all quits, but something stops me. For now, I'll have to be okay with being a bit sporadic, which kind of sucks for my readers. But I'm not giving up just yet! :)

It's getting a little chilly (finally) here in Dallas, so I've been able to bust out some cozy pieces. My fave so far has been my BB Dakota Branson sweater jacket, (on sale at Shopbop now). I totally recommend-- it's crazy soft and warm and is perfect a substitute for a coat. At least when temps are above 35 degrees! (

And my most recent purchase/birthday gift? New sunglasses (since my Diors tragically broke whilst getting shoved into my school bag. Ooops.) :

Chanel's 5185 Sunglasses!

I love these babies-- not too big, not too small, and the color is just right for my skin tone/hair. The shape is bordering on the cat-eye shape, but it's much less pronounced.  Purrrrfect. :)

What I'm lusting after: Madewell's Last Dance dress. This dress is lit.ter.ra.ly. perfect in person. The picture does not do it justice!

And my smartest purchase? Has to be the AG Stilt denim in 2Y wash... (shown below in the Orlin wash)

For any gals out there like me (ahem, lacking curves), AG is a great fit. Only second to Hudson and the cute triangle pockets, in my opinion.

Have you bought anything splurgey or savvy lately??