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??