target skirt

i've always been a bit envious of people who fill their beautiful wardrobes with affordable clothing from target, h&m, gap, zara, and forever 21. granted, i have a love-hate relationship with cheap clothing (manufacturing conditions, quality, fit), especially since i lack the sewing skills to alter less than perfect finds. but still, i'm secretly annoyed with myself for spending way too much money on clothing, especially when i don't end up giving certain pieces the attention they deserve.

martha of uniform-studio recently did a flickr set of how she incorporates target clothing and accessories within her unique sense of style. i noticed a particularly nice dark skirt with a subtle sheen in one of her photographs. apparently it's from target's liz lange maternity line. hannah and sally also have this skirt.

today i went to target and found it for $10. unlike these other stylish women, however, i actually need this skirt to function as intended.

nesting

i'm in full nesting mode these days. my house is a wreck, a hodgepodge of incomplete projects. we've finally committed to painting the walls after three years of living here. a north-facing apartment with a dark kitchen and even darker bathroom = tricky. i'm going to paint a pegboard dark grey and mount it next to our new kitchen shelves. i sense another ikea trip this weekend.

i love frazier and wing's new hanging garland, as seen on d*s. alas, at $400, i'm going to have to use this as inspiration for an arts and crafts weekend. off to maine tomorrow morning to watch matthew fall out of an airplane. i will be proofreading my paper proposal and taking photographs of the event, since i prefer avoiding excitement and adventure.

humanoid dress

must be bored/procrastinating today. just bought this slouchy humanoid dress from anica.



my very first belt is coming in the mail.
rachel comey double buckle belt from stand up comedy.

ok, no more shopping. back to work.

isabel marant on ebay

i really wanted this dress last year.
starting bid $136
size 0 (2-4)
too bad i wear a 2



the photos aren't very good, but this top would be very flattering on.
current bid $20.48
size 2 (6-8)

virginia johnson tunic

apparently it's still summer, even though it feels more like early october. the fit is a bit looser than i would like, so this is probably going to be a weekend top. i love the pockets.

portland, me

(photo from black parrot)


so last saturday matthew and i drove up to portland so i could try on these giraudon oxfords at black parrot. we had lunch at the blue spoon, which is on the east end of portland. such delicious sandwiches, although i couldn't quite finish mine. afterwards, we walked around the cemetery and checked out the shops in the area.



i bought onesies at ferdinand. *pinch pinch*



(photo from black parrot)


oh yes, but what about that pesky oxford hunt? black parrot is in a huge airy space with large windows and home goods in the back of the shop. i was so happy to see a shop like that in portland, which really doesn't have too many clothing stores that interest me. the women there were so nice and helpful, but unfortunately the oxfords dug at my ankle bone. plus, matthew wasn't as keen on the pixieish pointy toe or heel. i'm sure these shoes will make someone else very very happy. anyway, i bought a loose-fitting, gathered neckline black tee by marimekko. i had no idea marimekko made such understated clothing.

after a few more hours of bookstore browsing, we drove south to kennebunkport for an early dinner at the clam shack. the lobster roll was delicious, and i wish i had saved enough room for fried clam strips.

hopefully we'll go to nyc in the next week or so to do some early back to school shopping. i keep dreaming about ippudo ramen in the east village. and mociun's latest collection. see lena's gorgeous photos here.

mer

lena posted on this gorgeous line, and i am completely smitten. i really need/want loose swingy tops and dresses like these. if i could settle for even one, that would be wonderful.

waiting for fall

zero by maria cornejo foil dress, $892 (sigh), available at La Garconne.
one of the most elegant side silhouettes i've seen lately. i don't know why, but my resistance to all-black outfits is weakening.

portland, me, trip notes to follow....

virginia johnson sale

sack dress,
$118, was $295



merino wool shawl,
$97, was $195.

cotton scarf,
$49, was $98

caftan,
$78, was $195


crocodile large tote,
$70, was $175



loads of lovely dresses, scarves, tunics, and bags on sale. i swear by my merino wool camel shawl (it's huge!). it's perfect as a travel blanket. i'm getting the countess caftan...no wait, the sack dress. darn, i want them all!

steven alan shirts

i haven't checked steven alan's website in a while, so i was pleased to find this cute short-sleeved button down shirt for only $39. i ordered one in the check pattern and one in blue.


we're going to portland, me on sunday to look at shoes at Black Parrot. Kate emailed me about a pair of Giraudon oxfords that might work for me. i can't wait to check out a few of the places there and, oh yeah, have some lobster!

new sandals

my new sara barner sandals arrived today!

rachel comey tempts yet again

remember these from february?
well anyway, they're on sale for $140 (sizes 8.5, 9, and 9.5).
just sayin'. i mean, it's not like i'm going to buy them again. but if you have hardier feet than me, now might be the time to act.

a.p.c. fall

i'm in love again.







i'm about 95% positive i'll get the yellow peacoat. i love the grey flannel top, but i'm balking on the price ($225). as for the dress, the print is perfect, but i'm not sure about the bow. apc dresses have been fitting a bit strangely for the past few seasons. and yet, it looks terrific with the trench.

now i need to go sit in a corner and meditate on whether or not i need the black vanya dress by mayle (from fall 07/08, marked down to $312), which would be so perfect with tights and oxfords. the thing is, i could have bought the dress at bird last spring for $200, so maybe i should wait for it to show up on ebay again.

why are all the autumn collections so darn tempting?!?

the great oxford hunt continues

well, it must be almost autumn again. so during the past year i bought and returned two different pairs of rachel comey oxfords. not to mention the year before that. lesson learned, no rachel comey shoes for me.

impulse had a pair of grey suede opening ceremony oxfords on sale last month, but i decided to pass on them.

i also coveted a pair of cut-out f-troupes, but bird didn't have them in my size.

so, what next?
take these frye oxfords, for example. i like the dark brown leather, but i'm less than thrilled by the back buckle.

i suppose i could keep scouring thrift shops (etsy and elsewhere), but my feet are too ornery for no-returns policies.


i like these tracey neuls, but i'm not sure the dark green color will work with my outfits. if i liked black more, i would definitely buy a pair of repettos, but apparently i have my heart set on dark brown. has anyone seen a pair of well-made, comfortable brown oxfords for under $300? i would love to have a pair of practical autmn shoes before i switch to my winter boots.

what i did on my summer vacation

first, we went to a fourth of july weekend wedding in rhode island. i helped make flower pompoms, and a friend officiated.



a few days later a friend and i went to d.c. to visit friends from college and grad school. i didn't take too many photos because i was too busy wilting in the heat. we stayed at the tabard inn, which was infinitely charming (but very very dark inside). i also ran into renee by chance in georgetown. she recognized me in that sunshine and shadow dress.


the day after we returned from d.c., matthew and i hopped on a plane to portland. i was fitted for my new sandals at sara barner's studio (they should be here soon). matthew had an espresso at stumptown and decided it was in his top 10. i went to a few stores but liked canoe the best. the carry-on chopsticks are exactly what i need. after a few hours in the city, we drove down to eugene to meet his parents. for the next six days, very little was accomplished. i ate too much junkfood and napped on the deck.











after a delayed flight, missed connection, and 3-hr 'night's rest' at the red roof inn in burlingame, we finally made it home yesterday afternoon. i'm taking the day off to clean the house, play with the cats, and catch up on my blogroll. i hope everyone has been having a good july so far...