Temptations

I am a self-confessed shopaholic. So of course I subscribe to Shop It To Me Sale Alerts twice a week. But, in 2009 I have vowed to stick to a budget and get my credit card paid down, and my savings built up. As you can imagine, sometimes the Shop It To Me alerts can be torture for me, especially when I get one like today’s with a bunch of super cute items (two of which create a virtually perfect outfit). Check these three out….

First, I saw this perfect sheath dress from Diane von Furstenberg which combines a curve hugging shape, perfect seaming to elongate the body, and a beautiful bold print to hide any minor flaws you may have.

Second, there are the perfect shoes to go with this dress, the GUESS Women's Drifter Round Toe Pump in red suede. The Diane von Furstenberg dress with these shoes is the perfect combination of classic style with a splash of retro for fun.





Third, I saw this super cute Cotton Voile Pleat Front Shell by Ann Taylor, which would be perfect in either color that is offered, though I particularly like this shirt in Bilbery and can see it paired with a great pair of grey slacks.

I can already tell that sticking to my budget this year is going to require a lot of self restraint!


You can find these items (which also happen to be on sale at very good prices) here:

Dress- Nordstrom $193
Shoes- Endless $69.90
Top- Ann Taylor $59

For the Love of Clutch

I have to admit I'm beginning to love clutches. I have to admit that I'm one of those people that is always prepared. I've even had one of my friends suggest that I was like a mommy... meaning I always carry a well stocked purse. But lately I've been slimming down the contents of my purse, and it turns out that when I do that, I have a lot more purse options available to me. Not only that, but the options are better looking and more chic. Like this Waldorf Clutch from Anne Klein.

I've been on the hunt for a few months now for a beautiful giraffe print handbag, but all I seem to be able to find are huge shopping totes in which one feels obliged to cart around the kitchen sink. I think I have finally found what I have been searching for in this little beauty from AK. (I of course would nix the gold chain shoulder strap and opt for using it as it's name suggest is should... a clutch)

PS- Find it for 45% off here: http://www.endless.com/dp/B001B48BI2?tag=endlesscj-20&linkCode=asn

Got Butter?

If you’re like me and never seem to be the same dress size from one event to the next, then buying a new dress can seem like a waste of money since it probably won’t fit the next time you have someplace to wear it to! Before you go out and find the cheapest dress you can, or try to get away with wearing one of your old dresses that is way to big (or small), let me suggest an alternative solution… go buy some Butter.

Butter by Nadia that is. This designer has a one size fits all dress that is truly fabulous despite the muumuus that come to mind when we hear the words “dress” and “one size fits all” in the same sentence. Butter by Nadia’s wrap dress is only limited by your imagination and can be wrapped to look like at least a dozed different dresses. It comes in three styles, satin, jersey, and a satin ball gown all of which are made in several fantastic colors. This dress may seem a little pricey at first, but when you consider the possibility of never having to buy another dress…. The price is so very reasonable!

Butter website: http://www.butterbynadia.com/

Online retailer selling Butter: http://www.bennyandshaw.com/

Review: Exude from Carlos by Carlos Santana

This is the Exude from Carlos by Carlos Santana. It is a beautiful shoe. Per the manufacturer website it is a 3.75" stiletto heel (though some retailers are mislabeling it as 3.5") available in half a dozen colors.

This shoe is definitely pretty... but when I received it I was disappointed to have to return it. The retailer I purchased it from listed the shoe as a 3.5" heel, but of course... it is not. The heel ended up being too high for me even though I am quite used to wearing heels everyday, and the toe was too narrow. Had the heels indeed been 3.5” I probably would have kept the shoe and waited for the toe to stretch out… but alas, it wasn’t meant to be.

If you have narrower feet this may be a perfect shoe for you, and extremely stylish. If you purchase these I recommend also purchasing some no-slip pads to go on bottom of the shoe.

PS- As I was putting these back in the box to ship back to the retailer, I noticed one of the heels was missing a piece... turns out it fell out while I trying on the shoes and it was lying on the carpet in my dining room. Just one more sign that these weren't meant to be.