Dan surprised me with the unexpected gift of a Kate Spade purse! It’s the Lawrenceville Slim Kenny, and is the perfect black purse!
My first thought was, “Who are you, and what have you done with my husband?” Don’t get me wrong — Dan is a wonderful husband, but I’ve never known him to have such stellar taste in fashion. And then I remembered that I was perusing the Kate Spade surprise sale online a couple weeks ago and that the purse had caught my eye. I had shown it to Dan but he told me that even on sale, the handbag was too expensive and that we needed to save with all of the extra expenses we have with Mio. I was disappointed but agreed, and quickly forgot about it. Little did I know that he went online to order it himself later as a surprise for me. The occasion? None, except that he wanted to reward me for “working so hard, balancing motherhood and work.” I do admit it that I have been pretty stressed out and exhausted lately. I’m just looking forward to going home to Virginia at the end of the year and getting a much-needed respite from it all!
This was a truly sweet pick-me-up and I can’t wait to go out with it! I can see myself using this handbag for years — something tells me this is only the beginning of a long, enduring friendship! π
Adorable bows on the sides!
Love the polka dot interior!
Thank you, hubby!
I can’t believe how lucky I am to have such a thoughtful and loving husband, and the sweetest daughter we could have asked for. This is our first Thanksgiving as a family, and we have so much to be thankful for! π
I recently stumbled upon a line of gorgeous clothing for girls: Persnickety Clothing Company. It was love at first sight; I fell hard the moment I laid eyes on their beautiful frocks. It’s like Anthropologie, except for little girls. Ruffles, lace, corsages, sweet embellishments, vintage textiles… be still, my beating heart.
I’d totally wear these clothes and accessories if they made them in adult sizes… take a look at the swoon-worthy outfits below.
We’ve all been through it. The unrequited yearnings of the loves we let slip through our fingers that have since gone far, far away beyond our reach. ΓΒ I am not talking about that childhood sweetheart nor your high school crush. I’m talking about those times that you are out shopping and you find an item you absolutely love, but leave it behind because you decide to shop around and check out other fish in the sea, or wait for it to come off its pedestal and go on sale. Then, before you have a chance to revisit it, it’s sold out everywhere and has forever escaped your lustful clutches, and you find yourself smacking yourself on the head and cursing that moment of frugal sanity that came between you and the dress, shoes, or purse of your dreams.
I am currently still hurting from the latest pangs of “non-buyer’s remorse” after falling under the charms of this gorgeous darling… the Mirelle Tote from J.Crew.
She was an online exclusive, and when I first laid eyes on her, I was immediately taken with her sweet grosgrain ribbon, vachetta leather handles entwined in gold chain, and luxuriously soft, buttery slouch leather. The dusty pink color is one of my favorite colors, and I knew that the purse had to be mine. But having just paid my taxes, I wasn’t ready to shell out $228 for her right then and there… so I decided to exercise some frugal impulse control and wait it out a little bit. Every so often, I’d check the site to see if she went on sale, and then one day, she was gone. Sold out. No longer in stock. Reading the words, “We’re sorry. This item has been so popular, it has sold out.” was so heartbreaking, it almost caused me physical pain.
The Claudette Tote, also from J.Crew, would have served as a comforting alternative at $175 — although still a bit pricey in my mind — but alas, she too is sold out.
Personally, I believe non-buyer’s remorse is more palpable and does more psychological damage than buyer’s remorse. When you make the mistake of making a regrettable purchase, at least you can undo it by returning it if you kept the receipt, or at least alleviate some of the guilt by giving it away to a friend or donating it to charity. With non-buyer’s remorse, there’s no undoing; it’s out of your control and there’s not much you can do about it except to mourn the loss and eventually move on with your life and hope that you will eventually meet a worthy replacement to fill the gaping void that has been left in your heart.
I hate the feeling of non-buyer’s remorse.ΓΒ Sometimes, if I like something enough, I even consider buying a back-up version for the future, especially if it’s something that will wear out and break over time, such as a pair of shoes I can’t live without or my favorite model of headphones. I had a pair of earbuds that I loved from Skullcandy, which broke and then when I sent it in to get replaced under the warrantee, they sent me back a pair of their newer ones which were not nearly as nice as the older model. They also broke after having an even shorter lifetime than the first pair, and I had to scour eBay to find the original model. I considered buying a back-up pair but Dan stopped me, and I just know I am going to regret not doing so in a couple years…. When The Body Shop launched their Cherry Blossom line (which, may I add, is so much better than the Bath & Body Works lines), it was only supposed to be seasonal and for a limited time so I stocked up on three bottles of lotion… and then the bastards decided to keep selling it (I’m still on my second bottle and won’t need to go back for a while). This is how obsessive compulsive I am when it comes to some of my purchases; it may sound crazy to others, but to me it’s just planning for the future.
The vanished purse been haunting me for the past couple weeks, and will likely continue to for weeks, months, perhaps even years to come. I’ve already checked eBay and other sites in hopes of finding her, but with no luck. The other purses on J.Crew just don’t compare; they look ugly and plain in comparison. A more rational person may just dismiss it, concluding that it was just not meant to be, but I can’t stop beating myself up about not following my initial instinct and indulging in the purchase. Perhaps someday, I will find just as lovely a purse that will grant me some cathartic release from this trauma I’ve suffered, but until then I will continue to pine after The One that slipped away….
P.S. Jenna Lyons, if you are reading this, please please please bring that purse back…?
I’ve always been huge on embracing the feminine details in fashion. I love almost anything with ruffles, lace or beaded appliques, scalloped hemlines… if it’s girly and sweet, I’ll likely be enamored with it. Which is why a store like Anthropologie will be the death of me. With its unique, eclectic “vintage” style, it keeps me coming back for more, even in an economic recession. One step in the store and I’m doomed. Done for. I look around and I fall in love with everything I see.
Snowscape Tank by Corey Lynn Calter
Today, I was browsing Anthropologie’s site and came across this gorgeous top by Corey Lynn Calter and gasped. It literally took away my breath for a moment. I love the nude-ivory hue of the hammered silk, the soft chiffon roses, the bead and chain details… it’s as if they took every detail I love and rolled it into one piece of clothing. I feel like we’re meant to be. Where have you been all of my life?
But alas, I don’t think I can justify shelling out $150 for a tank, no matter how beautiful, how delicious, how perfect it may seem. For a coat, yes. For a dress, maybe. But for a top, it just seems a little too indulgent. And yet I know that I’ll continue pining for it for the rest of the season, letting it sit in my wish list, living with the fear that it’ll get sold out and clinging onto the hopes that someday I’ll discover it on a sale rack and be able to finally bring it home. Is it worth this torment that I’ll subject myself to? I don’t know….
And so continues my love-hate relationship with Anthropologie. Why does she have to be such a tease?
I fell in love with these golden beauties (Steve Madden’s Hanaa sandals) earlier this summer and had to get them! They’re actually very comfortable, are easy on blister-prone feet (like mine), and super cute with a sundress or jeans — they’ve been my best friends all summer long.
During a long overdue cleanup, though, a startling realization struck me as I was gathering and organizing all the shoes that had been strewn all over the place:
I had unwittingly accumulated a collection of gold shoes over the years.
…which is not necessarily a bad thing, as I’ve found that you can make gold shoes go with almost anything. They can help to dress up any outfit with that magical Midas touch. I think every girl should own at least one pair of gold shoes in their lifetime. (Or eight, if you want to be ambitious like me.)
Rather proud of myself, I promptly lined them up (as shown above) and showed the impressive array of these gold babies to Dan. Big mistake. He was utterly horrified and says he’s going to impose an official moratorium on the purchase of gold shoes.
But everyone knows that once you’ve started a collection, you can’t just stop. It’s either you go big or go home….
She was an online exclusive, and when I first laid eyes on her, I was immediately taken with her sweet grosgrain ribbon, vachetta leather handles entwined in gold chain, and luxuriously soft, buttery slouch leather. The dusty pink color is one of my favorite colors, and I knew that the purse had to be mine. But having just paid my taxes, I wasn’t ready to shell out $228 for her right then and there… so I decided to exercise some frugal impulse control and wait it out a little bit. Every so often, I’d check the site to see if she went on sale, and then one day, she was gone. Sold out. No longer in stock. Reading the words, “We’re sorry. This item has been so popular, it has sold out.” was so heartbreaking, it almost caused me physical pain.
