Shopping Excursion: Success!

You know how my mom and I LOVE taking trips to Newbury Street in Boston to scour the racks of Second Time Around and other second hand and consignment shops. We usually have great success at these places. The last time I was on Newbury Street with some friends, we went to a fabulous new boutique called No Rest for Bridget. I bought a fedora. I've worn it a bunch of times since then. Check it out:

(Don't worry, I'm stopped at a red light while taking this photo.) 

Today, three out of four of us scored something fabulous at NRfB. I probably could have done a little more damage, but while in the store I got the call from the mechanic about the $800 it would take to fix the AC in my 2002 Prius. Since I plan to drive that car into the ground somewhere around 350,000+ miles, $800 is a worthwhile investment. But, it's still $800, so I was frugal with my clothing and accessories shopping and only got a couple of things- a pair of earrings, a cocktail ring and a cute light-weight sweater, perfect for a cool spring night, or as an extra layer on a cooler fall or winter day/night.

What I love about No Rest for Bridget is that it's a store full of adorable, fashionable pieces- clothing AND accessories- right smack in the middle of Newbury Street in Boston. That in itself isn't all that remarkable. What is remarkable is that despite the location and the look of the items and the store, everything in it is so incredibly reasonable in terms of pricing! My hat was around $15 last time and my sweater today was on sale for $34. My friend got a fabulous statement necklace for $16 and my mom got a cute lace top for $24. These are the kind of prices I would expect to pay at the consignment shops on Newbury, not the boutiques.

There are other locations in different parts of the country, so if there's a No Rest for Bridget near you, get there ASAP and support this fabulous little store. It's fast fashion done right.

In addition to Second Time Around and No Rest for Bridget, we also popped into Anthropologie where I tried on this fabulous hat:

Unfortunately, at $68, it was a little out of my accessory budget today, but it sure is adorable. Maybe I'll stalk it online and if the price drops I'll snatch it up. I would totally rock it on a Saturday at work. People love it when I wear hats at work- I always get great compliments on them (even stupid little ones).

All in all, it was a successful shopping excursion and I'm looking forward to my next trip back to No Rest for Bridget. There'll be no rest for me in the meantime while I dream about all the wonderful things there that I've yet to own...

Have a great night, everyone!

The Last of My Shopping Booty

I realized recently that I never got around to showing you the rest of my shopping booty from my trip to the North Shore Mall last week. You probably remember my amazing new oversized watch:

And my unbelievably adorable new dress: 

And my mint Converse: 

And of course, the new shoulder bag: 

Well, the rest of my shopping booty might seem a little anti-climactic after that. It's just a simple necklace and a pair of pink bauble earrings: 

I love the anchor necklace so much I've worn it almost non-stop since I got it. The earrings are adorable, too, of course.

I'm sure after seeing everything, you can understand why it was such a great shopping day for me! Let's hope the next one is just as successful! Have a great day, everyone!

Accessories Anonymous: New Oversize Watch

While shopping earlier this week, I decided it was finally time for a new watch. I'd purchased one on my shopping trip a couple of weeks ago- it was an amazing deal at only $4.77! But, after wearing it for a few days, I just stopped liking it. And then I started hating it. And while I plan to hold onto it because I may start liking it again at some point, I knew it was time to try something new.

For years, I've always looked at my watch choice as being one that I want to be innocuous, to blend in with the type of wrist jewelry that I wear every day, namely my Tiffany's bracelet. But while strolling through the mall, I saw a truly over-sized watch and I decided to give it a try. Minutes later, I was handing over my credit card. I just fell in love with the look!

I joked with Juhree that it looks like I've got poor vision, but there's something about it that I love. Later on that day, I snapped a photo in a fitting room so that I could see the proportion on me. It's definitely a bold accessory, but it works.

Sorry for the terrible lighting. I just love that goofy watch! It's hard to see the detail of it, so here's the manufacturer's photo:

The band is white leather, and I love how the winding mechanism is offset instead of being centered on the side. It's a lot more comfortable, actually. Something I never thought about until I tried on a watch like this. Smart design is so refreshing. 

If you're in the market for a fun, oversized watch, here are a few similar to mine: 

Oversized Leather Strap Watch, Guess, $59.50

Anne Klein Peach Leather Watch, Macy's $65

Nemesis Women's Oversized Watch, Overstock.com, $43.99

Mostly I'm excited about this watch because now when people ask me what time it is, I won't have to fumble in my purse for my cell phone. I'll be able to promptly reply, "Time to get a watch!" 

Have a great day! Thanks for stopping by! 

More Chambray: Music City Style

I don't watch a lot of TV in real time. With Netflix, Hulu and all the streaming video websites, I can't remember the last time I actually watched a TV show on an actual TV. The great thing about most of those websites is that you can catch up on an entire season in a matter of weeks (or days, if you're home with the flu or just plain lazy).

One of my guilty pleasures last year was the show "Smash" about the mounting of an original Broadway musical. The acting was terrible, the writing was worse, but the production numbers were spectacular. One of my coworkers and I used to secretly re-hash each episode, because we didn't want anyone to know that we were obsessed with such a terrible show. I guess the cat's out of the bag for me, now that I'm posting it here on my blog, but I'll keep her identity a secret. This season, the show is even worse- the new characters are just irritating and the plot lines couldn't interest me less. And those plot lines that I hate so much? Well, they've pretty much put a stop to all those glorious production numbers that are basically the sole reason I watch the show.

I complained about that to my coworker and she recommended I check out another show- "Nashville." She was right that I would love it. It's right up my alley- the songs aren't production numbers, but there is a lot of singing, a lot of musical performances. I love country music, too, so that's a bonus. And even though I'm born & bred Yankee girl, there is something so alluring about western wear. I love cowboy boots. I love denim and chambray. I love that casual, country vibe that comes from western wear. I even like the cheesy "fancy" western wear- the embroidered shirts and jackets and the "dressy"cowboy hats.

I was intrigued by the idea of a chambray shirt in my wardrobe before I started watching this show, but now that I keep seeing all these gorgeous TV stars in perfect little country-western outfits, I think I'll be dreaming about chambray until it's officially a part of my wardrobe.

There was the one from yesterday that looked pretty great, but I walked away from it. Now, I'm really starting to think that might have been a mistake. If I go back to get it and it's no longer there, I'll need a back-up plan. I think one of these may make due:

Shibori Chambray One-Pocket Shirt, Levi's, $64

Western Shirt, Levi's $68

1969 Western Shirt, Gap, $49.95

Women's Short Sleeve Chambray Camp Shirt, Carhartt, $36.99

None of these are as appealing as the shirt from yesterday AND that one is the least expensive! The more I shop around, the more I think I may have made a big mistake! Aaaahhh!!! Well, if it doesn't work out that I find the perfect chambray shirt, I guess I could find something else to obsess over.

A Trip to Le Marshalls Boutique

Today is my day off and I had a few errands to run, but once I was done, I stopped in to one of my favorite bargain stores- Marshalls. I thought it might be fun to show you what I tried on because there were a lot of really awesome pieces.

I've been obsessed with chambray lately. I can't explain why. I know that it's all wrong for my wardrobe, but I'm so drawn to it lately. I find it irresistible. Maybe I've been watching a little too much "Nashville" on Hulu. Anyway, when I saw this chambray top with the super cute little white polka-dots, the mother-of-pearl-esque snap closures, the little hook that holds the rolled sleeve up and the flattering seams that nip it in so well, I could hardly resist. But resist I did. It was $30 and I just didn't see spending that much on something I'm not sure I'll even wear. Looking at that photo, now, though... I'm wondering if I made a mistake leaving it behind... 

I know it was NOT a mistake leaving this particular chambray shirt behind, though. It's not nearly as cute and feminine as the first one. Also, it's a little too long and a little too big all around. But I love the faded denim look. 

I thought this top would be great for work. I could tuck it into a high-waisted pencil skirt or even layer it under a cute blazer. I had a whole outfit in my head- my blue J. Crew pencil skirt, with this top and a mint cropped blazer that I was about to try on. Cue the blazer... 

Ummm... that is bad. Nothing about that works. With my hopes for a fabulous outfit dashed, I tossed both pieces to the "reject" pile and moved on to some dresses. 

This adorable party dress just brings a huge smile to my face. It's so whimsical and fun! The full skirt, the tailored bodice, the little black belt that comes with it- it's all adorable! It even has covered buttons up the back instead of a zipper! Unfortunately, I don't have any parties coming up anytime soon, so this was yet another item that I sent packing. 

I always love the girls who can pull off a blouse-y dress like this. I am just not one of them. (P.S. What happened to my waist? This dress stole it! Reject!)

This dress was a bargain at $24.99, and admittedly, it looks pretty fabulous. It has that magical slimming effect. But for some reason, I just wasn't feeling it today. This one landed in the reject pile, too. 

Finally, I decided to try on a few pair of jeans. You know how that goes, right? When giving women advice about shopping for jeans, I always tell them to plan on trying on what feels like a million different pair before you find a single pair you like. That's what I was prepared for today, but then something magical happened! The first pair I put on fit perfectly, looked amazing, were completely comfortable and were on sale for $17! 

 Just look at those fabulous skinnies! I love everything about them! I probably should have thrown my boots back on to snap the photo, but oh, well. You can still appreciate a good pair of jeans, even without the proper footwear. I can picture these bad boys with some tall wedges and a flowy top come springtime. 

So there you have it- an afternoon shopping excursion with me. I'm sure you agree with most of my purchasing decisions- if you don't love it or need it, or you don't think you'll wear it, then reject it. The only rejection I'm questioning is the first chambray shirt. Leave a comment and tell me if you think I messed up on that one. Maybe on my next day off I can swing back down there and snatch it up if it's still there. Or not. You be the judge!