paint it black

i have to wear all black to job number 2. strict black; meaning black suit or black dress with sleeves, and black shoes. i actually kind of like it. black isn't something i'm normally drawn to, but there's no denying its classiness (and it's an excuse for more shopping, as in, but i neeeeeed it for work) and so far i've enjoyed getting "dressed up" for work. i try to dress up for job number 1, but when you can get away with jeans and flips flops, it can be hard to motivate some mornings.

back to #2, we ARE however allowed to wear colorful accessories to our little hearts content, so i've been working on that (an excuse for more shopping....i neeeeeed them). my latest purchase was quite the splurge, but i really love it. i love the color and i've been working on learning all sorts of fun ways to tie it. i'll try and post some of my better attempts. i'm also hopeful that i might make me look older/more mature, and help cut back on the amount of times an hour i'm asked if i'm a college student. 15 years ago, beeeotch. (i know, i shouldn't be bitter, but it starts to grate on me)

day without color. niiiice, but missing that je ne sais pas.
the lowdown:
suit: jcrew
tank: mbmj
shoes: lumiani
bag: rebecca minkoff
hair bobby pin: juicy (bridesmaid gift from kertch) (are you reading this, are you?)

day WITH color, luv that pink:
the lowdown:
dress: DVF
shoes: ann taylor
bag: balenciaga
scarf: hermes
bangles: jcrew and various cheapies

and here is a close up of the scarf. it is called "cent plis des maio" in colorway #2, i believe. as soon as i laid eyes on it, it was game over.

first purchase: reveal!

my mood is pretty upbeat today. mostly because its friday and the weather forecast is looking good, but also, i had a really nice night at work #2 last night. my first night on the floor on my own, in fact, and i did a really good amount of sales! i think i'm a natural shoe saleswoman. :)

it was amazing how fast time went by too. there was a sale going on this week, so we were open an hour later than normal, making my shift time 4 hours long, and i swear it seemed like less than an hour. it was an unusual sensation...this time flying by at work thing. i really hope this idea/plan of mine works out in the long run and that i can eventually do something that i love doing everyday. its such a pipe dream at this point, but i think it might just keep me going.

accessories outfit of the day:

the lowdown:
bag: rebecca minkoff MAM
shoes: fendi graffiti zucca flats
leggings: LNA

first purchase

i'm debating which shoes to get with my first discounted purchase. the first two pair are more practical as i can wear them to both jobs. (see ps) the second are more fun, even tho i'm not normally drawn to logo things. or i can just keep drooling. deciding and planning is way more than half the fun.

salvatore ferragamo varina bow flat

chloe belted flat



fendi graffiti zucca flat

ps-this blog is supposed to be a personal blog, but i do struggle with how much information is appropriate to put here. case in point: last year when josh and i decided to get new jobs and move back to the boston area, there was a whole lotta stuff i would have loved to blog about. the interview process, househunting, my stress and struggle with everything...but then, on the flip side, there's a whole lotta stuff that i don't want lots of people knowing about until its final, kwim? and by the time i can write about it, its not relevant.

so, re: above. i'm sure some of you know. if you don't, i'm sure you can figure it out if you know me well enough. :)

maybe i can time delay my posts by about 3 months. :)

Randoms, because I'm lazy

just so you don't all feel left out out there in internet land, I'm posting a few OOTD pics I took but never wrote about. don't say I don't ever think about you.....

WORK:

the lowdown:

pants: theory
tank top: club monaco

blouse: splendid
shoes: jcrew
necklace: jcrew

OUTLET SHOPPING:
the lowdown:

top: anthro
jeans: 7FAM
flips: tory burch
bag: RM BBW MAM

WINE TASTING:
the lowdown:
top: splendid
cardi: jcrew
jeans: joe's
flips: tory burch
sunnies: chloe
bag: balenciaga sahara day

NIAGARA FALLSING:
the lowdown:
ponchos: courtesy of maid of the mist

Ta da

The lamp I was waiting for got here today, and with its arrival, I can officially say that the guest room re-model is complete. I've already gotten so used to the room while I've been working on updating it, that it is totally shocking to look at these before pictures. What a change!!

Per usual, I didn’t have a full-on plan when I started. I had some bed linens that I liked, and that was about it. After that, I picked the wall color. Then the desk and bookshelf were chosen for their light and airy effect (to counter the darker walls). I chose to match the blinds to the walls just in case I ever want to change up the color scheme. And then the lamp and the mirror – purple. (I’ve just been waiting for an excuse to buy this lamp. It comes in customizable colors, so I knew I’d find a way)

I think the very first guest is scheduled to take it for a test run next weekend. She’ll have to let me know how it goes.

back wall (before and after):


door wall (before and after):


window wall (before and after):


detail shots:

and one last pic:

The lowdown:

Duvet and pillow cases: West Elm

Sheets: Potterybarn

Headboard sticker: Blik

Desk and chair: West Elm

Bookshelf and baskets: Crate and Barrel

Side table: Crate and Barrel (from about 5 yrs ago)

Other side table: Overstock

Mona Lisa Print: Josh and I got this on a cruise about 5 yrs ago.

Alarm clock: Potterybarn (originally purchased for master bedroom, but kicked out due to “ticking”)

Lamp: Thomas Paul from Design Public

Blinds: Shade Store (my FAV place for window coverings), lecirque

Mirror: Home Depot

Paint: Benjamin Moore, Bittersweet Chocolate

**all lounging demonstrated by Kona

monday must have

there is a common blog theme called "wednesday wants" where a blogger will post things that they are coveting. i don't like the wait for certain days tho, so i'm trying to think of alternatives.

unfortunately, there aren't too many good words for this sort of thing that start with "m"

hankering, yen, need, desire, covet...i used up the only one i could possibly come up with in my title. any nerdy wordies out there?


LOVE, LOVE, LOVE this rosebud ring from bottega veneta.

vegas recap - quickstyle

this past weekend's trip was one of my favorites in recent years. the weather was beautiful, hanging out friends was awesome, and i even snuck in a little shopping. here is the weekend in pictures:

we took group pics in front of famous landmarks:
and took group pics in front of our LIMO!
we gambled (and snuck one picture in before getting yelled at):
we ate (almost as much as we drank):

and drank (duh):
we spent LOTS of time poolside:

and took pics of vegas spectacular:

my fav, the curved escalator. i say we need more of these in america:
can't wait til next year!!

weekends were, made for fun

happy weekend everyone! yippie!

this has been a very good week, but also a very tiring week. i got it in my head sunday night that the spare bedroom needed new bedding. that led to needing a new wall color to go with the new bedding. that led to needing new furniture to go with the new wall color and, well, you get the point. so what happened is that between sunday night and thursday night, our spare bedroom over went a total transformation. luckily, i remembered to take some before pictures, so hopefully i can share the cuteness with you all soon!!

if you look closely, you can catch a glimpse of a piece of the decorating action in these shots....

'scuse the dirty mirror. i thought i had windexed it adequately, apparentment non

the lowdown:
t-shirt: lands end canvas
cardigan: hinge, nordstrom line
jeans: joe's jeans
shoes: tory burch revas
necklace: madewell

mall rats

its been raining all weekend, so josh and i decided to go to the mall yesterday. used a coupon and an old gift card to get this pillow case to replace the snowman one i still had out. i love the snowman, he really completes the room, but i figured snowmen usually melt by april, so it was time for him to go....



i also stopped into kiels because i've been on the hunt for a new face moisturizer. i picked one (ultimate moisturizer with spf 15, i think) and i'll try it out, but i have to say that i was a little disappointed that the whole time i was browsing, trying lotions on, etc, not a one person even talked to me, let alone asked me if i needed any help. too bad too. i mean, i was ripe for the picking. i would have tried out a whole new face regime if they'd told me it would help. oh well, their loss. (btw, any suggestions in this area would be greatly appreciated. my face is just more prone to random breakouts lately, and it always feels dry and/or red) ug.

our final productive stop of the day was at banana republic. they were having 25% off everything! josh got a bunch of cute clothes, and i restrained myself and just got a belt. stole it from the model. i love doing that.

the lowdown:
dress: jcrew
tights: spanx
jacket: S.W.O.R.D. lucca
boots: frye
bag: rebecca minkoff nikki in cloud grey

oh, and we did stop into the apple store. the debate still continues, tho at least i am starting to see josh's side about the mac book pro. too bad none of the software i had fun playing with comes standard.

i don't know why, i just think the ipad is so durn cute!

crappy day, glad to be home

nuff said.

the lowdown:
top: banana republic
jacket: gap
jeans: rock & republic
shoes: anthropologie
sunnies: chloe
bag: sahara balenciaga day

life springs enternal on a gaudy neon street

quick recap: while i was away from blogging, i: moved back to the boston area (biggest woohoo ever!), bought a house (yay!), changed jobs (eh) and ..... gained approximately 20 lbs. (uh oh). :( apparently, i'm not only a bored eater, a depressed eater and a happy eater, i'm also a stress eater. but, good news, in the last few months, i have really buckled down and lost almost all of it! in fact, i have 3 more lbs to go to get to my goal and 3 more weeks until my annual las vegas trip. coincidence, i think not.

so, i've been doing what every good addict does when they give up one addiction. i've replaced it with another....online shopping. gah, i love it so. here are a few of the things i've picked up:

bows, and ruffles, oh my!

the lowdown:
dress: rebecca taylor
cardigan: splendid
shoes: chie mihara
necklace: blue nile
sunnies: chloe

the OOD post you've all been waiting for!

ta da! isn't it stunning? aren't i radiant? to quote the zoe, i die.


but really, i was just trying out a bunch of different locations in the new house for self portraits, since i haven't done any since we moved. and this was my favorite locale...get ready for a lot of white door action, cause i'll be back tomorrow with something even better! :)

i'm baaaaack

after a long hiatus, gwendy is returning to the world of blogging. the world will never be the same. :) be on the lookout, there's more to come....