Friday Finds Under $50

(pictured clockwise, starting from upper left)

Forever21, Crinkle Textured Cuff, $6.80
American Eagle, Sequin Embellished Tank, $39.50
Chinese Laundry, "Makers" Flat, $24.97 (on sale)
J.Crew, Wool Twill Club Pant, $39.99 (on sale)
The Limited, Zebra Skinny Belt, $24.50

p.s. I'm glad the Friday Finds posts have such a positive reaction - it keeps me excited about them when the idea of searching for lust-worthy pieces under $50 seems daunting! Give the people what they want, I say!

What other types of posts do you want to see?
Anything you want to see more often?

Ring-a-Ling

A Saks box appeared outside of my apartment door on Saturday - and I couldn't contain my excitement for the bauble resting inside.

When I placed my order earlier this month, I braced myself for a long wait. The gem was on backorder until May 25th - I expected it to arrive just in time for my birthday.

After starring in many lust-filled dreams, the Yves Saint Laurent Arty Ovale Ring is finally nestled into my collection.

If I Were a Shoe ...

... what kind of shoe would I be?

photo via An Untitled Blog

When Elle at A Wonderfelle World e-mailed me this weekend asking what shoe embodies my personality, I thought it'd be easy to pick footwear on my lust list and write a few sentences about it.

Not so fast. I needed something that was classic. Something chic. Something just a little playful. Something versatile. Something that could be a little sexy.

Not very easy at all.

Head over to Elle's post My Style Monday: If You Were A Shoe… to see which pair I chose, and to see the footwear choices of fellow bloggers.

Friday Finds Under $50

(pictured clockwise, starting from upper left)

Forever21, Crinkled Chiffon Dress, $24.80
Banana Republic, Miniature Bag, $34.99 (on sale)
Kate Spade, Galaxy Swirl Small Sparkle Stud Earrings, $42
Calvin Klein, Pallas Pumps, $29.40 (on sale)
Kate Spade, Smoky Cosmos Ring, $44 (on sale)

Flower Girl

Romantic, sweetly-traditional gestures are a surefire way to my heart. On Valentine's Day, my boyfriend surprised me with a bouquet my three favorite blooms: tulips, lilies and daisies.

A lush bouquet in the middle of winter always makes me yearn for warmer weather and hints of spring. Since the Mother Nature isn't cooperating, I've found myself browsing for unapologetically girly floral patterns to beat the winter doldrums.

(pictured clockwise, starting from upper left)

Guess, Elegant Pump, $89.95
Juicy Couture, Watering Can Charm, $42
Cynthia Steffe, "Josie" Floral Print Silk Minidress, $295
Santi, Floral Clutch, $148
Juicy Couture, Floral Hoop Earrings, $68
Kimchi Blue, Floral Notch Lapel Halter Dress, $58
Kate Spade, Garden Party Floral Ring, $95
Janna Conner Designs, Ruby Quartz Flower Necklace, $55

Diane von Furstenberg Fall 2010

"I always wanted to live a man's life in a woman's body."

-Diane von Furstenberg

An abundance of frills juxtaposed by menswear-inspired structure makes Diane von Furstenberg's Fall 2010 collection completely satisfying. Add a dash of glitz and I'm sold.

photos via style.com and nymag.com

Friday Finds Under $50

(pictured clockwise, starting from upper left)

Forever21, Inner Artist Sleeveless Top, $15.80
Amrita Sing, Sunset Earring, $40 (on sale)
Jem Couture, Bracelet, $46
Forever21, Sequin and Metallic Tote, $15.80
Hula, Tumblers, $40

Final Bow

photo via Women's Wear Daily

The world lost one of its creative visionaries today as Alexander McQueen was found dead in his London home. McQueen will undoubtedly leave a legendary impression on the fashion industry.

Snow White

I stopped at the mall after work today in search of my closet's missing link: a classic black cardigan. With piles of black garments - including six ebony sweaters - there's a hole that only a cardigan can fill. Instead, I wandered across this snowy beauty.

It hung on a clearance rack with dejected black wool coats. It was the only one in the store, happened to be a size six, and had a price tag of $129 - discounted considerably from its original price of $450. Fate.

Laundry by Shelli Segal Wool Coat

And I'm still on the lookout for a black cardigan.

Sugar, Sugar

Unfortunately, it's no longer appropriate to hand out pint-sized Valentines to each person in the hallway.

But I still wanted to pass along a sweet gesture to my coworkers.

And rows of heart-shaped sugar cookies topped with pink icing is always a welcome gesture.

The end result is almost better than my winning Valentine box design in third grade - a two-foot tall Hershey kiss, mounted atop a heart-shaped base (and yes, my dad may have had to use a jigsaw to help construct it).

I'm quite persnickety about sugar cookies. Here's my family's tried-and-true recipe:

Sugar Cookies
Ingredients:
3 cups flour
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup butter (leave it out until it's room temperature and soft - don't put it in the microwave to soften)
2 eggs
2 tsp vanilla
1 cup sugar

Sift flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt together. Cut in butter and blend with a pastry blender or just an electric mixer. Combine eggs, vanilla and sugar in a separate bowl. Add to dry ingredients. Blend until well mixed. Once you're done mixing, the dough will look crumbly. Use your hands to combine the dough into a ball.

Chill dough then roll out on a floured board/sheet/counter using 1/2 c. flour and 1/2 c. sugar. Spread some of the flour/sugar mix on your rolling pin to keep it from sticking to to the dough.

Bake at 350 degrees F for 9 - 12 minutes. Be sure not to overbake. If the edges turn golden brown, you'll have crunchy cookies. I prefer mine softer, so I take them out just a bit earlier.

Frosting
Ingredients:
2 cups powdered sugar
2 tbs softened butter
1/2 tsp vanilla
milk

Mix together about 2 cups powdered sugar in a bowl with about 2 tbs softened butter and 1/2 tsp vanilla.

Pour in a touch of milk (a little bit at a time) and stir by hand.

If the consistency is too thick, add more milk. Too thin? Add more powdered sugar. Eventually you'll get the right consistency.

I Believe ...

I can't help but smile at this sentiment from Kate Spade's Chicago location:


I believe in ...

• Easy Jersey Knits
  
• Eye-Catching Cocktail Rings
  
• Four-Inch Heels
  
• Sparkling Sequins and Twinkling Rhinestones
  
• Cross-Body Bags
  
• Navy Blue
  

What are your sartorial beliefs?

Friday Finds Under $50

(pictured clockwise, starting from upper left)

Arden B., Crinkle Drawstring Romper, $49
Banana Republic, Studded Belt, $49.50
Banana Republic, Chainlink Bracelet, $25
Twinkle Living, Lego Pillow, $50
American Eagle, Sailor Statement Ring, $15.50

Seeing Stripes

Spring found its way to my mailbox this week in the form of Old Navy's striped jersey dress. For a mere $15, I couldn't pass up the wardrobe staple I featured in my last Friday Finds Under $50 post.

Old Navy Striped Dress, Banana Republic Jacket, Tahari Pumps, J.Crew Necklace, Vintage Necklace (from my grandmother's jewelry box), Ann Taylor Loft Necklace, Opal and Diamond Ring, Hayden-Harnett for Target Clutch

In other news, I placed an order for the Yves Saint Laurent Arty Ovale Ring! However, the turquoise is only available on pre-order and is expected to ship no later than May 25. Good things come to those who wait ... right?

My Funny Valentine

I've unceremoniously made my way through four bags of conversation hearts. (And with two more weeks until Valentine's Day, I guarantee that another bag will meet its demise.) As an added bonus, the hearts have become real conversation fodder for my coworker and I as we form sentences with the candies. He came up with my favorite:

"Call Me - Love Bug - Wink Wink"
a.k.a. a cute way to tell someone you have an STD

Love bugs aside, conversation hearts always get me in the mood for the pink-hued glory of Valentine's Day. I hope for a delivered bouquet of flowers to make my coworkers jealous. I yearn for a candlelit dinner that I didn't have to make. Even a heart-shaped box of chocolates makes me swoon (expanding waistline be damned!).

But even us romantic traditionalists wish for something special on Valentine's Day. If your loved one needs a little help this year, here are my picks for holiday-appropriate gifts you'll appreciate throughout the year. Go ahead, "forget" to close this window when you leave the computer - blatant hints work.


(pictured clockwise, starting from upper left)

Tracy Reese, Scalloped-Trim Dress, $155 (on sale)
Gorjana, Petal Drop Earrings, $65
Chasing Fireflies, Giant Heart Lollipop, $24
François Dallegret, Art Breaker Paperweight, $65
Kate Spade, Kellis Pump, $285
Tory Burch, Valentine's Day Cosmetic Case, $75
Museumize, Love Paperweight, $68
J.Crew, Flutter-Flower Clutch, $128
Banana Republic, Promise Knot Ring, $25
Jess L.C., Lucky in Bed Necklace, $40

Artistic Pursuit

Each year I earmark a portion of my tax return for a slightly impractical fashion splurge. Once my tax forms would arrive in my mailbox, I'll be another step closer to this year's selection: the Yves Saint Laurent Arty Ovale Ring.

In the meantime, I'll continue to drool over photos of the ring and anxiously wait to order one of my own.






photos via Lala Land, Fashion Coup, Chictopia, What Possessed Me, Jewels File