{ haute household under $25 } outdoor spaces

Today's Haute Household Under $25 post comes from Jaime of La vie ... J'aime, who pulled together ideas for a chic outdoor living space.

Who does not love dining alfresco in the summer? Nothing beats grilling outside, enjoying a cold drink, and basking in the day's last warm rays with friends and family. My roof deck gets lots of use each June-September, and every year, I purchase a few items to spruce it up. Here are the outdoor space items that I have my eye on:

1. Acid etched letter J at Urban Outfitters - I would love to hang this, along with my roommates' J & S, on the wall.
   
   
2. Butterfly fused glass lantern at Pier 1 Imports - When the sun goes down, the party doesn't stop with this colored lantern.
   
   
3. Pop flower plates at Crate and Barrel - This fun, summer pattern goes with all colors for entertaining.
   
   
4. Mars party tub at CB2 - This red tub is perfect for holding beers & other drinks to cool down.
   
   
5. Terracotta tiki citronella candles at Ace Hardware - Keep the bugs away in a cute way!

Thanks, Jaime! Be sure to visit her at La vie ... J'aime or on Twitter @laviejaime.

{ haute household under $25 } bathroom

Hi friends! My name is Lynzy and I am from Sparkling Footsteps. Aside from my fashion blog, I am an avid runner training for the NYC marathon, huge foodie and love working in the ER as a Physician Assistant. I am guest posting today for Jessica and wanted to share with you some items that you can use to help recreate a stylish bathroom (each item is under $25!)

I absolutely adore all of these green glass dishes and bottles via Anthropologie. The color helps to bring out the green in the shower curtain. I recently started to redecorate our new apartment and these colors would defintiely help to brighten it up a bit. I mixed in a hint of blue with the bath mat and totally adore the little man soap dish.

• Vintage top, $9.95
• Cloud Formations Bathmat, $20
• Bottle Green Bath Dish - Anthropologie.com, $30 (worth the additional $5)
• Sahara Mod Bathmat, $30
• CB2 - man soap dish, $7.95
• Amazon.com: City Scene 100-Percent Cotton Shower Curtain, Asian Lily:..., $25
• Blanc Lila Soap from Au Marche, $8.50

I also bought these cute vinyl art deco letters to go along the outside of the bath tub via etsy. The letters read "Get Naked." and make me smile every morning. Get them here.

If you wanna chat it up you can follow along on Twitter with me or visit me daily with bloglovin'.

Thanks for letting me guest post, Jessica! :)

Friday Finds Under $50

A sweetly alluring dress? Aqua accessories? Whimsical barware? It must be the weekend. However, this weekend I'll be wearing a Brewers tee shirt, tailgating and attending my very first baseball game. Go sports! What are your plans?

1. Cut Out Summer Dress (a.k.a. the dress I'm buying soon), ASOS, $60.34 $34.48
2. Stir Sticks, Crate & Barrel, $5.95 $4.95
3. Turquoise Bangle, Nicole Miller, $28
4. Daisy Stud Earrings, Juicy Couture, $48
   

{ winner } Towne & Reese Giveaway

Congratulations, Rachel! And a huge thank you to everyone for entering and to Towne & Reese for sponsoring this giveaway. If you didn't win this time, don't fret. There's more on the way.

If you'd like to partner on a giveaway or promotion, please e-mail me at jessicastyleobsession@gmail.com.

Tuesday Treats Under $25

I've caught the travel bug. Again. This time I'm daydreaming of exploring faraway lands with luggage full of versatile basics. It's too bad that my budget lends itself to a campsite staycation!

1. Cuffed Linen Blend Shorts, Forever21, $16.90
2. Pocket Wallet, Madewell, $28 $19.50
3. Tilla Bangle, Amrita Singh, $50 $20/each
4. Luggage Tag, Saltbox NYC, $22
   

{ moving day approaches }

I have 660 square feet of possessions to move in the next month, including the stack of shoes above - only the first of many to head over to D's apartment and into a (gasp) shared a closet.

After living alone for years, I'm a nervous to share everything with another person, but I couldn't be happier about moving in with my best friend. And I'm especially thrilled to donate the $10 torch lamp that's accompanied me since college.

Do you have any tips to make moving less stressful? I'm all ears!

{ so sick }

I apologize for the unannounced hiatus, loves. I've been out sick with the flu for the majority of the week. I'm feeling a bit better now and hope to be back at it next week. Until then, I'm scouring the Web for fantastic work wear. Is there anything you have your eye on? I'd love to see it!

{img via ffffound}

{ help wanted } Haute Household Under $25

On Friday, D presented his apartment key to me nestled in a little velvet box. (Swoon.) This also makes it official that I'm abandoning my apartment and moving in. We spent time yesterday packing up the dry goods in the kitchen - and throwing away an embarrassing amount of expired pantry items ("I'm forgetful, okay? Yes, I realize it expired in 2007 ... you still love me, right?").

While packing is certainly the downside of moving (and a bit humbling in my case), I'm looking forward to making his place feel more girly like home. Of course this means I've been e-shopping for home accessories - as if it wasn't obvious by last week's picnic post and a sangria pitcher tucked into the Tuesday Treats post. Lisa commented last Tuesday admitting that she also has moving on the mind. Seems like an opportunity for a guest post series, doesn't it?

This is where you come in.

I'm looking for bloggers to help with a week-long "Haute Household Under $25" feature. Pick one room of the house from the list below and let me know you're on it.

• Bathroom: Lynzy of Sparkling Footsteps
  
• Bedroom: Jessica of Beautify My Life
  
• Kitchen: Kristen of City Coeur
  
• Dining Room: Lisa of The Sentimentalist
  
• Living Room: Emily of Sprout Through Concrete
  
• Outdoor Spaces: Jaime of La Vie ... J'aime
• Office: Laura of A La Mode et Plus!
  

The Requirements

• Choose four to seven items and create a collage or send separate images of your selections. Please size the images to 400 pixels wide.
• Draft a written portion describing what you're choosing and why.
• Include the URL and price of each item - I'll link to the items in your description.
  
• Include your name, title of your blog and your URL so I can link to your site.
  

Interested?

• First, send an e-mail to me at JessicaStyleObsession@gmail.com by Wednesday, June 15 and let me know you'd like to take part. I'll put you on the schedule.
• Send your post to the above e-mail address no later than Tuesday, June 21. (Kudos to those who send something earlier!)

{ winner } J.E.M. Apparel

Congratulations, Shea! And a huge thank you to everyone for entering. If you didn't win this time, don't worry, you can still enter to win jewelry from Towne & Reese.

If you'd like to partner on a giveaway or promotion, please e-mail me at jessicastyleobsession@gmail.com.

{ giveaway } Towne & Reese

Mandatory entry:

1. Visit Towne & Reese and let me know which item you'd like to add to your jewelry box!
   

Note: Leave a separate comment for each additional entry for it to be eligible.

1. Become an official follower of Style Obsession - new followers always welcome! Sign up at the right via Google Friend Connect, Bloglovin', or by RSS. Just let me know how you follow.
   
   
2. Become a fan of Towne & Reese on Facebook.
   
   
3. Blog about this giveaway and leave the URL in your comment.
   
   
4. Tweet about this giveaway and leave the URL in your comment.
   

The Fine Print: Giveaway open to readers in the United States. The giveaway period will run through Sunday, June 19, 2011. The winner will be announced the following day. Be sure to leave a blog URL or e-mail address so I can contact you!

Can't wait to see if you win? Take 15% off your purchase with coupon code STYLEOBSESSION15. It expires on Saturday, June 18.

Friday Finds Under $50

1. Memento Cardigan, Madewell, $39.99
2. City Walk Fedora, Madewell, $48
3. Anchor Double Finger Ring, ASOS, $13.79
4. Knotted Mesh Necklace, J.Crew, $49.99
5. Chino Shorts, J.Crew, $42.50

Reminder: Enter to win a $50 item from JEM Apparel!

{reviewed} Towne & Reese

I have a not-so-secret life goal of owning an enviable collection of costume jewelry (real gems also accepted, but financially unrealistic), so when a new company springs up with lust-worthy designs, you know I'm on board. Last year Christi Pack and Jessica Stanfield launched Towne & Reese, a jewelry line featuring on-trend designs, each under $50. When the ladies over at Towne & Reese offered to send over a couple of items for review, I couldn't resist - especially when the baubles remind me of two summer loves.

As if you're not already cooing, let me add to the cuteness. The company was named after Christi's daughter, Towne, and Jessica's daughter, Reese. Even the jewelry selections share the sentiment with monikers honoring a daughter of a friend. Adorable, right?

Okay, back to the task at hand: fantastically well-made and trendy. I'll be the first to admit that the size of the coral Elise Necklace intimidated me at first, but it has all of the spring essentials: orange and boldly color blocked. It's growing on me quite a bit. As for the Ella earrings, I think there's the promise of an elegant patio dress in their future - especially when they're light enough to wear all evening without aching earlobes.

Stay tuned for a giveaway announcement in a couple of days!

{ picnic perfect }

There's been no shortage of excitement this summer: gatherings of friends and afternoons at the pool, new restaurants and bike rides. And the most exciting event is also a little scary: moving into D's apartment later this summer. I admit, I'm nervous about transitioning from "me" to "we."

Let's take a moment to absorb that, shall we?

Since his cat seems hellbent on destroying any nice furniture, mine is headed to storage. But it's left me daydreaming about the interior tweaks I can make to make the place feel like home. ("Honey, how attached are you to your lampshades?") Our first task: transform the balcony into a cozy area for dining and entertaining a la fresco.

1. Cabana Stripe Table Cloth, Anthropologie, $68
2. Sushi Queen Flatware, Anthropologie, $24/set
3. Sea Grass Tumbler, Anthropologie, $3.95/each
4. Bottle Opener, Dalla Piazza, $10
5. Orange Crush, $3.29/6 bottles
   

Tuesday Treats Under $25

1. Striped Woven Dress, Forever21, $19.90
2. Striped Banded Fedora, Arden B., $19.50
3. Woven Bangle Bracelets, Sabine, $24
4. Sangria Pitcher, Sur La Table, $17.95

Reminder: Enter to win a $50 item from JEM Apparel!

{ currently coveting }

{ midday cocktails at Merchant }

{ the pattern on a beloved Diane von Furstenberg dress }

{ dinner at Toby's Supper Club }

{ a s'more cupcake from Gigi's Cupcakes for my birthday }

{ a.m. snuggles from D's cat - allergies be damned }

{ giveaway } J.E.M. Apparel

In lieu of Friday Finds Under $50, we're hosting a giveaway with J.E.M. Apparel. Not a bad tradeoff, huh? One reader will win any item in the shop worth up to $50! It's no secret that I'm fond of the Greek Isles dress. What's your favorite?

Mandatory entry - two steps:

1. Become an official follower of Style Obsession - new followers always welcome! Sign up at the right via Google Friend Connect, Bloglovin', or by RSS. Just let me know how you follow.
   
   AND
   
   
2. Visit J.E.M. Apparel and let me know what your favorite item is!
   

Note: Leave a separate comment for each additional entry for it to be eligible.

1. Become a fan of J.E.M. Apparel on Facebook.
   
   
2. Blog about this giveaway and leave the URL in your comment.
   
   
3. Tweet about this giveaway and leave the URL in your comment.
   

The Fine Print: Giveaway open to readers in the United States. The giveaway period will run through Sunday, June 12, 2011. The winner will be announced the following day. Be sure to leave a blog URL or e-mail address so I can contact you!

Can't wait to see if you win? Take 20% off your purchase at J.E.M. Apparel through Tuesday with the code SPRINGSALE.

{ reviewed } J.E.M. Apparel

A birthday weekend without a new dress isn't a birthday at all. Last weekend, I celebrated my 28th with a whirlwind of activities - and lots of dining out! (I'm not kidding. Over four days, we enjoyed fare from here, here, here, here, here, here and here.) Fortunately this dress courtesy of J.E.M. Apparel, was pretty enough - and roomy enough - for a starring role in Birthday Weekend 2011.

J.E.M. Apparel is a recently launched e-shopping destination featuring feminine items - with plenty of romantic details. Think ruching, ruffles and accentuated waistlines.

The dress arrived tucked into a gift box with blue tissue paper. The pristine presentation didn't last long enough for a photo (how could I resist a new dress?) but I appreciate the attention to detail. It's a level of customer service that you don't see from many e-tailers.

I chose the Greek Isles dress primarily for its breezy, forgiving drape - perfect for sweltering summer days. But I was sold by the gathered, cleavage-friendly bustline. It's the ideal juxtaposition to the loose skirt, adding just the right amount of femininity.

I was pleasantly surprised by the dress' heft. I can't tell you how many times I ordered online and was disappointed by a too thin, too sheer garment. I'd say the quality of this particular piece is similar to a jersey dress you'd find at J.Crew - a steal at $47.

Special Offer: Take 20% off your purchase at J.E.M. Apparel through Tuesday with the code SPRINGSALE.

{ trend spotting } Colorful Clutches

As much as I try to embrace vibrant color in my wardrobe, I'll always be drawn to a more subtle palette. (Some may call it boring, but I prefer "effortless.") However, one of these clutches - especially the Comme des Garcons version - would be just the thing to lure me out of the grey doldrums.

1. Postman's Lock Continental Wallet, Mulberry, $420
2. Portfolio Clutch, ASOS, $101.56
3. Isabeli Clutch, Kate Spade, $275 $137
4. Clover Embossed Pouch, Comme des Garcons, $138