JBalducci Jewelry

A friend purchased the ebony wood necklace pictured below as a gift for me from San Francisco based jeweler, JBalducci, a couple years back. It's been one of my favorite pieces since and I always get compliments when I wear it.

Shoes I Could Die Happy In...

If I am ever lucky enough to put these beauties on my feet, they are never coming off!

All Weather

I've been looking for boots that meet these very specific criteria:

1) Waterproof (no rubber allowed)
2) Warm
3) Flat
4) Lightweight
5) Comfortable to walk around in for hours

And of course above all, they have to be pretty.

I don't want to haul suitcases of shoes around for my upcoming trip to New York since I will be making a trek to Philly and back. I figure with a nice pair of comfortable waterproof boots, I will be covered for almost any weather and occasion other than dinner and the theater. These are the options so far. (They can all be found at Nordstrom.com except the first pictured, which is available through piperlime.com.)

Ruffles

I love Prada's fall runway shoes.

Elizabeth Charles

My favorite SF boutique is Elizabeth Charles on Fillmore St. I haven't actually purchased anything there yet because of the hefty price tags, but I love going in to browse their beautiful clothes for inspiration. Some day....

Why I am Looking Forward to Fall...

Fedoras and Ankle Boots

Dreams Do Come True

Everything at Barney's is on sale right now. At least it seems like it. End of season sales are the best because stores are trying to clear out mass quantities to make room for the new lines. Here's a sample of the best I could find on-line. The store is so much better. Everything from Prada and Lanvin to Rag & Bone and Marc Jacobs is 50% off. I will be eating beans and rice for the rest of the month, but I had to have the stone color Manolo's with the big ankle strap.

Posy Flats

I love these shoes from J. Crew. The style is reminiscent of something you would see at Chanel. When you consider how much Chanel would charge, they are a bargain. (I'm very good at justifying my way into a pretty pair of shoes.)

Spring and Summer Work Clothes

I went back to work last fall after a three year break. It was really fun to go on a work clothes shopping spree. Now it's time for another one to acquire some spring and summer pieces. I like this dress from J.Crew.

Pretty Dresses

These dresses are two of the most comfortable, yet still polished and flattering, items of clothing I own. They are my "go to" clothing for work on mornings when I just need to get out the door, feel comfortable, and look good. I usually pair the chain link dress with cinnamon colored heels and the black sweater dress with black patterned tights and black pumps. They are both on sale right now at Banana Republic.

All I want for Christmas...

Eames Plywood Chair in Light Ash (X2)





iPhone





Paris, Je T'aime





Olafur Eliasson's Take Your Time

Denim Delimna

Why is it so hard to find jeans that fit right? I don't think I'm alone in thinking so. I finally found these after trying endless others.

I just found this website, zafu.com, that helps you narrow down the options after answering a few simple questions about your shape. Since I need another pair, I'm going to test it and get back to you. I did see that I own a couple pair that were suggested to me. That's a good sign!

Afternoon Excursion

Jordan and I took a drive over to Berkeley today to visit her favorite boutique, Tail of the Yak (2632 Ashby Ave.) They have a very eclectic collection of objects such as vintage jewelry, prints, ribbon, beautiful paper products, and more. I picked up some vintage-style shadow cards, tiny clothespin paper clips, and fortune sticks.

Before the boutique, we ate lunch at the Pizza Board on Shattuck Ave. See my post here. In my opinion, this is the best pizza in the Bay Area. The crust is perfectly crisp on the bottom and slightly soft on the top, but not too thick. They serve one type of pizza per day and there is always a Jazz ensemble to entertain as you enjoy your pizza.

It Takes a Village

Most of us aren't at an income level where we can justify dropping hundreds to thousands of dollars on designer labels. I've always been a believer in quality over quantity, but it's still hard to justify a designer handbag when I'm working on a down payment for a house. I don't do fake. I'd rather not have it at all than have the fake version. Here's my solution: I use any money that I get as a gift from grandparent, parents, in-laws, etc. to buy gift certificates at stores who sell my desired item such as Bloomingdale's, Saks, and Neiman Marcus. Once you've accumulated enough (or close enough) in gift cards you can get your item.

I use to just end up spending gift money on random things anyway that I forgot about quickly or didn't use for long. This way you can build a collection of items that transcends trends and your loved ones who send you money can help you purchase something that you'll use for a lifetime.

I just got my Louis Vuitton Speedy bag this way. Here are a few of the other items on my list:

1. Chanel sunglasses
2. Chanel ballet flats
3. Burberry trench coat (not the basic model, but a higher-end tailored piece)
4. Jimmy Choo shoes
5. Manolo Blahnik shoes
6. Marc Jacobs "Stam" bag
7. H. Stern jewelry
8. Catier Tank watch
9. Chloe bag
10. A really great medium-weight winter coat, maybe from Chloe

Market Tote

Today was a beautiful day for a trip to the Ferry Plaza Farmer's Market. This a great bag to take with you. It works really well for picnics too. Get it here.

Beautiful Boogers

Even the mundane in life should be elevated to something more beautiful. I hosted a chick flick movie night once and these were part of the party favor. Click here for more info.

Sale!!

J. Crew is having a big sale (stores only) on espadrilles. Get an additional 25% off the sale price. I picked up a couple pair today for about 30% of the original price.

The Birth Place of Anthropologie

Philadelphia is where Urban Outfitters and later Anthropologie were founded. We visited the Anthropologie flagship store in Rittenhouse Square. The store is huge and the building is a gem!

Souvenirs From Tiffany's

What girl can resist Tiffany's on her first trip to New York? We all got necklaces to commemorate our trip. I got this round Atlas necklace. I love pretty much everything in the Atlas collection.

The Archive

Tyler is in desperate need of new casual clothes, so we've been on a couple of shopping outings recently (pre-op). We found this boutique on Sutter. The price definitely matches the designer names, i.e. Costume National and Neil Barrett, but they were having a pretty good end of season sale. It's also a great place to get ideas. The salesmen, who are also the owners, are very helpful and honest about what looks good on a particular build and they will take care of alterations too.