march budget

Popping in with a very quick post about March purchases -- there weren't many, it was a quiet shopping month that absolutely flew by!

As is often the case, my purchases have a nice cohesive color palette and will surely make friends with all of the other black and white and stripey pieces in my closet.

clockwise from l to r:

Club Monaco Tweed Blazer ($153) -- just a perfect little French-y blazer that looks great with jeans.

Uniqlo x Lemaire Striped Sweater ($40) -- I was happy to get my hands on one piece from this fun collab

Old Navy Striped Dress ($15) -- a great summer basic

Uniqlo x IDLF Sweatshirt ($29) -- this one is a disappointment, and probably going back. It runs super small (just as reviewers said) and the torso is quite short. Too bad, such promise!

Total -- $208 (not including the Uniqlo sweatshirt)
Monthly budget -- $200

Scoring the tweed blazer on a good sale felt like a win, so I don't mind spending most of my budget on one great piece. The cost per wear will be so tiny, I can feel it.

Lots of things on my radar for April. I feel like I fall in love with something new almost daily, and I have fairly expensive tastes right now. Here are the things I can't seem to get off of my mind lately:

yes, I need another blazer // I'm always on the lookout for cute shoes with a reasonable heel // another striped t-shirt // this one is a little crazy, but isn't it fabulous? I have a high school reunion coming up and there is a part of me that wants to show up in this...

Linking up with Fran and the budget bloggers -- did you buy anything good this month?

anywhere and everywhere

Things that I love: cute graphic tees. Shoes with a very Gucci vibe. Pattern mixing. Hence, this outfit. Does it work? I don't know. Do I love it? Yup.

It started with the tee, a very cute little number. I was trying to justify it's purchase and thinking about how I would wear it other than with the usual jeans and leggings. And then I realized, I can wear it anywhere. The shirt says so.

In my office I can definitely get away with more casual pieces, especially when they're paired with more traditional suit separates. When in doubt, just throw a cute jacket over it! This tee is a little pricey, but at least now I've brought the cost per wear down just a tad more...

a white blazer is really a spring wardrobe staple -- throw it over almost any outfit to feel a little more pulled together // a casual tee with a nice slim cut // this is a lot of look, so a little pair of earrings is more than enough // a ladylike satchel is a closet workhorse // sexy shoes that you can work and dance in // the bold print of this pencil skirt is a welcome sign of spring

i'm just here for the candy

Happy Easter! As a single 30-something far from home, this isn't really a big day for me. I'm planning to grab brunch with friends and maybe see a movie, but it's not really so different from any other Sunday. But! I am definitely planning on partaking in one of the best Easter traditions: the candy. Easter candy is the. best.

I came across a few great candy-related recipes that I'm definitely going to be trying today. Delicious sugar high guaranteed.

Truffle Bunny Shots

A cocktail you make in the hollows of a chocolate Easter bunny. I saw this and just thought, I'm not using my brain to it's fullest potential. Genius.

Peeps S'mores Skillet

There really is no candy that says Easter more than those sickly sweet and colorful Peeps. You can take them to the next level with this rich and gooey layered s'mores dessert.

Easter Candy Bark

Candy bark is super easy to make and is a great way to get a lot of sugar bang for your buck -- this one has a magical unicorn quality that I'm digging.

Bunny Shortbread

This is an elegant little dessert -- you'd never know that several chocolate bunnies had to die in order to make it happen.

the good stuff, vol. 7

Here's what I'm into this week....

reading

Target has historically done very well when collaborating with designers who do fun, bold prints (Missoni, Lilly Pulitzer), so I think the upcoming Marimekko line could be a winner -- it's cute!

These historical photos of New York City are fascinating (and enormous -- not suitable for browsing on your phone).

I feel like Lorelei and Rory did a lot of eating but almost no cooking on Gilmore Girls, but I'd still check out this Stars Hollow-inspired cookbook. I'd like to know what was in that very potent Founder's Day punch...

More information than you ever wanted to know about pigments, and the library that is guarding some very rare ones.

This interview with Miuccia Prada is presumably about menswear but really offers a glimpse into the world of a very cool lady.

This week's warm fuzzy is this sweet story of how one person responded to a stranger's text message.

A look at what it takes to go from brunette to platinum blonde (it sounds grueling, like a hair marathon).

There is a right way to use post-it notes and none of us were doing it.

watching

Kendall Jenner and Gigi Haddid are pretty adorable, and I watched this video of their goofy "sleepover" antics more than once. You need at least one viewing just to drool over the Chanel.

I'm hunkered down during our first big thunderstorm of the season and decided to check in on Shon-day. The Catch looks interesting, and I might tune in just to drool over Mireille Enos' hair, and face, and wardrobe.

Rodarte x And Other Stories

Crushed under a mountain of work, somehow I missed the launch of a very fabulous Rodarte capsule collection with & Other Stories (H&M's baby sister). The collection is cool and glam with a 70s Biba-vibe. The limited color palette (black and white, metallics, and pops of pink and red) makes everything feel really cohesive and super easy to work into your closet.

There were some quick sell-outs, but there are still a few gems available. Happy shopping!

This sequin wrap dress is over-the-top in a wonderful way.

Such a perfect little ring, maybe it will come back in stock (please?)... 

Just the shoes to fulfill my inner-Dorothy fantasies. So sexy.

Blush pink usually gives a fresh, innocent vibe but when I look at this super pretty wrap number I think "this dress has seen some things..."

pretty little layer

You know how you see something and you just immediately think, "that's SO me!!". Yeah, that's this jacket. Black and white, ultra feminine, polished, pretty. I have so. many. white blazers, but I don't care. This one has a ribbon and I love it.

My natural inclination is to throw this on over jeans when I want a little lazy glamour on the weekends, but it's also begging to be amped up a bit for a super sharp professional look. This is the jacket I'd reach for on the morning of the big presentation, the keynote speech, the dream job interview. This is a four-season piece (just one of the ways I am justifying this purchase), but here's how I'd style it for spring:

a classic blazer you'll have literally forever // a simple, silky black camisole won't distract from the main attraction // these cropped trousers have a slight flare but are still slim enough to create a flattering leg silhouette // for spring, blush pink is a perfect pairing with black and white, and this satchel is sharp and practical // cropped pants are a great way to show off cute shoes, like these very minimal blush colored heels // one bold accessory, like this statement ring, adds just enough sparkle

field trip: rifle paper co.

Rifle Paper Co. is one of the most charming and popular stationery companies in the world. You've seen their ultra feminine designs literally everywhere -- cards, wallpaper, books, cell phone cases, prints. And then there are the collaborations -- tote bags with Le Sportsac, sweet tops and dresses for Paper Crown, a range of pieces with style icon Garance Doré, and classic novels for Penguin Books. Rifle Paper Co. is slowly taking over the world, one cheery print at a time.

What few people know is that this powerhouse company is based here in Orlando. In a modern little storefront, on a tree-lined street in the charming little neighborhood of Winter Park sits the modest headquarters for this internationally renowned brand. In addition to a design studio, there's a storefront filled with treasures. #orlandodoesntsuck indeed!

I love visiting their shop any time of year, but the very best time is when they're holding one of their sidewalk sales. They serve up piles of cards, calendars, notebooks and more at a fraction of the regular prices. This weekend happened to be one of those famous sales, so I thought I'd share a peek inside...

The overall vibe of the shop is very much that of walking into a home -- the coziest, cheeriest home you've ever been in. This begins in the entryway, an elegant little space with overstuffed chairs, fresh flowers, and the bold pop of Rifle Paper Co. wallpaper.

The retail shop feels homey as well -- you'll find a collection of tables, bookshelves, and little nooks that are perfectly merchandized with products. The aesthetic here is definitely more is more, and suddenly you feel like maybe your life would be much better is you had piles of adorable notepads, stacks of books, and plenty of chocolate handy -- the much maligned Mast Bros chocolate bars are for sale, though they are attractively packaged (in Rifle prints?).

The store mostly focuses on it's own products, but you will find a selection of jewelry, books, cocktail fixings, and other items that dovetail nicely with the Rifle lifestyle.

A wall of cards for every occasion imaginable (seriously, they have cards that say "Will You Be My Bridesmaid?")

The sidewalk sale attracted quite a crowd -- with everyone snacking on the sugar cookies and
lemonade laid out for shoppers, it felt a bit like a house party.

The sale itself didn't disappoint. They opened up their studio space so there was plenty of room for goodies. There were tables and tables of calendars, prints, notebooks, and planners at very discounted prices (notebooks and journals were $2-5, calendars, prints, and larger items were $6-15).

A lovely touch of just about every sidewalk sale is a little freebie -- a fun party favor from a thoughtful hostess. This year they offered a gilded 8x10 poster, screen printed right in the studio.

source

For me, the absolute highlight was the enormous table loaded with greeting cards. Most were single cards with envelopes, spanning every holiday and occasion imaginable, priced at $1 each. The crazy thing is that most of these cards are the same ones for sale over in the storefront (and online, in Anthropologie, etc) for $5-8.

You can't even buy a card in Target for a buck, and I like to keep a supply of great cards on hand to avoid last-minute greeting disasters, so I stocked up. And bought 25. (While I was standing in line I was going through my pile and decided to put one back. Because 26 is obviously too many).

So go ahead, loved ones: get married, have millions of babies, get older, do nice things for me. You will be congratulated, celebrated, and thanked in the most charming and twee way imaginable!

Overall, my haul was impressive. In addition the cards I picked up a calendar, some notebooks, a few prints, and other assorted goodies. I even picked up a few stocking stuffers to stash away in my gift closet. This funny little zebra is sitting on my desk right now...

If you love stationery, whimsical design, and Pinterest-worthy shopping experiences, you should definitely make a pilgrimage to Rifle Paper Co. And if you're in the market for a few dozen cards, keep an eye on their social media for announcements of upcoming sidewalk sales (usually in spring, summer, and around the holidays).