Fresh Cuts: I Want it ALL

This post has absolutely nothing to do with Thanksgiving. I love Thanksgiving with all my heart, as I previously mentioned, but I have yet to decide what "Thanksgiving" type of post to write. Who knows, maybe I will forgo writing about it all together. That's kind of my style...going against the grain sometimes :)

Anyways, I think I figured out what took Anthropologie soooo long to update their "Fresh Cuts" page. And by "sooo long" I mean like, 2 days (or for all I know it was actually updated yesterday. I didn't have a lot of screen time yesterday). I happened to glance at their site today just in case anything struck my fancy, and lo and behold their Fresh Cuts are POPPIN today. Journals, books, accessories, home goods, and even kids' clothes! Maybe they were holding out until closer to Black Friday? Either way, I am currently wishing I had oodles of moolah to dress my sweet (& feisty) nieces, but for now I will settle on just being thankful for having them :) 

Here is a little taste of what to expect from the Fresh Cuts page. But seriously, like I tell you every week...you need to go see for yourself!

How I would like to dress myself: 

Smoke Signs Blouse

Citizens of Humanity Brass High-Legs

Triangle Reflection Drops

How I would like to dress one of my nieces (pretty sure none of them would let me): 

Malted Tweed Cardigan

Tussie-Mussie  Skirt

Silver-Shined T-Straps

And if someone else were paying (as if I can actually buy the items above!): 

Enchanted Morning Jewelry Box, Bunny 

Bubble Bluebird Journal

Solid Socks 

Endless Necklace

Geri Boxer Shorts

Heathered Hillside Cardigan

Seriously, there is too much stuff to pass up today. So GOOOOO. 

Focus On: Coats (Pt. 2)

I still have the first coat I ever bought with my own money. It's a classic  black trench coat, purchased on sale from Banana Republic at some point during my junior or senior year of high school. I love that coat. I still remember the incredible excitement that washed over me as I walked out of the store, coat in hand--all was right in the world. Not only did I have a new coat, I had a fabulous new coat. Black. Skims the knee. Straight bodice, cinched in at the waist with a silver-studded belt. A classic collar reaching down towards the waist. Swooshes just slightly as you walk.

While I still love that coat, I have come a long way in my fashion sense since then. You can never have too many classics, but you can also never have too many original pieces either. After all, how then will your kids be able to look back at pictures of you and ask, "what are you wearing??!?" Something about a perm and a muumuu-type dress is coming to my mind...love you mom :)

With that being said, here are my top picks of classics with a twist (and a few alternative pieces too).

Fatigue Finery Cape

Apsley Parka

Vaterland Parka

Flounced Pintuck Parka

Savoy Quilted Leather Jacket

Penobscot Poncho

Tell me: Do you go classic or  original when it comes to buying statement pieces?

Focus On: Coats (Pt. 1)

There are few things in life I will pay a large sum of money for, especially when the item is not on sale. I'm a sale shopper and would rather spend hours finding an amazing deal on something I love than splurge on a big purchase that will set me back a pretty penny too many. To be honest, I rarely even look in the "not" sale section, because I am convince *almost* everything from that section ends up in the sale section.

However, there are a few thing I WILL spend a little more on (whether sale or regularly priced) and one of those things is COATS.

I seriously LOVE coats. If I could have a new coat for every day of the month I would be one happy girl. For now though I settle on about one new coat a year. Coats just have this way of pulling an outfit--ANY outfit--together and expressing who you are as a person. It's a statement piece, but since you don't generally wear a coat for more than a few minutes or half hour at a time, it becomes this subtle statement of who you are without being the obnoxious girl wearing too many accessories with neon tights and matching hair. Sometimes too much is just too much.

I haven't bought a new coat yet this season-only within the last week has the weather become coat-worthy. So until I find a coat that matches my budget, style, and personality, I will continue to scour stores and websites imagining myself in each one I find. I just started looking, but already I have found too many I love. Because I want to show them to you all, I am going to have to make this post a two-parter. Today I give you straight-up coats by design. Tomorrow will bring a few more unique designs that spice things up but. Not that you could call any of todays coats dull...

Sweeping Swing Coat

Ascot Swing Coat

Hampden Peacoat

Keswick Coat 

Popham Peacoat 

Dipped Nougat Coat 

Adare Anorak 

Tell me: Which is your favorite? Where do you shop for coats?

Style Mint

As a 24 year old girl I can't help but have a special place in my heart for MaryKate and Ashley Olsen. Being almost exactly the same age, we sort of grew up together. It all started with "Full House", then I started going on trips to grandma's house with them, to camp, and for a quick minute we even spent time together in New York. In our teen years they started to become known for their unique sense of style. In college they moved to New York to pursue college, boys, and become total fashion moguls. They may have started out as baby faced red-headed little girls fighting for face time on a national T.V. show catered to young kids and families, but now almost 25 years and a lot of lattes later, they are slowly taking over the world with multiple fashion lines and unique styles. 

One of their fashion lines known as "Style Mint" combines my love of MK&A with my love of t-shirts. A fashion match made in heave--er, cyberspace. I've been hearing about Style Mint for some time now but was a little confused on how it worked. Well, what better way to find out than signing up! It's free, unless you count the cost of all the t-shirts suggested for you with your name written all over them. 

Before you start, here are some important stats to note: 

• It's FREE to look! Get a FREE StyleProfile. Never an obligation to buy!
• Start your membership with your first purchase!
• All T Shirts are just $29.99 each!
• You only receive what you order. We'll email you at the beginning of every month with your TopStyles based on your StyleProfile.
• Choose to buy or skip a month in the first 5 days at
  no charge!
• Shipping is always FREE!
• Returns are EASY!

Head over to www.stylemint.com, then follow the instructions. It's easy!

Step 1: Share your style (answer a few questions about your style and show them what you like--easiest multiple choice test you'll take in life). 

Step 2: View Your Selections (MK&A will give you 4+ suggestions of t-shirts they think match your style).  

Step 3: Shop (each shirt costs $29.99 and many come in multiple colors).

What I love about Style Mint: 

• Getting a StyleProfile suggesting shirts I would actually buy.
• Each month the website will suggest 4 or more new shirts matching your style.
• Shirts are all the same price! 
• The website not only gives you shirt selections, but also specifics on how to style the shirts.
• Becoming a member makes my relationship with MK&A just a little bit tighter. 

Things to Note:

• Creating a StyleProfile and purchasing your first t-shirt makes you a member of the website. You must log in to the website with a personal username/password in order to view and purchase t-shirts. 
• If you don't make a t-shirt selection by the 6th day of the month your credit card will be charged $29.99. This amount will be considered a "credit" that you can use to purchase a t-shirt anytime within 12 months of the charge. 
• Signing up for this website basically ensures you will spend at least $29.99 a month in return for style advice and quality t-shirts. 

Return Policy: 

• You will be charged a $5.95 restocking fee. 
• See photo for more information. 

This isn't your typical web shopping experience, but it does offer some benefits you don't get from other sites. If you need some style help and have $29.99 to spend each month, then this might be for you. If you're not sure if this is for you, don't worry! You may cancel your membership at any time by calling 1-888-459-3577. Whatever you decide, let me know! I'm still undecided, but intrigued nonetheless. 

Fresh Cuts: Happy November!

Here's another installment of Fresh Cuts! If you didn't catch last Tuesday's post and you don't stalk Anthropologie like I do, then you should know Anthropologie comes out with their new sale items on Tuesdays. Hence why my week often revolves around Tuesday. (Note regarding the "stalking" comment: I've definitely had multiple employees tell me as I check out "Ya, I thought you looked familiar." Call me creepy, but you'll be the one wishing YOU had found skirt for $0.67. Ya--you can be jealous. It happened.)

So anyways, it's November, which in my opinion means you need to start wearing autumn inspired clothes (even in Southern California). Please enjoy this week's Fresh Cuts!

Side-Snap Turtleneck

Passant Blouse

Calligraphy Strokes Skirt

Unmatched Shoulder Bag

Katariina Wedges

What are you wishing and hoping for from this weeks Fresh Cuts??

Fresh Cuts

Tuesdays are good days. In case you didn't know, I <3 Anthropologie with all my <3. I wouldn't say my week revolves around Tuesdays, but the moment at which I remember "Ah! It's Tuesday!" all things become right in the world. Girl World that is.

You see, Tuesdays are the day when Anthropologie adds new items to their sale section known as "Fresh Cuts". These are all the goodies I've been eyeing and all the items I didn't know I needed...until Tuesday rolled around. Chances are the cost of these items will drop at least once more (except for the uber-popular products that disappear before I make it back to my shopping cart where I store items I pretend I will buy) but here are the Fresh Cuts that gives me hope that maybe, just maybe I'll one day have a closet that more closely resembles the sale room at Anthropologie. Until that day comes, here are the items from today's Fresh Cuts that made it into my shopping cart.

Tangerine Flicker Dress

Keswick Coat

Accordion Shoulder Bag

Doily Flounce Flats