things of beauty, thoughts of spring.

Happy Tuesday, everyone! Some coworkers and I went off to Old Orchard mall this morning for a shop-the-competition (you may remember a previous post similar to this one) and I thought I'd share some yummy tidbits with you. Whoever 'you' are, reading this here blog post. Anyway.


These are some LOVELY bags by Vince Camuto... sumptuous leather (in black, grey, and orchid, oh my!) with a flower detail, carrying handles AND crossbody straps. Friggin delicious. Yes please. That's about $400 worth of "yes please" but whatever.


Kate Spade! For the most part, I was uninterested, but that rolled up newspaper there? THAT'S A CLUTCH. A clutch that looks like a rolled up newspaper. KATE, you genius, WHAT A CRAZY IDEA! I love it.


Aaaaand now for a little ditty from J Crew. Spring 2011 is going to be freaking YUMMY as far as J Crew is concerned. Talk about pops of color and updated classics. I am hankering for this schoolboy blazer and watercolor scarf. Please please please, I beg of you, oh little brother who works at J Crew, obtain for your sister! Just too marvelous for words. Also the following flats should be on my feet, like, stat:

...and this gorgeous ensemble... SO MUCH ORANGE (butIcan'thelplovingitttt)...


YES, J Crew, yes to all of the above. I am totally on board. Especially because my brother has a discount. Yeeeeesssssss. Anyway, on we went, towards Anthropologie (which we all know is my personal Shangri-La), but were interrupted by THIS!



LIKE OMG. Have I mentioned yet that I'm on this show?! I was an extra in the season finale. But you'll definitely see me. By God, you'll see me. *shakes fist*

Annnnnd THEN we went to Anthro. Which was overhwelmingly delicious as usual. But these two were standouts. Duh.


Blue and yellow polka dots by Girls From Savoy. So 40's/50's. I can't even stand it.


And yellow and white from Moulinette Soeurs. Like, damn, how do these designers KNOW what my brain thinks up?!

This lovely number by Diane Von Furstenberg is silk with a watercolor splash pattern. I lurve this watercolor thing we're doing. It's on almost everything this spring, and I LURVE it.


And to finish today's fashion blurb up, I purchased the upcoming season's go-to color (most people are calling it honeysuckle, FYI) in a nail polish by Essie (found at J Crew, $8) and painted my nails on my lunch break! Hoorah!


And that's all for now. Pretty colors, ahoy! Is it spring yet?

I got the sun in the morning and the moon at night.

Today my cousin came down from Wisconsin to pick me up for a day of shopping, hanging out, and then to see Patti LuPone in "Annie Get Your Gun" at Ravinia. Perfect, I know. We swung out to Old Orchard Shopping Center and perused the fine array of stores... I didn't know they had an Anthropologie there, but I wanted to go in because I've never been into an actual store before, just drooled onto my keyboard while looking at the website. What follows is the photo-mess I couldn't stop myself from creating with my iPhone while we wandered blindly through the store, going "That's cute. That's so cute. That's really really cute. THAT'S $248?!"

These first two pics are from the BCBG Max Azria section of Macy's we found ourselves in looking for the restrooms... cute, no?





Now Anthropologie...





I wanted this top so much... here's a detail to show you why... It was actually a chocolate brown color in real life.



Found this top in the tiny Sale closet off to one side... $29.95 on sale. Fought with myself over it for a good twenty minutes. Even tried it on, and loved it, but $30 was too much for me.



THIS outfit is bomb. The jacket is a soft leather, champagne colored, and the skirt was to die for. Obviously. But $118 is too much for a skirt for me. Sigh.





This dress. Has. Teacups. On. It.



...and now for the totally self-indulgent self-portraits taken in the fitting room. The lighting was SO bright and SO clean... I had to take advantage of it. You can skip this if you want. :P









That done, we had dinner at Panera and made our way to Ravinia for a WONDERFUL show. Very minimalist, as in the tradition of Ravinia, but Patti sounded beautiful and SURPRISE! GEORGE FREAKING HEARN WAS IN IT AS BUFFALO BILL. It was so freaking cool to hear him in person. And hilarious. Knowing that they've done Sweeney Todd together. Hah. It also thunderstormed around us during the first act... oh, Ravinia. <3