Weekend Window Shopping: Labor Day Sales!

In honor of the long weekend (!!), Marianne and I have each selected our five favorite summer-to-fall transition pieces, all of them on sale! Because that's how we do.

Marianne's picks from LOFT:

Striped Suede Pouch

Small Round Sunglasses

Bottlecap Print Scarf

Taylor Metallic Skimmer Flats

Sheer Textured Button Shoulder Sweater

Adrien's picks from Nordstrom:

MARC BY MARC JACOBS 'Percy' Crossbody Bag

Olivia Moon Print Peasant Blouse

Stephan & Co. Large Stone Statement Necklace

Ray-Ban 'Bubble Wrap Aviator' 63mm Sunglasses

Lucky Brand 'Erla' Flat 

Have a great weekend, y'all! Happy shopping. 

Hate-F*ck Friday.

A: So, this hate-fuck convo on Twitter. What is this about?

M: Oh, I want to hate-fuck Robin Thicke.

M: A lot.

A: Dude.

M: Not sorry.

A: That might be worse than Heather wanting to hate-fuck Tucker Carlson.

M: No it is NOT.

A: He is Alan Thicke's kid!

M: No shame in Dr. Seavers game.

A: His hair is not okay.

M: His...hair? What's wrong with his hair? Of all the things about him to find offensive. Hair?

A: Derp.

M: I have none problems with that.

A: I mean, he's an overall douche, yes. Yes?

M: Oh, certainly. A dirty bird.

A: I don't know anything about him, just assuming.

M: I watched the unrated Blurred Lines video (NSFW!) and Chris was like, "aren't you offended?" and...nope. Turns out nope. I unapologetically love the song too.

A: I must have a hate-fuck of my own. I can't think of one.

M: I'm disappointed. Surely there is someone.

A: I'll admit I thought Adam Levine was grody until I saw him interviewed and then I was all, OH.

M: Oh God, Adam Levine qualifies.

A: He's funny!

M: I think the Robin Thicke video is funny. I'll just see myself out.

A: I have not seen the video because I AM A GROWN PERSON.

M: Also, come on!

M: Pharrell really likes the goat!

A: DON'T MAKE ME LIKE ROBIN THICKE.

M: It's inevitable.

A: Gonna watch this video. (again, really NSFW.) Hold pls.

M: Tick tock

A: OK, FIRST: Why don't my boobs look like that?

M: There there.

A: SECOND: I love Pharrell.

M: I love him too. Love love not hate love.

A: Love love. Okay, I just guffawed over, "Robin Thicke has a big dick."

M: Right? He's FUNNY.

A: THIRD: WHY AM I OK WITH THIS?

M: There it is.

A: THE GOAT.

M: I knoooooow

A: I am watching it again. I hate you.

M: *pats head*

A: I'm converted. I hate myself.

M: *throws confetti*

(later...)

A: Should hate fuck be hyphenated?

M: Gosh, I don't know. I don't think that's in the AP Stylebook.

A: The Internet says its hate fuck and hatefuck and hate-fuck.

M: Well there you go.

A: I might be overthinking this.

A: Or over-thinking.

A: Gah.

A: Should I star it through the whole entry or just the title? God.

(this is where things just devolve...)

Adrien: Leopard Flats. Let's Do This.

I have a pair of leopard flats from Banana Republic that I bought three years ago and I have worn them to death even though they never really broke in. Now they're kind of ratty and the ponyhair has worn off in places so my shoes have bald spots. Bald spots!  If that's not a reason for replacement I don't know what is. Here are the options I'm considering:

This pair of Gap Pointy leopard flats has me pretty excited even though I know better. I mean, they are clearly going to destroy my feet! Who here hasn't had their heart broken by Gap footwear? If you raised your hand you're a liar, sorry. I know they're going to be the worst but I still have hope in my heart that they might be magical. 

This pair of Corso Como Mirage ballet flats might be a good "better than the Gap" option. They're a little spendy but CC has special little gel pads built in for comfort, which appeals, and they're well made.

The pattern on the MICHAEL Michael Kors Paxton calf hair flat is maybe the best. Crisp and defined with a funky gold toe...that I'm not sure I can pull off. They're also more than I prefer to spend on flats, but if they fit perfectly, might be worth it. 

The Kate Spade New York Grenada pointed toe flat  skews slightly more preppy than I generally prefer but something about the funky print paired with tassels 'n shit just kind of works for me? Maybe. And, while I'm sure the quality is great, I still ain't paying that. They'd need to be on major sale. 

These are the flats I would buy if money were no object, the Valentino Garavani 'Rockstud' ballet flat. Now, obviously my dumb square feet would ooze over the ridiculously low sides like biscuits out of a busted can but oh my god, I love the studs. LOOoooooOooooveeee them. Can't help it. 

Marianne: Cheap Jeans (and a Ouidad followup!)

A couple of weeks ago I swallowed my pride and ordered 4 pairs of jeans from Old Navy. (I also ordered this dress and no. Just no.) Two different styles in two different sizes. I was...not optimistic. But surprise! I ended up loving these Rockstar Mid-Rise jeans in French Grey (on sale now, with an additional 25% off!):

The top is from Daniel Rainn, a brand I've never heard of. I found it for $15 at TJMaxx and it comes in a lot of prints (I kind of want this floral version as well).

Anyway, the jeans. They are very stretchy, but don't have that thin, cheap, you-can-see-your-underwear-line thing going on that is a problem with cheap jeans sometimes. At first I thought the wash was too light and thought about dyeing them, but it's growing on me. Best of all, they come all the way up to my belly button, holding in my post-partum pooch, and the talls are nice and long. For $30, I'm a fan!

(sandals are the Dolce Vita Archer, my favorite shoe this summer, btw)

Now, on to my hair! You guys had a lot of questions on my last post, so I thought I would follow up. As you saw yesterday, I bought a hairdryer and diffuser and I've been trying to recreate the salon look. I think I came pretty close (but it also looks good air-dried, I'll make sure and get a pic of that as well):

Okay, Q&A time! Y'all without curly hair can skip this part unless you're bored.

tehamy and Jen Kanable asked: I'm impressed that you only have to wash your hair twice a week! What do you do the other days? Your curls look ok after you sleep?

My hair often looks better after I sleep on it! Sometimes I freshen the curls with a spritz of Ouidad Botanical Boost spray. My hair tends to be really dry so if I wash it too much it starts to get frizzy and dull. Sometimes I'll extend my style with a little dry shampoo at the crown and temples.

anonymous asked: when your hairdresser did all the "curl forming"- what did she do, and do you have to reproduce it every time? Because I know that I can finger-twirl my hair and it makes a big difference, but I don't always have the patience (and it doesn't always stay- but that's lack of product, I imagine)

This is kind of tough to explain, but there are some videos on the Ouidad site that help. She let the curls fall into their natural pattern and then loosely twirled them with product on her hands. And yes, product is key and a lot of it! I have fine hair, but a lot of it, though. Sometimes I don't bother forming every curl and just focus on the parts around my face, but it really does look best if I take th time to do it all.

  

Also from anonymous: I do a lot of sports/dance (pretty much every day) and I wear my hair in a sock bun; I don't wash it every time; I can't, my hair would dry out too much, but I wash "the edges" (everything that frames my face). Would that kind of wear and tear work with the sort of hair regime you have, do you think?

I don't have a good answer for this, either! I'm really sorry. I guess it would depend on your hair. Water does me no favors so I try to go as long as I can stand it without washing. You might like the dry shampoo I mentioned above! 

Buy This (So We Don't Have To): Red Cole Haan Satchel.

Hello, Cole Haan Anne Street Frame Satchel that is on sale:

I am pretty damn nice.

Is there anything more perfect than a structured red satchel? Not really. And, if that one is too spendy, the Vince Camuto BBC Satchel is also pretty enviable:

I am better than The Gap.

Glamorous Blogger Text Convos.

A: I burned the everloving shit out of my hand this morning. I flat ironed my thumb.

M: Noooo

A: Big blister. So dumb.

M: I bought my first ever hair dryer/diffuser. No more going to work with wet hair.

A: Fancy!

M: It's time consuming.

A: I tried to take Fakeup photos.

M: My hair is so fucking high maintenance now.

M: I need to do that. My camera is too huge for selfies.

A: My photos were horrifying. I tried to use my iPhone reverse camera and I looked like a convict.

A: Faces of Fakeup meth:

M: Heeee. You are still cute.

A: Bleh.

A: I have to shampoo, condition, blow dry and flat iron daily. DAILY.

M: Ugh, I have ten tons of hair and to make it look best I have to shape each individual curl with 3 products.

M: And then dry with a diffuser the size of my baby.

A: I don't feel sorry for you, beautiful curl lady.

M: I'm having lunch with my boss so I'm trying to look nice.

A: Your hair is amazing. Worth the work.

M: Ughhhhhh

A: Hush.

M: It was a lot easier when I left it up to fate and just dealt with it looking bad half the time. Now it's like I own an exotic pet.

A: Haha. It needs it's own Louis Vuitton bag.

M: Each curl needs its own bag.

A: Each curl needs its own personal assistant to carry the bag.

M: Yes. And an umbrella man.

M: I have a head full of P DIDDY and J Lo.

M: Ha, my phone makes DIDDY all caps.

A: Oh girl, there's stuff you can buy for that.

M: Like...an umbrella?

A: ...Yes. Like an umbrella.

M: Clever.

M: Diffuser for the win!

A: I said goddamn.

Adrien: Lessons.

Remember when I bought the tan Calvin Klein blouse and was trying to convince myself the color would work? While I think it could have been fine with the right accessories it really wasn't the most flattering color for me and I knew it. You would think I would've learned this lesson by now, but no. I ended up returning it and Nina found me the exact same blouse in a much more fun color:

It appears giantly huge on me but I think it'll look great in the fall with leggings, boots, and a long cardigan to pull it all together. Or tucked into a pencil skirt, perhaps? Or, as a flotation device, should get swept overboard while on a yachting trip. (Happens surprisingly often! Not really!) Anyway, I'm going to mess around with it some more and see what happens. It's a great color and I love the shiny gold buttons. Here are some details and stuff:

blouse: Calvin Klein Crew Neck Roll Sleeve Blouse

pants: Banana Republic (this year's version)

shoes: Chie Mihara (similar CM sandals on sale!) 

bag: Juicy Couture (another great printed canvas tote.)

bracelets: Giles & Brother, Forever21

Weekend Window Shopping: Boots. I Guess.

Fine. Fine. I'm starting to think about boots again despite my clinging to the last bits of summer as tightly as I can. Last Call has some pretty good deals right now:

Ash Start Knee Boots

Steven by Steve Madden Regainn Ankle Boot

Frye Felicity Tall Leather Boot

Maison Martin Margiela Hidden-Wedge Knee Boot

Gandy Time.

A: Huh:

M: He makes my brain short out.

A: He is wearing way, way, way, way, WAY too many clothes. I barely recognized him.

M: His face. His face! That's a good face. I don't think I've ever looked at it this much.

A: The hems of his jeans are all bunchy. I want to straighten them out. Personally.

M: Not just the hems of the jeans, surely?

A: He should maybe just let me take them off. To straighten them out. Or something.

M: Yes definitely. Wait, is his adorable girlfriend wearing...spats? Stop that.

A: That girl is in my way, Marianne.

M: She looks like she weighs 80 pounds, I'd say you could take her.

A: Move it, Spats.

*image source: 00o00.blogspot.com

Marianne: Summer of the Caftan.

Back in May, when I was very pregnant and facing a long summer of my clothes not fitting, I declared that this would be the Summer of the Caftan. I was determined to bring back Mrs. Roper's finest outfits. But really, I only bought one. It's a good one though.

This fluid, super comfortable silk jersey caftan was an insomniac purchase off of eBay and came from Myanmar. Random, but it's so soft and easy to wear, and fairly flattering considering it's a big sack with a drawstring. Incongruously covered in what appear to be giant fingerprints?

I'm already thinking about buying a couple more caftans for wearing around the house. It's a slippery slope, but come on. This Natori caftan? Is so pretty.

Natori Thein Embellished Caftan

And whoa, apparently the kind of people who swan around the house in caftans are willing to spend a lot of money on them. Case in point, this $900 Issa number (that is admittedly lovely):

Issa Wide Sleeve Print Caftan

And this gorgeous Tory Burch caftan, which is at least on sale (but still pricey):

Tory Burch Tofino Long Caftan

This Rachel Pally caftan is pretty enough to wear to work and majorly on sale. I may have to pull the trigger and buy it for myself:

Rachel Pally Starflower-Print Long Caftan Dress, Women's

But for now I'll stick with my $20 Myanmar special, fingerprints and all. What say you? Would you wear a caftan? Don't knock it until you try it. Now, off to find my turban...

Fashion Olympics.

A: Um:

M: Effortless! Perfectly acceptable bike riding footwear.

A: She is gonna bust her ass.

M: Bless her heart.

A: She seems to be struggling. FASHION IS HARD.

M: "Why do the street style people like bikes so much? WHY?"

A: I think they're all hoping she will bust her ass. I know I am.

M: It's like the moddle Olympics. Up next, running across subway grates in stilettos.

A: Walking through traffic in heels is the gymnastics of the moddle Olympics:

M: Is she wearing an unfastened straight jacket? Don't answer that. I don't really care.

A: And finally, the main event! The sockless man stroll:

M: So many sweaty feet in one place should be illegal.

A: Someone is going to win the foot blister category for sure.

M: Gross.

A: Gold medal! In foot stank!


*photo source: http://streetfsn.blogspot.com

Buy This (So We Don't Have To): Marc by Marc Jacobs Tote.

You guys see this?

I am perfect. 

It is maybe the most beautiful black Marc by Marc Jacobs Natural Selection leather tote of all time and Nina just (un)kindly pointed out that it's 50% off right now. WHAT. It's full price everywhere else!


Do it because we cannot. Weeping.

Adrien: Not Working.

I think the thing my wardrobe lacks the most is decent separates. I have a great leopard skirt...and a drawer full of Gap t-shirts. Um. So then I wear a t-shirt with the skirt and this is what happens:

It's not that great, huh. This skirt is a favorite but it's high-waisted so if I wear it with the wrong thing I look like I have no waist at all. Charming! But, then I started searching the archives and found this outfit where I'm wearing the exact same damn t-shirt and skirt and I think it looks great. Did I tuck it into my underwear or something? Or maybe it's just time to get rid of that t-shirt. Seriously. I know. 

I like the details quite a bit:

t-shirt: Gap (similar olive green tee.)

skirt: Ann Taylor (great leopard pencil skirt at LOFT.) 

sandals: Chie Mihara (love this similar pair. A lot. And here's a cute similar for under $25!)

bag: Marc by Marc Hillier Hobo

necklace: Banana Republic (similar cool fringe necklace.)