Wednesday, November 18, 2009

Filled with Glee

I cannot say enough how completely smitten I am with the show Glee!  It has received great critical reviews, about the acting, music, writing, what not... but there's something else about it I just can't pinpoint...


Every episode leaves me sublimely happy... filled... no, inflated with happy-ness!  It's like a crazy drug... laughing gas at the dentist office. The characters are fantastical, funny, and oh so entertaining.  The storyline plays out in a way that makes you feel like re-living nostalgic memories of your own high school experience (both good and bad). 

Just at the point where you start thinking you're watching just another good show, the entire gorgeous and impeccably-dressed cast breaks out in song-- one of those songs you secretly know all the words to and turn up way too loud in your car, singing your heart out.
If you haven't yet had your piece of yummy Glee deliciousness, I suggest you do it soon.  Very soon.

P is for Party... A is for All Night Long!

Wahoo!  I just ordered my dress for the MBA school upcoming Holiday Party, and I couldn't be more excited about what I picked!  I started out looking for something frilly and fun, trying to find anything similar to this piece of puffy perfection.
J. Crew Organza Party Dress
Everything about this dress screams fun, festive holiday party.  The frills, the ruffles, the tiers, it's all simply amazing.  The price?  Not so much.  But don't cry, black frilly dress, I still love you dearly.  One day I hope we'll see each other again...  Meet me on top of the Empire State Building on Valentine's Day?

I began looking in all the usual places-- Nordstrom, Bluefly, Bloomingdale's, Forever 21, etc... There wasn't anything at all anything close to my price point that caught my eye.  Major bummer.  So back at J. Crew, I stumbled upon the silk taffeta bow monde dress (btw... what's a monde?)  I've admired this dress in the catalog for a while, but never had an occasion to wear it.  I think is just what I need...
J. Crew Bow Monde Dress
Instead of going for a bright color (my usual), or the traditional holiday party LBD, I opted for "barely peach", which seems like a metallic warm nude, not anything orange-related.  I think it will work great for holiday, plus I can wear it to weddings or parties all year 'round.

In the same order, I also picked up the Harper crackle metallic platform heels (on sale woohoo!) and the skinny shimmerveil belt.  Am I on some sort of ridiculous glitter/metallic-obsessed bender?  Probably.  I don't care.  If sparkly is wrong, I don't want to be right!
Harper crackle metallic platform heels
For the holiday party, I have a great pair of bright blue satin shoes that I absolutely adore.  I've been just dying to wear them, and I think they would be gorgeous with the bow dress.  However I'm also tempted to wear the new metallic heels.  Help me readers!  I'm completely torn! Which shoes should I pick?
Nina blue Fleur heels
 PS:  I apologize for the recent lack of posts... it's crazy-busy exam time here at b-school, so there hasn't been much time to think about anything else.  Fear not!  I'll be back to a regular schedule again verrrry soon.  Believe me I would rather be here.  

Much love --Millie.

Wednesday, November 11, 2009

Tuesday, November 10, 2009

Pretty Please, Santa?

Stumbling along through blog-world, and then...
Oh my...
Satin Bow-Front Clutch
Valentino
$895
There are hardly words sufficient for this bag... it simply speaks for itself.  Amazing.

Available at Net-A-Porter.

Kate Spade Sample Sale!

Kate Spade Sample Sale
I received the above email this morning, and can't wait to check it out!
To shop the sample sale, you must login and join the Kate Spade mailing list

Enjoy!

Friday, November 6, 2009

Friday's Find

Much has been said about the awesomeness of Forever 21 jewelry, but I'm going to repeat it anyway.  F21 jewelry is awesome.  Even more so for poor grad students like me who can't afford anything that even resembles the real stuff. If you've ever wanted to try the big trendy statement jewelry, but don't want to make it an "investment," F21 is your kind of place.
 

Today I wore the beaded cluster necklace above for the first time.  Despite my initial skepticism, I loved it.  It was larger than expected - true for a bunch of the things on F21's website (beware what you buy here).  It looks bubbly and glitzy in person, and I think this it could really dress up a party dress.  For today though, I like how it adds some funky flair to an otherwise casual outfit.

Happy Friday!

Thursday, November 5, 2009

To Tuck, or Not to Tuck... That is the Question

 I recently bought the J. Crew navy check shirt - and I absolutely love it.  My dilemma today is about how to wear this type of shirt - the casual, relaxed-fit, button-down shirt, with a shirt-tail hem.
As you can see here, the model has the shirt untucked completely, which looks great on her, although can sometimes look sloppy, but is generally my "tuck" of choice.  This outfit, along with a black Jackie cardigan, is how I wore the shirt last Friday.
Overall look = B+
Another option for the button-down shirt-tail is to tuck it completely in.
Overall look = C+
Tucked in, the overall effect is much less casual, and depending on the pattern, could tend to be a more formal look.  The tucked-in shirt can work well for jeans or looser-fitting chinos or cords, but when I tried this with skinny jeans or Minnie pants, the bunched-up shirt was visible through the pants (a la VPL/visible panty lines).  Definitely not the look I want!

Now check this out:
Overall look = A
The model here has the shirt half-tucked in, half-out.  I love this look.  I saw this photo and have been able to re-create it nearly to perfection.  However, whenever I try to pull it off, I feel like it is obvious that I did this on purpose.  It looks staged, overly trendy, and like I'm "trying way too hard."  Again, not the look I'm going for.

Has anyone been able to pull off the "half-tuck" and make it work?  Any tips on making it look less planned and more like a happy accident?  "Ooh, is that my shirt-tail coming out? Gee whiz, I didn't even notice."

Wednesday, November 4, 2009

Girl Crush Day

Can I just gush for a bit about the unbelievably gorgeous, fabulous, and stylish host of So You Think You Can Dance, Cat Deeley? 
Each and every show, Cat arrives onstage with a unique, fashion-forward (and STUNNING!) outfit.  She looks different each week-- not just the clothes, but her entire look is new and fresh every show.  In addition to her impeccable style and genetic gorgeous-ness, she appears to be a genuinely approachable and fun person!  There are not very many TV people (real people, not characters) who I wish were my friends, but she's one of 'em.  Funny, stylish, gorgeous, and laid-back relaxed attitude.  If I were a guy, this would probably sound creepy (and it might sound creepy anyways) - but I don't care.
PS: Did anyone catch the shoes she had on last night!?  I can't find them online, but when I do, I promise to post a picture - unbelievable.  Go back and re-check the TiVo - they're so very worth checking out.

Hey! Give It Back! I Wasn't Done Yet!

Photo by CarLee
Today I hopped onto J. Crew's website to check out the new arrivals and Holiday Gift Guide, and was startled to find my shopping cart empty!  What!?!  Why, J. Crew?  What did I do wrong?

J. Crew is one of those wonderful sites that allows you to save your cart between shopping sessions.  Therefore my shopping cart is rarely empty, unless I've just made a purchase.  I use my cart to "bookmark" items that I love, and keep a running tally (should I decide to pull the trigger and make a purchase).  The holidays are coming, and I have been adding lots more than usual to my cart, creating a J. Crew Christmas "wish list".  As of last night, my shopping cart contained almost $2,000 worth of items (yikes!).  Needless to say, I am very disappointed, and actually a bit sad to have lost them all.  True, I wouldn't have ended up purchasing every single item, but is that really so bad?  Is there some shopping cart code of conduct that I'm unaware of?  I feel like a shopper at Target who wandered away from her buggy for a moment, only to find that a sales clerk has taken the cart and put everything back on the shelves.  Not fair!

Has this happened to anyone else?  Is your shopping cart empty this morning? 

Tuesday, November 3, 2009

Is it a Cheetah? Is it an Ocelot? No, it's a Snow Leopard!

I recently read so many awesome reviews (thanks to Gigi and A Bigger Closet) of the Forever 21 Snow Leopard cardigan that I had to have one for myself.  The cardigan is almost an exact lookalike to the sold-out J. Crew Merino Ocelot cardigan-- but at $22.80, the F21 version was an easy decision!  Here is my "out the door" look for classes today.  I changed out of the tights/mini and into my ankle jeans to come back and study all afternoon (during which time one of my professors asks "what kind of animal is that supposed to be?").

This is my first Polyvore experiment, and so far I like it, although it seems a little too time-consuming.  I used a combination of the search feature and "clipper" to create the set above, and it took quite a bit of time.  Am I missing something?  Or is this just a skill that takes practice?

A Suiting Dilemma

I noticed yesterday that my very favorite J. Crew suit (black stretch wool, bought summer 2005) is getting a little threadbare.  It has become a little "shiny-looking" in areas, and this seems to be more prominent after professional cleaning, rather than better.  I've noticed this happening gradually over the past year or so, and I don't think it's a problem with my drycleaner, or a quality issue with the material.  I bought this suit after college graduation in 2005, and I have truly worn the life out of it (it was my only suit for 2 years, and has remained my favorite even after I bought others).  I think it's about time that I find a new black suit.

Online I found two options, one of which is a perfect replacement for my old favorite - it's the same black stretch wool that I love, and it matches the black Olive Dress that awaits me under the Christmas tree this December.  Theoretically I could put the blazer with the dress if I wanted, and it would match perfectly.
Stretch Wool Olive Dress in Black
Items in my "go-to" black suit:
Stretch Wool Jacket & City-fit Bistro Pants
Stretch Wool Pencil Skirt
The other option, which is currently my top choice (for multiple reasons) is the Super 120's pinstripe suiting in charcoal gray (pictured below).  This gorgeous material is one of my favorites, and feels amazing.  I really like the color, love the stripe (I currently don't have any patterned suits), and AND-- it's on sale.  That's the kicker.  Not only is it sale-priced, it's not yet in the Final Sale stage so it can be exchanged, plus they have all 3 pieces- in stock- in my size.  That by itself is usually enough to convince me.  However, the pattern and color aren't quite as versatile, and it was the black suit I originally intended to replace... Interview season is coming up fast in the MBA world.  I really wish I could have both, but suits are expensive, so I'll need to wait on one of these.

Which would you choose?  Should I go with the more versatile, black stretch wool favorite?  Or the new, interesting, and sale-priced charcoal 120's?
Super 120's Pinstripe 2-Button Jacket & Pants
Super 120's Pinstripe High Pencil Skirt

Monday, November 2, 2009

Blog Birthday

I have been inspired by some awesome fellow MBAs (and JCAs) to start my own blog.  Because of the huge volume of MBA-related work required each day, I prefer to spend my down time enjoying anything and everything else, as long as it's fun, pretty, and/or enjoyable.  Expect lots of opinions but not too much controversy.  Life is short, so live happy.  And in honor of today's blog birthday, let us eat cake!