Friday, July 30, 2010

YUM: Bahn Mi Saigon


There's nothing quite like a delicious sandwich. I am a big sandwich fan, and love discovering new favorites. My current favorite is the Bahn Mi sandwich, which is a Vietnamese street sandwich that is almost always inexpensive, fresh, and yummy! I've been meaning to try the sandwiches for ages, especially after reading my friend Eddie's tweets about them.

I've tried two different bahn mi places, Bahn Mi Saigon & Paris Sandwich. At both places I tried the "original" pork sandwiches. I can now say that I am addicted! I love the rich pork flavor coupled with the slightly sour pickled vegetables, and I can never say no to cilantro! The photo above is that of a sandwich from Bahn Mi Saigon, but I was pretty impressed with the sandwiches at both places.

The best part.... each of these sandwiches were under $5! As my friend Stephanie would say.... that's Living Life on a Budget!

This illustration was very helpful by showing me exactly what these sandwiches are made of.


Just wanted to put some feelers out there, how do y'all feel about food and other non-shopping related posts? Yay or nay?

Thursday, July 29, 2010

I'm Not Your Babe, I'm Not Your Babe



What I'm wearing:
*Forever 21 Polka Dot Romper
*Aerosoles "Splurge" Lace-up Wedges (similar here)
*anthropologie Double Torsade Necklace in Coral (similar here)


Never really considered myself a romper or a shorts kind of gal before this summer, but I am now a convert! It i really just too hot in the city to have restrictions on what I will or won't wear.

I snapped up this cutesy polka dot romper from Forever 21 one day when I needed a little retail fix but wasn't willing to commit that much (that's the perfect store to do that in). It had been sitting in my closet for awhile because I wasn't brave enough to wear it out and about, but decided to pull it out today to wear to lunch with my friend P! I love it because its super soft and comfortable, except when having to go to the bathroom (ha!).

Sorry for the lack of posts, I've been pretty busy trying to tie up some loose ends and take care of what I need to before moving. I haaaaate moving so it's been a huge pain for me, and I've also been trying to see friends before I leave.

Monday, July 26, 2010

June, July, August



What I'm wearing:
*anthropologie June, July, August Dress in Purple Motif
*Martin + Osa Knit Drape Cardigan (similar here)
*Nine West Cut Out Sandals (similar here)
*Gucci Pink Monogram Tote (similar here)



What more can I say about the June, July, August dress? (Read my original review here.) I love the soft jersey knit, the vibrant pattern, and the fact that it has pockets! It is super comfortable and perfect for the heat that NYC has been experiencing lately. I layered a knit cardigan over the dress when I went to see Despicable Me in 3D (loved the movie!). I'm always cold in movie theaters, so a lightweight cardigan is key.

I love these Nine West sandals that I got super cheap at Marshalls last year (I think I paid around $30?). I love the cut out look, and the black heel is patent!


This is my last week in New York City.... I need to make it count!

Friday, July 23, 2010

Cherry Blossom



What I'm wearing:
*J.Crew Cherry Blossom Dress (similar print here)
*Matt Bernson Barracuda Studded Sandals in Brown Oil Pull
*Rebecca Minkoff Morning After Clutch in Burnt Orange (similar here and here)



This is the last set of photos from my trip to Las Vegas. I am not a huge fan of silk dresses normally, since they are very impractical and prone to getting ruined by me, but the vibrant cherry blossom print of this dress pulled me in. (I love this print so much I also have a woven top in this print as well.) I love it because it can be easily dressed up or down, worn with heels or with flats. I'm really glad I have this outfit set to post today, since I'm not a huge fan of what I'm wearing at this moment. It's raining and very humid, and I got dressed in a hurry today to go for lunch (can't leave NY without one more stop at Katz's Deli for a pastrami reuben, YUM) so my outfit will remain undocumented for now.


Happy Friday everyone, hope everyone has a fab weekend!

Thursday, July 22, 2010

Typewriter's Block



What I'm wearing:
*anthropologie Keeping Tabs Tee
*J.Crew Cotton Nico Skirt (similar here)
*Steve Madden Nataliaa Wooden Platform Sandal in Cognac
*anthropologie Double Torsade Necklace in Coral (similar here for only $11!)
*Louis Vuitton Monogram Speedy 35 Bag


Teal/turquoise and coral has always been one of my favorite color combinations. I've been eyeing this cute Porridge top for awhile, with its cute typewriter print, but it wasn't until I held up the coral Double Torsade necklace up to it that I decided it was a top I needed to buy. I decided to keep the bottom neutral since the top part of my outfit is color heavy (that's the way I like it!). 


Wore this outfit out for dinner at one of my favorite restaurants in the city, Hecho en Dumbo. It is really yummy Mexican food, and I can't recommend it enough. I've always loved whatever I've ordered there (my favorites are the Picaditas de Jaiba and Tacos de Cochinita Pibil). I'm really glad that I got to go eat there one more time before I leave New York! There are also a few other things on my bucket list... anyone have any fun recs for me that I *need* to try before I go?

How cute is this typewriter print?

Oh yes, the ubiquitous Nataliaa Sandal.

Wednesday, July 21, 2010

Been There Done That Messed Around



What I'm wearing:
*Forever 21 Embroidered Dress (similar here)
*Steve Madden Nataliaa Wooden Platform Sandal (similar here)
*Marc Jacobs Sophia Bag in Meadow (similar here)

I picked up this casual summery number on my last trip to Forever 21. I've been finding a lot of great stuff there lately, which surprises me because it's always so hit or miss. I loved this dress when I first saw it, but before I could wear it I had to make a couple of adjustments. There were straps that tied the neckline together, so I just snipped them off. There was also a thin tie that tied around the chest into a bow in the back, I hated it so I cut those off as well. After those quick & easy changes, this dress was ready to wear!

I am officially obsessed with these shoes. You will see me wear them as often as I think I can get away with! They are pretty comfortable and I feel like they just go with everything.


I wore this outfit to meet up with a friend for drinks at the The Dove Parlor. It is such a cute little place, and a great place to catch up with friends over happy hour cocktails (my favorite was "The French Lavender" - lavender infused gin, orange liquer, and a touch of grapefruit).


Tuesday, July 20, 2010

Terror on the High Seas



What I'm wearing:
*anthropologie High Seas Dress (similar here and here)
*anthropologie Tangled Treasure Sandals
*Louis Vuitton Monogram Speedy 35 Bag (similar here)



Oh yes, I succumbed to the High Seas dress (see my original review here). I've been eyeing it for awhile, decided that it wasn't worth full price, then it went on sale, sold out of my size online, couldn't find it in the stores that I checked. When I was in Las Vegas, I decided to do a quick look around the anthropologie store and found this in the sale section in my size! I tried it on again, and I knew I had to buy it. Surprisingly this was my only clothing purchase from my trip. There is tons of shopping in Las Vegas, but nothing I can't get in Atlanta or New York. It was fun to window shop though.

At first I thought this would be too memorable of a dress to wear often. It is very bright, but I love bright!  And of course I love anything nautical themed. It is definitely a dress I can wear all summer. Super comfortable and crisp even in the humidity. I love the interesting cut of the back of the dress as well. This dress already got worn the next day after I bought it!



I think it's funny that I took photos on the "Brooklyn Bridge" at the New York New York Hotel & Casino that we stayed in! Went from NYC to a little mini version of NYC. I thought it was a cute theme.

Monday, July 19, 2010

I'm Having Fun Don't Put Me Down



What I'm wearing:
*Forever 21 Abstract Squares Print Tunic (similar here and here)
*Steve Madden Nataliaa Platform Sandal (similar here)
*anthropologie Mint Drop Necklace (similar here and here)

This loose and breezy tie tunic is one that I took home from Vegas (stolen from S's suitcase). I love the voluminous sleeves, they make me feel fancy! To make myself even fancier, I added a fun necklace that I've been neglecting lately, since it's been staring at me from it's hook on the wall.

Do you know what's better than new shoes? New shoes that were on sale. I've been wanting to join the wooden platform sandal bandwagon for awhile, but didn't want to shell out $100+ for these Steve Maddens even though my friend A was rocking them and I was super jealous. But after I kept seeing them on both Joelle and Emily, I decided to check them out for myself in store, hoping they were on sale. They were, and the sale shoes were Buy One, Get One for $19. The sandals were marked down to $50, so my total for both pairs (yes, I had to get the cognac as well) was under $70.



Sale shoes definitely make me smile. Retail therapy is the best for a breakup right? Margaritas with a friend (thanks L!) also help too. I also definitely have La Roux's "Bulletproof" on heavy rotation on my iPod. Still obsessed with that song...

Sunday, July 18, 2010

Viva Las Vegas



What I'm wearing:
*Aqua Embroidered Dress (similar here and here)
*Matt Bernson Barracuda Studded Sandals in Brown Oil (similar here and here)
*Louis Vuitton Monogram Speedy 35 Bag (similar here and here)
*Ray Ban Sunglasses (similar here and here)


Just got back from a great trip to Las Vegas! My sister & I dropped by the convention that my father was attending, which was definitely interesting (even though I know nothing about sportfishing). Neither my sister or I are big gamblers or club goers, so we spent the majority of our time laying by the pool, eating yummy food, and walking around the fab hotels checking out the glorious shopping. All in all it was a nice break from the city, but boy was it hot there! Even in the evening I felt like I was walking around in a sauna. I guess that's the desert for you.

This lightweight and airy dress was perfect for walking around in that weather. I packed horridly this time around, and didn't really pack any bags that would be good for walking around with my camera. My sister lent me her LV Speedy, which I was never really into, but do think it's a great classic. The bag has definitely grown on me, and is now in my possession (muhaha, grabby hands). What I did pack right was the footwear. These Matt Bernson studded sandals are so incredibly comfortable. I was amazed that I lasted all day in them with no problems at all. And that's saying a lot, we walked a LOT in Vegas. I have a ton of photos from Vegas. I think I will alternate posts with outfits from vacation and outfits back at home. So don't be confused if it looks like I went back to Vegas!


I have some interesting news. I will be moving back to Atlanta at the end of the month! It is a big change for me (I've never really lived there for longer than a month at a time) but it's an exciting new chapter in my life. I have a great feeling it will be for the best, even if I will definitely miss the city!!

Tuesday, July 13, 2010

Waking Up in Vegas

Off to Vegas till Saturday... 

Sophia & i in Vegas last year!

Saturday, July 10, 2010

This Old Guitar & My Dark Sunglasses



What I'm wearing:
*anthropologie Grecian Jersey Dress (not it's real name, i don't even remember when it's from!) (similar here and here)
*anthropologie Tangled Treasure Sandals
*Fendi Logo Purse (similar here)
*Forever 21 Sunglasses (similar here)


I feel very straight up Grecian in this outfit. I think it's the combination of the drapey dress with the woven sandals. This dress is a few years old but I still love it! This is something I had left at home at my parents' house, found it in my closet last time I was home, and made sure to bring it with me. I was obsessed with this cobalt color at one point (still mildly obsessed with it now) and I just *had* to have this dress.

How is everyone's weekend going? This outfit was from yesterday but today I had lunch at Vanessa's Dumpling House (yummy as always) and enjoyed an amazing ice cream sandwich from Melt Bakery at the Hester Street Fair. My ice cream sandwich was peach ice cream between two brown butter bourbon shortcake cookies. Amazing!!! Definitely check them out next weekend. (Or tomorrow).

Friday, July 9, 2010

anthropologie Fitting Room Reviews


Here are just a few fitting room reviews from my little trip to anthropologie yesterday. I'm glad I went and tried on a bunch of items that I've been eyeing online, I can now cross them off my wishlist!

As soon as I saw this adorable teapot print, I was instantly drawn to this dress. I love that the teapots are all different colors, but the slate grey background keeps the print from being too over the top. I love this dress but it is made out of silk, I wish it were a crisp cotton printed dress instead. I have enough silky dresses and they are a bit harder to wear casually than the knit jersey or woven cotton dresses that I prefer. Also wish the sash was a bit thicker, it kind of bunched under the bust for me. Sizing wise I think it runs TTS, I usually wear a 4 but grabbed a 6 (too lazy to go back for the 4), it was loose on top and definitely had room in the body as well.

Oooh, a jersey dress, what is not to love? I love the asymmetrical neckline of this soft and comfy dress. Love the navy blue color and I think that it has a flattering fit. My only issue with this is that I wish the neckline would be a little lower, I think it would look more flirty that way and could be worn going out. (Not that I am known for going out with super low cut dresses or tops.) For sizing references I am wearing an XS in this photo.

This ensemble dress is pretty cute, I love the ruffles and the button detail on the top portion. The top is soft jersey while the bottom is nice and crisp. I wasn't wowed by this because I didn't love the color combination. With so many bright color palettes out there, I thought this looked a bit drab. For fall I think it would be a nice transition piece. For sizing reference, I am wearing a XS in this. 

June, July, August Dress in the Purple Motif, $148
This was definitely one of my favorites among the ones I tried on. It is made out of soft jersey (shocking that I love it right) and I love the bright colors that are in the print. The top of the dress drapes pretty nicely as well. I think it looked cute on its own but layered with a belt I think it would look super special.  For sizing references I am wearing an XS in this. 

Love the bright tangerine color of this dress. Otherwise, I found it to be pretty boring. Could be a nice basic cotton dress that can be dressed up or down depending on what shoes you wear. I just felt that it wasn't too flattering on me. It might have worked with a belt, but I wasn't too bothered to try it out in store. I am wearing a 6 in this photo, but definitely could have sized down to a 4 with the elastic waist. 

Ever since I saw this short ruffly trench I knew I had to check it out in store. It was cute in theory but just had too much going on for me. I also had a hard time making the waist tie look good and lie flat, instead of sticking out all funny. The way the huge ruffles are arranged just wasn't flattering on me either. For sizing references, the 2 that I grabbed fit just a bit small, 4 was a little loose, so I would say it runs TTS to a bit big.

I normally would not pair these two together, but they were the only top + skirt combination that I grabbed (I was really into dresses at the moment) so this is what you get! First, the ruffle top is very cute, but, been there done that, anthro. Just another ruffle top. I like it but can see the ruffles not laying too well underneath a cardigan, which limits its layering possibilities. I'm wearing an XS. I love the cards on the skirt, but don't really love the whole look. The silk was soft but I could see it getting clingy. I sized up to a 6 in this skirt from my "typical" 4. 

I was dying to try this jacket on after it looked adorable on Chloe. Unfortunately, I just didn't love it on me. Although I have a feeling I didn't love it because it was getting hot in that fitting room and a jacket was the last thing that I wanted to try on. This is a Small, and the sleeves are just a bit too long for my arms.  

Last but not least is this darling bow cardigan. How adorable is this? Right up my alley. I absolutely LOVE the gold sequins on the bow, and the black shoulder detail. Even though it is really too hot to be thinking about cardigans, this is definitely on my wishlist for the fall. I'm wearing a Small in this photo. 

I hope that these reviews are helpful. My favorites out of the bunch were the Precious Materials Cardigan and the June, July, August Dress. I was definitely itching the pull the trigger on something today, but nothing really did it for me. Such a strange feeling! I always feel like when you are in the mood to buy something, you can't find anything you like, and when you know you absolutely can't, your wishlist is a mile long. 

Yay for the weekend! =)

Thursday, July 8, 2010

Ruffles & Giraffes



What I'm wearing:
*H&M Ruffle Dress (similar here and here)
*anthropologie City Safari Belt
*Aerosoles "Adventure" Sandals (similar here)
*MICHAEL Michael Kors Knot Purse (similar here and here)


I am a little blue today because the rest of my family left last night. I was really sad to see them go! Feeling a little left behind sucks, but I guess New York is a pretty cool place to be left behind. I decided to cheer myself up by taking a little trip to anthropologie. I tried on a whole bunch of stuff (reviews will be coming soon) and fiercely perused the sale racks, but nothing really caught my eye. I even was walking around with this adorable Porridge top, but at the end put it back.

This blue ruffle dress has been sitting in my closet forever! I bought it ages ago, it was only $10 at H&M, and I couldn't resist snapping it up. I decided that with a solid colored dress, a fun belt like the City Safari would go great. And while I was helping my sister pack yesterday, I re-discovered these fun yellow shoes in my closet. Don't you love it when that happens? They were hidden in a shoe rack that had just become covered with lots of miscellaneous things that fell off the hangers in my closet. I only wore them a couple of times last year, so I'm hoping to get more wear out of them this summer.

 These are a bit more of a darker yellow in real life. They were actually listed as "orange".

This was such a random purchase but I adore it! You know me and my animal motifs.

This bag was a gift from my sister. It is really easy to just throw on your shoulder (perfect for browsing in a store like I did today) and fits a ton.

Wednesday, July 7, 2010

The Girl with the Green Sash




What I'm wearing:
*Madewell Slouchy Tank (similar here and here)
*anthropologie It's Your Move Skirt (similar here and here)
*Green Sash from GoJane dress
*Aerosoles Splurge Lace-up Wedges (similar here)
*Michael Kors Oversized Black Watch (similar here)
*MICHAEL Michael Kors Hamilton Tote in Luggage (similar here)

...and the heat wave continues in NYC! I felt like it was a funfetti kind of day. How appropriate that I wore this skirt to grab some cupcakes and dinner (yes, in that order) with my sister last night. I'm of the opinion that Two Little Red Hens makes the best cupcakes in the city, and I've done my share of tasting around the city. Their Brooklyn Blackout cupcake is to die for, and their red velvet is always delicious!

But I digress. It was too hot to wear anything on top besides this slouchy tanktop. I had been wearing this dress all day and decided that the fabric sash that came with it (not pictured in that prior post) would make the perfect bow!





My whole family got into town yesterday! All 5 of us haven't been together all at once in over a year. How crazy is that? It's only for a couple of days but it's nice to get together again.

Oh, does anyone get the movie that my title is referencing? (Love that movie, close to my heart.)