Knoxville Trip - Caftans, Cocktails and Shopping.

I'm on my way back as you're reading this and very likely sad about it. I've had a great time hanging out with Marianne and her family and was delighted to be able to celebrate a milestone birthday with her. The theme of her birthday celebration was Cocktails & Caftans and the ladies who attended VERY MUCH embraced this theme:

We all kind of decided that maybe we should just be wearing caftans every day from now on. So floaty and unencumbered! So glamorous! Here I am modeling my caftan, which is available on Amazon:

Marianne, who understands how to bring it to the camera (clearly, I do not) is wearing a beautiful actual real caftan from Emerson Fry:

I'm pretty sure hers, while organic and hand-printed, doesn't have glued-on rhinestones though, so just keep that in mind.

We did a little shopping, which you may have noticed if you follow the blog on IG. First we went to a very weird store called Bargain Hunt which seems to sell mostly Target overstock. Price tags are dated and every week the price drops, which is how we both scored this awesome little Target rattan bar cart for $36 each!

Unfortunately it’s long gone from Target, but I think this Threshold cart is really sleek and it’s on sale, plus an extra 10% off with code SPRING. Ooh, and this one at Macy's is a good deal too!

We then went to TJ Maxx where I took pictures of aggressively whimsical Kate Spade bags and tried on a bunch of stuff. I ended up buying a Junk Food tee that made me laugh ($7) and the CUTEST Chelsea and Theodore dress that convinced me I don’t need this dress at Everlane which I’d been considering. Seriously, $20 for the most flattering, simple t-shirt dress you’ve ever seen:

It also comes in the color of beige sadness but, really, just get the black one. (And while you’re at it maybe get this bag too because it’s hurting my soul and would look SO GOOD with that black dress. You’re welcome.)

Marianne tried on all the Vince but ended up buying none of it. She did, however, buy the best pair of blue suede (!) espadrilles that I can’t find for sale online anywhere:

The brand is Picón and you’ll just have to go dig around at your local TJ Maxx. (Let me know!) They are ridiculously cute and I think she paid $30ish for them! If you’re dying for something similar, this Botkier pair is the closest I could find. I also like this blue suede slip-on option at ASOS.

That's it for the shopping, I think. (Marianne, did I miss anything obvious?) Mostly we just talked and ate and ate and talked and there were many cocktails and tiny cans of rosé and a few episodes of TGBBS just for old times sake. I miss her already. 😭

The Day It All Came Together.

A: Someone is hiring:

M: Tempting.

A: I'm sure he's delightful to underlings.

M:

M: Adrien.

M: Everything feels so right.

A: Oh shit.

M: BOSS BABY

M: IN A TINY SUIT

M: IT'S ALL HAPPENING

A: How is this only now clicking?

M: What took us so long?!

A: FULL OF SHAME

M: CAMILLA!

A: AHahaaaaaa *sob*

M: CAMILLA! TOP! SHELF!

M: I swear to fuck it's modeled after him.

A: There is NO WAY it isn't.

M: "Would you like to be on my street style blog?"

A: I AM DYING

M: Please shop this with the pic of him and the tiny wine glass pleeeeeeaaaasssseeee

M: "You have...athletic thighs."

M: I'll stop.

M: It's hard but I'll stop.

A: ONG

A: OMG

M: ONG

A: OH NOT GOOD?

M: I 'm just saying onnnnnnng.

M: Idk

M: My brain broke a while back.

M: ONGGGG

M: Boss baby.

A: ITS REAL APROPOSSSSZZZ

M: 🙌🏻🙌🏻🙌🏻

A: AMAZING

A: It's like our old Sartorial Zoo Tumblr!

M: It's perfect.

A: 💯💯💯

Weekend Window Shopping: Madewell Is Hurting My Feelings.

Here are all the things I touched/tried on in Madewell last week. Related: I NEED A DISCOUNT CODE, MADEWELL.

         

        

Stuff I Like: Road Trip + Reading/Watching/Listening

This is going to be short because I am once again going out of town and have a million things to do! That said, I didn't manage to write this entry last week and I got stuff to talk about.

Liking: Road Trip! Tomorrow I am off to Knoxville to help Marianne celebrate her birthday. The drive is 6-7 hours and I really kind of love a solo road trip (as long as my car's a/c doesn't go out on me halfway through during the hottest July on record. Oh, yeah. That happened.) My key elements for a successful road trip are:

1. Good snacks. I usually do a combo of crunchy/salty and sweet/chewy. Now, a question for you guys: If I'm buying snacks at Trader Joe's, which I don't frequent because it's in an inconvenient part of town, what should I get?

2. AUDIO BOOKS. YAY. I am a big fan of audio books for road trips and I've downloaded the following from the library:

The Nightingale by Kristin Hannah (thanks for the rec!)
The James Thurber Audio Collection (love him, but it's been years)
Bossypants by Tina Fey (previously read but want to hear it in her voice)
Trigger Warning by Neil Gaiman (because he's delightful)

Obviously I won't make it through all this but I like having options. Mostly I prefer an engrossing page-turner (Stephen King, Ruth Rendell) but I think I've got enough variety that I'll stay alert.

Reading: The Handmaid's Tale. I'm really into the Hulu series so I thought I should re-read the book. It's stunning and horrifying and means a lot more to me at age 45 than it did when I first read it in college. I also find it interesting how many women are refusing to watch the series or read the book because it's too disturbing. I personally feel like this is the kind of thing we need to watch (or at least read) so we can stay vigilant.

Watching: Victorian Slum House. Ah, only the British would sign up for a reality show in which they live in a Victorian slum and instead of whining about it they cry because it makes them realize how much their ancestors sacrificed so they could have a better life. Also, I would've killed for the chance to do something like this as a kid because I was completely obsessed with A Little Princess and Black Beauty and anything which dealt with the darker side of Victorian England. I'm only a few episodes (so their might yet be whining) in but I'm enjoying it immensely.

Listening: Audio Books! (See Above.) I'm also open to suggestions. I think successful audio books are all about the narrator which is why David Sedaris is 800 times funnier when heard rather than read. The last one I listened to was Jon Cryer's memoir which I found pretty amusing.

That's it for this week! Let me know about those snack, pls.

Beauty Review: Tatcha Polished Rice Enzyme Powder & Davines OI All in One Milk.

It has been WAY too long since I've done a beauty review and I've got new stuff I'm dying to tell you about. Also, I should be getting a Sephora Play box and a Birchbox in the next week so I can have a sample box duel for your viewing pleasure. Hooray for dumb tiny samples! 

So, first I want to talk about this Tatcha Polished Rice Enzyme Powder which I got in my spring Box of Style (that's my referral link which gives you $10 off). I wasn't terribly excited by the idea of scrubby face powder because I prefer chemical exfoliants but I was willing to give it a try. 

First of all, the packaging is ridiculously fancy and nice. That fancy jar comes wrapped in paper in a fancy box and the whole thing just feels FANCY. Like, rich lady fancy. I'm a sucker for nice packaging if you couldn't tell. 

I realized after reading the description that this is an exfoliator but also a cleanser, so after using my Pixi balm cleanser to remove my makeup I dumped a little of this powder into my hand, added a bit of water and rubbed my hands together to get it lathery. And you guys. It's SO FREAKING NICE. 

It's got this surprisingly soft, creamy texture to it and a very gentle exfoliant and it just feels so so nice. I massaged my face with it and rinsed and everything was good. My face felt clean but not dry or irritated. You only need a little bit of product so I suspect this container will last a really long time, which is good because it costs $65. This doesn't please me much, but Sephora carries a travel sized version of the "classic" version which would be a great way to try it out without resorting to living in a van down by the river. (Or just go to Sephora and getchoo a sample.) 

Next, we have the Davines OI All in One Milk:

Now, obviously this Davines Oi Milk is a Kim France recommendation and there is a reason she was the founder of a magazine about shopping. Kim makes me want to buy things. Every time she mentions this product I'm all, OMG WANT THAT. So, when I went to my salon for an appointment and saw that they just started carrying Davines, I was like, OMG WANT THAT. And so I got that.

So, listen. This stuff is weird and magical. It's a detangler, a heat protectant and some other stuff that I can't read because I got the travel size bottle. I spray it all over my hair when it's still damp, put some Bumble and bumble Straight Blow Dry on the ends and go to town with my hairdryer and flat iron. The end result: REALLY, REALLY GOOD. It gives my hair a little bit of oomph and some shine and it smells* mysterious and rich, like amber and spices.

*So, the smell. The scent is not going to be for everyone and I wasn't sure it was for me (hence the tiny bottle) but the more I use it the more I love it.

Adrien: Favorite Lazy Combo.

This outfit is from the beginning of last week when the weather just decided to be cold again for no reason. Not cool, but it's an excuse to wear my favorite lazy combo: 

Striped shirt, check. Skinny pants, check. Ankle boots. Check. My favorite combo! This particular striped shirt is the Heavyweight Tee from Everlane and when I bought it two years ago I wasn't really sure if it was my favorite but I've worn it A LOT since then. The heavier weight makes it a nice option on days when you want a bit more than a t-shirt but not quite a sweater. It's become  a staple and I've definitely thought about getting another one in a different color but now that summer is approaching I'm looking at the striped Linen Box-Cut Tee. Wouldn't that look good with white jeans? I should also mention that the Breton Cotton Tee (which is a heavier weight) is on sale and I keep eyeing the Boxy Striped Tee even though I already bought and returned it. I mean, it's cute, right? Why did I return it?

My pants are a very, very old pair from Banana that have moto detailing that I can never capture in my photos. It doesn't really matter but I do like interesting moto details.  This Joe Fresh pair are super cute and come in four colors! (Olive, pls.) I also love the idea of moto-detail leggings, like this pair at WHBM or this fancier pair at Shopbop. And, ugh. I love a zip pocket. A lot.

I'm still wearing my Madewell et sézane jacket all the time! It's surpassed my Downtown Field Jacket when it comes to cost-per-wear or whatever metric weird people place on their clothes. I just really like it, okay? It's long gone but Madewell never fails when it comes to lightweight jackets. The Northward Cropped jacket looks like a perfect cardigan alternative and also comes in denim(!) which OMG. I love that. I also dig this white oversized denim jacket for a great spring/summer option. This Where I Was From white jacket is even better but nearly sold out. Time for details: 

I'm wearing a great crystal pendant necklace c/o Mima at InfinEight and my bracelet is the Modern Screw Cuff from Bijouone. Both are pretty and low-key, just the way I like it.

I took the opportunity to wear my Madewell Lucien boots one more time before I switch over to sandals for the summer. I am still so pleased with them and still so surprised they still have them in stock. And you guys, I hope you took advantage of all the MBMJ bags at TJ Maxx because I am so happy I bought this Too Hot To Handle hobo, despite all my hand-wringing about it! It's back in stock at TJ Maxx in the light grey, though that might be a return. They also have a slightly different version in dark grey and red.  There is also a dark blue version of it on Gilt and ONE black one on Nordstrom Rack! It's really a great bag or I wouldn't have, like, three of them. Hush. I can quit any time I want. Stop giving me that look. 

BUY THIS (So We Don't Have To): The TJ Maxx Clearance Report.

I don't know that I'm planning to make this a weekly feature but I can't stop trolling the TJ Maxx clearance section. Where else would I find the weirdest Grey Ant sunglasses and super cute Christian Lacroix cosmetic bags, all dirt cheap? And how can I not share my finds with you guys? Unpossible. SO, here's what's good this week:

This Parker Felicia Blouse is SO CUTE and considering it retails for almost $200 I think $29 for the white colorway is damn good: 

It also comes in a navy/white colorway for $39! You are covered either way. I also found this pretty cotton Joie blouse for $29:

So cute with the tassels and whatnot, right? And there's this Joie Axcel silk blouse as well:

It's $59 but retailed for $268! I mean, hell. Buy two, maybe. And! You should wear it with these Mother Denim “The Charmer” ivory frayed jeans for $49! 

TJ Maxx jean photos are terrible but you can see better photos here. And, um, they retailed for $208 so I would definitely call that a bargain. The next dress is not quite the same level of bargain but it's so pretty I couldn't not include it:

It's the Rebecca Taylor silk Amanda cami dress which retailed for $325 and is now marked down to $99! It's also worth mentioning that there's a Joie maxi dress for $50, though maxi dresses are not generally my thing. Still, that doesn't mean it's not your thing.

A few other things worth noting:

There is a bunch of swimwear on clearance, including brands like Shoshanna but the sizing is pretty limited. There are also some gigantic Natori beach towels with cool designs for $15 and $20. My personal favorite is this dragon towel (but it’s not on clearance.) 

Also, if you like Joie and wear an XS check out this silk blouse and this sweet pajama set. 

That's all I got! Happy shopping.