Adrien: Blargh, This Skirt.

I bought this skirt thinking it would be a staple, something I could wear with everything and yet? It just confounds me. I like that it's green but not in-your-face-green, but I'm kind of confused about what to wear it with. I think I need to force myself to wear it more or something. I WILL MAKE IT WORK.

Ahem. Okay, so here's how I wore it last time, which is not very different from this:

Sassy arm! (I don't know)

It's the schlumpy cardigan, right? That's what needs fixing, I think. I will try again next week. We will SOLVE THIS SKIRT TOGETHER. Okay, moving on, guess who found me two Cole Haan coats at Burlington Coat Factory for $25 each? In August? Nina, that's who. Seriously. I love her. This is one of them:

Whee! The end.


coat: Cole Haan (similar)
scarf: unknown (similar)
bag: Marc by Marc Jacobs
shoes: Chie Mihara
skirt: Ann Taylor (similar)
necklace: Ann Taylor (similar)
shirt: Gap slub tee

Adrien: Sale Math

Okay, kids, I was never good at math in school but thanks to constant schooling by my friend Nina I am now really good at shopping math. Obnoxious, even. Which is why I'm going to share some of it with you right now even though I know this story makes me sound like a crazy person. Hey, everyone needs a hobby, right? Right.

Okay, so remember this trench?

Original price: $228. I bought it online with a 40% off coupon so it was $136ish. It was still expensive, but I thought I loved it. Then I got it and posted a yay/nay on the blog because I wasn't sure I loved it $136 worth. And it ends up I didn't so I returned it. Then a few weeks later it went on sale, plus 40% off, bringing it down to about $100. Huh, maybe I loved it $100 worth? It was sold out on the website so I called the 800 number and the sales associate (who was not the brightest or friendliest lady) located one for me in northern Virginia. It would be shipped to me, but might take a week or so for the order to go through.

I heard nothing for nearly a month and then out of nowhere got a shipment notification. By then I was COMPLETELY OVER IT. I didn't want anything to do with that damn coat, but it arrived anyway so I returned it to my local store without even trying it on again.

Then it went on sale some more and Nina bought it. Yep, she bought the one I returned. By then it was $90 with an additional 25% off so she paid $68 for it. She kept it for a while, decided it wasn't quite for her, then one day we both went to Ann Taylor together to check out the never-ending freaking sale and she returned it. They put it out on the floor immediately and Nina was all, "You realize this coat is now $52, right? If you don't buy it I will punch you in the face."

I tried it on and she declared it adorable and basically forced me to buy it. For $52. And now it is mine (um, again), hanging in my closet and waiting for fall when I'll wear it with a red leopard scarf and dark jeans. Hooray!  So, just to recap:

$228 -> $136 -> $100 -> $68 -> $52

I know. It's basically a full time job but if you really persevere and keep an eye on sales (and have a Nina to threaten with bodily harm) you can make out like a bandit.

In Case of Rapture, This Blog... will still be manned.

A: Apparently Saturday is Judgement Day? Nina just sent me this email:

Can you and Marianne do a “Rapture Edition” of your blog for Saturday? Not sure if she expects to be staying or going but I’m guessing you’ll probably sticking around here with me, right? Might be a nice way to highlight some travel outfits, or, alternately, comfortable clothes for the end of the world.

M: HAHAHA. I love Nina. Yeah, some folks think May 21st is the end of the world. But yes, we could pick some things in light, breathable non flammable fabrics for us sinners.

A: I told Nina the magic Target dress is pretty much perfect since we're all doomed anyway. I mean, most of us are staying right? And it's not the end of the world until October! May 21 is just the Rapture.

M: Ah! Shows what I know. We might be getting into some trouble.

A: My middle name is Trouble! (Not really.)

M: Adrien "Trouble" Hamilt0n sounds like a prospector or saloon owner or something. Well, maybe not the Adrien part. Too Frenchy.

M: Ooh, can I wear this?



It looks so breezy. Plus it will cover my legs, which will no doubt be hairy and unwashed.

M: Miley already knows what she is wearing:

A: Aw yeah, girlfriend knows how to stay on earth! I was thinking it would be the perfect opportunity to wear these:




M: You are smart to think in terms of self defense. I will be a goner with my long dress all tangled in my hairy appendages.

A: Well, and have you seen my hair? I can't get any kind of prairie pouf going AT ALL.

M: Yeah, with your Frenchy name and edgy hair, you'll be battling it out in the city while I escape to the hinterlands with my toddler and my beagle and all of this hair.

A: I never stood a chance, really. I mean, I have cats.

M: You know at the first threat of world's end, Stella is going to try and eat you. Right? Right.

A: I swear to you, and I am not lying, when I was all insomniac-y the other night Fuzz came to hang out with me and I thanked her and said, 'You know Stella is just waiting for me to die so she can eat me, right?"

M: That kind of breaks my heart because it's so true. Watch your back.

A: It's especially annoying because I PICKED HER OUT. She's a black cat though, so no way will she make the rapture. She's basically the devil's cat.

M: Stella will probably be in charge when shit goes down. I'm a little nervous.

A: She's kind of like Pouty though, so I think as long as I have a bunch of Smiths CDs on hand I can keep her in line.

M: How are you going to play those CDs with no electricity?

A: My iPod battery will last a day or two if I'm careful (and don't try to pointlessly check my email over and over again.) Wait...WHO'S SIDE ARE YOU ON ANYWAY WITH YOUR LONG PRAIRIE HAIR?

M: I just don't think you are taking this very seriously.

 I'll be safe from your cat, is all.

A: Maybe Fuzz will protect me? She can be quite a little spitfire when she wants to be.

M: Well let's just hope.

Adrien: Loaner.

Full disclosure: The bag? Not mine. My friend Nina was nice enough to lend it to me to try on for size. I've been wanting a "speedy" type bag for a long time and she finally convinced me that maybe what I need is an actual Speedy, not something similar that doesn't quite shape up. Hence, I am starting to sell off some things so I can save towards a vintage LV epi Speedy. (Maybe.)

It's not for everyone, the handheld satchel, and I wasn't 100% sure it was for me, but dang, it's growing on me:

bag: LV Epi Speedy (similar)
breton top: Boden (similar)
skirt: Sematiks (similar)
boots: Camper (similar)
trench: Banana Republic (similar)

Adrien: Stay Puffed.

Coats were never my thing until I met Nina. I was happy having one or two basic coats that I'd wear until they became unspeakable and fell apart. Then I became friends with Nina who has some of the most amazing coats I've ever seen, and my eyes were opened because a good coat can make you look sharp and pulled-together like nothing else. Seriously!

Now I am the owner of many coats, though I didn't have a super warm coat to wear for my trip to Chicago last winter. So, Nina was nice enough to lend me one of her collection, a Cole Haan down-filled number with a belt and fold-over collar. The coat was amazingly warm and also easy to stuff into the overhead bin on the airplane. It was also surprisingly attractive for a big puffy coat. (It's hard to be glamorous when you're wrapped in a sleeping bag with sleeves.) I was sad to give it back! That's why when Nina offered to sell it to me dirt cheap back in August I jumped at the chance. I secretly hoped that by purchasing it, I'd ensure that it wouldn't snow at all this year.

Ha:

And my outfit, shortly before my face froze and fell off:

The things I do for you people.

coat: Cole Haan (similar)
skirt: Anthropologie (similar)
breton top: Boden (similar)
sweater: Banana Republic
tights: Merona brushed lined (similar)
boots: Camper (similar)
bag: Marc Jacobs Blake (similar)