Personal Style

Winter Wonderland

December 12, 2016 by jessica 11 Comments

If you’ve been following along on Instagram or Snapchat (username: bedknobsbaubles), you’ll know that Dave and I in Chicago for a couple of days and getting in the holiday spirit at the Christkindlmarket. Scouring the market in search of a new Christmas ornament or decoration (or, let’s face it, both) and overindulging in glühwein and German pretzels has made this my favorite annual tradition. We’ve gone to the market three years out of the five we’ve been together and I don’t see it ending any time soon! This year, we’re adding in a couple of new holiday adventures: glogg at Simon’s Tavern and the ZooLights at the Lincoln Park Zoo. Let me know if there’s anything I should add to our itinerary!

P.S. You can enter to win the pearl earrings I’m wearing in this post right over here.

In Color

November 21, 2016 by jessica 16 Comments

Getting my hands on this hat was a year in the making. I found it on the Hudson’s Bay website last year and immediately fell head over heels for the candy-colored stripes. It was at the very top of my Christmas wish list that I gave to my parents without realizing that Canadian brand didn’t ship to the United States. (Bless my parents for trying, though. I mean, Wisconsin is basically a stone’s throw from Canada!) When I discovered that it was available on the Lord & Taylor site this year, it took minutes for me to hurriedly add it to my cart and checkout. It’s every bit as perfect as I imagined it would be.

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Linking Up: Still Being Molly + Lipgloss and Crayons, Pink Sole, More Pieces of Me, Fizz and Frosting, Style Nudge, Not Dead Yet Style, Claire Justine

Newly Minted

November 14, 2016 by jessica 15 Comments

At this point, purchasing a wool winter coat isn’t fulfilling any sort of “need” in my wardrobe. I have plenty of them as a Wisconsin resident. What I don’t have — and should have been shopping for — is an insulated parka from The North Face that I can bring along to Iceland if that happens next year. However, the [newly conjured] dream of owning a peacoat in my favorite color wasn’t going unrealized when this beauty went on sale at J.Crew. Dave gave me the black version of the peacoat a couple of years ago for Christmas. It’s one of my winter staples, so I knew the mint version would get just as much love and would be a welcome splash of color on winter’s dreariest days. Besides, when you live in a cold climate and wear winter coats a third of the year, you can never really have too many options. (At least that’s what I’m telling myself!)

Coat: J.Crew (the mint has been popping back on sale in various sizes)
Turtleneck: Banana Republic
Skirt: LOFT (old, similar)
Shoes: Ferragamo c/o Shopbop
Clutch: Diane von Furstenberg (on sale for 40% off at Nordstrom; here for full price)
Brooches: Vintage via eBay (search for “starburst brooches” for similar options; also check out Sweet & Spark)
Rings: c/o Julie Vos (similar); Monica Vinader
Sunglasses: Prada

Linking Up: Still Being Molly + Lipgloss and Crayons, Pink Sole, More Pieces of Me, Fizz and Frosting, Style Nudge, Not Dead Yet Style, Claire Justine

Linen Lady

June 6, 2016 by jessica 15 Comments

J.Crew Factory Striped Linen-Cotton Shirt

I picked up this shirt at J.Crew Factory over the weekend. It’s a linen-cotton blend, making it a comfortable, no-fuss option for breezy summer days. Better yet, it shields my already-burnt skin from the sun! (It runs true to size.)

In other news, we put in an offer on a 1930 colonial-style house filled with charm and creaky wood floorboards the very day it went on the market. Even though we went $5,000 over asking, the seller decided to wait another day before reviewing offers and we were outbid. I’m devastated and have been crying on and off all weekend because of it. We’re now faced with a difficult decision today: renew our lease and stay in our apartment for another year or roll the dice and see if we can find a house in the next three weeks. If the latter doesn’t pan out, we’ll likely have to rent a different apartment and move at the end of July. (I have no doubt that our current place will be swept off the market soon. It’s in a good location and has low rent.) We’ve thought about renewing and subletting, but that seems like such a risky endeavor if the sublessee damages the place or skips town. Ugh. I have no idea what to do and we have 24 hours to decide. Any ideas? Should we just consult the Magic 8 Ball and be done with it?

J.Crew Factory Striped Linen-Cotton Shirt

Shirt: J.Crew Factory
Shorts: J.Crew (old, also love these)
Sandals: Ann Taylor
Necklace: Lee Renee
Bracelet: c/o Julie Vos (old, also love this)
Bag: Rebecca Minkoff c/o Shopbop (on sale for $98 here)
Sunglasses: Dolce & Gabbana c/o SmartBuyGlasses (also available here)
Lips: Stila “Betsey”

Introducing Larimar Jewelry

June 2, 2016 by jessica 9 Comments

If there’s one stone that can capture the ease of summer, it’s larimar with its variations of white, light blue, and blue-green hues that are reminiscent of the ocean. It’s a silicate mineral that can found only in the Dominican Republic and is typically used to create jewelry in the Caribbean. Fortunately, you don’t need to travel that far to add a piece to your own jewelry collection! Larimar Fine Jewelry (http://larimar.com/), a company specializing in the stone, offers a wide variety of pieces handcrafted by artisans in the “cradle of Larimar” in the Dominican Republic. The organization boasts ethical work standards and a fair-wage-policy to ensure the craftsmen are able to provide for their families.

Larimar offered me a first-hand look at one of their pieces: the Gridden Stone Cuff (http://larimar.com/collections/larimar-bracelets/products/larimar-cuff-gridden-stone). The item was posted in Germany and arrived within a week of being shipped. It came in high-quality gift packaging, nestled into a box with a padded pillow. While I’m a sucker for good packaging, the bracelet is the real star of the show. The larimar stone is just as beautiful as it appears online with natural variations in the stone, and the sterling silver cuff is thick. The bracelet was able to bend just enough for me to adjust it to my wrist. The quality of workmanship is impeccable, and it’s clear the artisans Larimar Fine Jewelry parts with are passionate about their work.