BEDKNOBS & BAUBLES

Bon Voyage

May 21, 2015 by jessica 7 Comments

We’re leaving tomorrow for a Memorial Day weekend road trip to Cincinnati! I’ve never been to Ohio, so I’m eager to check another state off my list. We’ve found dozens of bars to visit and restaurants to try. (Although, I’m not too sure about the area’s beloved Cincinnati chili.) We’ll play the rest by ear and see what we stumble across. As always, keep in touch on Instagram and Snapchat (bedknobsandbaubles). See you on Tuesday!

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Sandals: J.Crew
Dress: MICHAEL Michael Kors (in black here and here)
Bag: Tory Burch

The Coveted

May 20, 2015 by jessica 7 Comments

Before I delve into the items that caught my eye this week, there’s a huge event worth mentioning: Nordstrom’s Half-Yearly Sale. It’s your chance to snag spring and summer merchandise at up to 40% off. Some of my favorites include a black trapeze sexy ball gown prom dress, a work-appropriate satchel, a “Nudist” sandal knockoff (or get the real version in navy on sale here), and simple leather sandals by Tory Burch (metallics available here). Now that that’s squared away, here’s what caught my eye this week:

A zigzag eyelet shell in navy. Aside from this top, I’m disappointed in J.Crew’s new arrivals this month. Who’s going to pay $110 for an ugly yarn and seed bead choker? The product description says, “So if someone asks if you made it yourself, you have our permission to say yes.” I wouldn’t take credit for it and evidently J.Crew doesn’t want to either. And then there’s this. What the hell? And these! Because plastic in the summer is always a good idea.
Ben-Amun statement earrings. In fact, there are many gorgeous new arrivals from the designer on The Outnet right now. Most earrings are under $100.
A sweet little notebook. I’d like to start bringing a journal on vacations to record daily activities and observations. I usually assume Facebook is good enough, but I’m forgetful and a notebook is much more romantic.
Culottes! They’re so ridiculous, but I still want a pair. White would look pretty with that J.Crew shell… 😉 Shop a selection of white culottes and other white pants here.
A navy bucket bag. Navy is by far my favorite color, but I have yet to add a bag in the hue to my collection. I’m also obsessed with this bag. I saw it at the Tory Burch boutique last month and haven’t stopped thinking about it.
Iridescent slides on sale! I also love these and the iridescent version of the heels I wore to a wedding last month.

Summer Bucket List

May 19, 2015 by jessica 9 Comments

Summer always seems to fly by and come September, I’m left wondering how I managed to squander the nicest months of the year. No more! Here’s our 2015 list of summer must-dos:

Visit two new cities. (Cincinnati is already on the books for this weekend.)
Play hooky for an entire midweek day to lounge at the pool…
…and leave work a few hours early at least once a month in favor of pool time.
Spend a day at the waterpark.
Go to to a drive-in theater.
Bike to a brewery or bar. (This one is going to take some practice. I haven’t been on a bike more than once in the last two years! I’d actually like to get in the habit of going on weekly bike rides with Dave after work.)
Enjoy an evening at the Memorial Union Terrace.
Watch the fireworks.
Try five new-to-us restaurants and/or bars.
Plan (and hopefully book) another trip to Europe. (This isn’t summer-specific, but I’d like to reserve something since the exchange rate is so low.)
Head to a beer fest.
Play mini golf.
Spend a weekend in Milwaukee.
Go to a baseball game.
Plant an herb garden on our balcony (or, at the very least, something green).
Eat cotton candy.
Buy fresh produce at the farmers’ market at least once a month.
Ride on a Ferris wheel.
Visit my parents in northern Wisconsin.

Playing Favorites

May 18, 2015 by jessica 12 Comments

When I was getting dressed on Saturday, Dave asked if I really wanted to take outfit photos of this dress, an item I’ve worn on the blog a couple of times before. Yes, I did. As bloggers, we put too much pressure on ourselves to post new items each week. Not only is it an unrealistic–and financially irresponsible–expectation, it’s boring. I’d much rather see how bloggers rework their favorites to keep them in rotation. So, in that spirit, here’s one of my favorite summer dresses. I love the ease of a loose shift dress, especially with layered jewelry to keep things interesting.

The ring and bracelet are borrowed from Rocksbox, a jewelry subscription service that allows you to try out pieces at your leisure. Once you’re finished, you can purchase your favorites at a discounted rate or swap them out for a new set. Each Rocksbox is $19, but you can get your first month free with code bedknobsandbaublesxoxo. It’s a fun way to try new styles and designers without the investment.

Dress: Pim + Larkin (old, love this mod version)
Bag: Tory Burch (it’s on sale!)
Sandals: DV by Dolce Vita
Necklace: c/o Gerard Yosca
Ring: Wanderlust + Co. borrowed from Rocksbox*
Bracelet: Gorjana borrowed from Rocksbox*
Sunglasses: Dolce & Gabbana c/o SmartBuyGlasses
Lips: Stila “Fiore”
Nails: Clinique “Hi Sweetie” and Essie “In the Cab-ana”

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*Get your first Rocksbox set free with code bedknobsandbaublesxoxo

Weekend Guide

May 16, 2015 by jessica 3 Comments

BAKE
Oh my goodness, how amazing do these look?

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TRY
I finally had the opportunity to give Rocksbox a whirl. My favorite piece in the box is this gorgeous Trina Turk necklace. I’ll post more about it and the other goodies I’m borrowing next week. If you’ve ever wanted to try Rocksbox, now’s the time. Get your first box free with code bedknobsandbaublesxoxo.

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SEARCH
If your travel dates are flexible, there’s a new website called Skyscanner that allows you to search for the cheapest flights available. I haven’t played around with it too much yet, but it’s a great idea.

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KNOW
Most Sex and the City articles are a little tiresome, but this one is worth the click. Spoiler: did you realize that the politician with the, um, fetish is Roger Sterling on Mad Men? Mind. Blown.

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PLAN
First time in Paris with only 48 hours to spare? Check out this charming guide.

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BUY
By now you know I’m almost exclusively a flats girl. My heart is going pitter-patter at the idea of made-to-measure ballet flats.

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IN OTHER NEWS
We scrapped our Indianapolis plans after learning the Indy 500 is next weekend. We’re stopping at Upland Brewing Co. and then will continue on to Cincinnati. I also purchased the dress I mentioned last weekend. It’s absolutely adorable in person. There’s a slight high-low hem, which I normally shun, but it’s subtle and I actually appreciate the extra bum coverage with such a short dress. I will be wearing this in Cincinnati and on my birthday (May 30!) when we visit friends in the Twin Cities. There’s a lot of Midwestern road tripping in our future.