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Best Budget Baubles

December 5, 2014 by jessica 7 Comments

Over the next few months, I’ll be partnering with Shopbop to share some of the retailer’s most outstanding investment pieces and budget buys with you. I’m particularly jazzed about this collaboration because the brand’s only brick and mortar store, Bop, is right here in Madison! Over the course of the collaboration, I’ll be given the opportunity to add a few items to my closet and, while I feel like I should pick something classic (like a good leather satchel or a pair of black Ferragamo Varina flats), I really want to branch out and pick a few unexpected statement pieces like the “Jessica” canteen crossbody from Tory Burch.

Or, you know, jewelry.

A quick sort by lowest price shows that Shopbop has plenty of gorgeous gems for those on a budget. I put together a quick round up of my favorites, but I encourage you to peruse the baubles to find little treats for yourself or others this holiday season. After all, the holidays just aren’t the same without a bit of sparkle.

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UNDER $50
earrings by Rebecca Minkoff
necklace by Monserat De Lucca
ring by Gorjana
bracelet by Monserat De Lucca

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$50 – $100
earrings by Amber Sceats
necklace by Serefina
ring by Pamela Love
bracelet by Tai

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$100 – $150
earrings by Tory Burch
necklace by Lulu Frost
ring by Elizabeth and James
bracelet by Nocturne

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$150 – $200
earrings by Elizabeth Cole
necklace by House of Harlow
ring by Malene Birger
bracelet by Malene Birger

Review | Lo & Sons

September 16, 2014 by jessica 11 Comments

[dropcap custom_class=”normal”]F[/dropcap]inding the perfect personal bag for in-flight essentials is a daunting task that leaves me feeling a bit like Goldilocks. There are plenty of bags that are too big, too small, too heavy, or too cumbersome, but not many that are just right–which I quickly learned after opting to use an L.L. Bean tote for our trip to Belgium. I spent half the flight checking and double checking to make sure nothing spilled over the open top and it was surprisingly heavy to carry through the airport. My next flight is going to much less stressful, thanks to the O.M.G. bag from Lo & Sons.

The O.M.G., an acronym for “Overnight Medium Gym” bag, is incredibly lightweight, water resistant, and has plenty of pockets for travel must-haves, including a padded laptop sleeve and a side pocket for your flats so the rest of your items don’t get dirty. I tend to be a light packer, but all of the items below fit inside with plenty of room for my camera, lenses, and a cribbage board (can’t leave home without it!).

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Review | Leatherology

September 15, 2014 by jessica 12 Comments

[dropcap custom_class=”normal”]I[/dropcap]f you’re following along on Instagram, you’ve already had a sneak peek of the surprise Leatherology sent over. As you may remember, I featured the brand in this post and admitted that I didn’t know much about the new-to-me leather goods company. As it turns out, the company was founded in 2008 with one goal in mind: to create the perfect men’s wallet. After mastering the billfold, the company expanded its leather offerings to a wide range of high quality personal and travel accessories, without an exorbitant price tag.

I received the deluxe luggage tag and an adorable key cover. Each item is crafted with supple leather that feels like it will hold up over the years and monogrammed with debossed letters (much better than initials that are just painted on). The brand’s attention to detail is also reflected in its thoughtful packaging, as you’ll see below.

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Luggage Tag: c/o Leatherology | Key Cover: c/o Leatherology

SWEET SUMMER

July 2, 2014 by jessica Leave a Comment

Unfortunately it has become evident that weekends of beer and pizza crept up on me—and spending Sundays in sweatpants gives me a false sense of security that my clothes fit juuuust fine. In any case, I’m back on the Weight Watchers bandwagon, counting points and spending my evenings with Jillian Michaels. I’ve set a goal to lose 10 pounds by the time we leave for Belgium next month and an opportunity to partner with Kohl’s on a wellness post was the extra motivation I needed to begin making healthier choices.

I really wanted to purchase a Fitbit (David Sedaris has one, after all) to keep track of my activity and sleep patterns, but the gadget was sold out at every nearby store. I opted for the next best thing: one heck of a blender for making smoothies. This thing crushes ice like no other (a far cry from the blender I already owned that barely nicked a cube) and makes smoothies in a snap. The ingredients for this blueberry smoothie are below and you can head on over to Pinterest for more healthy smoothie recipes (and a few indulgent options for those splurge days).

INGREDIENTS

1 cup blueberries
1 large banana
1 tablespoon flax seed
handful of spinach
1/2 cup almond milk
1/4 water
3 or 4 ice cubes
a sprig of mint for garnish, if desired

SHOP THE POST

Disclosure: I received a $100 gift card from Kohl’s for the purposes of this post. All opinions are my own.

BUDGET BABE

June 2, 2014 by jessica Leave a Comment

I often discuss ways to shop smarter with my French Wardrobe series, but for many of us, that means shopping on a budget. When Kohl’s challenged me to create a summer outfit for $100, I embraced the opportunity to prove that you can find closet-worthy pieces at any price point—and It helps that Kohl’s has fantastic sales to help you stay on budget. Nearly everything in the store was marked down 40% or more, making it fun to see just how far my dollar would stretch. Here’s what I fell in love with:

Candie’s sandals: $44.99 $24.99
My outfit actually started with these darling strappy sandals when I spotted them at Kohl’s in Louisville. My size wasn’t available at any of the area locations, but a quick store search showed a pair in a size 7 back in Madison. I wasn’t sure what I’d pair them with at the time, but I knew navy sandals would be a summer staple in my wardrobe and I adored they were by Candie’s. My mom had a pair of the brand’s signature heeled mules back in the ’70s and I remember fawning over the shoes in Jenny McCarthy’s ad campaign when I was a teen.

Peter Som for Kohl’s dress: $74 $44.40
There are dozens of darling white dresses at Kohl’s right now. I fell in love with this eyelet version from Peter Som’s Design Nation collection. The quality of the cotton eyelet is great and the ruffled hem gives it visual interest. Best of all, it has pockets.

Apt 9 crossbody: $34 $19.99
I was initially drawn to the punchy hue of this crossbody bag, but it was the practicality of the item that won me over. If you click over to see more images of it on the Kohl’s site, you’ll see that there’s plenty of room for your essentials, including a spot for your cell phone.

Apt 9 sunglasses: $26 $12.99
I had $10.62 my budget for my final item and opted for a pair of sunglasses. The sunglasses started at $8.99, but the subtle cat-eye frames of a slightly more expensive pair were most flattering. (Had I thought to sign up for Kohl’s emails before I shopped, I would have been able to save an additional 15% on my purchase.)

Total Spent: $102.47 | Total Saved: $76.62

Even though I went over by a teeny bit, I did receive a $10 Kohl’s coupon good toward any purchase in early June. That means I’m still $7.53 ahead, right? I’m planning to put it toward this set of stackable rings by Lauren Conrad.

Disclosure: I received a $100 gift card from Kohl’s for the purposes of this post. All opinions are my own.