Let my distractions distract you.
jcrew.com, bananarepublic.com and urbanoutfitters.com
I’m a creature of habit when it comes to shopping at the mall. I go to my top three to four stores, and then I call it a day. But my stores were letting me down the other day when I was looking for dark denim leggings/skinnies and work attire. When I branched out, I ended up finding the perfect pieces!
After the jump, the deets on what I found! Read the rest of this entry »
Franco Sarto Tazer Sandal $99.95 - nordstrom.com
In general, I am a picky person. When it comes to food, boys, clothes, electronics, movies, the list goes on. I think Meg Ryan summed it up perfectly in When Harry Met Sally when she said, “Well, I just want it the way I want it.” All that to say, I’ve had a very difficult time finding the perfect beige/tan/nude sandal wedge – until now. The Franco Sarto “Tazer Sandal” is an exclusive to Nordstrom, and at about $100 it’s not overly pricey. The only downside is it being at Nordstrom, where they never fail to be out of the shoe I want in the size and/or color I want. Mark my words, though, I will hunt this shoe down!
Sony Pictures Classics
A couple weeks ago we saw An Education, a coming-of-age film with the lovely, mesmerizing Carey Mulligan as the heroine growing up in 60s London. I really enjoyed it, and I was especially enamored with all the costumes. Boatneck shifts, fur coats, leather gloves, retro floral prints…love it all.
After the jump, as many images of the movie’s fashion I could find. Read the rest of this entry »
French Onion Soup - citysifting.com
I’m a little late on this post, but guess what? January is National Soup Month!
In general, I’m not a huge soup fan. But there are exceptions. These include French onion soup (like the real deal – messy Gruyère cheese melted over the sides of the bowl – preferably in a restaurant in Paris); tomato soup, such as the bisque – soup of the day on Thursdays – at Urbane Café or the tomato-fennel paired with grilled cheese at Urban Solace; and the most amazing, flavorful, runny-nose inducing tortilla soup at Rancho La Lena in Old Town.
After the jump, all the slurpy details. Read the rest of this entry »
Trader Joe's Sublime Ice Cream Sandwiches (aprox. $4 for a 4-pack) - feastingontjs.blogspot.com
(In this case, the title refers to Trader Joe’s, not TJ, my mom, who – fun fact! – had an ice cream parlor in her younger years called TJ’s Ice Cream Parlor.)
OK, let’s get down to business. Because I have been fighting a losing battle with a cold virus this past week, my brain has been too fuzzy to come up with a witty and informative blog post. Luckily, it doesn’t take much brain power to share with you my favorite ice cream sandwich in the entire world.
We discovered this delightful treat years ago at Trader Joe’s, and it has the power to make the day, or night, go from a 5 to a 10 (or, when TJ’s is out of this dessert from the gods, from a 10 to a 2). The size is just right, not too big, where it gets all melty and you feel like you’re going to die of a sugar overload; not too small, where you feel gypped and eat six more to compensate (although I have been known to eat two in a row – they’re just so good). The chewy chocolate chip cookies and the ratio of cookie to ice cream are perfect, but the real appeal is that the ice cream is rolled in mini chocolate chips. And in my opinion, no dessert is complete without mini chocolate chips. Try them; you won’t be disappointed.
The Bachelor, Season 14, Episode 2 (abc.com); Champagne and Purple Satin Strapless Pockets Cocktail Evening Party Dress by Hot From Hollywood (amazon.com)
OK, I’m not making any promises here – and the Possessionista is way better at this than me, I recommend e-mailing her for all your style stalking inquiries – but Jess left me a comment on this post asking if I knew where she could find the yellow dress Ali wore on the plane date in The Bachelor’s season 14, episode 2. And I did just a little bit of searching and found what (I think) is the exact dress. It’s by Hot From Hollywood, available at amazon.com for around $40 bucks (depending on color), and while I couldn’t find the yellow online, it gives yellow as a color option in the description, so I guess it’s out there somewhere… Anyways, it has pockets, ties in the back, and pretty much looks exactly like the one Ali wore.
**Update: See! I knew the Possessionista would find it!**
Inspirations: Kate Hudson in Almost Famous, Marc by Marc Jacobs "Into The Wild" Trench (shopbop.com), Metallic Charmer Dress (freepeople.com), Pink Sequin Jacket (dorothyperkins.com) and Rachel Weisz in The Brothers Bloom
I’m not a very adventurous shopper. I often see exciting colors, patterns, shapes and textures on other people and wish that I could pull them off myself, never taking the plunge. But something came over me this past weekend – maybe the 78 degree weather? – and I decided to take some fashion chances without overspending. **I found some great deals at Forever 21 and H&M, but unfortunately, I couldn’t find the exact pieces I bought on either Web site, so no pictures. They had plenty more in the store, though, so I’d check there if you’re interested.**
At Forever 21, I found an adorable super mini tunic with an intricate embroidered design on the front for around $20. It’s similar to the blue silk dress Kate Hudson wore in Almost Famous and the Metallic Charmer Dress by Free People. Ever since seeing Rachel Weisz’s awesome wardrobe in The Brothers Bloom, I’ve been looking for a long-sleeved boatneck tee with black and white stripes and an attention-grabbing leopard print trench coat reminiscent of the Marc by Marc Jacobs one on shopbop.com. It must have been my lucky shopping day, because I found a nearly identical long-sleeved striped top (around $12) and a perfectly fitted leopard print trench (around $30), both at Forever 21. And my last score of the day was a perfect little cropped, 3/4 length sequined blazer in a peach/beige/pink color I found at H&M for around $40. It reminds me of the pink sequined Dorothy Perkins blazer in the picture above.
It’s a new year, time for some fresh, risk-taking pieces!
The Bachelor Season 14 Premiere (etonline.com); Alice + Olivia Cluster Sequin Racer Tank Dress $415.80-sold out (thehipchick.com)
OK, I promise this is the last Jillian style post I’ll put up. 
Well…maybe.
Although it was painful at times, I finally watched the premiere of The Bachelor last night. I was literally hiding under a blanket during moments because I was so embarrassed for some of the girls. The cheesy gimmicks during the introductions at the beginning…wow, just wow. The one bright, sparkly moment in the show was when Jillian and Ed came on the show to interview the girls. Not only were they funny and cute and wonderful, but seriously, that DRESS. I’m in love. And it’s not with Jake or Ed or Jason – it’s with that sweet little sparkly number by Alice + Olivia. (And thank you, again, Possessionista for the info/link.) Yes, it is sold out. But there are so many other short, sequined tank dresses out there right now. Like this one, this one, this one, this one, this one, this one, this one, you get the idea. :)
Alibi Room
Cucina Urbana
Tender Greens
Wine Steals
Cafe Chloe
Costa Brava
What Say You?