it's in the bag

Forever 21 has some adorable citrus colored bags right now. And of course since they're from Forever 21, they're all under $25. I already picked up the yellow one, but I'm just loving the other two! I might have to go back for more...

Structured Crossbody in Orange - $19.80
Patent Leatherette Handbag in Mustard - $16.80
Chain Strap Crossbody in Orange/Cream - $22.80

What a fun way to brighten up a winter outfit. And of course now that it's 2012, it would be fun to sport the color of the year - Tangerine Tango.

kelley

edor

I've been looking around for simple gold jewelry for months now, and I finally hit the jackpot. I'm not sure how I stumbled upon Edor, an Etsy site, but I'm really happy that I did.
The site features handmade jewelry that is very simple and pretty, and the best part is that it is very inexpensive! I've already picked out 4 or 5 pieces that I want to order, and the total will be about the same as the one necklace I was considering from Nordstrom!
Here are just a few of my favorites:

Diagon Gold Necklace - $30

Gold Dash Necklace - $25

Ivory Pearl Bracelet - $15

I love that they're simple yet unique, and that they can be dressed up or dressed down. The pieces are great for layering, and I can't wait to own a few of my own! You can check out these items and the rest of the jewelry at http://www.etsy.com/shop/edor?ref=top_trail.

kelley

sugar cookies

Every year my dad and I make a few types of Christmas cookies that we give away to friends, but we're always sure to save some for ourselves as well. It's one of our holiday traditions, and I always love baking with him. This year, the sugar cookies went faster than ever, so the other night I decided to make another batch.
Even though Christmas is (sadly) over, I thought it would be fun for my boyfriend and I to decorate them with some of the red and green decorations we had leftover from the first round of baking.

We stared with a basic sugar cookie, and frosted with royal icing. I first piped the outline, let it dry, and then flooded the rest of the cookie. After that dried, we used some sparkling decorating gel in green and red to decorate the plain white cookies.

We had a lot of fun baking and decorating, and it brought back a little bit more Christmas cheer!

kelley

wine tasting

After all of my friends from high school came back into town for Winter break, we celebrated my friend Michelle's birthday by going wine tasting. Being from a place where so much wine is made and vineyards are everywhere, people were surprised that I had never been tasting before. We visited five wineries, and I had a wonderful time.
Now I finally have a better grip on what types of wine I like and don't like. The wineries were all so cute, and I had a great day. I can't wait to go again and try a few different wineries!

kelley

diy spike pump

A few weeks ago while shopping, I spotted some amazing Sam Edelman pumps. The heels were embellished with spikes and rhinestones, and they were just gorgeous! I tried them on and fell in love, but I still couldn't justify spending $225 on myself when Christmas was right around the corner. But I decided that I could try to make a pair myself. I knew that I had a similar pair of black pumps that I had bought on sale and never worn, and I figured I could get some spikes, studs, and rhinestones from the local craft store. Unfortunately, the spikes ended up being harder to find than I thought. I found some online, but they were too long, and wouldn't create the look I wanted. I finally found a bracelet at Forever 21 that had studs that I could take apart, and I set out to recreate the shoes.

Sam Edelman Pump - $225

I started with a plain black pair of suede pumps. I also bought some super glue, and some bracelets that I could cut apart and use the stones. The bracelets I bought were $15 a piece, and I needed two to have enough pieces. The one on top is the full bracelet, and the smaller portion underneath is one that I had been cutting at. I also bought these small glitter sticker-back decorations from Michael's that I mixed in with the studs. You could be creative and use other bracelets, craft accessories, or anything you think would work together.

I tried laying out a pattern that I could then glue to the shoe, but it ended up being easier to just pick a piece and glue as I went along the shoe. The difficulty that I had was that my studs from the bracelet had a hallow back, so I had to be very precise with the super glue on the rim of the back of the stud. The glitter circles were a lot easier because they had a flat back. I would recommend looking for pieces that have an easy back for you to adhere to the shoe.

They didn't come out quite as fabulous as the Sam Edelman version, but they were fun to make and I'm happy with the results! Now I have the urge to make more shoes... I'll have to brainstorm some more ideas!

merry christmas!

Every year on Christmas Eve I have trouble sleeping. No matter how old I am, I'm always so excited for Christmas Day. Or maybe it's the sugar from all the cookies I've been eating...
This year I was lucky enough to give and receive so many wonderful presents. Here are a few of the beautiful gifts I received this year.

Jessica Simpson Bendie Pump

One Line a Day Journal



Marc by Marc Jacobs Enamel Logo Disc Studs



Snoop by Sam Gosling



Urban Decay All Nighter Spray



Tory Burch Case

Calvin Klein for Nordstrom Wool Coat

I had such a wonderful Christmas with my family, and I hope you all had a great holiday season as well. Keep an eye out for a post with my after-Christmas-sale purchases!

kelley

the look for less

I love a good deal. So when I can copy a look for a fraction of the price, I feel like I've accomplished something. The other day while in Forever 21, I spotted a pair of glitter pumps that reminded me of a pair of Steve Madden's that I had almost bought a few months ago. When I turned them over and saw the price, I just had to have them.

Steve Madden 'Caryssa' - $100
Forever 21 Glitter Pump - $16

Both have a fine multi-glitter that covers the entire shoe. The Forever 21 version is slightly lighter than the Steve Madden, but I prefer it that way. And at $16, what kind of shopper would I be to ps