summer swimwear

My favorite swimwear brands are Vix, and Juicy Couture. Did any of you happen to watch that reality show on E! about Ashley Paige who is a swimwear designer? All of her swimsuits were designed by her and then handmade and knitted by this cute little man who sat in the back of her shop in Miami. All that I remember from the show is that she was constantly struggling to make ends meet and was only able to pay her rent if she sold a swimsuit or two. Well, now I know how she makes a living off of those swimsuits! I checked out her website www.ashleypaige.com and saw some amazing swimsuits, however--MAJOR sticker shock. All of the suits were upwards of $400. Upon searching for some affordable Ashley Paige suits, I came across some on Target. Target always saves the day! Looks like she collaborated with them and offered a line of cheaper but still cute crochet swimsuits. They don't have any one piece suits though, which are the ones that I like most from her Summer '09 line.

1, 2 by Ashley Paige 3-5 Vix

Le Sportsac Summer Giveaway!

To enter this contest for this super cute (brand new!) Lesportsac tote:

What are 3 essentials you carry in your purse during the summer?

Please provide a valid email address so that I can contact you if you've won.
This contest is only offered to residents of the lower 48 states of the US.

One entry per person.
Winner will be chosen at random.
This giveaway ends on July 4th so get your entries in!

Havaianas

Havaianas are by far the most comfortable pair of flip flops I've ever owned. I've tried the Old Navy route but they aren't very flexible and I always slip in my J. Crew flip flops in the rain! I wore these all day while we were in Atlantic City and love them. Check out their website here to see all the different styles and colors.

J. Crew Sparkle Blouson dress, Madewell granpda cardigan
bag Balenciaga city, Havaiana flip flops

union jack tank UO, madewell grandpa cardigan, madewell gathered denim skirt

H commented on how heavy my bag was and asked, "what's in this?" All I was carrying that day was my wallet and iphone--and trust me, my wallet is not heavy nor full. People have asked me for reviews of the Balenciaga City and while the leather and bag itself are amazing, I have to admit--it is HEAVY. It's because of the giant silver hardware, so if you're in the market for one of these but don't want the weight of a bowling bag (I swear, it is heavy without anything in it), one should opt for the classic style with regular hardware.

Flattered or Frustrated?

Just wondering how you feel when someone in your circle of friends buys the same things you buy (after you have already owned/purchased/worn the item) in terms of clothes, shoes, and accessories. Is it flattering or frustrating? Would love to hear your thoughts!

Gypsy 05

Just got my Gypsy 05 maxi dress as seen on Audrina from the Hills. I got the exact same color but they have tons of different styles and colors. The best part about them is they're made from 100% organic cotton, perfect on a hot summer day. I plan to wear mine this weekend, however it's a tad long (because I'm a tad short...) If you want a good deal on yours, contact Melodic Threads on myspace--Jenna was extremely helpful!

photo: iheartthat.com

"the one that got away"

we can all relate. that one item that you see on someone else, or in a store, and decide not to pursue only to regret it later when it's completely too late and long gone. that regretful feeling is what has compelled me to become a more aggressive, impatient shopper. when I see something I like, I usually end up buying it for fear of not being able to find it ever again (yes I know how stupid that sounds). For me, there are several "things that got away" that come to mind. One is a Marc Jacobs jacquard dress that came out last year. It sold out so fast and I lost out to some crazy bidder on Ebay. Another thing that comes to mind is that when I was on the metro in Paris, this girl was wearing this plaid hooded jacket that had this cute star printed lining. The tailoring of the jacket was so nice, I totally regret not asking her where she got it, even in my broken French. Other items include J. Crew (of course), especially things from 05-06, sigh. What are some items that got away for you?

celeb style

these are some of my favorites. jessica alba's feminine yet relaxed style, whitney port and the way she pulls off vintage, rachel bilson who looks like an absolute doll in every photo, and lauren conrad who always appears so effortlessly chic.
who are yours favorite celebrity styles?

TOPSHOP Spring 09

can't wait to wear these. now if it would only stop raining so i could go out and play!

Vintage J. Crew

I've been going through my closet and realized that I kind of miss the old J. Crew. The one that sold cute, detailed prints in lively, practical colors. I wish they would bring some of that back, especially in the spring and summer. What are your favorite J. Crew "vintage" items?

Salmonella poisoning

That is what I have. Ick. By now I'm not a stranger to salmonella, c diff or any other crazy GI issues. Should you ever get this (and I really wouldn't wish it upon anyone because it can put you out of commission for days), the suggested course of action is to:

• stay hydrated. make your own form of gatorade by mixing a glass of water, with half a lemon, lime, or orange, a teaspoon of sugar, and a dash of salt. drink this frequently to stay hydrated
  
• rest! seriously, just stay in bed and rest.
  
• take some acidophilus (a probiotic found at pharmacies, target, etc). this probiotic will replenish the bad bacteria that came from the toxins from the salmonella, which is causing all this ruckus in your system

change in plans

I am so naive when it comes to this wedding planning thing. I called the J. Crew at Rockefeller a few days ago to try to get an appointment for this Friday, when some of my friends are available. I didn't realize that it would be an ordeal to come in to try on just one dress! I was thinking I would come in, try it on, and within minutes we'd know whether it would work or not. Well, the next appointment they have available is in several weeks, so we will have to put this on hold. However, this kind of worked out for the better because my parents have offered to pay for my dress and are willing to be quite generous about the cost. I don't want to spend a lot on a dress but then I saw this:I am so in love with dress, I can not even express how much I absolutely love it. It is elegant but fun, not exactly conventional, yet worthy enough of being a wedding gown. Must.find.this.dress. sigh!

job hunting woes

I've finally caved and had to vent about the job search on my blog. I will try to keep this quick and light so bear with me. I have this tendency to graduate at the worst times. ever. I graduated from undergrad and was job searching right around 9/11 and I just graduated with my MPH in the worst economic times that our generation has seen. If Sally Mae wasn't up my you know what, I would probably consider going back to school for a phD because at this point, school seems like a safe haven away from the real world and a career. There is no real point to this entry but before I go I also want to point out how annoying it is when people ask, "so how is the job market out there?" I will have a nice answer for you when I have actually found employment, thankyouverymuch!

newest obsession: Maxi dresses

I've discovered that my J. Crew Mallorca jersey knit dress is one of the most comfortable things to wear in the summer. It's versatile and easy to dress up or down and I actually wore it three times when I was in Paris, mainly because I didn't think to pack summery clothes and we were not expecting the temperature to be in the high 80s. Since then I've definitely been on the lookout for more dresses like this. These are also some of my favorites:

J. Crew jersey knit grecian long dress
too bad this sold out so quickly! :(

An old one, but still a favorite
Michelle Mason 3 way dress

Looks like this summer I'll be trading in my shorts and skirts for a few of these dresses! What are your summer favorites?

So...

whats the most ridiculous thing in your closet? Something that you love but don't have the guts to wear? I'll tell you if you tell me!

Edit: Okay I'm finally ready to share the most outrageous thing in my closet. My Sam Edelman harness ankle boots aka the Balenciaga harness ankle boots worn by the Olsen twins. They look so subtle on Mary Kate and even Rumi. Unfortunately living in the suburbs doesn't really give me a chance to put them to good use. I need to go into the city soon!

photo vintage lollipops

oh yeah, i need a wedding venue

H was away for work but now that he's back, we need to get on this and find a place to hold our wedding! I'd love to get married in a castle but I have my limits because some of the castle venues I've found just evoke the heebie jeebies and I am not trying to creep anyone out on my special day. So far I know that our time frame is flexible. May-October is fine, must be on a Saturday but daytime is an option. Must be an indoor venue because hello, I have weather anxiety! Anyone know if people actually rent out their large houses/mansions for weddings? There are so many gorgeous homes in my town and I'm tempted to just show up on someone's doorstep and ask lol. (almost kidding).

In the meantime, going to check out the J. Crew Fontaine gown in person next week. Hope it's as gorgeous in person as it is online!

TOPSHOP flat rate shipping - take advantage!

I love some of the things at Topshop but after seeing the type of madness that ensues at their NYC location, I'd rather order online. Normally shipping is pricey because it comes from the UK but for the month of June, Topshop is offering a flat rate of $10 shipping which is a pretty good deal! Just know that they don't seem to process orders immediately. Once you place an order, you get a confirmation email, and for me, I usually get a notice of the shipment being dispatched within 2-3 days after I've placed an order. Then it takes a little over a week to receive it, so patience is a must if you order, but it is always well worth the wait!

Kristen Stewart MTV Movie Awards Dress

I was really surprised at Kristen Stewart's outfit for the MTV Movie Awards. Not because she rocked sneakers with a dress (which personally, I think looked good!), but because she's usually photographed in literally a t-shirt and jeans. I don't own anything red but if I did, and if I had some kind of cool occasion, I'd definitely like this dress by Yigal Azrouel. Y Yigal will be sold on Gilt starting this Wednesday--remember sales start at noon and the good stuff sells out fast! Click here if you need an invite :)

pancakes

Went to a local pancakes house for brunch. Chocolate chip and banana pancakes are awesome.

Madewell red checkered shirt, denim skirt, red Bensimon lacets, LV damier neverfull

trendspotting

One of the cute trends that I noticed in Paris was girls and guys carrying these cute mini duffel bags as their primary handbag. On our last day in Paris I almost bought one for 12 Euro but they didn't have the color I wanted. H also talked me out of it because afterall, it's just a duffel bag. I am obsessed with getting what I want (aren't we all...ok maybe not) so after doing a futile ebay search, and browsing the internet I actually stumbled upon this bag at American Apparel! I should have known to check their site, they're the best at carrying the ultimate basics.

black vinyl is kind of chic here, no?
pink. metallics are awesome


acid washed denim making its comeback

the suspense is killing me

i'm expecting a few things in the mail and i am so curious/excited/anxious! i seriously love getting mail (the good kind, not bills!) and i love opening packages. even though i paid for them, it still feels like i'm receiving a gift :) will def post back when i receive my goodies. till then, i am working on a top secret birthday present for my fiancee. i will share details and pics next weekend!

Regrouping, Reorganizing, and Minimalizing

While we were in Paris for 10 days, I realized that I can survive with just the staples of my wardrobe. I packed 4 bottoms, 4 tops, 2 dresses, and 3 sweaters and was able to mix and match everything to make different outfits and loved everything that I wore. That explains why I am eliminating anything unnecessary from my wardrobe. The best thing about this endeavor is that I'm not hesitant. I know I own too many clothes still with tags that have never seen the light of day, so it's easy for me to let them go. In a way, I think this will be liberating. Besides, I'm essentially making room for my newest obsession (which I find to be more practical than clothes) and that is: bags!

One of these days, I swear I will get my closet to look like this: (sigh!)

image: bagsnob.com

Purging my closet

Click to the link on the right to shop my closet! Everything pictured below is for sale sizes XS-S. J Crew, Gap, Madewell, vintage, designer, and more! New things added daily. Feel free to email me with any questions!
trestippy at gmail dot com

this has nothing to do with travel or fashion.

But it is related to my guilty pleasure--TWILIGHT. I spent my winter break from grad school reading the entire series-twice! I can't wait for New Moon. Anyway, those of you who have read the books will appreciate this for its humor, and those of you who haven't will also appreciate this for the little summary. (Click to enlarge)

illustration by Lucy Knisley
check out her work here!

les enfants

Tres mignon! {very cute!}

French children by far have the cutest style that I've seen in Europe. I know this is attributed to their fashionista moms. I want to be one of those stylish mom with my color coordinated, trendy children. I always tell H that I'm going to be that cool soccer mom who picks up her kids in a Range everyday from school. Unfortunately H does not share my interest in fashion or cars lol.

a simple outfit topped off with a bright red beret

little boy accessorized with a scarf

the French love Hello Kitty

Classic colors and stripes. They love their stripes!

Back from Paris!

We had a really great time in Paris but I think my all time favorite city is still London. In any case, that French minor really came in handy as I was speaking it more than half the time we were there.

Here's a little summary of our trip:

DAY 1:
Arrived in the morning. We were staying at the Banke Hotel on Rue Lafayette and the service here was great. Since our room was not yet ready, we ended up walking all the way to the Louvre and bought our museum passes. Went back to our hotel and took the Vedettes du pont neuf cruise along the Seine during sunset.

DAY 2:

Spent the day at Museum D'Orsay. Went back to the hotel to rest and gear up for dinner at La Masique in Montmarte. Afterwards went to the Cabaret Au Lapin Agile. It's a very fun atmosphere and I'd recommend this to anyone, French speaking or not. Cassitat was my favorite singer (think Edith Piaf).

DAY 3:
Went to Musee Rodin and absolutely loved the sculpture garden. Then went back to the Louvre to see Mona Lisa and co. Walked along Rue de Rivoli on the way back and bought some scarves as souvenirs.

DAY 4:
After breakfast headed out to Champs Elysees. Walked up the 284 step spiral staircase of the Arc and got some great pictures. Walked down to Louis Vuitton and bought myself some things as a reward for walking up those 284 steps, haha! Took the metro to Tuileries and walked up to Rue St Honore to shop. Took the metro to Notre Dame. Loved sitting in Notre Dame and admiring it while being shielded from the heat. Went to Shakespeare and Co. and was tempted to buy a copy of Anna Karenina for 29 Euros. Stumbled upon Amorino in that area and it was absolutely amazing ice cream!

DAY 5:
Trip to Versailles and we arrived there just before noon (it's only 35 minutes from Paris). Explored the gardens, bought tickets for the tram (about 6 euros per person for a round trip ticket) and took it to the Petit Trianon. I enjoyed watching Sophia Copolla's Marie Antoinette and it was nice to know the story behind Versailles. Returned to Paris to see the Eiffel Tower and it was magical! We got there at the perfect time--around 7pm when the lines were short (just a 30-40 minute wait to go up to the 2nd level) and by the time we came down it was dark out and it started illuminating. Very exciting for H as it was his first time seeing it, and his favorite highlight of the trip. My highlight of the day was the crepe avec buerre et sucre, hot chocolate while watching the Eiffel tower light up.

DAY 6:
Hung out in the Marais. Had lunch at L'as du Falafel-- best meal I had in Paris. I will never look at falafels the same again. Afterwards walked next door to a vintage store which sells a bunch of very Parisian striped sweaters, dresses, bags, all vintage. Got a dress for 10 euros and 2 scarves for 3 euros each. Walked to Free P Star and wandered down the tiny spiral steps and stumbled upon a vintage dress for 10 euros. That evening we were craving Asian food so we referred to our Lonely Planet guide and got Pho at Don Huong. Asian people are never overly friendly anywhere it seems, except for Thailand (I am probably biased!).

DAY 7:
Shopped at Galleries Lafayette and Blvd Haussman. Went to the Catacombs which our guidebook stated closes at 5pm. We got there at 4:05 and saw a crowd of people begging the entrance guys to let them in. There was a sign outside that says that they don't allow anyone in after 4pm. They would not give us a break (those lazy jerks) and shut the doors and left. We were disappointed and annoyed but spent some time window shopping and had good moules et frites at L'Academie de la Bierre at 88 bis, bld du Port Royal right by the RER station.

DAY 8:
We enjoyed the Eiffel Tower so much that we decided to go back on this last day in Paris. Took some funny ones where it looks like we are holding the tower (the trick is to take the picture up close while kneeling). Took the metro to Isle St Louis and got Bertillon ice cream. Went to the store Kiliwatch which has a huge vintage section in the back of the store but the prices are much higher than the other vintage stores in the Marais. Headed up to Montmarte for fondu at Refuge des Fondus. We learned about this restaurant from our Lonely Planet guide which mentions that they serve wine in baby bottles.

Some comments:
Everyone in Paris smokes--extremely openly to the point where they blow smoke in all directions. I knew this beforehand but was still overwhelmed by all the smoke.

French kids and babies are THE cutest and most stylish I've ever seen. I took some photos and will share those later.

I did not find French people to be rude at all. I think they are just more reserved yet polite. Everytime I come back from Europe I feel like I belong there, or at least Canada. Certainly not the northeast of the U.S.!

no longer a grad student!

This is overdue but I just had to post 2 photos from my graduations! All J Crewed out in these, of course :)