Black Friday Shopping

I didn't post a pre-Black Friday post because I thought so many bloggers covered the Black Friday Sales more than adequately.  In general, I try to stick to my outfits and I occasionally post my shopping hauls and this weekend definitely qualified.  My family is visiting and we woke up early Friday and went to eat brunch in town.  Then my mom, sister, and I headed to the local stores.  I scored this silver sequin skirt and the plaid flats at J. Crew.  These were the flats I was trying to buy in Dallas last week when my other flats were ruined.  I got very lucky in that we were standing in line to pay for my shoes and some tops for my mom and sister behind a woman who was returning this silver sequin skirt.  When we got to the register, I asked the sales woman if I could see the skirt and while it was a tad big, it was sold out and I couldn't order a smaller size. My mom pointed out that I should stick to this one so that I am comfortable even if I eat.  Then she sweetened the deal by paying for my shoes as an early Christmas gift! Sold! We stopped at Banana Republic and I also picked up the silk version of my favorite off the shoulder striped dress.  My sister wanted to visit Union Square and see if the tree was already up, but my mom wanted to stay at home with my dad.  I took advantage of the quick trip to the city to pick up this Comme des Garçon shirt during the sale at Saks Fifth Avenue and this beautiful Tibi dress at Nordstrom that I can't wait to wear these holidays.  What did you buy?

I Bought:

Banana Republic Dress

J. Crew Plaid Flats

Comme Des Garçon Shirt

J. Crew Sequin Skirt

Tibi Draped Towel Dress

Partying Like Rockstars

Last weekend, we attended our annual charity ball and it was the 10th year that my husband and I have attended.  We are both deeply committed to the organization and we can't imagine any other event that we enjoy as much as this one.  It is always a very busy weekend and it seems like even when my husband isn't actively in charge, he seems to find a way to lend a hand throughout the event. In the end, this was our best ball to date. To say we partied like rockstars is an understatement. We are very fortunate to have the absolute best friends and I love that we outdo ourselves year after year. My family came to town to celebrate Thanksgiving this week and I am feeling extra thankful.  Yesterday we woke up early and made it to breakfast and hit some of the Black Friday sales pretty hard before we collapsed into a heap on the couch and didn't move the rest of the day.  I hope you all had a wonderful one, too.

I Am Wearing:

Evening Gown: Runhof Talbot

Jewelry: Etsy

Shoes: Jimmy Choo (comfy wedge version)

Brunch Wrap

Before our charity Ball, we attended a brunch to celebrate the organization's sponsors and new directors.  I was really excited to wear my third(!!!) wrap dress by Diane von Furstenberg. I do believe that gives me a collection!  For my third dress, I settled on this chain-link wrap with the collared neck because I think it is one of the most classic and iconic prints in the DvF line.  I again had to have my tailor take up the shoulders and sleeves, but it is always worth it when I can pull it out of the closet or my suitcase and have it fit perfectly.  I wanted very classic accessories to complement the lines of the dress and I loved the overall look.  And, I have it on good authority that their upcoming Black Friday sale is going to be TO. DIE. FOR. Consider yourself told.

I Am Wearing:

Dress: Diane von Furstenberg

Shoes: Diane von Furstenberg (currently want)

**Thank you to DvF for partnering on this post.**

Dallas Shopping

I am traveling back from Texas today, but I wanted to write a quick post to share some weekend purchases.  My husband accidentally knocked one of my flats out of our rental car when we arrived Thursday and we didn't notice until the next morning when I saw the shoe beneath our car. Unfortunately, the sprinklers had come on overnight and my shoe was completely warped. I was sad because those gold ballet flats were one of my favorite pairs and I had gotten them on a ridiculous sale at the end of last winter.  One of my friends picked me up and she suggested stopping at our favorite mall before lunch with our other friends.  Well, between new makeup at Sephora, and a fruitless pit stop at J. Crew (they didn't have my size in the gold flats and they didn't have the plaid shoes I was going to spring for either.) we ended up at Banana Republic, Nordstrom, and Neiman Marcus and I walked out with more than I had in mind!

I Bought:

Cashmere/Cotton Cardigan: Banana Republic

Silk Faux Wrap Top: Trina Turk (Splurge)
Suede Ankle Wrap Sandals: Loeffler Randall

Cool Mornings

As the temperatures have dipped, our mornings have cooled significantly and I am loving the fact that I jumped on this cape-scarf as soon as it was released. I love that the plaid pattern means I can wear it with just about anything and I am looking forward to wearing it during our travel back home this weekend.  We are heading back to Dallas for our annual charity ball and the weekend can't come soon enough. There are now only six(!) weeks left in the year and not only do we have our charity ball this weekend, but my parents and my sister are visiting us for Thanksgiving next week and then we are making plans to celebrate my birthday and Christmas with my in-laws. I truly can't wait. In the meantime, I will rewear this cape as often as I can.

I Am Wearing:

Sweater: LOFT (I got it during my trip to Texas last month.)
Cape-Scarf: J. Crew

Necklace: c/o Dogeared Jewelry

Denim: J. Crew c/o Nordstrom

Brogues: Melrose & Market

Purse: Tory Burch

Check.

I have become obsessed with the J. Crew collection at Nordstrom. When I saw this coat, I knew I had to have it.  I love every single detail: the gold buttons, the Oxford check, the below the knee length, and most of all that it is double-breasted!  I paired it with these new skinny crop khakis in a green that  I think make a beautiful play on the green of the coat and my own striped tee. While I eventually hope to branch out into other pairings, I stuck with black accessories for now.  I can't wait to wear this coat during the upcoming holidays over a great dress for those parties, over slacks and a pretty top to work and casually over slim pants and a sweater.

I Am Wearing:

Striped Boatneck Tee: J. Crew

Coat: J. Crew

Pants: J. Crew

Shoes: Melrose & Market

**Thank you to Nordstrom for partnering on this post.**

Could This Be My Perfect Striped Tee?

I have only been looking for the perfect striped tee since always. Last spring, I hit the mother load of stripes at the J. Crew near my house, but I can't wear linen year round and the St. James quickly became my most worn top.  I looked at J. Crew's classic boatneck tee, but didn't think it would be worth spending $40 on a tee when there were several other options on sale.  And yet, I kept going back to it.  It didn't help that it seems like all the bloggers have it (see it on Blair, Allison, and Kelly) and I felt like this would be just another item that I chased onto the proverbial bandwagon.  I finally tried it on during my last trip and couldn't pass up their 30% off promotion on knits. I love the way the boatneck is flattering on me and the thicker knit make it a solid top that doesn't have to be layered on.  I wore it to work this week with my other problem item, my wide-leg Céline trousers, and received multiple compliments.  I admit that I love this top with these trousers much better than my last misguided attempt seen here. This fitted top in a contrasting color is a better silhouette than the boxy button down I tried before.  I am so glad I bought this in both the red and the navy stripes!

I Am Wearing:

Top: J. Crew Striped Boatneck

Necklace: Express (similar)
Bracelet: Tiffany & Co.

Wallet: Proenza Schouler

Trousers: Céline

Pumps: Zara (cute option for the holidays!)

Throw on a Tee / Call it a Day

We are just a couple of weeks away from our annual charity ball and I feel like I am being pulled in every different direction. Normally by this time, I have arranged our entire weekend schedule and booked all my preparation appointments. I've been swamped at work and haven't had a minute to breathe much less prepare for a ball in another state.  So nothing is getting done.  Any spare time I have is spent in sweats or yoga pants and a tee.  Can I please just call it a day now?

I Am Wearing:

Tank: Zara (option)
Cardigan: BCBG Max Azria (similar)

Gold Mini Hoop Earrings: Blue Nile

Initial Necklace: c/o Julie Vos
Handbag: Sam Edelman (Splurge | Steal)
Leggings: Lou & Grey for LOFT (current)
Boots: Ugg

Dinner with my Blog Bud

One of my best blog buddies, Veronica from Cid Style File, came to visit San Francisco recently and I was so thrilled that she had time in her schedule to have dinner with me!  I rushed home from work and threw on this cozy sweatshirt(!) from JCrew over my favorite skinnies and grabbed a pair of brogues to take her to one of my favorite eateries here in my little town.  Veronica was one of the first girls I met at a LuckyFABB conference several years ago and while we don't always get a chance to hang out, we keep in touch via social media and texts and try to meet up if we are in the same town. It was great to have someone around who knew I needed to take several photos of our food and drinks before we could get started! Thank you so much for visiting!!

I Am Wearing:

Sweatshirt: J. Crew

Earrings: Diamond Hoops (Splurge | Steal)

Handbag: Rebecca Minkoff (current)
Denim: Pilcro & The Letterpress

Brogues: Melrose & Market

The Little Luxe Details

During my trip to Texas a couple of weeks ago, I visited the Neiman Marcus Last Call there to see if I could find a dress for our upcoming charity ball.  While I didn't find a ball gown, I DID find this super soft and beautiful Donna Karan sweater tunic.  It feels so great and I love the honeycombed sleeves. I can't believe the deal I got because it is in PERFECT condition.  I found it marked down to $250 from $865 and it was an additional 65% off!  I also found a dress and a skirt that I also hope to wear soon.  In the meantime, I couldn't resist wearing this to dinner with my husband and my son.  It feels so luxurious that I had to pair it with some of my favorite luxe items like my black spinel bracelet, black suede booties, grandma's pearl studs, and both my Texas necklace and this cashmere/silk scarf by Marc Jacobs for the Neiman Marcus/Target collaboration. This is probably one of my favorite outfits lately. Expect to see me in this all winter long.

I am Wearing:

Cashmere Tunic: Donna Karan (current)
Scarf: Marc Jacobs for Neiman Marcus/Target (option)
Costume Pearl Studs: Gift from my grandmother (Splurge | Steal)
Necklace: Dogeared Jewelry

Skirt: Calvin Klein (similar)
Bracelet: Tiffany & Co. (similar)
Boots: Prada (current)