b+w

cyber monday is hard!!

i think it might be a bigger shopping day than the day after thanksgiving.

i got a million and one emails telling me all the great deals to be had and how easy it was to do with a few clicks....

i don't shop on black friday because i don't like the hoards of masses of people. so that's easy. i just don't go.

but i found it really hard to sit at my desk and not shop for myself.

for me, not for christmas gifts. for me!

so i decided, one thing.

i'd get something small to get it out of my system.

and then sit on my hands for the whole rest of the day unless i was being selfless and buying a gift for someone else. or in fact, getting some real work done. at work, ha.

so i headed to f21.

i'm into the whole black and white stripes thing more than ever right now... remember here. and they didn't disappoint in that arena:

here

here

here

here

here

here

this faux leather was tempting...

but you have to be careful at f21. some of their stuff can look so cheap (bc it is), so this one i had to see in person.

and i haven't seen it in person, but you can get yours here.

here

and finally settled on this:

here.

it was free shipping.

and the sweater itself was only like $17.

after that, i made it through the whole rest of the day without spending all of my savings account :)

did you find it as hard as i did?

online shopping is so dangerously easy.

soo, happy post-cyber-monday-tuesday.

hope you survived.

what did you get!!!??!!

i wanna hear.

JILL

don't get me wrong.

i am the last person to shoo summer out the door,

but this outfit is looking soooo good right now.

i think its the fact that my summer work wardrobe is waning on me.

i'm so bored with it.

my cardigans and closed-toed wedges are givin me the sad, puppy dog face from the back of my closet.

luckily its cooling way off around these parts. finally.

at least for the next 3 days.

JILL

{via ginger-snapped}

what do you think about these?

have you seen the mass of sweaters out there with animals on the front?

i have to admit, i was not very warm to the idea...

until i kept seeing them pop up here and there, online and in the stores, and then on elle's post with the llamas.

and it sorta grew on me.

saw this one on pinterest yesterday and that was it.

love.

i particularly love the patterned graphic blouse underneath.

takes it from 2nd grade to adult worthy.

took this combo as inspiration.

searched a little.

then played on polyvore a little.

et voila!

came up with these:

peacock sweater by thebluehouse featuring high heel shoes

Markus Lupfer slim fit sweater, €349
Zara shirts blouse, $60
7 For All Mankind cut out jeans, €239
Proenza Schouler genuine leather handbag, $895

wolf sweater by thebluehouse featuring long sleeve crew neck shirts

Long sleeve crew neck shirt, £9
Hollister Co chain shirt, $50
J Brand slim fit jeans, £190
Forever21 lace up shoes, $28
Alexander McQueen silk chiffon scarve, $295

penguin sweater by thebluehouse featuring flat patent leather shoes

Etro black blouse, $505
Dorothy perkin, $59
J Brand bright colored pants, £206
Madewell flat patent leather shoes, $88

cute, huh?

there are lots more to choose from

for any budget.

animal sweaters by thebluehouse featuring embellished tops

Cooperative embellished top, $69
PJ by Peter Jensen crew neck shirt, $88
Knit top, $62
Forever21 lightweight sweater, $23

very very trendy.

one of those pieces i can't allow myself to pay any large amount of money for because i may be wondering what in the world was i thinking-- in just a few weeks.

loves.

JILL

the llama lover

i know just the person for this sweater...my mom!! she is quite the llama lover. we visited a llama farm this summer on martha's vineyard and boy was she in heaven :)

xoxo

elle.

via madewell

thankful.

did everyone have a good halloween?

i wasn't going to get dressed up but when the little nuggets started showing up at the door, i couldn't resist. i went into my costume stash from the sorority days and pulled out a terribly awful vintage dress, threw on a giant tangled black wig, tons of blue eyeshadow and neon pink lips... and went as pretty. i kinda thought it clever. husband thought i was h-o-t-t.

moving on. which, i cannot believe this... christmas season has already started apparently. i was seeing and hearing christmas commercials this weekend. what happened to halloween, then thanksgiving, THEN christmas?

i really like thanksgiving.

i like the food and the thought of being consciously thankful.

there is still beautiful fallness going on outside. as soon as those leaves are off the trees, that's when i can get excited for christmas.

this month i will try to be more consciously thankful.

of the big things but more importantly, the small things that get left behind on the i'm-thankful-for list.

i'm thankful for warm things to snuggle in that are also extremely attractive :)

example 1:

i think i may try my hand at dip bleaching a plain old heather gray sweatshirt.

blah to rad.

example 2:

this sweater from j.crew.

so you can wear your heart on your sleeve huge on your chest.

i'm also thankful for each and every one of you.

JILL

holy moly

this impossibly long week seems like it's never going to end.

both of my works are piling up. and i. do. not. like. that. feeling.

i wish i could take lots of half days and have lots of picnics but alas, life gets in the way.

i'm dreaming of the weekend on thursday afternoon.

don't judge.

here's what i'm also dreaming of:

snuggles with sweaters and sequins.

tonight i have 3 pumpkins that are going to get their carve on.

these little dotted party pumpkins are pretty cute.

i just might be copying...

i am more excited for the seeds that come along with carving more than the actual pumpkins though.

i roast mine 3 different ways:

1- just salt and pepper.

2- season salt and any other herbs/spices i fancy.

2- salt and sugar. omg. think kettle corn. and thank me later.

mmm.

happy friday-is-almost-here-and-that-means-the-weekend-is-sure-to-follow!

JILL

have you ever

seen such fantastic elbow patches in your whole entire life?!

ever?

from here.

JILL

ugly christmas sweaters??

friends, these are ugly christmas sweaters:

these too, are seriously ugly christmas sweaters:

now these.... these are so very not-ugly christmas sweaters:

i think these are beautiful. i found one in shades of greige, brown and white from forever 21.

i heart it.

JILL

(first images from uglychristmassweatersforsale.com, the last 3 are from everything fabulous)

let's get cozy.

for one summer in college, i nannied for a family of 5 perfect girls under the age of 6! it was one of my most favorite jobs to this day. one of the girls, who was 3 at the time, would always want to sit on my lap and she'd say, "let's get cozy." it still makes me smile years later.

with the days still getting shorter and the temperature still dropping, i want to get cozy. right now i'm into festive sweaters, a big fire and fur :)

JILL

the 50's and 60's for fall

i have been seeing hints of these iconic eras pop up here and there for fall. here are my two favorite editorials:

this first part is from elle sweden with model mona johannesson.

swingy skirts and sweaters.

images via elle sweden

now take a look at all this glamour from vogue australia's september issue. catherine mcneil is stunning.

more bold eyeliner, flowy skirts, and muted colors.

via vogue australia, september 2010 issue

i have been trying to grow my hair long again, but she makes me want to run right out and chop it off! maybe not, seeing how i don't have a team of vogue stylists to make it look like this every morning :)

nobody wants to see summer end... but after seeing these, i could start to think about it. i thought they were just beautiful. and very lady-like.


JILL