March!

The March Anthropologie catalog is delicious in every conceivable way. The exotic setting is gorgeous and gives me, a person who does way too little traveling, a glimpse of a foreign culture.
The photography is gorgeous! The clothes are totally gorgeous! It's been a while since I gushed like this over a catalog, but this one is worthy of Anthropologie in every way.

I call this page "Glamor among the four legged".

Browsing through this catalog I've been inspired to nag my husband to take me on a holiday. Of course I'll have to make a few necessary acquisitions from Anthropologie to prepare myself for the trip. Wonder if the sexiness of these clothes will be preserved with two kids in tow.



March catalog is loaded with dresses. Actually, come to think of it, out of all the stores I know of, Anthropologie has the largest selection of dresses. From feminine, to cute, to sexy, to exotic, if you're in a market for a dress, chances are you'll find a bunch of candidates at Anthropologie.

Nelumbo Skirt

Hello Blog, it's been a while since I posted anything. I told myself no more posting till I catch up on my Photoshop work, but I just couldn't resist sharing this sweet little skirt with you. So breezy and summery, I could see myself wearing it with a white t-shirt (or any color t-shirt for that matter), in some sun drenched beach town like Cape May or Cape Cod or any other Cape. Summer, I'm so ready for you.

Nelumbo Skirt from Anthropologie

What Does Your Store Say About You

On my recent visit to Anthropologie, I've noticed that they are stocking up on items that were made in Africa, a continent that has been troubled by all sorts of maladies. From hunger to disease, from tribal wars to dictators of all kinds, and (unfortunately) etc, etc, and etc.

I can picture the seasonal meeting of Anthropologie buyers going something like this: The head Product Development Manager goes: "I think African-made products will go well with our shoppers, the news that comes out of countries like Rwanda, Somalia, and Sudan are probably big on their minds."
I am sure that the motive behind the new 'humanitarian' inventory is not all altruistic, and I don't really care. As long as, the financial benefit actually trickles down to those that need it, the struggling people of the African continent. Especially women and children who are scarcely involved in much of the political turmoil but suffer disproportionately amidst growing
atrocities.
Anyway, as I was pondering all of this it has occurred to me that we, as Anthropologie shoppers can at least partially pat ourselves on the back. Our store is a reflection of our concerns and interests. So if our store carries 'humanitarian' items for sale, it implies that we, Anthropologie shoppers are humanitarian. What does your store say about you?

As I was taking my sweet time to put this post together, lo and behold I received an e-mail from Anthropologie with a link to Treasures of Africa, a collection of African made and African inspired products.


1. Shweshwe mug - $18, 2. Port Elithabeth Pitcher - $68, 3. Lotus Bowl - $4, 4. Shweshwe Dinner Plate - $24

Sgraffito Vase - $128, handmade in South Africa

Click here to see more from the Treasures of Africa collection.

Pavo Tee

How many smiles can Anthropologie pack into one t-shirt? The Pavo Tee makes me think of sunshine, lemonade and bygone days when clothes were not mass-produced. Adorned with patchwork plumage and decorated with topstitching and little buttons, this t-shirt makes me smile every time I look at it. Sure $68 might be a bit much for a mere t-shirt, but then again this is not just a mere t-shirt.

Unique and Beatiful Gifts

Gifts On a Budget

Just because you're on a tight budget, doesn't mean you can't procure a nice gift for that special someone. The gifts bellow are literally dirt cheap, but so cute! As you might have noticed all these are feminine gifts. I didn't put up any gift ideas for men because, quite frankly, I never know what men like/want/need. Every time I ask my husband what he wants the answer is always the same - Intangibles.



Leather Nature Coin Purse - $10 (Comes in other colors)

Tatto Etched ID Case - $12, Urban Outfitters


Girly Girl Hipster - $18


Tapestry Compact Mirror - $10 from UrbanOutfitters.com

A Gift of Art from Belle & Boo

Lets Hug - $30


Found - $30


Summer Woolly - $30

Mid-Range Gifts

Chantilly Slip - $39.95 (sale price), Anthropologie

Textile Museum Drops - $68 from Anthropologie



Belle & Boo's Lovely Day - $50, limited edition signed and numbered screen print,
only 30 in existence!


If You're Feeling Really Generous


Embroidered Sterling Silver Potpourri Pendant - $179, Embroidered floral cameos, framed in handcrafted sterling, on braided leather cords from Peruvian Connection



Magnolia Drops - $248, Anthropologie



Take Wing Ring - $750, Hand hammered of 18kt gold with white and
champaign diamonds from Sundancecatalog.com




Harmony Ring - $220, Sundancecatalog.com

My Mad Tea Party

"Well, I've often seen a cat without a grin, but a grin without a cat! It's the most curious thing!"

-Alice in Wonderland, Lewis Carroll

I was so excited when I found these ceramic Alice in Wonderland dishes at Urban Outfitters.com, I just had to share them with you. Each one is printed with a reproduction of an original John Tenniel Illustration. Being a huge Alice in Wonderland fan, these dishes are a major treat to me. They also make nice gifts (I hope you're reading this, Hubby).

9 Inch Platter - $16

Wonderland Glasses - $5


The White Rabbit Platter - $18

Alice Mug - $8

J.Crew's Got Some Nerve

Ok, as you can tell by the title, this will be a venting post. If you are a loyal J.Crew customer, this might be an offensive venting post, but vent I must and vent I will. I've never actually bought anything from J.Crew. The clothes are decent, but not so out of the ordinary that I would go ahead and pay outrageously expensive J. Crew prices. If I would spend $145 on a sweater it would most likely be an Anthropologie sweater. However, this winter I became obsessed with pencil skirts. They go with virtually any top in my closet and are so retro-feminine. They also happen to bring out my bum nicely, which gets rather lost in puffy skirts. I've been looking for a brown wool pencil skirt for the longest time and have finally found just the right one on J.Crew website. The skirt is on sale for $79.99. It doesn't seem like too good of a sale price, but since I couldn't find a similar skirt anywhere else, I was willing to buy it by telling myself that hopefully I'll get a lot of wear out of it. And here is where the venting begins. J. Crew has this ridiculous policy of not allowing exchanges or returns on sale items. All sales are final! Can you believe the nerve? Who do they think they are? I'm buying something over the Internet, not knowing whether it will fit me and I don't have the option of exchanging the item? I could understand a policy like this for something that costs $5, but and $80 skirt?


Addendum: I feel just a little bit guilty about my above venting and have something to say about J.Crew's good customer service. After putting up this post I called J.Crew and asked them if I understood the final sale policy correctly. Really? Truly? No exchanges? They told me "Yes", final sale means just that, but they also offered to provide me with the skirt's measurements so that I can buy it with confidence. The measurements did help in choosing a size, but I still was not convinced and so the friendly customer service rep agreed to waive the final sale policy for this one purchase. She also gave me a one time free shipping promotion. I know they're just trying to get me hooked on their brand, which is fine with me as long as I'm getting what I want. It seems I'm a retail whore.

Boden Spring Catalog

Bodenusa.com is currently running a 10 % off all orders plus FREE shipping and FREE returns promotion. Here are some of my picks from the spring catalog.

Chic Textured Cardigan - This cardigan comes in four colors, and looks very cozy and playful. I love the oversize plush buttons.

Ruffle Cotton Dress - Also comes in white, coral and mole (a sort of dark brown). What I like about this dress is that it's not "loud", if you know what I mean, but at the same time it does not lack interest. The raised spots and the pintucks are a nice touch. I can think of many occasions when I might want to wear a feminine dress like this.

Every season Boden comes out with a variety of four Fun Skirts. I always look forward to these, as they are fun indeed.

Boden also has very cute kids and baby clothes, which I'm too lazy to put up right now. You can check them out at Bodenusa.com. Happy Spring shopping!