weekend words

Dear readers,

February is almost gone! And yet I can't believe the holidays were only two months ago. So far 2009 has been a long, fast year. We've been completely blown away at the recent growth of our readership and we particularly appreciate every comment and feature in the past week (thanks to the fabulous bloggers of Blog Goggles, kiss and type, t spoon of sunshine, A Mile a Minute, I'm Over It, and Its all good... for their kind words*)!

Congratulations to our ad space giveaway winners: Sweet16Finds, House of Six Cats, and Cozy Girl Designs! Check out their stores for some ridiculously adorable, gorgeous, and comfy finds, respectively.

N is headed out on the town tonight, catching up with old friends tomorrow, and checking out a play in the big city on Sunday. I would say I'm jealous, but my last experience at the theater left much to be desired (picture lots and lots of unexpected nudity, no plotline, and every single cast member dying by the end). Here's hoping hers inspires me to head out again!

I'm going to a training tomorrow - woo! No, seriously, I'm kind of excited about this one. Then I'm going wedding dress shopping with a friend (she's engaged, not me!) for the first time ever. Flashing back to the Friends episode where all the girls come back from shopping with gowns of their own, and of course Liz Lemon's pre-emptive wedding dress. If you're nodding, come back next week for a women of television inspired stuff under twenty day!

Until Monday!
S + N

*Let me know if you blogged about us and we missed it. We'd love to link to you!

Afternoon in Odawara

Lovely.


$15.49 for 10x15 print at koony's deviantART shop

women's button-front raincoats

Rain, rain, go away...

$19.75 (originally $39.50) at Old Navy

5-piece ceramic pasta set

Pasta is a great and easy dish to make when you have a flurry of friends coming over but only have two hours or so to get ready, clean up the place, and cook. At least now the table won't be hard to set.

Pasta serving dish and 4 plates for $19.99 at Bed, Bath and Beyond

it's our time boxy boyfriend deep v-neck cardigan

It really annoys me when things are described as "boyfriend" clothes just because they're kind of baggy and comfortable and don't have you struggling to sit a certain way or breathe a certain amount. I just want to throw on some cute comfortable clothes (like this cardigan) sometimes and not think about relationships! Is that wrong?

$11.99 (originally $34) at Macys

alien landing by jo beerens

I'm not a person for whom photography calls to mind anything transcendental. Photographs are just a documentation, sometimes regretted, often poorly carried out, of events in my life. I've never seen anything through the lens of a camera that was more beautiful than anything I saw outside the lens of a camera. And then I see a photograph like this and I realize I should really just stop here.

$18.53 for a 10.66x8 laminated print at Red Bubble

set of three letterpress cards

I Wheelie Like You
Smokin' Hot
Sew in Love

Enough said.

$10 at chewingthecud's etsy shop

altomonte ring

A ring to say, "Yes, I am this fabulous."

Also coveting Flopent, Falorley, and awkwardly (and I don't mean because it's over twenty dollars), Meth.

$14.98 at Aldo

delia's georgia dress

I wish I had a party to wear this dress to. And I wish that I had been invited to that party by Greg Kinnear, who picked me up in his sportscar on my way back from Paris. And I wish that during that party, Harrison Ford, although he didn't quite know it yet, would fall for me so badly that he would follow me back to Paris just a few weeks later - his first time on the Concorde, and his first everything.

$14.99 (down from $39.50) at Delia's

Connie - racerback mini dress

I love love love this racerback tank dress. It looks deliciously comfortable and will take you two seconds to throw on with a pair of leggings before rushing out the door to the grocery store, the beach, that date, your favorite club... (see where I'm going with this?)

$13 at Americas Basics

Trishelle Skirt

No need to totally give up that dream of being a ballerina...

$19.99 (originally $38.50) at Delia's

colorful metal bracelet set

Dress up the frump.

$5.80 at Forever 21

Sweet Grass Farm 50 hour soy candle

Soy candles are a wonderful addition to your home - unlike regular candles, they burn cleaner (lower your carbon footprint), longer and are made from 100% USA grown soybeans. These Farmhouse candles come in fantastic scents - citrus blossom, maple sugar, and sugarmint, to name a few...

$9.95 for 8oz candle at Farmhouse Wares

buckle-cuff mock-neck sweater

The sweater you wear that will finally get you to say "hi" to the guy who just 'happens to be' in the same elevator as you every morning at work.

$19.50 (originally $49.50) at Express

Saniya pointed toe flats

I was at a conference two weeks ago and had two interactions (seriously, two) with people about these shoes that went like this:

me: oh, great shoes
her: Target! I wear them all the time.

$16.99 at Target

mod jacket

O, wind, if winter comes, can spring be far behind? -Percy Bysshe Shelley

$10.99 (originally $59) at Spiegel

Superfine knits pullover

This cotton, bamboo and wool blend pullover will be the thing you wear as a layer through the rest of the winter and the thing you wear with your favorite jeans come late-March.

$19.99 (originally $78) at French Connection

jenny striped blouse

Meet me at the corner... office.

$19.80 at Forever21

sweet lola cherry drops necklace

This necklace is breathtaking. I think it's one of those pieces that has much more presence than it seems it has at first glance. I could easily see it take a plain outfit of dark denim and black top to a whole new level of wow.

$17 at Meredith Fenwick's etsy shop

croc purse

It's been a long time since I carried something that wasn't half the size (and weight!) of me over my shoulder. Maybe that's why this bag, with its slim profile and delicate straps, calls to me.

$19.99 (down from $42) at Urban Outfitters

contina

I honestly have no idea what this is, except for awesome.

$17.40 (down from $29) at Jaime Rugh

ae t-shirt dress

Look how carefree this girl looks. Maybe it's because t-shirts are the greatest thing ever, and dresses are the greatest thing ever, and t-shirt dresses were so much to take in that she got dazed.

$19.95 at American Eagle

aged flowers ceramic coaster set

Who needs clunky, expensive, dust-collecting books that no one ever reads when you can have these breathtaking coasters on top of your coffee table instead? If it was me, I'd leave them out all the time as evidence of my good taste instead of keeping them locked inside the kitchen cabinet waiting for a guest and her iced tea.

Made of ceramic tile and backed with cork!

$12 at House of Six Cats' etsy shop (check out the shop for beautiful prints and cool and affordable nightlights made with said prints!)

wanted women's twister peep toe flat

I'm generally pretty beentheredonethat with flats, but these definitely caught my eye. It's hard to see on this picture, but the fabric of the shoe is a reversible polka-dot/striped (can you get more winning than that?) and it actually twists to make the peep toe. So the unseen side of the shoe is in the striped fabric. It would be the perfect exclamation on a tunic/leggings/headband outfit.

$19.95 (down from $34.95) at Endless

daytrip sheer stripe sweater

I'll have some stripes with a hood on top, please.

$18 (down from $36) at Buckle

spice market mill

The mint color of this pepper mill adds the perfect vintage touch to your kitchen table. A great gift for the chefs in your life. (And hey, the discount's nothing to sneeze at, either.)

$12.95 (originally $28!) at Anthropologie

patent leather envelope clutch

I love the pale yellow shade of this clutch. It begs spring to come a bit sooner.

$15.99 (originally $39.50) at the Gap

body balm

Thistle Farms is a non-profit business run by women who create natural, eco-friendly, beauty products by hand. 100% of profits go back into a residential community for women who have been on the streets or have experienced drug addiction and violence. You'll feel good, you'll do good.

$14 at Thistle Farms

Habotai slip

If you have to wear a slip, and yea, at some point many of us have a moment where we feel like we should own one, then make it this 100% silk slip in black or nude. It'll have you floating through the entire evening.

$19 (originally $105!) at Calypso

houndstooth shift dress

If a girl looks swell when she meets you, who gives a damn if she's late? Nobody. - Holden Caulfield, The Catcher in the Rye

$19.99 (originally $42.50) at Alloy

blue glass cheese plate

I love everything about this cheese plate - It's made from a wine bottle and the blue glass is just beautiful. Buy your favorite cheeses, bust out the crackers, and spend the afternoon snacking with a friend.

$15 at milemarker's Etsy shop

extra long sleeve turtleneck

Not just for hiding hickeys.

$19 (originally $58) at C&C California

Mossimo wool cape

A person would say "cape" and I used to think of action heroes battling it out with their nemeses while dramatic wind conveniently kept the sheet tied around their necks from blowing in their faces. Now someone says "cape" and I think of 1960's Manhattan streets, tickets to the opera, long elegant gloves, dining on martinis and oysters. Go figure.

$11.24 (originally $44.99) at Target

8 ways to stretch your style budget (recessionista style!)

8. Choose a new style icon.
7. Go metallic.
6. Diversify. Style isn't just about what you put on in the morning.
5. Wait for the price to drop.
4. Seek out different retailers.
3. Relax.
2. Think small.
1. Buy a dress.

recessionista tips: tanya knit dress

8 ways to stretch your style budget

1. Buy a dress. Dresses are the style gods' gift to recessionistas. Instead of buying two pieces of clothing, buy just one! You'll just look as together, but more stylish.

I wear a lot of dresses on "regular" days, and people comment all the time how they like my outfit, but how they find it too hard to "dress up" in the morning. In my head, I'm always like, I'm only wearing this because I got up fifteen minutes ago and it was easier to pull something over my head and belt it than any other combination of movements necessary to appear presentable.

$19.99 at Delia's

recessionista tips: wee birdy dish

8 ways to stretch your style budget

2. Think small. Bigger and more do not mean better. (And you'll have bigger and more bills left in your wallet.)

This tiny dish has just as much presence on top of your dresser as a larger piece, but about fifty times more grace.

$10 at MudHutt's etsy shop

recessionista tips: alien fingerless gloves for adults

8 ways to stretch your style budget

3. It's a well-known fact that what you're wearing affects your mood, and no one's mood is great in this economy. Relax. It's (really) not your expensive pair of earrings or boots that makes you fabulous, it's your strong sense of confidence and little bit of quirkiness. Spend your money on something that makes you laugh and shows the world the fun inside you. It's that sense of fun that's going to get you through the recession.

I'm sure that within two seconds of this page loading, you knew whether or not you were the type of person these awesome gloves would work for. If you are, what are you waiting for?

$18 at BoysenBerryLane's etsy shop (check out the shop for shark, vampire, and purple people eater gloves!)

recessionista tips: geena's draped dress

8 ways to stretch your style budget

4. Seek out different retailers. Your old standbys have rarely let you down, but it's okay to look around. The internet is full of small and medium sized shops with adorable and surprisingly good quality apparel. Support a small business while you're at it.

A comfy, cute dress for the day you need to look great but really want to be curled up in bed at home, drowning your heartbreak in something stronger than lemonade.

$16 at Sweet16Finds

H/t Sophia W.!

recessionista tips: blouson ml madame7

8 ways to stretch your style budget

5. Wait for the price to drop. Walk into the store, try it on, admire yourself, put it back, and walk out. If you don't look backwards more than three times, you'll survive without it. Bonus points if you don't stash it in slightly the wrong section so no one else will find it and take it home before you can afford to come back.

This sexy number deserved your second glance but not your investment at almost seventy bucks. If you time it right, it will still be waiting for you at less than twenty.

$19.99 (down from $69) at Mango

recessionista tips: love is the thing print

8 ways to stretch your style budget

6. Diversify. Style isn't just about what you put on in the morning, but about the space you live in. Take this month's twenty bucks and invest it into something that brings you a moment of pleasure every morning, not just the two or three mornings you can get away with wearing that dress again.

I like this understated print that will work perfectly with a rainy day and a hot cup of tea.

$20 at accesori's etsy shop

recessionista tips: faux-patent thong sandals

8 ways to stretch your style budget

7. Go metallic. Everybody knows you should buy pieces that can be used over and over. That does NOT mean you have to be stuck with fifteen pairs of black flats. This gold sandal adds a bit of color and sparkle without overwhelming your outfit, and really, truly will go with everything. Plus, grab a couple of compliments on its unique shape and feel like a bit of a rock star yourself.

$19.50 at Old Navy

H/t K of Blog Goggles!

recessionista tips: cotton taffeta nicky skirt

8 ways to stretch your style budget

8. Choose a new style icon. Michelle Obama is going to be easier on the wallet than Victoria Beckham. And, oh yeah, she can also double up as your beauty icon, success icon, elegance icon, grace icon, and America icon. Finding new uses for existing icons is very important in a recession.

This fabulous spring skirt is one from of the FloTUS's favorite stores, this yellow is a solid, bright color that screams optimism, and this shape will look good on anybody, anywhere.

$19.99 (down from $78) at J.Crew

weekend words

Hello all,

The phrase "TGIF" comes to mind today, because it's been a crazy week. I have a feeling that means the both of us are going to take it easy this weekend. S is off to a delicious dinner at a friend's house and will probably take a little trip to the ocean this weekend, work in hand, if the weather allows.

My plans are up in the air - maybe a trip to the farmer's market and hunkering down with some old movies. Possibly heading off to a party hosted by a friend of a friend of a friend. You know how it is.

We've been so pleased to see our site growing, helped recently by our mention at Glamour Magazine's website, that we've decided to add sponsorship opportunities to our site! As an initial promotion we'll be offering up free ad space in our sidebar to the left for two weeks. If you have a site, shop, store, or blog that sells great products that you think we'd love, let us know! Simply contact us with your site address (one entry per site, please) between now and 5pm PST, Wednesday, February 25th. We'll randomly choose (via random.org) and email our two three winners Wednesday night. Best of luck!

Until Monday,

N+S

tea in the weeds print

There is no trouble so great or grave that cannot be much diminished by a nice cup of tea. ~Bernard-Paul Heroux

$16.50 for 10x10 print at Saliwanchik's deviantART shop

Whitney Pointelle Cardigan

The cream color and the waist tie on this cardigan will have you (and everyone around you) sighing with delight.

$19.80 at Forever 21

7 days of doodle planner

For those who could live without a planner, but still need one, who daydream a little too much, but still manage to have their days in order, who need to be adults, but still want to feel like kids in the classroom sometimes.

$4.99 at Fred Flare

v-neck halter suit

Denial about the time of year never looked so good.

$19 at Newport News

ooo comic appetizer plate

Terrific as servingware, but I think this plate's true destiny is to be hung right above the vintagey wooden table in your otherwise dark, narrow foyer.

$2.95 at CB2 (also comes in Mmm and Yum)

axcess soft clutch wallet

I am an anti-purse girl. I would rather stick my phone in my back pocket, wallet under my arm, keys on a keychain clipped to my jeans, and hope dearly that I don't need a chapstick or tampon that day, than do the sane thing and put all of these in a carrier designed for the very purpose. So I love this wallet clutch because it's just about the same size as my wallet, so I can preserve my anti-purse position but also stop stealing pens.

$16.80 at Kohl's

heritage1981 floral babydoll top

The perfect way to tell winter to suck it.

$16.90 at Forever21

pangea organics bar soap

It's possible that this is the sweetest way to be green that I've ever heard of. First, you buy this soap. The construction of the bars themselves might make it seem like they're soap for a roughing it kind of gal, but the scents (how badly do I want to write 'flavors' instead of 'scents'?) will make you rethink that.

pyrenees lavendar with cardamom, tunisian olive oil and coconut, indian lemograss with rosemary. yum. anyway.

Then, you take the (organic, no preservatives whatsoever) soap out of its (zero-waste, 100% recycled) packaging. Then you - wait for it - plant the packaging in soil. It's embedded with spruce seeds, and with some water, sun, and TLC, you can grow yourself a spruce in time for Christmas. Yeah. Take that, climate change.

$8 at Pangea Organics

(image credit: sustainable is good)

the new tote

Beautiful colors and a size big enough to hold every single warm-weekend-but-I-still-have-work-that-I-have-to-do-so-I'll-take-it-all-to-the-beach item you need.

$19.99 at the Gap

Hannah halter

I love how this blue halter looks sort of draped around the body. It makes me wish I was living the kind of life where I had so many occasions to wear it that I had to buy two.

$19.95 at G by Guess