Cute new line at Macy's - Maison Jules

Guys. It's been a minute. Yeesh.

A lot happened in the last 6 months. For example, my computer broke (it's fixed), we sold our condo, I ran the LA marathon (which I meant to post about because there are actually some pictures of me where I look sort of... refreshed and cute?!), went on a couple of trips, went to a few weddings, lived in a temporary house, bought a house, I made some excruciating decisions about purchasing furniture... you get it. Oh, and lately I've been in a weird phase where I just want to eat Cheez-its all the time. Whatever. A lot happened.

But I'm back, because I really want to tell you about the cutest new line at Macy's I stumbled upon.

I was up in the bay area visiting friends and family, and I was hoping to squeeze in a mother-daughter shopping trip. My mom suggested we check out Macy's because they had one of their extra 20% off coupon thing they always have going on. I'm not really into Macy's because... I just don't get it. Like, on the one hand, it's a department store, and they have all sorts of normal stuff. Sure. But on the other hand, so many Macy's I'm exposed to are just... tired. They seem ragged. Like, the tile is so... travertine gone late 80s mall and it seems like everything is a Petites department. But the Walnut Creek one is pretty nice.

Good thing we did because they have the cutest new line, guys! Maison Jules (trust me - I know the website isn't very attractive, but the clothes are) is this cutie patootie French inspired line that's at a totally moderate price point (The most expensive thing is a dress for $79. Also, 20% coupons!). It's like if Anthropologie and Comptoir des Cotonniers had a value priced child.

Here are some of their cute things*:

* The styling is a little "juniors department", but the pieces look sophisticated in person.

Oh, and just so you know I'm not crazy, some "cool" outlets took notice too! (Elle, Refinery29, Teen Vogue)

Great Grab-n-Go Canvas Tote

I think all of you should buy this canvas tote:

Baggu Duck Bag

I picked one up a few months ago (in this nice nutmeg color), and it's a total game changer.

I use it for weekends when I know I'll be walking for a while and want something lighter than a leather purse, but also something that can hold a cardigan and a scarf and a snack.  But then I sometimes don't bother changing back to my normal purse during the week, and I still think it's cute enough for normal wear.  It can fit a full sized notebook or laptop or iPad, but doesn't feel cavernous if you just have a few things.

Also, it comes in a variety of super-cute colors.  And it's $24.

If it's not obvious, I'm suffering from a major case of Baggu fever.  I'm eyeing this cutie as a weekend tote:

Baggu Weekend Tote

Zara Home Collection

You guys, you guys, you guys... Zara just released Zara Home in the United States and it's reeeeeally good.  (Thanks Oh Happy Day for the tip!)

Zara's clothes never fit me (and also I think they're not that cute (and sometimes tacky) and sort of more expensive than what I think Zara should be charging?), but I always like the idea of Zara and the great news is most of the stuff at Zara Home looks to be really cute and classic in a unique way.  Sort of like Anthropologie but without as much insane zaney "AAAAAAAAH A GIRL LIVES HERE AND I'M ZOOEY DESCHANEL AND I ALSO AM A KOOKY LIBRARIAN AND I LIKE BIG FLORALS AND MORACCAN THEMED THINGS!!!!!!" kind of way. 

More like in a this kind of way... subtle with some whimsy:

:: 1. Costa Throw $59.90  2.  Allan Tumbler $7.90 each  3.  Marta Flatware $9.90 per piece  

4.  Duck Pitcher $99.90  5.  Senise Towel $39.90 ::

So cute, right?!  Prices are... okay, I think.  For unique stylish pieces, it's a reasonable price point to jazz up your home a bit with these personality-ful pieces.  (Oh also, yes, thanks for noticing!  That is my first collage!)

Also, free shipping during October!  Might be hard to resist...

Oh, and in case you were thinking "Whoa, did Zara just get 100% classy and not at all Euro-tacky?", don't lose sleep!  This shirt was also featured on the site (yes, the Zara Home site):

 

 :: Leopardo T-shirt (aptly named) $59.90 ($59.90?!) ::

Please please please tell me if you buy anything from Zara Home!  Can't wait to hear all about it.

Navajo-Inspired Fall Fashion

It looks like it's finally starting to cool down a bit, so it's time for the obligatory "Yay, fall!" moment. 

Yay, fall!

Since LA autumns are still warm enough to go around without socks, I am excited to start wearing my newest fall shoe purchase:

:: Minnetonka Thunderbird II ::

 
Will my husband probably make fun of me for wearing shoes that look like slippers out in public?  Yes, probably.  Do I care?  Not right now, no.  Will I ever care?  If the teasing starts to feel excessive, yeah.  But will I probably ever care?  No, because I'm obsessed with my new moccasins. 


After spending a weekend in Oregon recently, I've started dreaming about having some crazy-lady big Pendleton-y Navajo-y sweater/pancho/cardigan/jacket type thing that has total throw-back style but with a nice modern fit.  I played in the Pendleton store at the Portland airport, and there were some cute things in the Portland Collection, which is basically classic Pendleton style, only with more contemporary, sleek cuts and hipper styles... and also about 75-100% more than Pendleton's normal (and already expensive) prices.  Sad.  But check out how cute the stuff is!

:: Knockabout Cardigan ::

:: Dolman Overcoat ::

:: Coos Curry Cardigan ::

:: Ochoco Pack ::

Sigh.  Something like those sweaters plus the moccasins would be a great fall Farmers Market look, right?

What are you excited to wear in fall?  Any ideas on where I can get my crazy-lady Navajo sweater for not $400?

Gift Guide: What to buy for me (Part I)

Tis the season, guys!  Everyone makes holiday gift guides, but I’m not that great at doing that kind of thing (I don't know what dads want.  Who knows what dads want?!), but I was still inspired to try my hand at it, so I decided to stick with what I know.

So I present to you: A Gift Guide, for me.  That’s not crass at all, right?  Basically a list of stuff I want.  But I'm imagining it's also stuff you might want.  So in the end, we're getting right back to the spirit of the season: wanting stuff!

Ready?  Here we go!  

Hudson Bay Blanket

I know what you’re thinking.  “Joanna, that blanket is FOUR HUNDRED DOLLARS.  You are a monster!”  And to that, I say: Look, I said this was a crass display of gluttony.  I refuse to apologize.  But do you know the storied history of Hudson Bay blankets?  Early American settlers traded them to Native Americans for beaver pelts!  This is part of our history as Americans!  Also it is bound to be a family heirloom.  You can’t put a price on that!  (Or you can, and it’s $400-ish.)

Also, a “cheaper” version here, by Pendleton, which I feel is fairly legit because even though it’s not original gangsta like Hudson Bay, Pendleton is a renowned maker of woolens.

LL Bean Wicked Good Moccasins

Yes please.  I have fond memories of the LL Bean and Land’s End catalogues (I’m lumping them together… I have no idea what the difference is between the two) because as a kid, they were some of the only catalogues that came, and I loved me some catalogue play-time.  Now that I have resided long enough at my residence to get on random catalogue mailing lists (grown-up stuff!), I get my very one once again!  I have a feeling everything in the LL Bean/Lands End catalogues is odd and oversized and boxy and generally ill fitting (even though I sort of really want a classic barn jacket), but shoes are going to fit like shoes, right?  And these slippers look really cozy.  I am imagining myself making waffles in these and then reading a book on the couch while Travis watches football.  Then I also imagine that I decide to walk to Peet’s to grab some coffee and think “These are so comfy and cute – I’m not going to take them off!” and feel really cozy until I get into the store and feel ridiculous for wearing slippers in public.  Remind me not to do that, guys.

Yubz Retro Handset Extension

Oh, hi there!  Let me just lay back on the couch so I can catch up with you on the phone, enjoy our conversation, and look darling… all while totally not getting brain cancer!  (You plug this into your cell phone as a handset.)  Gwyneth Paltrow featured this in Goop’s gift guide, and I love it.  I pretty sure it would become a clunky item that I'd forget to use and don’t know where to put away, but the thought of it reminds me of being in middle school, sprawled on a couch or bed or floor patch gabbing away on the phone.

Stanley Thermos

I am feeling convinced that if I toted my soup to work in this thermos, I’d be much more excited to bring lunch and I’d look really cool.  Like that chick who’s all “Oh, this?  Yeah, I’m always on the go.  I made an amazing soup last night from scratch…. just bringing the leftovers for lunch today.  I guess that’s what I do when I’m not on spontaneous camping trips with my friends or watching hip documentaries at home or going to underground concerts late at night on school nights but still come to work looking fresh as a daisy… you guys have no idea what a cool life I live outside of here!  …Gotta run, time for soup!”

Lululemon Astro Pant

I know.  It’s a $100 sweat pant, basically.  But you really look 200% better than you do in a $33 sweat pant.  I promise.  I like the leg opening… not a flare, but not a legging… because as much as I like the idea of wearing a long legging… without the aid of boots over them, they make everyone’s body look strange and mis-shapen, right?

Oh, PS -- more coming.  (You didn't think this was all I wanted, right?)  Stay tuned.

Amazing, Amazing Gift I Received

I always grew up in a bedroom with a quilt.  In fact, I don’t think I realized that bedrooms didn’t have to have quilts until I went to college and got a chambray blue Ralph Lauren comforter at TJ Maxx.  (I also had those cloud printed jersey sheets, which were all the rage in the fall of 2000, and I still think my college dorm room was pretty cool.)  I stayed quilt-less in adulthood, but had been hankering for a clean quilt in a crisp classic pattern with a lot of saturated colors.  I didn’t have much luck finding one at my price point, but the yearning remained.

Imagine my delight, then, when Ann, a dear family friend, offered to make me a quilt as a wedding gift.  (Very sweet also because when I was 10, Ann taught me how to quilt, and everyone got placemats and potholders from me that years as holiday gifts.  My mom still has the potholders, and I’m pretty sure they are awesome.  Especially if you like Williamsburg blue and small apple prints on a black background.  Which you do, I’m sure.)  Ann sent me to pick up a few inspiration fabrics, and she did the rest.

Guys, the quilt is in.  It’s insanely beautiful.  I love it.  Basically the sweetest gift ever.

Look at this – it has our names and wedding date!  So cute!

These colors are just too wonderful…

And let’s take a little side trip to my nightstand… 

Sneak Preview!: I’ll be reviewing all these books shortly.  (Also this is basically every hardback book I’ve ever bought.  Don’t get any ideas.  I don’t live in a house made of gold bricks, people!) 

Also, if you are feeling the quilt love, the adorable Emily Henderson has a great quilt roundup post here.

Bye!

Trend Prediction: Grandma Glasses

Do you guys think grandma glasses will be the new nerd glasses??

:: via elsiecake ::

I mean, I can totally see Zooey Deschanel pulling this one off.

J. Crew's Biggest Practical Joke Yet...

Guys,

I love J. Crew.  Sometimes I wish my life was a version of "From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler," only instead of staying overnight in the Metropolitan Museum of Art (which would be seriously cool), I get to stay overnight in a very well-stocked J. Crew (which would be seriously, seriously cool.)  The styling of the J. Crew catalogues have taught me many things...
- I can wear punchy colored nail polish and not look like a tramp (provided my nails are very short)!
- I need, need, need some coral lipstick, stat!
- Rolling up the sleeves of a sweater or any other knit looks very fresh and smart!
- When in doubt, throw a belt over the waist!
- Why buy any old coat when you can buy a super cute lemon yellow coat?!

I could go on, but I won't.

But because I look forward to 10 minutes of escapism and aspirational lifestyle when the catalogue arrives, you'll understood that I felt I was being punked when I saw the November catalogue.  Guys... is J. Crew screwing with us?  Will the December catalogue say "HAHA... got you!!!!"?  Because this stuff is seriously strange.  Examples below (these are from the lookbook part of the website, but you get the gist):

:: You can't deny these are some very strange pants ::

:: When you want to go to work and are going for a 1930s heinous thing ::

:: Again, bizarre pants ::

:: Because everyone wants pants that are super ill-fitting, not cute-fitting.  Also, gloves. ::

:: Oh, perfect!  This is the length I always want my skirts to be! ::

Seriously?!  What is going on?  Where has my beloved J. Crew gone?  Does Jenna Lyons know it's not even close to April Fools?

Sad.

Bye!

Shower Curtains Worth Ooh-ing Over

Hi you guys!

Two serendipitous things happened yesterday:

First, I noticed mid-shower that my shower curtain has some sort of mold on it.  This shouldn’t be surprising, considering that I’ve been using the shower curtain for two years that was left in the condo when we bought it.  Kind of gross, I know, but for a person that’s generally clean, I’m not the best with having an eye for hygienic practices.

Second, that evening my friend Janet hosted book club.  After a couple glasses of white wine, the majority of a wheel of brie and infinity raisin rosemary crisps, I used her bathroom and noticed her really cute shower curtain.

Naturally, these incidents led me to a few thoughts:

1.     If you’re not already on board with Trader Joe’s Raisin Rosemary Crisps, get there!  Crispy, chewy, savory, sweet…. mouth party!

2.     Not only do I need a new shower curtain, I need a cute one! 

My research follows…

The misses:

I started my search for a CSC (cute shower curtain) at Anthropologie, but all of their options sort of looked like an appliqué cloud threw up.  Just like... a lot of fabric was happening... all over... I dunno, you guys...

Anthro Flamenco Shower Curtain

I thought I’d love Dwell Studio’s options, but they all reminded me of “fashionable” nurse scrubs.  Case in point:

Dwell Studio Paper Dolls Petal Shower Curtain

If you're into peacocks pooping bouquets, then you'd probably like this one...

Urban Outfitters Peacock Shower Curtain

The hits (feminine):

The options below would be great for the gal who’s living on her own or sharing her apartment with her favorite pals.

Janet’s CSC was by Echo, whose didn’t disappoint.  This one is kind of classic stylish, but with a little sass... like what I was expecting from Anthropologie.

Echo Design Sardinia Shower Curtain

If you’re into zany throw-back 1950s aprons, this one is pretty darn cute.

Urban Outfitters Garden Stripe

The hits (cross-gender appeal for co-habitators or girls who don’t want to be mad girly in the bathroom):

I like the CSCs below because they’re not uber-girly, but they still have a sense of whimsy and style to them.

This has a lot of style to it, but in a really restrained way, again by Echo.

Echo Design Mad Men

This is a fun brainiac option... learn while getting clean!

Amazon Periodic Table

For those of you dreaming of moving to the northwest (and really, who isn't?), I like this woodsy option.  (Guys, seriously... let's all move to the northwest and open coffee houses and pubs!)

Urban Outfitters Tree

(For the record, I showed this to my northwest-born husband, and he said “Ooh, can we get this one?”)

My bathroom is kind of weird… like the people who renovated it wanted to recreate a villa in Florence in a small bathroom on a small budget.  So there’s a lot of pale stone, and the bathtub/shower has a molded arch over it.  This means my search for CSC is limited… it needs to work with the opulent Meatloaf video Italian villa concept and not against it.  I think that the paisley Echo one may work well, since it’s just a lil' bit fancy itself.

I’m close to just ordering it, but I don’t want to pay for shipping.  

(Spoiler alert: I will probably wind up buying a scarf too to qualify for free shipping.  Sigh.)

Bye!

Joanna