New at Anthropologie

More items I will probably not be buying from Anthropologie, because I am having way too much fun puffing up my IRA! :D

Wear-It-Well Jumper, $128

Whitehall Scoopneck, $68 (also in yellow and blue)

Jovibarba Satchel, $365
(crazy expensive, but aren't the colors and patterns divine?)

Chambord Satchel, $228
(Again, crazy expensive, but it's too cute not to post. Maybe it could serve as inspiration for a sewing project? For, uh, someone who sews?)

Peach pie necklace, $38

Incandescent scarf, $68

And on the home front...

It seems that lately people have been finally realizing that Anthro carries a nice selection of hardware. Well, yes, they do, and frequently have really good deals in the sale section.

I dig these knobs, because they're more like pom-poms than hardware, and they're so delightfully impractical.

Zulu Knob, $8 (also in red and white)

Breaking news: Anthropologie bedding is a rip-off

On the left: "kissing pleat bedding" from Anthropologie. On the right: organic cotton bedding from West Elm.

Total cost of a queen size duvet cover and two shams at Anthropologie: $316

Total cost at West Elm: $128

The bedding at Anthro is (reportedly) 300 thread count; at West Elm it's only 230. But the West Elm stuff is organic. (They're both listed as imported items - who wants to bet they're the exact same bedding from the same supplier?)

Should it shock anyone that Anthro inflates their prices nearly 250%?

Buy bedding at West Elm here. Gawk at high prices of Anthro bedding here.

New Anthro catalog!

I told Anthropologie to stop sending me catalogs (seriously) but they keep sending them anyway. It's like they know the catalogs are like porn/crack for me, and I can't get enough of them. Ah well. Here are some highlights.

Heritage stripe tank, $88
It's gray! It nips in at the waist! It's a winner.

Puckered Tank, $48
For sticky days when you don't want to wear anything tight-fitting.

Midnight sun top, $98
This is just pretty.

Savannah Blouse, $58
I dunno, I just thought t his was cute, and it comes in various colors. What more do you want from me?

Forking Road Overcoat, $148
I feel compelled to call this coat "fucking road overcoat." Anyhoo, this print is show-stopping. The shape is very similar to a black trench I already own. But would the bold print overwhelm petite little flowers like myself? Please advise.

Malinalli Float Top, $78
For those going for the pregnant but sporty look. Also, the color of this top is described as "bannana." Oh Anthropologie copywriters, you slay me.

Well-Weathered Blazer, $148
Ok, I love this jacket, but double-breasted garments looks weird unbuttoned, and sometimes my girls want to breathe, ya know?

Country Sampler Bag, $78
Anything described as "folksy" normally gives me hives, but on this bag the needlepoint stuff looks kinda graphic and cool.

Ode-to-Wings Bag, $98
I am sorely tempted by this bag. The shape is delicious. But naturally, it's covered in birds. BIRDS! WHY IS EVERYTHING COVERED IN BIRDS? Oh well, at least they're not butterflies.

It's an earring...it's a necklace!

These Anthropologie earrings were my favorite earrings for two weeks or so. I bought them online, loved them, and promptly lost one traipsing around Portland.

I put the remaining earring on my roadrunner tray on my couch (that tray is the epicenter of my life, by the way) and stared at it for about a week, then eureka! I realized it would easily lend itself to being reinvented as a pendant.

So I did. And now I have a pretty new necklace.

This week's theme is "reinventing stuff into cool things you can use," by the way.)

This spring, boobs are in

In honor of my finally opening up a Roth IRA, here are some goodies I will not be buying from Anthropologie. (But God, do I want to!)

Since I've spent today thinking about my (financial) assets, it's only appropriate that these picks are themed around how to enhance and embrace your own assets, especially if you're not particularly busty. Yeah, I amuse myself.

Bunting squareneck top , $48
Ruching adds volume in all the right places.

Photogenic top in Lipgloss, $68
Gorgeous, ultra-flattering color - and like the preceding top, the strategic ruching/draping will help enhance curves.

Isamar dress, $178
Amazing, easy-to-wear dress. Instant sophistication.

Gryphon tank dress in Yellow, $128
One of the best parts about being slim and not particularly busy is the ability to wear ultra-deep V necks with no fear.


Bluebell Wood dress, $148
his dress would flatter a variety of heights and figures, though I think it would look best on petite, thin girls (again, note the ultra-flattering V neck). If I was the marrying type I would totally get married in this dress. The back is gorgeous too:



And here's an unusual, neutral necklace to draw the eye to your gorgeous décolletage:

It's on sale for $70. You're welcome!

Anthropoligizing

I've been bad. Very bad. I found the perfect sweater on Anthropologie, and naturally I used it as an excuse to snap up a bunch of other items on the site.

I have a love/hate relationship with Anthro. When I hate them, I talk about how they peddle overpriced pseudo-vintage schmaltz and apparently haven't discovered that models come in shades other than Caucasian.

But when I love them, I luuuuuuuurve them. My strategy is to stick to the basics - the stuff that I wear all the time. Because if I'm gonna wear the same sweater three days a week, it's not a big deal if it's a 68-dollar sweater (shut up, I'm cheap and 68 bucks is a lot for me). I have this cement-gray tank top from them that was $88 or something equally obscene, but I wear it constantly in warm weather so the cost per wear is low.

Anyhoo, here's the damage.

The Holy Grail: A drape-front cardigan in a gorgeous blue. This also comes in green, black, ivory and brown. Now I will finally shut up about trying to find a cardigan in this style - arentcha thrilled?!

Ok, hello. This is the perfect shade of blue for me (my ultimate Joyous Color, as Wende would say), and the structure will flatter my, er, modest bust (side note: How does a woman with a voluptuous bust have two daughters who barely fill a B cup? Genes, I hate you). Also comes in brown, coral and black.

Whoa, orange? How did this make its way into my shopping bag? Ok, I admit I have no idea what this color looks like in person, or how it'll look on me (question do readers: do pale blue-eyed blonds look decent in orange?), but I thought I'd give it a try. Yeah, I live real dangerously. Also comes in black and a weird puce color my sister would like.

Two pairs of earrings (these, pictured above, and another pair that appears to have sold out). I really like Anthro earrings, though their jewelry pricing is particularly wacky. Like, a pretty pair will be $38, and an equally pretty pair will be $228. I guess you're paying for fancier stones, but still. If a bracelet is $300 because its stones were harvested from the stomachs of Andean goats, that's a little ridiculous. I just scan their jewelry sections for pieces that are $40 or less.

And...a cute bag. I have the world's most boring handbag collection, so I figured it was time I mixed it up. I like the yellow and black print, and I can even forgive the bamboo handles. And hey, it's on sale for a pretty reasonable $40. Would it be a faux pas to carry such a summery, bright bag in winter? I have no clue, nor do I care much.

Also, here's two items I considered buying but didn't:


Neat-o jacket. I will always love white and dark blue together.


Pretty skirt. I guess it's a little costume-y and I bet y'all are tired of seeing blue, blue and more blue, but on the right person it would be wicked.

So that's that. In other news, I had a Pap smear (TMI, I know) and today I received a letter saying the results were abnormal, so I get to go in for invasive tests. Here's hoping I don't have cervical cancer!

Yellow is mellow. And polka-dotted and frilly.

Oh god...I can't help it but I love this top! In the catalogue, it's shown on a tan model paired with white pants and high platforms, and it simply looks divine. Nevermind that it would look completely different against my pale skin. Anyhoo, it also comes in light blue but for once I prefer the yellow. Blouse, $78 at Anthropologie.