Stuff Lately // 8.26.12

 Hello!

N'SYNC dolls at the thrift store. I wanted Justin but if I bought one I couldn't just not buy the rest.

   If you've been a regular reader during the summer months, you'll notice I've seriously slowed down posting since that easy livin', warm weathern' time. This is just due to lack of time. So no worries, I'll still be posting a lot, just not everyday. I mean, where else will I post my sweater and pumpkin-scented candle emotions this fall? Like, duh.
 Anyway, here's some stuff that I've been into/doing since those lost days of summer.

 Watching: I just watched last week's Copper on BBC America; not too bad so far. Finally watched Midnight in Paris last night!! Serious wanderlust. :( Oh, and Perks of Being a Wallflower and Hotel Transylvania look like the best movies of the season, caaaaannn't waaaaait!! They're out in September.

 Reading: Troy by Adele Geras; Masquerade by Walter Satterthwait (I just found out it's a freaking sequel, but I already started reading it, so.)

 Eating: IHOP has Red Velvet Pancakes now. You can bet your buttons I went as soon as I found out.

Doing: Taking care of Walton. Remember? My baby cactus has been losing its baby leaves (what are they called?), so I've been watching him very carefully. Also: thrifting!! First few times since December; it's good to be back! haha. Oh, and I've set up a mini art wall above my TV!! I'll post print/picture details in an upcoming post (full of Etsy art I wish I had. holla.)

 Listening: "First Day of My Life' by Bright Eyes is freaking fire. And 'Skinny Love" by Bon Iver, man. Oh, and "100 Years" by Five for Fighting may not be the newest song ever but I've just started listening to it obsessively and it makes my heart hurt.

 Buying: This exact scarf from Target (omg it's called menswear inspired why do I always love boy things omg). It's so cute and I found all these new (to me) ways to wear it! Yaay!! Oh, also: Booties! I finally picked up a precious pair of booties at this store A'gaci (if you look it up, note: I don't usually shop there, but it was by F21 so I figured I'd run in and see if they had any cute booties. I feel like I'm saying booties a lot. Booties.) Now I'm all set for fall!

 Pancakes, Walton, Booties, Art wall.

Ignore that Cheer bear okay it's from the glory days 1st grade.

 

 

 

   What've you been up to lately??

 

   xoxo,

     Zoe

Battle of the Brands :: Frye, Dolce Vita, Vivenne Westwood VS Target

  Hello!

    Several days ago when I was at Tarjaay, I found some flats that looked nearly identical to ones I had drooled over in Nordstrom a few days before. I went online to see if they had more colors, and while I was there, I found more shoes that had doppelgangers in upper-scale department stores, and I was so excited, I had to share. So, without further ado, here are my top three favorite twinsies.

I totally adore Frye boots, just not the cashola it takes to get a pair. Check out Target's inexpensive version of one of the legendary brand's most popular shoes.

Didn't Target and DV do a collab a few years back? If they did, there's no wonder they picked up a few things from Dolchay-Vida. Here's their version of these.

 

Target cut down the price of these by an even hundred. I guess it was all in that third button.

    I hope you found the price difference as interesting as I did! I love finding cheaper versions of expensive products. Have you ever found anything for cheap that looked just like something going for a price much larger?


  xoxo,
      Zoe

Oxford Obsession

Hello, hello!

source

   Recently, while doing some spring cleaning, I found a pair of shoes that I wore nonstop through last year's spring and summer-- my black Keds. I know, not a very summery shoe, but it was light, dainty, and didn't show my toes (I'm not a fan of flip-flops). Finding them made me realize I need a new go-to shoe for the warmer weather! But what? Sperry's or TOMS seem perfect, but both have become far too "mainstream". I couldn't do Keds again, because I want to wear lots of dresses this summer, and while Keds work, they don't quite fit the breeze-y feel I want. So what did I decide? Oxfords, of course!

   I've been on the hunt for a great pair of oxfords for a solid year. I want comfy and cute, without being bulky. My searches prior to recently had been fruitless, but I've finally found several good choices. Good choices, that is, until I noticed some problems (like I always do, unfortunately).

1. BP. 'Aiden' Oxford Flat

Oh, how cute are these?! Everything about them is ideal, right down to the laces.
The Problem: Price! These bad boys would set me back $60, and they look pretty flimsy. Nordstrom sure is notorious for high-priced goods, aren't they? I've got the same problem with these oxfords.

2. Le Bunny Bleu 'Bunny in Wonderland' Oxfords

Admit it, you adore these. How can you not?
The Problem: NOT MY SIZE! Ugh! Not even close! They'd be so freaking perfect, I can't even stand it.

3. BDG Canvas Oxford

Rave reviews! So dainty and light.

The Problem: $40 for a super plain shoe? No, thank you.

4. Ollio Classic Dress Oxfords

More pictures here. These are awfully cute.

The Problem: A bit plain, but what else don't I like about these...?

5. Wanted 'Natalie' Oxfords

Oh my god, that pink!
The Problem: They don't look very comfortable, nor do they look worth every penny. Man, I'm cheap.

   Alright, it looks like we have a winner. What do you think of number four? I think they're horribly cute, and the price is totally ideal. Now, what color?!

What are your thoughts on oxfords? Do you have a good pair?

   xoxo,
 Zoe

Haul: Winter Sales!

  Hello, hello!

  Recently, I was lucky enough to participate in some wicked sales! :)

   Last summer, I bought my first (well, I had, like, six when I was younger) pair of Keds. I wore those things to the ground, man! Since my summer love, I've been hooked. So when Keds released a coupon that marked all winter-sale items down to $19.16? You bet your bonnet I freaked out.

 The goods: Green Olive Cream Puff Boots (Originally $80, Marked-Down $40, Bought $19.16:) and Flint Grey Champion Luxe shoes (Originally $65, Marked-Down $35, Bought $19.16) The pictures don't really credit the slim, sportiness of the boots, or the lightness of the Luxe's leather. I totally recommend them.
   Pretty successful shoe-shopping, if I do say so myself. :)

   The blog-beloved ModCloth.com had a sale like I've never seen it have! Seriously, I've never seen them mark down so many fantastic items to such a fantastically low price. I mean low-- all the items I wanted were under $20! That's my kind of sale!

     I picked up four super-lovely dresses, and they came today! I'm usually super picky with the way my dresses fit -- being not-as-tall-or-otherwise-grown as adult dress-wearers, pretty garments tend to fall oddly on me. However, this being a less-than-twenty-bucks situation, I decided to give it a shot....and they all fit! Happy day, happy day. The first one, on the right, has this great vintage-y homemaker-type look. It's neighbor there is pretty low cut, but a camisole can fix the sitch! It's super cute; I think I'll wear it to a graduation this spring! Then, the gray one fits like a glove-- it's cozy and perfect for winter! I may even wear it to school, which would be kind of a big deal for me. :) The last one has an odd yet flattering fit, and I adore it, naturally. I'm quite pleased with the whole little haul-- all the dresses are tucked, in or slightly above the waist, which is absolutely lovely!

   Oh, and at the bottom of stack o' dresses was the cutest little pair of hair-pins. A free gift! How exciting.

   By the by, check out the most ridiculous box I've ever seen. Ridiculously delightful, that is.
   
    This haul will probably be my last super-great one for a while. Those sales blew threw my cash, so I'll be saving up quite a bit...I've got a wallet to fill, and three piggy banks hungry for change! The worst part of shopping? How therapeutic it is! Ugh.

      Find any good winter sales lately? Snag any deals?

  xoxo,
      Zoe

P.S. Look at the paper my Keds came in! Isn't it weirdly precious?!

What's New?

----Originally posted to Teenage Times on 3/7/11----

Hey there.
  (In case you’ve never heard of this thing called the past, that little coo coo rhyme is a lyric from the Beatles.)
   Allllllrighty then! <—As you just read, I’ve been watching Ace Ventura lately. That rhino scene will change your life. Anyway, I recently got some mail. Hoorah! It’s my Doc Martens all the way from Europe.

  
     No heel, no bulkiness = perfection only Doc himself can achieve.

  They’re called Shoreditch/Eclectic Leather (holla!) Dr. Martens. I had to import them due to the lack of awesomeness(/leatherness) that U.S. online stores have available. I ordered them from KBK Shoes. These guys were on sale, alas, shipping wasn’t cheap(shipped next day without special payment; took around six weekdays to arrive). Since U.K. sizes are different, I ordered a size 4(I’m regularly a 6 – 6 1/2). If I’m wearing socks(I usually am…) and the laces are tied, they fit nicely. Oh, I also definitely suggest buying leather–it’s five dollars more expensive, but leather lasts longer and all your mud-n’-diseases from everyday adventures wipe off a whole lot easier. I won’t do a review, since I’m so biased about these.
  Moving on, there’s not much new I have to say. I haven’t been doing much shopping, so no item reviews. I haven’t had many free days, so no blog-worthy adventures. Due to this coolness-lacking, I’ll share with you some recent discoveries of things that I’m currently digging.

•   The word deck. It’s rad-person speak for cool(“Dude, that’s totally deck!”).
• The band Mumford & Sons. It sounds like some furniture company from the South. However, it’s the coolest rock-folk-alternative band on the circuit right now. (Download “The Cave” and, if you’re looking for folkier, download “Winter Winds“.)
• The TV show Chuck. Um, adorably kickass.
• The book Red Riding Hood. Sounds totally lame, but if you want to see the movie, check it out. What intrigues me? The book was based on the screenplay, not vice versa. Or, if you can’t wait till the movie, read the last page–everything you need to know, right there. (:
• The prehistoric Brontosaurus. What’s not to love?

   To makeup for my extreme lack of posts last week, I’ll try to post in a day or two. Alrighty, then.
  xoxo,
    Zoe