apologies.

I know this whole "post a beautiful something-something and ooh and ahh over it" blogging is boring and repetitive, but I can't help myself. How FAB are these sunglasses?? I want them all, please. So vintage-y and mannish.... just how I like it.

All are by Benjamin and can be found at LeeLeeLunettes, just in case you were looking....

*cough, cough* my birthday is June 12 *ahem*

a pact.

After coming *thisclose* to buying these beauties,
I made a pact: No. Shoes. Till. Laptop.

(should be sung like the Beastie Boys' "No Sleep Till Brooklyn." Duh.)

This is going to be a long, hard road. Luckily I did not cut out impulse buys like this fantastic sustainable umbrella:
A girl's gotta have SOMETHING new for spring, right?!?

i'm noticing a trend....

I am busy. I think we've covered that in the last few months worth of posting, and I apologize for my blog being so neglected. My life is quickly turning from the "hooray! I have so many events to go to-- yay for socializing!" too "oh-my-god I just want to stay home and do laundry... just once!" I have full intentions of staying in on Friday night so hopefully that will provide me with some much needed rest and allow me to go back to wearing my pretty top-of-the-drawer underwear again.

A little recap of the last month? My trip to the ATL was fantastic (except for the tornadoes) and it was so crazy wonderful to spend time with the fam (including aunts, grandmothers and cousins!). I really do love Atlanta, especially in the spring. The pear trees were in bloom and everything was green-- fabulous! Plus the stores were much more stocked with spring merchandise. Yay! Annnnd shopping with my mom is always good. She bought me this:

How great is that going to look with something like these??
She also got me the most fabulous yellow wrap dress that you will see me in a bajillion times this spring/summer: to work, out to dinner, at Eastern Market, whatever. I heart it. A lot.

After I got back from the ATL I threw a quick little surprise birthday shindig for my lover, Miriam. Aren't we cute?This picture actually wasn't taken at her party. I didn't make people wear nametags, I promise. I do have some cute pics from the party, but unfortunately they can't be uploaded due to my lack of laptop. Anyone want to contribute to the cause? This blog would be *so* much better.

Anyway, after Miriam's birthday my week was filled with exciting things like meetings and boutique work up until late Wednesday night when I decided it would be a good idea to drive to Fripp Island, SC... my happy place... and 9 hours away from DC. In fact, it took me 10 and half on Thursday night. Awesome. It was still worth it: 75 degree days, eating on the back porch at Panini's, looking out on to the marsh all day, eating shrimp, and spending QT with the fam all over again. Perfection in my book.

Monday I had trivia night where Craig and I made a big announcement: we'll be hosting our own weekly trivia gig! Scary, exciting, crazy. It's a lot of work and we should be starting next Sunday, the 6th: trust me, I'll post details! Tuesday night was a big Yelp event (the pic of me and Miriam is from that fantastic night) which included lots of wine, mingling, laughing, drinking, Guitar Hero-ing, being dressed inappropriately, and a lonnnng sobering walk back home. Good times, as always. Last night was more boutique work and we FINALLY got new tenants for our basement! Hooray! They've signed the lease so it's official: no double rent payment. Thank the Jesus. Tonight I'm headed to Girls Gone Glam, which should be fun: I love a good fashion event, always!

So that's my recap, not very exciting I know, but at least it's an excuse for this blog being so incredibly lame lately. Ok, so it's always been lame, get over it.

busy busy.

Things have been crazy crazy lately, and they'll continue that way for the next week or so. I don't have much time to write, so I'll give you a picture recap.

Friday, March 14:
Hello, Atlanta! I missed you!
Toooooornados! Scary!
*I know, I know, I should put up a "real" pic of the horrible devastation, but that's just too depressing for el blog-o.

Saturday 3/15:
Happy Birthday, Mom!
Happy Bridal Shower, B!
I heart my house. But why oh why did you sell so quickly? :(

Sunday March 16:
Back to DC!

Monday, March 17:

Happy St. Patrick's Day!
*Surprise!* Happy Birthday Eve, Miriam! Yay Sonoma, yay wine, yay giant cupcake!

Thursday, March 20:
Happy 1st day of Spring!
I think I'll drive 9 hours to the beach today. Sounds like a good plan.
Be back Sunday!

Happy Easter, everyone! Hope you have a fantastic weekend!

more spring fashion finds...

Just because I can....

Elisa Atheniense Clutch. $490

Leopoldo Giordano Open Vamp Pump. $490 at shopbop.com

Peacock Sword Single Earring. $49 at Stars and Infinite Darkness.

Lee Claire '60's Vintage Dress. $155 at Dorothea's Closet.

Nars Lipstick in Dolce Vita. $24 at Sephora.


Synnove Dress. $310 at leanimal.



Jamilah Ruffle Top. $24.80 at Forever21.com

Free People Ditsy Floral & Stripe Cutaway Back Top. $78 at nordstrom.com

damn you, smart advertisers!

For those of you who know me, you know that I can't get through a commercial, movie, tv show, or greeting card that involves dogs without crying. There's just something about puppies that make my tearducts well up and I just can't stop. Even typing this I'm getting a little verklempt.

So when Purina launched this commercial for their adoption drive, I had to shield my eyes from the screen pretty often. In fact, I'm sittng here at my desk, tissue in hand, because I just accidentally watched it. Oh, Echo.



Do you see how sad it is? Honestly. If you can get through that without getting emotional, you must have no soul.

So, imagine my surprise when watching TV the other night and THIS comes on!



Happy tears!!! So many happy tears!!

So, if you can, go out and adopt a dog. I mean, honestly. Save an Echo.

it's the little things.

On this happy and hopeful Friday, here are some things I'm thankful for.

1. Getting a Diet Coke from the machine that has just a wee bit of ice/slush along the top.
2. My new Roomba, Phil. He's so incredibly entertaining.
3. Matchbox mini burgers tonight. There's just nothing better.
4. Nearly all of our office is out at an event in Spain, so that means rolling in to work around 10, leaving at 5, and taking 2 hour lunches. Glorious.
5. Flowers are coming up in my garden... can't wait for the blooms to arrive!

flaaaarida.

Just thought I'd also add a wee recap about the fantabulousness that was last weekend in the Palm Bizzy.

The highs (in no particular order):
1. Waking up to this every morning. Glorious, glorious.
2. I did not get sunburned. Don't know how it happened, but I left much more this than this, which is shocking.
3. One of the bridesmaids just finished culinary school in Italy. She's a nice person to have around.
4. Seeing Camille.
5. Spotting Drew Barrymore, Justin Long (the Mac commercial guy), and Peyton Manning all within 10 minutes of each other. Consensus: Drew is teeny-tiny and absolutely gorgeous even with no makeup, Justin is all kinds of greasy and also teeny-tiny, and Peyton is.... wow.
6. The pool. Dear sweet lord I loved that pool.
7. Gin and tonics made with Tangueray Rangpur. So tasty.
8. Fabulous girl time with my sister and her posse!

The not-so-highs:
1. The aforementioned Reggie story. Although it did provide for a lot of laughs.
2. Spinning sharks (I shit you not) led to the ocean being closed. Bummer.
3. The Other Boleyn Girl. Worst. movie. ever.
4. Seeing the aforementioned Valentino bags in person. Le sigh. They were SUCH a dissapointment-- all slouchy and not good. The shoes, however....

po po knockin' on the do do!

In the past week I've had two run-ins with the law. I know, I know, I'm a wild child. Sadly these run-ins were not a result of too much drinking, too much fun, or even anything I did. Just some creepy mo-fo's, that's all.

So, the stories:

1. The setting is Palm Beach, Florida. 12:30am. 7 hot young ladies are sitting around, drinking massive quantities of wine, and regaling in the fabulousness that is a bachelorette weekend away from cold weather and work. The house phone rings and everyone is startled... who would be calling at this hour? Katie answers the phone, it's a young man... he says he's the doorman and he has a package for us. At this point, we're all pretty sure he's either a stripper (thanks, Mom!) or a psycho killer (qu'est-ce que c'est? ba ba ba baa ba ba ba ba baa ba). We decide that it's definitely the latter and proceed to freak out (remember the many bottles of wine). Then the phone rings again... it's the doorman again, look outside your window, he says. Brave Katie decides to open the blinds and look outside the window and there's a guy in a suit standing there. He asks her to open the door and she does- he looks like a doorman, right?

This is when things get super shady. Where's this supposed package? It's in his hand, and he flashes it just long enough for Katie to see something small and white. She asks to see it again, so he holds up the little plastic baggie, "I think it's cocaine," he says. No shit it's cocaine. At this point she tells him that it's not ours and slams the door, totally freaked out. Doorman has a key to condo, doorman is trying to sell drugs, doorman has bad haircut.

After consulting a legal prosecuter and the 2 3L's in the room, we called the police. Man oh man, they were excited about our call, so much so that 3 officers came to check out the situation. Apparently not much happens in Palm Beach. After listening to our story and questioning the doorman, they decided it was necessary for us to "ID the perp." Yes, that's really what they wanted us to do: so much so that they made us turn out all the lights in the condo and bring the doorman (we now know his name is Reggie) to the front door and shine their flashlights on him so we could see him. Man oh man, he looked scared shitless. Probably thought he was going to make an extra buck on some springbreakers. Poor Reg got fired the next morning, but don't worry, we definitely poured one out for him Saturday night.

2. Flash forward to last night at the boutique. It's about 6:30pm and I'm ready to close up shop, basically just dinking around on gchat. A tall poorly dressed (like a bum) man kind of stumbled into the store and pulled out a crumpled up dollar bill and a cigarette. I asked if I could help him with anything, he said no, just stared at me. So then I said, "I'm sorry sir, we only carry women's clothing here. I don't think we have anything for you." I felt a wee bit like the snotty saleswoman in Pretty Woman, but whatever, this guy was freaking me out. He said he was looking for old or new girlfriends... he was always looking for NEW girlfriends, as he began to look me up and down. That's when I got all kinds of defensive and told him to leave. Then he started pandering me, telling me how hot I was, and what exactly he'd like to do to me. I'll try to keep this all PG so I won't quote him, so let's just leave it at that. He came around the desk and tried to grab me, and that's when I flipped. In my quick frenzy to find some kind of weapon, I looked down and saw these on my feet:
In a quick thinking yet probably stupid moment of genius, I said "If you're not out of here in 10 seconds I have no problem shoving this 4 inch heel where it hurts and calling the police." It probably took more like 30 seconds for him to scurry out (after drinking directly from our water pitcher and nabbing all of our cookies) but he made haste for the door. I called the police anyway, just to let them know this creepazoid was out and about, but didn't have them actually come to the store: cops once a week is plenty for me.

LATE EDIT: And on a lighter note, I forgot to add the third experience I had with police (this one was in fact due to my drunkeness). The ladies and I were hanging out in front of the bar in Palm Beach and they were playing Lionel Richie inside. We decided to start dancing and a very unhappy police officer told us to get out of the street. To that I answered, quite belligerently, "Come ON. It's Lionel Richie! Everyone you meet, they're dancing in the street, ALL NIGHT LONG!" and proceeded to continue my dancing. Needless to say, Mr. Crankypants the cop was not amused. I thought I was pretty witty.

greatest things about march.

1. Consistently improving weather.
2. Bulb-ed flowers. Hyacinth, daffodils (my most favorite flower), tulips. I love when the shoots first start coming out of the ground.
3. Girl Scout Cookies. Oh man oh man, my love for Samoas knows no bounds.
4. St. Patrick's Day.
5. Being able to wear skirts sans tights.
6. March Madness. Go Hoyas!
7. Being able to use my front porch again.
8. Wearing dresses for weekend-nights out. Totally upgrades the Saturday night wardrobe options.
9. The cherry blossoms in DC.
10. Baseball season begins. Can't wait to see the new Nats stadium!