premature distribution

knowing full well that target's new go international new next now collection was debuting today, i decided to make a stop at the chain bright and early this morning when most normal people are sleeping off hangovers. i wore the following: (simple, i know, but show me the woman who gets decked out for target and i'll show you a woman with waaay to much time on her hands...and possibly a complex)

t, american apparel; cutoffs, modified old navy shorts; aviators, f21; sandals, nine west

i had already preshopped the online sight and knew pretty much which pieces i wanted to try on. two of which, being the skirts below.

when i arrived, however, it was apparent that the stock had been prematurely set out and consequently depleted. no skirts in sight. a fan of the patterns, but not of the dresses that the collection fashioned from them, i had visions of combining like-patterned tops and skirts to create the silhouttes that i was after; difficult to do without the skirts. (incidently there were no dresses present on the racks either).

i did try on the tops though, with limited success. genuinely pleased with the navy floral top, i chose, partly b/c the skirt was not present to complete the look, but mostly out of spite, not to purchase anything.
note: sorry the pictures are so blurry, i always feel awkward about snapping away in a dressing room (although i'm sure the attendant was too engrossed with her phone conversation assuring a customer of the stock status of a new wii game to notice). let's call it arty and move on...



not wanting to make it an entirely wasted trip i wandered into the entertainment section (never a good financial decision) and on through the beauty department.

i ended up picking up a couple of new nail colors, a badly needed mascara replacement and a couple of dvds. i adore paris, je t'aime (minus that bizarre vampire vignette featuring elijah wood) and figured it was time i stop wasting rental dollars and actually buy it. the gus van sant piece is my fave! i also hovered around the book department for an exceptionally long time having an inner battle with myself over whether or not to purchase the sex and the city: the movie book. my pragmatic side finally won out, arguing that my birthday was about a month away and i could probably, on such an occasion, con someone into buying it for me.

absolutely madden-ing

whereas steve madden is typically not my cup of tea, in the shoe sense, i find that lately he's been really testing my retail resolve. i have to constantly remind myself that i don't need another pair of black heels, (but these are sooo different!) but it's becoming a losing battle. more worrisome, is the fact that i don't actually have a pair of nude hued sandals so the likelihood that i'll ultimately break down and dish out the cash for one of these stunners is nearly inevitable.

l-r: madalynn, $110; crrave, $50 (on sale!); rager, $160

who needs willpower anyway?

i know i've been on a shopping ban and all, but i had to cave...a little. it's been a while, i think, anyway. at any rate, i didn't exactly blow it bigtime: just two tiny purchases. coaxed into browsing by sales and free shipping i indulged myself in two basic wardrobe building pieces. the first, a drapey grey vest from urban outfitters that, with the aid of my black skinny jeans and a tee, will help me pull off the alexander wang look splendidly.

and the second was this red tulip skirt from american apparel...

...because i have been haunted by this ali larter look for some time now and could no longer resist reinterpreting it for myself (mock necks aren't terribly becoming on me, what can i say).

plus i further rationalize it due to, what i presume to be, the nearly infinite outfit combinations that could potentially be derived from it. and to give credit where credit's due: i believe this photo is from mahalo fashion, though it's been in my inspiration folder for so long i can't be sure. perhaps jen can confirm or deny.

top photos courtesy of urbanoutfitters.com and americanapparel.net, respectively

like it's my job

today i have a job interview for a managerial position with forever21. i can't even begin to calculate how much a discount at that store would save me in regard to my clothing budget. more money for fantastic shoes? seriously. the attire? f21, of course. wish me luck!


skirt and t, f21; necklace, limited; lace-ups, vince camuto

white out

there are those that don't believe in love at first sight, but when i saw the chanel j12 for the first time, i knew i was a gonner. there's something about the pristine and almost patent sheen of white ceramic and the twinkle of girls best friend that has created an unabating desire that has stood the test of time. the bad news: the $3700-9500 price tag can be a bit prohibitive. the good news: like all iconic designs, the trickle down effect has ensured that similar versions can be had for a fraction of the cost. (thank you!)

l-r: chanel j12, $3725 (@ bacario.com); michele, $1995 (@ nordstrom.com); michael michael kors, $225 (@ nordstrom.com); forever21, $14.80

sounds of summer

tagged by everybody says don't to reveal my favorite seven summer songs (gotta love a little alliteration in the morning), they are:

1. kate nash: foundation
2. born ruffians: badonkadonkey
3. the ting tings: shut up & let me go
4. two hours traffic: new love
5. colbie caillet: realize
6. the red romance: one shot
7. tegan & sara: back in your head

and i'm tagging sharon rose; ida; the seeker; katelin; cupcakes & cashmere

....if you've already done it disregard (i've spent a couple of weeks out of the loop), and if anyone hasn't done it and would like to, consider yourself tagged!

blue jumpsuit apparatus

jumpsuit, f21; tee and sandals, banana republic; necklace, urban outfitters

fake out

i'm as obsessed with fashion magazines as the next girl, but it's a bit like torture to have your eyes light up as a gorgeous new jacket leaps off of the page at you, only to glance at the credits and find the price tag insanely prohibitive. so when i turned the page of july's marie claire to find this incredibly rich looking, chanel-esque jacket i held my breath. checking out the copy i found, to my utter elation, that credit for this fantastic piece goes to none other than forever 21! and at less than 50 bucks i can assure you, shopping ban or no, when this baby hits the website it is all mine.


photo courtesy of marie claire

flower power

dress, h&m; scarf, express; boots, sam edelman

california gold rush

for those looking to re-create the insanely chic givenchy layered chain look (myself included), american apparel has trotted out a line of gold plated chains, most of which were produced between 1970 and 1985 at the esse-pi factory in milan. after meeting the son of its original owner, they bought the factory's remaining stock and are selling it off for between $32-$48 a pop. granted, the total cost from piling these on could run pretty high, but we're getting closer.

attack of the 6 foot woman

seriously, these boots make me so tall i had to expand the standard size of my photo crop to get my whole body in the frame.

shirt, vintage wrangler; skirt, urban; necklace, limited; bag, bebe; boots, sam edelman

the long and the short of it

taking what i've come to refer to as the 'dress that blogs built' (because who doesn't have one?) and utilizing g's dress shortening trick i managed to wrangle the abundant fabric of the h&m maxi into a belt and a much more heatwave friendly version of itself. i think this has got some definate possiblities for fall as well. i'm thinking black tights, army jacket, edelman's...in lieu of continuing this abstract description i decided to go throw on a jacket and tights.

i'm beginning to believe i'm one of those people who just tends to do better with a/w dressing. i mean, my mind immediately goes to pairing something, anything, with tights and a jacket. god forbid i ever move anywhere winterless.

dress and jacket, h&m; clutch, target; shoes (top), diy; boots, sam edelman

for the love

with the debut of forever 21's new offshoot brand 'for love 21' there's more to love...i swear i'm not on the payroll. that being said, here are some of my instant faves...

photo courtesy of forever21.com

mea culpa

i am the classic example of a single-minded person. i cannot multi-task. when i begin something i am absorbed by it and everything else takes a back seat. when i started overtheundies it was an enjoyable outlet for my creativity and love of fashion. unfortunately, thinking about and researching material for the blog, writing articles and taking photos for the blog and networking the blog quickly took over my life. i have taken a timeout to resucitate the areas of my life that were becoming neglected, not least of all my physical health, with great success, i'm happy to report. i have no intention of ending the blog, but posting may be a bit more sporadic as i try to find a happy balance between all things. bear with me, please. among other things i'd been tossing around the idea of starting a politically-minded blog, nothing to report yet. but on a completely superficially political note (and because this is overtheundies), how fantastic does michelle obama look? tre' carrie bradshaw, no?

photos courtesy of (l-r) crooksandliars.com and sexandthecitymovie.com

in the navy

in my opinion, todd oldham's old navy coup has proven quite fruitful.

photo courtesy of oldnavy.com

surviving the ban

while my self-imposed shopping ban prevents me from picking up these fantastic forever 21 finds, it shouldn't stop you! i can't help but picture the ruffled dress with a thick, hardware accented belt cincing the waist and a really solid shoe. so chic.

l-r: zipper back tunic, $17.80

shirred chiffon top, $22.80

starstruck pajama boxer, $6.80

ruffled silk shift dress, $34.80

layer cake

hoodie, steve & barry's; skirt, urban; t, hanes; socks, walmart; shoes, diy

mix & mingle

always a fan of pattern on pattern, after april's nylon and june's teen vogue layouts i've been absolutely infatuated with the floral/stripe mix.


stripe t and skirt, f21; necklace, limited; boots, sam edelman; vest, thrifted

the obligatory 'sex' post

saw the movie: i laughed, i cried (an embarrassing number of times), and wasn't disappointed in the least. i couldn't get enough of the dior heels and studded belt that kept popping up on carrie throughout the film and patricia field was definately on the top of her game, no?

photo courtesy of cosmoguyonline.com

the gloves are off

when i first saw these on forever21 my initial thought was, 'huh?' my second was 'hmmm...' as everyone knows accessories are the key to changing up any outfit and these have an irresistibly feminine and spring-y quality that could easily brighten up even the most basic look. i'm intrigued...