One of my biggest style goals for the spring is to replace some of my bags. I feel I've done well with choosing bags that have held up...to everything except my mom's cat, Daisy. Daisy has a taste for leather handbags (especially the handles) and has left her mark via claw and chew marks. I'll also admit I haven't taken as good as care I should have for some of my bags so for a few of them it's my fault that they're not looking their best.

With a few exceptions, I also don't think they make bags as well as they used to.

Anyways, these are the bags that caught my eye. All but two are under $500.

Row One (from left to right): Lilly Pulitzer // Tory Burch // Diane von Furstenburg
At this point I'm sort of looking for more a fun summer purse. This white leather bag from Lilly really fits the bill. I'm sort of afraid trying to keep a white leather bag clean but I'm in love with the details. I will note this tote is HUGE. Next up is a unique bag from Tory Burch's resort collection. The shape and beautiful color are what caught my eye but the details such as the dowel handle and the beaded shoulder strap kept my attention. Sadly, this one is nearly $300 over my budget so I'm kinda hoping it goes on sale soon. Lastly is DVF's Secret Agent bag. I dig the color and the function of this hobo. There's a pocket for everything!

Row Two: Furla // Kate Spade // Coach
A beautiful, everyday brown bag is still high on my wishlist. This Furla bag is so, so, so pretty. Perfect color, perfect size. This bright pink bag is from Kate Spade and is super similar to her Lily scalloped tote that I've featured a few times. It also comes a few more candy colors although I'd get it in white. As a note: a lot of KS bags look like they're made with saffiano leather but they're actually PVC or a textured, coated canvas. Always check the materials before you buy. Finally, the absolutely preppiest bag you could ever by: a Coach duffel. There's a reason they're still around.


Row Three: Tory Burch Robinson Tote // Tory Burch T Tote // Tory Burch Shoulder Bag
So...I got an email from Tory Burch today that featured of these stunning embroidered bags. I went straight to her website and drooled for the next 20 minutes or so. Um, yeah, I really love these fun bags. Breezy, colorful, perfect for summer. The tote on the left is over budget (of course) but that may not stop me, especially if I see it in person. I will admit I'm going to wait for some reviews if I decide to get one of these beauties.

Row Four: Rebecca Minkoff // Coach //  Kate Spade 
Somewhere in the 2010/2011 area I bought a Rebecca Minkoff Mini MAB satchel off of Gilt.com for around $200. To this day, it remains the most I've ever spent on a bag. I loved that bag hardcore and I cried when I realized I lost it somewhere during a move. I don't know if I'd get another of that style, but Rebecca Minkoff has beautiful soft leathers that I only really see at Coach anymore. I like the color, the tassels, but the slouchyness of it is a bit of a put off. Next up is a Coach bag from their Swagger line. Yes, the name is silly but I like the style. Of this particular bag I really enjoy the colors in the color blocking. And finally, a woven leather Kate Spade tote. It reminds me a lot of a Tory Burch bag from about 2-3 years ago that was made from a similar woven leather pattern that was absolutely stunning. It's not close, but an added leather tassel accent will make it close enough.

A little more than a month ago I left my home state of West Virginia and moved halfway across the country to take a job in Iowa. This job pays me nearly triple of what I was making last year. For the first time in a very long time I can walk into a store and buy a sweater or a pair of shoes without having to worry about the rest of my budget. I can buy a book at Barnes and Noble without feeling guilty. Obviously I shouldn't get too crazy--I need to replace my car at some point this year--but I am going to indulge a bit.


Last year was the first year in a long time where I actually wore shorts in public during the summer. This was mostly due to the fact my office building last year had absolutely zero air conditioning. I wasn't uncommon for me to wander in for my overnight shift and it still be over 85 degrees in there. So shorts became a necessity and Old Navy had two pairs in particular that caught my eye which just happened to be the ones they're getting sued for by Lilly Pulitzer.

This year I decided I wanted more shorts.  I didn't expect to buy them in February but they'll keep until warmer days. First up are these incredible gingham shorts. It was one of those moments where I just took one look at them and handed my cash to Old Navy. Frankly, you can't get much preppier than these shorts. The other pair of shorts just had a fun print I like. It is a bit early in the year for shorts (unless you live in Florida) but if there's something you like, grab 'em before Old Navy discontinues them.

These are the same Pixie pants I featured last week. I'm in a very lavender mood so these felt like a no brainer. I will note the leaves on the flowers are actually a light golden brown. I have a sweater that matched that brown nicely so I've been pairing those together. I also wore a navy shirt with them and felt it looked alright.


Let me start off with the Lands' End sweater I bought to match the above Pixie pants. It's not quite the same shade of lavender but it's close enough. I love this version of their popular Drifter sweater because it is tunic length and has a nice mid weight feel to it. I'm giving some thought to ordering a few more of these.

I know I've shared my hate of neon many times, but on these New Balance sneakers...its okay. Small doses, folks. I got this pair through J.Crew and let me share this tidbit: order through the store if you can. Ordering through the store brings free shipping which is pretty standards but more importantly the shipping is much faster.  I bought these shoes on a Saturday and had them by Wednesday. Had I ordered these through the website I'd probably still be waiting on them.

One of my favorite purchases since my move is this pretty print bedding from Pottery Barn. When I moved here I discovered my bedroom was painted sage green. My landlord said she'd have it painted whenever I was ready but I think it's growing me. I originally picked this set out because it reminded me of one of my favorite museum exhibitions that featured 19th century prints featuring flora and fauna. When I brought it home I was very happy to find that the greens in the print matched my walls. The set is reversible, with the same print on a white background and the other side on a black background. I never, ever thought I'd bring black into my home decor but it just looks so good in my bedroom.

It's no secret I'm a fan of Old Navy's Pixie pants. I probably own around five pairs, along with several of their Pixie shorts. When you find something that fits you so well as a plus size woman you want to sing its praises from the mountains.

My one issue with the Pixie pants is trying to get them in solid colors. They come in lots of great prints but a good solid color can be hard to come by. If they come out with something such as navy blue, my size is sold out in almost no time.

This led me to ponder Eloquii's insanely popular Kady pant. The styling is similar to the Pixie and as of press time comes in over twenty colors. I bought the color in the picture above, Walnut, and it's pretty true to what's show on the screen. They were also $19.97, which is nothing to sneeze at. I figured I have nothing to lose and placed me order.

Style: The Kady style is very close to the Pixie pants, although I find the Kady waistband lies smoother against the body. The pockets--front and back--on the Kady pants are real. The leg width on both pants is similar, as is the length. Speaking of lengths, both the Pixie and Kady come in short, regular, and long lengths. They're still a bit on the cropped size but not nearly like they used to be.

If you're looking for pants to wear to the office the Pixie is alright but if you're in a very professional environment the Kadys are the way to go. 

Fit: I size down in Pixie pants because they're from Old Navy and will stretch wickedly. I bought my usual size in the Kady style and found the waist fits very well. The seat fits well and looks alright. However, these pants are not meant for the apple shaped. The fabric, which looks and feels like a thick stretchy twill that's been Scotchguarded yet is super soft, bunches around my front roundness. Frankly, it looks awful. When I saw that I nearly sent them back. That being said, most of my tops are tunic length and once I pair the pants with a tunic, they look very nice. Like, I'm already planning outfits around these pants nice.

My biggest gripe about the Kady pants is how big they are in the hips. If you're pear or hourglass shaped, these are the pants for you. Seriously, quit reading this and go give Eloquii your money. I've had the Kadys less than a week and have worn them once. They did stretch out so I'm looking into having the hips taken in a bit to give them a sleeker silhouette. I also think it might help with the bunching around the front. The Pixie pants bunch slightly in the front but nowhere near the extent of the Kady. I also find the Pixies fit a lot better in the hips and rear and stretching with wear isn't as exaggerated.

Value: I can't attest to the longevity of the pants from Eloquii but they're very well made and I'm impressed with the fabric (surprisingly not scuba!). You should also never pay full price for Eloquii items, sign up for their emails and they're sending out coupons everyday. If you're patient you can often get whatever you want for 50% or even 60% off.

I have Pixie pants that are over two years old and are still going strong. I do iron the pants on occasion because I think a front crease looks nice and slightly flattering on me but it's not necessary.  Pixies go on sale fairly often but they're also not included in other sales. Again, patience is a virtue for Pixies.

Overall: Both pants have their merits and their flaws. I like the styling and fabric of the Kady better than the Pixie, but the fit of the Pixie can't be beat. I'm hoping tailoring may help the Kady and if it does, I may just have some new favorite pants.

One of the best things about January is the anticipation of the Lilly Pulitzer After Party sale. You never know what to expect in the sale, which I find fun. Sure, there's been a few sales that had been duds but for the most part I usually find something.

New Feature: The Waiting Line. One of the bad things about the After Party sale was that it would often crash the Lilly site. In an effort to prevent said crashes, there's now a "virtual waiting line" you'll have to sit in to gain access to the site. LP launched the que during last August's sale. I was on the Lilly site before its scheduled 8:00 am launch, but I was in the que for 15-20 minutes. There's a ticker and I can't remember if it told you the amount of time you had before you could enter the sale or how many people were ahead of you. Even though I got to the sale around 8:20 nothing was sold out yet.

According to the Lilly website, they will be using the waiting line again. This means it's time to change up the After Party sales guide. This is probably the most important fact to keep in mind:


Here's my other advice:

1| Create an account on the Lilly website and make sure ALL of your information is updated. Most importantly, make sure your credit card and shipping addresses are correct. Take off any addresses you may have stored in there from the holiday season.

2| Utilize all available equipment: computer, smartphone, tablet, etc. You'll also be able to shop via the Lilly Pulitzer app. Last August I shuffled between the Lilly app, my computer, and the mobile website and I found the app got me in the soonest. This may not be the case for you but it doesn't hurt to try.

3| Follow Lilly on social media! Sometimes there are sale items exclusive to various platforms (Facebook, Instagram, etc.) so be sure to check those out.

4| Shipping is free, which is always a bonus. Do be aware that shipping may take longer than usual due to the staggering amount of orders Lilly will be handling.

5| There are no returns on final sale merchandise. If you're unsure of sizing double check your measurements. As far as shoe sizing goes, I think it runs a bit smaller than true-to-size.

6| Items can change during the course of the sale. I've noticed in several sales additional items will be added towards the afternoons and evenings.

7| Prioritize what you want and make a strategy. Tote bags on the computer, scarves on the tablet. Some have found it handy to make a second account (or more) and sign in on a different account on each device. The reason I say to make a plan is this tip #8.

8| Items in your cart are not held for you. You can only be sure they're yours once you check out completely.

And again: Put everything you want in your cart and THEN checkout--especially if you're shopping in the first few hours of the sale. The moment you leave the sale you'll end up at the back of the line.

What to expect in the sale: It's always hard to say for sure, but typically it's a variety of items from the past few seasons. Since it's January, I expect to see anything from mid-summer up through Christmas. I suspect they may have agendas and a good deal of other stationery items because I've seen those going on sale in several stores recently. I also think you'll find a ton of the free gift with purchase promotional items.

Price-wise, expect the average savings to be anywhere from 40%-60% off original retail. Off the top of my head, I once got an overnight bag for $49 that was originally $198, a necklace that was $19 for $78, and a scarf for $34 that had been $120.

Anything in particular I'm looking for? At this point in time, not really. I wouldn't mind picking up an extra agenda if they have them. I'm moving to a new apartment at the end of the month and frankly, the less I have to pack the better. I have stuff from Christmas that I've been reluctant to open because it's just going to be packed up in two weeks (like my awesome new knife set). But who knows, they'll probably be something that'll catch my eye.