Sunshine Dreaming

I've been doing a bit of shopping for my trip to Florida at the end of March and this past week I ordered a new swimsuit from J Crew.  I took a chance and tried the "Shelley" bottom pictured below, which J Crew describes as "high waisted and high fashion—a pinup-inspired bottom with a glamorous ruched band at the waist..."  I actually quite like it!  I have a long torso so for me sometimes traditional low-rise bikini bottoms don't look or fit so great (thus I've taken to wearing a lot of tankinis lately).

This polyvore set is a little bit of dreaming and a little bit reality.  I've made the swimsuit and the Sperry's mine--I found the Sperry's at DSW and with a $10 coupon I saved $30 off the regular price--and I have the navy shorts from last year.  The Chan Luu bracelet, at $168, will probably never grace my wrist but the budget version I found this week in the Nordstrom junior's section for $10 most definitely will!

Sunshine Dreaming... by PinkMaple on Polyvore.com

HATS!

I so wish the tradition of wearing hats for special occasions would float on over to the US!

Kate Middleton at a lifeboat christening earlier today

(photo via Huffington Post)

Catherine Zeta-Jones receiving the royal honor of Commander of the British Empire for her film and charity work, also today:

(photo via Boston Globe)

Don't they both look so chic and elegant?

You know I can't resist PINK!

Have you heard about Bamboopink Bamboopink is a new fashionable, yet affordable jewelry made and designed by a famous, high-end designer whose current line is sold in upscale department stores, is all over the red carpet and worn by Oprah. Analysts speculate that Bamboopink will be the largest women's internet start-up company in history. The company has a cutting-edge business model, and the jewelry will be sold through consultants on personal websites and through "virtual" jewelry parties.

Sounds interesting right? Then consider doing the same as me, sign up now, and then you can decide later whether you would actually like to sell Bamboopink. You'll get credit for signing up your friends and the chance to be rewarded with jewelry and other prizes. It is not about selling the jewelry at this point, but networking and creating interest. If you decide not to sell, you have lost nothing and your name will be dropped from the list. It is free to sign up through March 15th, after that you'll have to pay to be a consultant.

https://www.bamboopink.net/pinkmaple

Sign up is very easy; simply go to my site by following the link above and then create your name for your own site. Then simply create your own version of this post with your personal website link and either post it on your own blog or email it to friends.

I do not make it a habit of using my blog as a platform for profit; I rarely even post about the business this blog is named after! But Bamboopink really struck me as a unique opportunity. Many of us are inundated with the same old product lines sold by consultants--Bamboopink is the chance to earn extra income selling something fresh, new, and exciting. I think we could all use a little extra cash to support our J Crew, Lilly, etc, etc habits! So if you even think this might be something you'd be even a tiny bit interested in, sign up now and then decide for yourself when the product line officially launches. At the very least, you can share this opportunity with friends and perhaps win a little something along the way!

p.s. Blogger is not cooperating with photo uploads right now, but if you click on my Bamboopink site link above, you can see a preview of the jewelry.

The Little Scrubber that Could

I love a nice, invigorating face exfoliator, but sometimes find them too drying during the cold winter months.  The solution? This odd looking pink thing from Sephora.  Put a dollop of your facial cleanser on it and massage away Yes, it may look a bit like an alien spaceship, but it is so gentle and comforting that for the past two weeks since purchasing it I've been washing my face for twice as long as I usually would!

Precision Pore Cleansing Pad

I don't know about you, but I always find myself browsing through the many beauty tools, brushes, and gadgets every time I'm in Sephora.  It was on one such browse that I found this.  Have you found any interesting new beauty gadgets or products lately?

A Certain je ne sais quoi

Last week a friend and I enjoyed after-work cocktails at Petit Robert Central in downtown Boston. The restaurant opened last August in the space formerly occupied by Vinalia.  I had been to Vinalia a couple times and frankly, it was always dead quiet and kind of dull.  Fast-forward a few months, add new decor by Taniya Nayak of HGTV's Designed to Sell and Destination Design and a French theme and you've got a very packed after-work bar and restaurant.

I had a quite delicious Fleur Sureau: a cocktail made with Tequila, St. Germain, Sauvignon Blanc, and fresh line. The place definitely now has a certain je ne sais quoi - it's amazing what a difference a little French attitude makes!

What I'm Reading: "Beautiful People"

Yesterday I finished reading Beautiful People by British novelist Wendy Holden. It was a quick and funny read: going back and forth amongst a very varied group of characters all of whom eventually converge in a hillside Italian town.  One of Ms. Holden's trademarks is that she almost always includes a crazy celebrity character that will make you crack up with laughter when he or she does one completely ridiculous thing after another and somewhat scarily remind you of a real life celebrity or two.

Most Wendy Holden books come out in England before making their way to the US, so one thing I always notice when browsing Amazon for her books is the different covers for the US and British editions.

the US cover:

the British cover:

From the pastel color palette to the elegant script, the American cover is somewhat softer and more upscale(?) than the British version.  The British version coveys splash and glamour.  Funny how the same book can be marketed so differently!

3 is the Magic Number. Or is $11?

I stopped into the Talbots Clearance Outlet over the weekend and scored these lovelies for a mere $11, originally $118!  This makes the owner of exactly 3 Talbots items: 1 pair of shoes, 1 skirt ($5.50 at the clearance outlet last spring, and 1 cardigan (at the regular Talbots outlet in North Conway, NH).  Most Talbots clothing doesn't fit me very well and the clearance outlet carries lots of odd sizes because it's basically overstock. So although there were lots of bargains to be had the shoes will have to do!
 

Pink, Pink, Pink!

This year I once again participated in the lovely Hopsy's PINK SWAP.  I was paired with Meredith of It's a Little Life and was treated to a lovely array of fun pink items.  I have to say my favorite items were the pink personalized pencils, such a nice touch!  We were definitely on the same wavelength with one particular item: she sent me a Slatkin & Co. candle in Pink Sangria and I sent her one in Caribbean Escape!

Happy Valentine's Day!

p.s. See my goodies from previous swaps here (2010) and here (2009).

A Little Texas...

I got a manicure today with one of the new OPI Texas collection shades: "Houston We Have a Problem."  It looked like a dark pink in the bottle, almost purple actually, but it comes out a pretty sheer pink! Very different! OPI describes it as a "sorbet-like finish."  I think I'll definitely be getting that shade again.

Have you tried any good new colors lately?

Yes or No--Take 2

While walking through Copley Place in Boston on my way home from a hair appointment on Friday, I stopped into J Crew and saw the new oxfords from last Wednesday's post in-person.  One key design element (for me at least) that you don't notice online but you do in person is that the toe area is solid--underneath the outer layer of cut-outs there is solid leather of the same color.  These shoes would look best with no socks, so I had been thinking that they could be a sweaty mess, but since the toe is covered you could wear little skin-tone foot peds and stay chic and cool.  Such a little point I know, but I think it makes the difference for me!  So I am giving the style a "YES."

Clockwise:

Quorra High Heel Oxfords--$265

Quorra Oxfords--$250

Charles David Spire (in March's Lucky)--$250

Definitely all a bit expensive though!

Yes or No?

The jury is still out for me on these new oxfords for spring at J Crew.  What do you think?

Quorra High-heel Oxfords