Chelsea Purcella

The Eve

noreply@blogger.com (Chelsea) — Sun, 25 Aug 2013 18:31:00 +0000

As I sit here on this beautiful Sunday (judged only by how relaxed I feel and the delicious breakfast I just prepared as I haven't been outside yet) I'm realizing that it is also the eve of my potential unemployment. If you were to ask me a year ago how I felt about unemployment I would have told you I hated it and all I want is to be working again. This time is a little different. I am grateful for every day I work but if I don't have a job arranged by September 13th- the last day of my current freelance job- I won't be too upset about it this time. Last year I spent 5 months unemployed, something I'm sure will jump out to potential employers reading this as they Google me, but alas this is my blog and it is the truth. Last Summer I was also in the middle of my very first relationship and the more upset I felt about my jobless situation, the more that person withdrew from me, making me feel even more crazy and insecure about my situation than was really necessary. This time will actually be very different. I've had the last almost nine months to reflect on my life and myself while having the fabulous distraction of a good job during this early onset of my quarter life crisis. What I have come up with is that if I am unemployed for an extended amount of time I will not waste it. I won't have any baggage to deal with but my own and really I don't have very much as single young lady. In April I was briefly unemployed for one month and while I was slightly terrorized by my own memories of those 5 Summer months in 2012- I managed to occupy myself quite well by going to yoga a few times a week, watching A LOT of television, and researching and coming up with some ideas for what will be my own personal brand. If I'm unemployed again I have a plan.

I've been commissioned by a friend to make a skirt for a wedding shower in September and lucky for me the fabric I'm working with and the silhouette of the skirt is right up my alley and I can't wait to get started. It's what I'm kicking off this new era with and I couldn't be happier than to jump in feet first. Just the idea of patterning and sewing and designing has made me more excited than I've been in while about fashion. I know it sounds silly as fashion design is my career choice anyway but I get to have a say in very aspect of how this skirt gets done and it really will be my creation from start to finish. Perhaps then I will be thought of as the designer I truly am and not "just the freelancer" people think I am.

I'm hoping to blog a little more but I can't promise that I'll stick to any kind of editorial calendar. But maybe? I do love a good routine! I'm always seeing things I want to make and places I want to go and these are normally just things I jot down in the notes section on my phone or bookmark in Yelp but maybe documenting them on this blog will be a better use of my time. I tend to feel sort of "bougie" about the blogging world and all these bloggers whose day job is solely to blog and whatever else accompanies that. I'm pretty sure it's because I'm jealous since it seems like they just take pretty photos of what they wear and have been doing it so well and long enough that they just a get a bunch of free stuff from what I consider to be the most current and exciting brands. And the thing that gets me is that now this side of the blogging industry is completely flooded. One's chances of being able to achieve a similar level of blogging success this late in the game is slim to none. I/ we have to find a new approach to blogging that is unique to all that is out there. And that's particularly difficult when people are so creative and the bar is being set increasingly high in terms of content and aesthetics.

So here we are! Being unemployed, whether it be in the next few weeks or a year from now, will not be traumatizing as it was before. I only have myself to worry about and therefore I will only have myself to blame if I get sidetracked. I am going to make things I want to make, blog about things I want to blog about, and- on a semi-unrelated note- go to hot yoga everyday for my own health and sanity. And I'll continue to watch more television because let's be real, some of today's TV shows are seriously so amazing. I love that in almost every industry we are settling for nothing less than perfection. And that perfection is something I hope to settle for nothing less than myself.

J. Crew on Film: "Shiny Ponies"

noreply@blogger.com (Chelsea) — Wed, 01 May 2013 17:09:00 +0000

Hello all!

I was cruising the J. Crew website looking for a design detail I wanted to use on a sketch when I stumbled upon their latest #jcrewonfilm video. I normally don't watch a whole lot of videos- I find most of them tedious but I was really intrigued to see and hear Jenna Lyons. That might seem kind of weird and I'm sure most of you have seen videos with her before but I haven't. You know that feeling when you know who a person is and you know what they do but you have no idea how they are in real life? Well that's why I was compelled to watch this video... and because it's title is "Shiny Ponies", I really couldn't help myself! I found Jenna to be completely charming and I'm not gonna lie I kiiiiiiind of want to run out and get myself of "business in the front, party in the back" heels. Please watch and enjoy!

Kate Upton is a Goddess

noreply@blogger.com (Chelsea) — Tue, 30 Apr 2013 16:44:00 +0000

I was just starting to think that Harper's Bazaar was losing its luster. And I will say that as a mildly OCD person, it's slightly larger than 8 1/2" by 11" format sort of drives me crazy when I'm filing tear sheets. But in any case when I pulled this months issue from my mailbox last week, I was pleasantly surprised to see Gwyneth Paltrow on the cover. And then when I opened it, lo and behold Carine Roitfeld had styled an amazing editorial with one of my very favorite models: Kate Upton. Please soak in all this amazingness yourself and check out the rest of the shoot here. And also please enjoy this gif.

Photos via Harper's Bazaar, gif via Terry Richardson.

What I'm Cooking!

noreply@blogger.com (Chelsea) — Thu, 20 Sep 2012 00:40:00 +0000

♥ My first official "real meal" of the season: Rigatoni Bolognese!

New York has cooled considerably in the past couple weeks and I've actually been cold by the time I get into bed at night which I haven't experienced since April or so. But with this cool weather brings my renewed interest in using my stove top and oven again. The first big meal I decided to tackle was Rigatoni Bolognese. Anyone who knows me knows that I usually go through phases of eating the same food frequently for a few months until I get sick of it and move on to something else. Over the last year it has been burgers, steak, sushi, sandwiches, pizza and now it's pasta with meat sauce. This phase may have something to do with the fact that I've been watching "Everybody Loves Raymond" a lot and Marie, the Mom, is constantly making lasagna or bragioli. I've had bolognese at Cafe Minerva and Extra Virgin (both in the West Village) in the past couple weeks and I just can't get over how good it was! I used this recipe from Epicurious and it turned out amazingly well. I used one less onion than the recipe (because I only had one) and instead of white wine I used a cap-full of white vinegar and another cup of water. I was so excited about it that I made a big meal out of it for my boyfriend and I a couple nights ago, complete with a salad of romaine lettuce with avocado and Gorgonzolla cheese and garlic French bread and (reduced-guilt) brownies for dessert. I spent about $20 on the ingredients for the bolognese but I think technically it serves 20, so you can freeze some like me or just half or quarter the recipe.

Have you tried any noteworthy recipes lately? Do any of you go through phases of eating a specific kind of food? I'm curious to see what you've been cooking and if any of you are as weird as I am!

Instagram Rewind - Labor Day Weekend

noreply@blogger.com (Chelsea) — Tue, 04 Sep 2012 10:30:00 +0000

From top to bottom, left to right:

♥ 1. A couple friends and I went to Brother Jimmy's (again!) on Saturday for happy hour wings and a bowl of "Swamp Water." Right as we were paying our bill, the waitress brought over another fish bowl and said someone at the bar bought it for us!

♥ 2. After happy hour, we met my boyfriend at the Frying Pan. It's a bar on the Hudson River on a boat. It has an amazing view and the weather was beautiful! I had a couple Bluepoint Blueberry Ales and if you can I highly recommend you try it!

♥ 3. Our view of the city from the Frying Pan at night.

♥ 4. On Sunday, my roommate wanted to go to the Brooklyn Flea and I happily obliged as I love any kind of vintage or thrift shopping. Artists & Fleas is another market on the same street.

♥ 5. A sketch I did of a glass of soda pop!

♥ 6. At Target, Campbell's released a limited edition run of their tomato soup with labels by Andy Warhol.

♥ 7. My exciting Labor Day meal was a classic BLT sandwich.

♥ 8. I finally finished my deerskin tote bag that I started a few weeks ago. Now I can bring a book and my sketchbook with me on the long train rides downtown.

Did you guys have an amazing three-day weekend? My whole life is a weekend so it's a little less exciting for me but I managed to have a lot of fun- hanging out with my roommate, my friend Olivia (who was visiting from SF) and my BF. This week will be a little more exciting because I'm visiting my family on Thursday in Seattle, so I'm sure to be busy the whole time I'm there! I'm excited for Fall but I'm a little sad to see Summer leave. Are any of you extending your Summer by doing or going anywhere this week? I hope you all have a fun, short week! To see what I'm up to, check my Instagram!

What I'm... Doing!

noreply@blogger.com (Chelsea) — Sat, 01 Sep 2012 00:29:00 +0000

♥ My Canon Rebel 2000 film camera!

Yes, this week's "What I'm" post is a little broad in title but very specific in actuality. I am constantly looking for things to keep myself occupied and a very smart person suggested that I do something creative that doesn't necessarily have to do with fashion. As in, what would I like to creatively pursue as a hobby that is only for me? The answer is photography. I've always been interested in it and even took a couple classes in high school- darkroom and everything. I have a Polaroid camera that I love using but the film is expensive so I decided to start using my Canon Rebel 2000 film camera again. It took a little brushing up on my shutter speed and f-stop numbers but I started taking my first photos with it again last night and I can't wait to see how they turn out. I leave for Seattle on Thursday (in what is a very spur of the moment trip, so no "why didn't you tell me?!") and I'm so excited to capture some good times and share them here!

Have you been pursuing a new hobby lately? Or have you had a renewed interest in an old hobby? I'd love to read about it in the comments. I hope you all have a great Labor Day weekend!

Instagram Rewind - Wings and a Birthday!

noreply@blogger.com (Chelsea) — Tue, 28 Aug 2012 00:12:00 +0000

From top to bottom, left to right:

♥ 1. My view from the West Side Highway of the New Jersey skyline.

♥ 2. My roommate Allie and I went to happy hour at Brother Jimmy's. We had some amazing wings and a pitcher of Bud Light.

♥ 3. The Guggenheim museum is Pay-What-You-Wish on Saturdays from 5:45 to 7:45 PM so a couple friends and I took advantage of that and saw some great modern art!

♥ 4. My party outfit for my friend Olivia's birthday party.

♥ 5. My view from New Jersey of the New York City skyline.

♥ 6. Olivia cutting her birthday cake!

Hello all! My weekdays tend to drag on a little bit because as my job search continues I almost feel like I'm running out of things to do. Fortunately for me my weekends are usually jam-packed! New York has so many free things to do that even living on a budget can be fun, as long as you have someone to accompany you every so often. To keep myself busy this week, I plan on setting up my serger so I can start making a dress I have dreamed up. I hope you have a fun and busy week! And don't forget to see what I'm up to this week on my Instagram @chelseapurcella!

What I'm... Reading!

noreply@blogger.com (Chelsea) — Fri, 24 Aug 2012 17:11:00 +0000

From top to bottom:

♥ 1. My copy of "Just Kids".

♥ 2. A photo of Patti Smith's photo of the Nathan's hot dog stand.

♥ 3. My Instagram photo of the Nathan's hot dog stand, at an eerily similar perspective.

In my next attempt at establishing an editorial calendar, Fridays will be "What I'm..." post days. Anything from what I'm listening to or eating or even as broad a subject as doing. Today's post is about what I'm reading. Or in this case what I've read. I finished reading "Just Kids" by Patti Smith somewhere around the 4th of July and I felt compelled to share because it is such an amazing read! I won't lie, I didn't know anything about Patti Smith or Robert Mapplethorpe before I started reading this book. Generally speaking I am just a big fan of biographies about women who have contributed something to culture in one way or another so I bought it one day at the Strand. As I started to read it I sort of felt like a kindred spirit I suppose and it seemed that I would be feeling the same as Patti Smith had. Like needing to escape New York City to see Paris or wearing or doing things because it related to an artist I love. And in one outstanding circumstance I was at Coney Island while reading about her and Robert Mapplethorpe going to Coney Island and a few pages later she made a reference to Audrey Hepburn's clothing in Funny Face- a movie, that very night, I was going to see for the first time. And we had even taken almost the same exact picture of the Nathan's hot dog stand but 35 years apart.

Can all this be chalked up to just a lot of coincidences? Of course, but maybe it's all a part of the same journey on the way to becoming what you're meant to do with yourself the rest of your life.

Have you ever read something or watched something that seemed to relate to what you were doing or feeling at the time? Comment on any experiences you've had below!

Instagram Rewind

noreply@blogger.com (Chelsea) — Tue, 21 Aug 2012 03:28:00 +0000

From top to bottom, left to right:

♥ 1. I got the new J. Crew Style Guide in the mail and these heels definitely made me strap happy!

♥ 2. I had the pleasure of babysitting my cousin Georgia on Saturday night. Together we watched "Tangled"... and after she went to bed I watched "Love Actually" and "Julie & Julia."

♥ 3. My at-home mani in Clambake by Essie.

♥ 4. My new bag obsession from Kate Spade's Fall ad campaign.

♥ 5. Walking to the subway Saturday night, someone had just celebrated their 50th birthday and I had to wait sixteen minutes for the train!

♥ 6. On Sunday, I went to the Brooklyn Flea in Williamsburg for the first time and came home with this wide-eyed kitten knick-knack.

I am fairly new to having an iPhone. Prior to getting mine in March, I had the same phone for almost three years! And now that I have my iPhone, I am in love with Instagram. As the first post in what will become a weekly series, "Instagram Rewind" is how I spent my weekend in my photos from Instagram. If you're on Instagram, come say hello @chelseapurcella.

Funny Face

noreply@blogger.com (Chelsea) — Tue, 10 Jul 2012 21:13:00 +0000

You may have heard that the weather in New York has been sweltering over the past week and only in the last couple of days have we got some relief (read: weather in the eighties). Upon receipt of our last utility bill and no more money to spend at Target, I've been forced to seek air conditioning elsewhere, which lately has been at the movies. Saturday was a scorching 100 degrees in the city so my friend Sarah, who was visiting from Seattle, and I decided it was best to hit the beach for the day and after that catch Funny Face at the Film Forum on Houston. Neither of us had ever seen it, which is surprising since we are both Audrey Hepburn fans. I really had absolutely no idea what is about, my only knowledge of the movie was that one of the dancing scenes was in a Gap commercial a few years ago. But as soon as the opening credits started I knew I would like the movie. Richard Avedon did all the photography and served as a special visual consultant for the movie's many photo shoot scenes. I was left so inspired by the opening credits I have to share them here:

Also, here is the Gap commercial for your viewing pleasure:

Etc.

noreply@blogger.com (Chelsea) — Thu, 14 Jun 2012 02:47:00 +0000

Yesterday turned into a search for something I didn't know I needed. I have been watching a lot of the "The Mary Tyler Moore Show" and the spin-off show "Rhoda" lately. I've always liked MTM and Rhoda was a pleasant Hulu+ discovery. If you've ever watched either of these shows, you've noticed that in Rhoda's home there is a wooden "etc" sign hanging on the set background. It's always stood out to me for some reason, so when I made my once weekly Target trip a few weeks ago, I noticed their new Typography home collection. Some brilliant designer decided to make a wooden etc sign very similar to Rhoda's. When it was $20, I couldn't justify it, but it went on sale this week for $10! Unfortunately, my local Target was sold out and so began the one woman sign hunt. I called my mother and friend Sarah to look at the Target in Seattle and I asked a salesperson to tell me whether any other store still had it. After concluding that it would be too much effort to go to these other Targets looking for something that may or may not still be there, I left. This morning however, I woke up with such vigor that I decided I would find this etc sign if it was the last thing I did! I mapped out two Targets, one in the Bronx and one in Harlem (with a pit stop at Coinstar!). Getting to the first Target in the Bronx was a three train trek in itself but it paid off... they had the sign! Victory! I couldn't be happier with my acquisition. With this, begins the official redecoration process of my apartment. I can't wait to share the process here, stay tuned!

Resort Dreaming

noreply@blogger.com (Chelsea) — Wed, 13 Jun 2012 02:05:00 +0000

Since the Style.com app was recently updated to be much more user-friendly, I've been flipping through all the shows I've missed the past few seasons. We're in the middle of Resort 2013 and I found myself drawn to the same pink color that almost every designer used! My favorite designs this time around came from Erin Fetherston and Monique Lhuillier. I love the bows and glitter Erin used and the simple silhouettes of Monique's lacy numbers.

Beantown

noreply@blogger.com (Chelsea) — Fri, 11 May 2012 01:04:00 +0000

I'm currently sitting on an airplane to Seattle and thought I would post about my recent travels to Boston. It was a very quick trip but I had never been so I was soo excited to go! We took the Bolt Bus which wasn't a bad trip, about 4 hours, and it's a beautiful ride.
The first thing we did was eat at an amazing restaurant called Asana. It was a Japanese restaurant at one point but is now "New England contemporary." We had foie gras, oysters, bass, seared yellowfin tuna and it was amazing. After that we took the subway to The Omni Parker House where the Boston Cream Pie was born. We paired our pie with a couple Sam Adams Boston Lagers, which was perhaps not the tastiest pairing but it was my tribute to the town I was in at the time!
The next day I had the whole day on my own to explore which I was totally up for. It rained most of the time I was out but I managed to hit up 15 of the 16 historical landmarks on the Freedom Trail (I missed Bunker Hill because of time) plus the famous Cheers bar in Beacon Hill and the Boston Public Garden complete with swan boats.

Coming Clean

noreply@blogger.com (Chelsea) — Thu, 03 May 2012 16:32:00 +0000

I guess it's time I finally say it somewhere with some sort of officiality: my freelance time with Jordache came to an end last week Tuesday. While losing your job is never the ideal situation I am really grateful I got the experience as an Assistant Designer. I consider it invaluable and I know I will take everything I learned and be amazing in my next position.

In the last week+ I've been without work, I've done the usual things: filing for unemployment, reaching out to friends and industry contacts, etc. But ironically, a week or two before losing my job there were a plethora of Assistant Designer jobs (a few of which I did apply for) and not much since.

With all this time on my hands after the job search part of my day is over, I must confess I've just been catching up on some much needed sleep, watching classic movies and hitting the gym. And while that stuff is all good and fun it's not necessarily the most productive thing I can be doing with my time; which is why I've decided to come back to my blog. Expect posts at least 3 days a week and maybe more once I get a schedule down. My portfolio will be undergoing a major change in aesthetics to reflect the kind of job I want and posting on my blog will be an essential part of this. And my posts won't just be about fashion. It'll be about anything I like and enjoy. Imagine, maybe this is what a real blog is supposed to be like!

Lord Wellington

noreply@blogger.com (Chelsea) — Mon, 03 Oct 2011 09:00:00 +0000

Anytime it rains in New York I make the joke "I left Seattle because of this!" But I think the more important thing to think about when it rains in New York are all the fashion opportunities that can come from what I know now as an infamous East Coast torrential downpour. I found some amazing stylish choices and maybe I'm like, the last person to notice, but I didn't know anyone was making wellies in a heel!

From top to bottom: Kellen Wedge Heel Rain Boot in Cranberry by Hunter, $175; Platform Heel Wellies by Louis Vuitton; Milly in Cherry/ Navy by Bass Loves Rachel Antonoff, $129.

Hocus Pocus

noreply@blogger.com (Chelsea) — Sun, 02 Oct 2011 03:04:00 +0000

In honor of the first day of October I wanted to share a funny similarity I picked up on. I have no idea if Roberto Cavalli intended for his Fall 2011 ad campaign to resemble the 90s Halloween classic, Hocus Pocus but it most definitely does, see for yourself below!

Happy October!

Working Girl

noreply@blogger.com (Chelsea) — Fri, 30 Sep 2011 16:09:00 +0000

The past month has been a crazy whirlwind of events which is why my posts were a little intermittent. It started off with the whole flight delay back to New York because of Hurricane Irene, my Grandma's brief hospitalization (she's doing fine now), family visiting, and job hunting.

I am excited to say that after a short 369 days after my graduation from college I finally got a job! A real career! I'm an assistant designer at Jordache designing missy and junior's bottoms for U.S. Polo Association! It really fell into my lap at the perfect time and I still can't believe how incredibly lucky I am! Basically the career advisor at my alma mater sent my resume to an alumni working at Jordache and the rest is kind of history. So far I love, LOVE, LOVE my job and my boss is amazing. She's really patient and in the three days that I've worked there I've already learned so much.

I don't have any pictures for this post but just picture me SUPER EXCITED! Happy Friday!

Lady in Red

noreply@blogger.com (Chelsea) — Fri, 30 Sep 2011 03:39:00 +0000

I believe everyone has a color. Like, their color. One that makes them feel confident and really makes them stand out when they wear it. Mine personally is red and it just so happens to be one of the hot colors for Fall and I couldn't be more excited! Here is an outfit all in red complete with undergarments with a little red accent.

Clockwise from top left: Dress from Erin Fetherston's Spring/ Summer 2012 collection, Walker Park Tate purse by Kate Spade, $245, The Last Strawberry Wedge by Jeffrey Campbell, $115.99; Damarius Crème Brulée collection, £32-54.

Thrifty

noreply@blogger.com (Chelsea) — Tue, 20 Sep 2011 01:24:00 +0000

I have always had a special gift for finding amazing things at thrift stores, garage sales, etc. One thing I've found out about New York since moving here is that the thrift stores are all picked-over and over-priced, something I found surprising! While on vacation I went thrift shopping in Seattle and Hollywood with my friends Sarah and Andrew respectively and basically bought my entire Fall wardrobe. Some of my noteworthy purchases included a sapphire blue Le Tigre cardigan, two leather skirts, one suede skirt, Michael Kors slacks, two pairs of vintage Salvatore Ferragamo shoes (in size 5 1/2, which means they will be sold in my Etsy store), a Tahari angora sweater, two cashmere sweaters and Nautica sailor pants. Here's a small snapshot of the goods!

The Perfect Pink

noreply@blogger.com (Chelsea) — Mon, 19 Sep 2011 20:37:00 +0000

It all began with my search for the perfect pink lipstick. You know, the bright pink lipstick Nicki Minaj has been wearing all Summer. I was in Soho and walked into Sephora where I found the Illamasqua section. I had heard about the brand from Norah and decided to see what I found. What I found was the lip color, Corrupt. Upon browsing their website a couple days ago I saw photos for their new collection, Theater of the Nameless, and fell in love with the mod feel of it all!

Hit the Nail on The Head

noreply@blogger.com (Chelsea) — Thu, 15 Sep 2011 20:14:00 +0000

As someone who had the nasty habit of biting their nails for about 9 years, I will be the first to tell you that it's a hard habit to break! Last year I thought I had kicked the habit for good when I had got so busy in my last quarter of college that I just simply didn't have the time to bite my nails anymore. But as soon as I graduated I was off the wagon again and it wasn't until I moved to New York a few months later that I realized having perfectly manicured nails is a major part of grooming here! Being west coast born and raised instilled a sense of laid back-ness in me, where the only time we really got our nails done was for special occasions like dances and fancy dates. It wasn't until February that I went and got a manicure with my friend Norah and I have not bitten my nails since. And since then, I have become obsessed with always having my nails painted. Unfortunately for me I do them myself most of the time because I live on the budget of a sales associate by day, designer by night. Here are a few of my most recent manicures that I had to share! Oh and please excuse my hands, I'm double jointed in all my fingers so they always look weird. I've actually had people scream and ask if I was okay, haha.

From left to right: Hawaiian Punch by Orly, Golden Fish Scales by Lisa Logan for Minx (done by manicurist Natasha at the IFB conference), and Yummy Mummy by Butter London with Nails Inc Special Effects Farrington Crackle Topcoat.

It's All About the Perks

noreply@blogger.com (Chelsea) — Thu, 08 Sep 2011 13:07:00 +0000

Working at the largest department store in the world full-time gets a little tiring sometimes because it's something like the number two tourist destination in the New York. But what I CAN say about working at Macy's is it is all about the perks. As I was on one of the many sets of escalators throughout the store, I saw a sign saying that Karl Lagerfeld was going to be at Macy's to launch his collection for Impulse on September 6th. In the words of Rachel Zoe: I DIE. I think I genuinely hyperventilated a little bit. When that day actually came, to my surprise not only did Unkle Karl show up, but so did Anna Wintour and Coco Rocha. For this, I thank the Fashion Gods.

Fall Essentials

noreply@blogger.com (Chelsea) — Tue, 30 Aug 2011 03:37:00 +0000

With the frequency I've been at airports lately, I've had plenty of time to catch up on my Fall fashion trends. So far I've covered menswear-as-womenswear and the varsity jacket, but there are some other major trends I've seen as well: gray acid wash, houndstooth, rust, mustard, sapphire and kelly green. Here are some of my favorite picks for the upcoming season!

Clockwise from the top left: Distressed Five Pocket Skinny Jean from GoJane, $29.40; Black Houndstooth Crewneck Bodysuit by Stella McCartney, $1,195; Moss Girls Long Sleeve Sweater by Hurley, $52; Ruffled Dot Blouse by Banana Republic, $79.50; Traisie pump by Steve Madden, $89.95; Checkmate Sweater Tank by RACHEL Rachel Roy, $59, also seen here.

Dot, Dot, What a Girl I've Got

noreply@blogger.com (Chelsea) — Mon, 29 Aug 2011 02:23:00 +0000

There are few things I love more than polka dots and a romper. A couple weeks ago as I was perusing through Topshop in Soho, I found the most gorgeous tan and sapphire halter romper that I decided I had to have it! And here it is for your viewing pleasure!

Romper by Topshop, $100; Gilla sandals by Boutique 9 from Bloomingdales, $99; vintage watch from the 80s via my Mom.

Happy Sunday!

Stranded!

noreply@blogger.com (Chelsea) — Sun, 28 Aug 2011 05:51:00 +0000

My general philosophy about current events is a combination of ignorance is bliss and if it's important enough I'll hear about it. Now, if you would have asked me ten days ago if I thought by leaving New York to go on vacation I would miss two earthquakes and a hurricane I probably would have laughed in your face. Remaining true to my philosophy, yesterday I called my friend Olivia to wish her a happy 21st birthday and she in turn told me that a hurricane by the name of Irene was headed straight to New York City and that certain areas were being evacuated! I spent a total of four and a half hours on hold with American Airlines to rebook my canceled flight for Sunday and still didn't get through until I called back this morning! Now I don't fly out until Thursday morning, having extended my eleven day vacation into a two week one.

So far the SoCal leg of my vacation has been amazing, days at the beach, barbecues, seeing a friend in Hollywood, and shopping in Melrose and now I have five more days of the same! While I was on hold yesterday with the airline, I was window shopping in Laguna Beach and wandered into a boutique named Muse. Ironically enough their other location is in Edmonds, the town I'm from near Seattle. Anyway, I stumbled upon a dress that had to have been made for me. It's red, white and blue, short, strapless and the only one left was in my size. Unfortunately, I had to pass because the price wasn't meant for me, $108 isn't exactly budget friendly to my extended vacation paycheck. I did manage to grab the designer's name, Judith March, so I could share this amazing dress (and one other) with all of you!

From left to right: Red Dot Strapless with Navy Embroidered Bow, the one I initially fell in love with and the Blue Polka Dot Three Ruffles Bodice and Orange Piping, my new favorite.

Keeping everyone back East in my thoughts! Stay safe!