Pilot Clutch

Big Sister

Baby sister of the much adored Pilot by Rag & Bone, the Pilot Clutch is bound to become an it bag I believe. Now may someone pretty please buy it for me? It comes in either solids, or perforated leather. As if it matters, but even if it did, I have no idea which I'd go with. Badass

Little Sisters

Edgier Black Sheep Sister

Back to reality: I just splurged on the Kate Spade Kensington Dunn (no longer available on their site) from the last chance sale. It was just too good a price to ignore, and with a promo code... it was dirt cheap. Also, am and always will be a sucker for a bag with 14k gold plated hardware. Cheesy I know, but it feels substantial. It's very business-y, but am ever on the quest to look like a serious business woman, not the girl with the collection of dirt stained (but still beautiful!) Tory Burch totes who managed to finagle her way into an office building

Big Girl Bag - Literally, it's huge

Surprise! Your Bank Account is Empty

Could not resist this sale. While the options were tough, I bit the bullet and bought the South Kensington Dunn as an investment in my work attire. Cannot wait for this package to arrive! I admit it, I still have a hard time visualizing Kate Spade as something other than the brand I'd always see growing up lounging on the shelves of T.J. Maxx in all their canvas mismatched stripey glory, but I really do think they've made a turn-around. I thought this bag was chic enough to carry around, but sturdy enough to hold all my papers and iPad and definitely edgy enough for me. Check out the Kate Spade Surprise Sale here before it's over! I had a promo code, so my bag was a cool $100 (off $528!)

Guilty

Just found this article online. Definitely am guilty of this one, I actually wonder every day what it means, unfortunately, now I know...

PJ's

Every now and then, it becomes completely apparent just how related my brother and I are. For example... earlier tonight, the merits of flannel pajamas were discussed. I have been a fan ever since my first Paul Frank pair from the Nordstrom Brass Plum department for a sixth grade sleep over (bought for the occasion, it was clearly one of those social mile stones and deserved a new pair so as to be recognized appropriately/aka they were super sick and I felt so cool). It turned out that both my brother and I were in full agreement that Olatz should make at least one such pair, instead of only sticking with silk, linen and cotton. Until they do, I'm sticking with my Victoria's Secret's in pink toile (bought with many a leftover gift card!), but meanwhile, it's nice to know that strange obsessions with bizarrely knowing about incredibly out-of-our-price-range pj's are something we can always have in common in our not always predictable family values.

Meow

Simonetta Wool Hat

                       It's (obviously?) for kids, but it's kindof rad.

What A Lovely Day

Favorite House of the Day 

It's days like today that make me love real estate. It's not about getting excited about commissions (that's like a watched pot/counting chickens scenario all in one. It's never going to happen if you just stare at it, and counting chickens before they hatch is always a terrible idea) but there are other ways that it is just fun. I did six (SIX!!) showings before noon allll over Anne Arundel, and it helped me learn my way around a lot, as well as gave me the opportunity to finally see houses I'd been really intrigued by. My client is super sweet, and I think I'm definitely starting to get a feel for what she wants, and we really liked 4 out of 6. Also, I didn't get lost once! That is not a small win for me, it's pretty major actually, even with google maps, and somehow didn't even totally screw up my timing. So I have no idea where this will go buying-wise right now, but I got a lot of good experience showing houses, and got some practice on my serious lack of directional skills, and also how to show houses. It was a much needed morale booster, whatever the outcome. There are only so many frustrating days in your career that you can take before you're just totally strung out. 

Real Estate Essentials

Sloane Ranger Soft Tablet Cover - Rugby iPad Case (only in womens now...) - Shearling Gloves from an old leather store downtown - Sick Shades - Pencil Case - Sentrilock with Pepper Spray (Just in case) and Nola Couture Fob - Business Cards! - Smathers Crab Flask  (Kidding! Not for work, but for the Skins game later)

I keep a jade Chinese good luck charm on my cowboy hat  (TEXAS!) next to the bedroom door now; maybe it'll do/is doing something...?

The Lucky Hat

Listening to: People Say - Portugal. The Man

    

Boxing Day Shopping

After Christmas, it will definitely be months before I can have any fun at all with my wallet (and that's totally contingent on people moving in the new year too, so get on it people, pretty please!). However, if I could, the Reiss sale is epic right now.

Adi

Juana

Bridge

Etta

Also, today was the first real snow this year downtown!! I don't use exclamation points lightly, but that statement required two.

Quarter Life Crisis

Yesterday I picked up the weekly free itunes gift card from Starbucks, and this time it was a rental for the movie Happy. I wasn't expecting to watch it, but today as I nursed my hangover from last night's annual Eggnog at AYC, I decided to give it a try. One thing I can say with certainty is that these days, happy is not how I would always describe myself. For various reasons, I feel almost completely torn down and overwhelmed. It shows too. When I taught sailing a few years ago as a summer job, all the kids called me "Smiley." Cheesy, but apparently I was always smiling. Lately I don't feel quite as exuberant; circumstances are wearing on me, and I feel kindof frustrated with myself at most given times. One thing that I really picked up on from watching Happy is that people who change their routines often tend to be more cheerful. Also, we tend to have a certain state that we return to after either positive or negative changes, Our happiness resting point can vary from person to person. I would say that my happiness resting point has gone down lately, and I'm thinking I can chalk it up to a quarter life crisis. Things career-wise are a little out of my control, and family and friends are sometimes uncertain as well, just because of silly dramas. As of today, I'm currently on the lookout for all the little things that do make me very happy, even if only for a moment, so I can look on those things and make a positive change in my daily happiness resting point, so I can get this ridiculous mentality balanced, and not be such a worrier. Things currently making me very happy:
1. Today, for the first time since I got my real estate license in August, a friend/peer contacted me asking for help BUYING a house! Exciting!

2. My sexy lace Victoria's Secret dress that I wore last night! Definitely the only one of it's kind there, and I loved every minute of wearing it
3. Christmas shopping for James; it's true that it really is better to give than receive, and I keep coming up with more things that I think he'd love and his big wooden cigar box (my gift wrapping of choice for him) of presents is getting full already in spite of my best efforts to not go overboard this year
4. Going to see family in Montclair this weekend for the Christmas party
5. Thinking about the future, and what I'm really really  hoping it holds for me if I can make it happen!

Shoemint/Rue Giveaway!

Win $500 from both Shoemint and Rue lala by entering here:

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Rue lala

Definitely worth it! Here are a few other great ones too, in case you're one of the few who hasn't jumped on the bandwagon yet.

Ideeli

Gilt (if you join here you get $25 credits immediately!)

Five Mile (for the outdoorsy types)